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31. Let's Go, All the Way to the 20th Floor (1)
After a night where I held Aunt three more times even after completing the quest, morning came and I woke up as soon as the sun rose. I immediately turned on the "MILF Collector."
Then I looked for the "Reinforced Jumpsuit (C-grade)" I currently had…
"100 MP for the price? Did they learn from those awful games that gouge beginners… But considering the performance, I guess it's worth it…"
For a moment, I hesitated at the suit costing almost twice what I expected, but my finger stopped hovering over the screen and tapped the "Buy" button.
[You spent 100MP to purchase 'Reinforced Jumpsuit (C-grade)'. The item is stored in your temporary inventory.]
[Remaining MP: 128]
The reason I bought the reinforced jumpsuit for 100 MP as soon as I woke up was simple.
To prepare for possible betrayal.
Unlike yesterday, when I searched floors 6–8 alone, today I had to search the upper floors with Catherine, who I didn't fully trust yet.
If Catherine had any bad intentions, it would be much better to have Aunt supporting me than to be alone.
That's why I bought the tested protective gear, the reinforced jumpsuit, for Aunt's safety as she'd be joining the search.
'It's still not perfect, but Aunt will be behind me and Catherine anyway.'
Ziiip.
"Aunt, how is it? Is it comfortable to move in?"
"Yeah. It fits perfectly but has a bit of room, so it's comfortable. But how much did you pay for this?"
"Don't ask about the price. It's for your safety, so don't worry about it."
"But… Minwoo, you worked hard for those points…"
Hearing me say offhandedly that I bought it for her, Aunt looked guilty and asked about the price.
For the third time, I told her, "Don't ask about the price."
Just then, the intercom screen lit up with a small alarm.
"Looks like Catherine's here."
"Yeah. I'll get the door. Aunt, check again if there's anything uncomfortable about the suit."
"Okay."
After confirming Catherine's distinctly Western features on the intercom, I, just like yesterday, approached the front door with my knife half-drawn, just in case.
At the same time, I checked the "Betrayal Detection" screen I'd unlocked the night before.
[Betrayal Detection is active.]
[People within 10m: Lee Hyeyeon (0%), Catherine (12%)]
'Aunt is at 0%, so it must work. But what's with 12%?'
That "12%" was small but ambiguous for Catherine.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I opened the door with my left hand.
Click, whirr…
"Hello~ Did you sleep well? Oh, wait… Did you sleep good?"
"Yes, I slept well. But, Catherine, isn't that a padded coat you're wearing?"
"That's right. I put on some clothes inside and threw on this coat, so even if I get bitten, I'm fine. See? Look?"
With her odd but cute greeting, Catherine was wrapped in a black long padded coat from neck to below the knees.
I asked, "Isn't it almost summer? Why a padded coat?" and she even demonstrated how effective it was as armor.
Chomp!
"Mmmph mmph mmph."
"So even if you bite it, you're fine, right?"
Nod nod.
Biting down on the padding, she nodded with shining eyes, looking genuinely innocent.
'Someone like this has a 12% chance of betraying me… It's really ambiguous.'
After we all had a simple breakfast of nearly expired bread, the three of us did a final check and left the house with our weapons.
I had my crossbow and knife, like yesterday.
Aunt had a kitchen knife spear and a spare kitchen knife.
And Catherine had a heavy fire axe.
Honestly, I wasn't sure if I should let Catherine have the axe when I didn't fully trust her, but…
"What weapon am I best with? After guns, it's the axe. I'm from a farm. I'm a master at chopping."
When I asked what weapon she was best with, she answered "axe, after guns," and showed off her skill, befitting her self-proclaimed "axe master" title.
With things as they were, I couldn't refuse to let her carry the axe.
'I'll just make sure Catherine leads, and if anything happens, I'll handle it from behind…'
So, with Catherine in front, me in the middle, and Aunt bringing up the rear, our group passed the barricade on the 8th floor and entered the 9th floor.
