Her foot caught on a jagged stone, and she went down hard, a scream escaping her lips as she hit the ground. The zombies descended on her like wolves on a lamb. Their bony fingers tore into her flesh as their jagged teeth sank into her body. Her screams of agony rang out, a chilling symphony of pain and despair.Through the chaos, her tear-streaked face turned toward Maverick. Her eyes, wide with terror and desperation, seemed to plead with him for help. But all she received was a cold, emotionless stare.Maverick had no time for guilt or sympathy. He was already occupied, cleaving another zombie’s head with a single powerful swing of his axe. As another lunged at him, he spun, delivering a brutal kick that sent the creature crashing into its companions. Without missing a beat, he grabbed the nearest one by the neck, slamming its head into the wall with enough force to crush its skull. Blood and chunks of bone splattered against the concrete.The girl’s screams began to fade, replaced
Max, meanwhile, was a bit taken aback and almost mistook Maverick for a zombie. But upon noticing the towel covering Maverick’s face and his calm expression, Max relaxed.“Max, why are you quiet? Is something wrong?” a voice called from behind the door he had just exited.“No problem here. I spotted a human and almost mistook him for a zombie,” Max replied, his voice calm and posture steady. “You guys stay put. Wait for me to clean up the zombies here, and we’ll head to the next floor.”Finally, he looked at Maverick, pointed at three zombies close to him, then at Maverick, and then gestured to the five zombies near himself.Maverick instantly understood his words—or rather, his signs. Max was asking him to take care of the three zombies near him while Max handled the five closer to himself.Seeing this, Maverick nodded calmly, which seemed to relieve Max.Without hesitation, Max pulled out a long sword from his waist, dashed toward the first zombie, and swung it at its neck, slicing
"Interesting," Maverick muttered. While he didn’t fully grasp all the scientific jargon the man had used, the basic concept intrigued him. It hadn’t even been a day since the apocalypse began, yet humans in this world had already managed to devise a ranking system for the zombies' power levels!This development felt suspicious, almost as if it had been premeditated by someone behind the scenes.Turning his attention back to the handsome man in front of him, Maverick asked, “What does this have to do with me not going outside?”Max’s expression turned grim as he replied, “Someone spotted a Gamma-3 zombie outside.”Hearing this, Maverick’s expression hardened. “Gamma-3? How strong is it?”“That…” Max hesitated, his face twisted in a mix of unease and contemplation, before finally speaking. “I think it could take down ten of me at once.”Maverick's eyes narrowed, his tone skeptical. “That’s impossible, and you know it. It takes us several kills just to level up, thanks to the biolens tra
Most of the people were either younglings or elderly men. Maverick couldn't help but frown. Wouldn't it have been better to just leave them to their deaths? Carrying such a load of unhelpful people would only slow Max down. Not only that, but Max would have to fight while protecting them, which, to Maverick, was a complete waste of time.“Okay, guys, this here is Maverick. I stumbled upon him while clearing up the zombies," Max introduced him.But no one replied. The only sounds echoing were the sobs of some women and the moody silence of the men. Reality was sinking in, and perhaps some of them were already reflecting on how their loved ones hadn’t made it this far.Then, a man from the group stood up. He was dressed in a suit, his chubby face glistening with sweat. He approached Max, throwing a quick glance at Maverick before saying, “Max, why did you bring someone in? Don’t you know too many people means too many zombies on our tails? We need to minimize our numbers, not add more t
20 Minutes Later“Alright, we’ve rested long enough for everyone to regain some energy. Let’s keep moving up,” Max announced firmly.No one complained as they stood up and continued climbing. They reached the 21st floor, then the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, surprised to find no zombies on the stairs or in any of the rooms. The lack of threats made the group subconsciously relax. Some of the ordinary humans even began murmuring among themselves. As the saying goes, a drop of black ink spoils the white, and the murmuring grew louder and louder until Maverick couldn’t help but frown.Seeing Maverick’s displeasure, Max immediately understood his irritation. Just as Max was about to order the group to keep quiet, a loud banging sound erupted from a door beside them as they reached the 26th floor. The sudden noise froze everyone in place, silencing them instantly.Terror gripped the group as the banging continued, growing louder and more insistent, as though it had attracted more zombies to join
Seeing this, Max’s eyes lit up with happiness. He looked at Maverick with genuine gratitude and said, “An all-access key! You’ve been a huge help this time, and I’m sure the others will be grateful too. With this key, everyone can have their own rooms, keeping them apart and reducing the chances of conflict.”Twenty-five or twenty-six agitated people crammed into one room was a nightmare scenario Max could already foresee turning into chaos if left unchecked.With the key in hand, the two of them spent the next thirty minutes systematically clearing each room. They encountered a total of ten zombies, dispatching them easily. Since the zombies weren’t in large numbers, the task proved manageable for the duo.Finally, with all the zombies cleared, Max went downstairs to address the group of people who were waiting anxiously. Their faces carried a mixture of hope and fear as they waited for news.“The floor is clear now. You can all come up,” Max announced calmly, watching their expressi
“What a sad fate. Humans can never go against destiny, no matter the amount of preparation—except with true power. If only I had the absolute power of greed in my previous life, it would’ve been so much easier to kill that annoying Bruce Chen,” Maverick thought, sighing as he strapped the flying swords to his waist.With weapons in hand, Maverick immediately began devising a plan to grind the zombies. He needed to kill them in large numbers without drawing too much attention; otherwise, a swarm could overwhelm him and slow his progress. The aftermath of the nuclear explosion filled the air with a hazy fog, no doubt caused by radioactive particles."I forgot to collect a better mask," Maverick muttered, slapping his forehead. His impatience to increase his power had made him overlook this crucial detail.“Biolens, is there a way to become immune to the radiation in the air?” he asked, finally remembering the AI embedded in his consciousness. Its robotic, feminine voice responded instan
“Clear all the notifications and directly show me my stats,” Maverick ordered calmly.---Name: Maverick SladeNickname: The StormbringerClass: Special Operations Agent (Counter-Terrorism Expert)Energy Points: 1.55 + 3.1Attributes:Strength: 22Agility: 22Endurance: 19Intelligence: 13Perception: 16Charisma: 10Vitality: 11---Seeing this, Maverick directly ordered, “Increase my vitality by one point.”[Vitality +1 energy point.]Immediately, Maverick felt a chilling sensation round his body as his heart and entire being felt cold, as if a fresh wave of energy was spreading through him. At the same time, it felt like the effects of the radiation in the air on him had slightly reduced, leaving him feeling refreshed.Looking at the door, which had finally been pushed open, Maverick stood up and started walking upward. Any zombie that came closer to him was instantly sent crashing back to the others by his axes.Given how many zombies Maverick had killed, one would expect their nu