Mental Protector in the Apocalypse - Chapter 4.2

She was at a disadvantage. She could not simply allow Do-Yoon to continue weeping…

“Do-Yoon, my apologies. I understand that the situation has made me a bit more emotional than usual. I apologize. Let us cease the tears now.”

She advanced toward him and offered him a comforting embrace. He responded by tightly embracing her.

He inquired, gazing up at her with watery eyes if she did not detest him.

“Not. Noona does not dislike you,” she reassured him gently. “That is good to hear,” he responded, finally managing a slight grin. He embraced her again, this time with more vigor. She glanced down at him and exhaled in relief.

***

She sank into the chair, feeling utterly drained. Instantly, her mind drifted to Do-Yoon’s face, and her spirits plummeted. She hadn’t believed she had made a mistake… yet, if he had said so, it must have been factual.

She glanced at the sky before shifting her focus to his resting figure. He was peacefully slumbering, seemingly having wept prior. Ultimately, she had to remain at his side until he dozed off. It did not take long. Somehow, she managed to coax his eyes to shut and murmured for him to rest, and shortly he was asleep.

Was there a justification for her hatred toward him?

She was pretty taken with him when they played games; he was attractive. It then dawned on her why she might have disliked him.

It could be due to the uncomfortable situation.

She thought the game character was great, but how would it feel if he were to appear in front of her in reality? She felt a bit apprehensive and uncomfortable. What was more, if she were to be with him, all sorts of dangerous events could occur, and she could be put in a life-threatening situation. The most concerning thing was that he could come back to life no matter how many times he died. She was unsure if he was still human and worried if his mind was still intact. Later, he completely lost his sanity because he was just inaccurate data. However, if someone close to her were to experience a mental breakdown in real time, that would be too frightening.

She was aware of the need to be wary of him and thus maintained a distance between them.

‘I must be vigilant from this point forward.’

She averted her gaze from him and focused on the desktop computer. Initially, she considered utilizing her mobile phone as it had internet access. However, she thought conserving the battery power in this scenario would be prudent. Therefore, she left her phone and opted to use the computer in the health room.

Ddakkung

Drrrk….

She manipulated the mouse to open the window.

The virus has had a global impact, resulting in a worldwide crisis.

“The zombie virus becomes a reality…”

“What is the origin of the virus?”

The government has declared initiatives… the municipality has ceased…

There were no articles that provided any meaningful insight into the cause of the zombie outbreak. All that was available were pieces that were written in a sensationalist manner without any factual basis.

She deactivated the news feeds and opened XTube. It was more of the same; videos created by popular XTubers with high viewership numbers…

She clicked on the current top-rated video. Even though the audio was disabled, the visuals were chaotic. Zombies roamed the lonely road. Despite the graphic footage of people being attacked by zombies, it still held the top spot in views without any repercussions.

She inattentively shut down the computer.

‘What course of action should I take now?’

Survival was the primary objective; to progress, she had to endure the current stage for three days. Upon completion, the path to the next stage would be revealed. She could collect gems by completing each step in succession, eventually leading her to the final stage and the conclusion of her journey.

Unexpectedly, a deity materialized while discussing gems and asked, “Are you the ones who summoned me?” and stated they would bestow a unique desire. The resolution was unsatisfactory and lacked a reward, as it was unexpected for a god to appear abruptly. Nevertheless, the visuals and production were exceptional, and the narrative and gameplay were commendable. The production team seemed to concentrate on completing each level as the players advanced.

The initial stage was the most critical of all the levels in the game, as it was the only one containing a secret component. Unless one desired to experience the game’s hell mode, one had to acquire the hidden piece at this stage.

‘Let us strive to complete this level and uncover the secret item.’

Having formulated a plan, she experienced a sense of relief. She anticipated awakening Do-Yoon at seven and then seeking sustenance.

She contemplated that when…

Ting-ting.

“…”

She swiveled her head towards the source of the noise.

Ting-ting.

There was an audible sound emanating from the door, indicating its presence. Subsequently…

Creak… creak…

The doorknob turned.