Screeeech—
The guttural, grating sounds of at least twenty zombies echoed through the narrow hallway, as if they were scratching directly into my brain. The noise was sickeningly familiar, reminding me of the eerie calls characters in the games I played.
Thud—thud—
Relentless pounding sounded from the building's glass entrance. The thick, reinforced glass shuddered under the zombies' blows, but it wouldn't hold forever.
I pulled up my status screen. I needed to allocate those points—fast.
"Uh...but how exactly do I distribute them?" I muttered.
[You can customize the system based on preference: voice, fingerprint, or thought recognition.]
"Thought recognition it is, then. Who'd want to yell commands out loud?" I paused. "Are there actually people dumb enough to pick voice?"
[The system respects the Awakener's preferences.]
Nothing like a silent response to confirm my suspicion.
I recalled the tip from earlier: Skills that disrupt balance are auto-adjusted. So they're sticking to some rules here. The system won't answer questions that could skew the game.
Still, I had my suspicions.
From the achievements I heard earlier in this zone no had defeated a zombie yet, so I would be first one to spend the points right now. In death games like these, the first always holds power.
With one deep breath, I made my decision on my mind.
[Spent 36 points: +9 Strength, +9 Agility, +9 Intelligence, +9 Magic.]
[A mysterious power infuses you.]
A surge of energy flooded through me, the white light of the system's glow sinking into my skin. As it faded, an exhilarating rush shot through me, like raw vitality electrifying every cell in my body.
I threw a few test punches—just a one-two—but they were stronger, faster. My bangs stirred from the wind they made.
An unfamiliar, buzzing energy pulsed within me. Mana. I was truly an Awakener now.
Setting aside the raw power for a moment, I tried a test of my new intelligence stat.
"What's 99 times 29?"
'...'
Nothing.
I scowled. "Status window! I raised Intelligence, but I can't even calculate simple math. You're not saying that 9 points in Intelligence still leaves me too dumb for basic multiplication, are you?"
The system didn't respond.
Ding!
[First Achievement: First Strength Stat Increase as an Awakener. Additional 10 Strength granted.]
Ding!
[First Achievement: First Agility Stat Increase as an Awakener. Additional 10 Agility granted.]
Ding!
[First Achievement: First Intelligence Stat Increase as an Awakener. Additional 10 Intelligence granted.]
A second wave of power hit, even stronger than the first. White light flashed again, pulsing through my vision.
"Ugh! Okay, system, just summarize this repetitive stuff from now on," I grumbled, rubbing my eyes.
[Understood.]
Taking another breath, I tested the math again. "What's 99 times 29?"
'...9 times 9 is 81, so… damn it!'
[Answer: 2871.]
"You have got to be kidding me. I can't do math in my head even with an Intelligence of 20? This is a scam, isn't it?"
No answer, of course.
I summoned the status window again:
[Name: Palmer]
[Gender: Male
Age: 27]
[Class: Awakener]
[Strength: 20] [Agility: 20] [Intelligence: 20] [Magic: 10]
[Points Available: 69]
I scanned the stats, one thought nagging at me: Why hadn't I gotten an achievement for Magic?
Frustration bubbled up, but I pushed it down. Getting mad at every detail wouldn't help me survive.
I had secured the first achievement bonuses for most of the primary stats. And I was beginning to notice something strange about this status system: there were no levels.
In typical RPGs, you kill monsters, gain experience, and level up. Levels bring bonus points, which you allocate to grow stronger. Here, it was different. Points seemed to serve as experience, stats, and even currency, all in one.
Curious, I called, "Shop window."
Ding!
(Search for any product you want!)
Sloppily Made Energy Bar: 1p
Very Murky Muddy Water: 3p
Nutrient-Packed Instant Noodles: 10p
Water: 30p
Power Bank (10-hour charge): 100p
...
I scrolled down; most items were simple survival necessities. Just for a test, I selected the cheapest option, the energy bar.
[Would you like to store it in your inventory?]
