The oppressive night air weighed heavily as Jaden and his team pressed deeper into the industrial ruins. The terrifying encounter with the Abyssal Horror still lingered in their minds—a brutal reminder of the monsters they now faced. But there was no time to dwell on fear.
"We need that pharmaceutical," Kira's voice broke the silence over the comms. "It's our best shot at stabilizing the infected—and maybe turning the tide."
Jaden nodded grimly. "Where do we start?"
Kira's directions led them to a derelict pharmaceutical warehouse on the edge of the district. The building was riddled with broken windows, rusted metal doors hanging askew. A faint, chemical smell lingered in the air—a bitter reminder of what once was.
The team moved cautiously, scanning for traps, patrols, or worse—zombies.
Inside, the darkness was thick, lit only by flickering emergency lights. Rows of shattered shelves stood empty, save for a few scattered vials and broken containers.
"Check every room," Jaden ordered, his eyes sharp. "We can't afford to leave empty-handed."
Suddenly, Tess paused, whispering, "There—storage room B."
They approached carefully. The door creaked as Jaden pushed it open.
Inside, an old refrigeration unit hummed weakly. Kira rushed forward, checking the inventory tablets scattered nearby.
"Here it is," she breathed. "Experimental antiviral serum. If we can salvage enough, it might slow the mutation process."
Jaden allowed himself a brief moment of hope, but then the system's alert cut through: Enemy movement detected — incoming Horde.
The pharmaceutical was just a prize on a battlefield.
"We grab what we can—and get ready," Jaden commanded.
As they gathered the serum vials, a shadow loomed beyond the broken walls—a towering figure, far more massive than any elite zombie they had encountered before.
Its skin was thick and armor-like, with jagged bone plates protruding along its limbs and back. Red eyes burned fiercely in its misshapen skull. With every heavy step, the ground trembled beneath its weight.
"This isn't just an elite," Marcus warned, voice tense. "That's a General-tier zombie. It's leagues above what we've faced."
Unlike elite zombies that relied on brute force and speed, the General moved with calculated menace. Its immense size made it nearly impervious to conventional attacks. Bullets bounced off its thick hide, and its blows shattered concrete.
The General let out a deafening roar, commanding the lesser zombies around it like a dark warlord.
The team scrambled, dodging crushing blows and desperately trying to chip away at the beast.
Jaden's heart pounded as he activated Phase Trigger, slipping through attacks, searching for a weak point.
Each strike was met with brutal counterattacks—one blow sent him crashing against a rusted pillar, pain radiating through his ribs. Tess and Marcus fought fiercely alongside him, covering his every move.
The General's thick, armored fists smashed the ground, sending shockwaves that threw the team off balance. The beast grabbed Tess, crushing her arm in a vice grip. Jaden's desperation flared—he risked everything, darting through the monster's defenses to land a critical strike beneath its armor plates.
The General roared in pain, staggering back but retaliated with a devastating swipe that sent Jaden sprawling.
Bloodied but unbroken, Jaden forced himself up, focusing all his remaining strength on one final, decisive blow. His knife plunged deep into the creature's exposed core.
The General let out a deafening, guttural scream before collapsing into a massive heap of shattered flesh and bone.
The system chimed:
Enemy Defeated: General-tier Zombie
Strength +12
Endurance +15
Agility +5
Perception +6
Lock Points Earned: 4
Immediately after, a new notification appeared:
System Upgrade Initiated:
New Lock Unlocked: Lock #014 — "Adaptive Core"
Passive Skill: Enhanced Recovery — Gradually regenerates health over time.
Attribute Cap Increased: Maximum Strength, Endurance, and Agility thresholds raised by 10%.
Loot Acquisition Restriction Removed: All defeated enemy loot will now be granted without cooldown.
Inventory System Activated: Loot collected will now be stored directly in the inventory for easy management.
Jaden blinked in surprise as the loot screen popped up:
Loot acquired from General-tier Zombie:
Reinforced Bone Plate (Rare Armor Component)
Mutated Muscle Tissue Sample
Corrupted Energy Core
All items were automatically added to his inventory.
A slow grin spread across Jaden's face.
"So the loot's back..." he muttered, eyes wide with disbelief. "And now I've got an inventory? This... this is a game changer."
He quickly flipped through the newly organized inventory list, marveling at the clarity and order it brought.
"This changes everything," Jaden said, excitement crackling in his voice. "No more guessing what I have or missing out on gear. We can prepare, upgrade, and strategize like never before."
The battle had pushed him to the edge—and now, the system was evolving right alongside him.
The pharmaceutical was theirs, but the real war was just beginning—and with these new tools, he felt ready.