2025-12-10 14:31:20He caught the zombie's wrists as it tried to claw at his face. Its strength was surprising, pushing against him with unnatural force. Its mouth snapped at the air, teeth trying to find his flesh.
Raiden gritted his teeth and twisted, using the zombie's momentum against it. He pivoted and slammed it face-first into the stone wall. He continued the assault, hitting it once, twice. Three times. On the fourth impact, the skull finally gave way with a wet crunch. The zombie went limp. [You have killed a Level 1 Spirit Circle Zombie and acquired its mana] [You have levelled up to Level 2 Spirit Circle] Raiden released the corpse and let it crumple to the ground. His chest heaved as he caught his breath. Even though he'd advanced to Level 2 Spirit Circle, he wasn't happy about it. His hands were shaking from adrenaline, from fear, from the reality of what he'd just done. He'd killed four zombies with his bare hands, a stomp of his foot, and a piece of wood. Four things that used to be people. The thought made his stomach turn, but he forced it down. There was no time to show weakness, no time to let feelings cloud his chances of survival. The two zombies he'd knocked down earlier were already getting back up, groaning as they clawed at the ground. "Raiden!" Jace's voice called out. "Catch!" Something flew through the air. Raiden caught it on instinct. It was a metal rod, probably torn from a broken fence. Better than nothing. He moved forward and brought the rod down on the first zombie's head with brutal efficiency. Then the second. [You have killed a Level 1 Spirit Circle Zombie and acquired its mana] [You have killed a Level 1 Spirit Circle Zombie and acquired its mana] Silence fell over the small area, broken only by heavy breathing and distant screams from elsewhere on campus. Raiden stood there with the rod still raised, staring at the bodies around him. Five zombies. He'd just killed five zombies. [Side Quest Progress: 5/5 Students Rescued] [Side Quest Complete!] [Reward: +50 System Coins, Black-grade Treasure Orb] [Would you like to claim your reward now? Yes / No] The glowing text hovered in his vision, waiting for an answer. Raiden lowered the metal rod slowly. His arms felt like jelly. Every muscle trembled in protest. Behind him, the seven students he'd saved stared in a mixture of awe, fear, and disbelief. One of the girls, the one Ash had pushed, spoke first, her voice barely audible. "You... you saved us." Raiden turned to look at them. Most seemed genuinely grateful, tears of relief streaming down their faces. But Ash, the buzz-cut boy, stood apart from the group. His face was twisted in humiliation and barely concealed anger. He avoided making eye contact with anyone. "Are you all okay?" Raiden asked, trying to keep his voice steady. The students nodded, though several were still shaking. Jace, Mira, and Kade jogged over to join him. "That was insane," Kade said, looking at the corpses scattered around. "You just... how did you..." "Adrenaline," Raiden said simply. It wasn't entirely a lie. Mira studied him with those sharp eyes of hers. "You moved like you knew what you were doing." Raiden shrugged, uncomfortable under her gaze. "I read a lot of webnovels. Guess some of it stuck." "Webnovels," Mira repeated flatly. "You survived that because of webnovels." "Hey, don't knock it. They teach survival skills." Despite everything, Jace let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, zombie survival rule 101. Always aim for the head." The tension broke slightly, though the horror of their situation still hung heavy in the air. Raiden looked back at the notification still hovering in his vision. [Would you like to claim your reward? Yes / No] He focused on it mentally, thinking 'Yes'. The text shifted. [Reward Claimed] [+50 System Coins added to inventory] [Black-grade Treasure Orb added to inventory] [New Feature Unlocked: Inventory] [New Feature Unlocked: Shop] More text appeared, scrolling past his vision faster than he could fully read. When it finally stopped, a new interface had materialized, translucent windows showing various sections. One was labeled 'Inventory'. Another 'Shop'. A third showed his current stats. It really was like a game. "Did anyone else just get a bunch of notifications?" Raiden asked, glancing at the others. Mira nodded slowly. "I got something about unlocking features. An inventory system and a shop." "Same here," Kade added. "What the hell is going on?" "The map," Raiden said, pieces clicking together in his mind. "When it activated, it said something about a trial. I think... I think it turned the whole world into some kind of game where you need to grow stronger by killing zombies and beasts or completing certain quests." "A game where zombies are real and people actually turn into one when bitten," Jace said, his voice hollow. Raiden had no response to that. Because Jace was absolutely right. This wasn't a game they could quit. There was no reset button. No respawn. Death here was permanent. Well, same as before, but in a more ruthless way. And they were all players now, whether they wanted to be or not.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Ch.22 General Office
Raiden and Kade quickly headed toward the sound. Through the office's glass door, they saw five people inside — four men and one woman, all pressed against the far wall, looking terrified.Raiden looked them over briefly. None of them appeared injured. No bites or scratches."If you trust us, then follow behind us," Raiden said through the glass. His tone was calm but firm. "Stay close. Don't fall behind."He didn't wait for their response. He turned and continued running toward the General Office.On this level, the only zombies left were scattered former staff members. Following behind him wouldn't be too dangerous as long as they stayed close.Inside the Financial Office, a guy wearing glasses turned to the handsome young man beside him. The young man was dressed in expensive brand-name clothes with an elegant and fashionable look. He held a wooden staff in one hand."What now, Zhao Zhen?" the glasses-wearing guy asked nervously.Zhao Zhen looked toward the direction Raiden had gon
Ch.21 Help!
