The building's roof cracked under the Tank's massive weight.
Allen didn't waste a second and ran toward it — an act that could easily be mistaken for suicide.
RAAAHHHHH!
The Tank reacted as expected, charging at Allen and raising its enormous arms to crush him.
Allen waited until the last moment, then aimed his knife and fired point-blank. The metal blade shot forward, stabbing deep into the zombie's eye. At the same time, Allen slid under its body and jumped off the building. He used the cable attached to the knife to slow his fall, but as expected, the enraged Tank was far too violent. Allen had to release the handle and crashed into the roof of a car.
"Ugh..."
Allen groaned, but quickly got up and sprinted out of the red zone.
[That was a risky bet.]
"I wouldn't say that," said Allen as he drew his metal pipe and smashed the head of a charging Rage Zombie. "That thing behaves like a Hulk driven by rage, so predicting how it would attack was simple. And no matter how armored a monster is, the eyes are always vulnerable."
[You're... incredible, and at the same time reckless.]
Allen cut his way through the remaining zombies. Since he was alone now, he didn't have to protect anyone, allowing him to kill at full speed.
"Die!" Allen punched a Hunter so hard that its head flew off. Then he grabbed a Jockey and hurled it against a wall with such force that it burst apart. Without pause, two Spitters spat acid in his direction, but Allen easily dodged both attacks.
His expression turned cold. He crouched down, grabbed a manhole cover, and hurled it toward the Spitters. The metal disk spun through the air and sliced them clean in half.
[Allen, don't let your anger control you!]
"I know that!"
Despite his words, Allen kept slaughtering every zombie in his path, even when he could've just escaped.
The Tank managed to rip the metal blade out of its own eye and crushed it with its overwhelming strength. Then it searched for Allen, and found him, driving his pipe through a Hunter's skull.
RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Hearing the roar, Allen turned around and looked at the Tank, while he grabbed a zombie by the neck and broke it with his bare hand, then threw it away like trash.
"Come on, you pile of shit!" Allen grinned, tightening his grip on the pipe and waiting for the zombie's charge.
[Allen!]
The Harran Virus was pushing Allen toward recklessness. That primal instinct to rip apart his opponent was starting to take over. Who cared if it was a Tier 4 zombie? Who cared about the difference in power or endurance? He had beaten bigger monsters before.
It was madness.
GRRRAAAHHHH!
The Tank launched itself through the air, and Allen stood there waiting for it — with nothing but a steel pipe in his hands.
The Tank's rage-twisted face and Allen's wild grin met in a single instant.
"Get away from there, Allen!"
Rei's scream snapped Allen back to his senses, and he immediately jumped to the side. At the same time, the Tank was hit by an RPG.
Allen rolled away from the explosion, his clothes singed by the blast. Unfortunately, he landed right next to a zombie — but before it could attack, Saeko appeared beside him and cut it down.
"..." Allen watched the girl silently, his eyes clear at that moment.
"Aren't you going to get mad?" Saeko asked awkwardly, knowing she had disobeyed Allen's order by returning.
"It doesn't matter — you're here now." Allen stood up, calmer this time, his eyes back to normal.
In the distance, Hirano was holding a rocket launcher.
Allen blinked in surprise. "Where the hell did he get that?"
Saeko handed him a backpack she was carrying. "From the store. She agreed to give us credit."
Allen didn't question it — it was incredibly useful at that moment. He grabbed the bag and felt several grenades and a time-detonated C4 inside.
"You just saved me!"
A wicked grin spread across his face. He pulled Saeko close by the waist and kissed her — an act witnessed by several others, including Rei and Saya at the edge of the red zone.
"That bastard!" Saya clenched her teeth.
Rei snorted coldly. "Damn womanizer!"
Shizuka laughed from behind the wheel. "Ah, The Youth~"
"No... I don't think healthy youth behaves like that," Kyoko muttered, adjusting her glasses.
