My Reality Became a Zombie Game World, but Only I Can Use the Game System - Chapter 18: Team Member System

Chapter 18: Team Member System

First, I open the “Team Members” section of the menu.

There, I find the names of Karamine Ritsu and Inoue Yume, with four empty slots, making a total of six team member slots.

“It’s a team of six, including the player. That’s an odd number.”

“There were five immune-activating drugs, right? The numbers seem to match.”

I answer Kenzaki-san’s question, tilting my head.

“The most popular campaign mode in ‘DL4’ is four-player multiplayer. Compared to that, this is two more.”

“Is there a mode for six players?”

“There is, but it’s horribly unbalanced and unpopular.”

I had played that mode quite a bit, but Chihiro-kun had quickly given up on it.

“Well, the more the merrier… A team of six has more options than a team of four.”

A dedicated healer build, for example, would have no place in a team of four, but with six members, it would be a desirable role.

The team composition would change significantly depending on whether it’s a team of four or six. I can’t help but think about what builds I want, then I shake my head.

For a while, or even forever, there’s a chance that it will just be a team of me and Yume-nee. Since we can’t increase team members without having sex, the likelihood of a third member joining is extremely low.

I wonder if I should have taken Kenzaki-san by force yesterday.

I want at least one close-quarters combat role, and it’s hard to find someone as suitable as Kenzaki-san.

“Karamine-kun, are you thinking of doing something unscrupulous to me to create the strongest team?”

“Of course not.”

“I feel like my chastity is in danger for the sake of the game!”

Well, our goal from now on is to survive by staying indoors, so we don’t need to force ourselves to create a strong team.

Even if we assemble an ideal team of six, there are no bosses to defeat in this ‘DL4’, unlike the game. Still, I’d like to try creating my own team…

There are many things I want to try, but the most impORTAnt thing is to confirm the extent of the player’s authority.

I try to remove Yume-nee from the team members in the menu.

“I’ve removed Yume-nee from the team members. Yume-nee, what changes do you see?”

“I can’t see the screens that were in my field of vision anymore.”

Yume-nee says that the minimap and health bar also disappeared.

This means that the player can take away the authority of team members at any time. The player is the master, and the team members are the servants.

I register Yume-nee as a team member again, then check if team members can use the store system.

“I can see the list in the store, but I can’t make purchases. Wow, they’re even selling adult goods… Why…?”

“It’s because the original game was an erotic game. Still, only players can use the store. The player’s power is stronger than I thought. Can team members use the inventory?”

“Yeah, it seems to be in the menu.”

When I check my menu, I find a function to send items from my inventory to the team member’s inventory.

In other words, it’s possible for me, the player, to purchase items from the store and pass them on to Yume-nee, the team member.

It seems like a good idea to buy weapons and items for Yume-nee to use on the way back to the apartment, so she can fight if necessary.

I consumed Info Value “ORTA” when we joined Kenzaki-san yesterday, but since then, we’ve defeated many zombies, so the Info Value “ORTA” has increased again.

By the way, can Yume-nee handle a gun?

“(Ai, so have the team members also had their physical ability data and combat technique data installed?)”

“Yes. Just like the player, they can skillfully wield weapons.”

I have physical ability information and combat technique information installed as a player.

That’s why I can use weapons beyond my own abilities and fight zombies.

If Yume-nee also has combat techniques installed, it might be a good idea to give her a gun. I don’t want Yume-nee to take such dangerous risks as close-quarters combat with zombies.

The biggest difference between ordinary people and team members seems to be there. Team members can use game systems such as the minimap and inventory, and their physical abilities and combat skills are improved to the same level as players.

“(Ai, Can team members be registered and removed at any time?)”

“Like the store system, it’s only possible in a safe zone.”

I see. It seems the team member function is available because we are in a zombie-free enclosed space.

Once a team member is registered, there’s no need to remove them. This doesn’t seem like a significant restriction.

Thinking this, I conveyed this information to the two of them, but Yume-nee made a face as if she was thinking about something.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Dangerous?”

“For example, if we welcome a third girl as a team member. If she betrays us while fighting zombies, we can’t remove her from the team immediately, right?”

“Ehh!? In that case… yeah.”

In online games, the act of attacking teammates is called “trolling”, but is such a troll act possible in reality?

It’s a concept I’ve never considered. There is friendly fire from allies in ‘DL4’, but Chihiro-kun has never shot me…

“Yume-nee, can you hit me with this machete? I want to check if I take damage from a team member’s attack.”

I try to send a machete to Yume-nee’s inventory. Yume-nee materializes the machete from her inventory and is impressed, saying, “Oh, this is how it feels.”

