Chapter 56: Chapter56-Meeting with Lia again

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." Suddenly, an arrow whizzed in my direction, and I barely dodged it. 'Who the fuck?' I spun around, eyes wide and breath catching in my throat. In the dim light of the archery center, a figure stood at the far end, bow drawn and aimed straight at me. She was standing in a dark corner of the center, making it hard for me to identify who she really was. I couldn't even tell if she was male or female. The archer was cloaked in black clothing. I couldn't make out what she was wearing because her clothes blended into the shadows, making it hard to see any details. "Hold your fire!" I shouted, raising my hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not one of them!" The figure hesitated, lowering the bow slightly but keeping it trained on me. "Who are you?" a voice demanded, sharp and wary. It was a woman's voice, steady but with an edge of desperation. Damn, I forgot I'm wearing a mask. She might be thinking I am a robber or something. I slowly took off my mask and said, "I'm Michael Frostburne. I am" Before I could finish, the archer ran into view from the dark corner, stopping right in front of me. I was surprised by who she was. "You... Lia?" I exclaimed. The archer was none other than Lia, who was currently wearing an off-shoulder pleated cocktail dress, looking both sexy and gorgeous. Lia said, "Yes, Michael, what's wrong? Why are you so surprised? Don't you remember me?" I scratched my head and said, "Lia, it's not that. I just didn't expect to see you here." Lia said, "Yeah, me too. I didn't expect to see you either." I replied, "Oh, I see." Then, there was a brief silence between us. I knew this would happen. Even after coming into this world, my conversation skills were at a failure level. I didn't know what to say next. I was always terrible at starting and keeping conversations going, which is why my parents often criticized me in my previous world. I didn't feel bad about it though; talking to someone was always tiring for me. So, I never tried to improve. The silence was getting awkward. Finally, Lia broke it. "Michael, do you know where we are right now? I don't even know what this place is or how I got here. I was just standing in Cannes when suddenly smoke appeared. Then I fell to the floor and lost consciousness. After that, I don't remember anything. I woke up here all alone. I didn't know what to do. When I went outside, I only saw those ugly monsters wh-who" As she spoke, I noticed her shoulders trembling slightly. Why are her shoulders shaking? Then it struck me. Is she scared? Come to think of it, her voice is also a bit stuttering and shaky. I cut her off, gripping her shoulders firmly. "Calm down, calm down. It's okay. Nobody's here, see? No monsters." I pointed around us to reassure her. Then she became quiet. I asked, "Are you okay?" She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Thanks, Michael. It's just...everything is so confusing." "I can understand, Lia. I'm just as clueless about our location as you. All I know is we're in a high school called Hyoson," I explained gently. Lia's eyes widened in surprise. "Hyoson High School? But... how did we end up here?" She's asking the same question again... I've only just told her... Sigh, she can be a bit absent-minded. "I wish I could answer that," I replied with a sigh. "I woke up in a classroom inside the school building. Managed to escape from there, dodging zombies, and eventually found my way here to meet you." "Wait! So, you set off those fire alarms?" she asked. I could have corrected Lia, but instead, I simply said, "Yeah." "Wow, that's an impressive way to escape, Michael!" she exclaimed. I refrained from pointing out to Lia that it wasn't exactly impressive. "Thanks for the compliment, Lia." She nodded slowly, still visibly shaken but more composed than earlier. "But it all feels so unreal. One moment, we were at the castle, and now we're here." "I know," I said softly, giving her shoulders a light squeeze. "But let's figure this out together, okay? We're not alone in this. But right now, can you show me where the staircase is in this place? I really need to go somewhere." Before Lia could respond, I added, "Don't ask me why just yet. I'll explain later." Lia managed a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Thanks, Michael. I... I appreciate your help. Follow me, I'll show you where the staircase is." And then she started walking while I followed her. While we walked, I began thinking about our earlier conversation. I felt like I was saying some crazy stuff... I really didn't want to keep talking, but Lia kept pushing. Normally, I wouldn't have said that, but with zombies still outside, I was anxious to wrap up the conversation quickly. My main reason for coming here was to hunt, not to socialize. As I glanced around, I noticed the archery center was huge but mostly empty. The walls had targets set at different distances, each clearly labeled for different skill levels. They had racks neatly organized with various types and sizes of bows, along with arrows stored in quivers for easy access. The floor was covered with a sturdy, non-slip surface, which ensured