Chapter 9. Farming

Chapter 9. Farming

While opinions were divided on whether to move, Seonyoung seemed to agree that preparations for survival were necessary. She also appeared eager to actively hunt Zombies and strengthen her Shield.

The problem was how, and to what extent, we should prepare. We put our heads together, trying to figure out what was most important. But since this situation was new to everyone, answers didn’t come easily.

“Water, food, clothes… it’s tough. Should we try looking on MeTube? We can still charge our phones.”

“Right? I wish someone would just compile a guide on how to survive among Zombies and upload it to MeTube. I’ll sort through the food for now. You should rest.”

“Let’s do it together. Ugh.”

“It’s easier for me to do it alone.”

I had been moving since dawn, overly tense. After finally eating, I felt lazy about everything, but I forced myself to get up. If I just slumped around, I’d want to keep resting. I briefly wrestled with Seonyoung, who tried to get up with me, and made her sit back down. If I was this exhausted, how much harder must it be for her?

Seonyoung reluctantly sat in the chair, stretching her body uncomfortably. Her body didn’t seem to be obeying her. Leaving Seonyoung fumbling with her Cell Phone behind me, I began to examine the interior of the Convenience Store’s storage room.

‘There’s more than I thought?’

In one corner of the storage room, several boxes of ramen, snacks, and bundles of drinks were stacked. Next to them, a foldable cot leaned against the wall. I sorted the food by expiration date, prioritizing what needed to be consumed first.

‘But where’s the Restroom?’

It felt a bit too carefree to be looking for a Restroom in this situation. But I wasn’t ready to give up my human dignity just yet. If the streets were overflowing with an unmanageable number of Zombies, I wouldn’t even dream of a Restroom.

As I moved around, a stale, musty smell wafted up from my clothes. If we went outside, getting new clothes would be my top priority. Wearing these same clothes constantly felt like it would give me a disease I didn’t even have.

“Team Leader, look at this.”

“What is it?”

A MeTube video was displayed on the screen Seonyoung showed me.

– Presidential Emergency Order

Judging by the thumbnail, the President hadn’t turned into a Zombie. She played the video.

– This broadcast is a pre-recorded message.

My fellow citizens, this is a real situation. On May XX, 20XX, a global pandemic of unknown origin occurred, and we are declaring a national disaster. The provisional designation ‘Zombie’ is rapidly spreading, and the scale of the damage is currently immeasurable. I repeat, this is a real situation. (Excerpt) Please refrain from all external contact and evacuate to a safe place to preserve your lives. My dear citizens, the government will make every effort to resolve this situation.

The approximately five-minute video ended, and a black screen appeared. The President in the video wasn’t the neat and tidy figure usually seen on broadcasts. He wore a shirt with torn sleeves, and his hair was disheveled.

Watching this video, I felt a certainty. The world had truly gone to hell. If the President was uploading a video in such a state, it meant all of humanity was facing a crisis. I didn’t know where a “safe place” was, but assuming we evacuated to one, what then? The government said they would resolve the situation, but how long would we have to wait? Was it right to just hold our breath and wait until someone told us, ‘It’s okay now, you can come out’?

A sense of urgency began to stir within me. A feeling of crisis, bubbling up from my instincts, seemed to warn me that I couldn’t just stand by. It wasn’t a thought derived from rational and logical reasoning, but rather an intuitive signal.

“Hoo.”

It was hard to explain precisely, but I took a deep breath, trying to calm the unknown sense of dread. I wasn’t exactly a rational person to begin with, so there was no helping it. If I ignored the warning from my instincts, I’d keep feeling uneasy.

Whenever my mind was turbulent—whether I was tense, sad, or angry—I habitually recalled the breathing techniques I used to achieve inner peace, clearing my confused thoughts.

‘Nothing has changed anyway.’

I had already decided to act, assuming the worst-case scenario. I would prepare as planned.

Rip, rip.

It would have been great to have duct tape or electrical tape. As I wrapped transparent tape, found in the Convenience Store, around my forearm, I questioned if it would even help.

“This feels a bit uncomfortable. I can’t feel my hand properly.” Seonyoung said, twisting her wrist this way and that.

After assessing the Convenience Store’s supplies and taking a short break, we were arming ourselves to go back outside. I wasn’t sure if “arming ourselves” was even the right word. We put on black, half-coated work gloves and wrapped tape around our wrists and forearms. We also taped our ankles and calves.

“Wouldn’t it at least block a glancing Zombie bite once? My arms and legs feel so vulnerable. I’m just hoping it helps a little.”

I said this, but truthfully, I wasn’t sure if it would help or hinder us. Responding to Seonyoung, I pulled out a cotton t-shirt from the display shelf and wrapped it around my face. I covered my nose and mouth completely, just in case a lot of blood splattered. I had it covered, but it wasn’t staying put.

“Team Leader. We have masks here, wouldn’t these be better?”

