《Mental Protector in the Apocalypse》


 CH 1.1

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s finally over.¡±


    After a long and challenging game, she could finally witness the conclusion. Regardless of how difficult it was, all the energy she had put into completing s seemed to pass instantly. She watched instructional videos, consulted forums for advice, and even now, reflecting on it brings her to tears.


    She had hoped to be successful in this endeavor.


    She was transfixed by the final scene playing on her laptop until she eventually came to her senses and shifted her gaze.


    ¡®You have put in a great deal of effort as well. It was a challenge to encounter such an inadequate player.¡¯


    The display transitioned to a luminous hue, and the closing credits played before long, signifying the game¡¯s completion.


    Her gaze was locked on the screen, her eyes feeling heavier by the moment. The fatigue from playing the game for days had finally caught up with her, and she was overcome with the need to rest. Without a second thought, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.


    She knew she should store her laptop and table under the bed before going to sleep, but her body felt weighted down and refused to move.


    As she lay there, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about what might be lurking beneath the bed. With no set bedtime routine, she was afraid of what she might find in the morning ¨C her laptop and table still scattered on the floor.


    Despite her best efforts to get up, her body remained stubbornly still, a prisoner to its own exhaustion.


    ***


    As consciousness slowly returned to her, the sounds of her surroundings grew clearer and more distinct. Suddenly, she heard a persistent knocking and realized someone must have arrived.


    She remembered her mother mentioning that she would be visiting this week and assumed it must be her. But why wasn¡¯t she answering the door? Her mother should have the access code to the residence.


    Despite her heavy reluctance, she forced herself to get up from her seat, worried that the neighbors might be disturbed by the commotion. She felt as if she were moving through a sea of cotton, and she wiped the moisture from her face with her hands.


    ¡°Am I still dreaming?¡± she muttered to herself.


    But her confusion only grew as she opened her eyes and found herself in a brightly lit caf¨¦, in a state of disarray. The walls and ceilings were missing, and the furniture was broken and scattered across the floor. She noticed a menu board attached to the counter and assumed this must have been a caf¨¦ at some point. But she had no memory of how she ended up here.


    The scene before her was astonishing and filled her with unease. The walls, floor, and paint chips scattered everywhere gave her a chill, as if she had stepped into a closed mental institution.


    She noticed her pace slowing down and a headache forming. Had she spent too much time playing that game?


    The knocking sound continued, drawing her attention back to the source. She approached the window and was horrified to see a human-like figure pressed against it, leaking a crimson fluid that stained the glass. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a red, writhing substance emerging from a broken part of its head. She barely suppressed a gag reflex as she stumbled backwards, trying to make sense of the surreal scene.


    She stared at the figures outside the window, their twisted bodies and grotesque appearance filling her with fear. The reality of the zombie apocalypse was dawning on her, and she could no longer ignore it. The cafe interior, painted red and stained with the acrid scent of blood, only added to her growing horror.


    ¡°Oh no, oh no¡­¡± she whispered, unable to contain her anguish.


    Her mind raced with questions, trying to make sense of this surreal situation. Was it all just a dream? Could this be real?


    Her body trembled as she felt a wave of dread wash over her. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, hoping to find some solace in the moment. Please let me be dreaming, she begged.


    But it was short-lived, as a loud shattering sound echoed through the cafe, jolting her back to reality. She immediately noticed the damage to the window. In the aftermath of the chaos, a hammer lay discarded at the base of the glass, its presence unexplained. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder who had caused the destruction and what their motive was.

 CH 1.2

    As the reality of the situation set in, her heart began to race with fear. She knew that zombies were attracted to loud noises, and the sound of the hammer crashing through the window would surely attract them. In fact, she could already hear their shuffling footsteps outside, drawn by the commotion.


    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± she muttered under her breath, frantically scanning the room for an escape. The door to the outside was far too close to the shattered window, leaving her with no option to flee.


    Her mind raced as she considered her options. She had to find a place to retreat to, a safe haven from the horde of zombies that were closing in.


    As she frantically sought refuge in the bathroom, she bolted the door shut behind her. The sound of glass shattering outside only heightened her fear, making her believe that zombies had already breached the area.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening,¡± she muttered to herself, trying to hold back tears.


    Trapped in this small space, she was faced with a difficult decision. Should she simply wait until starvation set in, or was there a way to escape this impending doom? The thought of losing all hope was unbearable, and she refused to let herself fall into despair.


    She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, focusing on finding a solution instead of dwelling on the negative.


    The reality of her situation hit her hard. She was armed with nothing more than a mop, and no weapons were in sight. If only she had something as simple as a stick, she could defend herself against the zombies. Unfortunately, the hammer she had previously come across was no longer in her reach.


    Who could have possibly thrown that hammer?


    Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of the situation. Was the culprit trying to lure the zombies in her direction? Did they even know she was there? If they did, that would be a malicious act indeed.


    Her anger simmered as she clutched the mop handle tighter. She looked down at the mop before raising her gaze again. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of something.


    The window was small, but it offered a chance of escape. She dared to hope that there were no zombies outside, but it was still a better option than staying trapped in this confined space.


    She made up her mind and dropped the mop, using it to climb up to the window. Carefully, she opened the window and peered outside, making sure there were no zombies in sight.


    It was now or never. She had to seize this chance to leave.


    She made it out of the window, albeit with some difficulty. Even though she had an awkward landing and slightly injured her ankle, it was a small price to pay for her safety. She surveyed her surroundings, took in the unfamiliar buildings, and decided that it would be best to get away from the cafe as soon as possible. She quickly glanced at the restaurant, which had become a zombie nest, and sprinted away. Fortunately, there were no zombies in the streets.


    Despite her efforts to remain calm, the thought of a potential zombie attack kept her from taking any breaks along the way. As she proceeded, an obstruction suddenly appeared in front of her and caused her to stop abruptly.


    [Stage 1: School. We are pleased to inform you that you have successfully achieved the first stage.]


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±


    She approached the school in front of her with haste. The building was in better condition than the others she had seen on her run. As she entered the gate, something unexpected caught her eye.


    ¡°Stage? School?¡±


    Seeing the holographic entity before her, memories from her past gaming experiences flooded her mind.


    She couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. It seemed too similar to the game she had been playing, where the character escaping from zombies reaches the school gate and this message appears, signaling the end of the tutorial and the start of the main game.


    After some contemplation, she realized the school where the first stage was set was Saint Jung High School. With disbelief, she stepped outside and confirmed the name inscribed on the entrance gate.


    ¡°Saint Jung High School.¡±She double-checked multiple times, but the outcome remained the same. Despite dedicating a significant amount of time to the game, she couldn¡¯t remember the name correctly. The name had been mentioned in one of the episodes, making it unlikely that she was confusing it with something else.


    This situation was starting to resemble a game, and an involuntary expression escaped her lips.


    ¡°Crazy.¡±


    A thought crossed her mind.


    ¡°Could this be the game?¡±