The grotesque form of Maya Rodriguez, her name a bitter irony now, stumbled towards Ethan. Her guttural moans were punctuated by sharp, ragged breaths, and the stench of decay wafted from her. Her former eyes, once bright with teenage mischief, were now dull, milky orbs devoid of humanity.
"Stay back!" Mr. Henderson shouted, pushing against the desk, but it was clear the barricade wouldn't hold. He glanced frantically at Ethan, a look of desperate fear in his eyes.
Ethan ignored him. The System's voice, calm and precise, was a strange anchor in the storm of terror. [New objective: Eliminate the approaching zombie. Reward: 10 Experience Points. Failure Penalty: Potential death.]
His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat urging him to flee. Every fiber of his being screamed to run, to hide under a desk like his trembling classmates. But the image of Liam Chen on the ground, the blood blossoming on his crisp white shirt, flashed in his mind. And the System's promise of strength.
He tightened his grip on the heavy fire extinguisher. It felt substantial, a blunt instrument of grim purpose. As Maya lunged, a surprisingly fast, uncoordinated lurch, Ethan reacted. He didn't think, he just moved, fueled by instinct and a strange, primal surge of adrenaline.
He sidestepped awkwardly, feeling the rush of putrid air as Maya's snapping jaws missed his shoulder by inches. The smell was overpowering, nauseating. He swung the extinguisher, a clumsy, desperate arc, aiming for her head. The heavy metal canister connected with a sickening thud, but she barely recoiled. This wasn't like the movies; one hit wasn't enough.
[Target sustained blunt force trauma. Minimal damage. Focus on weak points.] the System advised, its voice emotionless.
Weak points? He remembered bits and pieces from zombie lore – the head, always the head. He needed to be more precise, more forceful.
Maya stumbled again, regaining her footing, her snarl growing louder. Her hands, gnarled and blood-stained, reached for him. Ethan felt a jolt of pure terror. He saw the grime under her fingernails, the dried blood on her lips. This wasn't just a monster; it was *Maya*. That thought almost paralyzed him.
But then, another memory surfaced: a quick dodge, a sudden pivot. He remembered those basketball drills, how Coach Miller always stressed agility. He twisted, using his lanky frame to his advantage, evading another lunge.
This time, as Maya overextended, Ethan pivoted sharply. He drove the nozzle end of the fire extinguisher forward, not in a wild swing, but a desperate, focused thrust. He aimed for her face, remembering that old horror film cliché.
The metal pierced through the soft tissue with a wet *squelch*. Maya froze, a gurgling shriek tearing from her throat. Her body convulsed, a grotesque dance of death, before she collapsed to the ground, twitching once, then falling still. Her milky eyes stared sightlessly at the classroom ceiling.
A wave of nausea hit Ethan. He staggered back, the extinguisher still in his hand, droplets of something dark and viscous clinging to its nozzle. He stared at the lifeless form of his classmate, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He had done it. He had killed her. The reality of it was a bitter, metallic taste in his mouth.
Just as the horror threatened to overwhelm him, the System's voice resonated again, clear and triumphant.
[Zombie eliminated! Experience Gained: 100 EXP.]
[Current Experience: 100/100.]
Ethan stared blankly at the floating blue screen. It offered no comfort, no commendation, just cold data.
Suddenly, a series of bright, flashing notifications exploded across his vision.
[Congratulations, Host! You have gained enough Experience Points to Level Up]
[Level Up! You are now Level 2]
[All basic attributes +1]
[Points: +1]
[Status]
Name: Ethan James
Title: None
Level: 2
Experience: 0/200 (Next Level)
Strength: 6 (+1)
Agility: 7 (+1)
Stamina: 8 (+1)
Intelligence: 9 (+1)
Skills: None
Points: 1
Ethan felt a subtle, almost imperceptible shift in his body. A slight lightness in his limbs, a faint surge of energy. Was it just adrenaline, or had he actually become stronger?
He looked around. Mr. Henderson was staring at him, his face a mix of shock and a dawning, terrifying realization. The other students were huddled, silently weeping, their eyes wide with fear and a profound, silent horror. They had seen him kill Maya. They had seen what Maya had become.
The silence in the classroom was broken only by the distant, sustained screams and the ominous sounds of destruction from outside. More thuds against the hallway walls, closer this time.
[Multiple low-level zombie threats detected in the vicinity. Threat level: Increasing.]
Ethan gulped, his knuckles still white around the fire extinguisher. He might have gained a level, but he was still just a high school kid in over his head. The immediate threat was gone, but the sounds outside told him the nightmare was far from over. He had to think, and fast.
He had just taken his first step into this new, horrifying world, and it was clear he was no longer just a spectator. He was a player in a game with the highest stakes imaginable. And his journey, whether he liked it or not, had truly just begun.