章節 10: A child in an apocalypse

The putrid stench of death and decay hit him like a punch to the gut. For the first time, he noticed his bloody surroundings, something that wasn't there minutes ago.

His mind screamed at him to turn back and save himself, to hide in the shelter until help arrived, but he was already out in the danger zone, his feet propelled forward by a force he couldn't explain. There was no turning back. Ignoring the warning beeps from his watch alerting him of the presence of more zombies, he sprinted toward the young girl, his heart racing faster than he'd ever thought possible.

Two zombies, drawn by the child's screams, were closing in on her from either side, their cold, lifeless eyes fixed on her tiny, defenseless form. Five more emerged from nowhere, groaning and hissing, joining the fray. Now, there were exactly a dozen bloodthirsty zombies surrounding them.

"Grab my hand!" Kia yelled out to the little girl, but as she tried to, she stumbled backward, tripping over a loose paving stone.

One of the zombies grabbed her leg, causing her to let out another scream.

"Fuck," Kia cursed. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice. He pulled out the gun from earlier and fired at the zombie. The bullet pierced through the zombie's skull, killing it instantly, but as expected, more zombies were attracted to the sound of the gunshot.

More zombies came running in their direction. In panic, Kia lifted the little girl who was still lying on the ground into his arms. She was very small, so it wasn't burdensome, but the added weight slowed him down. Worse, there were now over twenty zombies hot on their trail.

The entrance to the house wasn't too far away, but he was getting exhausted. His jaw clenched tightly as he took in one deep breath. Kia sprinted into the house.

In an instant, he tossed the little girl off his arm, not minding where she landed; her small form hit the floor with a hard thud.

Kia turned back to the door. It was still open. He sprinted back toward the door and shoved the heavy shelf back into place to block the entrance.

One of the zombies managed to slip its hand through the narrowing gap before Kia slammed the door shut, its fingers clawing into the doorframe, struggling to hold onto its purchase. With the shelf barricading the door, the rest of the horde began to bang and scratch at the door in a frenzied attempt to breach the barrier.

Kia turned around, his face glistening with sweat, to find the young girl staring up at him, wide-eyed with fear.

"Stay quiet," he whispered hoarsely. "They're attracted to sound." He crouched down beside her and gently touched her arm. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head mutely, still trembling. Her face was covered in dirt and scratches, and she looked barely old enough to be out on her own, let alone in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Kia stared intensely at the scratches, a thought crossing his mind. Was she bitten? This caused the hair on his arms to stand on end.

Stepping back hastily, he backed into the heavy shelf and flinched, steadying himself. The zombies' relentless pounding and scratching grew louder.

*Ding!*

[Congratulations on successfully eliminating the infected threat.]

*Ding!*

[10 points have been awarded to you.]

*Ding!*

[Congratulations on successfully assisting a survivor.]

[10 points have been awarded to you.]

*Ding!*

[You have reached a new rank: Silver Rank.]

*Ding!*

[Daily task complete.]

*Ding!*

[30 points have been awarded to you.]

*Ding!*

[Congratulations on reaching 100 points.]

*Ding!*

[You have been upgraded to a new rank: Silver Rank.]

"Rank? Tasks?" Kia said. What did all that even mean? His head was hurting, so he rested it against the wall.

[The ranking system is designed to track your progress and achievements in this new world. As you complete certain tasks, such as eliminating infected, rescuing survivors, or discovering new supplies, you will be awarded points.

These points will allow you to move up in rank and earn rewards. After activating the system, your rank was Bronze but is now currently Silver as you have successfully earned enough points. As you continue to complete tasks and earn points, you will be able to access higher ranks, such as Gold Rank and Platinum Rank, which will provide you with greater rewards and access to exclusive items.]

Kia scoffed. What the heck was all this? His gaze shifted to the little girl who was still standing in front of him, staring directly at him.

Kia shivered a little at the way she was staring at him with those big, wide eyes. Almost like she was trying to figure out who he was, or if he was a threat. But to be honest, he was more scared of her than she was scared of him, especially with those scratches around her.

He gulped down nothing and shifted his sitting position. Then he leaned toward his wrist and whispered.

"Hey... this little girl that I just rescued," he spoke to the watch without breaking eye contact with the girl. "Is she one of the infected?"

[Negative. The little girl is not infected.]

Kia sighed in relief, but then he hesitated as he realized something.

"But she has scratches," he muttered, still keeping his voice low. "Could she turn? What should I do?"

"Who are you talking to, mister?" The little girl suddenly asked, her voice still shaky.

Kia was caught off guard by her question. "What?" He said, confused.

"You have been whispering to yourself. Are you one of those monsters?" She fidgeted with her fingers, her eyes filled with panic.

"Wait.. what... no," Kia responded quickly.

"Then why are you speaking to yourself?"

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