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.
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Ch.15 Dormitory District
Thirty minutes later, they reached the edge of the dormitory district.The girls' dormitory was a large, four-story building made of red brick. Normally it housed over three hundred students.Now, the windows were dark. The front entrance stood open with the doors hanging off their hinges.Blood smeared the walls near the entrance.But what caught their attention was the pathway leading to the building.Bodies were everywhere. Headless zombie corpses littered the ground, their dark blood pooling on the concrete. At least twenty of them, maybe more."These look like fresh kills," Kade observed, studying the corpses. "They were taken down recently. Probably within the last five hours."Raiden knelt beside one of the corpses. It had clean cuts that were professionally done all over its body. "Whoever did this is quite strong and knew what they were doing.""Could be other survivors," Mira said. "Or maybe—"A low groan cut her off.Rough sounds of movement came in from the distance. Zombi
Ch.14 The Chase
The moment they stepped outside the training complex, the full extent of the devastation hit them.The campus looked like a war zone from the movies.Buildings that had stood proud yesterday were now crumbling ruins. Smoke rose from at least a dozen fires scattered across the grounds. The beautiful flower gardens were trampled and destroyed. Bodies lay everywhere — some torn apart, others still twitching as they slowly turned.The air smelled like death. Burnt flesh, rotting meat, and chemicals.Raiden tightened his grip on the Silvermoon Sword. "Stay close and move quietly. We should avoid fights unless we have no choice."Mira and Kade nodded. They'd instinctively taken him as the leader of their group.They moved along the eastern pathway, using buildings and landscaping as cover. The girls' dormitory was roughly two kilometers away, and that was normally a fifteen-minute walk. Today, it would take much longer.Every shadow could hide a zombie and every corner was a potential ambus
Ch.13 Mira's Request
By the time Kade finished explaining the basics of handling the weapons, everyone who wanted a gun was given one. A single magazine clip for each of them.Handguns were distributed first since they were easier to carry and use. Those who preferred melee weapons kept their swords and axes but took a handgun as backup.Bulletproof vests were also given to anyone who wanted one. The night vision goggles were divided among the group leaders.Raiden strapped a vest over his uniform and holstered a Glock and three magazine clips at his hip. The Silvermoon Sword remained his primary weapon, but having a gun made him feel marginally safer.The sun had fully set by the time they finished arming themselves. Darkness pressed against the windows, broken only by distant fires burning across the campus."We should rest," Mira said. "Everyone's exhausted. We've been running on adrenaline for hours."Raiden nodded. She was right. They needed sleep. Tomorrow would bring new challenges."Find rooms on
Ch.12 Hot Weapons
When the group reached the landing, Raiden immediately spotted the problem.The armory door stood at the end of the hall. It was a thick reinforced steel with a digital keypad lock mounted on the side. This was not a simple wooden door that they could kick in. It was serious security."Of course it's locked," Kade muttered. "Nothing can be easy."Raiden approached the door and examined it closely. The steel was at least three inches thick, designed to withstand both physical force and basic magic attacks. The keypad blinked with a steady red light."Any chance someone knows the code?" Raiden asked, glancing back at the survivors.They all shook their heads. No one knew what the passcode was."We could try to guess it," Jace offered, scratching his head."Four-digit code means ten thousand possible combinations," Mira said flatly. "We don't have that kind of time."Raiden ran his hand along the door's edge, feeling the heat-resistant coating. "I think we can burn through it."Mira step
Ch.11 Grinding
The others slowly got to their feet, exhaustion written on every face. Some of the survivors looked like they could barely walk, but they managed.Raiden turned to Mira and Kade. "We need to clear this building floor by floor and check every room. There might be survivors hiding inside, and there's definitely going to be more zombies."Mira nodded. "Makes sense. This place was packed with students and staff when everything went down. Not everyone made it outside.""And some who didn't make it... most likely turned," Kade added grimly.Jace adjusted his glasses nervously. "So we're going zombie hunting in a building that could have them around every corner. Great. Just great."Raiden looked at his friend and pulled him aside, away from the others. He kept his voice low."Jace, listen. I know this is terrifying. Trust me, I'm scared too." He paused, making sure Jace was listening. "But we need to use this opportunity."Jace blinked. "Opportunity? What are you talking about?""To level u
Ch.10 S1 Zombie
[You have killed a Level 4 Spirit Circle S1 Zombie and acquired its mana] The white orb shot into his chest, and Raiden felt the surge of energy flow through him. His mana reserves expanded, and the ache in his shoulder dulled slightly. But there was no time to rest as two more zombies were closing in fast. Mira intercepted the first one. This one was a female student with half her face missing. She sidestepped the zombie's clumsy lunge and thrust her palm forward. "Ignis!" A concentrated burst of flame erupted point-blank into the zombie's chest, blasting a hole clean through its torso. The creature staggered backward, flames spreading across its body. Mira didn't wait for it to fall. She spun and kicked its legs out from under it, then stomped down hard on its head while it was prone. Crack! The skull gave way to mushy brain matter, and the zombie stopped moving. Meanwhile, Jace was struggling with the second zombie — a thin, wiry boy who moved with surprising speed. It lun
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