Jaxon watched as the sea of zombies rushed west. Thousands of bodies moved as one, stumbling over each other. Some were crushed under the stampede, their bones cracking as others stepped and pushed their way forward, desperate to follow the roar.
Then, something snapped in his mind. 'You bastards... I'm not letting you get away that easy.'
His shoulders ached, his arms burned from exhaustion, but his focus didn't waver. Fueled by a sudden urge for revenge, he aimed down his scope.
"Time for some payback," he muttered under his breath.
Thup. Thup.
Each muffled shot echoed softly in the night. Heads burst open, one after another.
(1 exp, 1 coin, and 0.01 Strength obtained from the zombie.)
(1 exp, 1 coin, and 0.01 Speed obtained from the zombie.)
He kept firing, tracking the stragglers who were still within range. Every pull of the trigger made his arms tremble, but he refused to stop.
After a few minutes, the horde had moved too far away for his scope to reach. The echoes of growls and roars faded into the distance.
Only then did Jaxon lower his rifle, his breath rough and heavy. The silence that followed felt almost unreal after the chaos that had just passed.
Suddenly, Jaxon felt a soft warmth press against his back.
"Jaxon... thank you, thank you... if it weren't for you, w-we'd all be gone." Isabel's trembling voice broke the silence as she hugged him tightly from behind.
"Mom...?" Jaxon blinked, surprised.
Before he could even react, Cindy rushed forward too, her eyes glistening. She wrapped her arms around his side, her small hands clutching his sleeve as her body shook. "You saved us again, Brother."
Jaxon's lips curved into a tired smile as he gently patted her head. "Thanks for helping out earlier. You were brave, Cindy."
"Jaxon..." Another soft voice called. He turned and saw Natasha standing there, her eyes red and watery. She didn't say a word; she just stepped closer and joined the hug.
For a moment, the chaos outside felt like it was a million miles away.
"It's okay now," Jaxon whispered, his tone gentle. "They're gone."
Slowly, they pulled away, wiping the tears from their eyes. The tension that had gripped them for hours finally started to fade away.
"I can't believe it," Isabel murmured, her voice shaky but full of relief. "We... we actually made it."
"We got really lucky," Jaxon said, his voice low as he looked out the window. "That Alpha zombie started chasing the chopper, and the rest just followed it."
"Alpha zombie?" Cindy asked, frowning a little. "You mean that strange, muscular one?"
Jaxon nodded. "Yeah."
"It's a fitting name," Natasha added quietly. "For something that can control a horde like that."
They all turned their eyes to the street below.
What they saw was a haunting sight, bodies scattered everywhere, blood staining the pavement, and parts of houses torn apart. Among the wreckage, a few zombies were still moving, crawling weakly on the ground. They were the ones who'd been trampled during the chaos when the horde rushed out.
Most of them had broken bones and crushed limbs, but since their brains weren't damaged, they were still alive, dragging themselves around aimlessly.
"There are still some of them left," Jaxon muttered, gripping his rifle again. "I need to finish them off."
But before he could even aim, his mother's voice stopped him.
"Jaxon, your arm..." Isabel said softly, worry filling her eyes as she noticed his trembling right arm.
Jaxon blinked, realizing only then how heavy his rifle had become. The ache he'd been ignoring finally caught up to him, and his muscles felt numb and stiff.
"Brother, does it hurt?" Cindy asked, gently touching his arm.
He shook his head with a smile. "Nah... I'm just beat."
Natasha stepped closer, her tone firm. "You should rest first. You can finish them off later."
.....
A few minutes later, Isabel went downstairs and whipped up some quick food for everyone. The warm smell of soup and toasted bread slowly filled the air.
Cindy sat beside Jaxon on the floor, her brows furrowed in concentration as she gently massaged his arms.
Meanwhile, Natasha stood near the window, her eyes glued to the outside through a pair of binoculars. She scanned the streets carefully, making sure no zombies were wandering back.
With nothing else to do, Jaxon pulled up his status window.
…..
Name: Jaxon Hawk
Level: 2 (8/121)
Age: 24
Strength: 9.06
Speed: 7.40
Agility: 7.15
Intelligence: 8.11
Stamina: 8.40
Vitality: 5.16
Stat Points: 1
Passive Skill:
Marksmanship (E): Handling and control have improved. Aim faster and fire with greater stability. Recoil is easier to manage, and shots are more accurate even under pressure.
Coins: 93
…..
He gained another stat point from leveling up, and the most noticeable change was his strength, what used to be eight was now nine. His marksmanship had also ranked up again.
'Even without checking, I can already feel it,' Jaxon thought. 'My aim's steadier now. As for the strength boost, I'll test it tomorrow.'
Now he had a clearer understanding of how his stats worked as they slowly increased.
Strength showed how much power his body could produce. Speed determined how fast he could move. Agility was different, it measured his reflexes and control over his body.
Stamina showed how long he could last in battle or heavy movement. Vitality decided how tough his body was..
And lastly, Intelligence. It wasn't just about being smart. It affected his focus, reaction speed, battle awareness, and decision-making during tense moments.
For now, he decided to save his remaining stat point for emergencies.
(DMR Bullets - 100 rounds purchased. 20 coins spent.)
He restocked his ammo since he had almost run out earlier. As he skimmed through the system store, he decided to save the rest of his coins. The guns were far too expensive, the cheapest pistol alone cost around 200 coins.
As for upgrading his rifle, he left it for now. It still performed well, and he had no need to change something that already worked perfectly.
After resting his arms, Jaxon went back to the window and quietly took out the remaining zombies outside.
Thup. Thup. Each shot was clean and precise, earning him another thirteen coins in total.