"What a waste, not a single core," a student grumbled, throwing more wood into the campfire.
"It'll be scarier if I actually find a core."
Level-zero zombies had no core, and they could not infect awakened humans due to their low evolutionary tier. Therefore, they were easy to kill.
More than a hundred corpses piled up outside the dilapidated building in which they had taken refuge. The fallen, barrack-like camp had no roof, so they made a campfire inside.
"How many are we?"
"I think we were eighty, but only fifty-six students came with us."
"No wonder we were able to finish those things off quickly."
Jesse sat in a dark corner. The quest bar was still hanging translucently above his eyes. He glanced at his bloody hands and then at the battered students. Not a single one of them faltered during the fight, as if they were trained from birth. Every school taught the basics of killing zombies after the wall breach; therefore, he was only surprised for a millisecond. However, what bothered him was that none of them complained about the harsh test. Sending young, newly awakened students into the wild—even if it wasn't really outside the seventh wall—still...
He lay down on his back.
'Maybe I'm just thinking too much.'
"System Interface," Jesse called out under his breath.
[--System Interface--]
[Host: Jesse Louis]
[Race: Infected]
[Level: 8]
[Health Points: 196/200]
[Awakening Points: 9]
[Experience Points: 0/800]
[-Attributes-]
[-Skills-]
[-Quests-]
The five-level jump was exciting at first, but the rewards that came with it were disappointing.
"Attributes."
[--Attributes--]
[Strength: 16]
[Agility: 15]
[Perception: 10]
[Willpower: 12]
[Charisma: 10]
[Steel Mentality: 26]
[AP: 9]
His attributes had increased but ever so slightly. Jesse frowned and raised his hand to touch the translucent tab. His fingers went through the blue tabs. "Sigh, skills."
[-Skills-]
[Inspect → Level 3]
[→ Uncover hidden auras, enchantments, and object properties, provided they are within your skill range.]
[Jab → Level 2]
[→ A quick and precise strike dealing moderate damage to a single target.]
[Jab has a 15% chance to reveal the opponent's weak point.]
[Jab has a 20% chance to increase the user's attack speed by 10% for 2 seconds.]
[Using the Jab skill with a weapon has a 3% chance of killing a one-level-higher opponent in a single strike.]
[Skill cooldown time: 8 seconds]
[Consume → Locked]
A single skill stood out, greyed with a locked tag.
Jesse sat up, taking a single glance at the chattering students before leaving the building. Far from the warmth of the campfire, the desert night's cold wind blew through Jesse's black hair.
He stared into the cold, dark night, using his Inspect skill on everything. If he could find a way out or a camera that signified they were being watched, he would be more than glad. However, all that came into sight were a bunch of fallen buildings and broken structures.
He walked further away from the tent, only coming to a stop when he could no longer hear the students' chattering.
"Graa!"
A low growl sounded from behind a crumbled wall, causing Jesse to sigh. He pulled out his trusty jagged bone, which was sticking out from his back pocket. Fighting weak zombies with no reward was already too tiring.
[Inspect]
As the tab was slowly filled up with letters, the zombie pulled itself out from its spot. The larger build, scaly skin, and clawed hands were not features that unevolved zombies possessed.
[Name: Unknown]
[Race: Infected]
[Evolution tier: Weakling]
Now, Jess understand what the system meant by the horde being led by an evolved, and he had just met their leader.
[Status: Unawakened]
[Ability: ??]
[Tier: ??]
[You have encountered an evolved Infected.]
[Ding]
[You have received a Main Quest.]
[Survive.]
[Punishment for failure is death.]
------
An area in the seventh-wall city was cordoned off with yellow caution tape, fluttering in the gentle breeze. A makeshift campsite stood nearby, with a few tents and canopies provided shade from the scorching sun. Scientific equipment lay scattered about, including cameras, sensors, and sampling gear. A few researchers' vehicles, adorned with institutional logos, were parked haphazardly around the perimeter, and a group of people walked around.
In the center of the site, a large "X" marked the spot where the meteorite was believed to have landed. A small crater, about three feet in diameter, was surrounded by a ring of scorched earth and shattered rock. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and ozone.
"It's been almost a week. Any progress?" a man asked, standing in front of the crater.
"No, Sir."
"Any witnesses?"
"I'm afraid not, Sir." The woman followed closely behind her boss as he made his way back into his tent.
"An unknown object entered the planet's atmosphere and then suddenly vanished?"
"It could have been a small, normal meteor, Sir," his male aide interjected.
