---
Chapter 3: The Weight of Survival
---
The silence of the darkened hallway stretched out before Kaito and Hana, broken only by their cautious footsteps and the occasional distant moan of the infected. Every sound—each creak of the floor, the scrape of Hana's shoes—felt amplified, like something in the air was listening, waiting for them to slip up.
Kaito's mind spun with the system's new quest: Eliminate 10 infected to upgrade the First Slayer title. The thought of having to confront that many of the undead was daunting, but he couldn't deny the surge of determination that it stirred. With each step, he could feel the weight of the mission pressing on him, a heavy but strangely empowering presence.
He glanced at Hana, who followed close, her hands gripping her backpack as though it was her lifeline. She hadn't yet seen her own system interface, but her willpower to survive was evident in the way she kept close, moving with a steady focus despite her obvious fear.
"Are you… really okay with this?" Kaito whispered, his voice just loud enough for her to hear.
Hana nodded, her face pale but resolute. "If we don't fight… there's no way out of here, right? I don't want to sit around and wait for them to come to us."
Kaito offered a nod, impressed by her resolve. "Then let's stay sharp. Keep an eye out. If things go bad, you run and don't look back, alright?"
She looked at him for a long moment before nodding, her gaze unwavering. "I'm with you, Kaito."
They continued toward the gym, hoping to check for survivors or supplies. As they turned another corner, Kaito spotted a utility closet halfway down the hall. The door was ajar, and he glimpsed the faint outline of what looked like an iron bar. Tools, maybe. Weapons they could use. Anything was better than the small knife he held now.
Kaito signaled for Hana to wait and stepped forward cautiously, pushing the door open just enough to slip inside. The dim light in the closet flickered, casting shadows over shelves lined with cleaning supplies, brooms, and mops. His eyes scanned the room quickly, zeroing in on a metal crowbar lying on a shelf.
"Perfect," he muttered, picking it up and feeling the weight in his hands. It was heavier than the knife but offered more reach, and it felt solid. He could do some serious damage with it.
As he stepped back into the hall, a sudden movement caught his eye—a figure stumbling from around the corner. Another infected. This one was a girl in a Matsuda High uniform, her head lolling slightly to one side, a dark, bloody tear across her cheek. Her once-shiny black hair was matted and sticky with dried blood.
Kaito took a deep breath, steadying himself as he activated Observe.
---
[OBSERVE ACTIVE]
[NAME: Unknown Entity]
STATUS: Hostile Entity
LEVEL: 2
STATS:
Strength: 5
Agility: 3
Endurance: 4
Perception: 1
Intelligence: 0
Willpower: 0
Weakness: Cranium (Critical Hit Spot)
---
He gripped the crowbar tightly, mentally preparing himself as he glanced back at Hana. "Stay here. If she gets past me, run."
Without another word, he advanced. The infected girl turned at the sound of his footsteps, her mouth stretching into an unnatural snarl as she staggered toward him. Kaito waited until she lunged, then sidestepped, swinging the crowbar with all his strength into her temple. The impact was solid, sending a spray of blood against the wall as the infected crumpled to the ground, motionless.
A notification popped up, bringing a small but reassuring chime.
---
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
You have defeated a Level 2 Hostile Entity.
Experience Points Earned: +10
---
He exhaled slowly, glancing at the notification with a sense of satisfaction. Two down. Eight to go. But even as he acknowledged the progress, a chilling realization settled over him. Each kill brought him closer to the reward, to survival—but also closer to becoming something else. Something harder, more ruthless.
"Kaito…" Hana's voice broke his thoughts, soft and uncertain. "Are we… doing the right thing?"
He looked back at her, and for a moment, he saw the same doubt in her eyes that he felt within himself. The fear of losing himself in the violence, of becoming a monster in his own way.
"We're doing what we have to," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. "If we don't fight, we won't make it out of here. And we have to make it."
She nodded, her expression somber but resolved. Together, they moved down the hall, Kaito gripping the crowbar like it was an extension of his arm, a part of him now.
---
As they approached the gym doors, they heard faint whispers, voices muffled behind the heavy metal. Kaito motioned for Hana to stay back as he pressed his ear against the door, trying to make out the words.
"…anyone else?" a voice said, trembling with fear.
"Just us… the others didn't make it," replied another, choked with emotion.
Kaito knocked softly, and the whispers immediately stopped. A pause. Then, footsteps approached the door cautiously.
"Who's there?" a voice called out, filled with suspicion.
"It's Kaito Tanaka and Hana Yamamoto. We're students. We're not… we're not infected."
A long silence. Then, the door cracked open, and a face peered through—a girl with short brown hair, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.
"Oh, thank God," she whispered, opening the door wide enough to let them in. "Quick, before any more of those things see you."
They slipped inside, and Kaito took in the scene: a small group of students huddled together, a few armed with broken chair legs and makeshift weapons. The gym was dark except for a few emergency lights casting a dim glow. The windows had been barricaded with benches and equipment, but bloodstains trailed across the floor, telling the story of a desperate struggle.
Kaito counted six students, including the girl who'd let them in.
"Is this everyone?" he asked.
The girl nodded, wiping her eyes. "We tried… we tried to save more, but they…" Her voice broke, and she fell silent.
Another boy, tall and grim-faced, stepped forward. "I'm Ryo. I… I tried to get to the main doors, but it's chaos out there. The infected are everywhere."
Kaito clenched his fists. "We're trying to make it to an exit ourselves. I think… I think we can clear a path if we work together."
"Clear a path?" Ryo's voice was skeptical, almost angry. "Do you even know what you're talking about? These things don't feel pain. They don't stop."
Kaito held his gaze, letting the silence stretch between them before he replied. "I know it's dangerous. But staying here isn't any safer. Eventually, more of those things will get in. We have to try."
The group fell quiet, each of them processing his words in their own way. Finally, Ryo exhaled, nodding reluctantly.
"Alright," he muttered. "We don't have much to lose, I guess."
---
Just as the plan started forming in Kaito's mind, a new notification appeared, interrupting his thoughts. This one glowed a brighter, more urgent red, unmistakably distinct from the others. He swallowed hard, dreading and anticipating its contents.
---
[SYSTEM MISSION: First Slayer Exclusive Quest - Progress Update]
Objective: Eliminate 10 infected.
Status: 2/10 defeated
Reward: Title Upgrade (First Slayer)
---
Kaito's jaw clenched as he dismissed the message. The quest loomed larger in his mind, a tangible goal, but he knew it wouldn't come without cost. With each infected he took down, he was growing stronger, but it came at the price of something he couldn't name, a creeping darkness he felt edging closer.
But he had no choice. Not if they were going to survive.
"Alright," Kaito said, turning to face the group. "Here's the plan. We stick together, stay quiet, and move through the halls in small groups. If we run into more infected, we take them down as quickly as possible. We reach the exit, get outside, and find shelter. Somewhere safer than here."
They nodded, fear and determination flickering in their eyes. One by one, they gathered their makeshift weapons, steeling themselves for the fight ahead.
"Let's go," Kaito whispered, gripping the crowbar tighter. As they moved, he knew the path forward would be anything but easy. But he also knew that the only way to survive was to keep going, to fight and to hold onto whatever fragments of themselves they could.
With the weight of the mission in his mind and Hana close at his side, Kaito led them into the darkness, each step carrying them closer to the unknown—closer to the person he was becoming.