Chapter 17

Seeing the chat window all the way up to here made it feel real—like he’d actually joined “47.”

How hard it had been to get this far. He hadn’t even properly started anything yet, but it hit him anyway, this weird swell of emotion, and he just stared at the chat window for a long time.

(Global) Miu: Take this

Miu tossed something toward Yeonhoo.

“A walkie-talkie?”

When he looked closer, there really was a black walkie-talkie on the ground—something you only ever saw in movies. But since he didn’t know how to use it, he stood there blinking like an idiot. Miu watched him for a moment, then typed.

(Global) Miu: You don’t know how to use it?

(Global) Miu: You do know, right?

What was that supposed to mean? Yeonhoo tilted his head. It felt like Miu was testing him.

(Global) 0momo0: How do u use this?? T_T

Still suspicious, huh. Whatever.

Yeonhoo wasn’t actually a spy, and he didn’t even have the chops to be one. So he figured the whole “you’re a spy” misunderstanding would sort itself out over time. He waved it off and asked Miu instead.

Of course, he didn’t forget to grin like an idiot while staring at the “47” floating over Miu’s head.

(Global) 0momo0: But wow... having the same thing as u is seriously soooo nice..

Yeonhoo looked like he was about to go off on a tangent because he suddenly didn’t feel like he had to hold back anymore—just happy he was wearing the same 47 as Miu—so Miu hurriedly started explaining.

(Global) Miu: First put the walkie-talkie in your inventory, then right-click

He did what he was told, hit the right mouse button, and the alliance chat finally started showing up.

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOL what is this

(Alliance) FUNK: pork cutlet spicy pork lunch set

(Alliance) 1Poop1: meat. it’s meat. eat meat. meat

(Alliance) KimFactory: u said u were dieting go salad

(Alliance) GoodLuck: cheers doesn’t even have fat to lose~~~

“Oh, that’s wild.”

This game cared a lot about “distance,” weirdly. If you were far away, even if you were in the same alliance, you couldn’t see the chat. So it looked like the walkie-talkie helped alliance members communicate.

Yeonhoo’s eyes sparkled. Skimming through it, the contents weren’t actually anything special. It felt kind of like a group chat with his friends.

Still, for Yeonhoo—who’d never joined an in-game alliance before—everything was new. And since the people appearing in the chat window weren’t complete strangers, it felt even more exciting.

“I’ve seen them a bunch just passing through.”

There were a few faces he’d crossed paths with while running back and forth to give Miu gifts.

(Alliance) BBQ: Huh?? It says someone joined?? Who is it?? LOL

(Alliance) GoodLuck: what the~ someone new joined~~?~

(Alliance) FUNK: no way did the leader actually bring someone in

(Alliance) KimFactory: the name is 0momo0???

(Alliance) Miu: Everyone, a new member joined, so say hi

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOL for real?

(Alliance) Miu: You too, hurry up and say hi

Perfect timing—Miu introduced him—so Yeonhoo hurried and greeted everyone.

(Alliance) 0momo0: Hi!!! I’m 0momo0!! Please call me Momo!! I’ve only seen u from far away but seeing u up close like this is sooo nice!!! haha

(Alliance) 1Poop1: hi

(Alliance) 1Poop1: wait?? huh??? from far away? don’t tell me

(Alliance) KimFactory: hey hey

(Alliance) KimFactory: ughhh momo—are you REALLY the person who’s been sending gifts this whole time??

(Alliance) 0momo0: Yep yep nice to meet you!!!!!

So I’ve got, like... a reputation here?

(Alliance) KimFactory: wow... LOL that’s insane

(Alliance) 1Poop1: you actually dragged him in

(Alliance) ShinJadu: mm.. LOL so it ended up like this.. well~ honestly this is better

(Alliance) ShinJadu: welcome, 0momo0~

(Alliance) MouseTrap: omg;; it’s real;; nice to meet u;;

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOLLLLLL oh?

(Alliance) FUNK: what the hell is happening here

But for some reason, it was less “welcome!” and more... uneasy.

“Don’t you usually get excited when a newbie joins...?”

Yeonhoo had no way of knowing what they’d been talking about before he arrived, so he blinked at the weird reactions and tilted his head. Did they think he was a spy too?

