Chapter 26
YI0msThere were two bosses in the Dead Zone Deal laboratory.9Gft8z
KFF7J81The first was the Security Guard Zombie, whom you fought as soon as you entered the first-floor lobby.mw3
DBdIlBack when he was human, that grotesquely swollen security guard had injected himself with illegal steroids to increase his muscle mass.nC2HGLi
Ddb3WmAfter turning into a zombie, the remnants of the drug accelerated, transforming him into something that could no longer be considered human.dpwY5k
aoMZThe Security Guard Zombie possessed the greatest offensive power in all of Dead Zone Deal.s7L
5BSCSBut Je Hyuno had killed him at the very beginning, so I never even got to see him.sYlvr
tVyjowThe second was the Chef Zombie in the underground area.2CAj
3WIJG4According to the story, he was a cook who fled to the generator room when the outbreak began and ended up turning into a zombie there.MHoO
Kmy3Having been trapped in a place filled with constant noise twenty-four hours a day, he had become far more ferocious than any other zombie and had extraordinarily sensitive hearing.O4G
YMMtThe Chef Zombie was a time-limit boss.e8ZvsKH
uMCTPdaHe constantly struck the emergency generator to reduce its operational capacity.KTkoT
orQrNIf the player focused too much on delivery missions and took too long to confront him, he would completely destroy the generator, and the game would immediately end with a Bad Ending.wfpMUt
NxKZIEFurthermore, once the battle began, he attacked indiscriminately.0csU
A9Ub17That was why it was crucial to keep his attention away from the generator to prevent him from destroying it.JXDtI
QiiUNrIf too much time passed after the battle started without repairing the generator, it would explode, blowing the entire underground sector sky-high.ZNhgLdc
7lBxcGame Over.2Ad
eTLIVBut if you reduced the boss’s health to less than half before finishing the repairs,N3pa95
eZaOfqmit was also Game Over.PfqGW4
NO7The Chef Zombie would self-destruct, causing the generator to explode.BEzn
o3pIt was a battle designed so that anyone unfamiliar with the mechanics would inevitably lose.ygwXv
CvPfI had defeated the Chef Zombie so many times that I was sick of seeing him.hPFYN
1cxdCFThat was why I had let my guard down a little.6DtDt
8rT3I thought I would be able to react to almost any unexpected situation.LiGHVq
Pn82But my zombification disappearing…kFJ
Ii8SlThat had been completely beyond anything I could have anticipated.ADnSs6K
D50khThe moment I exhaled the breath I had been holding, the Chef Zombie lunged at me.w5i
P0t8“Graaaah!”bicU
isf“Goyo!”Gl7C5Wi
ORKfO“Recruit!”3iT
qcg5Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein immediately reacted to the unexpected situation, but I stopped them.eyvUw
CcX“I’m fine!”eB2
h89mDeAs I broke into a run, I shouted at the top of my lungs.LULnVV
J3ZpW5d“I’ll handle the boss! Throw me the sling bag!”KVMXYun
jogxJ7Kwak Hanmuk ripped off the sling bag in one motion and threw it.osoF8
UT4SzThe small bag traced a perfect arc before landing right in my hands.glU4
ppQ0MyI caught it in midair.SUtc
ObRMeanwhile, Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein ran toward the spare parts cabinet.pEGso
hHbf4Kwak Hanmuk slammed his entire body into the metal filing cabinet.wtKvxn8
AaNJnHe tore the door off by force and dumped out every part inside.iSNvcaL
FMy0hh1◆Wha?t?! Ma?in Qu?est!!: Defeat the enraged Chef Zombie.eN0
a6aA4iAre you…? Are…? Crazy…? Out of your mind…?HUxcy
NevYou think you’ve definitely lost your mind.Nfiy
xKMq■■ ■ is still weak.ERax
WJXGCaYour abilities are also pitifully insignificant.RK7
WzpiyYou swear you’ll never ignore a system window again.5lr
opeAIl3However, the disaster has already begun.pNt7v
VepJlThe chef, who was always angry because the researchers complained about the food, became even more violent after turning into a zombie.AB5xAKP
nGqHe might tear you apart. Apart! Apart! Apa-apa-apart!682Q7hO
C0gQDefeating the enraged chef will never be an easy task.icnQ
