Every city on Earth was in a panic, and although the government kept updating the public that everything was "under control," no one truly believed them anymore.
Rhian sighed in frustration as she stared at the news. It was already night. Thankfully, each person in the Classroom each of them have Lunch box
had saved a bit of food for themselves, so they weren't starving—yet.
Still, no one knew how long they'd need to wait for help.
Aria sat nearby, scrolling through social media, watching it descend into chaos. Panic posts, live videos of people screaming, crumbling cities, and grainy footage of zombies... it was everywhere.
Food and water supplies were rapidly running out. And the meteors—God, the meteors—they just wouldn't stop. It was already the third time they'd heard one crash not far away.
Outside the door, the sounds of moaning and scratching had become constant. Zombies were there, right outside. The survivors were holding the doors with all their strength. They were struggling—but still holding on.
Yet, strangely, Trish remained calm.
Her expression was unreadable, composed, unlike the rest.
---
Meanwhile...
The two of us slept peacefully, completely satisfied. I was the first to wake up. As I checked the system, I noticed I'd gained 30 points overnight.
Perfect.
The first thing on my mind was upgrading the robots. Then, the technology—but now that cost 70 points.
I climbed up to the top of the fortress, checking for any loot. The woods were cleared within a 10-meter radius around the fortress, giving us a decent perimeter. As I scanned the surroundings, I spotted something lying near the edge.
To my surprise, two glowing scrolls were tucked under a pile of Zombie dead a Bronze Tickets.
Excitement surged through me. I quickly picked them up and used them without hesitation.
The system responded:
---
[Lottery Ability…]
["Reaction Time Doubled"... "Starvation Will Be Lowered by Half – Only Requires One Meal per Day"]
---
I was satisfied with the first ability—improved reaction time would be crucial in this world. The second one made me sigh a little, but it was still useful. Reducing food consumption could be life-saving in the long run.
I returned to the fortress. As I stepped on the old wooden planks, they creaked, waking up Noel.
She sat up slowly, stretching her small body, and blinked up at me.
"Breakfast?" she asked softly, her voice like a pleading kitten.
I sighed. Noel had a big appetite. Should I try transferring the ability to her?
For now, I handed her some vegetables and fruit. She pouted but didn't complain. She cleaned them carefully before eating.
Then it hit me—we didn't have a bathroom.
I immediately ordered two of the robots to construct a simple bathroom within a 10-meter radius. They moved without hesitation, working together while the third robot remained on guard.
So far, there were no zombies in sight. But I needed more points.
Suddenly, an idea struck me. I touched Noel's forehead gently, and the system asked:
[Want to transfer ability?]
I said yes and chose the second ability—the one that reduced hunger and thirst.
She blinked in surprise at my sudden touch, then tilted her head. Something felt different. The constant gnawing hunger was gone. She rubbed her temples, confused.
Her brother kept doing things she didn't understand… things that defied explanation. But she didn't question it anymore. She simply giggled, finding comfort in his strange ways.
I chuckled too.
"I need to explore," I told her firmly. "Stay here, okay?"
"Can I come?" she asked quickly, her voice full of excitement. She wanted to experience more—wanted to fight.
But I shook my head.
"Just stay here and kill any zombies you see, alright?"
She nodded, reluctantly. Then, before I could react, she climbed to the top of the fortress and waved at me.
I waved back and headed toward the city.
---
On my way, I killed several zombies and collected points. The robots were still patrolling and earning points as well. In total, I had around 45.5 points.
I didn't stop.
I explored deeper into the city and came across an abandoned hotel. The streets were eerily empty, devoid of life. The silence was unnerving.
Suddenly, my reflexes kicked in—my enhanced reaction time sensed movement.
I heard the grass rustle—fast.
Two burly zombies were rushing at me with unnatural speed. I didn't hesitate. I shot both directly in the head.
Two clean kills. Two more points.
I kept exploring, pushing forward. My goal was simple: gather as many points as possible.
Then something strange caught my eye—a meteor, freshly embedded in the earth. I stopped in my tracks.
Guarding it was a powerful zombie. Its body was heavily Mutated. pulsing with dark energy. And inside the meteor… a glowing fruit. A rare evolution item that could greatly enhance physical attributes.
But I was still too weak.
I hesitated. I wasn't ready to take that kind of risk. Not yet.
I turned away and moved back into the forest, killing more zombies along the way. The robots were still functioning perfectly—whenever they killed, I earned small increments of points.
Then… I felt it.
Something was wrong.
It was subtle, but my instincts—sharpened from my past life—were screaming.
I stopped and listened.
Footsteps.
Not one. Not five.
Fifteen.
Fifteen strong zombies were approaching, moving together as a group. They weren't shambling. They were organized. Running.
Being commanded.
My expression turned cold and sharp. Without a second thought, I turned and sprinted back toward the fortress.
Behind me… the horde followed.
They weren't ordinary zombies. They were fast, intelligent, vicious. Anyone caught alone would be shredded.
I turned and fired when they got close, dropping a few.
As I ran, I issued mental commands to the two robots stationed inside the fortress: stop patrolling—defend the base.
The change was instant.
As soon as the robots engaged, the points I received doubled. But what I saw next made my heart pound—
Another horde was attacking the fortress. Not Normal Zombies—these were strong zombies. All of them.