《Dead World》 Prologue: New world My life was never easy; I was born and raised in a gutter living a life that could be snuffed out at a second¡¯s notice, when I was ten I was adopted by the Lee family which only did this because of my unusual way of thinking and skills. I could tell when shit would hit the fan and I had a natural sense of fighting even when I was just a kid I could take down several adults with ease but as time passed I grew tired of all the killing and so I disappeared completely with no traces of my former self. Once I knew I was free from that life I started anew as a game programmer and tester; my boss was a complete dick and my coworkers were more worried about themselves then each other but this quite life was suited for me, I never regretted my actions and this one was the best out all the others combined. Sadly every good thing has to come to an end; I was finally found after twenty years of hiding, I finished with the new system for the game ¡®easy life online¡¯ when it happened, a bullet one piece of led ended my life nothing as impressive as an explosion or a stabbing just a quick kill bringing my life to a close. When people say ¡®when a door closes another opens¡¯ they truly do mean it; after I died I didn¡¯t go to heaven or hell instead I woke up in a hospital room with a cabinet slid in front of it, not to mention the body hanging from a rope in the center of the room. My body was stiff as a board and was quite hard to move but it was still manageable; getting out of bed I grabbed the chart hanging on the door, this new body was named Bishop Wells a student at Pine Academy off of the Hawaiian islands, turns out he was beaten into coma by his step-father the reason though was unknown. Setting down the chart I moved to the bathroom to relieve myself; once I emptied by bladder I looked out the window only to see chaos everywhere, cars were smashed together, bodies on the ground either half eaten or completely so and people eating said bodies. ¡®Did I reincarnate into a zombie apocalypse or something?¡¯ [System does not know] ¡®What the hell was that?!¡¯ [A response from the system] ¡®I mean what the hell is the system?!¡¯ [System is the short version for easy life system] ¡®And why the hell do I have a game system?¡¯ [you do not have the requirements to know that] ¡®Then can I see my status and get a summary of what you can do?¡¯ [Request approved] [Name: Bishop Wells LV 1 Rank 1 Titles: Immune, System Creator Class: Explorer Profession: None Credits: 1,000 Traits: Adaptive Skills: Adapt] [Summary: the system was created by User to make the life of other Users easier, unlike most users the creator can increase his rank and gain new features to the system, be aware this is not a combat system instead it is created to make your life easier] [Do you wish to have a summary of user¡¯s data?] ¡®Yes!¡¯ [LV: measure of growth, each LV you earn you get 1,000 credits, every five LV¡¯s you get a reward bag, every ten LV¡¯s you get a rank up] [Rank: a rank is the users authority over the system and with each rank a new function is available, be advised that after rank 10 there will be no more features to be unlocked instead existing features will be updated] [Titles: Achievements one is known for Immune: you cannot be infected by the virus, be aware that being immune does not mean you can¡¯t be killed by an infected bite System Creator: you created the system, gives the rank feature, gives one free store purchase that is 1,000 credits or less, necessities are free (food, water, clothing] [Class: a unique combat related profession that gives unique skills to the user Explorer: you explore dangerous lands, uncover truths of the world, and sometimes even save it, all restrictions to you are removed] [Profession: non-combat profession that gives credits and skills, can be bought in system store as long as requirements are fulfills, 2x professions unlocked] [Credits: currency to buy items from the system store, system store is not limited to anything but be aware that certain items will be unlocked after rank is increased] [Traits: unique aspects of one¡¯s body Adaptive: you have an accelerated rate of adapting to environments] [Skills: abilities one has Adapt: adapt to environments at an incredible speed, by consuming different types of infection you can take on unique traits from them, and gives a boost to all resistance skills] [You have one free purchase for system store do you wish to use it?] ¡®Since it¡¯s only a thousand credit item I¡¯ll let you decide, system show me the best choices for survivability in both short term and long term situations that are available for the free purchase.