“This is it, what would we have done without us?”
“Exactly.”
Fortunately, there were no unfortunate incidents over a single vaccine.
Hanyang and Jay managed to safely obtain a vaccine without being bitten.
[They really bought this]
[Seriously, someone needs to die for it to be fun]
[In the meantime, look at how they already took the vaccine]
[Rita just gobbles it down regardless of whether someone is crying]
[Realistically, it is right for Mollu to take it]
[It doesn’t seem like secretly taking it is the way to go]
It’s a dark evening after the sun has set.
At this point, there was no option to give the vaccine to Rita and set out for another one.
Especially since I had also been bitten on a fast-moving neck.
“Thank goodness, both of us are alive. Mollu.”
“Right.”
I deceived the innocent Rita who knows nothing.
But the world is originally a cruel place.
In this apocalyptic world where a zombie outbreak has occurred, the only one who can take care of my life is myself.
I can’t trust anyone else.
Even if Rita obtained the vaccine and unilaterally took it, I wouldn’t think that action was wrong.
I might have kicked her out of the party, but…
<Survived Day 1 successfully.>
<Advancing to Day 2.>
– The zombies’ movement speed increases.
– The zombies’ health increases.
– They feel hunger more quickly.
[The newbie party gets through Day 1]
[Mollu is here]
[Despite what you say, they’re doing well, look at how Hanyang and Jay brought back the vaccine]
[Talented group]
It was indeed the case.
While I’ve enjoyed apocalyptic survival games for a long time, it was truly unexpected for the remaining members to fight so hard.
It wouldn’t have been strange for everyone to be wiped out on Day 1.
However, there was no guarantee that Day 2 would pass safely either.
The nature of the zombie outbreak was that the difficulty increased as time flowed.
“Of all times, it’s hunger…”
As we enter Day 2, the zombies strengthen, and survivors receive basic debuffs.
Physical debuffs like headaches that chip away at health, and mental confusion that has a chance of causing friendly fire.
And then there’s the hunger, which makes it impossible to act if you don’t eat on time.
Unlike the above two, overcoming hunger depends not on my abilities but purely on the cook’s capabilities.
So, it’s not an exaggeration to say that our lives rest in the hands of Rita, who is in charge of cooking in this party.
“Messages are popping up.”
“They’re saying we’re hungry and need to eat quickly.”
“Debuff, hunger…?”
I called out to Rita amidst the flustered members.
“Rita.”
“Yes?”
“From now on, your role is extremely important.”
“Yes, yes!”
“You can do this, right?”
“Of course! Cooking is my specialty!”
Even if it’s a special skill in reality, it doesn’t mean one can do it well.
The members had realized that following my commands sharply would elicit better responses on the broadcast.
Though she had never enlisted in the military, she answers as if she’s a soldier in the army, claiming she can do it.
“Alright, then I’ll tell you what Rita will do now.”
“Yes!”
“Rita… from now on…”
As everyone fell silent, I spoke in a serious tone as if revealing a crucial fact.
“You just need to cook at home.”
“Eh?”
Rita’s confused question rang out softly.
“We’re back! I’m hungry.”
“Welcome back.”
“Did you cook well? I feel like having something soupy today.”
“I’m craving dessert.”
“Oh, me too!”
“I can only make meals since my cooking level is low.”
“Come on, I told you to level up.”
Should I kill her?
Rita seriously thought that.
Like a child whining to their mother for food, Jay and Hanyang demanded meals from Rita.
In joint broadcasts, there inevitably has to be someone who becomes the punching bag.
In this collaboration, it just happened to be Rita.
I know they’re deliberately acting that way for the sake of broadcast entertainment, but it is also true that it annoys me.
“When’s the food ready?”
… Is she doing this on purpose?
Rita feels like a mother with how they whine for food.
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say she has what it takes to be a good leader.
The two had just returned from external scouting.
As we entered Day 2, Mollu’s command to Rita was simple.
‘Level up the living stats.’
Living stats that exist in the zombie survival.
Cooking, woodworking, gathering and so forth grow through repetitive actions, hence her explanation that it’s efficient for one person to specialize in it.
‘Rita will become the versatile handyman of our shelter.’
It was only natural for Rita, designated as the cook since the start of the game, to take on the cooking.
‘If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have volunteered to be the cook!’
