Suddenly, his phone started ringing and vibrating on the table. The screen flashed bright red with a loud alarm.
"[EMERGENCY ALERT]
Caution: Public Health Threat
Authorities have detected an unknown viral outbreak. Exposure may cause severe symptoms and rapid transmission.
Stay indoors if possible. Report any symptoms immediately. This is a public safety emergency."
Jaxon stared at the message for a few seconds, stunned. His grin slowly disappeared.
"What the heck..."
He grabbed his phone and hurried downstairs. The sound of news reports was coming from the living room. His mom and two sisters were already there, their faces pale as they watched the same emergency broadcast on their phones.
The TV turned on, showing scenes of crowded streets, people running, and soldiers blocking off highways. The news anchor's voice was shaking as she spoke, trying to sound calm.
Then the screen changed. The president appeared behind a podium, surrounded by officers. He looked tired.
"To all citizens, this is an emergency announcement. An unknown viral infection has been confirmed in cities all around the country. The virus is spreading faster than we thought and is very dangerous. All infected people will be quarantined right away. Don't try to leave your homes. Lock your doors and stay inside until further notice."
He paused, looking at the paper in front of him before continuing.
"We're working with the military and doctors to stop the spread. Hospitals are full, and we're setting up new isolation zones. I'm asking everyone to stay calm and listen to what the authorities say. Stay away from crowded places, don't touch anyone, and report any signs of aggression, fever, or weird behavior."
His voice got deeper as he spoke the next words.
"This isn't the time to panic. This is the time to stick together and be disciplined. We're working hard to protect our people and get things back to normal. Starting now, martial law is in effect. There will be curfews, and you can't travel unless you have to. To everyone watching, your help will save lives. Stay inside. Protect your families. And may God help us all."
The screen went dark, showing the government seal.
For a few seconds, nobody said anything. The only sound was the faint wail of sirens from somewhere outside. His mother's hands were shaking. His sisters sat still, holding their phones tight.
It had only been a few hours, but news from all over the world was spreading like crazy. Videos showing people turning violent filled every social media feed and news broadcast.
Across the cities, chaos broke out. Streets that used to have rallies and parades were now full of tens of thousands of infected people.
Police, SWAT, Coast Guards, the Navy, Army, Special Forces, even the Air Force, every part of the military was being used.
On live TV, the world watched in shock as soldiers formed lines, shields up, only to be torn apart seconds later. The infected didn't just run, they jumped high. They crashed into vehicles, climbed walls, and threw themselves into gunfire like wild animals.
Jaxon watched in disbelief, holding his phone tighter. "Even the military can't stop them..." he whispered.
Outside, the sounds of ambulances and patrol cars wailed, echoing down the streets. The whole world felt like it was falling apart.
"It really is the zombie apocalypse... is this the end of the world?" Cindy whispered, her voice shaking as she hugged her knees.
"This is awful. So many people are dying," Isabel blurted out, her face pale, frowning as she stared at the screen.
"Good thing we stocked up on food. This should last us a few months," Natasha said quietly. Compared to her mom and sister, she seemed calmer, still worried, but already thinking about what to do next.
"Put your phones down, everyone," Jaxon said softly. " Let's turn this off. It's just making things worse. We'll get through this, okay?"
His mother looked at him and smiled a little. "I'm happy to see my son stepping up. You don't seem scared at all," Isabel said, her voice warm despite the fear in her eyes.
"It's not like that, I mean I am still scared," Jaxon admitted.
Natasha turned to him, her voice quieter than usual. "I know I've been hard on you sometimes... but I gotta say, you were right about telling us to come home early. If you hadn't, we wouldn't be together right now." She looked away, whispering, "Good job."
"Yeah, brother," Cindy added. "I was really surprised when you said there was an emergency, but... I'm glad you did."
"We're alive and safe because of you, Jaxon," Isabel said gently. "Thank you."
Jaxon scratched his head, feeling awkward. "Come on, stop it, guys. You're making it sound like I did something big."
Then, a sudden scream echoed from outside, followed by low growls that sent chills down their spines.
Jaxon's face turned serious. "Get to your rooms, stay put and rest. Don't worry, I'll check it out."
"Mom, can I sleep with you?" Cindy asked, her voice shaking.
"Of course, sweetie," Isabel replied gently, putting her arm around her. She looked at her other daughter. "What about you, Natasha?"
"I'm fine," Natasha replied quietly. "I'll stay here for a bit."
"Alright," Jaxon said. "I'll start reinforcing the windows and doors. Lend me a hand if you've got time."
...
Jaxon and Natasha started reinforcing the windows with wooden planks and stacking furniture against the doors. The air outside felt heavy and tense, filled with distant sirens and the sounds of chaos spreading.
