Season 2: Chapter 248: Each Person’s Role (1)
"There won't be many at first."
This was his rationale for using a box cutter to kill the zombies.
— ???
— What a crazy idea! lol
— Even if there aren't many wild bears in the world, let's see you kill one with a box cutter, Mr. Almond.
— I remember needing a hammer to smash their heads…
Takoyaki firmly shook his head, "That won't work."
No matter how capable Almond was in combat, he couldn't accept this. The limitations of a box cutter as a weapon were too obvious.
"Zombies stop only when you damage the brain. You can't penetrate a skull with a box cutter, Almond."
While some high-quality box cutters could expose bone, the blade would keep breaking. Although a certain level of combat could be achieved in a game, this game featured a high degree of realism. Killing a zombie by breaking through their skull with a box cutter? That was impossible.
"That's right."
Almond was well aware of this too since he was an experienced player of Zombie School.
"You don't have to pierce the skull. There are other ways."
Almond began to explain his method.
"It's about targeting their muscles. Not killing them."
Basically, his idea was to sever all the connecting points of their muscles with something sharp. Since zombies moved using their muscles, they would collapse like broken marionettes if all their muscles and tendons were severed.
Almond had demonstrated this technique while defending the snack bar in the past.
"Is that... possible?"
"Last time, I attached a box cutter to a mop handle. It worked then, so it should work this time too. I can't carry a mop handle with me right now though."
— He actually did that?? lol
— :O
— So this is a game of zombies running away from Almond?
"Ha...?"
Takoyaki and the viewers who recently joined because of the G-Star challenge were dumbfounded that he had accomplished such a feat. Indeed, Almond’s combat abilities far exceeded common sense.
Takoyaki knew this better than anyone, but still looked dissatisfied.
"Hmm…"
A player couldn’t fully unleash their combat capabilities in this game.
"A character’s mental state in Zombie School influences their physical abilities, right? It might be one thing if you were fighting with a spear, but fighting zombies with a short-range weapon like a box cutter is risky when your character still has no experience in the beginning. You’ll feel fear."
Zombie School accurately portrayed the emotions and psychological limits a normal person would feel if zombies swarmed them. When facing zombies, any human would prefer a long spear over a short weapon like a box cutter even if both weapons dealt similar damage.
"Ah…"
Almond hadn't considered that fear would vary depending on the range.
"Should we just take the mop then? Honestly, even if the NPCs complain..."
Almond moved toward where they kept the mops.
"Hey! There! Why are you picking up the mop? Why do you need a mop for the principal’s speech?!"
"Ah... well, that's because..."
Almond searched for an excuse and spun out an explanation while thinking of Civil Empire.
"I'm going to use it as a flag… to support the principal."
— lol
— Is it the principal or a general giving a speech?
— lol A flag
— Going to war lol
— Someone has played Civil Empire too much lol
"Have the three of you been drinking together!? What nonsense! If you like the mop so much, shall I make you all clean the classroom with it!? Huh?"
The class president's face turned red from anger.
"Just get outtttttttt!"
"Ah..."
"Why! Why aren't you leavinggggggg!!!"
It looked like the class president would become the first zombie.
[The class president is about to lose trust in you.]
[If NPCs lose a lot of trust, it will be difficult to progress.]
— Oh, the game has become more helpful
— This shows up now
— So there is a trust factor wow
Even during early access, maintaining bonds with NPCs was crucial. It was even more important now that the objective was to save as many NPCs as possible.
"Let's go, Almond."
Tako tapped Almond on the back, indicating that they had no other choice.
Bubblegum hesitated momentarily and quickly slipped something into his pocket.
"Takoyaki, even if it's just a box cutter... it's better than having no weapon at all, right?"
"Ah, yes. Of course."
A box cutter was something they could keep without the class president noticing. They each put a box cutter in their pockets and stepped outside without any particular plan.
***
"Hey! Number thirty-two! Who is that?! Huh? Quick! If you don't line up now, we'll finish late!"
Even outside, the class president continued to aggressively control the students.
The students lined up as commanded. However…
"It's so noisy."
"Four eyes jerk."
"Ugh, it's so hot. Damn..."
Considering the game's setting was in the middle of summer, it was impossible not to be annoyed. Being suddenly called out to listen to the principal's speech on such a day was hell for teenagers with boiling blood.
"They should just announce it over the school intercom. Ugh."
"The old fogey is just being an old fogey."
"The classroom is going to stink of sweat."
Of course, the trio of Takoyaki, Almond, and Bubblegum knew what real hell looked like. Instead of cursing the principal like everyone else, they looked around the playground and held a strategic meeting.
"Do you remember where it all started?"
"Um..."
Bubblegum seemed to have no recollection. That was possible since it was just a dream that started suddenly without any warning.
"Then what were you doing at least?"
"Me? I was just... 'Run! Run!' I was shouting that as I ran. But I was the slowest and ended up dying..."
— Just running lol
— And he died while at it lol
— How fast does one have to die? lol
— Run if you can't win lol
"You died."
"Yes."
"To avoid that future, we shouldn’t run that way. Where was it?"
"Over there."
Bubblegum casually pointed toward a building.
"Um..."
Takoyaki carefully observed the direction of that building.
Was the direction really the problem? It seemed fine right now. Maybe he just died because he was slow, but why was only Bubblegum slow? Was it because he was bad at the game? They all had the same stats, right?
