The second the two zombies turned their backs, the operation began.
Kirin didn't hesitate for a single second. He launched himself from behind the toppled phone booth, sprinting across the narrow alley littered with broken glass and trash with all the speed his body could muster. The sound of his own footsteps made his heart pound harder, terrified of attracting unwanted attention.
He squeezed through the twisted steel grille into the pharmacy without a thought for safety. A shard of glass snagged his arm, drawing blood, but the pain was nothing compared to the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Swoosh!
He slid behind the dispensing counter instantly. His heart hammered in his throat so hard it felt like it would burst out. He gasped for air heavily, straining his ears to listen to the outside... Still quiet... The zombies hadn't returned yet.
Okay... not much time.
He didn't let fear dominate him for long. His businessman's instinct took control immediately. This was a hostile takeover... swift and decisive.
His eyes scanned the room... The shop was a disaster zone, like a storm had hit it. Shelves toppled, products scattered everywhere... looted, undoubtedly.
"Screw it... First come, first served. Latecomers get the scraps," he swore, initiating "Operation: Clearance Sale" immediately.
His target wasn't general merchandise, but the medication behind the counter. He vaulted over, frantically rummaging through drawers and shelves... Antibiotics, painkillers, anti-inflammatories... Though mostly cleared out, there were still leftovers in the corners. He ignored brands or expiration dates, sweeping everything he could grab into his [Inventory] rapidly.
Just as he reached for the last box of antihistamines...
Creak...
A soft shuffling sound came from inside the pitch-black stockroom!
Kirin froze instantly! Goosebumps erupted all over his body. He whipped around toward the source of the noise, raising his iron spear defensively on autopilot. The heart that had just calmed down began beating like a war drum again.
It wasn't the sound of a zombie... It was too quiet and... too conscious.
"Who's in there!?" he barked, his voice trembling slightly despite his best efforts.
Silence... followed by a soft sob.
"Come out slowly! Or I'll stab you!" He brandished the spear threateningly, even though he was scared enough to wet himself.
A shadow slowly emerged from the darkness... It was a teenage girl, maybe 18 or 19, in a grimy university uniform. Her hair was messy, her face pale with terror... but in her hand, she gripped a small box cutter tightly, staring at him unblinkingly.
"Don't... Don't come any closer!" she stammered. "I... I'll fight you, I swear!"
Kirin assessed the situation rapidly. A girl... alone... doesn't seem like a threat. But in this world... trust was a luxury he couldn't afford.
He slowly lowered the spear tip slightly but remained in a ready stance. "Calm down... I'm not going to hurt you," he tried to keep his tone as steady as possible. "Just here scavenging too."
"There's nothing left! Get out!" she continued to threaten.
Kirin sighed heavily. "Listen, sister," he spoke slowly and clearly. "Looks like we both want the same thing... But what's certain is that neither of us wants those freaks outside to hear us arguing and come back to check... right?"
His words seemed to work. The girl paused. Her expression remained suspicious, but hesitation flickered in her eyes.
"I only want essential meds," Kirin negotiated like he had done his whole life. "You take whatever you want. We watch each other's backs, then split... Better than staring each other down like statues until the zombies come in and eat us both, don't you think?"
The girl looked at him... then past him to the shattered front door... before nodding slowly.
"Deal," Kirin said shortly.
From then on, the two began ransacking the pharmacy against the clock in silence, constantly watching each other's backs. It was a fragile temporary partnership built on complete distrust.
Scrape... Urrghhh...
The sound from outside was getting closer! The lured zombies were returning!
"Time to go!" Kirin whispered urgently.
"Go where!?" the girl asked in panic.
Right... where? Splitting up now meant sending this kid to her death... but taking her along meant carrying a burden... an uncontrollable variable.
Damn it... looking for trouble again! he cursed internally.
CRASH!!!
Before he could decide, a massive noise erupted from the storefront! The body of the security guard zombie, who was just walking back, was flung into the shop as if hit by a truck!
Kirin and the girl instinctively ducked low behind the counter in sheer terror.
A silhouette appeared at the entrance... It moved with unbelievable speed. It wasn't a normal zombie... Its back was hunched, moving on all four limbs like a wild beast...
A Hunter!
"We're screwed... My plan... totally bankrupt," Kirin muttered to himself, beads of sweat popping on his forehead. The well-laid plan... the lure... the quick loot run... all collapsed in a split second.
The Hunter ignored them. It pounced on the delivery rider zombie following behind and tore the body apart ruthlessly. The sound of snapping bones and ripping flesh was horrifyingly clear.
After finishing its prey... it stopped still... before its head snapped around...
Cloudy white eyes filled with predatory instinct... stared directly at the counter where they were hiding.
It knew... It knew there was "fresher food" hiding in here.
The second the Hunter's milky eyes locked onto them... time seemed to stop for Kirin.
A chill ran down his spine to his toes. It was the feeling of being absolute "Prey." His heart pounded until his chest hurt. The brain used to devise complex business strategies went blank for a moment, leaving only a primal instinct screaming: It's over... Dead for sure.
The Hunter didn't rush in immediately. It slowly crept into the shop... which was even more terrifying. It was savoring their fear. Its claws scraped against the tile floor, making a scritch-scratch sound that grated on his nerves.
Think... Think, you idiot! You're a businessman! Find a way out of this total loss scenario! He screamed at himself internally.
Iron spear? Like bringing a toothpick to a tank fight.
Crowbar? Would just annoy it.
Run? That bastard runs faster than the wind!
His racing brain audited all available "Assets"... Inventory... Rations... Medicine... and then...
Wait...
An image flashed in his mind... The yardlong bean vine he had awakened for fun... the one that wrapped around his arm like a pet...
It was a mutated plant...
A crazy idea shot through his head. It was a risky-as-hell plan with a nine-out-of-ten chance of failure. But that one chance... was better than zero survival probability!
He turned to the girl trembling beside him. Her eyes were wide with despair.
"Hey! Kid! Listen!" He shook her arm gently, whispering through gritted teeth.
"It... It's coming!" she sobbed.
"I know!" Kirin snapped back quietly, then adjusted his tone. "Listen carefully! I have a plan, but you need to buy me time... just 10 seconds! See that medicine bottle on the shelf? Throw it at the far wall! Make as much noise as possible!"
The girl looked at him like he was insane. "Wha... What are you going to do!?"
"Don't ask! Just do it! Or do you want to wait for it to eat us both right here!?" He pressured her desperately.
Despair in the girl's eyes shifted to determination... She had nothing left to lose. She nodded vigorously.
"On my signal!" Kirin whispered.
The Hunter was about to step past the counter...
"NOW!"
SMASH!
The girl gathered all her strength, grabbed a large bottle of cough syrup, and hurled it at the opposite wall! The sound of shattering glass exploded through the shop!
It worked!
The Hunter paused for a split second. Its head snapped toward the source of the noise, following its predatory instinct.
That second was everything to Kirin!
He didn't pull the bean vine out... instead, he closed his eyes and channeled all his energy into "It" which was still inside his Inventory!
Wake up! Grow! Faster, damn it!