Chapter 4
Joshua had a bad reputation.
It was the price he paid for having lived his whole life in laziness.
Among the fifth year students in his class, he was the only one with a Novice rank.
Still, among all the gossip that was created, some of it was unfair.
Words like delinquent or brat did not fit him.
He did not leave his room.
If he never left his room, that means he never got tangled up with anyone.
“…You can speak comfortably. I am young, and I am lacking in many ways compared to you, senior.”
Tania was openly uncomfortable with me.
There was a hint of fear in her eyes.
As far as I could guess, she was judging me based on the rumors she had picked up.
“I am not going to eat you alive. You don't have to be that scared.”
“Pardon?”
“I don't know what you heard about me, but if you think that is all there is, I’m saying we have a problem.”
Her throat moved as if I had struck home.
“We met for the first time today, yes?”
“That’s right.”
“Then judge me with your own eyes.”
Before I possessed him, it was possible Joshua might have been trash.
That impression was something I could improve slowly.
The first step was Tania, and if she came to trust me, it would help with my survival later.
“…Alright, I’ll do that.”
Her expression softened.
She smiled faintly and sat down on a chair off to the side.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
Tania had an active personality, but once she decided she was lacking, she became passive.
In terms of survival skills, I was ahead of her.
I had proven that on my way down here from the fourth floor.
She did not stubbornly deny that and accepted it honestly.
“Keep watch at the door for me. If you hear anything that sounds like a monster coming down, tell me right away.”
She nodded firmly.
Now it was time to examine the things I had recovered from the third floor.
[Iron Club]
-A blunt weapon made of metal. Suitable for swinging and smashing.
It was a blunt weapon shaped much like a real world baseball bat.
I gave it a light swing.
The feeling was not bad.
While my proficiency with blades was still low, a weapon like this was more useful.
Rye Bread - [Freshness 30%]
-Plain bread made mainly with rye.
Next was the bread.
It was the first food I had found since waking up in this world.
“It is hard to eat it like this.”
Mold had grown over it.
It was not preserved in any special way, so this result was expected.
There was not enough unspoiled bread to just tear away and eat the clean parts.
I sank into thought.
Then something flashed in my head and the [Clever] trait activated.
“Is that really possible?”
I tilted my head at the advice.
Purification.
It was one of the spells classified as holy magic.
If it succeeded perfectly, it removed harmful effects from the target.
Right now I was nowhere near that level.
At best, I could partially ease those effects.
“There is no harm in trying though.”
I focused mana at my fingertips.
The nerves that formed my inner holy power rampaged savagely.
I had spent nearly all of my holy power just getting this far.
I had exactly one use left.
Light gathered in both my hands, then covered the bread and shone.
Rye Bread - [Freshness 40%]
The result was successful.
The bread’s condition had changed.
It was proof that Purification magic worked on mold.
I tore off a piece with my hands and checked the taste and texture.
It’s good!
My mood soared over a single piece of ordinary bread.
Yet the excitement did not last long, because [Cool] patted my mind and told me to calm down.
“It’s safe for now, so come over here for a moment.”
I called Tania, who had been keeping watch at the door.
Her eyes went straight to the bread I was holding.
An emotion I had never seen before flickered on her face.
Hunger, pure instinct.
Anyone could see she was undernourished.
She had probably been going hungry for quite a while.
Even so, the fact that she kept her reason in front of food was admirable.
“Take it.”
I held the bread out.
Tania’s face went blank.
Before the world changed, no one felt any resistance to sharing food.
It was natural to think people should help one another.
That world no longer existed.
Even this one piece of bread had a completely different value than before.
“Can I really take this?”
“Yeah.”
Once I agreed, she did not hesitate.
She snatched the bread away and began to eat in a rush.
When crumbs fell to the floor, she scooped them up with her fingers and shoved them into her mouth.
She had abandoned her pride a long time ago.
“Thank you.”
Her meal was over in the blink of an eye.
She smacked her lips as if she were disappointed.
“But why did you give it to me?”
“You gave me water too. I don't like turning my back on someone who showed kindness first.”
Giving her the bread was a calculated move.
By helping her, I intended to gain favor with the people connected to her.
But that was not the only reason I helped.
She had been the one to reach out first in this harsh environment, and a debt had to be repaid.
“You are not as bad a person as people say.”
Tania gave me a small smile.
Even in her grimy state, it almost seemed to shine.
“How long have you been waiting for rescue?”
“It has been about a week since I got trapped here. I saw people heading toward the dormitory a few times in that time, but…”
Tania swallowed the words that had risen to her throat.
Even without asking, I could imagine what had happened to them.
They had likely suffered the same horrific fate as the two boys and girls I had seen through the window.
“What do you plan to do from here on, senior?”
“I plan to go down, right now actually.”
Tania looked appalled.
She had never gone outside yet.
She knew she needed to, but it seemed she had not been able to overcome her fear.
“Is there really a need to rush that much?”
“There are places on the first floor that are good for storing supplies. If we search them, we might get food and water.”
“If that is all, we can go later—”
“The real issue is the people below that you mentioned. You said you talked with them once, and that you have not spoken with them recently. It is only a guess, but there is a chance they settled somewhere.”
I recalled the flow of the game.
In the building where Tania stayed, there was a high chance the knight order would come.
The time frame was about a month earlier or later.
We needed enough supplies to last until then.
I also had to consider the possibility that the knights would never come.
“We have to confirm it.”
I did not add empty words like I will protect you or It is going to be fine.
I had no idea what danger might be waiting outside the door.
Tania looked uneasy, but soon she nodded.
“I understand what you mean. What do you want me to do?”