“Ah, that’s a good idea. Much more comfortable.”

To think I was covering my face with a cotton t-shirt when disposable masks were right next to me. I felt a little embarrassed, but I casually thanked her and tossed the t-shirt into a corner.

I was ready to leave, though I’d be back. Just in case, I packed a few energy bars into my pocket. Finally, I opened the map app to check our route one last time.

The first floor of this building was the Convenience Store, and the second floor housed a Drum Academy. It was a building on a three-way intersection. If we opened the Convenience Store door and crossed the road directly in front, we’d reach the Grass Field from yesterday. If we turned sideways and crossed the road, we’d find an Apartment Complex. Behind the Convenience Store was a fairly large Neighborhood Park, which would have been nice for a walk—if there weren’t Zombies, of course.

“Shall we go then?”

“Yes.”

We decided to check this entire building first, then head towards the Apartment Complex. Our destination was the Commercial Building at the entrance of the Apartment Complex.

We stepped out onto the quiet street and entered the building entrance right next to us. Climbing the stairs, we saw a Restroom halfway up and the glass door of the Drum Academy on the second floor. After confirming there were no Zombies in the Restroom, we headed for the Drum Academy.

“You think they’re inside that room?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

From behind the wall, Seonyoung and I peeked our heads up and down, looking through the glass door. The interior of the Drum Academy was a complete mess. Bloodstains splattered the floor and walls in many places, and all sorts of furniture and equipment lay scattered and toppled. A single hallway extended into the lobby. There were four rooms on either side of the hallway, and judging by the continuous bloodstains, the Zombies seemed to be inside them.

Pushing aside the various scenarios that came to mind, I quietly formulated a plan.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

I remembered the bell attached to the Convenience Store door. Checking, I found a bell also attached to the Drum Academy’s entrance. I gently opened the door and carefully removed the bell. Minimizing my footsteps, I carefully navigated around the scattered obstacles. Crossing this short space made me sweat and took a long time.

Grrr…

As I approached the hallway, I heard the low growl of a Zombie. I listened intently.

‘Four of them?’

By the sound, it seemed like four. I held up four fingers to Seonyoung, who remained by the door. Our strategy was basically the same as what we’d thought of that morning. A simple plan: Seonyoung’s Shield would block the charging Zombies, and I would attack their heads. We added a slight modification: using chairs and desks to slightly obstruct the Zombies’ path.

My muscles screamed in protest as I carefully moved the chairs and desks to avoid making noise. I had insisted on doing it alone, fearing that if we moved together, we might accidentally make a sound.

‘Should I have moved the desk with her?’

My strength and stamina weren’t weak, but I’d been feeling their inadequacy since yesterday. To survive in the future, physical ability seemed even more crucial. After all, if your body fails, your mind suffers.

‘Will I even have time to exercise?’

Perhaps if I kept struggling and striving like this, my strength and stamina would naturally improve. After grunting to myself for a long time, lost in thought, I returned to the entrance. Seonyoung wiped the sweat from my neck with the towel wrapped around her own, mouthing “good job” to me. I also had a towel wrapped around my neck. She must have seen it, so why was she doing this? Feeling a strange sense of embarrassment, I took a short break.

A moment later, we exchanged glances, stood up, and took our positions in front of the door.

Thump, thump, thump.

KROOOAAAK!

When Seonyoung hit the door frame with her Baseball Bat, the Zombies burst out with a loud clamor. An Uncle Zombie and a High Schooler Zombie came out first, followed by two Female Zombies.

Thud! Splat!

The Uncle Zombie, who was charging first, tripped over a chair and fell. The High Schooler Zombie, following close behind, caught its leg on a desk and tumbled to the floor. It was a relief they fell so stupidly, just as we’d planned. But the grotesque way they thrashed their limbs, crawling forward, sent shivers down my spine.

“Shield!”

The Female Zombie, whose face was so disfigured that its original features were unrecognizable, arrived first. Seonyoung generated a Shield at the perfect moment. I swung my Baseball Bat and took it down in one hit. As I retrieved my bat, Seonyoung swung her own. Her Baseball Bat shattered the head of the other Female Zombie, who had arrived right after the first.

KROOOAAAK!

The two Female Zombies collided and fell. Behind the falling Zombies, the head of the High Schooler Zombie suddenly popped up. The Shield was still intact. The High Schooler Zombie, caught by the Shield, thrust its head forward, snapping its jaws. Feeling a pang of envy for Seonyoung’s ability, I smashed the head of the High Schooler Zombie as it tried to climb over the pile of corpses.

The Uncle Zombie kept crawling, only to get pinned under the other Zombies’ corpses, thrashing about.

Whack! Whack!

Seonyoung finished off the Uncle Zombie, letting out a sigh.

It was a gruesome sight. Mutilated corpses, their forms incomplete, were piled up like a tower. We, who had created this scene, exchanged relieved smiles.