Skill Invoker System

Narrow Escape

"Why do you sound that way? Is anything wrong with me or my system?" 

Drake said, curiosity and worry showing on his face.

"No, no, there's nothing wrong. It is just that I've seen a little information about your system," Elisa said. 

Drake's eyes narrowed. He felt naked now. Could Elisa actually access the information he was trying to withhold from her about his system?

"How's that even possible? I don't think anyone can access other people's systems," Drake mentioned.

Elisa spoke, "Well, that may be true about others, but my system is called 'Knowledge Beast System'. It's like having the entire internet stored in my head, allowing me to access vast information about this apocalyptic world and every single system."

Drake's eyes widened with curiosity as he absorbed Elisa's words.

"What?" Drake was shocked. His heart throbbed. He wondered how much she already knew about him.

"Not only that," Elisa continued, "I can conjure virtual weapons and even shoot lasers from my eyes. Pretty neat, huh?"

Drake exclaimed, "That's incredible..."

Elisa chuckled, a glimmer of pride in her eyes.

"Well, there's a lot more to systems than meets the eye. Yours, for instance, is quite powerful. It ranks fifth among the top ten systems."

Puzzled, Drake inquired, "Who's number one, then? Zeus?"

Elisa shook her head, a smirk playing on her lips.

"No, Zeus is powerful, but he's third. The real number one is a mystery, someone who prefers to stay in the shadows. I haven't come across her yet."

"She's a girl?" Drake asked.

"Yes, a teenager, that's the only information I have received about her." 

Drake sighed, "A mysterious figure in an already mysterious world. Great."

"Now, about your Skill Invoker System," Elisa continued, "It's unique; you're not limited to just one skill like the rest of us. You can unlock different skills, one after the other. It gives you an advantage over those with systems tied to specific skills, like mine or Zeus."

She explained in detail.

Drake's mind churned with understanding, and he began to grasp the true uniqueness of his system.

"So, I'm like a jack-of-all-trades in the system world," Drake mused.

Elisa nodded, a glint of admiration in her eyes.

"Exactly. Your versatility could be your greatest weapon."

At that moment, Drake Miller thought about the advantage of Elisa's system again, and suddenly, a thought popped up in his mind.

"Can you help me find my mother's location?" Drake asked.

"What?" Elisa asked, unsure of what Drake was trying to say.

"Your system works like a digital tool, right?" He asked, and she nodded.

Hope was beginning to rise in Drake's heart as he thought of the possibility that his mother would be found.

"Can you track her just as a computer can pinpoint someone on a map?" Drake inquired, hope filling his words.

Elisa puffed out air from her mouth as nervousness took over. It was clear she hadn't tried anything like this before.

"Give me a detailed description of your mother, and I'll do my best."

Drake recounted every detail he could remember about his mother – her appearance, any distinctive features, and the last-known location they were together.

Elisa's eyes glowed, emitting a soft blue light. It was as if her gaze had transformed into a portal to the digital realm. 

Drake watched in awe as Elisa's eyes showed streams of programming codes.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, Elisa's eyes returned to their normal state, and she took a deep breath.

"I found her," she said, her voice trembling.

Drake's heart pumped up and down as anxiety took over him.

"Your mother is in St. Mary's Hospital. She's been there since the beginning of the apocalypse."

Drake's heart raced with a mix of emotions – relief at finally knowing his mother's precise whereabouts and concern for her safety.

"St. Mary's Hospital," Elisa repeated, emphasizing the name, "that is where my brother works. I was seeking a car before I met you. I needed a car to get that far," Elisa revealed.

"But there's something else. It seems the hospital is filled with other injured survivors seeking refuge. There's a zombie horde trying to break into the hospital."

Drake's brows furrowed with worry. It meant his mother was in great danger along with lots of innocent people without any powers.

Beep!

NOTIFICATION:

GOAL 4: Team up with Elisa to rescue your mother and the survivors at St. Mary's Hospital.

GOAL REWARDS:

+1 LIFE PACK for every survivor you save from dying at the hospital.

50% STRENGTH BOOST

20% SPEED BOOST

NOTE: You may stand a chance to Invoke a new skill.

Drake's eyes widened as he listened to the task details. 

The system was offering him not only an additional life pack but also a substantial boost to his strength and a chance of unlocking a new skill, if and only if he succeeded. 

Elisa noticed the change in Drake's expression and inquired, "What's the system saying now?"

Drake relayed the information to her, and they exchanged a nod. 

"It looks like our goals align perfectly," Elisa remarked, a spark in her eyes.

"Let's save your mother and my brother, along with those trapped in there with them. My system has also provided an opportunity for leveling-up through this mission."

As they spoke, distant sounds of shuffling feet and guttural moans cut through their conversation.

"What was that?" Elisa asked, and Drake froze.

"Zombies..." He muttered.

Suddenly, a swarm of zombies emerged from the corner of the street, an army of the undead seeking their next meal.

"Shit!"

Instinct kicked in. Drake, relying on his remaining speed, sprinted away from the impending threat. Knowing he had 0% strength and 1 life pack left, he couldn't stay back to fight.

But Elisa, lacking enhanced speed, couldn't run as fast. The zombies seized her legs, pulling her down to the pavement.

"Drake!! Help me!!" 

Drake turned around, realizing he left her behind.

Drake, though gaining distance, couldn't ignore the desperate situation Elisa was in. 

"I can't let her die," he murmured.

With a burst of speed, Drake reached her side, scooping her up and carrying her swiftly into the grocery store 2 km away, with his speed. 

The horde, frustrated by the loss of their potential prey, groaned and lurched after them, the hope of a meal still filled their lifeless eyes, as they chased after them.