¡¯ [Request confirmed, beginning mission] [Mission complete, displaying choices] [Upgrade: upgrade items or buildings that you own, items can only be upgraded to LV 9 with a 100% chance of upgrading, after LV 9 chance of success is decreased until 10% and once upgrade fails on a LV 10 or higher object the object is destroyed, buildings need to fulfill requirements before upgrading but the upgrades are more extensive, full potential of skill is unknown Conceal LV 1: hide your presence from those around you, 10% chance of not being detected Sense Threat LV 1: sense a threat that is 10 feet from you, enemies with concealment abilities will not be detected] ¡®Why the hell is that upgrade skill in the thousand range it should be one of the top skills to get, I mean come on even with the requirements put in place the skill is extremely overpowered.¡¯ [Skill is in the 1,000 credit range thanks to the requirements placed on it, also the aspects given to items are random but in the end it can only take on aspects related to the materials it was made with, not all aspects will be beneficial in truth they can also be harmful to user] ¡®So risk goes hand in hand with the reward but still if I get this ability I could have some serious benefits, system I choose the upgrade skill.¡¯This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. 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[Skill has been added; new profession is now open for purchase in system store] ¡®Wait what, system can I gain professions from gaining skills as well?¡¯ [Professions are created through many things even professions not heard of before can be created through specific actions but the professions cannot be related to combat] ¡®That¡¯s awesome to say the least but it also limits some of the possibilities given, I guess I can work with it for now but system please show me open professions.¡¯ [Profession- Student: all knowledge based skills are learnt and improved 2x as fast (2,000) Profession- Analyzer: thanks to your ability to analyze the situation you can increase processing speed by 10x fold along with the ability to see through things more clearly (5,000) Profession- Upgrade Specialist: being able to upgrade a item is a first step to ???, increase chances of upgrading an item through understanding of it, features given to upgraded facilities will be unlocked giving more choices, requirements for said features will be decreased (10,000)] ¡®Holy shit! I need that profession; the other two professions are incredible to say the least but the upgrade specialist is insane to say the least and I can get it after LVing to LV 10 this might be the best cheat I can have!¡¯ As I continued with my mental rant I caught some movement in the corner of my eye; when I turned towards the movement I saw the body that was hanging from the ceiling reaching out to me trying to grab me, its eyes were blood shot with tears of blood running down its eyes. As I stared at the creature in front of me a message appeared before me giving me the information of it just like a video game. [Walker, LV 1 HP: 599/600 Type: 0 Description: a creature that was once human, best comparison is a zombie but it can be killed just like a person but its blood and saliva hold the virus, the creatures body has just been revived and as such it can hardly move but the restraints on its body has been removed giving it twice the power and vitality as a human] As I read the description the creatures HP was slowly decreasing but when its neck finally snapped a huge chunk of its HP went down giving it only ten points left but it still continued to decrease, not letting this chance slip by me I grabbed the IV rack from beside the bed then I started to beat the walker with it just like a pi?ata. After several whacks I finally killed it causing the system to sound out again. [You have killed a type 0 walker, 100 credits given, 10 exp added] ¡®System how much exp do I need to increase a LV?¡¯ [20 XP to increase to LV 2, after every LV XP needed will be doubled, once you reach LV 9 you need to kill a creature that has a type 1 or higher ranking] ¡®So there are conditions to LVing, I¡¯m glad I have the time to ask these questions but I still need to get out of here.¡¯ I moved the cabinet that was blocking the door after making sure I didn¡¯t leave anything behind; the soap and shampoo that were kept in the bathroom were immediately sent to my inventory along with any other luxury item I found, if anything they could be traded for goods in the future. Once the room was picked clean I made my way out into the hallway where I was greeted by a bloody scene, the entire hallway was covered in bloody remains of the former staff and patients. I know its inhuman of me but I pulled apart several bloody ribs to use as daggers in emergency situations since I never knew what might pop out when I search the rooms in the future. As I collected more ribs the system went off giving me a new reason to justify collecting these remains. [Title-resourceful: you do not let anything go to waste even the bones of the fallen, gives the ability scavenge, all search abilities