"And then it vanished? Maybe swallowed by the Earth?" The man's eyes widened. "Should I remind you of Earth's history?" He clenched his subordinate's shoulder with his fist.
"Ack! No, sir." The male aid shuddered.
"Cynthia."
"Yes, Mr. Gael."
"Find me my meteor. I don't care how you intend to do it, even if it means upturning the entire seventh wall city." His cold voice echoed in her ears.
"Yes, sir."
--------
Jesse gripped the jagged bone tightly, his heart pounding.
He could risk calling out the group and infecting a good number of them, or fighting the monster by himself.
His panic began to fade as his Steel Mentality skill activated, calming his nerves. He focused on the infected creature approaching him—a zombie with a larger build, scaly skin, and clawed hands. This wasn't an ordinary unevolved zombie.
The infected's cloudy eyes locked on Jesse as it staggered forward. Jesse swung the jagged bone, aiming for its head. A sickening crunch echoed in the air, but the zombie didn't fall. It stumbled but kept coming, a guttural growl rising from its throat.
Jesse swung again, this time at the creature's shoulder, but it hardly seemed fazed. With unnatural speed, the zombie grabbed Jesse's arm, its grip unrelenting. The stench of decay filled his nose as it lunged for him, its mouth snapping open.
Without thinking, Jesse twisted, bringing the jagged bone down onto the zombie's wrist. The creature's grip weakened, and Jesse took the opening to strike again—this time landing a blow to the zombie's skull. The creature finally collapsed, motionless.
'That easy?' Jesse frowned, stepping over the fallen body. He knew better than to relax, though. The pop-up warnings from his system constantly reminded him that this world didn't work that way.
As Jesse stood over the body, his worst fears came true. The zombie's eyes flickered open, and with a surge of unnatural energy, it was back on its feet, clawing its way toward him.
Jesse activated the Jab skill, launching a quick and precise strike. The zombie barely flinched. It grabbed Jesse by the shoulder, its nails digging into his flesh, and bit down hard. Jesse howled in pain, blood spurting from the wound.
[HP - 158/200]
Jesse struggled, using Jab again, but his arm was locked in place. The zombie retaliated, its fist connecting with Jesse's jaw in a devastating blow.
[HP - 130/200]
Each hit from the zombie drained his health dangerously fast.
[Steel Mentality has been implemented.]
The next flurry of blows from the zombie pounded Jesse mercilessly.
[HP - 122/200]
[HP - 110/200]
[HP - 106/200]
His system's notifications flashed relentlessly in front of his eyes, reminding him how close to death he was with every passing second.
[HP - 74/200]
[You have sustained a critical injury.]
[You will lose 1 Health Point every second until your injury is treated.]
Jesse could taste the blood in his mouth, feel it soaking through his clothes. Desperation clawed at his mind as he fought to stay conscious.
"Infuse Jab!" he screamed, but the skill was still on cooldown.
The zombie raised its fist again, and Jesse knew that the next few seconds would decide whether he lived or died.
With a surge of adrenaline, Jesse grabbed the jagged bone in his hand with all his might, praying for one last chance.
"Three AP points to Agility! The rest to Strength!" Jesse shouted into his system interface.
[Agility - 15 +4]
[Agility - 19]
[Strength - 16 +5]
[Strength - 21]
His body surged with newfound power, his reflexes and strength enhanced. He felt faster, stronger—but time was running out.
[Skill cooldown time has ended.]
"Infuse Jab!" Jesse roared, his weapon aimed directly at the slight tear in the zombie's head. It was a desperate gamble, relying on the three percent chance for an instant kill.
"Go to hell already!" he yelled, driving the jagged bone into the infected's skull with all the strength he could muster. The weapon connected with a sickening crunch, driving deep into the creature's brain. The zombie shuddered once, its movements faltering before it crumpled to the ground.
Jesse staggered back, his breath heavy, watching the motionless body of his opponent.
[You have killed a Level 2 Evolved Infected.]
[HP - 15/200]
[Health Points will continue to decrease until you are fully healed.]
[Consume skill has been unlocked.]
[Consume your opponents to gain skills and restore your health.]
[HP - 10/200]
"What?" Jesse stared at the notification in shock, his mind spinning at the grotesque suggestion.
[HP - 7/200]
He had no choice. With only seconds left to live, Jesse bent down, and bit into the zombie's wounded flesh.
[Steel Mentality has been implemented.]
[HP - 5/200]
His consciousness slowly faded away...