There were too many questions. Meanwhile…
"Ah, ah."
The principal, who looked like he could easily give a speech for three or four hours, appeared and started testing the microphone.
"Dear students, it's nice to see you."
“Wooooo!!!”
Under the stern gaze of teachers, cheers and shouts erupted from the students.
— lol Is that a scream or a cheer?
— Social life wow
— Wowwww (hurry up and send us off)
"Thank you for gathering in this hot weather. Today, in exchange, we'll finish with a shortened schedule. Please bear with it a little longer."
At the mention of a shortened schedule, the students’ expressions brightened like blooming flowers.
“Woooooo!!!”
— This time it's a real cheer lol
— A quick change from the fake cheer~
— Now that’s genuine lol
"Do you all know that there's a blood donation today? The principal donated blood today. Have you all done it? Let's see a show of hands from those who have donated."
A few hesitant hands went up.
"Haha, that's too few. Especially the seniors, did none of you donate?"
The senior class teachers glanced around, giving cues to their students.
"Seniors, don't skip out on things like this. It’s a good deed. Does studying alone make you do well in your studies? Get a choco Pie, have some chitchat..."
Almond began thinking while the principal's words went in one ear and out the other.
‘It's the same. There was a blood donation.’
In the early access, a blood donation took place too.
"Wasn't this the cause?"
It was just speculation, but there were player discussions that the blood donation van had been the source of the virus in the early access.
— Does everyone who donated blood become a zombie??
— Stay away from those who raised their hands
— Aren't the seniors the safest then??
Since none of the seniors had donated, they were safe. Unfortunately, Almond was in the eleventh grade, class three. He was a sophomore.
"We have one in our class."
Moreover, one student in class three had donated blood.
Almond, Takoyaki, and Bubblegum all looked at that student without saying anything.
"Right..."
Bubblegum even murmured, "It broke out simultaneously everywhere, didn’t it?"
Perhaps he couldn’t remember the first zombie because there were so many students who had donated blood.
Almond naturally turned his gaze toward the principal.
"So. When you play, play! When you study, study! Your hair should be just right! Pretty! Neat! That's the best look! This saying..."
The principal was in the midst of a lengthy speech and his face began to redden progressively.
"As a student, huh! Huh? Talking back to adults~! Standing with your hands in your pockets! Slouching~! That’s not good to see~”
Unfortunately, the students were not particularly interested in looking good for the adults.
An adult was trying to persuade the students by arguing about looking good or bad, which was more than just voicing his frustrations.
Eventually, he spewed out even more words.
"How is the world supposed to be?! Huh?! Eeeehh?! Cough! Keuk..."
A gurgling sound came out, followed by blood pouring forth.
"Principal, principal!!"
Starting with the vice principal, they rushed to him in succession.
The murmuring of the students filled the playground. Soon, that murmuring turned into screams.
"Aaaaaaaahhhh!"
A scream erupted as a girl from class three collapsed with another girl gnawing at her neck. The class president rushed over.
"Hey! Line up properly, will you!? Are you fighting because you're too close together!?"
— lol
— Is the class president crazy? lol
— Wow lol even now lol
— "Oh, the Throne of Zeal"
— lol, class president
The class president believed a fight had broken out because they weren't lined up properly, but that wasn’t the case.
"Hey! Yu-Mi! I'm going to tell the teacher you were fighting. Stand up straight for now!"
He tried to pull the girl who was biting the neck of the other girl.
Pssh!
The victim’s carotid artery was torn and blood spurted out.
"…?"
The class president's eyes reflected a crimson fountain. Only then did the class president sense that something was seriously wrong.
"What, what…?"
It was too late.
"Aaaaaaah!"
The now zombified girl turned her head and lunged at the approaching class president.
Then—
Swoosh!
A shadow swiftly passed by and the sound of flesh being cut could be heard.
Scrrrrch!
One of her arms swung toward the class president and flopped down limply.
"Aaaaaaah!?"
The zombie turned to look at the person who disabled her arm.
Swoosh!
With another swift slice, all her motor nerves were severed. The zombie staggered heavily and…
Thump!
It collapsed with a loud noise.
— Wow
— Is that really possible?
— Wow…
Thump.
Not only the zombie, but the class president also ended up falling on his butt.
"… What in the world?"
He looked up in astonishment at the boy who saved him. Shockingly, it was Almond. One of the three who had been causing him trouble earlier.
An eighteen year old Almond looked down at him and said, "What do you think? It’s a zombie. Hurry up and take the kids to the main building. I'll pretend I didn't see you pee your pants."
— lol
— lol
— Almond is seasoned enough to ignore such things
— You said it, now everyone knows
Almond had dealt with the zombie in class three, but that wasn’t the end of them.
“Aaaaaaaah…!”
Zombies began to appear across various classes and grades. Screams echoed out and puddles of blood started forming on the sandy ground.
The pungent smell of iron seemed to officially signal the start of the real Zombie School.
"What’s this?"
Amid this, Almond looked down at the box cutter smeared with sticky blood. More precisely, he looked at his hand holding the box cutter. It wasn’t trembling at all.
[No status abnormalities]
Facing a zombie typically triggered basic status effects like [Fear] or [Anxiety]. However, he didn’t experience any emotional disturbance.