Chapter 12: The Eastern Wing
The eastern wing loomed ahead, its hallway shrouded in darkness. The faint glow of Alex's interface lit his path as he moved cautiously, his footsteps silent on the cracked tiles. His Survival Instincts pulsed steadily, outlining clusters of infected in the distance.
> Survival Instincts Alert:
Enemy Count: 8 (Standard Walkers)
Danger Level: Moderate
Alex gripped his crowbar tighter, his reinforced weapon already proving its worth. He had come too far to stop now, but a group this large required strategy, not brute force.
"They're clustered in the main hallway," Alex muttered, glancing at the system map. A few side rooms were marked as accessible, giving him potential fallback points. "I can't take them all at once. Time to get creative."
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Setting the Trap
Scanning the area, Alex noticed an old fire extinguisher mounted on the wall nearby. A plan began to form in his mind. He grabbed the extinguisher, its metal surface cold and slightly corroded, and checked its pressure gauge.
"Still functional," he said with a grim smile.
Moving quickly, he set the extinguisher in the middle of the hallway, propping it up against a broken chair. Then, he searched the nearby maintenance closet for anything flammable, eventually finding a half-empty canister of paint thinner.
"This'll do," he muttered, splashing the liquid around the extinguisher.
Satisfied with his setup, Alex backed away to a safe distance, positioning himself in a side room with a clear line of sight. He picked up a loose pipe and hurled it down the hallway, the clang echoing loudly.
The groans of the infected grew louder as the noise drew their attention. One by one, the walkers began shambling toward the sound, their jerky movements lit by the faint glow of Alex's interface.
"Come on, just a little closer," Alex whispered, his heart pounding.
When the group was directly in front of the extinguisher, Alex lit a piece of cloth he had wrapped around his crowbar and tossed it at the paint thinner.
The hallway erupted in a burst of flame, the fire roaring as it consumed the flammable liquid. The heat triggered the fire extinguisher, which exploded with a deafening bang, sending shrapnel and a cloud of chemicals through the air.
> Critical Damage! 6 Infected Eliminated.
System Points Earned: +60 SP.
The remaining two walkers staggered out of the smoke, their bodies scorched and unsteady. Alex rushed forward, finishing them off with quick, precise strikes from his crowbar.
> Walker Eliminated: +10 SP.
Walker Eliminated: +10 SP.
> Mission Progress: Floor 2 Cleared – 17/20 Infected.
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A New Threat
As the smoke began to clear, Alex's system pinged with an urgent alert.
> Warning: New Enemy Detected.
Enemy Type: Screecher
Danger Level: High
"What the hell is a screecher?" Alex muttered, his pulse quickening.
The sound hit him before he saw it—a high-pitched, inhuman scream that reverberated through the hallway, making his ears ring. Alex winced, covering his ears as the sound seemed to vibrate deep in his skull.
From the far end of the hallway, a lanky figure emerged. Its gaunt, pale body was covered in tattered flesh, and its elongated mouth opened unnaturally wide as it let out another ear-splitting shriek.
The system provided more details:
> Screecher Abilities:
Sonic Scream: Stuns nearby targets and alerts other infected.
Enhanced Speed: Moves faster than standard walkers.
The red outlines on his map began to shift as nearby infected responded to the screecher's call.
"Great," Alex growled, gripping his crowbar. "This just keeps getting better."
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The Screecher's Ambush
The screecher lunged toward Alex, its speed catching him off guard. He barely dodged as its clawed hand swiped at him, slicing through the air where he had stood moments before.
Alex countered with a swing of his crowbar, aiming for the creature's elongated neck. The blow connected, sending the screecher stumbling back, but it recovered quickly, letting out another shriek.
Alex winced as the sound rattled his senses, his vision blurring for a moment. The system chimed:
> Status Effect: Stunned (2 seconds).
Before he could react, the screecher closed the distance, its claws raking across his shoulder. Alex cried out, pain flaring as blood seeped through the tear in his jacket.
> Health: 85%
Shaking off the stun, Alex dodged the next attack and swung his crowbar in a wide arc, striking the screecher's leg. The creature let out a guttural growl, its movements slowing as it struggled to maintain its balance.
"Stay down," Alex snarled, delivering a crushing blow to its head. The reinforced crowbar tore through its skull, silencing the creature instantly.
> Screecher Eliminated: +50 SP.
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The Final Push
The hallway fell silent once more, save for Alex's labored breathing. He wiped the blood from his face, his shoulder throbbing with pain.
> Mission Progress: Floor 2 Cleared – 18/20 Infected.
"Just two more," Alex muttered, glancing at his map. The remaining red outlines were stationary, likely trapped in one of the side rooms.
Steeling himself, Alex made his way toward the source, finding a locked door at the end of the hallway. He kicked it open, revealing two infected huddled in the corner.
The fight was quick—two precise swings of his crowbar ended the threat.
> Walker Eliminated: +10 SP.
Walker Eliminated: +10 SP.
> Mission Complete: Floor 2 Cleared.
Reward: +100 SP.
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Mission Rewards and New Goals
As the last walker fell, the system interface lit up with notifications:
> System Points Earned: 240 SP (Current Total: 360 SP).
Bonus Unlock: Enhanced Skill Selection Available.
"Enhanced skill selection?" Alex muttered, opening the system menu. A new option appeared, marked with a glowing icon.
> Enhanced Skills Available:
Combat Reflexes (100 SP): Increases attack speed and reaction time.
Health Regeneration (150 SP): Gradually restores health over time.
Stealth Mastery (200 SP): Reduces noise and visibility when sneaking.
Alex stared at the options, his mind racing. He had enough SP to unlock one of these powerful abilities, but each one had its merits.
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Decisions to Make
As he stood in the now-silent hallway, bloodied but victorious, Alex knew he had reached a turning point. The system was giving him the tools to survive, but every choice carried weight.
With the keycard to the restricted area on Floor 1 burning a hole in his pocket, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.
"Alright," he muttered, opening the skill menu. "Let's see what I need to survive the next nightmare."