novelnext Season 2: Chapter 248: Each Person’s Role (1)
Season 2: Chapter 248: Each Person’s Role (1)
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!"
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.