> ⚠️ System: Warning! 35 minutes remain before mission failure.
"System, what should I do?! She won't wake up!"
I shouted in panic, staring at Ella's face twisted in excruciating pain.
> System: My apologies, Master. This mission is designed to determine whether you are worthy of being humanity's savior. Please consider your actions thoroughly.
"Ahhh, of all times! But… this is a test, after all."
If I can't even pass a simple task like this… how can I defend the world from a zombie apocalypse?
I clenched my fists and took a deep breath, focusing my thoughts.
I mentally reviewed the skill sets I gained from my three classes.
Judging by the passive descriptions, the Storeman class had a unique ability: Creation.
It allowed me to combine compatible materials and generate a new item—
possibly even a drug, if the ingredients held medicinal properties.
But…
This room had no supplies—except…
I glanced toward the girl's bag.
Her voice echoed faintly in my mind:
"You can have my supplies…"
Without hesitation, I rummaged through her belongings.
Inside, I found:
A bottle of honey
A multi-vitamin tablet
And an antibacterial drug
My eyes gleamed.
With desperate hope, I triggered my Creation skill—imagining a cure in my mind as I placed the materials together.
> ⚠️ System: Time remaining — 25 minutes
System: Creation progress — 20%
Come on… Come on!
I could feel time slipping through my fingers like blood in water.
> ⚠️ System: 15 minutes remaining
Creation progress — 75%
I wiped the sweat off my forehead. Ella's skin had started to darken, inching closer to full corruption.
> ⚠️ System: 5 minutes remaining
Creation progress — 99%
> ⚠️ System: 30 seconds remaining
Creation: Complete.
"Finally!"
I shouted inwardly as I snatched the finished medicine and rushed to Ella's side.
Her veins pulsed with black patches—skin decaying rapidly.
> ⚠️ 10 seconds remaining
I opened the bottle and poured the fluid slowly into her mouth.
> ⚠️ 3 seconds remaining
"Come on… Come on!"
I tilted her head and made sure she swallowed every drop.
Then, silence.
A few tense seconds passed…
I stared at her motionless body.
> ✅ System: Congratulations, Master. Task successfully completed.
Reward: 2 Poison-Embed Dagger
ATK: 45
Passive: +0.25 Attack Speed
Custom poison compatibility unlocked
"Pheew…"
I exhaled in relief, collapsing flat onto the floor, my body drenched in exhaustion.
But rest would not last long.
Suddenly, from the walls beyond this room, I heard agonizing screams—multiple voices, begging:
"Please! Kill us! End it! Don't let us become monsters!"
Their cries sent a cold spike through my heart.
I sat up slowly, breathing heavily.
So many people are dying… How are my parents right now?
Are they still alive?
Or…
Have they already turned into the heartless creatures eating their own loved ones right now?
Tears welled in my eyes.
I cried in silence—until a warm hand touched my shoulder.
I turned—and there she was.
Ella.
The girl I saved.
Alive.
Smiling faintly.
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked gently, worry in her voice.
I shook my head, eyes still wet.
"No… I'm not. I just heard a whole family get eaten alive next door… and it reminded me of my parents."
She squeezed my trembling hand.
"Don't fall too deep into sadness.
At times like this, we need to be strong."
"I'll help you and stick by your side—as thanks for saving my life."
She smiled.
"My name is Ella."
"Thanks... It's Jefford, by the way."
"Jefford? As in… the customs officer here in Hong Kong?"
"Yes," I replied, startled by her recognition.
"Then—you must've seen that zombie near the cargo area earlier, right?!"
"The one with the long tongue? Yeah, I encountered it."
"NO! Not that one!"
She shuddered.
"I'm talking about the 3-meter-tall monster…
That thing looked like a steroid-pumped body builder from hell!"
"W-what?!"
Just imagining it made my spine freeze.
I need to be extra careful.
Even though my system has potential…
it's still the weakest in early stages—and these mutated zombies are no joke.
As I pondered, I looked at Ella.
"What is it, Jefford?"
"Did you… save me from that tongue-zombie? Was there a squashed body near me?"
"Yes, I saw it. But honestly… I wasn't planning to save you at first."
"What…?"
"I was scared. I thought I'd die if I tried.
But when I saw your fingers twitching... my conscience took over."
She smiled faintly.
"So… how long was I unconscious?"
"At least three days.
I've been here, waiting for you to wake up."
"You stayed here? For three whole days?"
"Yes… That's why there's no food left.
I couldn't leave too long—you might've woken up while I was gone."
"You're… really kind, Ella."
I stood up and faced the door.
"Don't worry. Since you took care of me… it's my turn to protect you."
"You're going out?!"
Her voice trembled.
"There are a lot of zombies out there… I almost turned into one!"
"Trust me, Ella.
If you can give me a mental map of this place—mark where the zombies usually roam…"
I unsheathed the two daggers, gleaming with a faint venomous hue.
"I can handle it."
She looked at me in awe—half worried, half inspired.
"…Okay. I trust you."