6. System

'.....'= Thoughts 

"....."= Conversations 

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As the chaos outside continued to unfold, Cheong-san and Jin-soo caught sight of two figures frantically scaling a ladder towards the small window of their makeshift sanctuary. "Bare-su, quick!" Cheong-san shouted urgently, his voice edged with desperation as he saw the horde of zombies surging toward the two climbers.

Jin-soo quickly placed a finger to his lips, silencing Cheong-san with a stern glance. "Keep it down. They'll hear us," he whispered sharply, a reminder that even the smallest sound could be fatal in their precarious situation. The reminder had its effect; Cheong-san's voice fell to a whisper as he helped Bare-su clamber through the window into the relative safety of the room.

Behind Bare-su was a girl, her face strained with exertion and fear, a name tag on her shirt fluttering as she moved. It read 'Nam-ra'. Jin-soo dropped his knife and reached out to help her as she stumbled into the room, his other hand quickly shutting the window behind her.

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone's attention turned to the newcomers, relief momentarily displacing the pervasive sense of dread. Nam-ra, breathing heavily, managed a small nod of thanks toward Jin-soo, who nodded back, his eyes quickly scanning the window to ensure it was secure.

Bare-su, now inside, looked around at the assembled group, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. "It's madness everywhere," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Zombies...zombies everywhere. Fast and deadly."

Cheong-san strained as he helped Bare-su up, his muscles aching from the effort. Jin-soo stepped away from the window, ensuring it was securely shut before turning his attention back to the room. Amidst the chaos, a thought struck him with sudden urgency—the system.

Jin-soo moved to one end of the classroom, his knife clutched tightly in his hand. He found a curtain and began meticulously cleaning the blood from the blade. As he worked, he summoned the system panel with a thought, watching as it materialized before his eyes. The display was familiar yet jarring in its starkness, showing his current attributes:

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Name: Kim Jin soo

Age: 17

Attributes:

- Strength: 0.7

- Agility: 0.9

- Constitution: 0.8

Skill:

-Amateur boxer

Special Ability:

-None

Points: 0.3

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He quickly willed the specific attributes shown on the system panel to display more details. Soon, the information about the attributes was sent to his mind.

An average adult human has attributes ranging from 1.1 to 1.4. The current Jin-soo was weaker than the average adult human. Well, he was still in his teenage years, though even among teenagers, he could considered among one of the weakest groups.

Jin-soo moved on to the next information specifying the details of each attribute.

Strength would help in fighting off zombies, giving him the power to land stronger blows and push through when physical force was necessary. Agility would allow him to move faster, evade attacks, and navigate the treacherous environment with greater ease. Constitution was a critical stat—more health, better endurance, and a higher chance of surviving injuries and infections.

He then moved on to the information regarding the points tab, which stated that killing a person or a zombie would give him 0.1 points each.

Jin Woo glanced at the points tab and realized he had accumulated only 0.3 points, confirming that he had indeed killed only three zombies. Throughout his escape, he had encountered several zombies, attacking them with his knife to fend them off. However, in the heat of the moment and his rush to find safety, he wasn't certain he had delivered fatal blows to each one. His primary concern had been survival, not maximizing his point score, especially given his low endurance.

Jin-soo shook off those thoughts and quickly focused on the information inchis mind.

These points could then help him increase his attributes.

Jin-soo quickly decided to experiment. He willed to allocate 0.1 of his 0.3 points to his Constitution attribute. Instantly, he felt a rush of energy as his Constitution increased from 0.8 to 0.9. His fatigue and tension seemed to melt away, replaced by a sense of renewed vitality.

Encouraged by this, he put 0.1 point into his Strength attribute, raising it from 0.7 to 0.8. Another wave of invigorating warmth surged through him, and he could feel his muscles subtly strengthening.

Jin-soo quickly decided to put his remaining 0.1 point into his Constitution attribute, raising it to 1. The sensation was immediate and more exhilarating than before, a potent blend of vitality and resilience flooding through him. His breathing steadied, his muscles relaxed, and a newfound strength surged within him. Reaching 1 in constitution seemed like some form of passing a hurdle as he could clearly feel himself becoming better than before.

For the first time since the outbreak began, Jin-soo felt an inkling of hope, a sense that he might be able to endure the horrors outside.

Cheong-san's voice broke through Jin-soo's reverie, but only faintly at first. "Jin-soo! Jin-soo!" he called.

Jin-soo was absorbed in the sensations coursing through his body, the newfound strength and vitality intoxicating.

"Jin-soo!" Cheong-san's shout finally pierced his consciousness. Jin-soo turned abruptly, blinking as if waking from a dream. He had positioned himself so that the others couldn't see his face as he cleaned his knife.

"What is it?" Jin-soo asked, trying to sound casual as he turned to face the group.

"Are you okay?" Cheong-san asked. "You seemed...distracted."

Jin-soo forced a smile, though his mind was still buzzing with the effects of his enhanced attributes. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was just...lost in my thoughts for a moment."

Gyeong-su chuckled lightly, eyeing Jin-soo with a mix of amusement and wariness. "Man, you looked like one of those villains from the movies just now, cleaning that knife all brooding and intense."

Jin-soo managed a wry smile, glancing at the now clean blade in his hand. "It's zombie blood," he explained, his tone easing into one of cautious practicality. "I figured it's best to keep it clean. We don't know if this stuff could be harmful to and turn us into zombies." His response, thoughtful and deliberate.

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