Chapter 55: Chapter55-Hordes of Zombies

For now, I was confused about whether to believe it or not. And then, my eyes were drawn to what looked like a map hanging on the corner walls above the chair where the principal would have sat before the pandemic or virus outbreak. That could be helpful now, at this time of crisis, when I didn't know what to do. The map mainly focused on detailing every part of the school, its areas, and the places close by. After carefully examining the map for 10 to 20 minutes, I muttered, "Oh, I see, I see." Then, I fell into deep thought. After examining the map, I discovered many details about the school and the nearby areas. The school is divided into five floors, each with four classrooms and two additional rooms for purposes such as music, library, broadcast room, staffroom, etc. There are also two main buildings beside the school: the Archery Center and the school's cafeteria. I also learned the names of some famous local places near the school. So, I now have some knowledge of this place. Then, I shifted my focus to what I should do next. Normally, if I had the same amount of essences as before, I would try to get out of this school and go somewhere else. But given my current situation and low number of essences, I have decided to kill as many zombies in this school as possible. In other words, I'm going on a zombie-killing spree. But first, I need to test something. If my test is successful, it will prove my theory correct. And if my theory is correct, I will have no problem killing as many of these mindless zombies as possible. That's done. I checked my watch again and saw that it was now 12:20 PM. Two more hours until my dash skill gets renewed, and 10 more minutes until my explosives get renewed. Yeah, my guns also have cooldowns. In fact, all the guns made in this apocalyptic world have cooldowns. The biggest gun manufacturing company couldn't fix an important issue when they created them for the first time. Guns and monster cores are polar opposites, making them difficult to create. This always left a loophole: cooldowns. A monster core's energy is limited to a certain amount of time. For example, take an Iron rank monster core. It can provide energy for at least two years, but it has a limited quota every minute. Imagine the quota is 60 dollars, and the guns take at least 2 dollars for every bullet they fire. So, the quota, which should last a minute, gets used up 30 seconds earlier. That's why most guns of my caliber last only 20 minutes at most. However, the higher the rank of the core, the longer the time you get. So, I think it's best to wait for the guns to renew rather than recklessly fighting with daggers. Besides, fighting with daggers will be very hard considering their overwhelming numbers. I need to kill them quickly and efficiently, which requires a good hiding place. For a moment, I thought about going to the rooftop and firing bullets down at the zombies on the ground. However, reaching the rooftop isn't possible with those Abominations waiting for me. That's why I need another place, and I already know the best hiding spot. The problem is, how do I get there? The distance between the school and that spot isn't too far, but those zombies will be a challenge. I need to distract them to make it there safely. If I don't, hundreds of them will come at me all at once. Even with both guns, I couldn't take them all down. There's always that one that will slip away, and if it does, I'm done for. I rubbed my chin, closed my eyes, and started to think. What should I do? How can I distract them? I kept pondering, but nothing came to mind. Time was passing slowly. A small bead of sweat trickled down from my forehead, down my neck, onto my arm, and finally fell from my hand. The sweat felt cool. I noticed it but didn't mind. I began recalling everything I could remember since arriving here, searching for anything that could distract those zombies. And as I was recalling everything, it suddenly hit me. That alarm... I felt a rush of joy inside. Yes, I've got it! Since arriving here, I've noticed something common in every room and corridor. I opened my eyes and scanned the principal's office. It didn't take long for me to spot what I was looking for. There it is. Alarm... A fire alarm... I'm confident it's functional and reliable. Why? Well, if the elevator works, there's a good chance other systems are operational too. So, I'll just start the fire, and the alarm will take care of the rest. That should work. With that decision made, I waited for time to pass. *** Finally, two hours had passed, and both my skills and guns were renewed. Now, it's time for some fun. I glanced at the pile of papers and files on the floor. I had collected them when I had nothing else to do. Then, I carefully used the tip of my gun as a makeshift lighter to set the papers on fire. Since I didn't have any lighters with me, I had no other choice but to use one of my guns as a lighter. It was my first time doing this, so I wasn't sure if it would work. But luckily, the gun ignited the papers slowly as I pressed its trigger gently. Because, one moment of too much pressure and... boom. I slowly lit a piece of paper and then threw it onto the stack. As the flames licked the papers, a small fire quickly spread across the stack. The dry documents