5F7r‘Of course. If you actually said something useful from the beginning…’OCwMRei
oP35UpThen I’d diligently read every system window myself.3V9Y
rAn7XIt was still the same.gYcBT
GvzOVThere wasn’t a single useful line.69K
XyGJVJust lectures about not reading them and a bunch of nonsense.CRz77a
gLmwII glanced over my shoulder at the Chef Zombie, who continued chasing me.Orqng
cJSa‘Am I the only one whose zombification disappeared?’8mtF
d2U00qKJudging by the way he was targeting only me, the answer was obvious.Pj7
i64I didn’t understand why it had happened.uCE1e
5WXdAfter Mo Haein bit me, I hadn’t done anything at all.vlxK
7xw7qThe only difference between me and Kwak HanmukuM7
VCHwas that I was the System.croWe
kJLtC7yThat was the only explanation I could come up with.icd
oLj9And once the boss had already recognized me as his target, even if I turned back into a zombie now, it wouldn’t matter anymore.VMG
lmtfpI’d have to face the Chef Zombie as a human.HeP
ZfRm94GYou think you’re truly in a desperate situation this time.qGW
q16ar12But fortunately, there is a way to overcome it.KaDlb
hTLS71TYou wish to register ‘Mo Haein’ and ‘Kwak Hanmuk’ to complete the ‘3 slots’ and raise the System’s power to a new level.80DvGdA
7VY4kKGDo you wish to register ‘Mo Haein’ and ‘Kwak Hanmuk’?bnn5
994zohOh, seriously.mt6Ez2N
vg5wHSc‘It’s precisely because you keep saying this kind of nonsense that I stop reading you.’PESBwBI
IY6y2aThe strange sensation I had experienced when registering Je Hyuno was still vivid in my memory.NG6u
GMlHI didn’t want to register anyone else.CEXb
wqvIgnoring the system window as I continued running, I surveyed the generator room.1IEIOG
Ju1ILYIt was a spacious area dominated by a massive engine.452nFg
N22YCmBut not spacious enough to play cat and mouse with the Chef Zombie for six minutes.7deCX2
2YbaDtEspecially considering my agility.DfYhAao
ZTZIVIf I were still a zombie, my physical abilities would be considerably better than they were now.lwbUdq3
TQ09What a shame.Gfh
YEzpI unzipped the sling bag and reached inside.aHoPi7K
3scsU7I pulled out one of the items Kwak Hanmuk had obtained despite asking me over and over what the hell I needed it for.Qq8OX7h
PApoA set of simple plastic gonggi stones.HGh
hefGonggi Stones: Use them only to play gonggi.qRKZd0
Twl2The gonggi stones rattled continuously.4NkuP
4XY60The small filling inside them produced a soft clattering sound.sNI0BL3
Ae3I picked up one of them and threw it in the opposite direction from the one I was running.5UlvbDC
lYKm“Graaaah!”Srqv
0mUuKThe Chef Zombie let out a chilling roar and immediately charged toward the stone.kMF
lsdd5‘It worked.’tT4ml4b
jbMRKwak Hanmuk had managed to get the right item.JaP
SPdWThe gonggi stones were a toy played with by a child at the elementary school in Green Zone.hXku
M4ATThe Chef Zombie unfailingly reacted to the faint sound they made.h81Ziq
CABVmYFurthermore, he always picked them up and swallowed them.kpvA
WnJWhen he did, he became stunned for three seconds.wlrRrj
8GpNDThe hidden strategy for defeating him was to keep throwing the stones while escaping.XZi
7UdBut there were only five.V9kg1Z
mIQI couldn’t waste them carelessly.4K205
K5YaI had to manage them carefully while the emergency generator was being repaired.SYoS
66AUote“Grrr…”Gdf
zoHoRcpThe Chef Zombie picked up the stone with his rotten hand.yhn
TDXG5He had picked it up instinctively, though he didn’t seem to know what to do with it.9RC6Hx
fgcHe stood still for a few moments before putting it into his mouth and swallowing it.doG9HZ
fobhWhile the Chef Zombie remained stunned, I climbed a metal shelving unit where several pipes were neatly stored.PPIEq
lgeYczI climbed onto the platform about two meters above the ground and looked toward the emergency generator.FhRvpC
0NThAt that moment, a system window appeared.T78Vt
zuvSThe emergency generator repair has begun!S5X
