SWNOVELXO Chapter 4: [First Kill Rewards]
Leon yanked the knife free, breathing hard. The world was still eerily silent, save for the pounding of his own heart.
The system screen flickered to life before Leon's eyes, the glowing text illuminating his grim expression.
[Congratulations for killing a Tier 1 Zombie.]
[Your Kill Rewards are being calculated...]
Leon exhaled, steadying himself.
The corpse of his once-burly neighbor lay motionless at his feet, green-tinted flesh twitching as if resisting death itself.
Even though he had expected it, the sight unsettled him. The apocalypse had barely begun, yet people were already turning into mindless monsters.
A second later, more messages appeared.
[You have gained 50 EXP.]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 2.]
[You have gained a new skill: Speed Burst.]
Leon's eyes sharpened as he tapped the new skill, pulling up its description.
[Speed Burst]
[Temporarily pushes your speed to the highest limit a human body can handle. In exchange, endurance is drained rapidly. Overuse will result in severe physical strain.]
Leon smirked.
'Now this… this is useful.'
Speed was everything in close combat.
If he timed it right, he could dash in, land a precise strike to the skull, and take down zombies before they even had a chance to react.
It was exactly what he needed in this hellish world.
He crouched beside the body, wiping his bloodstained knife on his neighbor's ruined shirt before slipping it back into his belt.
The pungent stench of death filled his nostrils, making his stomach tighten.
'I'll have to get used to this smell again.'
Glancing around, the neighborhood was eerily quiet. The streets, once bustling with morning activity, were now desolate.
Cars stood abandoned, some with doors still open, as if their owners had vanished mid-step.
A half-eaten breakfast lay spilled on a porch. A child's bicycle lay on its side, one wheel still spinning.
But the worst part?
The silence. No birds, no distant chatter, no engines. Just an eerie, unnatural stillness.
Leon tightened his grip on his backpack and slipped into the yard next door.
He knew exactly what he was looking for.
Mr. Galloway's car sat in the driveway — a well-maintained, dark-colored sedan.
The man had always been meticulous about his vehicle, treating it better than he treated his own family. And lucky for Leon, the key was still in the lock.
Without hesitation, he pulled the key out and slid into the driver's seat.
The familiar scent of air freshener filled his nostrils — pine, strong but fading. For a second, it reminded him of the normal life he had lost.
But there was no time for nostalgia.
Turning the key in the ignition, the engine rumbled to life.
Leon's eyes darted to the fuel gauge. A little over half a tank. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than enough to get him far away from here.
A noise.
His breath hitched.
A low, guttural moan came from the house next door. His eyes flicked to the side mirror. A shadow shifted inside the dimly lit living room, shuffling closer to the broken window.
Then another. And another.
Leon clenched his jaw.
'They're waking up.'
More infected were turning.
If he hesitated, he'd be swarmed before he could even back out of the driveway.
His heart pounded as he reached for the gearshift, hands steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
A figure lurched out from the house. A woman in a tattered nightgown, her long hair tangled and matted with something dark.
Her jaw hung slack, eyes cloudy, her face frozen in an expression of eternal hunger.
Then she sprinted.
Leon slammed the pedal.
The tires screeched as the car shot backward, the zombie slamming into the side door, fingers clawing against the metal as he shifted into drive.
More figures emerged from the houses, drawn by the noise.
The neighborhood was waking up. The apocalypse had begun.
Leon gritted his teeth, gripping the wheel tightly as he swerved onto the main road.
The city was in chaos.
Cars were abandoned in the middle of the street, some crashed into lampposts or flipped over entirely.
A city bus had careened onto the sidewalk, its windshield shattered. Fires had already started in some areas, black smoke curling into the sky.
People ran frantically, some screaming, others crying. Some had weapons — bats, kitchen knives, even makeshift spears.
Others weren't so lucky, tripping over each other as the infected tore into them.
Leon forced himself to focus.
'I can't help them.'
His priority was survival.
And he knew exactly where to go.
He yanked the wheel, making a sharp turn down a side street, avoiding the worst of the chaos. He needed supplies. Weapons, food, medical kits.
He had twenty four hours before the true horrors of the apocalypse would unfold, and every second counted.
Checking the rearview mirror, his reflection stared back at him — sharp eyes, blood splattered across his cheek, a grim determination set in his features.
He exhaled slowly, gripping the wheel tighter.
While the people wailed for the loss of their old world, Leon was already steps ahead.
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his mind razor-sharp with focus.
The wails and cries, the confusion, the sheer hopelessness that had gripped most of humanity — it was all expected. But he couldn't afford to dwell on it.
He had already mourned in his past life, had already felt the sting of loss and regret. This time, he would act.
His destination was the nearest supermarket. The apocalypse would only get worse from here. The first days were always the bloodiest, filled with those who couldn't accept reality.
They would hesitate, freeze in fear, or crumble under the pressure.
And when that happened, when they lost all will to fight, their bodies would follow — becoming mindless zombies with no hope of return.
The system had dictated it before, and it would happen again. He knew the pattern.
As he drove, he kept an eye on his surroundings. The streets were littered with abandoned cars, some with doors flung open, others with their owners still inside — motionless.
His fingers twitched over the gear shift. He couldn't get distracted.
A sudden movement in the road ahead caught his attention — a lone zombie, shambling aimlessly in his path. Leon pressed his foot down, the car roaring forward.
The impact sent the creature flying backward, its bones crunching under the tires. A faint chime echoed in his ears as the system delivered its reward.
[Congratulations for killing a Tier 1 Zombie.]
[Kill Rewards being calculated…]
[+50 EXP.]