Kirin looked from the battlefield below to the crude iron spear in his hand...
Then he shook his head violently. "Damn it..."
The idea of having fun with the apocalypse vanished the instant he saw professional soldiers being torn apart right before his eyes. His thin lips pressed into a pale, tight line. "What kind of game is this...? I must be losing my mind."
This wasn't a game... Death was within arm's reach. He was just an ordinary human who happened to get lucky... lucky enough to have a head start.
Even if his body was strengthened to the level of a normal man, he was still just a "Normal Man." He didn't possess superhuman strength. He didn't have bulletproof skin. Stepping outside with that complacent mindset from a moment ago would be a guaranteed one-way ticket to death.
While he was mentally berating himself, the sounds of gunfire and fighting began to drift away. The military convoy was retreating toward the city center, leaving behind only zombie carcasses and burning flames.
But the silence that returned... was far more terrifying.
Because it wasn't true silence... A low, buzzing hum was forming to replace it. It was the sound of low groans... the sound of feet dragging against asphalt... and it wasn't coming from just one direction.
Kirin rushed back to his observation point. His heart hammered against his ribs. The sight that greeted him turned his blood to ice...
The Horde... A massive number of them... were pouring out from alleys and side streets, heading in the direction where the gunfire had been. They were being "drawn" in! The street, which had been relatively empty moments ago, was now packed with shambling bodies. It was a tsunami of death moving slowly but inexorably.
"We're screwed..." The words slipped out of his mouth unconsciously.
Cold sweat trickled down his hairline. The hand gripping the iron spear began to tremble uncontrollably. The visual was too horrifying... It was his worst nightmare manifested into reality. The thought that he was in control, a planner superior to everyone else... seemed laughable now. Against this wave of death, he was just an insignificant ant.
And then, the worst-case scenario happened...
One zombie in that horde... whether by chance or fate... diverted from the main path... and started walking directly toward the building where he was hiding.
From one... became two... and then three...
They didn't know he was up here... but the massive unfinished building standing before them likely acted as an obstacle they simply wandered into to explore out of raw instinct.
Kirin immediately recoiled from the edge. His stomach dropped. He didn't dare look anymore.
He could hear them... The groans getting louder... The sound of bodies scraping against the walls downstairs...
They were inside the building!
Kirin sprinted back to his "Nest" on the 12th floor. He squeezed through the small gap in his barricade, then hurriedly jammed scrap metal to block the entrance completely. He slid down against the cold concrete wall, trying to force himself to breathe slowly, but the thumping of his heart was deafening.
He extinguished all lights... His nest was now pitch black.
He strained his ears...
Scrape... Drag... The sound of feet dragging on concrete... coming from below... They were coming up the fire escape!
Thud... Thud... Thud...
The irregular footsteps were getting closer... Floor 8... Floor 9...
Kirin gripped his spear until his knuckles turned white. He tried to think of a plan... a strategy... but his mind was blank. Fear was devouring his rationality.
Floor 10...
Floor 11...
They reached his floor!
Clang! Clatter!
The trap he set rang out loudly in the silence! It worked! A zombie had tripped over the wire, causing the hanging cans to crash together.
The sound caused the footsteps of the other zombies to pause for a second... before they all turned toward the direction of the noise... toward his Nest!
Kirin held his breath until his body went rigid. He heard them dragging their feet closer... until they stopped right in front of the wall he had built.
He peered through the tiny gap he had left... and made eye contact with it for the first time at point-blank range.
Its eyes were clouded and lifeless. Rotting skin peeled away to reveal dark muscle underneath. Sticky saliva dripped from a torn corner of its mouth. It emitted a low, guttural growl filled with hunger.
A wave of revulsion and terror shot up to his throat. He almost vomited.
The zombie began to mindlessly bang and push against his barricade.
Now!
Kirin gathered every ounce of courage he had, forcing his trembling body to move. He stood up, aiming the sharp iron spear at the gap.
"Go to hell!"
He shouted to suppress his fear and thrust the spear out with all his might!
Squelch!
