Chapter 4
1103words
He'd arranged everything in the base with military precision, organized mountains of supplies in his Dimensional Warehouse, and cleaned and calibrated every weapon to perfection.
Like an actor in the wings, he made his final preparations, waiting for the curtain to rise.
Noon, three days later.
Jack sat in his command center—formerly the cabin's living room, now transformed into a futuristic monitoring station. The walls bristled with high-definition screens connected to hundreds of cameras throughout the property and a satellite dish pulling signals from around the globe.
He sipped a steaming cup of coffee while watching mundane midday news reports.
The clock struck twelve.
Instantly, every screen switched to emergency broadcasts.
"...This is CNN breaking news. We're receiving reports of large-scale violent disturbances in Times Square. Eyewitnesses describe unidentified individuals attacking pedestrians. The scene is chaotic, with police establishing perimeters around the area..."
The footage showed shaky handheld video of screaming crowds fleeing in panic. Police sirens and gunshots punctuated the chaos. A man with bloodshot eyes and foaming mouth lunged at a pedestrian, tearing savagely at their neck. Blood spattered the camera lens.
Jack blew gently on his coffee.
It had begun.
Just as he remembered—the apocalypse arrived at the most ordinary hour, in the most mundane way, crashing down on an unsuspecting world.
Other screens began flashing urgent updates.
In London, beneath Big Ben, tourists snapping photos suddenly turned on their companions with savage fury.
In Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing—one of the world's busiest intersections—descended into hell as people fell, rose again infected, and spread panic like wildfire.
Initially, news outlets labeled it "riots" or "mass psychosis."
But as bloodier footage poured in, as bite victims rose minutes later to join the attackers, a word no one in modern society could believe began appearing in news reports—
Zombies.
The world spiraled into chaos.
The internet flooded with desperate pleas and gruesome videos before signals began failing one by one. Cell towers fell. Power grids collapsed. Within hours, modern civilization—humanity's crowning achievement—crumbled like a sandcastle before the tide of doomsday.
Jack watched it all with perfect calm.
He watched gleaming cities fall into darkness and flame. He watched suited executives and politicians flee in terror, stripped of their power and pretense.
His face showed no pity, no fear, not even surprise.
He sat like a theater patron watching an extravagant disaster film—one with the entire world as its stage.
When the final broadcast dissolved into static, Jack stretched and switched off the monitors.
"Dinner time."
He strolled to the kitchen and retrieved a perfectly marbled tomahawk steak from his Dimensional Warehouse.
He seasoned it with sea salt and cracked pepper, then laid it in a sizzling, butter-fragrant pan.
"Sizzle——"
The mouthwatering sound and rich aroma filled the room.
Minutes later, a perfectly cooked steak—seared outside, tender within—rested on his plate. Jack uncorked a bottle of Château Lafite 1982 and poured himself half a glass.
He carried his meal to the control room, activated the sound system, and let soft classical music fill the air.
Outside lay silent forest and darkening sky—the desolation of the end times.
Inside: warm lights, premium steak, mellow wine, and elegant music.
Heaven and hell, separated by a single wall.
Jack cut a morsel of steak and savored it slowly. Tender and juicy—a taste he hadn't experienced in ten long years.
As he enjoyed his first proper dinner of the apocalypse, a perimeter sensor chimed softly.
A monitor flickered to life.
On screen, over a dozen figures shambled through the trees toward the base. Tattered clothes, lurching gait—zombies drawn by sound and light.
Jack observed the familiar abominations without so much as a frown.
He merely glanced at his steak with mild annoyance.
"Inconsiderate bastards. Can't even let a man enjoy his dinner."
He dabbed his lips with a napkin and rose unhurriedly. He ignored the weapon rack with its arsenal of firearms. For these "appetizers," bullets would be wasteful.
With a thought, a futuristic battle axe materialized in his hand.
[High-Frequency Battle Axe]: Ultra-high frequency vibrations allow it to slice through most materials with minimal resistance. Exceptionally effective against zombies.
Jack carried the axe casually as he approached the entrance. He pressed the switch, and the heavy alloy door slid open with a dull mechanical hum.
The zombies caught the scent of fresh meat and howled, surging toward the opening.
Jack watched these creatures—moving like slugs to his enhanced perception—a contemptuous smile playing at his lips.
Were these the monsters that had terrorized humanity in his previous life?
Now they were nothing but walking experience points.
He strolled toward the horde with casual, unhurried steps.
The lead zombie lunged for his throat, jaws gaping. Jack didn't bother with his axe—he simply kicked it square in the chest.
CRACK!
His serum-enhanced body delivered devastating force! The zombie flew backward like a ragdoll hit by a truck, chest caved in, body bowling over several others behind it.
Before the others could react, Jack struck.
The battle axe hummed faintly, an almost invisible blue light dancing along its edge. Jack became a blur of motion, a black lightning bolt tearing into the horde.
This wasn't combat—it was methodical extermination.
The axe flashed. A head spiraled skyward.
Another swing. Another head hit the dirt.
Jack moved too fast, struck too hard. The zombies couldn't touch him; their claws and teeth might as well have been made of paper. He was a heavyweight champion in a playground brawl—each blow ending a life.
Under thirty seconds.
When Jack finally stopped, more than a dozen headless corpses lay scattered behind him, black blood soaking into the earth.
The entire process had been fluid and precise. Jack remained spotless.
In his mind, system notifications scrolled rapidly.
[Killed Normal Zombie x1, Gained Experience +10]
[Killed Normal Zombie x1, Gained Experience +10]
...
[Batch Killed Zombies x13! Completed First Sweep! Gained Additional Experience Bonus!]
[Experience Full, Level Up! Current Level: LV.5!]
[Gained Free Attribute Points: 10]
[New skill unlocked: Killing Whirlwind (Consumes stamina, launches an indiscriminate area attack centered on oneself)]
Jack glanced at the system panel and immediately allocated all 10 points to "Strength."
A surge of warmth—more powerful than before—flooded his body. His muscles seemed to expand, filling with enough power to tear steel.
Battle axe in hand, he stepped over the corpse pile and returned to base.
The alloy door sealed behind him, shutting out the cold reality of the apocalypse.
He returned to the table, picked up his knife and fork, and resumed enjoying his now-lukewarm steak.
As if he'd merely stepped out to take out the trash.