can be improved 2x as fast] [Scavenge LV 1: able to sense useful materials and supplies 10 inches from you, higher levels will highlight materials] After the messages disappeared I continued my work with a new found vigor but that didn¡¯t mean I forgot to search the other rooms as well; I picked each room clean as I made my way downstairs which so happens is where all the infected went, the entire floor was filled with infected some eating while others were wandering around waiting for something to happen. Seeing how there was no way for me to pass through with my current gear and skills I opened the air vent which was rather convenient since if I was in my old body I wouldn¡¯t even get half way in let alone be able to crawl through it but with this body it was quite easy. The further I got into the vent the more I saw and how the infected acted, these infected were inactive and would not do anything unless something happened, they would of course go for the leftover food but if that was gone and nothing happens they just shuffle around not even trying to escape. The infected were numb to everything except for sight and hearing; their sense of smell and touch are gone but they are quite sensitive to movement, this is getting quite extensive to say the least but I still don¡¯t know how these things work on a cellular level mean are they dead or are their nerves just fried, if I have the time for it later I should get a closer look at one of them but then again I can only check the basics like the easiest way to kill them but if I want more information on them I will need to find a scientist or something of that sort. [Codex-Walkers has reach 50% completion, 5% damage against said creatures] [Mission: Study thy enemy Type: Continuous Description: the virus is always mutating and as such you need to find out more about your enemy Reward: 1x reward bag per study, 1 Level per study] ¡®What the hell that¡¯s new, system what the hell is this codex thing?¡¯ [Codex is a feature catalogs all discovered facts, by adding new information new rewards are given based on the information learned, each category for study will give different rewards] That¡¯s a feature that will come in handy in the future, still though if I completed fifty percent of the walker codex does that mean that I know all of its behavioral but not its biology, if I study it closely I should be able to complete the codex maybe I can get that reward today. I stopped crawling as I heard banging from under me; turning my head to look at the source of the noise, the room was turned over with a single infected in it but it was different than the infected in the hall instead it was extremely active. The infected was running around the room then slamming into the cabinet but I could hear muffled crying within the cabinet which drew my attention even more, the best thing about this though is that the infected had a gun strapped on his waist band. He was a cop before the infection came and it looks like he didn¡¯t have the chance of using it before becoming an infected but still this infected was quite strange when compared to the others, is it a different type? Deciding it would be best to check this thing out before jumping down and getting myself killed I analyzed it only to have a surprise appear before me. [Runner LV 11 Type: 1 Description: an infected that follows a different path of evolution, this infected uses agility and a unwavering predatory instinct to pursue its target at all costs, this infected has no defense and relies on its agility to attack, hidden treasure is inside of its body] Deciding it would be best to keep away from the infected since its speed was obviously higher than mine by far but I can pick it off with my rib daggers since its health was already half full from it hitting the cabinet. Kicking the air vent off drawing the infected attention; the infected ran towards the now open air vent but when it tried to climb into the air vent I plunged one of the longer ribs I had into its eye socket, the force of it caused the infected to fall backwards but I wasn¡¯t done yet. I climbed out of the vent and landed beside the infected, it was about to get up when I placed my foot on top of its chest as it clawed at my leg I used my other foot to slam into the protruding rib in the infected eye. The infected twitched a bit but in the end it was completely dead; I limped over to the bed grabbing several pillow cases I ripped them into strips then layered them over the new wound on my leg, as I finished wrapping my wound I was hit in the head by a fucking broom! ¡°Fuck what the hell!!!¡± (Me) ¡°Stay the fuck away!¡± (???) I turned my head to see a girl dressed in punk clothes guarding a little girl that was crying in the now open cabinet; I could feel blood dripping down my head from my now open wound, I don¡¯t have any more pillow cases so I¡¯ll have to bear with it but still what the hell is wrong with this bitch! ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, is this how you treat everyone that saves your life?¡± (Me) ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯ll be one of them in a moment anyway so what do you care!¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°So that¡¯s what it was about, so someone can be infected by a scratch good to know.¡± (Me) ¡°What that¡¯s it, don¡¯t you understand you will be one of those things in a moment?!¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°Try thinking girl; the change isn¡¯t instantaneous it goes through stages, do I look like I¡¯m sick to you, I¡¯m immune why the fuck do you think I risked saving you.¡± (Me) ¡°No one¡¯s immune!¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°Believe that all you want I don¡¯t really care, your chances and the girls will be better if you come with me then again you can stay here and die if you want.¡± (Me) ¡°tell me how do you know your immune if everyone else in this hospital and outside are at risk?¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°A Biochip; I was here being a lab rat for a few thousand, the chip has merged with my body and it gives me updates my health, one of the said updates that it has graciously informed me of is that I¡¯m immune. I can also scan items or creatures for information though it is a little limited, I don¡¯t know if it does the same for living humans so don¡¯t ask me something like that.¡± (Me) The girl was in a daze trying to figure out if what I said was true or not but I ignored her and went to the body on the ground; I collected everything on its belt and placed it into my inventory then I used the system to scan for the treasure it mentioned before only to detect it inside of its head, I dragged the corpse into the bathroom which drew the punks attention but as she walked in she saw me smashing its head causing her to spew her lunch all over the wall and run out. I ignored her as I fiddled through the mess in front of me until I finally found a small gem that pulsated in my hand, as I looked at it I was given a message from the system. Chapter 1 Practice area? [Infected Nucleus Type: 1 Runner Description: once an infected becomes a type 1 or higher they form nuclei which can improve the human body, be aware there is a chance of failure or rejection, Suggestion- Eat It!] The message appeared and disappeared in a moment¡¯s notice but the information was stuck in my head; deciding to trust the system I walked over to the sink and washed off the brain matter, once done I observed the nucleus once more before popping it into my mouth, the nucleus melted in my mouth as my body was filled with a burning heat. As I struggled to fight the pain I got a glimpse in the mirror, my entire body turned bright red and steam began rolling off my body followed by a slight popping sound coming from my joints and muscles. This process only took a moment but it felt like years, as I came back to my senses I was on my knees with my arm hanging on the sink for support but out of all of this I couldn¡¯t help but give a toothy smile as I saw the notification I received after the change was done. [Nucleus absorbed, immunity title has negated negative affects] [Nucleus changing the user¡¯s body] [Trait: Lesser Acceleration LV 1 absorbed] [Lesser Acceleration LV 1: gives user 2x that of a normal human, to increase LV you need to consume more of the same type of nuclei or a stronger version of it, once it reaches LV 10 it will evolve, be aware that others have a chance to acquire this trait as well so don¡¯t get cocky] Getting up from the floor I walked out of the room where I was met with a glare by a very pale punk girl, the little girl beside her was trying to comfort her but other than rubbing her arm the little girl had no idea what to do. I moved over to the desk where a chair was placed; using the said chair I placed it in front of the vent to give easy access for the girls, as I was about to climb into the vent I was stopped by the punk girls outburst. ¡°What the hell did you do, wasn¡¯t he already died?!¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°Ya but he had something I needed.¡± (Me) ¡°What could he possibly have that you needed?¡± (Punk Girl) *Sigh* ¡°Since you will probably discover this later on anyway; in mutated infected such as the cop in the other room they have a chance to develop a nucleus in their body, this nucleus can help the human body in many unknown way. Each type of infected has a small chance to have one but the effects of these nuclei are random, you could even be infected by it so be careful when using them.¡± (Me) ¡°How do you even know this?¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°I told you before I had a Biochip in my head; I had it scan the infected before I even entered the room just so I didn¡¯t get mauled, oh and I can¡¯t can humans so your measurements are safe¡­ for now anyway.