episode_0005

005

Community

I had an intense workout with the zombie.

Now the zombie is sprawled out beside the tree stump.

Since it’s not moving, it looks exactly like a corpse.

“Kek… Kek.”

Anyway, leaving the zombie alone.

Checking the community occasionally, I was able to find out a few things.

This abduction phenomenon didn’t discriminate by nationality.

Everything looks like Korean to me, but it’s probably automatically translated.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for separate forums for each country.

I only briefly checked the Korean, Chinese, and Japanese forums, and the atmosphere is quite different in each country.

To express it in words, China could be called Union, Japan Complacency, and Korea Competition.

‘This is what’s good about communist countries.’

China quickly formed an alliance with the appearance of a powerful figure.

They built their own method of blocking information from other countries’ forums.

Because of that, from a certain point, I couldn’t understand their posts.

Only posts like poems or stories appeared.

Japan’s ‘Complacency’ was also peculiar.

According to information common across all forums, up to Stage 3 is considered the beginner section.

It’s not like you can resurrect or anything.

It’s that even if you don’t eat, basic nutrients are automatically supplied.

Accordingly, from Stage 4, where you have to find food yourself, the map size grows exponentially.

Also, the terrain you’ve created doesn’t reset as rounds pass.

Since they weren’t confident in pushing stages further, they chose to settle in that small world.

Because of this, the Japanese server mainly features livelihood tips like growing crops or raising animals.

‘This… I need to push to Stage 4 quickly.’

Horrible words. Only basic nutrients!

Doesn’t that mean I can only exercise just enough for basic nutrients?

My body is getting better by the day, but I’m lacking nutrition?

I absolutely cannot tolerate that.

Ah, for reference, Korea server’s Competition needs no explanation.

They accept all of this as a game and share strategies to challenge higher stages.

‘Though it seems they hide truly important information.’

Anyway, the important thing is that muscle loss is happening in real time.

I quickly woke the zombie up.

“Hey hey. Wake up. We have to push the round.”

“Ki… Ke…”

Did I feed it the [Regenerative Cell] correctly?

The zombie is listless.

I grabbed the back of my neck.

Muscle is disappearing in real time right now, yet it can be this nonchalant.

“Whew…”

With a feeling of regret, I looked around.

Dumbbells, kettlebells, and various other exercise equipment made by tying together rocks and wood are visible.

These are things that will all disappear when the round is pushed.

I closed my eyes tightly.

“Let’s just bear it until Stage 4.”

I first held the zombie and laid it on the hut’s bed.

I cannot waste time because of the zombie.

After only taking out the chair, I pressed [Start Combat].

Crackle – Crackle –

The sound of wood breaking is heard.

A path is being made.

“So… was it 10 dwarves for 2-1?”

I don’t completely trust the community.

But I’m in the lower ranks even among latecomers because I was exercising.

The middle ranks have already passed by, and the misleading posts have been verified.

Beyond there, 10 dwarves with clubs the size of an arm are visible.

If the concept of Stage 1 was ‘Prison and Prisoners’, Stage 2 was said to be ‘Bandits’.

They may look easy, but there was a tip that their physicality is much better than prisoners’.

‘They just look easy though?’

Come to think of it, those guys were whining that even the Stage 1 boss was hard.

It seems right to filter what I hear appropriately after all.

I held a chair in one hand and ran forward.

A cool breeze brushed my face.

‘This is what’s good about being outdoors.’

Bang!

The dwarf at the very front got hit by my chair and flew into the air.

Other dwarves twisted their faces and swung their clubs.

“Hmm…”

‘Doesn’t seem like it’ll hurt?’

I intentionally took a hit once.

The moment the club touched me, I got a feeling.

‘I absolutely cannot lose this.’

The dwarf seemed to feel it too, as despair fell over its face.

Since it’s an easy win anyway, let’s think about something else.

This is something I saw after accidentally going into the Russian forum.

There was a user named ‘Bear Uncle’.

According to his/her claim, he or she is a Bear Summoner.

They said they gathered all rewards up to Stage 2 and summoned a Russian Brown Bear.

An adult bear nearly 3 meters tall.

They said they cleared Stage 3 with just that one guy.

‘Then… if I dump all the rewards up to Stage 2 into the zombie, will the zombie become as strong as a Russian Brown Bear…?’

If not, that’s clearly a balance failure.

I need to suggest it to the GM.

Suddenly, I felt good thinking of a muscular zombie as strong as a Russian Brown Bear.

“Heh heh…”

I intentionally hit avoiding the dwarves’ heads.

I have to give them to the zombie, wouldn’t the product get damaged?

