Pant… pant…
"Where did she go?" I muttered, looking around the empty street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl I had saved. But she had vanished.
I need to find shelter.
Suddenly, a robotic voice echoed in my mind again.
[ANNOUNCEMENT: Unique abilities are now available.]
"Oh right, I forgot about that." I thought for a moment, unsure of how to access this system.
I pressed my left ear, hoping for some high-tech interface to pop up, just like in the webtoons I've read. Nothing happened. I pressed my chest next, but still… nothing.
"Fck this sht!" I cursed in frustration, collapsing to the ground, exhausted and defeated.
Maybe I should just give up...
[ANNOUNCEMENT: All survivors, build your 'BASE' and survive the night.]
Panic washed over me. I had no idea what to do.
Wait… if I remember correctly, there should be a construction site on that hill. It's about a 20-minute walk from here.
I glanced at the distant hill. It loomed over me like a beacon of hope, though shivers ran down my spine at the thought of the journey.
First things first, I need supplies.
I made my way to the nearest convenience store, standing cautiously at the entrance, observing it from the outside. Three zombies staggered around inside.
Three zombies… not too bad.
Adrenaline surged through me as I tightened my grip on the metal pipe. My mind raced.
In tight spaces, they can't jump or dash around as much. That's my advantage.
With newfound determination, I kicked the door open.
"COME HERE, YOU MOTHER F*CKERS!" I shouted, immediately drawing the zombies' attention. They charged at me.
Swing!
CLANG!
I swung the pipe as hard as I could, aiming for the first zombie's head. The sickening sound of cracking bone echoed as its skull caved in.
[ANNOUNCEMENT: You've earned 10 points.]
The second zombie lunged at me, but I easily dodged its clumsy attack.
They're slower than I thought.
Swing!
Ting!
Crack!
Another hit and another zombie dropped to the floor.
[ANNOUNCEMENT: You've earned 10 points.]
I killed two of them, but where was the third? Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. My body froze.
I'm dead…
BANG! BANG!
A gunshot rang out, piercing through the eerie silence.
Wait… a gunshot? Won't that attract more monsters?
I quickly turned toward the source of the noise. A girl, standing a short distance away, lowered her sniper rifle. She had taken out the last zombie.
Who is she?
I ignored her for a moment and continued to stuff supplies into my backpack.
"Hey… I didn't get the chance to thank you earlier," she said softly, her voice tinged with gratitude.
"No problem. You should stock up too," I replied, barely glancing her way.
She stood about 5'3, with striking blonde hair. Her nervous demeanor caught my attention.
Is she a foreigner?
"C-Can I tag along with you?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
What? I glanced at my watch. It was almost 3 o'clock. Time was running out.
"Sure, but on one condition," I said, locking eyes with her.
Her face lit up with hope. "Anything! I agree!"
"You have to obey my commands. Got it?"
"Yes! I promise!" she nodded eagerly.
[ANNOUNCEMENT: The contract has been placed.]
Ah! What…?)
I stared at the system window in disbelief. A new advertisement popped up in front of me, clear as day.
"Can you see the window?" I asked, unsure if I was hallucinating.
"Yes!" she answered immediately.
[CONTRACT: 1# Obey the command
2# None
3# None
Upon upset: Death]
A sudden roar echoed from downtown, the familiar, bone-chilling sound of zombies.
"WE GOTTA GO!" I shouted, quickly finishing up my stocking.
We bolted out of the convenience store, racing toward safety.
(Wait, where did she get that rifle?) I wondered as we ran. I need to ask her.
"You, what's your name? I haven't asked yet," I called out.
"It's Yu-Song-Hwa," she answered, her tone steady.
I glanced at her, impressed. She wasn't even winded after running uphill with a rifle and a backpack full of supplies.
"And where did you get that gun?" I asked, lowering my voice as we kept moving.
"From the shop," she replied casually.
I blinked. Shop? Guns?
"What kind of shop?" I asked, completely baffled.
She smirked. "Umm… so you don't know about the shop yet?" Her tone had a teasing edge to it.
I felt my irritation rising. "Yeah, what of it? What's wrong with that?"
"And your 'Unique Ability'? Have you figured that out?" she asked, curious.
"Umm… not yet. I don't know how to open my window. I'm a noob, so…" I admitted awkwardly.
"Oh! About that…" She touched her left waist, and like magic, a system window appeared before her.
"See?" she said proudly.
I sighed and mimicked her motion, touching my left waist. Suddenly, a system window popped up in front of me.
"Oh! It worked!" I shouted, a wave of excitement rushing through me.
"Let's check my stats," I muttered as I scanned the display.
[INFO: NAME: PARK-SONG
STRENGTH: 0 (+2)
STAMINA: 1 (+2)
SENSE: 0 (+2)
DEFENSE: 0 (+2)
POINTS: 50 points
SKILLS: NONE
UNIQUE ABILITY: STRIKE FOR THE HEAD (Lv.2)
(This skill allows the user to lock their attacks on the target's head.) DAMAGE +3
PASSIVE: TIGER'S MOVEMENT
(The passive activates when the target or user's health is low.) SPEED +3]
"OH!" I groaned in frustration. This fcking system!*
"F*ck!" I swore under my breath.
This isn't even above ordinary!
I checked my stats again, filled with disappointment.
"What are your stats?" she asked, clearly curious.
"They're pretty disappointing. Feels like I'm in The Walking Dead," I grumbled.
"And yours?" I asked in return.
Before she could answer, the robotic voice echoed again.
[ANNOUNCEMENT: TIME LEFT: 59:57]
Panic surged through me as I noticed her frozen in place, her eyes wide with fear. She was completely shocked.
"Snap out of it, madam… NOW FOLLOW ME!"
[ANNOUNCEMENT: YOUR COMMAND HAS TAKEN EFFECT]
"Let's go!" I shouted, trying to cheer her up.
10 minutes later…
[ANNOUNCEMENT: YOU'VE FOUND A 'BASE.' DO YOU WANT TO MAKE IT YOUR TERRITORY?]
I stared at the prompt, my heart pounding as we reached the hill.
What happens next?