Lain looked out the window. The sky was suddenly bright red. People on the street were screaming and running in circles."Leo, look at the sky," Lain said. He picked up a heavy metal tool from the floor."Something is wrong," Leo said, shaking. "People are biting each other out there."A loud bang hit their door. The wood broke with a snap. A man with scary white eyes ran into the room.The man growled like a dog. He jumped straight at Lain to bite his arm.Lain held up his metal tool to stop the man. Suddenly, a strange voice spoke inside Lain's head.Zombie System on. Do you want to catch this zombie?"Yes!" Lain shouted.Blue light shot out of Lain's fingers. The light hit the scary man right in the face.The man stopped biting. His white eyes turned bright green. He stood completely still like a toy."Why did he stop?" Leo asked, hiding behind a chair. "Is he dead?""No," Lain said, looking at the man. "He is my helper now."Another loud growl came from the hallway. More scary peo

The concrete floor shook again. Dust fell into Lain’s eyes, making him blink. The iron door groaned as something heavy bumped against it from the outside tracks."They found us," Leo whispered, standing up and gripping his baton.Mavis stepped back from the green-eyed tongue helper. "Lain, the sounds from the vents are getting louder. The big monster upstairs is searching the area."Lain stood up and looked at his blue screen.Current points: 20.Current squad: Hook Mutant (Lv. 2), Tongue Mutant (Lv. 2).Spiked Guard (Lv. 5) is holding the surface stairs."We cannot stay in this room," Lain said. "We will get trapped like rats. Follow me."He unlocked the heavy iron door and pushed it open. The dark subway tunnel was full of low, scraping sounds. A group of ten regular zombies was shuffling toward them from the dark end of the tracks."Helper one, helper two, go!" Lain ordered.The Hook Mutant and the Tongue Mutant rushed forward together. The Tongue Mutant shot its long, wet tongue o

The Iron Blade Vanguard moved like a perfectly calibrated machine, its long metal arms slicing through the monsters filling the shattered doorway. Black blood sprayed across the floor tiles, staining the white linoleum as Lain, Leo, and Mavis ran behind a heavy checkout counter for safety. The smell of rotting flesh and hot oil filled the small grocery store, making Leo cough as he held his breath."Keep your heads down," Lain yelled, staying close to the metal helper to closely monitor its flashing health bar on his interface.Iron Blade Vanguard (Lv. 4) Health: 90%Daily Task Progress: 25 minutes remainingA fast zombie with long legs slipped past the helper’s swinging blades, its jaws snapping wildly as it lunged straight at Lain's chest. Lain shifted his weight onto his back foot and swung his heavy metal tool hard, striking the monster's neck until it dropped onto the floor with a wet thud.Enemy defeated. +10 points. Current points: 70."Lain, more of them are coming from the ba

The searchlights on top of the stadium wall went completely dark, leaving only the red glow of the sky to light the street. Screams erupted from inside the sports arena as loud gunshots started firing in rapid succession behind the high concrete walls."The gate is opening!" Leo yelled, pointing at the massive steel bars sliding sideways with a loud mechanical screech.A group of twenty people ran out of the stadium in total panic, dropping bags of food and extra ammunition onto the road as they fled. Behind them, three men dressed in matching gray jackets were firing rifles into the crowd, treating the unarmed survivors like target practice."Get the supplies and shoot anyone who turns back!" a man with a scarred face shouted into a megaphone from the back of a pickup truck.Lain recognized the scarred man immediately from his system’s local data log. It was Bryan, the ruthless gang leader who had taken over the sector's main supply depots right after the cosmic flash hit."They are

The Tyrant Crusher took a heavy step forward, the concrete floor groaning under its immense weight. The red veins across its bloated chest pulsed with a sickening light, illuminating the narrow corridor just enough for Lain to see the massive iron hammer arm lifting toward the ceiling."Run back toward the stadium gate!" Lain yelled, his voice cutting through the ringing echoes of the monster's roar. "Leo, Mavis, get out of this corridor right now!""We can't leave you!" Leo shouted back, but Lain grabbed his shoulder and shoved him hard toward the exit tunnel."You will only get crushed here," Lain said, his eyes never leaving the giant boss. "The ceiling is too low for it to swing properly, but it will flatten us if we stay grouped together. Go!"Mavis grabbed Leo's arm, her face completely pale under the red sky glowing through the high windows. "He is right, Leo. We are in the way of his helpers. Move!"The two survivors sprinted back down the corridor, their flashlights bounce-fl