"Just grab what you can and move," Isaac barked. "Hurry up."


    The group swept through the store, taking everything they could—canned goods, drinks, snacks, vitamins.


    "That’s enough. Let’s go," Isaac said, leading them out. The men climbed back into the tank, its engine roaring to life as they drove off.


    Inside the storage room, Kai and Naomi were still crouched, drenched in sweat, waiting for the noise to fade.


    "Let’s get out of here," Naomi whispered, glancing at Kai as he wiped the sweat off his chin.


    Creak.


    They stepped out cautiously. Most of the supplies were gone, but a few scraps remained. Being in a group had its perks—they could carry more. For solo scavengers like Kai, inventory space was limited unless upgraded with points.


    "Hey," Kai said, motioning for her to follow. "This way."


    They slipped out of the store, sticking to the shadows, and headed back to the building Kai had holed up in earlier.


    "This place isn’t bad," Naomi said, tapping the walls as if testing their strength.


    Kai headed straight for the bathroom to check the water. A grin spread across his face when he turned the knob. Water poured out of the showerhead. "No way," he muttered, then called out loud enough for Naomi to hear, "We’re lucky!"


    "Lucky how?" she asked, walking closer.


    "The shower’s working," he said, still grinning like he’d won the lottery.


    In a post-apocalyptic world, running water was a miracle. No electricity, no entertainment, and barely any clean water—so finding a working shower was like striking gold. Clean water wasn’t just for drinking; it was crucial for staying healthy, washing away dirt, and avoiding infections.


    But Kai’s excitement was a little... over the top.


    Naomi raised an eyebrow as he stepped out of the bathroom, striking a ridiculous pose like he’d just discovered a hidden treasure.


    "Why are you grinning like that, you weirdo?" she said, crossing her arms and trying not to laugh.


    "Shower?" Kai asked, glancing at Naomi.


    She didn’t look excited at all. Like, seriously? Who wouldn’t lose their mind over a working shower in a world that’s gone to hell? It was practically a miracle.


    "You go first," she said, motioning for him to hurry up.


    Kai grinned, giving her an exaggerated thumbs-up. "Got it. I’ll be quick."


    He disappeared back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. The moment he turned the shower back on, cold water splashed onto his skin, washing away layers of grime. The chill hit just right, and for the first time in forever, he felt... alive.


    "Perfect," he whispered, tilting his face up to the water as it ran down.


    The mirror next to him reflected his image—his muscles were more defined now, his red-tinted eyes sharp under the dim light, and his wet black hair clinging to his face. He swiped it back with his hand, staring at himself for a second longer.


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    Then—


    Cling!


    A notification sound echoed in his head. It wasn’t coming from outside. It was inside him. The system.


    [The Game will formally start in an hour.]


    Kai froze, shutting off the shower. What the hell did that mean? Formally start? Weren’t they already in the game? So this was just... what? A tutorial? That would explain why killing zombies hadn’t earned him any points.


    "Hey!" Naomi’s voice cut through from outside the door.


    [Points & Reward System Unlocked]


    [Chosen role abilities and perks will now be applied.]


    [SHOP UNLOCKED]


    [INVENTORY UPGRADE OPTION UNLOCKED]


    "Did the system notify you too?" she asked.


    Creak.


    Kai opened the bathroom door, still dripping wet and half-naked. Naomi stood right there, arms crossed, looking mildly annoyed but not surprised.


    "Yeah," Kai muttered, the earlier excitement wiped clean from his face. He stepped out, grabbed his clothes, and plopped onto the couch. "It’s a tutorial," he added, letting out a dry laugh as he tugged his shirt and hoodie back on.


    Naomi leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and frowned. "Try clicking the points & rewards menu," she said. "See if you have any points."


    Kai pulled up the menu.


    [Points]


    CURRENT POINTS: 15


    History:


    ? Killed a swamp zombie


    ? Escaped another player (earned the title "Escape Artist")


    "Looks like I have 15 points," Kai said, scrolling through the screen, then checking out the shop menu. Naomi was doing the same. "How about you?"


    Naomi grinned, clearly proud. "I killed three zombies on the way here, so I’ve got 20 points." She smirked, clearly enjoying the bragging rights.


    "Nice," Kai said. "That’s enough for some decent stuff. Did you check the shop? I’m looking at it now."


    <hr>


    [Shop]


    [Supply Drops]


    ? Basic Loot: 30 Points


    ? Silver Loot: 60 Points


    ? Gold Loot: 100 Points


    ? Diamond Loot: 500 Points


    ? Platinum Loot: 1000 Points


    ? Legendary Loot: 5000 Points


    [Inventory]


    ? Upgrade for more space: Current space [5 items]


    ? 5X more space for 50 Points


    ? 10X more space for 100 Points


    ? 20X more space for 150 Points


    And so on...