In the grocery store, Drake panted, feeling a little dizzy as he dropped Elisa to her feet. 

"They won't be able to get here that fast," Drake groaned.

He clung to one of the empty shelves in the grocery store. 

"What's happening to you?" Elisa asked him, worried.

"I think it's because my strength is at zero, and my speed just decreased too. I also feel—" 

Drake's words were interrupted by the sound of the system.

Beep!

NOTIFICATION:

INFORMATION: Bravo! Drake Miller, your choice to turn back to rescue a fellow survivor, regardless of your need to preserve your last life, has earned you a reward. You completed your first cryptic task.

GOAL REWARD:

+1 LIFE PACK

20% STRENGTH BOOST

Beep!

UPGRADE COMPLETE

STRENGTH: 20%

SPEED: 5%

DEATH CHEAT: 2 LIFE PACKS

GOAL 4: Team up with Elisa to rescue your mother and the survivors at St. Mary's Hospital.

Swap!

The voice faded once more.

"Yes!!!" Drake said through clenched teeth, excited for the upgrade he received. 

"I feel strong again. Now, I know better than misusing my skills again. I will avoid any attempt to use my strength on irrelevant situations."

"Phew!!" He exhaled.

Elisa nodded at him, "thank you! They could have had a taste of my flesh."

Drake nodded back at her. 

Drake took time to scan the entire grocery store with his eyes, and he found out that all the shelves were empty, with only one shelf that had only 3 loaves of packed bread which seemed to have grown molds. 

"What happened here? This used to be the biggest food store in town. How come it has been wiped clean?" Drake said.

"I am also shocked at the sight. It isn't even up to 24 hours since the apocalypse started. I think some people broke into this place to take supplies," Elisa said.

"How did this whole apocalypse thing start in the first place?" Drake said, worried.

He strolled up to the shelf, hunger biting deep into his intestines. He saw the bread had gone bad, but he had no choice. 

He threw a loaf at Elisa, and she caught it. 

"My system doesn't say anything about how it started and how it led us all down to this," Drake continued as he worked over to the refrigerator to check if there was anything left in it. 

He was shocked to see only a can of expired fruit juice in it. 

"It expired last month; it shouldn't be that bad," he said, reading the EXP date.

"About how this all started, I have been researching with the help of my system," Elisa said, and Drake paused.

"What did you find out?" He asked, curiosity peaking.

Elisa opened her eyes wide, and once again, her eyes began to stream a series of computer codes. 

"Hoping to create super-soldiers. But something went terribly wrong. The virus, designed to enhance physical abilities, accidentally mixed with the energy from a System Core, creating a dual catastrophe. On one side, there are people like us, the system upgraders, with enhanced abilities. On the other side, the virus-infected corpses, raising them from the dead as zombies."

Her eyes turned back to normal after reading aloud to Drake's hearing.

Drake was frozen, his eyes narrowing in uncertainty. He wasn't sure of what to make out of what he just heard.

"That's the little information my system allowed me to access for now," she said regretfully.

"What does that information mean for us? Were you able to get anything?" Elisa said. 

Drake couldn't understand anything himself. Everything was still a mystery to him.

He shook his head, signaling a NO.

"Let's focus on the task ahead. We should think of how to get a car; my speed had dropped," Drake muttered. 

Drake looked at a corner and found a backpack laying there. It probably belonged to one of the customers that visited before the apocalypse. 

He grabbed it, put his food supplies, and Elisa threw hers over to him to put in it too. 

Drake hung the bag and walked out of the door, Elisa following.

"There's a car," Elisa pointed at the parking lot across the grocery store. 

They both walked quickly towards it. 

The abandoned car seemed to be their only hope.

Drake struggled with the car's lock, muttering curses under his breath.

"Come on, come on," he urged, the tension was overwhelming in his voice. 

Elisa gasped as the lock yielded to his efforts.

Elisa's eyes darted off to her front, and her breath hitched. The sudden appearance of the same zombie horde they had escaped made her freeze.

"Drake, we need to hurry!" She muttered absentmindedly, her eyes lost at the sight of the zombies.

Drake's gaze flicked nervously between the approaching undead and the stubborn car ignition.

"I'm trying, Elisa. Just give me a sec."

His hands trembled, a mix of fear and urgency driving his efforts.

As the car door creaked, Elisa's eyes widened at the quick advance of the zombie horde. 

"We've got company, Drake. Hurry!"

"I know, I know," Drake muttered, hastily sliding into the driver's seat.

The groans of the undead intensified, echoing through the streets.

Elisa, tense and alert, blurted out,

"Drake, they're getting closer! Do something!"

The car's engine, resistant to Drake's desperate attempts, refused to comply. 

"Come on, you piece of junk!" he exclaimed, frustration showing on his face.

Amidst Elisa's panicked screams, the zombies lunged at the car, their decaying hands clawing at the windows. 

Scratch!! 

Scratch!!

One of them managed to scratch Drake's arm, and Elisa used a metal rod to fend it off.

The car, battered by the Zombies' assault, suddenly roared to life. 

Drake, filled with relief, clenched his teeth.

As the car sped away, the broken bodies of the pursuing zombies littered the street.

"Drake, you suffered a scratch," Elisa muttered, her eyes meeting Drake's bleeding arm.

Drake's eyes narrowed at the scratch on his arm. It seemed he was just noticing.

"Yes, so?" 

"You could be infected," Elisa said and Drake's heart sank, anxiety setting in.

Drake's hands trembled on the the steering wheel as he drove.

"What happens if one gets infected?"  Drake asked.

"If you died from a zombie scratch, your chance of getting infected is zero. But on the other hand, if you didn't die but only got a scratch, you may become one of them," Elisa panted, and Drake gulped.