4 HOTD 1
Waking up, who knows how long later, I stretch and check myself. My muscles are sore from yesterday's workout. The reddening from the burns on my skin have receded, and they are healing nicely. The marks from the wolf's claws, have formed scabs and are itching, but they seem to be on their way to getting better.
"Good, it's not inflamed, so I don't think I got any infections." I sigh and enter the living room. Yesterday, after I arrived back, I dropped my backpack on the floor of the living room. After the bath, I was too tired to sort through them so I just yanked out everything from the backpack dropped it on the floor and only took my underwear. Now with a clear head, I find all my clothes are all over the place.
"Okay, let's clean up, head to the restaurant, and get something to eat. While there I'll check the system upgrades and start to plan for the next world."
Cleaning up and dressing up took, thanks to my stats, a surprisingly low amount of time. Entering the restaurant, I found it empty. I'm not sure what time it is, there is an upgrade for it in the system, but I'm not planning to get it any time soon. The dinner I ordered was some homemade chicken soup, some fried chicken breasts with mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean paste, and a glass of orange juice. The total came out to 35 WP and after pressing accept on the transaction, the food was instantly teleported before me. I was not sure if it was prepared beforehand and provided when needed, but it was still hot when I received it, so I didn't care about it. The whole meal looked and tasted amazing like it was prepared by a five-star chef. While eating I was checking out the system upgrade shop and selected my upgrades. The breakfast and the upgrades left me with a balance of 266 WP.
[Inventory System | Upgrade Name: Inventory| Description: Generates a pocket dimension only accessible by the user and displays it as a grid. Upon purchase a stat is selected by the user and tied to the inventory system. 10 Stat Points equals 1 slot. | Price: 1,000 WP]
[Inventory System | Upgrade Name: Coin Purse | Description: Creates Universal Currency which is stored in a separate slot of the inventory. It can be exchanged for any currency of the current world. Exchange rates vary depending on the world. UC value is tied to the price of gold or other valuable ore, depending on the world economy. Currency converted stays with the user upon exiting the world. | Price: 150 WP]
[System Tools | Upgrade Name: Immune System System | Description: The Multiverse is vast, and so are the types of diseases. After this purchase, your immune system is supported by the System and blocks all types of viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other micro-organisms that are not native to the user's world. Doesn't help with poisons. | Price: 1,000 WP]
For the inventory system, the stat I selected was Intelligence. Even if it currently stood at a whopping 7 points and didn't even provide a single inventory slot, I was planning on heavily focusing on magic later on. Additionally, the next world I'm planning on visiting will be filled with a lot of experience, so I won't stay on my current stats. With nothing else to do, I went back to my apartment, packed my bag, and went down to the main floor.
"Hi Index" I greeted the book.
{Welcome back.} replied the book.
"So I was wondering, can you show me the Highschool of the Dead world and if there is a variant that has mutated zombies? Like not right from the start, but over time the dead start becoming stronger and gain some unusual abilities?"
{There are a few variants like that. One of them contains a company called Umbrella, whose experiments started the virus, another one is a system apocalypse world where the contact with mana caused an unforeseen mutation in humans. There are a few with aliens and demons creating the virus, to clear the planet. Your options are unlimited.}
"Okay, that was a stupid question. So let me tell you what I was thinking. The last world you recommended, the slime one, was really easy but at the same time, tiering and annoying as hell. In the end, my level maxed out at 21, way before I completed my quests. I was planning on farming XP, WP, and collecting UC for later and my thoughts fell on the HOTD world. With all the abandoned stores, I could grab some cash and transform it into UC and with the horde of zombies, I could farm XP. My main problem is, considering what happened in the slime world, at some point the normal zombies would stop giving experience. I wanted a world where the monsters got stronger and stronger over time, so I'm not wasting any time while trying to complete the quests."
{I have just the right variant for you.} Index flipped a few pages and showed me the world.
Highschool of the Dead
World Tier: 0 (Mid)*
World Language: Japanese
World Systems: None
Doomed: The virus variant that infected humanity is highly mutable. All infected die minutes after getting bitten, then rise as carriers. The longer the subject carries the virus the more his DNA mutates.
