Chapter 4 : Survives as a Fragile (!) Girl

“Ahem, ahem.”

I casually set the broken hammer on the floor.
The hammer wasn’t the priority right now.
What mattered was that the awakening I’d desperately hoped for was real.

Clearing my throat, I called out to the air with anticipation.

“Status window!”

With my shout, a translucent holographic window appeared.

Finally.

I’d secured a weapon to survive this damn zombie world.
Unable to contain my excitement, I scanned the status window.

[Name: Yu Bin]
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Occupation: Unemployed

Level: 1

Health: 2750/2750
Mystic: 1532/1532
Attack: 1410
Defense: 340
Agility: 1425
Natural Recovery: 1645

Acquired Skills:
Dress Form LV.1

Skill Points: 0

It wasn’t hard to understand.
The stats looked high overall.
Considering my monstrous strength, that made sense.

But the gender listed as female?
It felt like the status window was hammering in, ‘You’re a girl now!’

‘…Don’t dwell on it. It’ll just mess with my head. What’s this Mystic stat?’
The other stats were self-explanatory, but Mystic stumped me.
If I had to guess, its placement below Health suggested it was like mana or something similar.

As I started to study the window closely, a sound interrupted me.

Kyaaaah!!!

A chilling scream and erratic footsteps echoed from below.
I didn’t need to see to know—zombies from outside the building.

They must’ve heard the noise from my fight with the last zombie.
Peeking down the stairwell, I saw zombies pounding on the glass entrance door, trying to force their way in.
The reinforced glass looked ready to shatter, cracking under their relentless blows.

A textbook apocalypse scene.
Normal people would’ve frozen in fear.

But I was fine.

I’d been waiting for this.

‘Perfect timing to show off my awakened power.’
Killing that first zombie showed me how strong I was.
With my trusty hammer, those zombies would be…

Oh.

Right.

I broke the hammer…

…

No problem.
This was all part of the plan.

I had one more weapon.

‘When I checked the status window, I had a skill.’
A skill from someone strong enough to obliterate a zombie’s head.
It had to be amazing.

‘The skill’s called Dress Form?’
No need to learn how to use it.
Just like I instinctively knew how to move my wings, I already knew how to activate this skill.

‘Dress Form.’
I called it in my mind.
A sensation washed over me, like something was draining from my body.

Humm—

The halo above my head reacted.

Sparkling stardust poured from it, forming a wave that enveloped my body.

What the hell was happening?

The question was quickly answered.

My clothes began to change.

The slightly tacky middle school outfit transformed into a pristine white blouse and skirt.
Golden patterns adorned the fabric, adding a touch of elegance.
My oversized shoes morphed into delicate heels fit for a girl.
Stardust from the halo clung to the outfit, giving it a mystical glow.

Huh.

‘So Dress Form is a clothes-changing skill. Got it.’

No more worrying about outfits.

…

That’s it?

“Wait, seriously? That’s all? Just swapping to a cute outfit?”
As if responding to my confusion, the status window popped up with a skill description.

[Dress Form LV.1
Consumes Mystic to equip the user with the most suitable outfit.
*Warning: Existing clothes will disappear.]

“Don’t screw with me! At least give me a magical girl staff or something!”

What kind of garbage skill is this?
Others get lightning, rubber powers, or fancy techniques, and I’m stuck playing dress-up?

No weapon?
Not even a blunt object?

“This trash skill is useless!”
The high from awakening crashed hard.
My rant went unanswered by the silent status window.

But something else responded.

“Grrraaah!!”

“Argh, sh*t! You scared me! Shut up!”
Fed up, I yelled, and the zombies below reacted.
I was in the middle of something important, and these zombies had the nerve.

—Kyaaaah!

The chilling screams of dozens of zombies sent shivers down my spine.

Bang! Bang!

They pounded the glass relentlessly.
The thick pane was already cracking, on the verge of shattering.

‘What now? Fight barehanded? Honestly, my fists might be stronger than the hammer.’
It wasn’t a bad idea, but I shook my head.

Zombies’ real threat is infection.
Man, child—it doesn’t matter.
A bite or contact with their fluids, and you’re a zombie.
No matter how strong I am, there’s no guarantee I can resist infection.
In a monster apocalypse, maybe I’d take risks, but in a zombie one, caution is key.

Crack—

As I hesitated, the first-floor glass door reached its limit.
Peering down, I saw the zombies frenzied by the light I’d emitted.
Like moths to a flame, they were desperate to reach me.

Run or fight?

Two choices, but the answer was already set.

‘Obviously, I fight.’
The number of zombies was intimidating, but the narrow stairwell and my strength made them manageable.

The hammer’s demise and the useless skill threw me off, but I still had the upper hand.
Plus, the status window had a level system.
Leveling up might unlock a better skill.

‘The question is how to fight… Go back home for a new tool?’
I shook my head.
Bad idea.
After what happened to the hammer, no tool in my apartment would last more than ten swings.
Fine for one zombie, but if I’m surrounded and my weapon breaks, I’m screwed.

I needed a new weapon.
Preferably something ranged.

Crack!

While I thought, the zombies were moments from breaking through.
Impatient bastards—look at all that glass debris.

‘…Debris?’
Seeing the shards from their attack sparked an idea.

A normal person couldn’t pull it off, but with my strength, it was possible.

I clenched my fist and punched the nearby hallway wall.

Boom!

The wall shattered with a deafening crash, sending small chunks flying.
I picked out pieces that fit perfectly in my hand.

Perfect.

Bullets secured.