Chapter 238: Haisa 21

After treating their wounds and creating the zombie virus antidote, Perry Yates also pulled out a potion specifically for dealing with Brain-Eater Bugs.

"This is a potion specifically for Brain-Eater Bugs. It kills them on contact. Do you want any? The price is the same as the zombie virus antidote."

Faced with Perry Yates’s sales pitch, the group bought some without hesitation.

「Day twenty-two of the game.」

Pearl Norris found Felix Flynn and said, "We’re running low on food."

"How much food do we have left?" Felix Flynn asked.

"If we ration it carefully, we can make it last for another two days."

Although Perry Yates was dying to eat something besides chocolate, she knew how precious food was. So, even while serving as the group’s Healer, she didn’t have the gall to ask for a share of anyone else’s food.

To avoid getting cavities when she eventually returned, Perry Yates could only find a well-lit spot to sunbathe by day and moonbathe by night. Life was still tolerable.

Meanwhile, Felix Flynn and Pearl Norris continued their conversation.

In truth, the food shortage was a secondary problem. After all, a person could survive seven days without eating. But their water supply was running low, and that was a fatal issue.

They had realized some time ago that the ship’s water supply was probably contaminated, so they had been subsisting on the bottled water they’d previously collected.

However, because spatial storage was disabled in this game, the amount of supplies they could personally carry was extremely limited, even though they could gather them. They were afraid to hide their stash, fearing it would be found by others or contaminated, yet carrying everything on their person was impossible.

Ultimately, the group decided to go out and search for food the next day.

Pearl Norris even came to ask Perry Yates if she wanted to join them.

After some thought, Perry Yates nodded and agreed.

’For one thing, I’m really sick of chocolate. For another, I want to collect more of those Fantasy King Cards.’

「Day twenty-three of the game.」

Early the next morning, the group started to prepare. Their first obstacle was the massive horde of zombies waiting outside. A few among them had clearly evolved into Intermediate Zombies; though their white pupils betrayed no emotion, they gave off an unsettling, calculating air.

"How do we get out?"

It seemed the only way forward was to fight their way out.

But judging by the sheer number of them, it looked like more than half of all the zombies on the ship had gathered here.

Ultimately, they decided it was every person for themselves when it came to getting out.

Perry Yates had no objection. After all, she had Instant Teleportation and Any Door, so getting past these zombies was no difficult task for her.

Once they decided to each fend for themselves, the others vanished in the blink of an eye, as if on a pre-arranged signal.

’Fine, fine, fine. So that’s how we’re playing this? Then I’m out, too.’

The group had agreed to rendezvous near the two shipping containers at the rear of the deck. After all, the only place to find supplies uncontaminated by the zombie virus would be inside those containers.

Apparently, however, other people had the same idea.

When Perry Yates arrived, she discovered another group already working on the only undamaged container.

These people seemed to be survivors from the ship.

Just as the container door was forced open, the commotion attracted zombies. Quite a few of the ones shambling nearby were already making their way over.

"I’ll be responsible for holding them off. You guys grab the supplies. Just give me a share afterward," Perry Yates offered.

"Yeah, okay."

They were surprised Perry Yates would make such an offer, and the thought simultaneously crossed their minds: ’Perry Yates is a good person.’

In reality, Perry Yates just wanted to see how many non-players were in the group and, while she was at it, swipe any Fantasy King Cards they had on them.

With everyone’s agreement, Perry Yates acted instantly. Countless vines shot up, covering the entire deck in a split second.

The survivors, still reveling in having finally found food, had no time to react before the countless vines completely enveloped them.

The thorns of her Thorny Rose were poisonous; a minuscule dose of the toxin was enough to knock someone out instantly.

"Alright, you can go now."

Knowing time was short, the group didn’t hesitate. They rushed to the container and started stuffing supplies into their backpacks, while Perry Yates used her vines to search the unconscious survivors.

’And what do you know, I actually found some. Quite a few, in fact. Some of them had several cards on them, with one person having eight! They must have robbed other people. Confiscated. I’ll confiscate them all.’

After she had taken all the cards, Felix Flynn and the others had also finished grabbing supplies. They were just about to call for Perry Yates to leave with them.

As for the people bundled up in vine cocoons, Perry Yates hadn’t killed them. Whether they managed to survive from here on out, however, was up to their own fate.

After leaving the deck, the group didn’t return to the banquet hall. The outside of the hall was still swarming with zombies, and even though the creatures couldn’t get in, returning now felt like walking right into the lion’s den.

The group found a new, relatively hidden spot to lay low. The supplies they’d gathered should be enough to last until the end of the game, and Perry Yates received her share from Pearl Norris.

Perry Yates pulled a sausage stick from her portion and eagerly started eating.

’Meat. It’s salty... It smells so good, and it’s delicious.’

As she ate, her nose tingled, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

She had never known a sausage stick could taste this amazing.

「Day twenty-four of the game.」

With some time on her hands, Perry Yates began to inspect the "consultation fees" the others had given her, looking for anything valuable.

And there was.

Her gaze fell upon one card in particular. It was an item card in the form of an invitation.

By writing the invitee’s name, the event, the time, and the location on it, the invitation could transport that person to the designated place at the designated time.

However, as it was only a one-star item, it had several limitations. For instance, the distance couldn’t be too great, it could only affect one person at a time, and it had a cooling time. After using it on someone, you had to wait a full twenty-four hours before you could use it again.

But none of these were problems for Perry Yates. After all, she could use Ascension on her cards. As a card’s Card Level increased, its drawbacks would disappear.

’Good thing Felix Flynn and the others aren’t around. Otherwise, I’d have to wait until the game is over to use Ascension on this card.’

Meanwhile, the Brain-Eater Bugs, who had remained hidden until now, were quietly proceeding with their own plans.