EuBIGz6Repairers: Cheongroe, Morae. (The repairers cannot be changed once the repair has begun.)Y66Ird
Nn0lGCurrent repair progress: 1%.QvmLo9s
bmktKwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein were sitting on opposite sides of the generator, removing the metal panels.tKIvDA
ZCSdAfter spraying the rust remover, Mo Haein hurled the aerosol can with all her strength.zuuNOu
UUmPtClang!RVKVx86
GYSaaJfThe can struck the metal fence on the opposite side.sexMd3
QwkCULJust then, the Chef Zombie’s stun ended.9aZX
Ks2vAs he searched for me, he immediately rushed toward the source of the impact.XQpdU
JjFUkHy“…”9jexIo0
GBEFYMo Haein checked with trembling eyes that I was still unharmed.KY96D9
nyTThen she immediately went back to work.bVRdsd
2G15She ran over to Kwak Hanmuk’s side, and the two of them began loosening bolts with wrenches and replacing the damaged cables according to their respective colors.epFx
JmeQThey both worked calmly, exactly as I had explained during the briefing.tkU
6yEVSIt looked like they would finish the repairs within the six minutes I had estimated.WiWc
xCFThanks to the few seconds Mo Haein had bought me, I managed to climb to the top of the shelving unit without any trouble.6tAq
ovC0D“Kieeaaa!”lCh3Wn
goYThe Chef Zombie let out a horrifying shriek and slammed into the shelving unit.S6F7FY
FA4CdsMThe impact was so powerful that even the metal frame, firmly bolted to the floor, shook.CIUO
hIy1The most important thing was to keep all of his attention focused on me.2uZS
4c4lAXSI left the repair progress window in the corner of my vision and waited for the Chef Zombie to finish climbing.Aad
XWVWhen he was only one level away from reaching me,nJGrO
Am1p2I took off running.aPz1
DipI sprinted along the long row of metal shelves as though it were a running track.vIo6Xr
m4NknThe Chef Zombie immediately chased after me.typLq
oyVHis apron, riddled with holes, flapped noisily as he ran.02g22w
oPxJust before reaching the end of the shelving unit, I threw the second gonggi stone to the opposite side.ZBs
rEafJust as I expected, the Chef Zombie reacted to the sound once again.3f18Ed
nGsUCrash!VY6G
BKF6uAs he chased after the stone, he fell off the shelving unit.1CBErx
gBjiiDxThe impact left him motionless for a few seconds.WuLm
J8PEJgThen his body bent with horrifying cracks before he got back to his feet.ezOCH3J
8heAnd he ran after the stone once more.URbTg
1qAWpssI took the opportunity to check on the repairs.r6Mby
mR8jQ1Mo Haein had returned to the right side to clean off the rust and remove the internal bolts.M0NAb0
g5EOn the left side, Kwak Hanmuk had already finished connecting the cables and was tightening the bolts one by one.hq5
9rjThe intense heat radiating from the generator’s engine caused sweat to trickle down Kwak Hanmuk’s temples.Gt2mB6f
phjPjpTWhen the Chef Zombie came back toward the shelving units, I ran this time toward the generator’s cooling fan.cTw
595vThe scorching air it expelled was unbearable.bMa
bY6FGBut it was the noisiest spot in the entire room.4V75a
tZGZAs long as I stayed there, the Chef Zombie would temporarily lose track of me.Kdx
X3wAJust as I expected, the monster hesitated for a moment after losing sight of his target.6RetR
RfGEUFor the next minute, he would wander around looking for me.2zlXV
KcM9w5But once that minute was over, he would go back to attacking the generator.1dMmfB
fKQI had to act before that happened.IPQYnEO
VyZWith that brief window of safety, I counted the seconds in my head while watching the metal fence on the opposite side.yuLrOP
0qOnyBehind it stood another generator that was completely shut down.bkU9KT1
RStq3gJust as the Chef Zombie was about to stop searching for me, I threw the third gonggi stone.Akg64T
ZYbNot too hard and not too softly.m2oTyS
asO71The stone passed perfectly through the gap in the fence and landed exactly where I wanted it to.Ksagu
f2gy32QIn a place the Chef Zombie could barely reach with his hand.p9okWK7
