Chapter 07
Entering the Treasure Vault
“Mr. Park, are you really okay? One of the first signs in people exposed to chemical weapons is that they get easily agitated and violent.”
Before he even finished speaking, everyone in the room moved as far away from Gangster 1 as possible.
Good, well done.
I felt relieved, too. It would be a real headache if someone wandered around and got turned into a zombie.
Gangster 1 was not someone to be taken lightly.
For one, he was huge—too tall to easily hit him in the head. And to make matters worse, he was holding a golf club, making him even more threatening.
“What? This guy’s actually going after a living person. Are you just trying to grab this golf club?”
Gangster 1 gripped the golf club tighter as he spoke.
“Mr. Park, this is an emergency. If you don’t put the weapon down, I will fire.”
Judging that the situation was bad, I gave a final warning and pulled the trigger.
If he wasn’t thinking of resolving this with words while the muzzle was pointed at him… then he was infected.
—BANG!
“Huh?”
At that moment, a dull thud sounded as something struck Gangster 1 on the side of the head.
“Ugh! You…”
Gangster 1, caught off guard, tried to speak but collapsed immediately.
The one who cracked his head open was his subordinate, Gangster 2.
“Huff, huff… this… this bastard…”
Wait, what? Even so, smashing his boss’s head like that? Truly ruthless. He hadn’t even been confirmed as infected yet, and he started by breaking his head? This guy was tougher than me.
“D-Die!”
But as Gangster 2 raised a steel rod, something felt off, and a flash of realization hit me.
I immediately lunged forward, holding my police baton.
Gangster 2 quickly shifted his target to me and swung the steel rod.
“Step back!”
I dodged with a swift turn, and the metal missed its mark, hitting the floor instead.
“Argh!”
Gangster 2, seemingly unfazed, swung again. That confirmed it.
Damn, this guy’s infected.
Gangster 1’s chaos had been so distracting that I’d been briefly confused.
In a way, they really had great “chemistry.”
—Whoosh, whoosh!
The chilling sound of wind cut through the air as a long metal rod swung back and forth in front of me.
If I can’t get in close and finish this in one strike, I might get hit…
Indeed, the metal in his hand was the problem.
The reach difference was too big for me to get in easily. Even if I got close, if I couldn’t finish him in one strike, a counterattack was inevitable.
I need to deal with the reach first.
—Clang!
Pivoting on my left foot like a boxer, I dodged his attack.
“Argh!”
As the excited Gangster 2’s swing grew wider, I lunged forward with all my strength.
Got it.
When I rolled on the ground, I grabbed the golf club that belonged to Mr. Park.
[Ability Activated]
[Enhancing Golf Club]
[The Golf Club Becomes Stronger]
Gangster 2, completely oblivious to the sudden change in situation, swung his rod again.
—Thwack!
The enhanced golf club struck him squarely in the temple with a powerful drive shot.
“Ugh…”
Gangster 2 collapsed instantly.
—Thud, thud, thud!
I swung the golf club with all my strength, finishing off the infected Gangster 2 for good.
“Ugh…”
The horrifying scene made Baldy immediately vomit, and the other two trembled violently all over.
“Phew, phew…”
After catching my breath, I spoke to the remaining survivors.
“You saw that, right?”
Terrified, the three only nodded.
“When someone suddenly becomes infected and starts rampaging, there’s no other way to stop them. So don’t ever get close to anyone else.”
Seeing the danger firsthand made it very different from just hearing about it.
Now, these three would spread the word about how dangerous the infected are and act with extreme caution. That alone would drastically improve survival rates and slow the spread a bit.
And this would be a huge help for my plans. Even if I built a base camp, it would mean nothing if zombies surrounded it.
“If you meet other people, make sure to pass on what you just heard from me.”
I repeated the explanation I had given to Lee Joo-hoon.
The traits of the infected, the fact that hesitation is deadly when facing them, and that receiving a direct wound from one would turn you into a zombie.
After finishing, a scruffy man nervously asked a question.
“So… how long do we have to stay like this?”
“Just hold on a bit. The military and police will take action eventually. Until then, just survive.”
First, we needed to prevent panic and people recklessly running around and becoming infected. Over time, awakened individuals would appear, and people capable of resisting zombies would emerge.
