Chapter 3: Escape Tutorial (2)

“Hey, hey, wake up. Wake up!”  

A soft, whispering female voice accompanied the brightening of his vision.  

Yuhyun looked around and found himself inside a dimly lit building.  

Faint moonlight streamed through broken windows, illuminating a floor marked with dust and vivid bloodstains. 

The musty smell of decay invaded his nostrils.  

‘Whoa, this is insane. This is really virtual reality?’  

Yuhyun lifted his hand, examining it closely. 

From the fine creases in his palm to the whorls of his fingerprints, it was almost indistinguishable from reality—utterly perfect.  

“Hey, if your eyes are open, snap out of it! Don’t just stand there dazed!”  

Turning toward the voice, he saw a girl with short black hair and a large backpack slung over her shoulders. 

Her cute face was framed by sharp eyes and a tense, hardened expression.  

Above her head floated text that seemed to be her name: Han Seola.  

“What are you doing!? Staring around like someone who’s lost their mind. Don’t you get the situation we’re in?”  

Her words helped Yuhyun piece together who this Han Seola was.  

‘Ah, she’s probably playing the same role as Ball of Light.’  

A guide to explain the current situation and lead him through it. 

In game terms, a tutorial NPC.  

Yuhyun nodded naturally and responded.  

“Yeah, I’d appreciate some explanation. I have no idea where we are or what’s going on.”  

“What? Weren’t you running from zombies and collapsed out there?”  

“Zombies…?”  

Yuhyun’s puzzled tone caught her off guard, and now it was Han Seola who looked confused.  

“Did you hit your head and get amnesia or something? The world’s been a mess for a year now. Tsk, I found you collapsed on the main road and brought you here, and you’re just… dead weight?”  

Haa—  

“I’ll explain just once, so listen carefully.”  

She let out a long sigh and leaned in close to his face.  

“A year ago, some unknown virus started spreading overseas. People began turning into zombies.”  

“Overseas?”  

“Yeah, our country cut off trade with the outside world as soon as we got the news, but it didn’t stop it. Somehow, the infection reached Seoul, and cases started popping up. Now, the whole city is crawling with zombies.”  

“…”  

“But there’s hope. In a week, the military from the provinces will launch a rescue operation in Seoul. We just need to hold out until then.”  

Yuhyun nodded, and she added more.  

“Or, you could try escaping Seoul on your own. The choice is yours.”  

“Survive a week or escape Seoul on my own.”  

Repeating what seemed to be the game’s objectives, Yuhyun earned a satisfied nod from her.  

“Exactly. But there’s something you absolutely need to watch out for.”  

Han Seola’s expression turned grave.  

“Getting bitten by a zombie is the end. Done. It’s a 100% infection rate. But light scratches during combat are fine.”  

“What if I get a deep wound?”  

“Then you’ve got one hour to disinfect it. Alcohol is best, but even washing it with water can lower the infection chance.”  

“Got it.”  

“Oh, and one more thing.”  

“Yeah?”  

“There are other survivors scattered around Seoul, but… never trust them. Humans can be scarier than zombies in a world like this. That’s all I can say for now, time’s short—”  

Thud! Thud! Thud!  

Suddenly, the door rattled with heavy pounding. Han Seola flinched, biting her lip in alarm.  

“Damn it! Already!? We need to move! But first, pick a weapon!”  

She rummaged through her backpack and laid out four weapons on the floor.  

“I’m taking this fire axe. You pick one of the rest!”  

Time froze, and a translucent selection window appeared before Yuhyun’s eyes.  

[Select Your Weapon]  

At the same moment, a chat window popped up in the corner of his vision.  

– Hi  

“!?”  

And with that one message, viewers began flooding in.  

[Viewers: 6]  

– That nickname lol Tangle Yuhyun wtf lol  

– Came to see a guy stream Escape lol  

– Whoa, damn, he’s hot!!!!!!! Woof!!!!!!!!!!!  

– Ooh, face passes the test.  

The alpha and omega of streaming.  

Viewers.  

From the body’s memories, Yuhyun knew that for an independent streamer, not backed by a corporation, getting even one or two viewers on a first broadcast was a big deal.  

And yet, here he was with six on his very first stream.  

‘Oh… this is a good start? Guess this guy wasn’t wrong to think this game would be a hit for his debut.’  

Yuhyun chalked it up to picking the right game, unaware of a key detail.  

The zombie survival game Escape was notorious among streamers, dubbed the “early-game boss” or “first-try impact king”!  

Praised for its realistic zombie designs and fear-inducing atmosphere, it drew viewers eager to see streamers scream and panic at the start.  

But once that initial thrill passed, they often left, finding the game dull.  

Oblivious to this, Yuhyun assumed these were just ordinary viewers interested in his stream.  

‘I’ve got to hook these people.’  

Getting this many viewers on his first broadcast was pure luck. 

