I Became The Necromancer In The Post-Apocalyptic Zombie World

Chapter 4

—–CROW—– 

“Survival…Growth…and Main…?”

The existence of quests wasn’t surprising.  These game-like systems usually had them.  But there were *three* categories: Survival, Growth, and Main.

‘Survival and Growth make sense, but…’

Main Quest.  The most intriguing and unpredictable of the three.  I tapped it.

—*Ding.*—

[No Main Quests generated yet.]

“Just a placeholder…”

Slightly disappointed, but then it occurred to me: if there was a Main Quest category, it meant there *would* be Main Quests eventually.

‘Should I prepare something in advance?’

I was a 24-year-old Korean male.  Gaming was practically a second language. I knew how important Main Quests could be.  But there was nothing I could do right now, so I moved on.

I tapped Survival Quests.

—*Ding.*—

[Survival Quest – 1

Establish a Base

Purchase a Base Crystal from the Shop and designate a base location.

Current Bases: 0/1]

“A base?”

I’d expected something like “Collect water” or “Gather food.”  This was unexpected.

“Hmm…next.”

I set aside the Survival Quest and tapped Growth Quests.

[Growth Quest – 1

First Steps

Acquire the blood of a virgin.

Virgin Blood Acquired: 0/1]

“What the fuck…”

Virgin blood?  The first person who came to mind, much to my chagrin, was Su-ah.  The woman who was now the furthest thing from a virgin in my life, but the woman I’d loved, the woman I’d believed was pure just a few days ago.

Then I thought of those fantasy movies, the virgins sacrificed on altars.  I was a Necromancer, a dark magic user.  Maybe I needed to offer a virgin sacrifice for…growth?

“But it just says blood?  Do I have to…drink it?”

The thought was repulsive, but…  Besides, where was I supposed to find a virgin these days?  Most Korean women lost their virginity early.  Finding a virgin among the survivors of a zombie apocalypse?

‘…Is *this* the hardest quest?’

Well, it didn’t really matter.  Being immune to zombies already made me practically invincible.  I’d worry about the Growth Quest later.

I went back to the Survival Quest.  Purchase a Base Crystal from the Shop…

“Oh? Wait…does that mean…?”

My heart raced.

“Sh-Shop!”

—*Ding.*—

The familiar chime, followed by the translucent blue window.  I scrolled through the items, my excitement quickly fading.

“Fuck, I should have known.  Of course, they wouldn’t have it.”

I’d hoped for something practical, like food, weapons, anything to help me survive. Fresh meat, vegetables – that would be a true cheat.  Even a department store wouldn’t have fresh food after two months without power.

“Well…there *are* some interesting things.”

The Base Crystal, as mentioned in the quest.  And then the usual game staples: potions, elixirs.

“Let’s see…Base Crystal, 10 points…Potion, 20, Elixir, 100…?”

The prices were listed in points, not currency.  In the corner of the window, I saw my current balance: 10 points.

‘Just enough for the Base Crystal.’

No need to hesitate. This was probably a starting bonus, a tutorial of sorts.  Use the shop, complete the first Survival Quest.  I’d figure out how to earn more points later.

—*Ding.*—

[Base Crystal purchased.]

[Base Crystal

Place this crystal at a desired location to designate it as your base.]

‘A base…’

A central location, a safe haven.  The foundation of my survival.  Its location would be crucial.  History had proven that.  That’s why it was the first Survival Quest.

“There’s only one logical choice.”

Compared to the university dormitory, my previous “base,” this was a world of difference.

My chosen location: the basement level of the department store, the food court.  The bedding section on the third floor was tempting, a place to sleep and rest.  But if I needed to defend myself, the food court was the better choice.  As a Necromancer, immune to zombies, my biggest threat was…running out of food.

I took the crystal and headed down to the basement.

‘Do I just…leave it here?’

Unsure of the procedure, I tossed the glowing crystal onto the floor.

—*Hum.*—

Instead of landing, it hovered in mid-air.

“Whoa, like a fucking superconductor.”

Zombies were one thing, but this was straight-up magic.  It finally sunk in: I had superpowers.

[Base designated.

Base Location: S Department Store, Basement Level 1.]

[Current Base Level: Lv-1]

“Base level?”

I muttered, staring at the message.  I think I understood.  Survival Quest 1: Establish a base.  And the base had a level.  The next step was probably to level it up.  A higher level likely meant better defenses, more resources.

“But how do I level it up?”

I opened the Survival Quests again.  The first quest now had a [Complete] button.  I tapped it, and the quest updated.

[Survival Quest – 2

Develop Your Base

Enhance your base by developing the crystal.

The current material required for crystal growth: corpses of deceased humans.

Corpses: 0/20]

So, the next quest was about upgrading the base.

‘Figures.’

I’d guessed as much as soon as I saw the base level.  But the required material…

‘Corpses of deceased humans…’

I looked at the zombies surrounding me.  Technically, they were corpses, animated corpses.  Their flesh was rotting, bones exposed, skin pale.  They were clearly not living humans.

