The corridor felt heavier after the fight, Not because of the bodies, But because of what had just happened.
Arata Kurozawa stood still for a mont, the tal pipe hanging loosely in his hand, his chest rising and falling in controlled breaths. The blood on the floor hadn’t fully settled yet. It spread slowly across the tiles, mixing with dust and fragnts of broken glass, forming dark reflections under the flickering ergency lights.
Three human bodies, Not infected, Not mindless, People.
And yet... he felt nothing, No hesitation, No regret, Only clarity.
> [HOSTILE TARGETS ELIMINATED]
[BONUS REWARD APPLIED]
[TEMPORARY STAT BOOST: 2 ALL STATS (09:41 REMAINING)]
Arata glanced at the fading tir.
Temporary.
Everything was temporary.
Strength. Safety. Life.
Only one thing mattered—how efficiently he used it.
Behind him, Minase Reina lowered her pistol slightly, though her finger still rested near the trigger. Her breathing was steady, but her gaze remained sharp, locked not on the corpses, but on Arata.
"You didn’t hesitate," she said.
Her voice was calm, but there was sothing beneath it.
Testing.
Arata didn’t turn imdiately.
"They would have killed us," he replied.
"That doesn’t answer my question."
Now he looked at her.
His expression was neutral.
Cold.
"No," he said. "I didn’t hesitate."
Silence stretched between them.
Not uncomfortable, But deliberate.
Reina studied him for a few seconds longer.
Then she nodded once.
"...Good."
It wasn’t approval, It was recognition.
A faint sound echoed from sowhere deeper in the building. tal scraping against concrete. Sothing falling. Then silence again.
The world outside hadn’t stopped.
It had just begun.
Arata exhaled slowly and shifted his grip on the pipe. The temporary boost still flowed through his body, making his limbs feel lighter, more responsive. His mind felt sharper too—like every decision could be calculated faster, cleaner.
He focused inward.
"Status," he said quietly.
The blue interface appeared instantly.
> [STATUS]
Na: Arata Kurozawa
Level: 2
> Strength: 8 ( 2)
Agility: 14 ( 2)
Endurance: 7 ( 2)
Perception: 8 ( 2)
> Skills:
Basic Combat Instinct (Passive)
> Active Effects:
Temporary Boost ( 2 All Stats)
> Unallocated Points: 0
Stronger and Faster, But still not enough.
That Hunter earlier—
If Reina hadn’t interfered...He would be dead.
The system wasn’t giving him power.
It was giving him a chance.
A chance he could easily waste.
"Thinking?" Reina asked.
"Planning," Arata replied.
"Good. Then plan fast. This place won’t stay quiet."
He nodded, She was right.Fighting here wasn’t sustainable.
Noise attracted more, More ant death.
"We move up," Arata said. "Higher floors. Fewer access points."
Reina didn’t respond imdiately, Instead, she looked toward the stairwell, Then back at him.
"There’s a dical wing on the third floor," she said. "Limited entrances. Supplies. Better than open corridors."
Arata considered it for a mont, Then nodded.
"Lead."They moved.
The stairwell was darker than the hallway below. Ergency lights flickered weakly, casting uneven shadows across the walls. Each step echoed slightly, even when they tried to stay quiet.
Too loud.
But there was no alternative.
Halfway up, Arata paused suddenly.
His body reacted before his mind fully processed it.
"Stop," he whispered, Reina froze instantly.
A sound.
Above them , Faint , Dragging.
Not walking, Not running, Dragging.
Reina slowly raised her pistol, Arata tightened his grip on the pipe.
The sound stopped, Silence returned.
They waited.
Five seconds, Ten.
Nothing happened.
"...Keep moving," Arata said quietly.
They reached the third floor without further incident.
But the tension didn’t fade, It only shifted.
The dical wing entrance stood ahead, its door partially broken, glass shattered inward. Papers were scattered across the floor, so stained, others torn. The faint sll of antiseptic mixed with blood hung in the air.
Arata raised his hand slightly.
Signal to stop.
He leaned forward just enough to look inside.
No imdiate movent, But that ant nothing.
He pushed the door open slowly, The hinges creaked, Both of them tensed.
Nothing ca.
They entered.
The corridor stretched long and narrow, lined with small treatnt rooms. So doors were open, others half-closed. A trolley lay overturned near the wall. Footprints—bloody ones—led deeper inside.
"Clear in sections," Arata said.
Reina nodded.
They split., Arata moved left.
Step by step.
Controlled and Focused.
First room—empty.
Second—empty.
Third—Movent.
An infected nurse lunged from behind the door, her movents jerky but fast.
Arata didn’t step back, He stepped in.
CRACK!
The pipe connected with her skull, She dropped instantly.
> [ENEMY ELIMINATED]
[EXP GAINED]
No hesitation, No wasted motion.
He moved on.
By the ti they regrouped, six bodies lay scattered across the corridor.
Reina lowered her gun slightly.
"Clear."
Arata nodded.
But his eyes moved toward the last room.
The largest one.
"...Not that one," he said.
Reina followed his gaze.
She understood imdiately , They approached together.
Arata pushed the door open, And stopped, Soone was inside.
A girl, Curled into the corner, holding a tal tray like a shield.
Her hands were shaking, Her eyes wide, Terrified, But alive.
"Don’t co closer!" she shouted.
Arata didn’t move.
Reina stepped slightly to the side, covering angles.
"Not infected," Reina said quietly.
"I know," Arata replied.
The girl looked between them, panic and calculation mixing in her expression.
Lab coat, ssy hair , Glasses, dical student.
"What’s your na?" Arata asked.
She hesitated.
"...Airi."
"Full na."
"...Airi Tachibana."
Reina’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"dical?"
Airi nodded quickly.
"Yes... second year..."
Arata scanned the room.
Supplies , Bandages, Disinfectants, Tools that are Useful.
"You’re coming with us," he said.
Airi froze and said "What?"
"You stay here, you die," Arata continued. "You co with us, you have a chance."
"And if you’re worse than them?" she shot back, her voice shaking but firm.
Arata stepped forward, Not threatening, But undeniable.
"If I wanted to kill you," he said calmly, "you’d already be dead."
Airi’s breath caught, She knew it was true.
Reina watched silently, Airi’s grip on the tray tightened.
Then loosened , "...Okay," she whispered.
They secured the room quickly.
Beds against the door, Cabinets reinforcing weak points.
Windows checked, One entrance , One fallback.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE]
[TEMPORARY SAFE ZONE ESTABLISHED]
[RECOVERY BONUS: 10%]
Airi blinked.
"...What was that?"
"Focus on staying alive," Reina said.
Airi nodded and Didn’t question further.
Arata finally sat down, Pain returned clearly now, His side throbbed.
Airi moved toward him instinctively.
"You’re injured," she said.
"I noticed."
She ignored the tone and started working.
Cleaning, Bandaging.
Her hands didn’t shake anymore.
"Why help?" Arata asked suddenly.
She paused and said "...Because if you die, I die."
He smirked faintly, "Good answer."
Reina looked away slightly.
Ti passed , Light outside dimd.
Then—A sound, Low and Growing.
Reina stood instantly, Arata followed.
The sound beca clearer, Not one, Not ten but hundres.
A mass.
"...A swarm," Reina said.
> [WARNING]
[LARGE-SCALE INFECTED MOVENT DETECTED]
Airi stepped back.
"H-How many...?"
Arata looked at the door , Then at the barricade.
"...Too many."
Silence.
Then—He spoke, "We don’t fight ", Reina looked at him, "We survive."
Outside, the world was no longer falling, it had already fallen.
Now...it was deciding who deserved to live.
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