They say that only a few people can retain the ability to think properly when they're in a crisis. Riku was therefore impressed that they were calm enough to watch the situation and assess the basic information needed for this situation. While he was confident enough that he could arrive at the conclusion that they're zombies, he couldn't say if he'll figure out how long it takes for someone to turn to a zombie.
It is true that later on he might figure it out by watching someone, but the difference of knowing now and knowing later is the difference between dying early or dying later. Riku was in the midst of praising them when Eliza spoke in a worried tone.
" Now that we are clear on what they are, we need to find food and water. We can just hide and hope that the government will be able to save us, but it's better for us if we look at the worst case scenario."
" Yeah, I recommend going back, there's a two story convenience store 2 blocks away from the base of the mountain. We are not sure if tap water is safe, so bottled water is our safest bet." Stephen replied.
Riku realizing that sticking with them might be the safest place for him, he simply just nodded. It was around 2am when they reached the convenience store. The windows were broken and some of the shelves were on the ground a few bottles were broken spilling whatever they contained. In other words the place was a mess.
Lucky for them there were still some food and drinks that could last them for months.
"Let's split up into three. I'll go up to the second floor and grab whatever we can use you guys decide how you'll split up" Stephen suggested afterwards he went upstairs.
"Well, since he already went ahead, let's just follow his plan. I'll go scavenge whatever I can here and you check the storage room if that's alright with you?"
Riku simply nodded and went to the storage room. Unlike the room he was in before the room was clean. The shelves were neatly arranged and there were no signs of someone was in here. He was searching for things that they can use when he heard some banging and a groan. Fear enveloped his heart and he started imagining whatever was making that sound.
He searched for something that he can use as a weapon, but he had no choice but to break the leg of a table and use it as a club.
He found a room labeled as the security room.
"It might be someone injured trying to escape," he thought optimistically. He was still in denial despite being exposed to how cruel the current situation is. He remained cautious though and he slowly approached the door. A few blood was splattered on the floor and the walls and the banging was getting louder, as if the person inside couldn't take it anymore.
As he stood in front of the door, he hesitated slightly as he held the table leg tighter. The moment he opened the door a zombie sprung upon him as Riku fell on the ground, he was holding the wrists of the zombie while at the same time he held the table leg against the neck of the zombie to stop it from biting him. His heart was pounding and he was close to peeing his pants from the fear he was experiencing. However the zombie was stronger than the average man and it was slowly overpowering him.
His instincts made him kick the zombie to the side and he hurriedly stood up. He was afraid of the zombie his palms were sweating. If he didn't hold the table leg tightly he might've dropped it. As the zombie was slowly standing up, the memories of his parents flashed in front of him. He imagined this zombie eating his parents in front of him.
He was still afraid, but the moment he remembered his parents' anger overtook his fear and he ran and stab the flat end onto the skull of the zombie. He didn't stop stabbing and it was a matter of whether the skull would be penetrated first or his weapon will break. However the skull was penetrated in the end blood splashed on his face, he took a moment to wipe it off with something clean but he continued to stab it until his anger subsided. As he took a moment to breathe, he realized what he has done and fear once again controlled him, he screamed, cried and even puked.
He wanted to cry more but he heard a "ding" sound in his head. A voice with no emotion started to talk.
[Congratulations! You're the first survivor! A true survivor is those who are struggling to survive without the use of technology that'll overpower your enemies.]
[You Levelled Up! You are now level 1 and you have 3 status points and 2 skill points.]
[You earned the title "First Survivor" and you gained +1 status points in every attribute]
[ As the "First Survivor" you gained the following rewards.
1. 3 questions that the system will answer.
2. Explanation regarding the system and status.
3. Skill Section]
Riku would've continued to cry, but the bizarre voice in his head forcibly stopped him. It might've seemed like a long time, but the voice only took a second and the only reason he understood what it said is because the information has been inserted into his mind.
Just as he was contemplating, he heard the bang of a door and the sound of footsteps approaching him. He looked up to see the worried and scared looks of Stephen and Eliza. Eliza was just about to approach him, but Stephen stopped her.
"Look for scratches or bite marks Riku" Stephen said as he tossed a slightly T-shirt.
Riku was scared of turning as well, so he hurriedly wiped his arms that were bloody and his face as well to see whether they will find scratches on him. Thankfully, there were no scratches. The two in front of him sighed with relief as they saw that and Eliza spoke with a hint of determination.
"We can take this as a warning and a confirmation that everything that happened is real. I'm sure you guys won't need it, but I'll remind you guys to be careful. Riku, it might be a little hard but you can rest a little and continue to take whatever we need after you rest."
She said as she started to leave before giving him a worried look. Her face was a little pale so they knew that she was trying her best to be brave. Stephen just gave Riku a thumbs up with a weary smile, his face was pale as well.
Riku knew that they were scared and disgusted as well. He couldn't help but look at the corpse he killed which made him puke and cry some more before he remembered the system.
He wanted to ask whether it was real because even if there were zombies the system was too far from reality, but he didn't, in case the system was indeed real he would've wasted a question. So he decided to first get the explanation first.
[The System exists to help the survivors survive the future. The System utilizes the experience of the survivors to speed up what humans call "evolution".]
[Survivors will gain a status when they fulfill the set requirements.
The status consists of the following attributes.
Strength: 10
Intelligence: 10
Vitality: 10
Agility: 10
Dexterity: 10
[Strength: The overall physical power of the survivor
Intelligence: Improves various aspects of the brain as well as the control and max capacity of mana.
Mana: The energy that allows a survivor to use magic.
Vitality: Improves the stamina, endurance as well as the ability of the body to heal naturally.
Agility: The overall speed of the survivor.
Dexterity: Aside from the skills of the hands in crafting etc. It also improves the balance and reflexes of the survivor.]
[10 is the starting value of the Status. ]
The Status of the survivor as of now:
Name: Takahashi Riku
Age: 18
Strength: 11
Intelligence: 11
Vitality: 11
Agility: 11
Dexterity: 11
[Status points to allocate: 3
Skills: None
Skill points to allocate: 2
Titles: "The First Survivor"]
[Skills: Can be acquired via: Skills Section, Monster drops
Skill Section (Unique): A list of skills that could be acquired regardless of class.
Class: Will be acquired after achieving a certain requirement.
Titles: Achievements that'll provide different rewards.]
After the long speech of the System, he more or less understood that it's just like the ones in the games he plays. He also assumed that it's real otherwise there's no explanation how he can hear the voice in his head. His head went blank due to the bizarre situation he was in. Nonetheless, he began to form vital questions that he'll need answers immediately. He used the System as a way to calm down and push down the puke that's going up his throat. The smell of the room was nauseating, but he was getting used to the smell that also lingered in the streets. His naivety was slowly disappearing.