I Reincarnated Into a Healing Game… and It’s a Zombie Apocalypse?! - Chapter 52

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 52

 

8. What a damn farmowner!

 

Nana grumbled quietly as she touched the blinking alarm icon in the corner with her hand.

 

Then fanfare played as a popup window saying “Starter Package Open” appeared, and the package contents were listed in front of Nana.

 

【You have acquired the new skill ‘Eagle Eye’ provided as part of the starter package. You can see the status and grade of everything in this world. Humans are no exception.】

 

Not bad, actually. What else is there?

 

【What you need at the start of a new journey is a reliable weapon. A weapon will be randomly provided to Adrienne Rogueton.】

 

As soon as the message disappeared, dazzling light and fanfare sounds echoed as a weapon floating in the air gently descended into Nana’s hands.

 

“Th-this is…!”

 

【Iron Crowbar (SSS+): An item more familiar by the name ‘pry bar’. A light weapon that swings smoothly and hurts a lot when hit.】

 

…I’ve felt this before, but this world’s system really seems to half-ass everything. What kind of item description is this?

 

‘There shouldn’t be anything more coming, right?’

 

Just as she was about to put the crowbar into her inventory.

 

Light flashed briefly in the empty air, and a book appeared along with a message.

 

[The Max-Level Farmowner Who Hides His Power All Alone]

 

A notification window popped up along with the book.

 

【The now out-of-print farmers’ guidebook ‘The Max-Level Farmowner Who Hides His Power All Alone’: You’re probably wondering why a book is a weapon, right? Weapons don’t only refer to physical means of attack. Vast knowledge can also become a powerful weapon. In that sense, ‘The Max-Level Farmowner Who Hides His Power All Alone’ will become the best weapon for you as a farmowner and protect you.】

 

What is this? This title sounds like a mass-produced fantasy novel.

 

The absurd thing wasn’t just the book’s title. The heavy book in Nana’s hands was as thick as it was heavy. She found herself respecting the unknown author in a different way.

 

As Nana roughly flipped through the pages skimming the book, content written under the subtitle “Skills” caught her attention.

 

[The most important things in growing plants are effort and care. But there’s a skill that can fulfill both of these at once, and that’s the skill called ‘Plants Are My Friends’.

 

Improving crop quality has always been achieved only through the farmer’s one-sided love and care. But what if instead of being one-sided, plants and humans could have two-way conversations? And if you could make them your friends?

 

Not only would this guarantee crop quality, but plants that become friends would be of great help to the farmer. Plants are truthful beings who value friends above all else. Also…]

 

Around the time she finished reading that part, a small message window appeared in front of the open book.

 

【Congratulations, Adrienne Rogueton. You have successfully acquired the knowledge from the page you just read carefully.】

 

【Skill Level Up!】

 

【’Plants Are My Friends’ has leveled up to Lv.3.</p】

While previously you could only guess what state plants were in, now that your level has increased, you can guess how plants are feeling.

 

Skills improve with level ups.

 

Books are bound to contain vast knowledge. Acquire more knowledge going forward to strengthen your skills!>

 

Awesome. This is actually a better item than I thought.

 

The book I was thinking of using as a pot holder turned out to be a skill book perfect for my profession.

 

It was the moment when what seemed like just a thick burden was promoted to treasure.

 

* * *

 

Back to the present.

 

Nana looked at Sam across from her and spoke.

 

“I can’t say in detail, but something came up that requires me to go to the Capital City. You’re going to the Capital City too, and we have the same destination, right? So I’m saying let’s go together.”

 

“Hey wait, ‘we’? Are you planning to bring that barbar… no no! That was a slip of the tongue, so put your fist down. Anyway, are you thinking of taking that man?”

 

“We have to go together. I can’t just leave Isha all alone at this farm, can I?”

 

Sam sighed and scratched his head, muttering.

 

“Ah, this has become troublesome.”

 

“I won’t tell you to become friends with each other. Instead, make me one promise. Never mention Isha’s identity and treat him like a member of the Kingdom.”

 

“Do you know what that man’s identity is? You’re asking royalty who has a responsibility to protect this country to bring an unidentified person into the Capital City?”

 

“Isha is just an ordinary butcher. As long as you don’t cause unnecessary commotion, there’s no way it’ll be revealed that Isha is from a minority ethnic group. In fact, Uncle Brody and Lord Lucas don’t seem to know that Isha is from a minority ethnic group, right?”

 

“…”

 

“If you have no intention of keeping even this promise, I’ll just go to the Capital City on my own…”

 

“Hey, hey wait. Who said I wouldn’t? Fine. I’ll do as you say. But let me make one request too.”