caught easily, emitting a faint crackling sound amidst the eerie silence of the principal's office. A hint of smoke began to curl upwards, carrying with it the acrid scent of burning paper. Standing back, I watched intently, my heart racing with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. This fire wasn't just a means to distract the zombies; it was a gamble on their primal instincts, a bet that they would respond to the alarm. Minutes ticked by agonizingly slow. The fire grew steadily, its warmth spreading subtly through the room. I hurried to the door and opened it slowly to check the corridor for the Abomination. I knew it had been moving around constantly for the past two hours. As expected, the monster wasn't there. I started running down the corridor, aiming to leave the building before the alarm went off. Finally, just when I reached the entrance of the building. Then, it happened. A piercing, shrill noise broke the silencethe fire alarms. Their loud cries echoed through the corridors, bouncing off the walls and creating a sense of urgency that would definitely draw attention. The zombies in the other corridors and on the playground, driven by instinct, started shuffling towards the noise. Their dull moans grew louder as they all rushed from the playground to the school building at once. As I was already outside, they almost caught me right away, but I jumped into the maze surrounding the building when the bell rang. I was not trying adjust so, that zombies don't much get to see me. Honestly, I wasn't afraid if they saw me because I had my gun and could shoot them. But I didn't want to fight a whole army at once, so I let them enter the school building. Once their numbers were reduced to a manageable amount, I planned to strike. I was also wearing a mask that I found in the principal's office. It was mainly for protection in case a zombie managed to slip past my bullets and daggers and attack my face. Then suddenly, I heard two loud roars from the high school building. It seemed they were also agitated. Zombies began to flood the entrance of the building, and within a minute, many had gone inside, leaving about fifty struggling to get in. I could clearly hear the zombies' screams echoing through the corridors. The fire alarms blared throughout the school, making a tremendous amount of noise. I was sure any monster within a kilometer or more would have heard it by now and might be coming this way. This meant I couldn't stay here any longer, or I might get trapped between the Abominations and the unknown monsters coming this way. I needed to move quickly to my hiding spot. I took a deep breath, tightened my grip on my gun, and dashed from my hiding spot in the maze. My target was the archery center, and I knew I had to move fast. The fire alarm continued to blare, echoing through the empty hallways and drawing every nearby zombie towards the building. As I ran, I could hear the moans and shuffling feet of the zombies growing louder. Just as I expected, my movement attracted their attention. The zombies near the entrance turned towards me, their eyes glowing with a hungry light. They began to chase me, their steps slow but relentless. I didn't look back. I sprinted forward, my heart pounding in my chest. The archery center wasn't far, but with the zombies in pursuit, it felt like miles away. I reached the edge of the playground and glanced over my shoulder. Over fifty zombies were chasing me, their grotesque forms silhouetted against the backdrop of the school building. It felt like a scene from a zombie movieme against an entire army. That's what I thought. But, in the end, nothing really changed. They were just a feeble horde that I would eventually wipe out sooner or later. "Dieeeeee!" I shouted in pure excitement. I fired as many shots as I could over my shoulder as I ran. Not every bullet hit its target, but enough of them struck zombies. Some stumbled to the ground, while others dropped dead immediately. But for every one I killed, it seemed like two more took its place. Their numbers were overwhelming, and I knew I couldn't afford to slow down. The system screen displayed messages for each zombie kill, but I disregarded them for the moment. My primary focus now was to reach the center. The archery center loomed ahead, its doors slightly ajar. I could make it if I kept up my pace. I continued to shoot sporadically, aiming to slow the horde rather than eliminate it completely. The zombies' groans grew louder, and I could feel their presence closing in on me. I burst through the doors of the archery center, slamming them shut behind me. "Alright, second part completed, now onto the next." The zombies' fists pounded against the doors, and I knew it wouldn't hold for long. I quickly scanned the room, looking for anything I could use to barricade the entrance. Spotting a stack of heavy archery targets, I dragged them in front of the door, creating a makeshift barrier. It wasn't perfect, but it will suffice for now. I took a moment to catch my breath, my heart still racing from the chase. The zombies outside continued to pound on the door, their groans filling the air. I sighed and checked my condition. Besides minor scratches from previous fights, I didn't have any specific injuries. "I pulled it off," I muttered. "Now, time for more kills."