That’s when Miu—like he was cleaning up a chaotic chatroom—made a suggestion.

(Alliance) Miu: Let’s talk about the rest in alliance territory

(Alliance) Miu: 0, summon your mount

(Alliance) 0momo0: Me?]

(Alliance) Miu: Yeah. We’re going to alliance territory now

In Zombie Village, you could only teleport to East, West, South, North, or Central coordinates, and you could only revive at your base or in town. So out in the field, most people traveled by mount.

Miu summoned his tiger, and Yeonhoo quickly summoned his bike too.

With Miu riding his black tiger, 0momo0 followed behind on a bike.

“Holy shit... I’m really going to 47.”

A bike and a tiger running side by side.

“This feels like one of those honeymoon package desert tours.”

Yeonhoo kept tugging up the corners of his mouth, basking in the moment—and before he knew it, the two of them arrived at the 47 base.

(Alliance) Miu: We’re here

(Alliance) 0momo0: Yup!!!

At Miu’s words, Yeonhoo stepped up beside him with a face full of determination.

47

Blue lettering painted across a massive gate. An outer wall of iron and concrete, and even a glowing shield wrapped around it.

Honestly, the towering walls and scenery of the 47 alliance territory weren’t that unfamiliar. He’d come here like a maniac over and over, just to deliver gifts.

“Except this time I was officially invited.”

Maybe because his position had changed, it did look a little different.

Instead of sneaking in, building a tower in secret, dropping gifts, and leaving—this time it felt like he was heading straight for the main gate with his head held high. Without realizing it, he started humming.

Zzzzzzzing....

The moment Miu stopped in front of the gate, something like a surveillance turret on top of it immediately swiveled toward Miu and Yeonhoo.

And then, the instant it confirmed the two of them were members of 47—

(Notification) Biometric scan complete! Welcome.

—Ziiing—KTHUNK!

With the dragging groan of the massive gate, the main entrance finally began to open.

“Damn... the staging is straight-up like a movie.”

The door moved with this huge, heavy sound, and it really felt like he was stepping into a survivor base in an actual apocalypse.

Miu started walking forward without hesitation. Every time they passed through another layer of outer wall—stacked and aligned in a complex pattern for defense—the doors boomed open with heavy thuds.

“It’s huge.”

It wasn’t even comparable to his base. It looked like even if they went to war with other alliances, you’d have to be seriously outclassed to lose.

As if they sensed them, a few alliance members peeked their faces over the tall wall.

(Alliance) FUNK: u here

(Alliance) FUNK: hi

(Alliance) KimFactory: oh my god hiiii

(Alliance) MouseTrap: hiiii!

They looked at Miu and 0momo0 and immediately jumped down.

“Dude, this is like a set.”

Armed NPC soldiers guarding the alliance territory were mixed in with players wearing flashy outfits, and it really did feel like some kind of city from a film.

Alliance members gathered one by one, until Yeonhoo was surrounded by people in bright, customized clothing.

(Alliance) GoodLuck: hiyaa~ so ur really the one who’s been giving gifts all this time~? i’ve been using them well~ thanks~

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: LOLLLLL hi

(Alliance) BBQ: oh LOL.. leader really brought you.. anyway hi~? LOLLL

(Alliance) 1Poop1: ..LOL anyway this is fcking nice to meet you.. LOL

(Alliance) ShinJadu: welcome~ haha

In the chat, you could tell they still felt awkward about the fact that 0momo0—the one who’d been showering them with mysterious gifts—had actually joined their alliance.

(Alliance) 0momo0: Sooo nice to meet you~~~ >_<

So what? Yeonhoo was thrilled.

“Now I’ll finally do raids with the alliance members—and with Ms. Miyoung too. And there was alliance content, right? Stuff like that.”

His heart was pounding when, in the slightly awkward atmosphere, ShinJadu stepped forward first.

(Alliance) ShinJadu: hi! i’m ShinJadu, the vice leader!

(Alliance) ShinJadu: i need to go over alliance notices—do you have time??? 0momo0??

(Alliance) 0momo0: feel free to just call me Momo

(Alliance) ShinJadu: sure, Momo^^

(Alliance) ShinJadu: it’ll all be written in the notices anyway... but i heard you’re a beginner so i’ll tell you the important stuff again! for our alliance territory coords, just think of it as D7~