Hours went by as they worked without stopping. The sound of helicopters and planes roared overhead every now and then, shaking the windows.
Every so often, they'd hear people shouting for help outside: neighbors, maybe even strangers running down the street. But their cries just drew the infected closer. One by one, the screams turned into horrifying growls.
Jaxon and Natasha saw it from the window: a man trying to fight off a zombie before getting dragged down. They froze, unable to look away. Then they silently went back to work, both trying to pretend they hadn't seen it.
While Natasha held a wooden plank in place, Jaxon hammered it tightly against the frame. Each bang echoed through the house, and every time a scream followed outside, she flinched.
"Natasha," Jaxon called out.
She looked up, her hands shaking a little.
"You're not okay," he said. "Go upstairs with Mom and Cindy. I'll finish the rest."
Natasha hesitated, biting her lip. She wanted to argue but couldn't think of anything to say. After a moment, she nodded quietly and went upstairs.
Hour after hour, the number of zombies kept growing. Jaxon worked as fast as he could, tightening the last planks and stacking the last of the furniture against the doors. When he was done, he leaned closer to a small gap between the wooden boards and peeked outside.
Through that little hole, he could see the street and the houses across from them. One of the neighbors, a family that had stayed home, wasn't so lucky. As soon as the zombies heard noises from their house, they rushed toward it. Even with the doors and windows shut, it didn't matter. The infected slammed themselves against the barriers, breaking through everything until they finally forced their way inside.
Jaxon gripped the wooden frame tighter.
'So they're drawn to sound… I need to tell Mom and my sisters. They have to be extra careful,' he thought. 'Good thing I reinforced everything earlier, before more of them showed up. If I'd waited any longer, the hammering might've brought them here.'
He stepped away and went back to his room, checking the street again through his window.
"I used twelve rounds just to kill one zombie last time," he muttered to himself. "If it keeps going like this, I'll run out of ammo before I even earn enough coins to buy more."
Jaxon sat by the window, resting the rifle on a stack of books to steady his aim. He took a deep breath and scanned the streets again, looking for a good target.
He decided to start with the closest ones, around a hundred meters away. That way, even if he missed, the sound wouldn't attract anyone.
His eyes caught sight of a zombie trapped in a crushed car. The creature struggled wildly, its seatbelt wrapping around its chest, keeping it stuck.
"Perfect," Jaxon murmured, adjusting his aim.
He took his time, practicing what he'd seen in movies and games, steady breathing, firm grip, and positioning his shoulder to reduce the recoil. When the crosshair lined up with the zombie's head, he pulled the trigger.
Thup!
The bullet whizzed past and hit the car's roof instead.
"Ugh, I missed." Jaxon grunted, gritting his teeth. He steadied his breathing and aimed again. His hands were shaking a little, but he tried to calm down.
Another shot, missed. Then another, still off. He breathed out slowly, trying to find his rhythm.
"Come on, focus. Don't rush it," he murmured under his breath.
He adjusted the scope, breathed out, and squeezed the trigger one last time.
Thup!
This time, the bullet went clean through the zombie's forehead. Its body went limp, slumping against the seat.
A small notification appeared in front of him.
(1 exp, 1 coin, and 0.01 Agility obtained from the zombie)
Jaxon smiled a little.
'Nice... let's keep going like this,' he thought, reloading another magazine.
…..
Jaxon stayed by the window, sniping one zombie after another until it got dark. The streets got quiet except for distant groans echoing through the night.
He finally felt it: the calm focus of a sniper. Waiting, breathing, knowing the right moment to pull the trigger. He missed a lot, but every time he landed a shot, he felt a rush of satisfaction.
By the time he stopped, six zombies lay dead on the streets.
A faint glow flickered in front of him.
(6 exp, 6 coins, 0.02 Speed and 0.04 Strength obtained.)
"Not bad," Jaxon muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "Feels like I'm actually getting stronger."
Just as he was about to reload, thin smoke started rising from the rifle's barrel.
"Huh? Why's it smoking?" He frowned, touching the warm metal. "Don't tell me it's overheating already..."
He looked closer and noticed the suppressor glowing a little.
"Oh, it's this thing," he sighed. "Guess using it nonstop wasn't a good idea. I hope it doesn't break."
Letting out a tired breath, Jaxon willed the weapon away. The rifle disappeared from his hands like mist, vanishing into thin air. It was the only thing he could summon and unsummon whenever he wanted, like it had its own storage, unlike normal items that didn't have any storage in the system.
He leaned back in his chair, stretching his sore arms. "That's enough for today..."