My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 52: Fundamentals

At the far corner of the classroom, a girl sat apart from the others. She did not rush to the window. She stayed still, her back against the wall, eyes lifted toward the light outside. She had a slim frame and long, dark hair that fell straight down her back. Her face was calm, almost cold, her eyes sharp and thoughtful as she looked toward the window.

Someone hurried over and crouched beside her, unable to hide the excitement. "Did you hear that, Na-rin? They say the soldiers are coming. We’ll be safe now."

Na-rin did not answer right away. Her gaze stayed fixed on the window as thoughts crossed her mind. Soldiers? It could just be a random person fighting outside. And even if they were soldiers, she no longer believed in rescue.

They had called for help again and again. When everything started, they had seen helicopters in the sky. They had screamed, waved, and begged. Yet no one came for them.

They were just students, unlike those important people rescued first. What possible value could they have?

If anything, Na-rin had learned one thing clearly. They were on their own.

.....

Sometime later.

Bang. Bang. Bang. A manhole cover flew open, and a figure crawled out.

"Blehhh... huff, huff, huff." Jaxon gasped, gulping in fresh air as if he hadn’t breathed in days. "That... that shit stinks like hell. I didn’t die from the zombies, but I think I’m dying from the smell." He muttered, his head spinning from the stench and the exertion.

After a moment, he steadied himself, scanning the streets cautiously for any sign of movement. The roads were empty and eerily silent. No movement, no groans, no signs of the infected, but he didn’t trust silence anymore.

Still, he forced himself out of the manhole. The stench of the underground clung to his clothes, a grim mixture of grease, filth, and rot he couldn’t even identify. He gagged slightly but pushed it down. He had bigger problems than smelling bad.

Looking around, he noted the area was mostly bare. Few buildings, cracked roads, abandoned cars. The tallest structure directly ahead caught his attention.

’Hudson Heights Senior High?’ he read from the letters above the entrance.

’Ugh... my clothes stink. I need a shower.’ The stench hit him again.

Jaxon forced himself to ignore it, moving cautiously across the quiet school grounds. Crowbar in hand, he stayed low, ears straining for any sound.

He reached a small guard house and peeked through the dusty windows. No infected in sight. Nodding to himself, he slipped inside quietly.

Finally, he found a bathroom tucked in the corner. Even better, a spare pair of old guard uniforms lay nearby. He quickly stripped off his filthy clothes, grimacing at the stench clinging to his skin.

Then his hand brushed against something in his bag. Pulling it out, he cursed under his breath.

"Shit... my phone!" It had been submerged in the sewer water for too long. The screen stayed dark and unresponsive.

"Just great... now I can’t contact the others." He sighed, tossing it aside. "I’ll deal with that later."

He didn’t waste any more time. The water ran, and he scrubbed himself clean, the grime and stench finally washing away.

An hour later, he stepped out, refreshed. "Now that’s more like it." He chuckled, stretching as if his body could finally breathe again. "Alright, time to see where we stand."

He opened his status window, the familiar glow of the system giving him a small sense of control amidst the chaos.

.....

Name: Jaxon Hawk

Level: 5 (120/230)

Age: 24

Strength: 12.01

Speed: 9.98

Agility: 8.63

Intelligence: 9.64

Stamina: 10.06

Vitality: 6.01

Stat Points: 0

Skills:

Marksmanship (D+): Handling and control have improved. Aim faster and fire with greater stability. Recoil is easier to manage, and shots are more accurate even under pressure.

Stealth (G+): Enables quieter movement by controlling footsteps, posture, and body motion.

Storage Space (F): A personal dimensional space that can store up to 3 cubic meters of items and upgrades as you level up.

Coins: 342

.....

’Three cubic meters... let’s see what this can do.’

He glanced at the crowbar resting in the corner. Focusing, he willed it into his mind... but nothing happened. Frowning, he grabbed it and tried again. This time, it vanished.

Curious, he scanned his mental storage. It was like he had eyes inside a separate space, seeing the items neatly stored away.

"Good. Finally, I can hoard food and supplies... without worrying about carrying it everywhere," he muttered, a small smile forming. After all, it was an ’Apocalypse Fundamentals’. A necessity people would fight for, no matter what.

Then, his thoughts shifted. ’The others... they should be fine, right? Elena and Natasha are still with them...’

He shook his head slightly, forcing himself to focus. ’I’ll catch up with them soon.’

"Alright, first things first. I need to find a phone, then contact the others."

He began rummaging through the room, checking drawers and corners, but found nothing. His eyes then drifted to the classrooms down the hall.

’There should be plenty there... I need to prepare.’

He opened his system window.

Weapon Upgrades, System Store.

’With so many coins, I should try the other upgrades too.’

(46 coins spent. Ammo Lv.3 → Lv.4)

(21 coins spent. Magazine Lv.0 → Lv.1)

(29 coins spent. Body Lv.0 → Lv.1)

(23 coins spent. Muzzle Lv.0 → Lv.1)

(24 coins spent. Grip Lv.0 → Lv.1)

(22 coins spent. Scope Lv.0 → Lv.1)

Jaxon raised the DMR, feeling it lighter in his hands, and aimed at a rusted sign across the street. He squeezed the trigger.

The shot felt... different.

The recoil barely nudged his shoulder. The rifle stayed steady instead of jerking upward. He fired again, then a third time, each bullet landing almost exactly where he wanted.

He paused, then reloaded. The magazine slid in smoothly, with little resistance. He could now fit eight bullets instead of five. His fingers moved automatically, almost without thinking.

Jaxon adjusted his grip and looked through the scope. The target sharpened immediately. His breathing slowed, and the crosshair locked in faster than before.

He fired a short string of shots, stepping sideways as he did. The rifle stayed steady, no shake and no sway.

"Yeah, that’s better."