*World level will advance over time.
"Wow, that's what I'm looking for. I have the Immune System System. I can't contract the virus?"
{Affirmative. The virus, and its variants, only exist in this world and its offshoots.}
"That's good to know, could you teleport me the book, I'd like to look at the quests."
Not a second later a book materializes in front of me. I thank Index for his help and open it on the first page.
Optional Quests:
[Kill Quest T0 (R*1000) | Description: Kill Tier 0 Zombies. 0/1000 | Reward: 10 WP]
[Kill Quest T1 (R*100) | Description: Kill Tier 1 Zombies. 0/100 | Reward: 50 WP]
[Kill Quest T2 (R*75) | Description: Kill Tier 2 Zombies. 0/50 | Reward: 100 WP]
[Kill Quest T3 (R*50) | Description: Kill Tier 3 Zombies. 0/10 | Reward: 1,000 WP]
[Kill Quest T4 (R*25) | Description: Kill Tier 4 Zombies. 0/2 | Reward: 5,000 WP]
[Kill Quest T5 | Description: Kill Tier 5 Zombies. 0/1 | Reward: 10,000 WP]
[Clear the continents | Description: Clear 0/7 Continents. | Reward: 5,000 WP]
[Safe Haven | Description: Create a safe area for the survivors to live. | Reward: 2,000 WP]
[Prevention | Description: Kill Ichirou Shidou 0/1 | Reward: 1,000 WP]
[Group | Description: Create and lead a group of at least 3 survivors. | Reward: 500 WP]
[The Fall | Description: Help the virus win. | Reward: 2,000 WP]
[Takagi Estate | Description: Make Takagi estate fall 0/1 | Reward: 1,000 WP]
[Remove Takashi | Description: Kill Takashi Komuro 0/1 | Reward: 300 WP]
Some of these quests are ridiculous, in the future I could do it, but currently, I don't have the power to clear 7 continents, I don't think I even have enough power to make the estate fall, not like I would want to do that. The only ones I might truly kill are Shidou and Takashi, both of them went on my nerves when watching the series. Oh and I'm 100% sure, I will not pick up Saya, Shizuka, or Saeko, while all three of them are hot, Saya is a bitch and screams a lot, Shizuka is useless except for treating wounds and Saeko is a sadistic ticking bomb.
"Umm Index? What is with the R star and a number next to the kill quests."
{It means those quests are repeatable up to the number amount of times.}
"Oh, nice thanks. By the way do you by chance know how long till the Tier 1 to Tier 5 Zombies spawn?"
{I do but you'll need to find it out yourself. The only information I can give you about that is that those tiers don't follow the same tier rules as enlightened races.}
"So you can't tell me how hard would a Tier 1 and Tier 2 be to kill?"
{All zombies can be killed by destroying their brains. Some higher Tiers Zombies have regenerations, thicker skin, and harder bones. Meanwhile, their movements become faster and they become stronger. You'll need to be a judge of how far you can do. Hope this helps.}
"Well, it did help a bit. Oh before I go, how long till the zombies start showing up?"
{You'll have about an hour after entering the world.}
"Thanks for everything! See you later." I sigh then stand up press my hand on the book say "Enter".
{World "Highschool of the Dead" selected.}
{No edits allowed without the [Background System]}
{Placing spatial and temporal coordinates near the start of the story.}
{Transporting user in. 3...2...1...}
{Good Luck!}
With a blinding flash of light, I find myself in a dark alley. Walking out of it I'm greeted with a Japanese street sigh. The streets were bustling with life, people going to work, children going to school, you wouldn't believe the apocalypse will start soon. Now the best option for finishing two quests would be finding that school. What was it called... Fuji – like the mountain? – or it was something similar? Meh, whatever, I'll ask around. After taking out the trash, I'll have to find some weapons, having a knife is wonderful and all, but for this world, I'll need guns and a longer blade.
"Excuse me, ma'am!" I walk up to a woman on the street.
"Yes?" She looks at me confused.
