Bang...Bang...Bang...
A brief ear-splitting noise rang in Thomas's ears as he consecutively pulled the trigger of his pistol, shooting down zombies who congregated below with their hands held up high. Some zombies jumped on their fellows while the others kept piling up corpses one after the other.
It was like a never-ending wave of suicidal maniacs who is so keen on killing him.
Unfortunately for them, he has the high ground.
Luckily, the rain that had been going on for an hour hadn't yet subsided. Which seemed to be overwhelming the senses of the zombies. If it weren't not raining, then all the zombies present on the school grounds would definitely go after him.
While shooting at them, Thomas analyzed their behavior, using movies and drama series as references.
If he were to compare the behavior of the zombies in this world, it would be similar to World War Z or the zombies in Train to Busan.
If that was the case, then getting their attention is tantamount to committing suicide.
Thomas pressed his thumb onto the magazine release button. He is down to the last two mags.
[Zombies killed: 35/50]
Killing them is harder than he anticipated. Even when he fired multiple times on the zombie's body, they still kept going. The only surefire way of killing the zombies were shooting them in the head, which guaranteed swift kill.
Reloading the M9 Beretta with a new mag, Thomas continued firing at the zombies until the gun has nothing to spew.
[Zombies killed: 44/50]
Thomas inserted the last mag. After that, it's no more.
The rain had begun to ease, softening into a drizzle. He could see more zombies emerging from the school buildings below, drawn by the sound of gunfire. The situation was turning dire.
"Six more to go," he muttered, glancing at the system notification panel still floating beside him. He wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or to the system, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was finishing this insane quest.
Thomas aimed carefully. He had learned from his earlier shots that anything less than a headshot was a waste of ammo.
Bang!
The bullet hit a zombie square in the forehead, dropping it instantly.
[Zombies killed: 45/50]
Bang!
Another one collapsed.
[Zombies killed: 46/50]
He felt a strange sense of satisfaction every time the notification updated. The system was proof that he wasn't crazy, that all of this was real.
Bang!
Bang!
Two more zombies fell, their heads snapping back as the bullets did their work.
[Zombies killed: 48/50]
Thomas's heart pounded as he took aim at a pair of zombies staggering closer to the base of the building. They weren't directly below him, but they were close enough to climb the wall if they somehow figured out how.
Bang!
The first zombie dropped.
Click.
His stomach sank. The slide on the M9 locked back—he was out of ammo.
"No, no, no!" Thomas muttered, shaking the gun uselessly. He looked over at the system screen, desperation clawing at his chest. "There has to be another way!"
The system chimed softly.
[Tip: Use the Shop Tab to purchase additional ammunition.]
Thomas's eyes lit up as he quickly navigated to the Shop. The interface was intuitive, and within seconds, he found the ammunition section.
[9x19mm Parabellum Rounds - 30 rounds: 10 Blood Coins]
He checked his balance.
[Blood Coins: 2450]
Without hesitation, he purchased the ammo. A box of bullets materialized in his inventory, and he quickly pulled it out and inserted it into his Beretta.
[Zombies killed: 50/50]
[Experience points: 1000/1,917]
[Quest Complete! Congratulations! You have earned 100 Souls and 40,000 Blood Coins.]
Thomas collapsed onto the wet rooftop, panting heavily. He was soaked to the bone, his hands still trembling as he set the gun aside.
"Did...did I actually do it?" he whispered. Looking at his notification system, he sure did, he completed the quest.
He breathed a sigh of relief. He must admit, it was satisfying that he could kill zombies. He remembered those days when he was terrified of even seeing them, but with this system, he had now a shot of bringing them down.
He rested for a bit and then—his stomach growled loudly, reminding him of his most immediate problem. He opened the system screen again and accessed the inventory tab. The MREs and bottled water were still there, waiting for him.
Thomas selected one of the MREs, and it materialized in his hands. It was a small, compact package labeled "Chicken and Rice," with simple instructions printed on the front. Next, he pulled out a bottle of water, its cool surface comforting against his palm.
He studied the MRE's packaging closely. "Tear here," it read, and below that, it detailed how to activate the self-heating mechanism. He carefully followed the instructions, tearing open the top and pulling out a small heating pouch. The instructions directed him to pour a bit of water into the heating element and then place the food pouch inside.
