As the warm atmosphere surrounded me and Ella, I looked at her and asked,
"Ella, are you sure you'll join me wherever I go?"
"Yes, Jefford. I would stay with you," she said, squeezing my hand gently.
"Besides, if it weren't for you, I would've probably been walking alongside the undead right now."
"I'm glad to hear that, Ella. But we have to keep growing stronger."
My tone turned serious as I looked into her eyes.
"The battle that will soon befall humanity… it will determine whether we survive as a species—or vanish like the countless extinct ones history forgot."
"Yes. I'm ready."
Her eyes burned with quiet resolve.
"Let's farm some zombies," she said, casting her buff spell once more.
A soft, radiant light spread across both of us, strengthening body and mind.
---
Status Check:
> Jefford Cliff (Master)
HP: 2300/2300
Mana: 780/1000
Mana Regen: 1 MP/sec
Class:
Storeman
Close Combat Warrior
Fort Warrior
Attack Points: 10 (+45)
Attack Speed: 2 (+0.25)/sec
Movement Speed: B-
Others: Not unlocked
Buff: All attributes improved by 25%
Duration: 25 minutes & 00 seconds
> Ella Mai (Lover)
HP: 2600/2600
Mana: 3200/35,000
Mana Regen: 100 MP/sec
Class: Healer
Attack/Healing: 250
Movement Speed: B-
Others: Not unlocked
---
As I glanced at the interface, I paused—
Seeing her status change from Companion to Lover made my heart skip a beat.
While I admired the new label, Ella called out to me.
"Jefford, can you use your interdimensional space to move this mountain of corpses so we can finish off the remaining zombies?"
I nodded and handed her a few fresh magazines from my inventory.
"Get ready. Once I clear the pile, it's game on."
"Yeah. I'm ready," she replied, aiming her weapon at the stairwell.
With a motion, I warped the mountain of corpses into my dimensional space.
And just like that—dozens of groaning zombies stormed up the stairs, drawn by scent, hunger, and sound.
Ella opened fire.
Bullets danced like angry wasps, tearing through flesh and bone.
She was like a different person now—
Her staff strapped to her back, hair tied into a fierce ponytail, eyes calm but blazing.
Her arms didn't shake. Her aim didn't waver.
Minutes passed. The building fell eerily silent.
Only the reek of blood and powder lingered.
And then, the system chimed:
---
> System:
Congratulations! Ella has leveled up to Level 2.
HP increased twofold.
---
I turned to her with a proud smile.
"Ella, congratulations."
I wrapped my arms around her.
"Aww, you're so sweet, Jefford," she murmured into my chest.
"But… should we find a new hideout? It's getting dark soon."
"Yeah," I nodded. "Let's move."
---
After a few minutes of quiet walking, we reached a supermarket.
It looked like a massacre zone—blood smeared across the glass, walls, and tiles.
But something was… off.
There were no zombies.
Just eerie silence.
Then the system spoke again:
---
> System – Special Mission:
Use the Fort Warrior class and engulf the mall within the fort.
Defend it from the horde of monsters.
Reward:
Increased stamina
Ability to check progress toward upgrading the Ultimate System
All the resources in the mall.
---
I lit up. "Ella! We've got a new mission!"
She smiled. "Of course I'm in, Jefford. I'll support you with everything I've got."
Without hesitation, I activated my passive.
A deep rumble shook the ground.
Stone and iron erupted from the earth, twisting upward into a massive structure—
A fortress… our stronghold. With dozens of cannons, machine guns and soldiers created by and sustained through the caster's mana or health.
---
> System:
You have now created a Fort with the help of your class.
Hold out against 100,000 normal zombies that will comes in batches for the next 12 hours, and reap the rewards.
---
As soon as the message faded, the sky darkened—
The first wave came and I immediately I summoned for the very first time the great fortress that towerd for 12 feet across a radius of 3 kilometers.
As soon as the fortress standed.
Zombies flooded the streets, sprinting, crawling, shrieking heading towards the fortress- towards me who stared at them coldly and with full confidence that I would prevail again them despite their numerous number.
Once the zombies camed to range the fort's cannons, machine guns and the soldiers all roared to life, tearing through flesh with explosive force.
Ella stared in awe.
"W-What? Who's controlling those!?"
"My powers," I replied, focused. "I channel mana into them.
But when my mana runs dry, the fort starts draining my HP—10 per second."
"I'll heal you. Always," she said, stepping forward.
"Let me try my new buff."
She lifted her staff and chanted.
A wave of energy burst outward, blanketing the entire battlefield.
---
> System:
Mass Aerial Attack Speed Buff activated.
All attack speed in radius increased x2.
Current radius: 3 km (equal to fort size).
Can stack with direct buffs.
---
I looked at her, deeply impressed.
"Nice one."
The cannons roared louder, shells dropping like rain.
---
> System Update:
Zombie kill count: 1800 / 100,000
Incredible pace. Please continue.
---
Hours passed. The sky turned to night.
We kept pushing.
But Ella was starting to wobble, her mana draining.
---
> System Update:
Zombies killed: 80,000 / 100,000
---
Ate you ok Ella?
I asked in a worried voice as I glanyat here.
But as soon as I glanced —
She instantly collapsed into my arms.
The air turned cold.
The system screamed.
---
> ⚠️ WARNING:
A Mutated Zombie has been drawn by the bombardment.
Use all available resources.
Failure Condition: Ella's death.
---
Time stopped.
Ella… her breathing was shallow. Her lips pale.
I turned toward the battlefield.
And saw it.
A 10-foot monster, hulking with muscle and veins like twisted cables.
Its head… disfigured. Its eyes… glowing red.
The same one Ella feared but much bigger.
My heart pounded in my chest.
I wouldn't let her see this monster again.
I activated the ultimate fort skill.
---
> System Skill Activated: You Shall Not Pass
For 3 minutes, fort consumes no HP or Mana.
Firepower x4.
User will fall into 8-hour sleep afterward.
---
"No holding back," I muttered.
Then I shouted at the beast:
"EAT THIS!"
I hurled every grenade I had.
They exploded in smoke and fire—barely slowing it.
The cannons sped up to 12 rounds per minute, while the machine guns released bullets at godlike speed. The Shells ripped through everything.
Within 90 seconds, all that remained was the injured yet still powerful Mutated Zombie, who with his full force smashed through the outer wall with a punch that shook the earth.
---
> System Warning:
Kill the Mutant Zombie in 30 seconds.
Failure = Death
---
As I felt the insane power unleashed by the mutant zombie I horriedly pulled out every dead zombie into my inventory and launched their corpses at it—blinding it momentarily.
Then hurled all remaining grenades straight into its face along with all the firepower of my fortress creating a huge loud explosive tearing it's skull in half.
Inside he's head there's floating ominous shining thing inside…
A glowing red Core.
It drifted toward me.
And merged into my chest.
---
> System:
Congratulations.
100,000 Zombies eliminated.
New Task Unlocked:
---
> ⚠️ Warning – Curse of the Red Core
Survive.
Reward: Ability to use Runes
Failure: Madness
---
The moment I read it, my vision darkened.
My body gave way.
I collapsed.
And slipped into a deep, silent sleep.