"I'm embarrassed to say but I'm kind of lost. I'm trying to find the Fuji school. It should be somewhere around here." I say with a small smile on my face.
The confusion on her face increases, she puts a finger under her chin and tilts her head. In that pose she kind of looks cute. "Do you mean the Fujimi Academy?" She says.
"Ha, I knew it had some Fuji in its name." I laugh out loud, happy that I remembered at least part of its name. "Yes, that's the one I'm searching for."
"You'll have to go one block straight, then turn left and it should be around two blocks from there. You can probably see it from that corner." She points towards the corner of the intersection.
"Thank you very much. Have a nice day!" I thanked her, gave her a light bow, and with brisk steps headed my way.
Considering I already wasted a few minutes and I don't have a watch, - 'I really need to get that system upgrade' - I head towards the academy with a light tempo.
Arriving at the school gates, 45 minutes after my arrival to this world, I took my time scouting out shops, because my plan on infiltration, revolves around timing. If I remember it right the Takashi should currently be somewhere near the staircase, sulking and watching the gate. Yep, not even a second later, I notice him on the railing. Keeping my walk steady, strangely no one bares my way as I move towards the staircase. Seems like his talk with Saya was already over, if that ever happened in this world, the zombie incident at the gate should be happening any time now. Going up the staircase I slowly reach for my knife and hide it in my sleeve. Arriving at his floor, he looks at me for a brief moment, but a scream pulls away his attention. When he turns his head towards the street, the knife slides out of my sleeve, appearing in my hand, and with a quick motion, I plunge it into the base of his skull, then quickly push him off the railings. Just before a loud 'thud' was heard, I quickly move upstairs. Placing my knife back between my belt and pants, hiding it with my shirt, I look at my shaking hands. I've just taken my first life and somehow, except for a light shaking of my hands, it had no real effect on me. Was it because I know this world is doomed and he would have died anyway or is it something else, something darker? My blinking notifications interrupt my thoughts.
[Class: [Assassin] unlocked.]
[Human x1 slain 50 XP Received]
[Quest: [Remove Takashi] Completed 300 WP Received]
Collecting myself as there was no time for dilly-dallying, I only have a few minutes before the emergency message and the panic. I need to find Shidou now. Running around the halls I run into a short black-haired woman, a teacher I presume.
"Hello miss, I'm looking for Mr. Shidou. I was sent here by his brother, a politician, and I must get to him as soon as possible. Could you help me find him?"
"Sure, Mister?" she asks
"Thompson. I'm sorry to rush you but it's a time-sensitive issue, I'll lose my job if I can't get him on a plane to Tokyo in the next 2 hours and he is not answering his cell phone."
"Alright, alright, alright. Let's head to the teacher's office, and check which class he has right now. Everything will be fine." She tapped my shoulders and smiled at me.
"Thank you." I say with a smile and proceed to follow her.
Not long after we arrive at the staff office. Barely a few people are still in it, one older guy walks up to us and greets her.
"Hey, Sumiko, who's the guy?" he asks.
"That's Mr. Thompson, he is looking for Shidou, and it is urgent." She says while pointing towards me, while I just nod at him.
"Oh... You should check his timetable." He says while turning towards the board.
She walks up to the board and murmurs "Shidou... Shidou... Ah right, he is in class 325, third floor to the left. Do you need me to show you the way?"
"No, I'll find it. Thank you very much you saved my life!" I say with a smile then I wave and run towards the stairs. With superhuman speed getting to the third floor and finding the class was done in a few seconds. I rush into room 325 get close to the guy and whisper into his ear.
"Ichirou Shidou. Your brother sent me to pick you up. There was a terrorist attack in town, a biological weapon was activated, I need to get you out of here and on a plane as soon as possible. Please, follow me if you wish to live."
He looks at me with fear in his eyes then speaks. "I don't know who you are, but if this is a jo-" his speech was interrupted by the loudspeakers starting broadcasting.
"Shit it already started," I say. "We cannot waste any more time. If you're not coming with me I'm leaving you behind, I value my life a lot more than this job." I say as I exit the room. '3...2...1...' I start counting down.