"Alright, let's see if this works," he muttered, pouring a small amount of water into the pouch. Almost instantly, the pouch began to hiss and steam.
Thomas flinched at the sudden reaction but quickly placed the food pouch inside and sealed the package.
The smell of warm food soon wafted into the air, making his mouth water. He hadn't realized just how much he missed the simple comfort of a hot meal. The aroma alone was enough to lift his spirits.
As the food heated, Thomas leaned back against the wall and unscrewed the cap of the bottled water. He took a long sip, the cool liquid soothing his parched throat. It was the first clean drink he'd had in days, and it felt like heaven.
After a few minutes, the MRE was ready. He carefully opened the pouch, releasing a puff of steam. The sight of the warm, seasoned chicken and rice brought an unexpected wave of emotion. For a moment, it was as if he had stepped out of the nightmare and back into a normal world.
Thomas grabbed the included plastic spoon and dug in. The taste wasn't gourmet by any means, but it was warm, filling, and exactly what he needed. Each bite seemed to revive him, replenishing his strength and clearing his mind.
As he ate, he glanced at the system screen again. The completed quest was still displayed, along with his newly accumulated Souls and Blood Coins. His eyes lingered on the Souls count—100 Souls. Enough to summon a small squad.
His thoughts drifted back to the Summon Forces tab. If he could summon even a handful of allies, his odds of survival would improve dramatically.
However—.
[You can only summon troops once you are level 10.]
Thomas's excitement was abruptly cut short as the system displayed a restriction he hadn't noticed before.
"Level 10?!"
He scanned the details of the Summon Forces tab again, hoping he had misread it. Unfortunately, the glowing text was crystal clear.
[You must reach Level 10 to unlock the Summon Forces feature.]
He sighed in frustration, leaning back against the wall. "Figures... Of course, there's a catch."
Despite the setback, he reminded himself that the system had already given him tools to survive—tools he never would have dreamed of possessing. It wasn't a complete loss. The Blood Coins, Souls, and the rewards for completing quests would give him a fighting chance, and the M9 was proof of what he could accomplish with a little firepower.
After finishing his meal, he felt a surge of energy returning to his body. For the first time in days, his mind felt clear, and his body no longer felt on the brink of collapse.
He decided to focus on leveling up. If he needed to reach Level 10 to summon reinforcements, then that was his next priority.
Opening the Quest Tab, Thomas found a new notification waiting for him.
[New Quest Unlocked: Eliminate 100 Zombies.]
[Completion Reward: 50,000 Blood Coins, and 1,000 EXP.]
The quest made his stomach tighten. Killing 50 zombies had already pushed him to the edge—now the system was asking him to double that number.
"Well, no pain, no gain," he muttered, shaking his head. He couldn't afford to waste time complaining.
He glanced over the railing, surveying the school grounds below. The rain had stopped entirely now, and the skies were clearing. The zombies had scattered, some wandering aimlessly while others remained near the base of the building, drawn by his earlier gunfire.
Thomas checked his ammunition. After purchasing the extra rounds earlier, he still had about 20 left in the current magazine and a box of 30 in his inventory. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
Opening the Shop Tab again, he browsed for better weapons. His eyes lit up as he scrolled past an assortment of firearms—rifles, shotguns, and even submachine guns. Unfortunately, most of the items were grayed out, either due to high costs or level restrictions.
He sighed and selected something within his budget:
[Weapon Purchased: Heckler & Koch MP5 - 1,500 Blood Coins]
[Ammo: (20x) 9x19mm Parabellum 30 Rounds: 600 Blood Coins]
The sleek Heckler & Koch MP5 materialized in Thomas's hands.. He admired the weapon for a moment before checking the inventory to load the purchased ammunition.
"This should make things easier," he muttered, sliding the magazine into place and cocking the bolt. About how he knew to operate the gun, he just knew it, like the system has granted him basic knowledge on every gun.
Thomas leaned over the railing again, scanning the school grounds for clusters of zombies. The aftermath of his earlier fight was evident; the corpses of the undead littered the grounds, but new zombies were beginning to wander into the area, drawn by the smell of death and the faint sound of the earlier gunfire.
"Alright, time to get to work."
Thomas aimed the MP5 at a group of four zombies below. He took a deep breath, steadied his hands, and pulled the trigger.