The group sat frozen.
"If I kill ten zombies, I'll unlock the System."
Ethan's words echoed through the dim room, and before anyone could speak again—
Thud.
Something heavy slammed upstairs.
Everyone jumped.
John whispered, "There are more of them inside, aren't there?"
Ethan gripped his axe. "We didn't finish clearing all the rooms. If we're staying here, it has to be safe."
Mike swallowed hard. "You mean… we go check now?"
"Yes," Ethan said, voice steady. "If one zombie breaks through later, we're all dead."
He glanced around. "Mike. Nathan. You're with me again."
Nathan groaned. "Why is it always us?"
Ethan gave him a tired look. "Because you're still breathing. Move."
They stepped into the dim hallway.
The smell hit them first—thick, sour rot that made their stomachs twist. Dust floated in the faint light leaking through the boarded windows.
Ethan raised his axe. "Stay close. Quiet."
He knocked gently on the door.
For a few seconds, nothing.
Then—thump… thump…
He stepped back. "Ready."
The door creaked open, and a man staggered out—his face pale, eyes empty, half his cheek missing. Behind him, a woman and a small boy shambled forward, blood staining their clothes.
Mike's breath caught. "It's a family…"
The first one lunged. Ethan swung.
THUNK!
The axe split the man's skull. Blood sprayed across the wall.
"Behind you!" Nathan shouted.
Ethan turned just as the woman zombie grabbed at his arm. He kicked her backwards into the wall, then buried the axe in her head.
「6 kills confirmed. 4 remaining to unlock System.」
The small boy rushed forward, teeth snapping.
Nathan froze. Mike shoved him aside and thrust his spear. The tip went through the boy's throat.
The child twitched once, then went still.
Mike stepped back, trembling. "That was a kid…"
Ethan's voice was flat. "It's not a kid anymore."
They all stood in silence for a moment, staring at the fallen family. Then Ethan said quietly, "Next room."
The second room was worse.
The door was locked, but the sound of wet chewing came from inside. Ethan motioned for the others to stand back and swung the axe against the lock.
The door burst open—
And the smell hit them like a wall of death.
Five zombies turned at once: two adults, two teenagers, and an elderly man in a wheelchair. Their faces were torn, eyes clouded, mouths dripping dark blood.
"Back!" Ethan barked.
The group stumbled as the creatures rushed them. Ethan swung in a wide arc, catching one of the teens in the neck. Mike jabbed forward, stabbing another through the chest.
"Don't stab the body, stab the head," said Ethan while swinging toward the head.
Nathan panicked and swung wildly, missing.
"Don't swing wildly; they might be scary, but their reaction time is slower than a human." Said Ethan.
One of the zombies grabbed Nathan's shoulder and bit down—but his thick jacket slowed the bite. Ethan yanked the creature off and smashed its head against the wall.
The wheelchair zombie rolled forward, hands reaching out. Nathan also calmed down and swung toward the remaining one.
「9 kills confirmed. 1 remaining to unlock System.」
Mike stabbed the teenage zombie that came from behind Ethan.
The hallway was silent again except for their heavy breathing.
Nathan slumped against the wall. "God… this place was someone's home."
Ethan wiped blood from his face with his sleeve. "And now it's our shelter. Keep moving."
By the time they reached the third room, the stench of death was unbearable. The door hung open, blood smeared across the frame. Inside lay the remains of a woman who'd been half-eaten, her body still twitching.
A soft sound came from the corner.
A man crawled out, his lower half missing, dragging himself toward them.
Mike whispered, "He's still alive—"
The man's eyes opened, glowing white. He snarled.
Ethan didn't hesitate. The axe fell.
「10 kills confirmed. System unlocked.」
「Initializing…」
They reached the last room at the end of the hall.
The door was closed, but something scratched against it from the inside—slow, rhythmic, like nails on wood.
Nathan's hands trembled. "Ethan… maybe we leave that one."
Ethan shook his head. "If it's alive, it's dangerous. If it's dead, it still might move."
He pushed the door open slowly.
Inside was a small family shrine and four bodies sitting upright at a dining table, their heads twitching slightly as if listening.
The moment the door opened, all four turned at once and screeched.
Ethan's eyes widened. "Move!"
They charged forward. Ethan swung again and again, the axe slicing through bone and blood. Mike stabbed one through the chest; Nathan struck another's arm, screaming as the body collapsed on him.
Ethan slammed his boot into the last zombie's chest and drove the blade into its skull.
Silence.
Blood dripped from his hands.
Then—
Ethan's eyes widened as faint blue light flashed before him.
A translucent screen appeared, hovering in the air.
「System Online: Welcome, Ethan.」
He stood there, chest rising and falling. The others stared in shock.
Mike whispered, "Ethan… what is that?"
Ethan looked at the glowing panel, unable to speak. Symbols flickered across the screen, unreadable except for one line at the bottom:
Status
Strength – 3
Agility – 4
Stamina – 6
Points – 6
Notice: 5 points represent a normal, healthy human baseline.
A chill went through him.
Nathan's voice trembled. "What… what does that mean?"
Ethan didn't answer at first. He stared at the corpses around them, then finally spoke.
"I think we gain 0.5 points per zombie," he said slowly. "I got six points after twelve kills."
The room fell quiet again.
No one said a word.