Takashi and Hisashi exchanged knowing looks — thinking the same thing. Allen had openly shown who he preferred, meaning Rei would have no choice but to give up.
In a normal world, that would've been the end of Allen's harem. Unfortunately, neither of them realized that while Rei and Saya looked jealous, neither seemed truly angry or sad. And that was because the bastard had already kissed other girls right in front of them — and even declared that he intended to win over more than one.
Of course, it's not like Saya or Rei had accepted that; in fact, their goal was to make Allen theirs alone. Sadly, poor Takashi and Hisashi didn't know that.
Ignoring the jealous stares from the girls, the envious looks from the guys, and Saeko's flushed face, Allen took the grenade-filled backpack and slung it over his shoulder.
RAAAHH! RAAAHHH!
The zombie emerged from the flames and smoke. Its chest was charred, blood oozing from open wounds — yet it was still alive, and the damage was minimal.
"That's impossible! It was an RPG!" Hirano shouted in shock.
"No — you did great!" Allen yelled back, pulling the pin from a grenade with his teeth and sprinting toward the Tank.
Everyone froze. It looked like suicide. But at the last second, Allen threw the grenade right at the Tank's face and slid behind it.
The grenade exploded with terrifying precision.
'Calculating the exact detonation time of a grenade is simple — using the Tank's body as a shield against the blast wave, even better!'
Allen gripped his metal pipe tightly, leapt up from behind the Tank, and smashed it across the head.
RAAHH!
The blow only enraged the zombie further — but that was exactly what Allen had expected.
The Tank swung one of its massive arms, trying to crush him. Allen jumped over it, stepping on its back to gain height, then threw another grenade that exploded against its face.
He grabbed his pipe again and struck once more — but again, only the sound of impact echoed, with little visible damage.
[I see... the skill!]
Allen didn't respond. His focus was absolute — he couldn't afford to be distracted. Even if a single blow from the Tank might not kill him, it would leave him badly injured. He still had a few bandages for emergencies, but that wasn't the problem.
What was happening before everyone's eyes was so surreal it defied belief — a young man fighting a monster straight out of a horror movie, a walking armored tank — and not only was he still alive, he was winning.
But Allen couldn't afford even one mistake. Not just for his own safety — but because Saeko and the others were keeping the lesser zombies away from him. If he went down, the rest would be slaughtered.
Allen knew that, and his concentration reached its peak. He used grenades to distract and followed up with strikes from his steel pipe, over and over. Each hit was answered by the Tank's furious roars — and twice, it nearly hit Allen, who managed to dodge by mere inches.
Finally, the Tank grew tired of being mocked. It tore a telephone pole from the ground and hurled it at Allen.
Allen didn't hesitate. He ran straight toward it — dodged the makeshift spear by millimeters — and entered the zombie's dead zone.
In other words, he stepped right into the range of its arms.
At this point, it was all or nothing. Without fear, Allen bet his life, extending his steel pipe, slicing through the air, and driving it straight into the zombie's head, piercing through it.
After eight attempts, the skill had activated!
The Tank stopped moving and stood still. With a cold expression, Allen pulled the pipe out, splattering blood on his face in the process — but his gaze didn't waver.
The monster fell to the ground, motionless...
No one could believe it — he actually defeated it!
Allen wiped the blood from his cheek and looked at the Tank. "He was a terrifying guy."
Allen had never been toying with the zombie. He had been aiming the whole time to trigger the ability "5% chance to ignore enemy defense."
That was his best option to bring down the Tank. Of course, the grenades and his constant full-power attacks had also weakened it, so even if the skill didn't activate, Allen still had confidence he could win.
Soon, the red warning lights began to fade, and the mutant zombies seemed to freeze for a moment before slowly retreating, moving away without attempting to attack.
"What's going on?" gasped Saya. It was surreal enough that Allen had defeated that thing — now the zombies that had just been trying to tear them apart were retreating, as if being called by someone... or something.
