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"The zombies see Mafuyu Kirisu as one of their own. That's why they didn't attack her!"
Julian reached the conclusion almost instantly.
This was huge.
If Mafuyu really had that kind of trait, surviving in the apocalypse would become a whole lot easier. Anywhere zombies gathered in large numbers, she could walk in and out without a problem. Scavenging for supplies would be practically effortless.
Still, first things first. The white-haired zombie in front of them had to go.
"Mafuyu, step aside. I'll handle this."
Julian gripped his Tang blade, thinking it would be a good chance to get some practice in.
Mafuyu, already annoyed from being jostled around by the zombie, simply raised her hand and slapped him.
The white-haired zombie's head spun a full circle before popping clean off and rolling across the floor. The rest of its body collapsed with a heavy thud.
"…Holy hell."
Julian froze.
Mafuyu looked delicate and soft-spoken. How was she this strong?
Knocking a zombie's head off with a single slap? He definitely couldn't do that. Even a professional boxer wouldn't be able to punch a zombie's head clean off.
Could it be that she had both a human mind and a zombie's strength?
"Mafuyu, here. Try breaking this."
Julian handed her the bronze sword.
Crack.
She snapped it in half without any effort at all.
"…Okay. Now try punching this frying pan."
He handed her the pan.
Feeling Julian's attention on her, Mafuyu's heart fluttered with excitement. This time, she put her full strength into the punch.
Boom.
A dull metallic thud echoed through the room.
A clear fist imprint dented the frying pan.
Gulp.
Julian swallowed.
That strength… it was far beyond an ordinary zombie.
Was she a mutated zombie?
In this new world, powerful Awakened humans had appeared—and among the undead, mutated zombies had emerged as well. Mutated zombies were much stronger than the regular kind. Not only did they have superior combat abilities, some even developed special powers.
If not for the Awakened barely holding the line, humanity would have already been wiped out by mutated zombies.
If Mafuyu Kirisu was one of them…
Then he had just gained himself an incredibly powerful personal bodyguard.
He could practically strut sideways through the apocalypse.
"Master… my hand hurts…"
Her soft voice snapped him back to reality.
"Let me see."
Julian took her hand and examined it carefully.
She'd punched with all her strength. Even if her bones weren't broken, the skin on her knuckles had split in several places.
Without thinking, Julian lifted her injured hand and put the wounded skin into his mouth.
Using saliva to disinfect was just instinct.
Mafuyu Kirisu's pale face flushed red instantly.
His sudden gesture made her heart race.
Well, from twenty beats per minute to thirty—but still.
After a while, Julian suddenly realized something.
Wait.
She's a zombie.
Do zombies even need disinfecting?
He pulled her hand away from his mouth.
Then he froze.
The wounds on her knuckles were gone.
"Wait… does my saliva have healing properties?"
"…Am I an Awakened?!"
Julian stood there, stunned.
He had survived in the apocalypse for an entire year and had never noticed anything special about himself. His solid survival instincts had kept him alive—he'd never even been bitten once.
Who would've guessed he had this kind of effect on zombies?
Awakened individuals were humans who had evolved beyond normal limits. Most were combat-oriented—people strong enough to lift a car, or fast enough to run 100 meters in seven seconds.
A smaller group didn't gain combat boosts, but developed unusual abilities instead. Some could see perfectly in the dark. Others could hear sounds from a kilometer away.
Julian had always wished he could become one. Even a support-type ability would have been fine.
And now… he actually was one?
And judging by the results, his power seemed pretty incredible.
That explained why Mafuyu Kirisu had regained her consciousness after biting him.
This was his ability.
If he could gather more followers like Mafuyu Kirisu, even mutated zombies and Awakened humans wouldn't scare him anymore.
For a brief, glorious moment, Julian imagined building himself a massive zombie harem.
Only female zombies, obviously.
"Master… can I have my hand back?"
Mafuyu Kirisu asked shyly, her cheeks still pink.
"Oh. Right."
Julian suddenly realized he was still holding her hand.
He'd just licked the back of it, and now he was gripping it like he wasn't planning to let go. Yeah. That could definitely be misinterpreted.
"Let's look for food and head back."
He gave the order.
Mafuyu Kirisu nodded obediently.
The two of them started searching the place.
The haul was pretty good.
Half a bag of rice. Several pounds of fruit. Some vegetables and eggs.
Mafuyu Kirisu didn't need to eat—but Julian definitely did.
With this much food, he could get through the week. As for the instant noodles he'd brought earlier, those would keep for ages. No rush to eat them.
Carrying their supplies, the two returned to Mafuyu Kirisu's apartment.
By then, night had fully fallen.
"Master…"
"When we sleep tonight, are you going to tie me up?"
She suddenly asked.
"Tie you up?"
Julian's mind immediately flashed to certain… premium online content.
Then he quickly realized that probably wasn't what she meant.
She must have seen that old man earlier tied to the lounge chair and gotten worried.
"Yeah. What if I lose consciousness again and attack you?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"That… is a problem."
Julian stroked his chin thoughtfully.
It wasn't that he didn't trust her. He just didn't fully understand his own ability yet. What if the effect of his blood on zombies was only temporary?
Did he really want to get bitten again in the middle of the night?
And what if she happened to be… eating something at the time? One careless bite and he'd be missing important equipment.
Yeah. Better safe than sorry.
He went next door again and retrieved the rope.
"Now… how do I tie this…"
He had zero experience with this sort of thing.
"Guess I'll check the iPad for some tutorials."
He rummaged through his bag and pulled it out.
There seemed to be a small subcategory dedicated to rope techniques.
Mafuyu Kirisu leaned in close beside him to watch.
They hadn't been looking for long before both of their breathing grew heavier.
This rope art…
The way those people were tied up definitely left a lot to the imagination.
"....."