The armored convoy smashed through the weak perimeter fences of the abandoned warehouse. The building was a massive hulk of metal and concrete, neglected and profoundly silent. Just as Liam had said, it was empty and destroyed inside; perfect, but dangerous due to its very fragility.
Zane knew time was running out.
"Quick! Get all the vehicles inside. Position them in a triangle near the main entrance," Zane ordered in a grave voice.
The prisoner van and the two armored SUVs were arranged, forming an improvised barricade. Zane ordered the children to stay inside the armored van, the safest place. The surviving women grabbed the weapons they had looted, and Sarah took a shotgun with surprising determination.
Mark, due to his injured leg, couldn't move well. Zane instructed him: "Get on top of the van. You'll be up high, covering the door. Use the shotgun and keep an eye on the children. This is going to get ugly."
As everyone settled into a defensive position, adrenaline fighting off pure exhaustion, the system timer finally hit zero.
[Time Expired: Please select the Team Leader. You Have 3 Minutes.]
The voice resonated in everyone's head, and the floating screen appeared once more, this time with a voting interface. Zane sighed. Just as he remembered it.
In his past life, they had elected Liam at this moment. Liam was charismatic and popular. But this time, Zane had been the executioner, the savior, and the provider of weapons. His authority was absolute.
"I vote for Zane!" Chloe immediately shouted.
"Zane!" Liam yelled enthusiastically.
"Zane," Mark said from inside the van, his voice firm.
One by one, everyone shouted his name, and the scoreboard in front of Zane began to tally the votes.
[Votes for Leader]
Zane: 13
The votes stopped once everyone cast their choice. The system wasted no time.
[Congratulations to "Zane Vince" for Earning the Team Leadership]
[Now Decide the Location of the Team Territory]
"I choose this warehouse," Zane declared, touching the screen in front of him to confirm the building's location.
Instantly, a floating image of a deployed map of the area appeared before everyone. A bright green box was drawn around the warehouse's limits. The rest of the map lit up with vibrant color, dividing itself into three categories that the system defined.
[Limits Defined. Red Zones are Considered Wild Zones. They Can Be Conquered by Destroying All Enemies in the Zone and Defending it for 24 Hours.]
[Yellow Zones are Territories Belonging to Other Individuals. They Can Also Be Conquered by Killing All Members of the Enemy Team or Alliance and Holding Their Territory for 24 Hours.]
[Green Zones are the Territories Conquered by Each Player.]
[New Mission: Protect Your Zone]
[Defend Your Territory for 24 Hours to Make It Officially Yours]
[The Battle Will Commence in 20 Minutes]
Zane stared at the final notification, an expression of pure frustration drawn on his tired face. He knew it would be a difficult test.
24 hours. Damn it!
They hadn't slept since the start of the Apocalypse, and now, just as the sun rose, the system demanded a full shift of defense. Zane was used to not sleeping, but he looked around. The eyes of the others, even Chloe and Liam, were already closing from exhaustion.
The real challenge wouldn't be the zombies, but the fatigue. The system clock showed 20 minutes remaining, so there was no time to lose.
"Listen to me, everyone! Quick!" Zane shouted, getting everyone's attention, his voice echoing inside the warehouse. "There is a way to fix this. The System we activated doesn't just give missions; it also gives us power. It's like in video games."
Zane focused and whispered: "Status Window."
His own translucent, blue panel appeared before him:
STATISTIC VALUE
HP (Health Points): 10
MP (Magic Points): 0
SP (Stamina Points): 2
STR (Strength): 1
DEX (Dexterity): 1
REC (Recovery): 1
LUC (Luck): 1
INT (Intelligence): 1
WIS (Wisdom): 1
LEVEL: 2
AVAILABLE POINTS:10
Zane noted that his Level was 2, and he knew why. "Each of you, think or say out loud: 'Status Window.' Do what I tell you. It's the only way we'll make it through the night!"
One by one, the survivors, skeptical but desperate, summoned their own panels. They were all Level 0, and their base stats were that of a normal person: HP 10, MP 0, and the rest at 1.
"I'm Level 2 because I killed zombies in the tunnel," Zane explained. "The system gives you 5 stat points for every level you gain. I have 10 points now. This is what you need to understand: killing zombies gives you XP, and leveling up takes away the fatigue. If you manage to level up, you'll feel like you just woke up from a month-long sleep."
Then he gave the vital explanation: "XP is not shared. You must deliver the final blow to get the reward. And the only way they die permanently is by separating their head from their body."
"We will use the shotgun and assault rifles to slow them down when they are far away, but you must be accurate and aim for the head or neck."
Zane did not hesitate. He couldn't waste a second in thought. He was the frontliner, the one who had to move faster than anyone else.
The system asked him where he wanted to distribute his 10 Stat Points.
Zane mentally typed:
DEX (Dexterity) +6: He needed to be ridiculously fast, dodge, and be precise with his machetes.
STR (Strength) +2: To improve penetration and cutting power.
REC (Recovery) +2: To speed up healing and, crucially, stamina.
Instantly, his body was flooded with a wave of cold, rejuvenating energy. The fatigue of the last few hours was erased. His muscles tensed, stronger and more flexible.
STATISTIC VALUE (NEW)
HP: 10
MP: 0
SP: 2
STR: 3
DEX: 7
REC: 3
LUC: 1
INT: 1
WIS: 1
"It works! I feel... strong! And I'm not tired anymore," Zane gasped, flexing his arms. "Quick! Those who aren't injured, prepare to shoot everything that moves. Find a way to level up!"
Just then, an unearthly scream came from the main entrance of the warehouse, facing the street. A massive, guttural sound, like the roar of a beast.
Through the openings and shattered glass, they could see the source of the noise. A furious horde of Walkers was approaching the warehouse, drawn by the sudden activity and the system's defense mission.
Zane felt a chill run through his whole body. This is what he remembered. In his memory, he and his group had hidden in a building without making a sound for those 24 hours, not daring to sleep, and survived by sheer luck. But upon leaving, they knew that millions of people had died during that first defense mission.
This time, he wouldn't hide. This time, they were the bait.
"Open fire! Don't let them step on the concrete of this warehouse!" Zane yelled, his eyes fixed on the horde.