While thinking about how I could create a skill from [Infection], I realized I needed to understand what the ability actually does. First, it can infect someone. Second, it can interact with a zombie corpse—but that would require a lot of movement.
"Let's try activating the [Infection] ability."
When I activated it, the tips of my nails reacted. It felt like they were pulling something from the surroundings. It was faint, but there was a sensation—like an invisible energy being drawn in. Slowly, it felt like my nails were being imbued or coated with something.
"Is it because it's low level that it's so slow? I had to focus on my nail for almost two hours just to fully coat it. System, level up [Infection] to level 15."
> Ding!
-45 Ability Points to level up [Infection] to Lv10.
-50 Ability Points to level up [Infection] to Lv11.
-55 Ability Points to level up [Infection] to Lv12.
...
-70 Ability Points to level up [Infection] to Lv15.
I didn’t feel any changes—unlike when I leveled up the other abilities.
"Let’s try again."
I activated it, and something opened up again. But this time, the sensation was twice as strong as before. I only needed to wait one hour now. Still too long. I checked my remaining Ability Points.
> Ability Points: 217
"It’s not even enough to level the ability to 20. System, if I collect more infection from the air, will I get infected? Or is the infection I gather just based on the amount and not the level?"
> Ding!
Host correct.
"This is why I need to ask straightforward questions and not overthink it—it just makes me more confused. So the infection I gather doesn't change in level; it's just about how much I collect. What I need now is to figure out how to activate that coating effect across my whole body... or at least get it to flow through me."
I activated it multiple times within an hour, but I still couldn’t figure out how it actually triggered. I thought of trying a different approach and kept gathering for another hour, hoping something would happen—anything. But before I could figure anything out, a wave of dizziness hit me. Connection to my body felt weak, my mind on the verge of shutting down. I had no choice but to lie down on the bed and release control of my body.
‘I'm inside the thought space again. Looks like I don’t even need sleep like the other side... but I’m slowly recovering. Come to think of it, I didn’t move much, just let the body sit there and feel the ability flow. Is it because I was doing something external? But now that I’m just thinking, I feel like it’s not draining anything. Still, I can’t do anything right now. Let’s just wait for the body to recover.’
'System, can you wake me up before the body does?'
> Ding!
Executing host command in 3... 2... 1...
---
The next second.
> Ding!
Host body is waking up in 10... 9... 8...
‘Let’s take control and check the time.’
I opened my eyes and gnced at the clock. It was 9 a.m.
Crow: “Shit, I forgot to be more specific. If I say ‘before,’ I’ll just wake up right before the body wakes up.”
And just like that, the control shifted.
Mark: “Crap, I slept too much. Oh right… even with two messed-up personalities, I’m still forgetful. I still can’t memorize chess moves or become some pro chess pyer.”
‘Fuck. Just because I’m the other half doesn’t mean you get to dump all the bme on me, dickhead—wait, I’m the head… so I just called myself a dick. Why am I even arguing with myself?’
Mark: “Being the thinking side sucks. You end up fighting your own damn thoughts.”
‘Move your ass and eat something. I know our body’s hungry—even if I can’t feel it myself.’
Mark: “Good idea.”
‘Are you trying to use me No you move it, or I’ll ask the system to hit me with some pain—so you get to enjoy it too.’
Mark: “You can't do that”
> Ding!
Host is correct. System can issue punishment upon request of the active host.
Mark: “No way! You’re siding with him now? And what do you mean ‘if host wanted’? This whole setup feels like whoever made you was a full-on sadist.”
> Ding!
System’s purpose is to follow host orders and offer recommendations accordingly.
‘Hah! Bitch move. Go ahead and get your ass moving, unless you really want to test out how fun punishment feels. Yeah, sure—it sucks not being able to move the body, but hey… I’m pain-free.’
I got up, set up the food, and started eating. As I chewed, I muttered to myself.
“So my thoughts can control parts of my body if I allow it. That’s… actually convenient. Feels like multitasking.”