10 minutes later.

Knock knock –

I knocked on the hut’s door.

Slide –

As I opened the door and entered, the zombie woke up ruffled.

“Kikgek…”

“Zombie, come on out.”

The zombie’s legs trembled as it got off the bed.

‘Urgh… To be in such a state just from doing some leg work. What on earth is the Regenerative Cell doing?’

But don’t worry.

Isn’t the zombie going to become a Russian Brown Bear soon?

“Come on now. Zombie, hurry out. We exercised, so we should eat.”

“Kik…!”

The zombie flinches at the word exercise.

“Hey hey. Hurry out!”

The zombie staggering out is surprised seeing the dwarves outside the hut.

She looks at me with eyes full of emotion.

Well… honestly, I don’t know if it’s emotion or not.

Zombies don’t have much in the way of eyeballs.

When I motioned, the zombie began feasting.

It rested on the bed, and with feasting, vitality gradually enters the zombie’s movements.

‘Oh… good. At this rate, I could do one more full set before moving on?’

The zombie suddenly trembles.

Is it perhaps cold?

***

I discovered an enormous fact.

After clearing 2-1, I also obtained [Lowest Grade Zombie Enhancement Potion] and a small amount of gold.

Naturally, I summoned the zombie, and the zombie crawled slowly towards the hut.

And when I used the potion…

The zombie recovered completely and could stand on two legs again.

I beat my chest and let out my frustration.

“Ah… if only there was a forest gym…!”

If only I had the exercise equipment I made until now, I could have done the full course one more time immediately.

“Kik…”

“Yes… you’re sad too.”

“Ki…”

With sad eyes, I pressed [Start Combat].

It seems I need to unleash this sadness and frustration upon the dwarves.

Crackle – Crackle –

10 club-wielding dwarves and 20 bow-wielding dwarves.

Of course, I knew.

That’s why I made two shields using nearby trees.

The zombie and I stood with the shields in front and waited for the dwarves to approach.

And the moment the enemies fired their first arrows, I moved according to plan.

I leaped in among the club-wielding dwarves.

The zombie rushed out to the guys holding bows.

The zombie is not the zombie that was struggling in the tutorial anymore.

It can probably win even against the Stage 1 boss.

Of course, if neither side has weapons.

“Kiiieeeek!”

The zombie uses claws and teeth appropriately to slaughter the archers.

No need to mention the guys holding clubs.

Already more than half have broken arms or legs and are crawling on the ground.

One guy per chair swing.

Before taking down three enemies, I was already sitting in a chair and resting.

And that action seemed to put pressure on the archers.

The movements of the guys it was fighting clearly slowed down.

Arrows occasionally flew at me, but the aim is terrible.

‘Easy, easy. What on earth are the guys who struggle in the beginner stage doing?’

Honestly, it seems it wouldn’t be easy even if I tried to lose.

It seems the real experts are climbing (stages) while others are on the community forum.

Let’s reduce the time spent on the community forum.

However, there’s a reason I absolutely must use the community for a while.

Among the numerous posts, there was an ID with the nickname ‘Barosoft’.

That’s the company I used to work for.

Whether that person is from my department or not is unknown.

But it was confirmed that his or her summoned creature is a ‘Doll’.

‘Doll…’

It reminds me of some dog-like guy who likes role-playing.

There’s no harm in keeping an eye on it.

“Kikiik?”

The zombie lingers around me.

She has gathered the corpses and is waiting for me.

‘Ah, I was thinking about something else for a moment.’

“Yes. Eat.”

“Kieee!”

Munch – Munch –

It should eat a lot.

Because the next round is a boss round.

[Stage 2 Boss]

I already knew this, so I dismissed the alert.

I also know the composition of the enemies.

Not one powerful individual, but 50 bandits appear.

According to a few posts, it seems there’s a trick to weaken them, but there are no specific details.

It might be a prank to tease newbies.

However, seeing as there is consistent information, the possibility isn’t low.

’50 bandits…’

Not a bad number.

The number of brains I’ve fed the zombie until now is 50.

Adding this 50, isn’t that exactly 100?

Quite a few users who rapidly grew upon completing Stage 2 were confirmed.

‘The Russian Brown Bear was also summoned by combining all rewards after completing Stage 2, right?’

I think this might be a turning point.

The turning point for those who settle and those who don’t.

If someone planned all of this, there must be an intention.

Even if it’s something done for fun, there’s no reason for someone who’s good at it to help grow someone who isn’t.

I cracked my neck and loosened up.

It feels like going into a job interview after a long time.

Odogodog.

The sound of the zombie chewing brains rings through the forest.