However, a beautiful woman like Yume-nee holding a blade on her naked body looks and feels powerful… It’s a little scary.

“Wahhh, Onee-chann attack (small)!”

When Yume-nee hits my arm with the flat of the machete blade, my health gauge decreases normally.

It’s confirmed that players take damage from team member attacks. When using a gun, we must be careful not to shoot each other.

So, team members can be given weapons, players take damage from team member attacks, and team members cannot be removed during combat. Therefore, we need to be careful of betrayal.

We must recruit team members who are trustworthy.

“This is getting complicated… It seems unlikely that we’ll find someone who will never betray us. Maybe I should have raped Kenzaki-san right now and made her a team member…”

“I can hear you, Karamine-kun. Stop forcing yourself on women. …And you’re so sweet, you know I might betray you too.”

“Huh? Kenzaki-san will never betray me.”

“H-How can you say that with a straight face!”

Kenzaki-san hits me with her fists to hide her embarrassment, but it doesn’t hurt at all.

I also wanted to test team upgrades and skill drugs, but I can’t try them because I don’t have enough Info Value “ORTA”. First, we need to return to the apartment, establish a base, and then earn Info Value “ORTA” to test the functions.

At this point, we have learned the necessary information.

Using the Info Value “ORTA” obtained from the zombie massacre in the gym, I equip Yume-nee with the needed equipments.

The weapons are an M4 carbine assault rifle and a machete for close-quarters combat. Five alert bombs as offensive accessories, which I already had one of, so a total of six, which we divide equally between Yume-nee and me. And just in case, one first-aid kit each.

I use the remaining Info Value “ORTA” to purchase ammunition for the assault rifle.

After getting dressed and preparing, I check and confirm that there are no problems.

We leave the infirmary and move to the library again, then exit through the window.

The time has finally come to leave the academy.

I was prepared for zombies to attack us the moment we stepped outside, but surprisingly, that didn’t happen.

The zombies are sparsely wandering around the schoolyard in front of us, but they are distracted by the sound coming from above.

Looking up, drawn by the sound that cuts through the air, I see a red helicopter flying.

For a moment, I thought it was a fire department helicopter from its coloring, but on closer inspection, I see the logo of the Sekinou Conglomerate. It’s probably a corporate-owned helicopter.

“By the way, Karamine-kun, don’t you sometimes encounter unfortunate accidents on days when you have important business, things that normally wouldn’t happen?”

“Yeah, it’s called Murphy’s Law.”

“If I’m not mistaken, that helicopter looks like it’s falling this way.”

“It looks that way to me too.”

Before we can take any action, the helicopter crashes into the fourth floor of the school building we’re in, exploding into pieces.

The tremendous roar. I hug Kenzaki-san, who is just a regular human, to protect her from the heat wave. Several pieces of debris hit me, but the damage is not significant.

“Are you okay, Kenzaki-san?”

“Uh, thanks.”

“What about Yume-nee?”

“I’m fine. I like this body, it’s sturdy and I like it.”

It seems that some debris also hit Yume-nee, but she’s fine.

Rather, this is where the danger lies.

“A, A, A, A, Aaaahhhh… Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!”

Like a roar, a large number of zombies howl.

Drawn by the explosion, the swarm of zombies begins to approach.

I see a torrent of zombies rushing through the main gate.

“We’ll handle this, Kenzaki-san, so you escape through the back gate.”

“W-Will you be okay!?”

“No problem. If I had to say something, I’d like a goodbye kiss.”

Without hesitation, Kenzaki-san kisses my lips. Then, as she runs in the opposite direction from the zombies, she shouts.

“Don’t die! Absolutely not!”

“I won’t die until I can fuck Kenzaki-san.”

“Stop that death flag, you idiot!”

Kenzaki-san leaves angrily. It was a hurried goodbye.

I materialize my assault rifle and alarm bomb, then speak to Yume-nee.

“Sorry, Yume-nee, this is a sudden, tough situation.”

“Don’t worry about it. Besides, Ritsu-kun, I’ve been running away all the time since yesterday. So, I’ve built up a lot of stress. I have to relieve it now.”

Yume-nee smiles and takes aim with her assault rifle.

“That’s great. It’s still fun to be with Yume-nee.”

“Of course? The way home from school should always be fun.”

The swarm of zombies is approaching.

They’re coming to eat us.

They mistakenly think they can bite and tear our bond apart.

So we must make them understand.

Who is the one who will be eaten.

Like a tsunami, the swarm of zombies rushes and surges towards us.

We take up our weapons and face hell with a laugh.