Chapter 24

Justin had already cleared out all the skeletons along the way.

Of course, there was one thing they couldn’t clean up.

The bodies.

“Holy… S-Shit.”

“Guh—!”

Some people gagged as they reached the entrance of the safe zone.

Shredded corpses littered the area.

Even those who didn’t vomit paled at the sight.

“…!”

Ethan shot Justin a concerned look.

This was bad.

If people started thinking the safe zone was more dangerous, it could all fall apart.

But Justin smirked and winked.

He had already thought ahead.

Clicking his tongue, he muttered just loud enough to be heard.

“They almost made it. If only they’d run a little faster before those skeletons caught them… What a shame.”

“…”

“And their families? They’re probably dead inside their homes too. No one left to even bury them.”

The group froze.

And just like that, their perspective shifted.

Their homes weren’t safe.

This place?

Was the only chance they had.

Ethan raised a thumbs-up.

‘Brilliant.’

‘Nothing special.’

As long as people understood that staying home was more dangerous, the mission was a success.

Justin turned toward the town and shouted.

“Alright! That’s the safe zone! No monsters can enter!”

“Safe…!”

Without hesitation, the survivors rushed in.

The moment the last one crossed the threshold—

《Main Quest: Savior of the Weak—Completed.》
Reward: Novice Necromancer Equipment Set.

A smile crept onto Justin’s face.

Now, this was worth it.

‘This is it.’

Inside his inventory, two new items had appeared.

One was an ebony staff, its end carved into a dull, diamond-like shape.

The other was a black robe, dyed in a single, solid shade of darkness.

As Justin examined them, descriptions appeared before his eyes.

《Apprentice’s Staff》

• Type: Necromancer-Exclusive Equipment
• Grade: Common
• Description: A staff for an apprentice who has just begun walking the path of dark magic. While equipped, it grants five extra uses of projectile-based necromancy spells. Spent charges automatically recharge at a rate of one per hour.

《Apprentice’s Robe》

• Type: Necromancer-Exclusive Equipment
• Grade: Common
• Description: A robe for an apprentice who has just begun walking the path of dark magic. While equipped, the absorption rate of Energy Drain is doubled.

“This is perfect.”

Reading the descriptions, Justin clenched his fist in excitement.

Individually, the items weren’t overwhelmingly powerful.

At best, they were beginner gear.

But that didn’t matter.

What mattered was how perfectly they covered his weaknesses.

“A novice mage’s biggest flaws are limited spell usage and slow recharge time.”

The staff solved the first issue, granting an additional five casts—an invaluable buffer in critical moments.

The robe fixed the second problem, accelerating Energy Drain, ensuring he could recharge faster in battle.

A mage’s true survivability depended on sustaining magic output, and these two items provided exactly that.

They were flawlessly designed for beginners.

“These are amazing!”

Beside him, Ethan was equally excited, grinning at his inventory screen.

Judging by his expression, he had also received some excellent equipment.

“You got something good?” Justin asked.

“Yeah! A sword and a shield! The sword doubles the effect of minor healing!”

“Oh, that’s really useful.”

Minor healing was a skill obtained upon advancing to Paladin.

Its upper limits were unclear, but any form of healing was extremely valuable in this world.

With no access to hospitals or medicine, even minor healing could mean the difference between life and death.

A skill that prevented infection and sepsis was already a game-changer.

Now it was twice as effective.

“And the shield? Any extra effects?”

“Nope. It’s just a shield. But even just having one makes a huge difference!”

That was true. Justin nodded in agreement.

A shield, even without additional buffs, was one of the strongest defensive tools.

In a fight between someone with a shield and someone without, the shield-bearer had an overwhelming advantage.

Even a lack of combat experience could be offset by sheer defensive superiority.

Given that stats could now be actively enhanced, the effectiveness of a shield only increased further.

“This is insane,” Ethan said, shaking his head in amazement. “I didn’t expect beginner gear to be this good.”

“Me neither. This quest just widened the gap between survivors.”

“And we’re ahead of the curve.”

They exchanged a knowing smile.

Both of them had leveled up, secured stronger equipment, and pulled ahead of the rest.

Just as they were about to equip their new gear—

“What the hell is this?!”

“You expect us to live here?!”

Frustrated voices erupted from the group of survivors.

Blinking, Justin turned toward the commotion.

“What’s going on?”

As he approached in his newly acquired black robe, the survivors flinched.

It seemed they were startled by his changed appearance.

But after a brief pause, one of them stepped forward and spoke.

“Good, you’re here. We need to talk…”

“So, you’re saying… you don’t like the houses?”

“Exactly!”

Hearing their response, Justin let out a short, incredulous laugh.

He understood where they were coming from.

The run-down medieval huts certainly weren’t luxurious.

They were nothing compared to modern homes.

Even Justin himself wouldn’t call them ideal living conditions.

But seriously?

Complaining about housing in a life-or-death situation?

“Monsters are attacking. People are dying. All contact with the outside world is cut off.”
“And your biggest concern is that the houses aren’t up to standard?”

Were they delicate, or just spoiled?

As Justin stood there in silence, one of the men mistook it for hesitation and pressed forward.

“Look, we’re just asking for something reasonable. At the very least, we should get decent houses.”

“‘Decent houses’?”

Following the man’s gaze, Justin spotted the Roman-style buildings in the distance.

Among them was his own house.

Clicking his tongue, he turned back toward the group.

“Those aren’t available. They already have owners.”

“Owners?”

“Yes. The survivors who arrived before you—including myself.”

“Then can’t you give them up? You’re living alone, aren’t you?”

Justin raised an eyebrow.

Did they just say that with a straight face?

What did his living alone have to do with them being a large group?

His expression darkened slightly.

Before he could respond, a young voice cut in.

“Dad, let’s just pick a house and move on.”

“Stay out of this. We don’t know how long we’ll be living here—”