Above all, it was important to give hope. Hope that one day this situation would end gave people the strength to endure.
“Ah, got it.”
The scruffy man responded, visibly tense.
“Wow, you’re amazing. Felt like watching an action movie.”
Baldy, now fully aware, looked at me in admiration.
“So, what kind of special combat skill is that?”
Even the plump man kept praising me, half in genuine admiration, half hoping I might save them.
But I’ve had enough experience not to get swayed by flattery or admiration.
“Well, I’m heading down now.”
After finishing the important explanation, I hesitated briefly and then handed the golf club to them.
“This goes to one of you. One stays on the roof, and the rest go to other floors. Don’t stick together.”
I gave them some simple instructions.
“The person on the roof should update the others below frequently. Others lock the doors and hide. If there’s no further contact, consider that person infected.”
“And you?”
“I’ll take this.”
I said this while picking up the steel rod that Gangster 1 had been holding.
The golf club was powerful, but for versatility, the steel rod might be better.
If I sharpen one end and enhance it, it could work as a spear.
Giving them the golf club and leaving immediately was better than keeping it. If I left empty-handed, they might suddenly change their attitude.
“Uh… Officer, can’t we come along? What if the monsters push up the building?”
As expected, Baldy grabbed me, terrified.
“No. You just saw what happened. If one of you gets infected while staying together, it will be worse.”
I firmly refused the request. They had no combat abilities, and their physical condition was that of ordinary office workers—I didn’t want to create unnecessary risks.
Then the scruffy man made an unexpected suggestion.
“Give the steel rod to Mr. Kim? I can get something much better from my hardware store. Something far superior. I’ll even bring one usable as a weapon… Let’s just try that far together.”
“You own a hardware store?”
I went down the stairs with him to the hardware store on the first floor.
Originally, I had planned to rest briefly upstairs and then enter directly, but this saved me some energy.
While I stayed alert for zombies, the man quickly opened the door.
“Take whatever you want. I’ll find something suitable for you inside.”
He went inside the old hardware store.
“Thanks.”
I quickly scanned the shelves. In an apocalypse, a hardware store was basically a treasure vault.
First, a sledgehammer. More destructive than a police baton and versatile enough to be used as a tool. An essential item in a survival scenario.
“Whoa!”
Next, I noticed duct tape. I immediately took off my hoodie, tore some tape, and wrapped my forearms up to my elbows over a t-shirt.
Not perfect defense, but it would help prevent zombie bites a little.
I scratched it with my fingernails to check its durability.
“Not bad.”
With my crafting level, one day I could attach real steel plates to my arms, but for now, this was more than enough.
Then, an unexpected treasure appeared in my sight.
I didn’t think this existed!
A vest—perfect thickness, wearable over a shirt without restricting arm movement, with small pockets for storage. Flexible, allowing creative combat. A “work vest.”
Best of all…
I can store snacks safely!
My current clothes made it impossible to move without ruining food supplies. For me, food equals combat power, so this was a serious problem. But the vest would protect candy, chocolate, jelly, and similar items.
Jackpot…
I examined the black vest, flipped it around, and patted it several times.
Then I grabbed a few small monkey wrenches from the tool section and placed them in the vest pockets.
Next, I needed gloves to protect my hands from cold and keep my weapons from slipping.
A melee weapon—the sledgehammer, a ranged weapon—the monkey wrench, and gloves that prevented slipping while keeping hands warm.
Perfect.
Truly flawless armament.
Earth really is the best.
With abundant resources, weapons were easy to procure.
Finally, I grabbed black electrical wire and strapped it around my waist. I wandered the store, waiting for the weapon stronger than the steel rod or golf club to be delivered.
Reach is still the most important thing.
The sturdier the material, the better. Even if enhanced, steel and glass are very different.
An ohammer isn’t bad…
The problem was weight. Swinging an ohammer took huge stamina and strength, and attack options were limited.
I needed something I could thrust and swing, long, durable, and versatile.
If there’s such a thing, it’d be perfect.
At that moment, the man came back holding something.
“How about this?”
Seeing it, a bright smile spread across my face.
“This is the best!”
