Unexpected Intruder

Richard spun around to face the door that swung open without warning. A woman in her twenties walked in, her face pale and eyes wide with fear. She slammed the door shut behind her and hastily locked it, her fingers trembling as she struggled to secure the latch. It hit him then that Sara must have forgotten to lock the door.

"Who are you?!" Richard blurted out cautiously. He instinctively took a step back, putting a bit of distance between himself and the stranger.

The woman jumped at his voice, her eyes snapping to his with a startled expression. Her disheveled appearance and the desperation in her eyes made it clear that she'd been through a lot. He recognize her, that's his neighbor.

"Please, let me stay here!" Her voice trembled.

"No! Get out!" Richard said without hesitation, he can't be too careful now, especially when a zombie apocalypse is happening outside.

The woman's face contorted into a mix of fear and pleading. Her hands clasped together in front of her, almost as if she was praying, and she took a step closer submissively.

"Please, I'm begging you," she said in a quavering voice. "I have nowhere else to go. I'm scared and alone out there."

"That's not my problem, you have your own unit, stay there!" Richard's tone remained firm.

"I can't…my brother became…became…one of them, it's not safe there," the lady stammered.

"You mean to say that there are already zombies inside this condominium?" Richard questioned, his eyebrows furrowing with concern.

The woman nodded frantically, "Please, you have to understand. I saw what happened to my brother. It was…horrifying."

Richard cursed under his breath, in this situation, it's best to remain alone. Saving others would only jeopardize his own chances of survival.

"Please... sir... I'm begging you..." The woman cried. As she fell to her knees and clasped her hands together.

And then, as she knelt there, her sleeves slipped down her arms, revealing a bite mark on her right arm. Richard's eyes widened, horror and realization flooding over him. He had seen enough movies to know what that bite mark meant

"You—what's that bite mark on your arm?" Richard pointed his finger at her arm.

The woman's gaze dropped to her arm, her face contorting in horror. She tried to tug her sleeves down, but it was too late.

"This is nothing–sir!" The woman's voice quivered as she hurriedly tried to downplay the significance of the bite mark.

"What the hell do you mean by 'nothing'?! You were bitten!" Richard's voice exploded in anger as he rushed to the kitchen, swiftly pulling a knife from the drawer, and aimed it at the woman.

"I swear…suh…sar…sir..!" The woman's words stuttered and her voice trembled as her body seemed to twitch involuntarily. A wave of terror washed over her features, her skin taking on a sickly pallor.

Richard's eyes widened as he watched the woman's body convulse, her movements becoming erratic and unnatural. Bones audibly cracked and shifted beneath her skin as her limbs contorted in disturbing ways. She let out a guttural, strangled scream that sent shivers down his spine.

The woman's eyes, once filled with desperation, were now glazed over with otherworldly darkness. Her fingers twisted and stretched as if in the throes of unimaginable pain, her nails digging into her own flesh. It was like a nightmare come to life, a scene straight out of a horror film.

Time seemed to slow as he watched in horrified fascination, the knife in his hand wavering as his fingers trembled. He had to make a decision, and he had to make it fast. The woman's transformation was accelerating, her once-human form contorting into something monstrous and grotesque.

And then, with a final, gut-wrenching howl, the woman's body stilled. She had completed her transformation. Her eyes, now vacant and lifeless, locked onto Richard with hunger. Richard stumbled back, the knife still clutched tightly in his trembling hand.

Her body lunged forward with an unsettling speed that caught Richard off guard.

Richard's survival instincts snapped into action. He hoisted the knife, his muscles taut with adrenaline, and swung it at her with every ounce of force he could summon.

In that heart-stopping moment, it became painfully apparent that his lack of experience with such a weapon was a fatal flaw. The blade met the woman's shoulder, but it was like striking a brick wall. It scraped off her flesh, leaving a mere scratch as if mocking his feeble attempt. Her advance was unwavering, her fingers extended like grotesque talons, reaching for him with a chilling determination.

Panic surged through Richard as he stumbled back, the knife slipping from his grasp and clattering to the floor. His heart raced as he frantically looked around the room, searching for anything he could use to defend himself.

With a surge of adrenaline, he spotted a heavy wooden chair nearby. Without a second thought, he grabbed it and swung it at the approaching figure with all his might. The chair collided with the woman's body, knocking her off balance and sending her crashing to the floor.

"Now what?!" Richard muttered under his breath, he couldn't get out of his unit because the body was on the way, and time is running out as the zombie is slowly rising.

The zombie, once regained her footing, lunged once again. Before he could react, her weight crashed into him, the force of the impact sending him sprawling to the floor.

The zombie's body was atop him, her grip like iron as she pinned him down. Her mangled features contorted into a horrifying grin, her intentions chillingly clear. Richard felt her mouth inching closer to his neck, her breath hot and fetid against his skin.

An animalistic groan escaped him as he fought against her, every muscle straining in a desperate bid for survival. His hands pushed against her shoulders, his fingers digging into her flesh. He grunted as he strained to keep her gnashing jaws at bay.

"I am not going to become a zombie," Richard uttered with a strained voice.

And then, in the midst of the life-or-death struggle, Richard's eyes caught a glint of metal within his reach. The knife, that slipped earlier, lay just inches away.

Richard reached out, his fingers closing around the hilt of the knife. He wrestled it free from the floor while preventing the zombie on top of him from biting into his neck.

With a primal roar, Richard brought the knife up between them and repeatedly stabbed the zombie's neck. Blood trickled down onto his neck, and Richard averted his face to prevent the blood from reaching his mouth.

Seconds later, the zombie stopped, and Richard threw her aside.

Richard breathed in and out raggedly; he had just killed a person… no, a zombie. He immediately got to his feet and dragged the zombie corpse out of his room with its blood trailing beneath its body. After getting it out, Richard closed the door and locked it.

Richard walked over to the sofa and sat down, his blood-stained hands still shivering. The new reality is sinking on him now.

As he sat there, staring blankly ahead, a holographic message suddenly appeared in front of him, breaking through the haze of his thoughts.

[Congratulations on completing your mission: Kill a single zombie]

[Reward: Activation of the Military System]

Richard's brow furrowed as he read the message. "What the heck…what is this?"

Richard tried to touch it but his hands went through as if it was a solidified mist. He withdrew his hand in confusion, his brow furrowing even deeper. The holographic message remained suspended in the air, tauntingly out of his reach.

Moments later, the display on the holographic screens changed, showing a different display.

[Military System is now successfully activated!]

[User: Richard Gonzales

Age: 21

Level: 1

Skills: Weapon Proficiency Level 1, Melee Proficiency Level 1, Driving Proficiency Level 1.

Health: 100/100

Experience points: 0/660

Inventory:

Shop:

Summoned Troops: 0/10

Wheel of Fortune:

Daily Rewards:

Basic Survival Guide:

Zombie Encounters: Tactics and Strategies ]

"What the…" Richard muttered as he processed the holographic screen before him. He had watched a lot of anime, and movies, and read light novels. Everything is starting to make sense to him now, just like every character in every system genre he read, he too has his own.