Chapter 5 Nightly Misadventure

• The new messages flashing before Liam added to his misery. He had thought that the initial dose of the antidote would have been enough to permanently reverse the effects of the infection, but things seemed different now.
• He wanted to argue with the voice inside his head and demand answers from his newly acquired system, but with danger clawing at his door, he didn’t have time to waste in idle words
• “At least my wounds have healed,” he mumbled, taking solace in the fact that his regenerative abilities had granted him another chance at life.
• However, the rapid tissue regeneration had drained a substantial amount of energy, and he could already feel the exhaustion setting in.
• As Liam got up from the floor and tried to move away from the windows, his legs began to tremble, and he felt dizzy and breathless.
• Meanwhile, the constant groaning continued outside the door as the shambling corpses tried to claw their way through the wood.
• To make things worse, a few of the walking undead had heard the television buzzing on static inside the bedroom and were drawn to the noise like flies.
• Liam felt like he was living his worst nightmare as his eyes fell on his aunt’s disfigured face.
• “I am sorry. I am so sorry,” he said before turning away and walking over to the bedroom.
• He grabbed the remote from the bed and switched off the TV, and then swiftly turned off the lights. It was just enough to throw the infected off track, buying him some much-needed time.
• Once the house turned quiet, he quickly started rifling through June’s purse, desperately hoping to find another vial of the experimental antidote.
• But even as he unzipped every pouch and turned out every knick-knack and junk, there was no luck.
• Frustrated, Liam started ransacking the chests and cupboards, but all he found there were a bunch of dusty old files and June’s clothes and accessories.
• “Damn it! Where the hell am I supposed to find another vial of that antidote?”
• After searching for a few minutes, his exhaustion worsened. The dizziness made him lose control, and he staggered into the table, knocking down the clock.
• “Son of a—”
• He cursed as he stubbed his toe on the wooden table leg.
• [Stamina severely depleted.]
• [Host is experiencing extreme fatigue and dizziness.]
• [New bonus objective: Replenish electrolytes and nutrients.]
• [Reward: Heightened Perception (temporary).]
• Although Liam was grateful to the system for helping him survive the infected bite, he hated the constant buzz inside his head.
• “Fine. I’ll get something to eat before the infected eat me!”
• Liam hobbled out of the bedroom and went straight to the fridge. There was still some leftover meatball from the other day and several tins of canned food.
• Without any second thoughts, he dug into the meatball, gulping it down with a cold ginger ale.
• When he was done, he hurriedly cleared the shelves, pulling everything he could carry into a compact black backpack, which he slung over his shoulder.
• [Electrolytes and nutrients replenished!]
• [Host’s perception has improved by 100%!]
• [You are now more aware of your surroundings.]
• Almost immediately, Liam felt his vision improve. He could now see much farther in the dim light, and even his ears managed to pick up the faintest noises around him.
• Liam could now hear the infected clearly outside the walls, their groans interspersed with raspy breathing that came directly from their throats.
• Hearing more infected closing in on the house, he quickly grabbed a flashlight and a pair of bone knives from the kitchen.
• He was about to grab his jacket when the shattering of glass alarmed him.
• One of the shambling corpses had toppled into the living room window, falling straight through the shattered glass pane.
• “Crap!”
• Liam turned around to see two more undead climbing in through the window. He knew he had to leave at once or he risked being turned into zombie chow.
• With all the doors and windows surrounded by infected, Liam could only think of one place.
• He quickly ran into the bathroom and climbed on top of the toilet seat. Grabbing the window, he carefully removed the slanting glass panels and created an opening for himself.
• Peeping outside, he surveyed the surroundings.
• Once he was certain there were no infected on this side, he pulled himself onto the open window and climbed out of the house.
• He landed smack in the middle of the grassy lawn and sneaked up to the fence. Using the bone knife, he loosened one of the wooden panels and yanked it out.
• Liam threw his backpack over the fence and squeezed out of the tiny gap.
• There was a narrow side lane on the other side, and beyond that lay the children’s playground.
• With nowhere else to run, Liam remembered his only friend in this sleepy town.
• He quickly pulled out his phone and called Nora.
• “Please pick up.”
• But the call kept ringing, and no one answered even after the third attempt.
• Fearing the worst, Liam disconnected the call and picked up his backpack. Cursing his fate, he held onto the black strap and crossed the street.
• Although finding another vial of the antidote was still at the back of his mind, for now, his first priority was finding a safe shelter where he could spend the night without having to worry about the infected breaking in.
• The only place that came to Liam’s mind was the local church. That place had solid stone walls and a heavy wooden gate. All he needed to do was get there in one piece.
• “I can do this. Maybe someone else made it out alive as well.”
• Backing himself, Liam entered the playground. He was going to take a shortcut instead of sticking to the streets, which were crawling with the infected.
• As Liam trudged through the darkness, he turned on his flashlight to keep an eye out for trouble.
• He was walking past the slide when a low growl reached his ears. He immediately swung his flashlight to the left, and its light fell on an adult male Rottweiler standing under a treehouse.
• As Liam’s eyes narrowed on the dog, he quickly noticed its eyes had turned bloodshot, and thick white drool was dripping from its mouth.
• Its legs twitched as it sniffed the air, and Liam understood it was infected as well.
• Even before Liam could think of a plan, the infected dog picked up his scent and locked its eyes on him.
• Baring its blood-stained fangs, it lurched forward.
• Liam tried to back away slowly when another growling noise caught his attention. He turned to his right and looked over his shoulder, only to find another infected dog blocking his only escape.