Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 24: The Slacker Life and New Gear

Chapter 24: The Slacker Life and New Gear

“With the power of this sacred mantra, try dodging my blade…”

“No choice but to face you…!”

On the screen, two samurai clashed swords in a blazing castle.

The BGM’s pumping me up!

They really burned a set for this… old-school films had wild budgets.

The eyepatch Yagyu guy—no one else could play him.

I wanna learn Yagyu-ryu.

What’s the deal with that super-long hilt?

…Gotta hunt for Yagyu books, on top of Koshiho ones.

Oh, the duel’s done.

The quiet “Father…” murmur here always hits hard.

It’s so good, it overshadows the final boss later.

Reading the novel later, I was shocked—the boss wasn’t even a real boss and was pathetically weak.

The day after the shelter chaos, I’m sprawled in my beloved living room, watching movies.

Dealing with fights.

Slicing people.

Trips to the next town.

Shelter drama.

It’s been hectic, so I’m taking a breather.

No leaving the house for at least two days! Got plenty of food!

Oh, gotta water my veggie buddies… pause, pause.

Phew, almost forgot.

Just planted them casually, but seeing sprouts is nice.

…Hope they’re not weeds.

Can you eat weeds?

Blind spot.

Is there a book like Edible Weeds?

Gotta hit a bookstore again.

A big one with DVDs, preferably.

Food and essentials get looted, but no way anyone but me’s grabbing DVDs.

My lifestyle’s pretty sweet, all things considered.

Thought about the library, but it’s a shelter now, and that harem Kannon might be there—hard pass.

I’d get tangled up, and I don’t wanna meet him.

Worst case, I’d punch him like that idiot yesterday.

Lunch is SDF rations.

Canned white rice and tuna stew.

Heated them up and dug in.

Delicious! Real rice!

The tuna’s a bit salty but pairs great with rice!

I could scarf this down forever!

Portions are huge—nice!

The SDF’s insane.

Makes sense—physical folks need good food to keep moving.

MREs, not to be underestimated!

Gonna keep helping them out (not promising every time, though).

After lunch, I napped on the floor.

So happy.

The world’s a mess, but is it okay to chill like this?

It’s fine!

All I can do is skulk around town, scavenging.

No medical knowledge, no charisma.

Saving the world’s for people with those passive skills.

I’ll do my thing, survive, and have fun.

Mmm, zzz…

Napped for two hours and woke up.

Stretched to loosen up.

Gotta stay flexible.

Twist an ankle out there, and I’m done.

Body warmed up, I headed to the yard.

Sword at my waist, time for kata practice.

Skipped seated forms—zombies don’t sit and chat.

Footwork, hip movement, wrist snap, body flow.

Checked each carefully.

Fought plenty, but never a textbook scenario.

Still, kata’s not useless.

Training muscle memory lets me adapt on the fly.

More options, the better.

…Should’ve taken practice more seriously.

My dojo seniors were nuts.

If I survived, they’re probably thriving.

One guy swung a big bokken like a twig.

He works for some security firm now—bet that place is untouchable.

Sweated enough, time to stop.

Got one more task today.

Making an anti-human weapon.

Iron… rod… (retro cat robot voice)

Found nice rods at the home center a while back.

No clue what they’re for—bit longer than my palm, ballpoint pen thickness.

Lit a fire in the fish-grill brazier and tossed one in.

When it glowed red, I grabbed it with pliers, set it on an anvil, and hammered the tip flat.

Sound carries, but my barricaded house is safe.

Zombies are noisy—I’d hear them coming.

The anvil? Found it in our shed.

Dad’s, maybe?

Once stretched, I cooled it and ground it with a farm tool whetstone.

Grinded mindlessly, and it took shape.

Amateur work, but it looks decent.

Rod… shuriken… (old-gen cat robot)

My style’s got tons of shuriken techniques.

Front, back, ambushes.

Made this new gear to use them.

Wanted classic four- or eight-point shuriken, but I can’t make those.

Balance is off, but I’ll manage with skill.

…Hopefully.

Tested it on a propped board.

Not the movie-style spinning throw.

I use “direct hit,” no rotation.

Shorter range, but fine for distractions.

Fixed elbow, arm swing only—the shuriken stabbed the board with a thok.

Threw a few to get the feel.

Within 5 meters, it’ll pierce thin wood.

Not bad.

Saves me from drawing my sword every time.

If I can disable someone, perfect.

Hit their limbs, and they’ll lose fight.

Useless on zombies, though.

Cut up Dad’s belt to make wrist holsters.

Vest pockets are risky—might stab myself if I fall.

I’m getting way too combat-focused.

Oh well.

Not my fault! Blame the guys picking fights!

Definitely.

Probably.

Today’s work done!

Back inside to watch movies and sleep.

What’s next? That film lit my faint samurai soul.

Jidaigeki marathon it is.

Lone wolf with a baby cart? Or the famous dandara-pattern gang?

Happy dilemma.