"Maybe I should just expose the system tomorrow, not only do I get to level up, but I'll have teammates who can help me fight." He was only sure of the System's existence a while ago that's why he couldn't tell them and he was afraid that Stephen and Eliza would be blinded by the System.
There was no doubt that if they found out about the System no one would be willing to stay inside, all he had to do was show them proof if he leveled up and show signs of getting stronger and faster they'd have no choice but to believe him.
He decided to tell them and he was just about to go to sleep when he heard a loud screeching noise suddenly a crashing sound can be heard downstairs as the house was slightly trembling.
Panic and worry ran across Riku's face as he ran downstairs, just behind him were Stephen and Eliza with the same expression on their face. They went to the living room only to see a huge truck to what was once the wall. The driver of the truck must've been bitten before he got in the truck because what they saw is a zombie with a seatbelt on.
There was no need to talk, everyone just ran back to their rooms to take their bags and whatever could be used. Zombies were in front of the house so they had no choice but to go through the door that leads into the backyard. They climbed the fence and started running, zombies must have heard the crash because there were zombies coming from different sides.
They have been running for at least half an hour already they couldn't even take a short break because zombies would appear, if they were parched they drank while running. Eliza was barely keeping up when they were forced to run into an alley. A cargo truck that was flipped to the side was blocking the way, even Stephen, who was quite tall couldn't climb the truck.
"Quick, help me get up and I'll pull you guys up!" Stephen shouted.
With the zombies about to enter the alley, Riku and Eliza quickly rushed to help Stephen.
Riku then tried to help Eliza up, but the fatigue took a toll on his strength and he could barely raise Eliza up.
"Stephen hurry up and pull me!"
Stephen first looked at the zombies, then he looked at Eliza before he started running away.
"YOU BAST*RD!" Eliza screamed as she realized what he did.
Without Stephen to pull Eliza up, there was no point to carrying her. Riku looked around and he saw a fire exit ladder and a rusty steel door, he tried to reach a retractable fire exit ladder, but the ladders were drawn back in and he couldn't reach it. The steel door was locked so they tried to break the door down, despite the rust on the door it was still hard to break it down. The zombies were almost 10 feet away, perhaps it was the fear, but they started kicking harder.
The rusty hinges of the steel door couldn't take it anymore and the door was finally burst open. They couldn't celebrate though, as the zombies were closing in. Upon entering the door a stairs leading down greeted them, after going down there was another door that luckily was open.
Upon entering the room filled with steel racks and boxes, they realized that it was a storage area, however the steel racks were quite flimsy to block the zombies. Inside the storage room there was a different flight of stairs, they didn't know where it leads, but it should be better than the stairs where they came from.The zombies despite being once a human weren't smart creatures, they fell down the stairs were some even died due to the weight of the other zombies that fell. Pushing the steel racks down as they go up the other staircase.
They were unaware that they are in a hardware store at the street, they tried to escape to.
It must be because of the fact that the infection started at night that the store was empty. They used the hand trucks with boxes and other objects that are quite large and pushed it down the storage room. Due to the weight of some of those objects, the bodies of the zombies that died contributed to blocking the way up.
Only when they saw that the zombies couldn't get up the stairs did they sit down and rest. The storefront security shutters were drawn so they didn't have to worry about zombies getting in.
Just as they managed to stop panting, Eliza exclaimed.
"The minute I see that m*therf*ck*r I'm gonna beat his ass!"
Riku was angry as well, but more than that he was relieved that he didn't tell anyone regarding the System, this experience made him doubtful towards other people. If he had to be honest, even his trust to Eliza was lowered thanks to this experience.
"Just like how a lizard abandons its tail to survive, A lot of humans will abandon their own kind to save their own skin." he whispered to himself.
"I must become stronger, so strong that even if I am by myself, I will survive" A fire lit in his eyes as he strengthened his resolve to survive.
The night spent in the store was a little awkward because they both didn't trust the other as much as before, as they felt the fatigue they slowly fell asleep.
Meanwhile, somewhere a few blocks away from Riku and Eliza.
"What the f*ck, what the f*ck! What the hell are those things!" Stephen shouted as he continued running.
Just a while ago, he was happily resting in an alley while using the trash bins as cover until those things appeared. At first he felt like someone or something was staring at him, but he dismissed it after seeing no one in the alley beside him afterwards it felt like there was something circling around him. Finally, he was sure that something was in the dark when he saw large red eyes of whatever it was in the darkness.
He couldn't take it anymore as he felt like it was toying with him, he shouted.
"Come on! You f*cker I'll beat you up!"
Just as he was about to taunt it again, it appeared. Dark red eyes, staring at his every move, not having anything else to throw, he threw his phone at it. His phone lit up that area a little bit, but all he saw was black. That's when multiple dark red eyes appeared in the darkness.
He was just about to scream in fear, until the light in his eyes disappeared.
The last thing he saw before he died was the dark red eyes approaching him.