OQXj2The moment he heard the sound, the monster hurled himself at the fence.m8du9Q6
6IyUDZZUnable to reach it through the openings, he began ripping the mesh apart with brute force.fC97t
dj0Crack! Crack!C1yUSy8
pdxS3The wires began to snap.eOEHIbL
UnmcThe sharp ends pierced the backs of his hands.tbbgH
SCdY6c4A viscous, putrid liquid began dripping from the wounds.Eitp
qzj00nbBut zombies don’t feel pain.VtgkzT0
P6XZhThe Chef Zombie completely mangled his own hands as he tore apart the fence.QUkT
ekzVxzIn the end, he managed to grab the stone and shove it into his mouth.Bj8SUJY
eFyn4hI hadn’t anticipated that.omLd
HIBDgEKIn the game, you only saw him tearing down the fence.pb4X9
dNHPzUIt never showed him injuring himself like that.4fadI
F2QFAfter all, the game had pixel graphics.EXAQ
rri0TThere was a limit to how much information it could convey.pq0
hx4‘If he’s a chef, he shouldn’t be destroying his hands.’heOy
f0VgO3pI had no choice but to slightly alter my plan.UBsff
p0HMfvI pulled a pistol out of the sling bag.Yvct
hfx2wZ1It was a compact Glock 19 with a fifteen-round magazine.z2U
AkmLaiBut I only intended to fire one shot.LLbu
3LDCuThe Chef Zombie didn’t have that much health.gS6j9W
cREIf I mishandled the weapon and reduced his health below half,NauIV
fyKhe would immediately self-destruct.0sIJyd
wiY0NfIt was a tool that was as useful as it was dangerous.9aWSLQ
JNUElxI had wanted to avoid using firearms whenever possible.vdCjjIx
EluYKTzBut this time I had no other choice.uzcov
XWskL1I racked the slide and aimed at the Chef Zombie.bmMmb
47wZvmIn FPS games, I had been an excellent marksman.XBNgr
EWOFBpJBut this was reality.3Nbld9e
Zl0L4RI hadn’t even received basic military training.u5F9KS0
QWdTZUIt was the first time I had ever held a real gun.Hd54
u4aCLThe rough texture of the grip lightly scraped against my palm.qNf
eIUWith every nerve in my body focused, I placed my finger on the trigger.p7DUh
lBo3uyThe Chef Zombie growled as he turned toward me.AlzHZHL
5f498AGHe had detected the sound of my breathing and charged immediately.8MIun
YSb9I waited calmly.P2Zyy3A
8NnTrCg‘When he’s as close as possible.’rxez9N8
AbcThat was the best way to minimize the margin of error.Lk6
CsFzThe approaching zombie seemed to be moving in slow motion.k3e
GrgBEven though it was impossible for him to actually be moving slowly.8HDuW
QFxPFAs I focused all my attention,5fRnU
gsfUXQYI felt an intense heat in my eyes.ZKrqD
MmjHEQIt was that same sensation I had already experienced several times.rdr6A
GysZYStrange as it was,RrSfHzh
3lkit didn’t scare me.usS
OCvSOn the contrary.WwhiP
kAyIt felt completely natural.E2LFD
1QK5EpbI pulled the trigger.ahJ
DksbqjBang!3W2W8W
SSZaThe recoil caused the barrel to jerk upward, and the shell casing flew off to one side.SYQO
4ZlThe first shot only left a long groove across the zombie’s skin before deflecting away.bGlJg
nC5oMQKBut I smiled.208
4ntojmpAnd pulled the trigger again.QDQ
1nMThis time I didn’t miss.RHaHk
OcTIThe bullet pierced his kneecap.GTbxEQU
mNH6“Kiaaa!”eYyXK
EdmYBThe Chef Zombie lost his balance and collapsed to the ground.ffO1FGU
lKoCeThe sound of the shell casing hitting the floor echoed loudly.Ym2J
aOPI immediately lowered the gun.YoyGJB
PIniBOKIf I kept firing, I’d enter his self-destruction threshold.PetZcNp
euqpaCI slowly exhaled and looked toward the generator.7iiRp2
2lITdvcBut Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein were no longer repairing it.2cyO
f5s3lBoth of them had stopped working.yJNT22
FkcB9With tense expressions, they were staring fixedly at me.YAB
iWZE6ok‘What’s wrong?’QFDf
kc0I quickly looked around to see if there was something near me.Db8HE
wRwe5sBut there was nothing.YG4u
QgbBPtcThen I saw my reflection in the glass door of the fire extinguisher cabinet.o5V5S
xEGEEven through the dirty glass, it was perfectly clear.UKJVo
f2xGMy eyes were glowing with an intense golden color.5bfG28v
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