Chapter 2: System Initialization

Chapter 2: System Initialization

The door was moments away from breaking apart, and Alex scrambled to his tiny kitchen. He yanked open a drawer, his hands fumbling for anything sharp. His fingers closed around a kitchen knife—a dull, serrated blade that had seen better days.

The door gave way with a splintering crack, and she entered.

The woman had once been alive—of that much Alex was certain. But now, her flesh was pale and rotting, her mouth hung unnaturally wide, and her milky white eyes stared straight through him.

"Stay back!" he shouted, holding the knife out in front of him.

She lunged. Alex swung wildly, the blade cutting into her arm. She didn't stop. Her cold, bloodied hands clawed at his shirt, dragging him to the ground.

"No, no, no!" Alex shouted, slamming his foot into her chest to shove her back. His body shook, his strength faltering. He gritted his teeth and stabbed upward, the knife sinking into her temple with a sickening squelch.

The woman collapsed on top of him, dead weight pinning him to the floor.

Enemy Eliminated: Low-Level Infected.

Mission Progress: 1/1 Infected Eliminated. Reward Unlocked: +10 System Points, Basic Starter Pack.

The glowing interface blinked as the words Starter Pack Unlocked flashed across it in bold, green letters.

Alex shoved the corpse off him, gasping for breath. His hands trembled as he wiped his bloody knife on the floor.

"Starter pack…" he muttered, staring at the floating screen. With a shaky hand, he jabbed at the icon.

Instantly, items materialized in front of him, shimmering with faint golden light.

A rusty machete.A roll of gauze.A single energy bar.A small vial of glowing blue liquid labeled Adrenaline Booster.

"Now we're talking…" Alex muttered, grabbing the machete. He gave it a test swing, its weight reassuring in his hand.

The system spoke again.

Tutorial Complete. Your first night begins now. Survive until dawn.

From the hallway, the sound of groaning and shuffling footsteps reached his ears. Alex gripped the machete tightly.

"This is going to be a long night…"