Huang Wei stood quietly in front of his dorm room door, staring calmly at the wooden barrier being pounded by several infected on the other side.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The wooden door shook violently with each impact. Through the gap beneath it, Huang Wei could see the irregular shadows of shuffling feet. Three, maybe four infected were trying to break in.
'How much longer will this door hold?' Huang Wei thought, gripping his aluminum baseball bat tightly. The metal gleamed in the fading evening light streaming through his window. He could feel his heart racing, adrenaline beginning to surge through his veins.
As he prepared himself to face whatever creatures lurked behind the door, a sudden thought struck his mind like lightning in a storm.
'Free points! I still have unused free points!'
This was his chance—a glimmer of hope in the midst of madness. Huang Wei took advantage of these final quiet moments and whispered "[Status System]" under his breath. Instantly, a translucent blue holographic screen materialized before him, casting a dim glow that seemed to fade with the dying daylight.
=====
[STATUS SYSTEM]
Name: Huang Wei
Gender: Male
Age: 20
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 6 Stamina: 6
Agility: 5 Endurance: 7
Vitality: 6 Mana: 0
Free Points: 8
[SKILLS]
Innate Skills: Weapon Mastery
Passive Skills: Serenity
=====
Huang Wei studied the status screen carefully while the pounding on his door grew louder and small wood chips began falling to the floor. He didn't have much time.
'What's the best way to use these?' His mind raced, processing all the knowledge from games and fiction he'd consumed over the years, but this time his survival instincts dominated. He remembered how weak he'd felt fighting Lei Jiang, how panicked he'd been when cornered. Weakness was a luxury he could no longer afford. Failure meant death—and death meant breaking his promise.
His first priority had to be fighting capability. With a tap of his finger on the [Strength] value, he allocated 4 points. Immediately, a wave of warm energy flowed through every muscle in his body. His shoulders felt broader, his arms denser, and even his grip on the baseball bat tightened as if the weapon had become part of him. This raw surge of newfound strength sent an oddly thrilling sensation through his core.
Huang Wei then glanced at the door, which creaked louder as it began to give way. He had no idea how many infected waited outside or how long the battle would last.
'I need endurance. I can't afford to run out of breath in the middle of fighting them.' He added 2 points to [Stamina], instantly feeling his breathing become deeper and more controlled, as if his lungs had expanded. His chest felt more spacious, and every trace of fatigue that had haunted his body after the long journey seemed to vanish.
'Durability is important too. It'll make my defense stronger,' he decided, allocating another 2 points to [Endurance]. His skin felt slightly thicker, his bones denser, as if a thin layer of steel now protected his body. He could sense this new resilience—an internal shield against pain.
With one point remaining, his eyes focused on [Agility]. Memories of his earlier fight flashed through his mind—how he'd barely been able to dodge Lei Jiang's sudden attacks. Quick reflexes could mean the difference between life and death. Huang Wei added his final point to [Agility], immediately feeling his body become lighter and more responsive. His joints felt more flexible, and his eyes could track movement with greater clarity, as if the world around him had slowed by a fraction of a second.
He deliberately avoided adding points to [Vitality]. 'Pointless,' he thought with bitter cynicism. 'If the infected manage to tear me apart, no amount of Vitality will help much. Better to focus on the ability to attack, dodge, and endure—so they never get the chance to touch me in the first place.'
After completing his point distribution, Huang Wei viewed his updated status:
=====
[STATUS SYSTEM]
Name: Huang Wei
Gender: Male
Age: 20
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 10 Stamina: 8
Agility: 7 Endurance: 9
Vitality: 6 Mana: 0
Free Points: 0
[SKILLS]
Innate Skills: Weapon Mastery
Passive Skills: Serenity
=====
Huang Wei felt an astounding transformation in every fiber of his being. His muscles felt denser, his breathing deeper, and his senses sharper, as if he'd evolved into a more primal and efficient version of himself. A thin smile crossed his face—more of a sharp grin than an expression of happiness. This wasn't about arrogant confidence, but rather a cold sharpness, a newly forged determination beneath the guilt and horror that still lurked within him.
CRACK!
A loud splitting sound from the door grabbed his attention, breaking his focus on his new status. The evening sunlight streaming through his window cast long shadows across the floor, illuminating the wood chips beginning to fall from the nearly broken door hinges.
'They'll be inside any moment now,' Huang Wei thought.
He stepped back several paces, creating maneuvering space within his cramped room. The unmade bed with its tangled blankets and pillow fallen to the left side formed a natural obstacle, while the study desk with scattered books and his still-open laptop on the right looked like remnants of a life that had ended. The window behind him overlooked the now-horrific dorm courtyard, and the tall wardrobe beside it offered either slight protection or perhaps a trap.
Huang Wei positioned himself in the center of the room, ensuring he had adequate space to move. He gripped the baseball bat with both hands, feeling the cold, solid aluminum surface. His eyes stayed fixed on the door, his breathing controlled, and his mind clear thanks to his passive [Serenity] skill—allowing him to think strategically even in this life-threatening situation.
CRASH!
Finally, the bedroom door burst open with a deafening sound. The upper hinge broke free from its frame, leaving the door hanging at an angle and swaying briefly before slamming into the wall. Through the gap that formed, three pale-skinned figures in tattered clothing squeezed through one by one, moving with jerky but swift motions. Their eyes were blood-red, their skin covered in wounds and bluish bruises, and thick, blackish saliva dripped from their mouths. A nauseating stench—a mixture of death and decay—immediately filled the room, assaulting Huang Wei's senses.
The real fight was about to begin.