    [Weapon Skins]


    [Draw for 60 minimum]


    ? Graffiti Art


    ? Gold-Plated


    ? Neon Glow


    ? Carbon Fiber


    ? Chrome Finish


    Unlock more skins through bonus loot and rewards.


    [Character Skins]


    [Draw for 60 minimum]


    ? Christmas Theme


    ? Military Theme


    ? Survivor Theme


    Unlock more skins through bonus loot and rewards.


    [Pet Companions]


    [Draw for 50 minimum]


    ? Dog


    ? Cat


    ? Bird


    ? Rare


    <hr>


    "Expensive," Naomi said, scrolling through the options.


    Kai nodded. "Yeah, we really need more points if we want to get anything decent."


    The prices were steep, and with how scarce points were, they’d have to work hard to get anything worthwhile. Points were everything in this game—use them to buy stuff, or risk losing them if other players decide to kill you for them. Greedy players would start causing trouble the second this game got serious.


    [SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT]


    [ABOUT: POINTS SYSTEM]


    Naomi looked over at him, eyes gleaming. "What do you think this is? Wanna bet?"


    Kai thought for a second. "I don’t know. I’ll pass."


    "Tsk," she muttered.


    [FOR REWARDING PLAYERS]


    [POINTS CAN BE EXCHANGED FOR REAL-LIFE DOLLARS]


    [1 POINT = 1$]


    "Well, I didn’t expect that," Naomi said, her voice full of surprise.


    Kai stared at the screen, just as shocked. Points could be exchanged for real money? What the hell? That changed everything. They weren’t just stuck in some game—they could actually get out and cash in on their points.


    A thousand points? That’s a thousand dollars. The more points they had, the more money they could make. This was a game-changer.


    But it also meant things were about to get a lot worse. Players would be even more desperate to rack up points, which meant more killing, more betrayal. They could kill zombies for points, sure, but they could also kill each other. And if they killed the right people, they could take their points and loot.


    "I''m pretty sure someone’s pulling the strings in this game," Kai said, sitting on the couch, his face lit up with a mix of thought and excitement.


    Naomi raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "How do you figure that? What if it’s just a bug or a glitch?"


    "Bug? Glitch?" Kai scoffed, shaking his head. "That’s what I thought at first, too. But think about it—our bodies are actually here. What kind of machine or glitch can pull something like that off? We’re feeling pain, we’re bleeding when we get hurt... this isn’t just some game error."


    He had a point, and Naomi fell silent, chewing over his words. It didn’t add up. If this was just a glitch, how could it physically drag them into the game? Make them feel real pain? Make bullets and injuries real? Someone—or something—was running this game, and they were playing with people’s lives.


    Kai’s thoughts raced. He wondered—if they died now, with their current points, would they just respawn? Sure, they wouldn’t gain anything, but at least they’d get another shot. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? But before he could finish that thought, the system screen flickered to life again.


    [ANNOUNCEMENT]


    [UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CANNOT LOG OUT OF THE GAME. YOU MUST SURVIVE FOR AT LEAST 1 YEAR TO GAIN A LOG OUT OPTION. IF YOU DIE BEFORE THAT, CONSEQUENCES WILL BE APPLIED TO YOUR BODY IN THE REAL WORLD. THIS MAY INCLUDE A COMA OR SOMETHING EVEN DEADLIER.]


    Kai froze, his heart sinking as he read the words. Naomi’s face paled beside him.


    [EVEN IF YOU SURVIVE FOR A YEAR, DEATH WITHIN THE GAME AFTER THAT POINT CAN STILL RESULT IN SERIOUS REAL-WORLD SIDE EFFECTS.]


    [LIMITED SPOTS FOR LOG OUT ARE AVAILABLE. THESE SPOTS ARE RESERVED FOR "THE CHOSEN"—THE TOP 10 PLAYERS IN THE RANKING SYSTEM AFTER 1 YEAR.]


    [THE CHOSEN PLAYERS WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO LOG OUT, KEEP THEIR MONEY, AND DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO RETURN FOR MORE.]


    Kai clenched his fists. "So we’re stuck here... unless we make it to the top 10?"


    Naomi nodded slowly, her expression grim as she read the rest of the announcement.


    [RANKING SYSTEM]


    At the end of the year, rewards will be distributed based on ranks:


    [TOP 500-100] - 1000 Points Each


    [TOP 99-50] - 5000 Points Each


    [TOP 49-20] - 10,000 Points Each


    [TOP 19-11] - 20,000 Points Each


    The following ranks will unlock the "Log Out" option at the end of the season:


    [TOP 10-1] - 100,000 Points Each