Determined not to let the chance slip, he spoke with a confident, booming voice.  

“I’ll show you all how I school these zombies today.”  

– Schooling? lol Loading screams in 3, 2, 1 lol  

– Confidence is nice lol  

– This is the newbie energy we love lol  

– Can’t wait to compare this cocky face now to the crying, snot-dripping mess later lol  

– Yessss playtime: “2 minutes,” account created: “yesterday,” first game: “Escape.” A legit pure newbie, this is rare lol  

The chat buzzed with skepticism, no one expecting much.  

But Yuhyun wasn’t fazed.  

How many had dismissed him as the “black-haired hero” back in the other world?  

‘Good. The lower the expectations, the better.’  

The bigger the shock when he exceeded them.  

‘Talking more won’t help here. Better to just show them.’  

Yuhyun shrugged and turned his attention to the weapon selection window.  

[Select Your Weapon]  

Nail-Studded Baseball Bat  

Durability: Low  

Range: Long  

Attack Speed: Medium  

Crowbar  

Durability: High  

Range: Medium  

Attack Speed: Slow  

Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife  

Durability: Medium  

Range: Very Short  

Attack Speed: Very Fast  

Yuhyun chose the kitchen knife.  

The chat erupted again.  

Tips and taunts flew—how newbies should pick the bat, how choosing anything but the crowbar in an apocalypse showed bad instincts, how the knife was for pros only.  

Yuhyun wasn’t blind to why the viewers said this.  

The knife’s biggest flaw was its range.  

With a short blade, you had to get right in the enemy’s space to fight, making it tricky to wield.  

‘But in the other world, the dagger was my second-best weapon.’  

Sure, his experience meant he could handle the others decently, but among the options, the knife felt most familiar.  

‘And it’s great for showmanship.’  

Flashy footwork and agile moves to slip into an enemy’s blind spot for close-quarters combat.  

A knife let him stage impactful, dramatic scenes.  

Gripping the kitchen knife, the paused game resumed.  

Thud! Thud! Thud!  

The pounding on the door grew fiercer.  

“No time! I’ll clear the way, so stick close!”  

“Got it.”  

Han Seola clutched her axe in one hand and approached the door. 

With a tense expression, she took a deep breath, unlocked it, and—  

BANG—!  

Kicked the creaking door open.  

The instant it swung wide, the stench of rotting flesh hit hard.  

Outside, one zombie lay sprawled, knocked back by the door, while five others loomed behind it.  

Yellowed, decayed skin, bloodshot eyes, crusted red blood around their mouths.  

One had a ruptured gut, entrails spilling out, while another’s face was half-torn, exposing the skull beneath.  

– ZOMBIES AHHHHH!!!!  

– Ugh, these things are gross no achievable how many times I see them  

– Huh? Why’s this guy not freaking out?  

– No reaction to zombies?  

– This is where you’re supposed to scream and spill soy sauce on the wall!  

– Is he just frozen from shock?  

– Lame  

‘Sorry to disappoint, but I’ve seen too much for this to faze me.’  

“HAAAH!”  

Suddenly, Han Seola lunged forward, swinging her axe down at the head of the fallen zombie.  

CRACK!  

The heavy sound of the axe sinking into the zombie’s skull echoed.  

“Ah!”  

But the blade lodged too deep, refusing to budge. As she struggled to yank it free, the other zombies began closing in around her.  

Her eyes darted wildly before she bit her lip and turned to Yuhyun.  

“…I’ll hold them off here! Run! Hurry!!!”  

– Oh, Seola, not again ㅠㅠ  

– RIP…  

– Another death here ㅠ  

– She saved you, explained the situation, gave you a weapon ㅠㅠ And now she’s sacrificing herself!!! ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ  

– Even if not now, you’ll see her again later, so cheers~  

‘Ah, so she’s meant to die here.’  

From the viewers’ reactions, Yuhyun realized this was part of the scripted story.  

A role to help the player escape by sacrificing herself.  

He knew this trope from games in his old world—common and effective for immersion.  

But Yuhyun clicked his tongue.  

‘Not my style.’  

Say what you will, he’d lived as a hero.  

For ten years, he’d protected others. Seeing someone sacrifice themselves to save him felt… well, like a blow to his pride.  

‘Guess people don’t change.’  

Yuhyun smirked, loosening his grip on the knife. He naturally shifted his weight to his lead foot.  

His eyes settled, and his instincts awakened.  

Ten years of grueling training and relentless battles in the other world, fighting day and night to defeat the Demon King.  

“KAAAAH!!!”  

A zombie charged at Han Seola, jaws gaping. She squeezed her eyes shut.  

And then—  

Slash—!  

A sharp, cutting sound rang out.  

A head flew through the air.  

Thud.  

Roll…  

Yuhyun met Han Seola’s wide, rabbit-like eyes.  

“Why.”  

He grinned, the corner of his mouth lifting.  

“Are you surprised?”