Allen let out a relieved sigh. Even with his stamina and the effects of the energy bars, he was completely exhausted.
[Congratulations! You have cleared a red zone. Rewards: +5 Supply Crates, +5 Upgrade Cubes, +War Hammer, +Free Vehicle Upgrade, +Reinforced Double-Decker Bus, +500 Hearts Tier 1, +40 Hearts Tier 2, +5 Hearts Tier 3, and a 20% Discount Coupon in the Shop. The 2nd floor of the Shop has been unlocked, but only three sections are available.]
Allen listened to the system's voice in silence. He wasn't surprised by the number of rewards. Setting aside the horde of mutant zombies, just the Tank alone would've been a death sentence under normal circumstances. Without everyone's help — and Nokotan's arrival — it would've been nearly impossible to win.
Allen walked toward the others, his face showing clear exhaustion. At one point, he nearly collapsed, but Saeko caught him.
"Are you okay?" Saeko asked, her voice trembling. Not even mutant zombies scared her, but seeing Allen about to fall made her heart stop.
"Allen!" Rei and Saya ran toward him.
"Allen-kun, where does it hurt?" Shizuka came out of the vehicle — surprisingly fast despite her usual clumsiness — and began checking him.
Kyoko stayed inside the Humvee to take care of Alice. Several other girls watched the scene with envy, especially Yuuki Miku.
"He really is incredible..." Yuuki murmured, but then started coughing. When she looked at her hand, she saw blood.
Allen smiled. "Don't worry, I won't die — I'm just really tired."
He managed to stand up and look around. Everyone was gathering, and there were no traces of zombies anywhere. The area had turned into a ghost town in seconds.
[Cleared danger zones will remain free of infected for 24 hours.]
"That's a relief..."
Allen glanced to the side and saw Yuuki leaning against a truck, clutching her stomach. He walked through the girls and approached her, offering a bottle — the cure.
Yuuki's eyes widened. She had seen the effect of that bottle and knew exactly what it contained, but couldn't understand why Allen would give it to her.
"I..."
"I don't care what you've done in the past. I saw you fighting zombies and helping others with my own eyes. That's why I consider you valuable to this group. Of course, you're free to leave anytime you want–"
Before Allen could finish speaking, Yuuki had already grabbed his hand — and the bottle — smiling with flushed cheeks.
"Thank you so much, Allen-sama❤️~"
"Tsk."
Someone clicked her tongue behind Allen, but he didn't care.
...
The group decided to rest using two nearby houses. Of course, some were nervous about staying so close to where a horde of mutant zombies had been an hour ago, but since Allen insisted, no one argued.
At this point, Allen's word was law, after all, he had taken down a nightmare monster, so he didn't even bother coming up with an excuse.
"How's this spot?" asked Yuuki, giving Allen a shoulder massage.
"You're actually really good," Allen said with a teasing smile. "Tell me, Yuuki, do you have experience giving massages?"
Yuuki blushed and flinched. "N-No, I only did it for my grandma!"
"You don't need to be so tense," said Allen, laughing at her reaction.
After taking a shower, Allen went to the kitchen, where Hirano was, and asked about the rumors surrounding Yuuki Miku. After hearing ridiculous things like "Yuuki has a hundred boyfriends and ten sugar daddies," he couldn't help but feel confused.
As someone experienced with women, Allen could easily tell Yuuki was not only a virgin but had zero romantic experience. Who had started such rumors — and for what reason?
Curiosity got the better of him, so Allen asked Yuuki for a massage, with the hope of solving the mystery. But the girl was so nervous that Allen decided to just tease her instead.
"You're enjoying this... aren't you?" Rei approached with a bottle of water and sat down beside Allen, practically in his arms.
"I see... you're trying to mark your territory, huh?"