 

“What is it? If you say something ridiculous, I’m just leaving.”

 

“This is a request I’m making as a friend.”

 

Nana was momentarily speechless.

 

How long has it been since she heard the word ‘friend’?

 

Even when she lived as Song Nana in the modern world, she had no one she could call a friend.

 

Company colleagues became strangers the moment they left work, and relationships with college friends gradually faded.

 

Someone went abroad to study, someone got married, someone just grew distant. Contact decreased and asking about each other’s well-being disappeared.

 

After entering the game world, she adapted and started making friends, but that was brief – after the zombie apocalypse, all the people who had been called her friends disappeared.

 

Now Nana has Ishanka and Sam by her side. But it felt somehow ambiguous to call them friends. Even though they were always together, there was definitely a sense of distance as colleagues somewhere in her heart.

 

So when Sam casually said ‘friend’, Nana felt strangely moved. She hadn’t expected to hear such words.

 

“What’s with that expression? Don’t tell me you don’t even think of me as a friend?”

 

“Oops. I’ve been caught.”

 

She acted nonchalant because she felt guilty, but seeing the subtle expression that crossed Sam’s face made her heart sting.

 

‘What? Why is that guy making a hurt expression?’

 

Feeling unnecessarily sorry, Nana made excuses.

 

“I just… thought you wanted to leave this place quickly. Even before the world became like this, you always wanted to get out of the village, didn’t you?”

 

“You have a surprisingly cold side, don’t you? Friends don’t have to stay in the same place. You can be friends even from far away.”

 

“For that to be true, you and I weren’t particularly close from before…”

 

“Ah, anyway we’re friends now, so listen to your friend’s request. What’s good about having friends?”

 

Sam started throwing a tantrum now. Ah, what an annoying prince.

 

“Fine. Let me hear it first.”

 

Nana sighed as she spoke, but the corners of her mouth were slightly raised.

 

The word ‘friend’.

 

That simple word lingered in her heart longer than expected.

 

* * *

 

After deciding to go to the Capital City together, things progressed quickly. Since Brody and Lucas had originally come to take Sam to the Capital City, they readily agreed.

 

And instead of unilaterally notifying Ishanka to come to the Capital City together, they decided to ask his opinion and give him the right to decide.

 

She didn’t want to force him to come, and if he didn’t want to, she planned to let him be free.

 

But that was her needless worry.

 

“I will go together as well.”

 

Ishanka responded calmly.

 

“Really? I’d be happy if Isha comes with us, but weren’t you traveling the world to find something?”

 

They had talked about it once while having lunch together. The reason Ishanka came all the way to this remote countryside of the Kingdom.

 

“I already found that a while ago, so you don’t need to worry.”

 

He didn’t mention that it was troublesome blood relatives.

 

“The Capital City will be dangerous unlike this place. I’m your worker, so I have a duty to stay by your side and protect you.”

 

Ishanka’s voice rang out warmly. So much so that it almost felt like he was speaking to someone he loved.

 

“Yeah, then I’ll take it that we’re going together!”

 

She quickly turned around as if escaping from the spot.

 

I didn’t look flustered, did I? Ah, my face almost turned red for a moment there.

 

As the distance from Ishanka grew, Nana’s steps gradually slowed down.

 

She had been feeling that Ishanka was different from before lately.

 

When she turned around because she felt his gaze, he would be staring intently at her, or when they talked, his voice seemed softer or more excited than usual…

 

Nana shook her head vigorously as if brushing away unnecessary thoughts. One mistake in the past was enough.

 

But confused feelings don’t disappear as easily as dusting off dirt. Her memory traced back to the past.

 

Song Nana’s work life was ordinary. Work, eat lunch, chat with team members and colleagues, work again, and go home.

 

That day was also the same routine like a hamster wheel.

 

“Hello. Team Leader Song Nana.”

 

The man shyly greeted her while offering a cup of coffee.

 

There was talk about an experienced newcomer joining the sales team – was that him? Nana thought it was just a polite greeting he gave to everyone.

 

“Team Leader, do you also take the train toward OO Station? I go in the same direction too! That’s great. I was getting bored commuting alone anyway.”

 

To Nana, who was accustomed to business-like relationships with people, the man’s gentle gaze and smile felt unfamiliar. But Nana didn’t dislike it.

 

How long had it been since she had such casual conversation instead of work-related talk?

 

It had been so long since she felt a small joy in her dry life that even though she was treating him in a business-like manner, when the man burst into laughter with his dimples showing, she felt a little flutter.

 

And the moment his presence no longer felt strange, her happiness was shattered into pieces by a single conversation she overheard one day.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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