stability while shooting. I also spotted some comfortable seating areas and benches. Additionally, there were instructional posters and screens displaying tips and techniques to improve archery aim and form. Apart from these things, there was nothing else noticeable. After a few minutes, we finally reached the staircase located at the far end of the archery center's spacious interior. Before I could thank her, a loud blast reverberated from the school building. Damn, they acted quickly. I ran up the stairs, aiming for the rooftop as fast as possible. My mind was chaotic at the moment. When all the fire alarms in the school went off, I knew those two abomination would destroy them, but I didn't expect them to start so quickly. Now I understood that the loud blast just now marked the beginning of their destruction of the fire alarms, as the combined noise from all alarms suddenly decreased when the blast occurred. After a minute, I reached the rooftop entrance, slammed the door open, and ran out with my guns. With both the Abominations and zombies occupied with blasting fire alarms, this was my chance to kill the remaining zombies outside. I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity under any circumstances. As I reached the edge of the rooftop, my heart raced with adrenaline. Taking a deep breath, I steadied my grip on the guns. The atmosphere was tense, filled with the distant echoes of alarms and the occasional groans of the undead. The air smelled of smoke and decay, a grim reminder of the chaos surrounding us. I squeezed the trigger, and the first shot rang out, echoing across the empty courtyard. The bullet struck true, hitting a zombie squarely in the head. It collapsed immediately, its body slumping to the ground. A sense of satisfaction mixed with dread as I realized the gravity of the situationthese were once people, now mindless creatures driven by hunger. Then, I continued my previous firing, each shot randomly placed to maximize effectiveness. They were oblivious to my presence, focused only on the noise and movement. And I made sure those guys were killed before they even spotted me up here. I aimed for headshots whenever possible, knowing that was the surest way to take down a zombie swiftly. The sound of gunfire reverberated through the air, punctuating the eerie silence between shots. As I took down each zombie, I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. I stayed focused on the task, ignoring the satisfaction that threatened to distract me. Man, I really enjoy killing them down. I wish they would keep coming like this. While I dealt with the zombies outside, I saw more of them moving toward the archery center out of the corner of my eye. So, they spotted me. Well, better late than never. They staggered clumsily. Some of them approached the entrance, banging on the doors in futile attempts to get inside. Their moans mixed with the blaring alarms from inside the school. I knew I had to stop them from breaking into the archery center, or things would get much harder for me. Since I don't enjoy working much, finishing things quickly was what I was trying to do now. I quickly focused on the zombies at the entrance. And then I started firing at all of them at once. Some bullets missed their target, but others punched holes through some of the zombies. They dropped dead within few seconds. And just when I thought everything was done, something caught my eye. Wait, really? I couldn't help but laugh; I was genuinely happy right now. Why? Next to the Archery Center, there was a gym and a schoolyard, all surrounded by a massive fence. The only way in or out was through a wall with the school's name on it, like any normal school entrance. But my happiness came from a completely different reason. A large horde of zombies was sprinting in our direction from the city streets. Judging by their numbers, there were maybe another 100 or 200 zombies. I began shooting in their direction. Most of the bullets missed because of the distance, but I still managed to hit many of them. The gunfire drowned out their cries of pain, making a sharp contrast to the chaotic scene around them. The atmosphere shifted from battling against a horde to eliminating them completely. Occasionally, I paused for a few seconds to let my overheated gun cool down. Let's finish it up... *** The school surroundings and entrance were... Just filled with shitty smell. The smell of blood lingered in the air. 25 minutes had passed since then, and finally, the last zombie outside met its end and disintegrated into nothingness. With that, I quickly dropped both guns onto the rooftop floor. Urggh, so hot... My hands literally burned up from the intense heat of both guns. The only sound now was my ragged breathing and the distant wail of fire alarms in the school building. I leaned against the rooftop's edge, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. As I expected, I came out victorious without any losses. The Abominations never came out of the high school building. Even if they had, I had a backup plan to escape from them. Fortunately, no one came out. I accessed my character profile, and a virtual screen appeared before me. (Ding, Congratulations host! You have...)