Rei blushed but didn't deny it. Yuuki, noticing this, suddenly stopped feeling nervous and leaned closer and then sat down on the other side of him, glaring at Rei.
"Don't start fighting and ruin my rest time," Allen sighed, pulling both girls by the waist. They both froze.
Rei gritted her teeth in embarrassment. She wanted to blame Allen for everything — but when she looked at Yuuki for support, she found her completely relaxed, resting on Allen's chest and pressing her breasts against him.
Apparently, Yuuki had a much higher tolerance for Allen's womanizing ways.
"It's dangerous, so could you put that knife down, Saeko-kun?" Allen said, startling both girls.
Behind them, Saeko stood holding a kitchen knife. She had obviously been cooking, but after overhearing the conversation, she'd decided to step in.
"Ara~ my apologies, I was just going to ask what you wanted for dinner."
Allen looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was wearing an apron, but still had her uniform on — understandable, since there were other men around besides him.
"Anything's fine, really. But I'd love to have a beautiful purple-haired housewife for dinner — do you know any?"
"You!" Saeko turned bright red, practically steaming. From the hallway, Yamada and Kazu stood speechless. The level of Allen's shamelessness was terrifying — not only could he flirt with several women at once, but do it right in front of each other?! No, the scary part wasn't that he did it — it was that it worked. Anyone else would've been slapped three times and had two restraining orders on the way.
The boys could only grit their teeth in envy and admiration at this young man's skill at winning women's hearts.
....
The group stayed there until morning. When they came out, Allen was already waiting with a red double-decker bus.
It looked like one of those London buses, but this one had steel bars and mesh over the windows, a reinforced front shaped like a spear, and upgraded tires. Just like the system described, it was fully modified for survival.
"Where did that come from?!" exclaimed Teshima.
"Found it," Allen said, shrugging. He didn't explain further, and no one asked. They already knew strange things were happening — like the girl who had given them weapons, or what had occurred yesterday — but regardless, they now had a safe vehicle to travel in.
Allen looked at the group. Imamura, Miura, and Okada were dead. Shido and Korokami had disappeared, meaning they were on their own now.
No one was going to offer shelter or protection to cowards who had hidden instead of fighting.
"Let's go!" Allen declared.
Everyone boarded the bus — except Allen, who got into the Humvee with his "harem," which now had a new member.
"Why is she here?" Saya grumbled, arms crossed in the back seat.
"Can't I be?" Yuuki replied confidently, also crossing her arms — which only made her large chest stand out more.
Since Allen had given Yuuki permission, Saya could only pout.
"Tsk." Rei clicked her tongue from behind.
Saeko and Kyoko sighed, sitting in the third row.
The Humvee had actually grown in size, now featuring a third row of seats. That was thanks to the upgrade Allen had received from the system. It had also improved many aspects of the vehicle — stronger armor, better fuel efficiency, and reduced diesel consumption per mile.
"Big brother, where are we going?" Alice asked from Allen's lap, petting her dog as she gazed out the window. She was pure and innocent, her eyes full of light.
Allen chuckled. "We're going to visit Saya's parents — hopefully, Soichiro Takagi doesn't try to kill me for seducing his daughter."
"What?!" Saya screamed, then realized it was a joke and started choking Allen from behind. "You idiot! That'll teach you not to toy with a lady's heart!"
Allen just laughed.
Saya's delicate hands didn't have the strength to even bother him.
...
As the group drove away, Shido watched from a window, biting his lip.
"What do we do?" asked Korokami. Both of them had hidden to survive, and they knew they couldn't rejoin the group now.
"Of course we'll follow them!"
Shido took the car keys from the owner of that house and limped outside.
He hated Allen, but he knew the Takagi mansion had more survivors. He had to get there first — he'd think about revenge later.
"Allen Walker, you won't get rid of me that easily!"
====
A/N: A red zone is extremely dangerous but also has very good rewards.
If you want to read more, there are up to ten chapters ahead on Patreon.
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