"I'm going to die, huh?" Thomas let out a deep breath, the fine raindrops fell on his head, in the heavy rain, Thomas recalled the horrors of the things that had just happened three days ago.
It was a being he didn't expect to exist in the real world, as they should remain only in fiction. But they are real.
Zombies.
A man-eating creature, they're essentially a myth, a fictional being in movies and drama series but out of nowhere, they suddenly emerged in the real world.
Unlike the zombies in the movie and drama series, these 'zombies' were not slow, they were very fast. They were capable of running at a speed that could catch up to an average person.
Fortunately, he got to the rooftop before the true hell descended upon every nook and cranny of the school.
He locked himself on the rooftop but could still hear the agonizing cries of the zombies behind the door. He doesn't know how many of them are standing beyond the barrier that serves as his lifeline, but he wouldn't dare to find out.
Thomas is safe here, the only problem right now is food. He hadn't eaten in three days, he doesn't have the energy to run or even stand up. The good thing is that there is a source of water, but it is coming from the rain that will end eventually.
But how long can he survive here? Yes, he was safe but he felt trapped. The only way to get out of this misery is through death.
Thomas couldn't believe it. Thinking of the afterlife. He had lots of plans in life, a bucket list to be fulfilled.
Thomas closed his eyes and hoped that death would be merciful.
At that moment.
A lilting tune, like xylophone notes, rang in his ears.
[Activating Weapon System.]
Thomas opened his eyes, his vision was blurred. Then his vision returned to normal. He saw a light blue screen floating mid-air. The words were written in white.
"Weapon System?" Thomas muttered.
[Weapon System]
[User: Thomas Estaris]
[Level: 1]
[Experience Points: 0/ 1,917]
[Skill:
Weapon's Proficiency: Level 1]
[Functions: Notifications, Inventory, Shop, Map, Summon Forces, Quest, Fortune Wheel, Skills.]
[A gift from the gods for one random survivor of the Apocalypse. By using this system, you will be granted powers to survive the apocalypse…though this won't guarantee your survival. Do you want to activate the weapon system?]
Thomas couldn't grasp the situation clearly, he can only hear a computer voice ringing his head. Like what is happening?
In the end, Thomas weakly nodded.
[Activation successful]
[Weapon System activated]
[Notification: Congratulations on activating the Weapon System! You received a starter pack box.]
"Huh?" Thomas rubbed his eyes to see if he was just hallucinating.
The floating computer screen in front of him is still there, he tried to touch it but his hand went through.
A hologram? Thomas muttered under his breath.
The Weapon System sounded like those in light novels or anime where mysteriously and miraculously, a person receives power, in the form of systems.
Was his situation like that?
[Do you want to open the item "Starter Pack Box?"]
Not only does it sound like literary fiction but a game as well.
Thomas nodded.
[Congratulations! You received a Beretta M9, 5x 15 rounds magazine, 10x bottled water, 5x MREs, 2x First Aid Kit.]
Items that you received just now can be found in the inventory tab.]
[Inventory]
[Starter Pack Box] (1/1)
[Beretta M9] (15/15)
[MREs] (5/5)
[Bottled Water] (10/10)
[15 Rounds Mag] (5/5)
[First Aid Kit] (2/2)
Thomas can only stare at the screen dumbfoundedly. He tapped the icon of the Beretta M9 and almost immediately, it materialized in his hand.
M9 - Beretta Handgun
Firearm, Semi-Automatic, 9x19mm Parabellum, Capacity: 15 Rounds, Damage: Low, Range: Short, Accuracy: Low, Rate of Fire: Average, Weight: Light.
"This is…"
He inspected the gun closely, and it felt and looked real. He hadn't touched a gun before and despite the system saying its weight was light, it felt heavy in his hand. And not to mention, he also hasn't fired a gun in his life.
Still, he couldn't believe that this was happening, the system and the gun. Like why would someone choose him? And who was the entity that chose him to have this system?
But–the fact that he had this power now meant that he has the means to fight against zombies. Ever since the outbreak in his country, all he had been doing was running and avoiding the zombies. It may sound cowardly but what would you do at that point? It was just pretty unrealistic for someone average like him to beat off zombies that could turn you into one with a simple scratch and bite. He couldn't just risk it, even if he had a baseball bat or other bludgeoning weapon.
As for the gun, it was safe. He could kill zombies from a distance, and it's the powerful weapon any person can have in the apocalypse.
With that, he rose to his feet, a determined expression etching his face. He walked over to the railings and below, he saw the zombies mindlessly wandering the school grounds. Almost all of them were students that turned, and he recognized some of his friends and classmates walking among them in their grotesque faces.
Then—he walked back, not wanting to attract their attention. He opened his system again and studied it.
It was a long panel to read and it took him ten minutes to completely finish it.
So this is how the system goes.
The system has seven features: Notifications, Inventory, Shop, Summon Forces, Quest, Fortune Wheel, and Skills.
First, the notification tab notifies new quests, achievements, completion of a task, and so on.
The inventory tab is an infinite space where he can store stuff such as weapons, supplies, foods, and so on.
The third one is the Shop tab. The shop tab is where things got interesting. This is the tab where he can buy weapons, foods, supplies, military equipment. There are icons that are greyed out, indicating he can't purchase it yet, but he can make out a picture. There are motorcycles, vehicles, and even helicopters!
In short, it offers everything.
To buy an item from the shop tab requires only one thing, which is a blood coin. For every kill of zombies, completion of a quest, unlocking an achievement, and so on, he can get blood coins.
The fourth one is the Summon Forces. It works similarly to Shop Tab but instead of materials, weapons, or goods, Thomas can buy a "living being". However, instead of blood coins, Soul is used for the transaction.
The souls are the essence of every living being, they can be found in humans, animals, and even zombies. The only way to get souls is to take them from a living being by killing them.
The conversion goes like this.
[INFANTRY:
1 Soul = 1 Infantry
2 soul = 1 Medic
3 soul = 1 Sniper
4 soul = 1 Commando
5 soul = 1 Engineer
6 soul = Pilot
10 Souls= 1 Special Forces
50 souls = 1 General
]
The fifth one is Quest Tab. This is where he can see available quests, special quests, ongoing quests, and the rewards upon completion.
The sixth one is the Fortune Wheel tab. Similar to games, most notably mobile games. The Fortune Wheel is where can test his luck. He can win Souls, Blood Coins, Items, et cetera. To spin the wheel, a special ticket is required. One special ticket is credited every 2nd of the month.
The seventh feature is the Skills tab. This is the tab where he can learn new skills and check the current skill he has. For now, he only has a skill called Weapon's proficiency, which is at level 1. It's probably a complementary skill the system gave him so that he could shoot firearms.
Setting all that aside, Thomas breathed a sigh of hope. To think that he had given up in his life, only to receive an overpowered system. Seven billion people on the planet yet he's the one who got it. Too much for Chosen One trope.
[Current Quest: Kill 50 zombies.]
[Completion Reward: 100 Souls, 40000 Apocalypse Dollars]
He stared at the screen blankly. What seems to be an easy quest yields such an absurd reward?!
"WTF!" Thomas gasped. It was indeed an insane amount.
Now that he had a goal to achieve, he grabbed the Beretta M9 and ran over to the railings. The M9 Beretta, which only has an effective range of 50 meters. He can only shoot down zombies that are below him and those near the school building.
Since he's on the fourth floor, there's no way that those mindless creatures can reach him. The only way for them to get to him is through the door behind.
15 rounds, 5 additional mags. That gives him 90 rounds. It's more than enough.