Ethan realised that the earlier he starts seeing Level 1 zombies as mere threats, the better for him.
He was sure that the system would keep excluding details about Level 1 zombies, even though they are in large numbers.
He didn't know why, but he knew one thing for sure.
This system is crazy...
...
After gathering 420 more Boyfriend Credits from killing the zombies, Ethan now had 455 Boyfriend Credits in the Store Balance.
Without wasting much time, he dismissed the screen and turned back to the survivors.
Anna was standing with Mella and Gracie at the side, while Helen, the unfamiliar girl, and the guy stood in front of Ethan.
They all exchanged expressionless looks at first until then Ethan spoke.
"Alright," he said flatly. "We can't stay here. Let's move."
"W... Wait, move? Where?" Gracie asked, wiping her tears.
"To the Male Dormitory," Ethan replied. "It's safer than here."
"But... But aren't there zombies out there?" The random guy looked up nervously with an unreadable look on his face and asked.
Ethan's gaze darkened at once as he turned to him.
"Do you see any better options?"
The guy appeared silent, as he gave a nervous shrug.
Anna bit her lip and turned toward Gracie and Mella. "Wait... Did you guys see Lance?" She asked quickly, hope flickering in her eyes.
"We were together when the commotion started, but his hand slipped when the crowds worsened," she added.
Both Gracie and Mella exchanged glances before shaking their heads slowly.
"No," Gracie said. "We didn't see him. Not even once We all ran here right from the hall, and we never left for even a second."
"Then we have to find him!"
Anna's voice trembled as her face turned sore.
"What if he is..."
"Anna," Ethan quickly interrupted. "We're not going back out there."
She turned toward him, frustration and worry mixing on her face. "But..."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"You've seen what's happening out there. If we go searching now, we're all dead. We get back to safety first, and then we can figure out what's next."
Anna didn't respond immediately as her shoulders sank, and her eyes dropped to the ground.
She hated that he was right, and at this point she couldn't do anything to change the fact that they had to go.
But she was deeply worried about Lance.
At that moment, Mella clutched her stomach as an ugly look appeared on her face.
"Ethan, we haven't eaten anything since yesterday," she whispered. "I don't even know how long I can walk like this."
"Same," Helen added weakly. "I'm starving."
Ethan glanced at them with a sharp look.
He couldn't stand the thought of dragging half-dead, hungry people through zombie-infested walkways. That would be the worst of ideas anyone could have at this point.
With a sigh, he nodded.
"Alright. Let's move first. We'll find something when we get there."
They didn't waste another minute as Ethan led them out of the Computer Science Academic Building through a side corridor, his bat gripped tightly. Every creak, every rustle made them freeze. But somehow, luck seemed to favor them that morning.
They ducked behind trees, slid past open doors, and crept along the shadows of walls until they reached the Male Dormitory.
Not a single zombie spotted them... Or let's just say, not a single zombie over Level 1 spotted them.
When they got inside, Ethan made them settle down in the dorm room he had been hiding. The place smelled dusty but safe enough, at least.
As they settled in, everyone slumped down against the wall, exhausted.
And then Anna glanced at him. "What now?"
"Now," Ethan said and glanced around, "we eat."
"Hold on. I'd be right back."
Ethan walked straight into the restroom. They wondered if he was going to bring them something to eat from there, but that was clearly unlikely because...
Who would store food in a restroom?
------
[Store.]
[Resources Menu.]
.
[Name: A loaf of Bread.]
[Value: 300 grams.]
[Price: 10 BC.]
...
[Name: Coke.]
[Value: A can of 50 cl.]
[Price: 10 BC.]
------
Ethan entered the system Store at once and spent some of his Boyfriend Credits to buy loads of bread from the Store.
Fresh loaves wrapped in plastic, and even a few cans of cold Coke. Entering back into the room, he brought them out of his backpack like it was nothing.
Everyone stared in awe.
"Wait... Where did you get all that from?" Gracie asked, slightly surprised. "Did you sneak through the zombies to the canteen?"
"Besides, the canteen is already flooded by those things," Anna added.
"Nope," Ethan blinked and shrugged casually. "The guys who stayed in the next dorm must've stocked up before everything went to hell. That's where I got it," he lied.
"Guess we are lucky," he added as he threw one loaf to each and every one of them, together with a can of coke.
Ethan was just amazed how he could get bread and coke from the Store, but he knew how important and helping it was.
Gracie's face lit up with relief. "Oh my God, thank you!"
They tore into the bread like they hadn't eaten in days. Mella smiled softly for the first time. Anna took a bite too, though she didn't look like she was enjoying it much.
Clearly, her mind was still on Lance.
Ethan sat by the window, quietly sipping from his Coke. He wasn't hungry, really, as his stomach had long gotten used to tension.
Instead, his eyes flicked toward the time.
10:20 AM.
His eyes widened the moment he realised what that meant.
"Shit!"
"What?" Everyone blinked in confusion as they raised their head towards him.
Ethan stood up quickly and spoke, his tone sharp and tensed. "We need to move."
"Now!"
"Move? We just got here," the young lady who hadn't said a word since they got here finally spoke, a glare appearing on her face.
"Zombies," Ethan said bluntly. "A herd is coming this way. If we stay here, we're all dead."
That was all it took, as panic spread instantly.
Everyone jumped to their feet, grabbing their things... Actually, they didn't even have much to grab aside from the meals they were still enjoying.
Why they were all attempting to rush out, he quickly entered the Store again without any of them noticing a thing. He quickly purchased several combat knives, the same ones he'd seen earlier in the Store, each costing 15 Boyfriend Credits.
"We would all need weapons to protect ourselves from now on," he said as he handed them out one by one.
"Take it," he said. "If they get too close, stab them on the head. Don't think. Just do it."
They all nodded, except one person who had a completely different mood.
When he got to handing Anna hers, she hesitated and shook her head. "I can't… I can't use that."
Ethan frowned. "Anna..."
She stepped back slightly. "Please. I... I just can't."
He looked at her for a second, then sighed and nodded. "Fine. Stay behind me, then."
They didn't have time for more talk. A distant growl echoed through the corridor, followed by the faint sound of the staggering footsteps.
Gracie gasped. "They're here…"
They rushed out of the room, and Ethan turned toward the hallway, the noise getting louder, fast.
"Everyone out the backdoor!" He shouted. "Move!"
They ran down the narrow hallway, their footsteps echoing off the floor. The air was thick with panic, and behind them, the front entrance burst open as the first zombies poured inside, growling and stumbling over each other.
"Go, go, go!" Ethan yelled, pushing the random guy forward when he slowed down.
Anna turned back once to see the hallway filling with the undead. Her face changed completely, enveloped for terror.
At that point she wished she never had eyes to see the scary image behind them.
Ethan grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the backdoor just in time, slamming it shut behind them.
They didn't stop running until they reached the small patch of forest behind the dormitory.
When they finally paused to catch their breath, the first explosion of glass came from the dormitory behind them.
The zombies had broken in completely.
Anna clutched her chest, breathing hard.
"That… that was scary," she said in a faint exhausted voice.
Ethan wiped sweat from his forehead and nodded. "Scary to many. Annoying to some," he said nonchalantly as he turned away.
He looked back at the group, terrified and clueless of what to do. The whole thing was still looking like a joke to them, but truly they had to accept the reality early.
Ethan knew that they had to find somewhere else safe to stay before the herd breaks through the backdoor after following them through.
He knows If he didn't stay ahead of the system's warnings, they'd all die before sunset.