"Wait!" he shouts the exits the classroom with brisk steps.
"Okay, but we need to move fast! Don't lag behind, my car is in the parking lot. We can't waste time on getting yours. Hurry up!" I say as I lightly jog downstairs. As we descend the stairs the volume of screams increases. I look back at him and see him shaking. I reach for my belt and pull out my knife. Arriving on the first floor all we see is mayhem. Students running for their lives, pushing and trampling each other while a few zombies munch on fallen people.
"What are th-?!" he asks out with a raised voice. I move fast and cover his mouth.
"They can't see you, but their hearing is almost supernatural so stay quiet. The virus is transmitted by saliva so try not to get bitten. Got it?" he nods "Okay we need to get down to the ground floor." I whisper and he nods again.
Descending another flight of stairs, we end up in a deceptively quiet hallway, the walls of which are painted red with blood. Looking at the right side of the hall, I find it empty, but the left side of it is crawling with them.
"Which way to the exit?" I ask while whispering. He tilts his head towards the left and I look that way.
"Okay, we have two options, we fight through them or find a window and exit there."
"Window, definitively a window."
"Sure, let's go." I say and tiptoed my way towards the right side. Heading towards the first door I could see. Slowly opening the door, I peek through it and find the classroom in disarray, but surprisingly empty. The class must have left in a hurry. The chairs are all over the floor, the tables are overturned and the kids even left most of their belonging here. Smiling, I enter the room, then quickly push Shidou to the wall, putting my left hand over his mouth. His eyes show visible confusion, only to turn glassy as my knife penetrates his brain from the side. Holding him still and slowly letting him slide down, he makes an almost soundless drop. Deciding not to continue with this charade I took care of him. This time I didn't even feel the slightest hint of hesitation. I'll have to talk to Rob when I get back, I shouldn't feel so calm after killing someone.
[Human x1 slain 50 XP Received]
[Quest: [Prevention] Completed 1,000 WP Received]
I look around the room and check every nook and cranny, finding multiple unopened lunchboxes, some notebooks, and pens, but not cellphones, so I stash everything into my backpack. A commotion outside pulls my attention, looking through the window, I spot a few kids leaving the building. Their shouting alerted the zombies, these kids basically offered themselves as lunch to a horde of them.
[Muted Steps leveled up to 5]
[Deception leveled up to 6]
I check my system notifications, finding a few skills have leveled. The high-stress environment probably allows skills to gain levels faster. With that out of the way, I slowly open one of the windows and jump outside. Using [Muted Steps], I slowly get close to a zombie and plunge my knife right into its head. Quickly pulling it out, the zombie lifelessly falls to the ground making a light 'Thud'. The sound alerted the other zombies and they moved toward it. While still using [Muted Steps], I casually walked around them dodging any that got too close to me. Surprisingly none of them attacked me, seems Saya's theory about them only being able to hear is true. While walking out of the lot I wonder what the kids are doing, judging by the current time they should still be on the roof. I look towards it but spot no one. Maybe my involvement caused a butterfly effect? After all, Takashi was supposed to pull them out of the classroom before the panic started. I shrug, not really caring about anyone here. Moving out of the school ground I enter the streets.
I couldn't believe how fast everything went to shit. Crashed cars and bloody bodies litter the streets and no survivors in the near vicinity. Guessing by the multiple smoke trails, more than a few places caught on fire.
I need to find a weapon or antique shop as soon as possible. With the new plan ready I move towards the nearest walking corpse and swiftly kill it off. Searching his pockets, I find his phone.
"Tsk!" I click my tongue when a lock screen greets me. I had to repeat the process multiple times before I finally found a pink phone that still worked and had a network connection. Pocketing it I look around trying to spot a place where I could sit down and make an in-depth plan. Walking down the road I spot a crashed car not far away from me. All of its doors were open, but no smoke was coming from the car. I move towards It and inspect it, finding it empty, I shut all of its doors quietly, then sit down on the passenger's seat. I sigh as I take my first break after arriving in this world.
