Ethan led the group through a narrow path behind the Faculty of Arts, his bat still stained with dried blood. The others walked close behind, barely speaking, afraid that even their whispers might attract something.
Gracie clutched Mella's arm tightly, while Helen kept glancing around like she expected a zombie to jump from the trees.
Anna was right behind Ethan, her face pale but determined.
They had been walking for nearly twenty minutes, moving from wall to wall, hiding whenever they hear those horrifying "rarrrring" sounds or even spotted a shadow.
"Ethan, where are we even going?"
It got to a point when Anna had to ask, as they were already getting tired.
Ethan remained calm... He didn't look back.
"Somewhere safer," he muttered. "Anywhere that's not crawling with those freaks."
Truth was, he had no idea. Every direction just turn out to look the same...
Broken glass, overturned benches, and blood-stained walls.
While they continued walking, it didn't take long before That the familiar ping sound echoed in his head.
[Hey Genius, you sure you know where you're going? Because from here, it looks like you're about to get everyone killed.]
'Oh, great.'
Ethan's brow twitched, but that was the only reply he gave.
He kept walking, pretending not to react so the others wouldn't notice.
[What's the plan, Captain? Gonna keep walking in circles till nightfall?]
'Shut up!' Ethan thought. 'You're the one who should be helping me, not running your mouth.'
[Helping you? I already helped you by informing you about the herd attack... That's enough for someone who needs to survive the apocalypse.]
Ethan clenched his jaw, his face dark.
'If I die, you die too, you sarcastic piece of junk.'
[Oh, don't flatter yourself. I can always find another Host. You're not special.]
Ethan's jaw dropped at once. He wanted to curse out loud but bit it back. Anna was already glancing at him, confused by his tense expression.
"Ethan?"
"I'm fine," he said quickly. "Keep moving."
Before long, they got through scattered section with different buildings, and it was a bit dark walking through the alleyway.
However, they noticed that this place was somewhat different from the rest of the buildings in campus.
Unlike the others that had their glasses broken, and blood spilled all over the walls, this one was clean.
Ethan gave a huge sigh of relief...
But suddenly, that reliving sigh was immediately taken back when they suddenly heard footsteps from the side.
And then, the next thing they noticed was a shadow, fast and deliberate.
Ethan froze, holding his hand up.
"Stop."
The group halted immediately. Everyone looked around, hearts pounding as tension rose.
Then... It finally came out.
A figure, taller than any zombie they had seen before. Its body looked almost completely different. Less rotten, more muscular. Its skin was grey but tense like leather.
Its eyes glowed faintly red.
And unlike the others, it didn't groan or stumble. It stared straight at Ethan.
"Oh no," Ethan muttered under his breath.
[Congratulations, smart boy. You've met your first Level 3 zombie. I'm sure you don't want to die, host. You have to stop yourself from dying or you will.]
The system announced.
"Perfect timing," Ethan hissed quietly.
The Level 3 zombie moved first, a blur of motion that closed the distance between them in seconds. Ethan barely had time to raise his bat before the creature swung its arm.
BAM!
The force sent Ethan crashing into the wall, his breath nearly knocked out of him.
"Ethan!" Anna screamed.
He rolled aside just in time as the zombie's claws ripped into the wall where his head had been.
"Stay back!" Ethan shouted, forcing himself up. He gripped his bat tighter and swung with all his might. The bat connected with the zombie's shoulder, but it barely flinched.
"What the hell…" Ethan muttered, backing away.
The zombie's head tilted, like it was mocking him. Then it lunged again.
Ethan ducked, swung at its legs, and managed to trip it momentarily. But before he could land another hit, it swept its arm at him again, throwing him off balance.
"Ethan, look out!" Helen shouted.
The other guy, the one Ethan had already decided was a liability, ran forward, holding the short knife Ethan had given him earlier.
"I'll help!" he yelled.
"Wait, don't—!" Ethan tried to warn him, but it was too late.
He sure knew that this guy had no idea how to face off with a mere Level 1 zombie, much less a Level 3.
The zombie turned faster than anyone expected, grabbed the guy by the arm, and bit deep into his shoulder.
The sound of flesh tearing echoed through the alleyway.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" the guy screamed, falling to the ground.
"Oh my God...!" Anna froze in horror.
The zombie turned toward her next, its mouth dripping blood.
Ethan's heart raced. There wasn't time to think. He opened his interface instantly.
"Store," he muttered under his breath. "A weapon. Anything stronger."
[Host, you sure you wanna spend some bucks?]
Ethan didn't give a single response, as he went straight to searching for a new weapon. He scrolled faster than normal until his eyes locked onto something.
—Axe: 30 Boyfriend Credits.
And without hesitation, he bought it.
The weapon materialized in his hand instantly, a heavy, iron-bladed axe that shimmered faintly under the sun.
Everyone gasped as they witnessed what just happened.
"W–what the hell?" Gracie whispered, eyes wide. "That... It just appeared!"
Ethan didn't say a word, full focused on the Level 3 zombie as he dashed towards it.
The zombie had almost reached Anna when Ethan came from behind and swung the axe down with everything he had.
CRACK!
The blade sank deep into the zombie's skull. The creature twitched violently, growled one last time, then collapsed on the ground, motionless.
Ethan stood over it, panting heavily, his grip tightening around the handle.
Then, the familiar text appeared before his eyes.
[You have killed a Level 3 Zombie. +100 Boyfriend Credits earned.]
[New Skill Unlocked: "Identifier" You can now see the Level, Name and features of every zombie you encounter.]
He exhaled sharply, lowering the axe, his clothes were drenched in sweat and blood.
Behind him, Anna knelt beside the bitten guy as she tried shaking him.
"He's still breathing!"
"Then let's get him up," Ethan said quickly. "We're leaving."
The others stared at him and next to the axe, at how it had appeared out of thin air. But
Ethan didn't give them time to ask questions as he crouched, helped the bitten guy to his feet, and they headed forward.
"Ethan," Anna said softly. "Where did you get that axe?"
Her face was glinting in both awe and curiosity, and it was clear that she demanded an immediate answer.
However...
He only looked straight ahead. "Doesn't matter. Just move."
With a glare on her face, Anna rolled her eyes in disappointment.
A moment of silence passed before the system chimed in again.
[Well, I'll admit, that was impressive. Good job, kid.]
Ethan wiped sweat from his forehead and muttered under his breath.
"Screw you."