ZOMBIES EPIDEMIC I

I can hear screaming and wailing, the sound of munching on flesh, people's agony, things chattering on the floor," Axel said, his gaze still fixed on the window, his words sending fear and terror amidst the other players.

"Is Axel losing it now?" Logan said as he burst into laughter, but it quickly died down as the others didn't join in.

"Why aren't we hearing anything though?" Rosa asked, looking confused. "All I hear are birds and rustling leaves."

"Me too! Axel must be really stressed out and needs some rest," Lionel chimed in.

"Wait, you said you could hear low-pitched sounds from far away," Ave said, glaring at Axel. "Maybe that's what you're hearing now. Are we in any sort of danger, Axel?"

Ding!

(Fifth game starts now. Dear players, please go to Heritage High School immediately.)

"What the heck? Why would the fifth game start now?" Florence yelled as the system made its announcement.

The other players couldn't believe their ears as well as their mouths hung open at the message on the screen.

"That's why I wanted to know when the fifth game would start. How can it start today?" said Logan with a loud groan, sadness written all over his face.

"The sound you heard earlier actually indicates that the fifth game has already started? And the sounds of flesh being eaten... are we perhaps fighting a flesh-eating monster?!" yelled Rosa, her body tensed up, fear and terror evident in her eyes and tone.

"I'm afraid to say, but I guess it has started. I could only hear the sounds, but I can't recognize where they're coming from. You all need to be prepared, as this might be a very bloody game," said Axel, who then walked away from the window and grabbed his axe from the wall. Ave also grabbed her bow and arrow.

"What will happen to those of us without special weapons now?" asked Rosa, gazing at the weapons in Axel and Ave's hands with a heavy sigh.

"Just grab anything that could kill. It doesn't have to be special," replied Ave.

"Easy for you to say, huh?" yelled Logan, frustrated as he paced back and forth.

"We've faced difficult trials. I don't believe we would all die in this fifth game. So grab any dangerous weapons that would be of help to you, it doesn't have to be a special one," said Lionel, holding onto his gun, ready to attack any danger that may come his way.

"That's the spirit," said Ave with a smile.

"What's the fifth game about this time?" asked Rosa, her gaze fixed on the system.

(The fifth game title would be revealed at the entrance of the school. So hurry up as the recent group has already been wiped out.)

"What the heck? The recent group was wiped out? Do you mean they're dead?" asked Logan.

(Yes!)

(Players, please make your way towards the high school.)

(You only have fifteen minutes to assemble in front of the high school.)

"I have a very bad feeling about this game," said Logan as he approached the table, which had a black box placed on it. He soon opened the box and took out a knife. Florence and Rosa also did the same, each bringing out a sharp knife from the black box. They had placed the box on the table the night before, after witnessing Axel's monster form.

"Let's head to the school now, we only have fifteen minutes and we've already used five," Axel said, as the others nodded in agreement and they all left the house.

As they reached the school gate, they looked inside and saw that the compound was eerily quiet. The once-colorful flowers had withered, the hedges were overgrown, and broken glass littered the ground. Suddenly, a low moan broke the silence and zombies emerged from the classrooms, their decaying flesh hanging off their bones.

The zombies approached, their vacant eyes filled with rage and hunger. The smell of rot and decay filled the air, causing Axel and his team to cover their noses. It was clear that these creatures were once human, but now they were something else entirely. They lunged at the nearest person, and a scream echoed through the compound.

"We're facing zombies this time," Logan said, fear and terror evident in his eyes as he began to shake. The zombies, some with their intestines ripped out but still alive, and others missing limbs, were growling from inside the compound and rushing towards the gate.

Ding!

(Fifth game: Zombies epidemic.)

"This system sure knows how to make every game level perfectly," Ave murmured with a smirk.

Ding!

(Players are to stay in the school compound for 24 hours.)

(Once you're able to stay in the school for twenty four hours, without getting bitten, then the fifth game would come to an end.)

(A lot of players have turned into zombies. Once players are turned, another group will be asked to enter the school.)

(You can't refuse to participate. Refusal means death. You have five minutes to get into the school compound.)

"We're all dead," Logan said with a heavy sigh. "Can you stop screaming?" he yelled at the zombies whose growling sound even become more louder.

"So every other player sent to this hell on earth has been turned into zombies. Now it's our turn to embark on this journey of uncertainty," Rosa said, tears falling down her cheeks.

"We're asked to go in and face death. If we don't go, we're still going to die," Lionel said with a heavy sigh.

"I'm scared!" Florence said, trembling in fear.

Axel stood still, his expression unreadable as his gaze remained fixed on the zombies. "We have no time to waste anymore or we might die right here. We've fought zombies before, we should be able to defeat these too," Axel said, making the other players shift their gaze to him.

"Do you see how many there are? The whole school is filled with zombies," Logan yelled, then lowered his voice as the growling sound of the zombies became louder. "Even if we're to stay in the school for twenty four hours, we have no idea which class is zombie-free. Any wrong decision would result in our death," he added, his voice barely above a whisper.

(Two minutes remaining.)