"We've got company!" Kade shouted, glancing back.Following their assault on the four zombies, more and more undead were gathering behind them. The sounds of combat had drawn them from all directions.The horde was growing denser by the second, looking extremely scary. Raiden and Kade didn't dare stay in one place for even a moment. They both continued charging forward, quickly killing any zombies that blocked their path.But there were too many now. They didn't even have time to pick up the System Coins that dropped from the zombies they killed.Raiden's sword flashed again and again. His blade cut through rotting flesh and bone with brutal efficiency. Behind him, Kade fired controlled shots, each bullet finding a zombie's skull.They carved a bloody path through the undead.A zombie lunged at Raiden from the side. He spun and brought his sword down in a clean arc, severing its head from its shoulders.[You have killed a Level 4 Spirit Circle Zombie and acquired its mana]The white o
Ch.20 Recovery
Raiden walked back to the group, his mind already working through the logistics. Getting out of the dorm was one thing. Getting vehicles and making it to the Golden District was another."Driving a school bus, that's not a problem, right?" Raiden asked, looking at Talia specifically. What he needed was someone who could handle a large vehicle whilst he, Mira, and Kade focused on protecting the vehicle.Talia confidently replied, "There's no problem at all!""Do you know where the keys to the school bus are?" Raiden continued. Without the keys, even if they found the bus in the garage, it would be useless.Talia thought for a moment, then quickly said, "The school bus driver's room is between the General Office and the Academic Affairs office. His name is George. If nothing else has happened to him, we should be able to find the keys in one of those two places."Talia had been the president of the second-year student council, so she regularly dealt with the academy's administration. Sh
Ch.19 Plan
Raiden sat on one of the beds with his eyes closed, sweating profusely. Though he was stronger than both Mira and Kade, the fierce battle with the zombies had consumed most of his stamina.His muscles ached and his arms felt like lead. Every breath came harder than the last.Right now in the dorm room, besides Raiden, Mira, and Kade, there were four other girls. The four girls looked at Raiden and Kade with curious eyes, especially Raiden.Just moments ago, they'd watched him rush into a horde of zombies, cutting them down with brutal efficiency to protect the dorm entrance. That scene was now engraved in their minds.A sweet scent drifted over.A girl wearing jeans and a white t-shirt with long flowing hair walked toward Raiden. She was beautiful and vibrant, with an energy that seemed impossible given the circumstances. She stopped in front of him with a slight smile."Hello, my name is Talia Crow," she said, her voice warm. "What's your name?"Raiden looked up at her, his gray eyes
Ch.18 Close Call II
The female zombie was right in his face now, close enough that he could smell the rancid odor coming from its rotting body. Its face was tattered, chunks of flesh missing, and teeth exposed in a permanent grimace.Raiden wanted to vomit. But more than that, he wanted to live.He kicked out brutally, slamming his boot into the zombie's abdomen. His enhanced strength, boosted by multiple level-ups, erupted through the blow.The zombie flew backward two meters, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.Raiden didn't give it a chance to recover. He stepped forward and brought his sword down in a clean overhead chop, splitting the zombie's skull open.[You have killed a Level 6 Spirit Circle S1 Zombie and acquired its mana]The moment the zombie died, something appeared beside its corpse.The familiar black treasure box, about the size of a shoebox, materialized out of thin air. It glowed faintly with energy.Raiden stared at it for a second, then quickly grabbed it and shoved it into
Ch.17 Close Call I
The trio worked together with brutal efficiency, cutting down every zombie that surrounded the girls' dormitory entrance.Within minutes, the area was clear. Bodies littered the ground, dark blood pooling across the concrete.But Raiden knew more would come. The sounds of combat had echoed across the entire district. Every zombie within hearing range would be heading their way soon."We need to secure this place," Raiden said, already moving.He sprinted toward the dormitory's security room, a small office just inside the entrance. The door hung open, and the guard who'd manned it was nowhere to be seen. Probably dead or turned into a zombie.Raiden rummaged through the desk drawers, searching frantically for keys. He needed the keys.There. He found a ring of them, dozens of keys labeled with room numbers and building codes. And beside them, a heavy-duty padlock with a thick chain."Perfect." Raiden grabbed both and ran back outside.Mira and Kade were already at the gate, keeping wa
You may also like
BEAST EMPEROR
Xamo32.1K viewsThe Ultimate Devourer
Daoist Of Lies14.7K viewsREX: The Powerful Being
Moni Sky13.7K viewsThe Greatest Martial Arts Cultivator
KidOO96.2K viewsLegend Of The Young Warlock
Zuxian8.5K viewsTrash to Throne
Rukky1.9K viewsTHE BLOOD KEY CHRONICLES: THE SEAL THAT BINDS THE WORLD
Victoria C 461 viewsEsteria: The World of Life
InosentElsie2.5K views