The disgusting sensation of the spear piercing through rotting flesh and brittle bone transmitted up to his hands. The zombie howled for the first time. It wasn't a human sound, but the cry of a wounded beast. It clawed at the spear shaft, trying to pull and push its way in.
Kirin panicked, nearly dropping the weapon. He braced himself, pushing and twisting the spear frantically. It was a messy, clumsy struggle, nothing like the elegant fights in movies.
Finally, the body stopped twitching and went limp...
Kirin slumped against the wall, gasping for air so hard his lungs felt like they would tear. The stench of blood and rot wafting from the other side of the barrier made him want to empty his stomach. His hands, still gripping the spear, wouldn't stop shaking... not from fatigue, but from the fear that still gnawed at his heart.
The image of his spear piercing that zombie's eye socket... the disgusting feeling of its struggle... its final sound... everything replayed in his head on a loop.
This was the reality of the new world... Not a game, not a novel. It was a repulsive, brutal act of killing for survival.
The groans and scratching sounds from outside continued, a reminder that the next enemy was waiting. He closed his eyes, trying to gather his scattered wits.
And when he opened his eyes again, he saw it...
From the body of the zombie lying dead near the gap in the barricade... a faint golden light began to glow. It was dim at first, then flashed brighter. The particles of light floated up and coalesced in mid-air, rapidly forming a rectangular shape.
Clink...
A few gold metal coins dropped onto the concrete floor, followed by a card-like object that drifted down to land softly on top of them.
Kirin's eyes went wide, staring at the scene in disbelief... Loot Drop?
The memory of his crazy thoughts from earlier in the day rushed back... The thoughts he had scolded himself for... But this... It was real?
"How is this possible..." he muttered to himself.
The groan of another zombie approaching snapped him out of his trance. The reward was right there... within reach... but it was "Outside" his safety zone.
His heart hammered again, but this time it wasn't just fear. It was confusion and hesitation warring in his mind. His body was exhausted. The adrenaline was fading, replaced by heavy fatigue. He wasn't sure if he could handle the next zombie.
But that card... It was hope. It was a variable that could turn the tide.
Risk it... or rot here slowly.
Kirin made a split-second decision. He had to have it!
He waited for the timing... listening to the clumsy footsteps of the next zombie approaching. When it walked past the gap, he acted!
He quickly shifted the wooden plank just enough to fit his arm through. He thrust his trembling hand out, snatching the card and the few gold coins clumsily.
Grrr!
A low growl erupted! The other zombie nearby whipped around instantly!
Kirin yanked his arm back just in time. The zombie's fingertips grazed his arm by a hair's breadth! He slammed the plank back into place and locked it tight, his heart pounding against his chest like a sledgehammer.
He got it!
He quickly turned on his flashlight to examine the items in his hand. Two gold coins glinted in the light, but what interested him more was the card. It was a plain white card featuring an image of a familiar energy drink can, with text reading: [Energy Drink Card].
Suddenly, the System window appeared with a description.
Kirin hesitated no longer. He flicked the card with his thumb. "Use!"
Upon the command, the card in his hand dissolved into blue particles of light before reassembling into a cold can of energy drink, condensation dripping down the side as if it had just come out of a fridge!
The surreal nature of it washed over him again, but this wasn't the time to be amazed. He cracked the can open and downed it in one go.
The familiar sweet, fizzy taste burned his throat, followed by a rush of energy injecting itself into his body. The fatigue vanished in an instant, replaced by alertness and restored stamina!
Kirin stood up again. The trembling in his hands was gone. The fear remained... but now it was suppressed by cold determination.
This world was insane... It was brutal... But it had its own "Rules."
Killing... brings Rewards... and Rewards... lead to Survival.
He had learned the most important lesson.
Kirin looked at the barricade again. The zombie sounds outside, which used to be the sound of death, now sounded different... They sounded like Opportunity.
He gripped the blood-stained spear tighter. His body, fueled by caffeine and energy, was ready to fight again.
The fear hadn't gone anywhere... but the businessman inside him was speaking...
...This is the investment with the highest Return on Investment.