“Should I try it?”

They were just milling about.  Using one or two for a test shouldn’t be a problem.

“Ugh, but they’re so…gross…”

Even though they posed no threat to me, they were still disgusting.  Broken limbs, rotting flesh, blood everywhere.  Blank eyes, cold skin.  And the *smell*.

‘But it’s for the quest…’

I hadn’t received any rewards yet.  But these were *quests*.  In games, quests meant rewards, helpful items, experience.

I looked for a relatively intact zombie, one that wouldn’t be too repulsive to handle.

“…Oh!”

I found one.  A female zombie in a dirty but form-fitting white dress, long dark hair.  The so-called “Dongtan look.”  She had large breasts and only one visible injury, a bite mark on her calf.

“Hmm, turned early in the outbreak, I guess.”

I circled her, examining her body.  E-cup breasts, I estimated.  I wasn’t an expert, being a virgin and all, but years of watching AV had given me a decent eye.

“She must have been stunning when she was alive.”

Even with the pale skin and visible veins, she was beautiful.  Pretty eyes, a straight nose.  Her lips, a stark red against her pale skin, looked almost seductive.

I swallowed.

‘No, no…she’s a zombie.  A corpse.’

I pushed back the unsettling thoughts.  I was a virgin, not a necrophiliac.  But…touching…that was okay, right?

—*Squeeze.*—

“Wow, they don’t even fit in one hand.”

I reached around and cupped her breasts, feeling their soft, yielding flesh.  My pants tightened. I swallowed again.

—–CROW—–

—*Snap.*—

—*Jiggle.*—

Without thinking, I unclasped her bra.  Her breasts, freed from their confinement, seemed to grow even larger.  I slipped my hand inside her dress, caressing her skin.

“…Amazing.”

I wanted to keep touching her.  The hard nipples, the soft, supple flesh.  I played with her breasts for a while, then stopped, noticing my erection.

‘This is going too far.’

I could lose my virginity to a corpse.  But I didn’t want my first time to be with a cold, dead body.  Now that I was immune to zombies, I could find a living woman, a survivor, and sow my seed whenever I wanted.

“Well, thanks for the show. Now you can be my test subject.”

The Dongtan zombie seemed the least repulsive option.  I grabbed her hand and pulled.  She stumbled after me obediently.

It wasn’t difficult to drag her to the crystal.

“Now what?”

I stared at the glowing crystal hovering in mid-air.  I pushed the Dongtan zombie closer.

[Enhance crystal?]

A message appeared. I tapped [Yes].

—*Hum.*—

The crystal glowed brighter, and a similar light emanated from the Dongtan zombie.  Her body dissolved into particles, absorbed by the crystal.

[Corpses: 1/20]

The quest updated.

“So it works with zombies.”

This quest was going to be easy.  Zombies were everywhere.  All I had to do was feed them to the crystal.

“…Wait a minute.”

There were at least a hundred zombies in the basement.  I could feed them all to the crystal, but…

‘Aren’t the zombies keeping other survivors out?’

Before I got my powers, zombies were a threat. Now, they were a shield.  In this apocalyptic world, other survivors were arguably more dangerous than zombies.

I couldn’t waste the zombies in the department store. They were guarding a valuable resource.  The soldiers from the dormitory might come here looking for food.  No, they *would* come.  They’d used me to scout the place, after all.

“I’ll have to bring them in from outside.”

Perfect. I’d explored the department store.  It was time to scout the surrounding area.  The downside of department stores: no windows.  A common marketing tactic, keeping shoppers disoriented and focused on buying.  To see the outside world, I’d have to go to the roof.

“Time for a little outing.”

I found a suitable windbreaker and backpack in the clothing section. The windbreaker had a hood, which would help me blend in with the zombies.

***

A single ray of sunlight pierced the darkness of the tiny studio apartment.  Inside, a young woman sat huddled on the floor, her head buried in her knees.

Yoo Ha-yeon.

‘…I’m hungry.’

How long had it been since the outbreak? 

She’d been hiding in this apartment, barely alive.  At first, it was fear that kept her inside, rationing her meager food supplies.  When the fridge ran empty, she’d ventured out, scavenging other apartments.  Luckily, there were only two zombies in the building: one trapped in room 302, and one wandering the first floor.  Scavenging had been easier than she’d feared.

She’d found food and water in other apartments.  But now, that was gone too.  She hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in three days.  She had two choices: risk her life exploring room 302, or brave the zombie-infested streets outside.

She had to choose.

And she was hungry.

‘…I’m scared.’

She chose to do nothing.  The fear of being torn apart by zombies outweighed the gnawing hunger.  She didn’t have the courage to confront the zombie in room 302.  And as she grew weaker with each passing day, the hope of ever overcoming it dwindled.

She sat there, waiting for death, unable to make a decision.

Another day passed.

*Click, click.*

[It’s locked?]

Someone was at her door.

—–CROW—–