After confirming with scanning that it was empty, I hacked the door lock, and Catherine looked at me with wide eyes.
Whirr, click.
"Oh my… how did you open it?"
"Ah, this…"
Like a tech geek excited by a new gadget, she asked how I unlocked the door.
Since I couldn't reveal the "MILF Collector," I lied and said it was a hacking app I made myself. Catherine, with her expressive foreigner's face, was impressed.
"Wow, awesome. A hacker… And you installed the barbed wire fence yourself, right? You're really talented."
"Haha… am I?"
Aunt, noticing my awkwardness, changed the subject.
"This house must be another dual-income couple's. Everything's tidy."
"Yeah. We can grab what we need on the way down, so let's check the next one."
"Okay, sounds good."
All four apartments on the 9th and 10th floors were empty of zombies or survivors. When we reached the 11th floor, the first thing that greeted us was an elevator door that kept opening and closing, blocked by something.
Thunk… clunk, thunk… clunk
The thing stuck in the door was quite a sight.
"Ugh…"
"Ew…"
It was part of an arm, torn off above the elbow, exposing white bone, dangling veins, and a ragged edge.
While Aunt and Catherine let out small groans, I focused on the positions of the two zombies marked on the scanning map and examined the arm.
Judging by the thickness and hand size, it seemed to be a man's arm.
That explained why the elevator had been stuck on the 11th floor for days.
I pointed out unit 1103 to Aunt and whispered,
"Aunt, there are two zombies in there. Catherine and I will go in first, so if anything happens… you know, right?"
"Yeah…"
I reminded her about "appropriate measures" in case of Catherine's "betrayal," and Aunt nodded stiffly, gripping her spear tightly.
A moment later.
Ignoring the arm stuck in the elevator, Catherine and I prepared to enter 1103.
"Catherine, I think I hear something inside, so be careful."
"Okay."
Whirr, click!
As soon as the hacked door lock disengaged and we opened the door, we saw two zombies wandering the living room.
A middle-aged male zombie missing his left arm, and a female zombie in a black leather costume.
'Huh! No way?'
The woman's outfit reminded me of the three male zombies on the 6th floor yesterday.
Just as I started to sense a connection, Catherine, axe on her shoulder, shouted her target and charged in first.
"Arm! Cripple! Man!"
'Hmm… the way she says it…'
Before the apocalypse, her shout would have made people uncomfortable.
But it's a universal rule to learn the swear words first in a new language.
And the zombie really was an "arm cripple," so I nodded and raised my crossbow.
When my sight lined up with the costumed female zombie's forehead, I squeezed the trigger, smoother and more precise than yesterday.
Thunk! Whiiish, thud!
In a blink, the bolt flew through the air and pierced the costumed zombie's brow just as she lunged at us.
A watermelon-cracking sound rang out, and the zombie woman fell backward.
While I was taking out the costumed zombie with my crossbow, Catherine had already closed in on the armless male zombie.
She dodged his flailing right arm, slipped to his left side, and swung her axe.
The heavy axe blade, held horizontally, swept through the zombie's gaping mouth.
The blade drove through his mouth and out the back of his head.
Whoosh, crack! Thud!...
With a splitting sound, the zombie's upper head slid cleanly off and fell to the floor.
Thump!
About two seconds later, the man's body, now missing everything above his jaw, collapsed. Catherine slung her axe back on her shoulder and smiled.
"How was my axe work just now?"
Aunt and I could only nod awkwardly and give her a thumbs-up.
[Congratulations! Achievement 'Party Play: Kill a zombie as a party of two or more' acquired. Reward: 3MP.]
[MILF Collector Hidden Tip]
For the 'Betrayal Detection' skill, people you don't have a special relationship with usually show a value of 10–20%. If someone's value is 50% or higher, you should be cautious for your own mental health.
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