“You don't have a weapon, right?”
“No.”
“Then follow behind me slowly. Watch the surroundings. If you see anything, tell me immediately.”
“I’ll do just that.”
I rose from the chair.
My legs felt as heavy as if they were chained to rebar.
I had used magic from the fourth floor onward while fleeing to this place.
The fatigue was severe.
Without [Patience], I would not have been able to move a single step.
I opened the door.
The corridor was as quiet as the grave.
A faint vibration came from above.
The zombies I had bound with magic were still staying on the upper floor.
“Ahh.”
Tania fumbled in place.
She could not see.
Darkness lay thick.
Even once her eyes adjusted, she would have trouble telling anything apart even a step away.
Thanks to [Nocturnal], my night vision was fairly good, but for her this was a difficult situation.
“Ah.”
A breath escaped her lips.
I took her hand.
I meant for her to watch my back, but at this rate, accidents could happen no matter what she intended.
“If we light a fire, we’ll be able to see ahead.”
She whispered so softly only I could hear.
Tania showed outstanding talent with fire spells.
She was only a second year, yet she could create fire even without a catalyst.
“It’s because I want to lower the risk. The monsters don't see well, but they can still detect even a small light sometimes. If one of them spots us, the rest will swarm toward the sound. And I want to be careful about the people downstairs too.”
On the fourth floor I had used light to lure zombies.
Things were different now.
My condition was a wreck, and Tania did not have enough experience for me to rely on her.
I planned to avoid battle as much as possible.
I quieted my footsteps, stifled my breathing, and avoided anything that might draw attention.
Zombies were not our only enemies.
We had to be wary of people as well.
Exactly because they had intellect, they were far more dangerous than the early zombies we encountered.
“That is amazing. Did you study their patterns and habits?”
“Yeah.”
Tania sounded impressed.
She might blame herself and feel pathetic.
But the other characters in this game were not much different from her.
“Sorry. I feel like I am just a burden.”
“You don't need to worry. If there comes a moment when I need your magic, I will give you a signal.”
I reassured her as she hung her head.
What I had told her just now was not empty comfort.
I had chosen to bring Tania with me even though I could have left her on the third floor.
That was for the sake of the survivors below.
If they existed, I wanted to try talking first.
If peaceful negotiations were possible, that would be ideal, but the situation made that unlikely.
We did not hold the initiative.
We had nothing that would clearly draw the other side’s interest.
If they refused to share any benefits, a fight could break out over taking them by force.
“What do you think will happen if there are people downstairs?”
“I don't know. They might welcome us, or they might reject us.”
She held her breath.
Her palm, wrapped in my hand, was damp with cold sweat.
Her expression looked complicated.
She was probably imagining what would happen if everything went wrong.
Checking her complexion from time to time, I walked on without hesitation.
“I hope things work out smoothly. Like with you and me, senior.”
“I hope so too.”
We descended to the second floor.
I had no intention of giving it a thorough look.
It was a low priority here.
I checked whether the entrances were open.
Several doors had been violently thrown open by someone.
This was not the work of zombies.
Zombies would have broken them down by the weight of numbers.
But the open doors had their handles precisely smashed before being forced.
It was the work of people.
“Wait.”
I caught sight of human shadows in the moonlight that came through a window.
Tania and I pressed ourselves to the wall.
Was it zombies? or people?
From this distance it was hard to tell.
The moment to learn who they were came quickly.
“There is nothing left to see here. Maybe we should go upstairs?”
“Alright. Come to think of it, I heard there is a girl on the third floor.”
“Oh yeah, there was.”
“Doesn’t seem like she died though. I heard some noise from up there. I did not sense mana, but it seemed like magic.”
“Was she trying to ask for help? She is crazy. All the monsters probably swarmed over there.”
“That is exactly why we avoided the third floor. We have no way of knowing how many monsters there are. Anyway, there must be a ridiculous number.”
“Let us just take a look and come back down. If it comes down to it, we can give up the upper floors and still be fine for a while.”
There were three of them in total.
Judging from their uniforms, they were students.
Two of them held swords. The unarmed one was still a threat simply by standing next to them.
“Do you see something ahead?”
Tania squinted, clearly frustrated.
“There are survivors.”
She silently looked up at me.
She did not look happy.
We did not yet know how they would react to us, the other survivors.
Would they think the number of mouths to feed had gone up?
Or would they be glad to have more allies?
If they decided we were a hindrance, they might kill us.
They were still young students, but this was a place where people drew their swords on a whim.
A world where executions were common and torture was allowed during interrogations.
A world where slaves existed and the sense of being a chosen class was strong.
I could not apply the logic of my old world as Kang Minhyeok as it was.
Even if there was order, many things were different from what I remembered.
I had to be careful.
Tension hung in the air.
The three had not moved from their spot yet.
They had not noticed us.
“Are we going to fight?”
Tania’s grip on my hand trembled.
When I turned my head, her face was pale.
What she said sounded less like a question and more like a plea.
“No, we are not going to fight.”
I calmed her shaking.
I was not changing my plans just because my emotions got stirred.
“Two of them are knight apprentices.”
Their uniforms bore the symbol of a knight apprentice.
A short dagger.
Their class was Perity, the rank above Novice.
In physical ability, we were outmatched.
We would not be able to subdue them with the advantage of surprise alone.
“Besides, we cannot say for sure that those three are all the survivors downstairs.”
I could not rule out the possibility they had comrades.
If we left things half settled, we would end up enemies with the group they belonged to.
We had to avoid a fight.
But at the same time, retreat was not an option.
To overcome this crisis, we needed something other than brute force.
“Follow me. You just have to stay quietly at my side.”