¡± (Me) ¡°Fuck You!!!¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°Hey now watch your mouth there¡¯s a little girl present.¡± (Me)Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°She¡¯s deaf you idiot!¡± (Punk Girl) ¡°Well that¡¯s going to be a handful, have fun with that.¡± (Me) Climbing into the vent I left the two girls behind or so I thought, I started hearing clanging behind me so I turned around to see the little girl and the punk following close behind me. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh again as it meant I had another two variables I had to think about, we finally made it to the exit but as I was about to step out the system sounded again giving me a new problem to deal with. [You are about to leave the practice area, all infected will have a chance to advance about type 2 and will have to deal with other survivors. You have 5 hours left in the practice area until it turns into a normal zone do you wish to forsake the last five hours in the practice area?] ¡®No.¡¯ ¡°Shit I need to do something before I leave, you two can either leave now or wait for me in the vent it doesn¡¯t really matter to me but either way I won¡¯t be leaving until I¡¯ve finished my objective.¡± (Me) ¡°What are you doing?¡± (Punk) ¡°Girl this is something that you have no part of and don¡¯t even think of following me because if you do I will leave your ass here.¡± (Me) ¡°God I only wanted to know in case you get yourself in trouble.¡± (Punk) ¡°Again it doesn¡¯t matter, right now the vent is the safest place but then again you could always be a rebel and go out to see how the world is outside.¡± (Me) The punk just glared at me but I ignored her as I made my way to the supply room; I quickly put everything into my inventory even the toilet paper but what really mattered was the gas that was used for the generators, before putting my plan into action I went to the medicine storage and the generator room collecting both medicine and the portable generator. I tried to put the heavy duty generator into my inventory but it was too big which really sucked to say the least, going to the main plaza after my looting I placed a radio I picked up in a room earlier I made a ring of fire that would burn anything and everything that goes near. Once I turned the radio on high blast I climbed back into the vent with a flare ready at any moment; the infected flocked within the room in moments there had to be more than sixty infected now but after a few more minutes of waiting for others to show up I decided it was time to start the barbecue, lighting the flare I tossed it into the horde causing the gas on the floor to ignite into a blaze of glory. The infected ignored the flames as they continued to reach for the radio which was propped up on a ledge out of their reach. The flames just burned everything to a charred mess but once all the flammable material was burnt away the fires died out, the reason I picked the plaza was because it was made fully in granite which was really hard to catch on fire. After a few minutes for the smoke to dissipate in the surrounding areas I got down from the vent to search for some more nuclei but out of the sixty plus I could only find two nuclei which were quickly stored within my inventory. Since everything was done I moved towards the exit for the second time; I spent about three hours just for prep and another hour and a half for the barbecue so I have about an hour and a half until the zone is turned back to normal, I have already collected everything I need between luxury items and medicine I think I¡¯m ready to finally leave. I have notifications to read too so I need to find a safe place to read them but let¡¯s do that after everything is settled. When I finally made it back to the exit I checked the vent for the girls but they were gone, I guess I couldn¡¯t blame them after all they had no idea who I was and there would be the suspicion of me being infected. The moment I touched the exit door I heard the door to the bathrooms creak causing me to turn rapidly with a rib dagger in hand just in case there was an infected I missed. ¡°Easy killer we just needed to use the bathroom after all you took your damn sweet time.¡± (Punk) ¡°Oh come on who wouldn¡¯t react this way when they hear a door creak behind them especially in a zombie apocalypse!¡± (Me) ¡°Whatever you say pussy.¡± (Punk) ¡®God I should have left her to the infected.¡¯ (Me) ¡°Sorry pal you¡¯re not getting rid of us that easily besides don¡¯t you have to take responsibility for your actions?¡± (Punk) The punk said this with the little girl in front of her, the little girl stared at me with big eyes piercing a hole straight through me. God why do I have to deal with this is this some sort of punishment for being a decent guy, new rule don¡¯t pick up strays!