Lacking in gaming physical skills compared to other crew members, Rita voluntarily declared she would take on the cooking role.
It seemed much easier, and it suited her preference for a relatively calm atmosphere better.
The only cook during the apocalypse.
While others handle the horde of zombies, she prepares meals for those exhausted, which might give a sense of healing, right?
Healing, my foot, Rita blamed her past self for thinking that way.
Trying to find healing in such a harsh world was her blunder.
“Mollu, look at this. I found something like this.”
“What is it?”
“O… it’s great.”
In a temporary shelter.
Cooking over a campfire in the yard.
The other members were busy chatting in groups inside the building.
“How come no one offers to help…”
Rita muttered pitifully as she lit the fire.
Some spectators sympathized with her.
[Exactly]
[Originally, chores should be divided]
[It’s too much]
[In terms of efficiency, it makes sense for her to do it alone]
[Working alone all the time without a break]
[How pitiful…]
Of course, from an efficiency standpoint, it was correct for Rita to take on all the cooking.
No one else could even match the additional effects of her cooking.
But that’s that, and this is this.
Since she’s the only one working while others get to rest, doesn’t it feel like she’s being treated as a maid?
“The food is ready! Come out!”
“Let’s eat!”
“If we had delayed any longer, I would’ve lost health!”
Still, seeing them rush out as if they had been waiting for her cooking lightened her mood.
Even just now, hadn’t Rita enthusiastically served her soup without a second thought?
… Served?
“Whoa, Rita, what’s this? I seem to have received a debuff.”
“You lose your sense of taste from eating an unbalanced meal?”
“No, that’s the best I could do. Losing sense of taste isn’t exactly a serious debuff, you know.”
Despite going to all that trouble to prepare it, they aren’t eating it properly.
“Even so, a sausage radish soup is a bit…”
“What do you expect me to do when that’s all I have!”
“You could’ve grilled the sausage and just boiled the radish in soup, you know.”
Easier said than done.
Grilling requires cooking level 6 and other kitchen facilities.
Unless we secured a shelter with a proper kitchen.
In a situation like now, cooking over a campfire would lead to Gordon Ramsay serving up subpar meals, Rita thought.
“Then, you should have leveled up your cooking.”
Thwack*
Then, let me focus solely on cooking.
They made her do woodworking and gathering, then talking nonsense.
“Everyone, we need to eat anyway. Hunger stacks, you know. If we don’t eat now, we won’t be able to do anything tomorrow.”
“Ugh… it’s tasteless.”
“You need to eat to survive.”
Thanks to Mollu’s intervention, the meal continued.
However, Rita didn’t view Mollu favorably for being the meddlesome sister-in-law.
Not only did she not praise Rita’s cooking, but she also overloaded her with work.
“Rita, what’s your cooking level now?”
“Cooking is 5, woodworking and gathering are 3.”
“If woodworking is 3… can you make us a table tomorrow? Eating off the ground is a bit much now.”
“Huh?”
Rita was currently busier than ever.
She wakes up earlier than others to prepare breakfast, gathers sticks and other essential items while they are out, collects supplies.
Then lunchtime comes, and she prepares lunch.
After preparing lunch, she collects more supplies and does woodworking with the gathered sticks to level up, and before she knows it, it’s dinner time… ending up in the current situation.
“A table would be convenient. My wrist hurts from holding my food all the time.”
“Exactly. I might get carpal tunnel syndrome.”
“Be careful with your wrists. If they get injured, you won’t be able to hold a gun.”
Hahaha!
The others laughed as if they heard a funny story.
Then Hanyang suddenly jumped up from her seat.
“If I stand on the campfire, will I catch fire? Really?”
“Hanyang, what are you doing?”
“No, the viewers told me to try standing on the fire!”
The pot of soup sitting over the campfire was moved, exposing the flame directly.
Hanyang stepped onto the fire as if tightrope walking.
“Oh! It really caught fire! It’s chipping away at my health!”
“Of course it does! Are you stupid?”
“Why would you step into the fire?”
Hanyang’s reckless act didn’t stop there.
“If I kick while standing on fire, does it become stronger?”
“Y-You should just put out the fire.”
“Diablo Jump!”
Watching Hanyang kicking in the air with her feet on fire, Rita simply laughed.
