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Chapter 9: The Level Up
Over the next two days, we fell into a routine.
Morning: Check the streets from our window. Plan the day.
Afternoon: Quick supply runs or zombie clearing in nearby buildings.
Evening: Train, eat, rest.
Night: Watch rotation. Never sleep all at once.
We killed zombies every day—not because we wanted to, but because we needed the points. By August 18th, day four, I'd eliminated another twenty zombies and Maya had killed fifteen.
My status had changed:
[ETHAN CHEN - STATUS]
Level: 2 (Leveled up at 200 total points earned)
Health: 120/120
Stamina: 110/110
Mana: 50/50 (Still locked)
Points Available: 145
The level-up had come with a notification:
[LEVEL UP!]
[All stats increased by 1]
[HP and Stamina increased]
[You may allocate 3 free stat points]
I'd put two points into Agility (making me faster) and one into Constitution (making me tougher). My Strength was still low, but I was compensating with technique and speed.
Maya had also hit level 2, and Lisa—surprisingly—had reached level 1 after we'd started teaching her to fight. She was still shaky and traumatized, but she was trying. That counted for something.
On the morning of August 19th, day five, everything changed.
I woke to Maya shaking my shoulder urgently.
"Ethan. You need to see this."
I followed her to the window. Below, in the street, zombies were moving.
But they were moving fast.
Not shambling—running. Full sprint. And they looked different: leaner, with longer limbs and distended jaws full of too many teeth.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[EVENT: TIER-2 ZOMBIES DETECTED]
[WARNING: Enhanced zombies appearing. Increased speed and aggression.]
[THREAT LEVEL: HIGH]
"Tier-2s," I said, my mouth dry. "The novel mentioned these. Day five, exactly on schedule."
"They're fast," Maya said. "As fast as us, maybe faster."
As we watched, a Tier-2 zombie caught a running survivor, dragged him down, and killed him in seconds. The brutality was shocking.
"We can't fight those," Lisa said quietly. She'd joined us at the window. "We're not strong enough."
She was right. Tier-1 zombies were manageable because they were slow. Tier-2s changed the equation completely.
"Then we get stronger," I said. "Fast."
I pulled up the System Shop again. I had 145 points. Maya had 130. Lisa had 40.
"We need better combat skills," Maya said. "Power Strike for me—150 points. I need to kill things faster."
"You're five points short," I said.
"Then I need to go earn five points." Maya grabbed her bat. "Lisa, you're with me. Ethan, you stay here and plan our next moves."
"Wait—" I started, but Maya was already heading for the door.
"We don't have time to debate," she said. "The apocalypse isn't waiting for us to be ready."
She was right. And I was holding her back by being too cautious.
After they left, I stood at the window with my notebook, thinking.
The original protagonist, Lucas Reed, would be hitting level 5 soon according to the novel's timeline. He'd find the Stormbreaker sword tomorrow, day six. That weapon was legendary—one of the most powerful items in the early game.
But it was located in downtown Seattle, in a place overrun with zombies. Lucas had barely survived getting it even with his SSS-rank ability.
Could I get there first? Steal the sword before Lucas found it?
The thought was tempting. But also terrifying. I was level 2 with mediocre stats. Lucas was the protagonist for a reason—he was naturally stronger, more talented, more lucky.
Then again... I had Reader's Privilege. I knew exactly where the sword was. I could plan the route, avoid the worst dangers, get in and out before Lucas even knew it existed.
The question was: should I?
Taking the sword would massively boost my power. But it would also change the plot completely. Lucas would be weaker. Maybe he'd die without it. And if Lucas died, who would defeat the major threats later in the timeline?
*You're not the protagonist*, a voice in my head said. *You're not supposed to be the hero.*
But another voice—the part of me that had survived two lives of abuse and failure—said something different:
*Screw the plot. Survive first. Save yourself. Then worry about everyone else.*
When Maya and Lisa returned an hour later, both slightly bloodied but alive, Maya immediately said: "Got my five points. Buying Power Strike now."
She made the purchase, and I watched as her muscles tensed with new energy.
"Okay," I said. "I have a plan. But you're going to think I'm crazy."
"I already think you're crazy," Maya said. "What's the plan?"
I pulled out my map of Seattle and pointed to a spot downtown.
"We're going to steal a legendary sword."
Maya and Lisa stared at me.
"Tomorrow," I continued. "Day six. Before the protagonist finds it. It's dangerous, possibly suicidal, but if we succeed, we'll have a weapon that can carry us through the next month."
"You're right," Maya said. "That is crazy."
"But?"
She grinned—fierce and a little wild. "But I'm in. We're going to need better weapons eventually anyway. Might as well go big."
I looked at Lisa. "You should stay here. Guard the apartment."
"No," Lisa said, surprising both of us. "I'm going. My kids died because I couldn't protect them. I won't be useless again."
I saw the determination in her eyes and knew arguing would be pointless.
"Okay," I said. "Then we all go. Tomorrow morning. We prepare tonight, move at dawn, and get that sword before anyone else does."
"What's the sword called?" Maya asked.
I checked my notes from the novel. "Stormbreaker. It's a B-rank weapon with lightning enchantments. In the novel, the protagonist used it until level 30."
"And where exactly is it?"
I pointed to the map. "An office building downtown. Forty-second floor. Guarded by a Boss-level zombie the System spawned specifically to protect it."
"A boss zombie," Maya repeated. "On the forty-second floor. In downtown Seattle. Which is now overrun with Tier-2 zombies."
"Yep."
"This is definitely going to get us killed."
"Probably."
Maya laughed—the kind of laugh that said she was either brave or insane. Maybe both.
"Well," she said, "at least it won't be boring."
We spent the rest of the day preparing. Sharpening weapons. Planning the route. Eating well. Resting. Tomorrow would be the most dangerous thing we'd attempted yet.
As I lay on the couch that night, trying to sleep, I thought about Lucas Reed. The protagonist. The hero.
Tomorrow, I was going to steal his legendary weapon and change the story forever.
Either this would be the smartest thing I'd ever done, or it would be how I died.
Only one way to find out.
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[END CHAPTER 9]
Current Status:
• Ethan's Level: 2
• Ethan's Points: 145
• Maya's Level: 2
• Maya's Points: 25 (after Power Strike purchase)
• Lisa's Level: 1
• Lisa's Points: 40
• Base Status: Secure, supplies for 2 weeks
• Days Survived: 4
• Next Mission: Steal Stormbreaker (Day 6)
Days Since Apocalypse: 4
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*Author's Note: The stakes are rising! Tier-2 zombies are here, and our team is about to attempt their first major heist. Will they get the Stormbreaker sword? What happens when they change the protagonist's story? Next chapters will be intense! Thank you for reading!*
If you enjoy this chapter, please vote with your Power Stones! It helps a lot! 💎