Days blurred into weeks within the confines of the military surplus store. Life settled into a grim routine: maintaining the barricades, rationing supplies, short, calculated scavenging runs with Anya and Jax leading, and constant training.
Ethan's leg slowly healed, the bruising fading, the stiffness gradually receding. With the painkillers, he was able to participate in the training sessions Anya and Jax put them through. They were brutal, but necessary. Anya taught them close-quarters combat, knife work, and basic firearm safety. Jax, the former park ranger, focused on stealth, tracking, and improvised weaponry.
Ethan was a quick study. His **Agility** allowed him to pick up defensive maneuvers rapidly, and his **Melee Proficiency** made his hatchet strikes devastatingly effective against the zombie dummies they created. He also learned how to handle a pistol, the recoil a sharp shock at first, but his innate **Intelligence** helped him grasp the mechanics quickly.
**\[Skill Point available!]*
The notification popped up during a sparring session with Jax. Ethan had clearly gained another level or specific experience from the continuous training and perhaps the low-level zombie encounters during the short scavenging trips.
He discreetly opened his *Status*:
**Name:** Ethan James
**Title:** None
**Level:** 4
**Experience:** 380/400 (Next Level)
**Strength:** 8
**Agility:** 8
**Stamina:** 10
**Intelligence:** 11
**Skills:** Melee Proficiency (Tier 1)
**Points:** 1
**Skill Points:** 1
He still had one **Point** to allocate to his base stats, and now a **Skill Point** to spend. He decided to save the stat point for now, waiting for a situation that truly demanded a specific boost. But the skill point...
He scrolled through the **Skill Tree**.
* **Combat Skills:** Melee Proficiency (Tier 2), Ranged Accuracy (Tier 1), Critical Strike (Tier 1).
* **Survival Skills:** Scavenging (Tier 1), Stealth (Tier 1), First Aid (Tier 1).
**Ranged Accuracy** seemed like the logical choice. While he preferred the hatchet for efficiency, having a reliable firearm was critical for dealing with threats at a distance, or for taking down specific targets without getting close.
"Ranged Accuracy (Tier 1)," he thought.
*\[Ranged Accuracy (Tier 1) acquired! Effect: +10% increased accuracy with ranged weapons. Cost: 1 Skill Point.]**
A subtle flow of knowledge entered his mind, an innate understanding of sighting, breathing, and trigger control. He felt a newfound confidence in his ability to hit a target.
Life within the fortress slowly began to feel normal, in a twisted sort of way. Mr. Henderson, with his calm demeanor, became the group's educator, teaching history and survival skills. Chloe started sketching again, capturing the grim reality in stark charcoal. Lily helped Anya organize supplies, her meticulous nature proving invaluable. Sam and Jasmine, though still traumatized, found comfort in the routine and the presence of older, protective figures. Marcus became Ethan's shadow, his reliable partner on every training session and every exterior reconnaissance. Their bond, forged in blood and shared grief, grew stronger each day.
One evening, while Anya was reviewing a salvaged topographic map, a new type of information came over their jury-rigged radio, assembled by Jax. It was a faint, broken signal from a military frequency, a desperate plea for help.
"...this is Bravo Company... Sierra One outpost... under siege... overrun by... anomalies... seeking extraction… any available units… respond…" The signal was garbled, fading in and out, but the words "anomalies" and "overrun" were clear enough to send a chill down Ethan's spine. And then, a location: a remote research facility in the mountains, about fifty miles north.
Anya's face hardened. "Bravo Company was supposed to be a primary containment team. If they're calling them 'anomalies'… it's not just normal shamblers." She looked at Jax, then at Ethan. "And a research facility… that means scientists. Potential cures, or worse."
*\[New Primary Objective: Investigate Sierra One Outpost and assess threat. Reward: Substantial Experience Points upon successful completion.]**
Ethan felt a jolt. This was bigger than anything they had faced. Sierra One wasn't just another scavenging run. It was a mission, potentially a turning point. He looked at his hatchet, then at the pistol holstered at his hip. His training, his skills, his System – they had all been preparing him for this.