Of course. A status window without an inventory wouldn't be complete.
I confirmed, and immediately, the energy bar appeared in a small box labeled Inventory in the bottom corner of my status screen.
Skill Creation Token x1Roughly Made Energy Bar x1
The moment I thought about pulling out the energy bar, it appeared in my left hand as if by instinct.
"Guess I can put stuff back too, right?"
Just as the thought crossed my mind, the "spear" I'd hastily crafted to kill the zombie vanished into my inventory.
Skill Creation Token x1Improvised Kitchen Knife Spear x1
I was about to pull the spear out when a message appeared, just as I'd expected.
Ding!
[First Achievement: First Use of Points Store.]
[You have obtained a free store usage ticket.]
"Yes! This is it! Here comes the cliché reward!"
A grin spread across my face. Of course, there had to be a reward for the first store use.
Crreeeak—
A distant scraping noise echoed up the stairs. Zombies near the entrance were growing more frantic, probably reacting to my triumphant shout.
Crraack—
The glass that had held firm until now finally began to crack under the pressure.
No more time to relax.
I grabbed my "improvised kitchen knife spear" and prepared for what was coming.
The evenly distributed stats coursing through my body kept me feeling energized. I wasn't sure I could take them all on, but I had a fair shot, especially in the confined space. The more zombies there were, though, the more my chances dwindled.
From what I'd seen, they responded quickly to sound.
Fighting in such tight quarters? It could be a nightmare.
As I made my way down the stairs, I decided to use my First Achievement Reward.
Ding!
[Using Skill Creation Token.]
[Please envision the skill you wish to create.]
The first thought that came to mind was survival.
"How do I avoid getting infected—the zombies' biggest weapon?"
In every zombie movie, the threat was always infection by bites or blood. If I could stop that, I'd have a huge advantage.
"How about a healing skill—one that lets me recover instantly if I get bitten?"
[Impossible.]
"Ugh! Of course."
I quickly rushed from the 10th to the 1st floor, my enhanced body slicing through the air with ease. The sensation was so exhilarating, I couldn't suppress a laugh.
"Is this what they mean by runner's high?"
Screeech!
Zombies spotted me through the window on the first floor and began to howl with excitement.
I froze for a moment, staring at the horde. They were a mass of decaying flesh—missing limbs, twisted bodies, relentlessly pushing against the glass. Their eyes locked on me, filled with hunger.
Craaaaack—
The glass finally gave way with a sickening crack, and the swarm surged forward, spilling into the hall.
A flood of death.
My heart raced, but I focused on the task at hand.
I darted up a nearby flight of stairs to gain better ground. High ground would be key—less space for them to reach me, and a better chance to control the fight.
Screeeech!
The moment I disappeared from view, the zombies howled in frustration. It was as if they were enraged that their prey had vanished.
Crack!
They poured in like water breaking through a dam, twice as many as I'd expected.
Thud Thud Thud—
The front zombies, too eager and too fast, collided with the elevator doors.
"Idiots."
The horde turned in unison, their collective eyes locking onto me.
Screeeech!
"Oh, great."
It was like a bad memory of metro station stairways, where no one follows the rules. The narrow staircase had become a hellish bottleneck. Zombies clambered over each other, trampling the fallen as they struggled to ascend.
Yet, they kept coming—an unstoppable procession of rotting flesh, marching toward me.
The exhilaration of my first kill was gone now. Reality had set in.
These things—these monsters—they moved with an energy that shouldn't be possible for their decaying forms. They could absorb injuries that would've killed any normal human, and they were relentless.
The stench of decay flooded my senses, but I focused on the pressing need to survive.
Screeech!
One of the zombies reached me first. Without hesitation, I drove the spear into its open mouth, yanking it out just as quickly.
As it collapsed, I kept my focus, thinking of my next move.
"Please, just walk on the right side, you bastards!"
I gripped the spear tighter, ready for the next wave.
[You have confirmed the usage of skill creation ticket.]