Chapter 40: ZOMBIES EPIDEMIC II

Ding!

(Two minutes remaining.)

(Players, please make your way into the school.)

"Damn it!" Axel cursed at the system announcement.

The other players' bodies were also tense as they glared at the message on the screen.

"Just how the hell are we supposed to get through the gate full of zombies?" asked Logan, pacing back and forth with his hand on his head in frustration.

"My head is suddenly blank from ideas now," Florence said, heaving a heavy sigh.

"There's a way though," Axel announced, causing the other players to look at him with questioning and curious expressions. He began walking away, his face devoid of any emotions, leaving his intentions unclear to the others.

"Where the hell are you going?" Logan asked, but Axel ignored him and continued walking. Logan and the others quickly followed, running after Axel.

Axel finally stopped at the back of the school fence, causing the other players to almost trip over due to his sudden stop, which they were not prepared for.

"We would have to climb the fence to get into the school," Axel said seriously. "We can't risk going through the gate, that's just like having a death wish," he added.

"Oh yes! And there are some old baskets we can use to help us climb over," said Rosa, pointing toward a direction where the other players saw some plastic baskets littered on the floor.

Without wasting much time, Florence quickly gathered the baskets and stacked them with Rosa's help. "Done!" she said, as the others nodded in agreement.

Logan raised a valid point. "If we open the school gate, the zombies will definitely attack us. But how do we know we won't be jumping into the hands of zombies if we climb over the fence?" he asked, raising his eyebrows curiously.

"There are no zombies, as I can't hear any sounds of movement or growling," Axel replied, assuring the others that the school grounds were zombie-free. They nodded in agreement, knowing Axel's capabilities for hearing low-pitched sounds.

With everyone in agreement, Axel was the first to climb the fence without using the stacked baskets. The speed and agility with which he scaled the fence left the other players in awe. Landing on his feet after jumping so high, he quickly surveyed the surroundings.

The back of the school building was in disrepair, with peeling paint and graffiti-covered brick. Boarded-up windows and brown, patchy grass gave the area a desolate feel. A rusted playground swing set and scattered broken equipment hinted at a time when children used to play there. Axel noticed a dusty, cobweb-covered wooden table among the debris and grinned.

"Hurry up! We only have two minutes left," Axel called from inside the school to the other players. He moved the table against the wall to help them climb down from the fence without risking injury.

The other players soon followed, using the table to aid their descent from the fence.

Ding!

(Your twenty-four hours start now, dear players. I wish you all the best of luck.)

"Now that we're all here, remember, we must stick together. This fifth game is kind of simple - we're only forced to stay in the school for twenty-four hours, and then we're free," said Axel, addressing the other players with a fixed gaze. "And we must stay as quiet as possible. I'm sure we'll be able to pass through this test too," he added, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We're also going to save other players if we survive this game. As long as we stick together, we're definitely going to win," whispered Rosa, with a determined expression.

"Forget about the other players now. I'm not a savior. I just want to survive, so keep that in mind. It's just their luck that me surviving would also make them survive, even though they wouldn't go through this hell of a game I'm going through now," retorted Lionel, who had kept mute until then, making Rosa throw him a hateful glance.

Since the school building was built in the middle of the school ground, there are only two sides that people can walk from - the left side and the right-hand side.

"We should be on alert no matter what. I and Lionel will keep watch over the right-hand side of the school, while Ave and Rosa should keep watch of the left-hand side."

"What about us?" Florence and Logan asked in unison.

"There's no where to guide again. Just be on alert in case we're faced with danger," said Axel, while Logan and Florence nodded in agreement.

Ding!

(Good luck, dear players.)

The system announcement came suddenly, startling the players who were standing alert, ready to strike zombies when necessary without making a sound to avoid being noticed.

"I almost had a heart attack," whispered Rosa, her voice barely audible as the others could only understand her through her lip movements.

Several hours had passed and still the players were still busy being at alert.

Lionel and Axel kept their gazes fixed on the zombies, who were growling and walking slowly, unaware of their hiding spot.

"Well, zombies are fools. Just look at them, they look like idiots," said Lionel with a slight chuckle. "As long as we don't make any noise, we'll make it out of here alive."

"We would definitely pass this fifth trail. There are no zombies since we got here, this school backyard is the safest after all. Once the twenty-four hours are over, the fifth game ends then," whispered Rosa excitedly as she remained seated on the floor with Logan facing her.

"Someone is approaching," Axel revealed, making the players tense. "She has long black hair, dressed in a blood-stained white gown, and has a wide grin on her face. The zombies aren't attacking her, even though she's human," he added, his eyes tightly shut, causing the players to huddle around him with fear evident on their faces.

"Now you're scaring us, Axel. How is that even possible? Is she perhaps the queen of zombies?" asked Logan, as he swallowed hard, curiously waiting for Axel's reply.

"She's here. She has come to us," Axel finally said as he opened his eyes suddenly.

"Hello, dear players," a voice said from behind the players. They turned to see a young lady just exactly as Axel had described. Although the players couldn't express their fears in words, their faces said it all as they held onto their weapons tightly, ready to attack the strange lady before them.