Chapter 65: Zombie Dungeon Begins
Hearing Asuna's words, Asagiri didn't argue. He simply handed her the boxed muscle tape and bandages.
"Then you do it."
Asuna let out a quiet breath of relief.
She really didn't want to see Asagiri wrapping other girls' ankles. It felt… too intimate.
To put it simply, she would get jealous.
And yet, for some reason, she had the distinct feeling Asagiri could see right through her. Her cheeks warmed, her heart fluttered in a way that made her focus slip for half a second. To hide it, she grabbed what he handed her and walked straight to Kotoko.
"Take off your shoes and stockings."
"Okay."
Kotoko removed her right shoe and the white stocking. Seeing that, Asuna spoke without thinking.
"Take off the other one too. Both feet need to be wrapped."
Kotoko stared at her, utterly speechless.
"My left leg is a prosthetic. What exactly am I wrapping?"
"Oh… right. I forgot…"
Asuna froze. She was so embarrassed she didn't even know where to put her hands.
Kotoko narrowed her eyes, studying Asuna's flushed face, then glanced at Asagiri sitting nearby.
"…Why are you so distracted? This isn't like you."
Her gaze sharpened, jealousy flashing across her expression.
"Wait. Could it be that when we entered the Dungeon last time, he helped you…"
"Um…"
Before Kotoko could finish, Megumi cut in gently.
"There are only seven minutes left until we enter the Dungeon. Can we talk after we go in? Let Violet… oh, no, let Asuna help us with the protective measures first."
Megumi's voice was soft, calm, and somehow impossible to brush aside.
Kotoko, who had been ready to keep digging, paused. Her jealousy didn't disappear, but she shelved it without complaint. They were about to enter a Dungeon. At a time like this, she wouldn't act up.
…
A few minutes later, after all four finished their preparations, a thick, dark red fog rolled in before their eyes.
[Now entering the Dungeon]
The fog dispersed.
Asagiri, wearing the Ever Changing Mask, looked around the moment his vision cleared. Only after confirming Kotoko, now in a masquerade mask, as well as Asuna and Megumi, were all beside him did he finally observe their surroundings.
They were in what looked like a small apartment living room.
Two wooden doors probably led to bedrooms. A glass door likely led to the bathroom. A small recessed space served as the kitchen. The place was around eighty square meters, two bedrooms and a living room, with no separate balcony.
And judging by the daylight spilling through the windows, the time in this world didn't match the real world. Here, it was daytime.
"So it finally begins…"
Asagiri's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Search the room. See if there's anything useful for clearing the Dungeon."
"Okay."
The moment he finished speaking, Asuna and Kotoko moved immediately, no hesitation, no wasted motion. Megumi reacted half a beat later, then quickly joined in.
A thought surfaced in her mind.
So this is the efficiency of top Players.
They appear in an unfamiliar place and don't even spend a second adjusting. No panic, no psychological warm up. They go straight into strategy mode.
Teaming up with these three really was the right choice.
Just then, Asuna, gripping the Exorcist Longsword, carefully opened one of the wooden doors. The instant she saw what was inside, she frowned and called softly.
"Leader. There's something here."
Asagiri walked over.
On the bed lay a corpse, bloated and stinking with decay. On the inner bedside table sat a black covered notebook and a ballpoint pen.
He held his weapon, the Cursed Rope Dart, and stepped into the bedroom without hesitation. The corpse didn't suddenly sit up, or snap its eyes open like some cheap horror movie. It remained still.
Asuna followed him in. A flash of cold light cut through the air.
She drove the longsword straight through the corpse's forehead.
Then she nodded to herself.
"Okay. Now it's definitely dead."
After searching thoroughly, they confirmed there were no zombies, no supplies worth taking, and nothing else of value in the apartment.
Only the notebook.
It was a diary, written by the dead apartment owner in the days before his death.
Asagiri didn't waste time on the early pages, the ones filled with panic and disbelief.
What happened to this world?
Why did these things appear?
Zombies? How is that possible?
He flipped forward until the last few entries and finally found something useful.
[Today is the fourteenth day since that incident]
[The bottled water is gone, and there isn't much food left… I have no choice but to go to the convenience store downstairs while I still have strength]
Asagiri turned the page.
Four large characters filled it.
[I was bitten]
For a moment, even Asagiri nearly lost his composure at the bluntness of it.
He glanced at the corpse again. Sure enough, the arm of the short sleeved shirt had a deep wound, torn open to the bone.
[Those things move so slowly… but I still got bitten. Why… why is this happening…]
[So thirsty… so hungry… I can't worry about it anymore… I'll drink tap water. Even if I turn into that disgusting state, I don't care…]
[Today is the sixteenth day]
[I didn't turn into one of them, but my wound is infected and inflamed. My whole body is burning… I don't have the strength to find medicine, and I don't dare go out again. Rather than being eaten alive, I'd rather die at home…]
The diary ended there.
"Hm. That's not right…"
Asuna had clearly done her homework. After reading, she immediately caught the inconsistency.
"He drank tap water and didn't turn into a zombie. He got bitten and didn't turn into a zombie. After he died, he was just a normal corpse."
She frowned, thinking aloud.
"That means water transmission is ruled out. Airborne transmission is ruled out. Blood transmission is ruled out. Those paths are all eliminated…"
She looked up, eyes sharp.
"Does the zombie virus have no infectivity at all? Or is it… a virus that loses infectivity after infecting a host?"
"There's too little information," Kotoko said, calm as ever. "We can't conclude anything yet."
Then she tilted her head slightly, voice softening.
"But it's still good news. The diary confirms the zombies move slowly. And it also suggests that being bitten doesn't automatically infect you."
Her gaze flicked toward Asagiri.
"It matches what the Leader said. This is likely the easiest type, the lowest difficulty."
"But don't forget special infected exist," Asuna warned. "We can't relax."
Then she turned to Asagiri.
"Leader. Did you get the city map?"
"I did."
Asagiri opened the eye icon APP. A detailed city map had appeared on his screen.
"Each of you, take a photo."
"Okay."
Asuna, Kotoko, and Megumi each photographed the screen, saving a copy that didn't rely on signal or internet.
Only then did Asagiri speak again.
"Even with a map, we still need a reference point. We have to figure out where we are in the city before we can plan a route to Benevolence Hospital."
"Alright," Asuna said. "Let's move."
Asagiri and the other two had already decided their next action in a handful of sentences.
Megumi clenched her hands lightly, silently resolving something.
I have to match their pace as soon as possible.
Teammates help each other. If she didn't prove her value, she'd become a burden.
"I'll go out first."
Asuna's brows rose, worried.
"Huh? Phantom, you want to go first? What if there are zombies outside…"
"It's alright."
Megumi shook her head, a gentle smile forming.
"We might not run into any. And if we do, I can test whether my exclusive talent works on them. That's also information gathering, right?"
She looked at them calmly.
"And if something happens… you can save me. Right?"
"Right," Asagiri replied, nodding without hesitation.
"Even if the two of them can't react in time, the moment you're in danger, I'll activate Kings Gambit. If that's still not enough, I'll use the Hourglass of Reversal."
"I see…"
Megumi's eyes flickered. She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, voice soft.
"Thank you. I'm really touched that you'd use such precious items for me."
Asuna and Kotoko exchanged the same thought at the exact same time.
Something is very wrong.
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