While Crow focused on maniputing my nails, trying to figure something out with [Infection], I finished my meal and stepped out of the room. The pce was quiet, but I could hear faint noise coming from the ground floor—sounded like cleaning.
I headed downstairs. The three young people weren’t there—only two guys were busy tidying up what used to be the nesting ground of the previous group. They gnced at me as I passed by. I just gave them a nod and kept walking.
Outside, I stood still for a moment, looking up at the sky.
Not a single bird.
‘Don’t question it. There’s no sign of any animals around here. That’s the real weird part. We found a dog, yeah—but not even a single cockroach, no mosquitoes either. That dog… maybe it was a summon or something. Still, it’s strange to see just one pet, especially when its “owner” was acting like a zombie.’
‘And we killed them—without even realizing. Thinking about an intelligent zombie now feels impossible… but it’s probably safer to assume it is possible.’
With that lingering thought, I turned my gaze to the building in front of me.
---
Standing inside, I looked around the pce. It gave off the same feeling I had when I returned to the hotel on the first day. But this building… it wasn’t like a hotel. It was more like an apartment complex—each room feeling more like a home than a temporary stay. Oddly, every door was left open, like someone had already searched the pce. But the zombies were still here. That they didn’t kill them on purpose.
And I don’t think zombies spawn inside buildings.
A low growl snapped my attention to the side. One zombie had already locked eyes with me, its gaze empty but fixed, and it bolted forward with surprising speed—arms stretched out like it was already strangling me in its mind. I didn’t flinch. As it closed the gap, I stepped in, tightened my grip, and swung the axe in a sharp, fluid motion. The bde sliced clean through its neck with a sickening ease. The head flew off and hit the floor with a dull thud, rolling once before coming to a stop—lifeless, just like its body.
Three more stumbled out from a nearby hallway, but I gave them no time to react. I moved fast, my axe slicing through each neck with practiced ease. No resistance.
As the st body hit the floor, I noticed something. Despite being decapitated, there was barely any blood. The bleeding stopped almost instantly. Unlike humans, zombies didn’t gush blood—they just shut down. It was like their bodies stopped bleeding when wounded.
‘Looks like we can’t practice here. These zombies don’t even know how to jump—just charge straight at their target.’
“Yeah, let’s just finish clearing this building first.”
I cleared all six floors of the building, locking every door behind me and collected everything inside. It seems I can’t gain experience from zombies below level 5.and Level 6 to level 9 zombies only give 1 EXP each, and Level 10 zombies give 10 EXP. After clearing the building, I leveled up and received 5 attribute points—which I didn’t allocate yet—and an additional 5 Physic from my css bonus.
I also harvested over 600 tons of atoms from the materials, though this time I didn’t bother taking the doors or windows like I did at the hotel. I gained 125 ability points from the corpses as well.
When I stepped outside, it was 12 PM. I wasn’t surprised to find no one inside the building, and I was already pnning to head back and eat something.
> Ding!
Pnetary signal detected.
Pnet message: “The settlement day has passed. The pnet is beginning its evolution. Dungeons will emerge after this message.
Pnet number: #9876*****.
Today marks the beginning of the pnetary calendar: 0001/01/01.
On Day 10, inter-world connections will open. Be prepared.”
As soon as the message ended, my feet trembled—not from fear, but because the ground itself was shaking. A magnitude 4 earthquake rattled the earth for ten seconds, then everything went still.
‘So we’re like b rats. Or rather, the pnet itself has been assigned a number instead of a name. If that number is part of a count… then there are a lot of pnets. What’s going to happen in ten days? Are other worlds just going to drop in and cim this one like it’s theirs? No way, right? …But it’s not like I can stop it.’
“Stop calcuting useless things.”
‘‘Yeah, that’s what I was originally created for anyway… And I still can’t feel the [Infection] coating finish. I can’t even move it to other parts—it’s like the
surrounding air itself can’t fill the gap on the nail.’
“Let’s just focus on finding a dungeon. No point thinking too far ahead.”
