I called up my system and opened my character profile right in front of my eyes.
(Congratulations, Host, 150 Monster Cores (Lesser) has been added to your inventory!)
(Congratulations, Host, 150 Healing portions (Bronze) has been added to your inventory!)
(Congratulations, Host, 150 Monster Essences of Zombies has been added to your Character Profile!)
"It's okay, but I'm still not satisfied with it."
Name: Michael Frostburne
Race: Human
Current rank: Iron.
Progression to Gold rank: 36% (920/2500 essences)
After I checked my status screen, I shut down my system and concentrated on moving forward.
But before I could do anything, Aeron, the chatterbox, spoke up: "Sir, when will we gather food? We've spent the last hour and a half just killing zombies. If we keep this up, we might not have enough time to gather food before the Leader calls us back again."
Emily also joined in, saying, "Um, yes, Lieutenant, he's right."
Ahh, their food, his food, food, food, who even cares about food? All I care about is essences.
My worries were troubling because not bringing back food might lead to Zeras punishing me...
But anyway, we still have plenty of time, and since I'm the lieutenant, I'll request more time for gathering supplies instead of grindinguh, fighting.
I looked at Aeron and Emily and said seriously, "We can handle that later. For now, just follow my lead."
"But that" Aeron started to object.
Before he could say anything else, I silenced him with my next words.
"Are you both going to follow my lead or not?" I commanded firmly...
I was actually trying to intimidate them into doing what I wanted...
During battles with hordes, I needed at least one of them to deal with any remaining zombies so I wouldn't be distracted.
Then, I quickly sprinted in a specific direction with Aeron and Emily right behind me.
They immediately stopped talking and started following me.
Suddenly, a pack of lesser rank zombies emerged from a crumbling storefront.
Without hesitation, I took aim, dispatching the nearest one with a precise shot to the head and, blasting the other's head in to pieces.
As we reached the outskirts of the old apartment, Zeras' voice came over the radio, breaking the tense silence. "Michael, Aeron, meet at the main entrance of the foreign ambassador's building. We're splitting into teams of two to cover more ground efficiently."
Bitch! Now of all times.
I was silently cursing him in my mind.
The place he mentioned is far from where we are now, and it will take us at least 30 to 40 minutes to get there.
This means I'll be wasting valuable time running.
I looked at the others and then, with a silent agreement through our eyes, we headed to the designated meeting point where Zeras waited with his usual calm demeanor.
I noticed small smirks on both their faces. Considering how hard I pushed them to go, they were probably happy that now I had to force myself to get there too.
Sometimes, I just have really bad luck which fucks me as wanted...
After 30 minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the location Zeras had told us about, where everyone was already present.
"Michael, Aeron," Zeras began as we approached. "You two will be paired together for this sweep. Natalie and Emily will take another section, and Marcus, David and I will cover the third. We'll rendezvous back here in an hour."
Aeron looked to me for reassurance, and I nodded in acknowledgment of Zeras' directive.
"Understood, leader!" Aeron replied, his tone firm and focused.
"You can choose which direction to go in, but be careful. If you see another group or Terror's criminals, don't try to fight them. Let us know so we can meet up and then decide if we should fight them," Zeras continued.
Everyone, including me, nodded...
Papers? Let's see if I can get anything...
I approached the desk and started sifting through the documents, looking for any clues about the virus or its creator.
Most of the papers were scientific notes and charts, filled with complex formulas and diagrams.
It was clear that the person living here was deeply involved in science research.
I kept searching, hoping to find something more concrete.
As I continued my search, I opened drawers and cabinets, finding more papers and some medical supplies but nothing that seemed immediately useful.
Darn, There's nothing here.
Frustration began to creep in.
I needed something that would give me a clear understanding of what had happened here.
Eventually, I noticed a small, locked drawer at the bottom of the desk.
Using a knife which I took from the kitchen, I managed to pry it open, revealing a hidden stash of documents.
These papers looked older and more personal.
So, I was wrong, wasn't I?
He truly was a caring man who loved his family.
They included letters, a diary, and some old photographs.
I quickly scanned through them, trying to piece together the story but nothing significant came out...
Then, I spotted a faint glow coming from under the bed.
Curious, I knelt down and looked beneath it.
'Got it.'
There, hidden away, was a small box.
I pulled it out and opened it, revealing even more papers, along with a radio and a few vials of an unknown substance.
No, again...
He really enjoyed leaving radios behind with clues.
I set the radio and vials aside and began examining the papers that were with the radio.
As I read through them carefully, I discovered they listed the names and, their homes of the victims he had experimented on, or rather, turned into monsters.
He truly become a maniac after all that shit...
Then, I picked up the radio.
I wasn't sure if this radio had the message from the mad scientist, but there was a good chance it did.
'What do you have to say this time, Mr. Lee Chong-san?'
I pressed the "ON" button, and the radio's voice echoed through the room.
"Hello!
Hello to anyone listening to this recorded message!
My name is Lee Chong-san, and I am a science teacher at Hyosan High School.
If you already know about me, then I assume you've listened to my first recorded message. If not, you have probably entered my room to survive from the zombies.
Please remember, if you just entered my room, you should turn off this radio immediately since zombies have very sensitive hearing.
Now, if you're the first type of person and you really want to know my story despite the risks, congratulationsyou're about to learn some top-secret information that no one else but me knows.
Now, let's get started.
I don't want to keep rambling like I usually do.
So, after I created the deadly virus..."
***