Jaxon hurried out of his room and went straight to his mom's. When he opened the door, he found all three of them huddled by the window, their faces pale. They had seen everything.
"Brother, the soldiers... they died," Cindy said, her voice trembling, eyes filled with tears.
"They just... died like that," Isabel whispered, still in shock.
"Shhh, it's okay," Jaxon said softly, moving closer. "We're going to be okay. Just stay quiet, and they won't find us." He reached out and gently patted their shoulders, trying to calm them down.
After a moment, he looked at Isabel. "Mom, can you prepare something to eat? Just something light."
"Alright," Isabel said, nodding slowly. She stood up and headed toward the kitchen, still shaken but trying to keep herself busy.
While Isabel was in the kitchen, Natasha remained by the window, her eyes fixed on the wrecked military vehicle down the street. Smoke still rose from it, and the faint sound of growls echoed in the distance.
"We need to get those guns they left behind," she suddenly said.
Her words caught both Jaxon and Cindy off guard.
"What are you saying, Sis? That's dangerous!" Cindy exclaimed. "Didn't you see what happened to those soldiers out there?"
"I know that," Natasha replied sharply, frustration slipping through her tone.
"Hey, calm down," Jaxon said quietly. "Keep your voice down. They might hear us."
Natasha took a deep breath, then lowered her head. "Sorry."
"Don't go out, Sis. Please," Cindy said, gripping her sister's hand tightly. "I don't want you to end up like them."
Natasha gave a faint smile. "I'm sorry. Don't worry, I won't."
Cindy frowned. "Then why do we even need those guns?"
Natasha looked at both of them. "Because we can't rely on food and shelter alone. The world's falling apart, and soon it won't just be zombies we need to worry about. When things get desperate, people can be worse than monsters. We need weapons to protect ourselves."
Jaxon blinked, then smiled a little to himself. 'You really are a strong-willed woman, Sis,' he thought.
She had been shaken and scared yesterday, but now she looked calmer, already thinking about their next steps. Ever since they were kids, Natasha had always been like that. She could adjust to anything, no matter how bad things got. She always managed to stay composed and figure things out.
'Maybe if I hadn't received the system yesterday, I'd be relying on her too,' Jaxon thought.
He looked at her and said softly, "We don't have to act now, Sis. It's too dangerous to go outside. We'll wait until things calm down first."
Natasha nodded. "Yeah... you're right."
.....
At the dining table, the four of them ate in uneasy silence. Every scrape of a spoon or rustle of clothing felt too loud. They tried to keep quiet, afraid that even the smallest sound might draw something's attention.
From outside, faint growls and dragging footsteps echoed. The sounds were distant, but close enough to remind them of the danger lurking beyond their walls.
Jaxon glanced at his family. Among his sisters and mom, Cindy was the one struggling the most. Her hands shook as she ate, and every time a growl came from outside, her shoulders flinched. Natasha sat beside her, staying calm and composed, while their mother kept a brave face, though her tight grip on the spoon gave her fear away.
Then, as Cindy reached for the water, her trembling hand slipped.
The glass fell.
"Clack."
The sharp sound echoed across the room. Everyone froze, hearts pounding, eyes darting toward the window. No one moved, and no one breathed.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Cindy whispered, her voice shaking.
Jaxon reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "Calm down, Cindy. It's alright," he said quietly, though his eyes stayed fixed on the door.
Then suddenly...
Thump. Thump.
A heavy banging sound echoed from the front gate.
Everyone became still, their eyes turning toward the noise.
Cindy's face turned pale, her hands shaking again. Natasha and Isabel exchanged worried looks, while Jaxon slowly pushed his chair back, his eyes narrowing toward the sound. His hand hovered at his side, ready to summon his rifle if needed.
Another thump followed, louder this time, as if something or someone was trying to break through.
Then, a loud scream tore through the quiet morning. It came from the neighborhood, sharp and desperate.
The banging at their gate stopped. Then they heard it: multiple growls shifting direction, the sound of shuffling feet rushing toward the scream.
Jaxon breathed out, feeling his heartbeat slowly ease. 'That was close...' he thought. 'Even if I managed to kill the zombie outside, the noise would only bring more of them, just like what happened to the soldiers.'
"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry," Cindy whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
"It's fine," Jaxon said softly. "Just be careful next time."
Isabel reached over and gently patted Cindy's hand. "Come on, sweetie. Eat your food. It's alright now."
They went back to their meal, each bite small and quiet. No one spoke again. After finishing, they silently returned to their rooms.
…..
As Jaxon entered his room, he quietly closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of his bed.
He summoned his system window, and a faint blue glow reflected across his face. Lines of text appeared in front of him, showing his current stats and available upgrades. He had collected thirty-four coins, enough to either upgrade his gear or buy another hundred rounds of ammo. His strength, speed, and stamina had also improved slightly: +0.21 Strength, +0.08 Speed, and +0.05 Stamina.
"There's still a bit of noise when I shoot, even with the suppressor," he muttered, tapping his chin. "That could be dangerous, especially now that more of them are outside. Alright... upgrade suppressor."
A faint chime echoed in his mind.
(11 coins spent. Suppressor Lv.0 → Lv.1)
He nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the glowing text. "I still have twenty-three coins left," he said softly. "I should save them... but better to be safe. Upgrade suppressor again."
(13 coins spent. Suppressor Lv.1 → Lv.2)
"Nice," Jaxon whispered, a small smile forming on his lips. "Let's see how it changed."
He stood up, walked toward the window, and carefully peeked through the curtains. The streets were littered with broken cars and scattered bodies.
Jaxon summoned his rifle, its form materializing quietly in his hands. He adjusted the scope, his eyes scanning the street below for a target.
Through the scope, Jaxon looked toward the neighbor's house, the same one where the scream had come from earlier. The sight made his stomach tighten. The doors and windows were hanging loosely, blood smeared across the walls and floor. Furniture was scattered everywhere, and what was left of the house looked as if it had been torn apart by wild beasts.
He swallowed hard. Even reinforced doors and windows wouldn't hold forever.
'So even staying home might not be safe,' he thought. 'If I really want to protect Mom and my sisters... I need to get stronger fast.'
He adjusted his aim and spotted a zombie crawling along the street. Its legs were twisted and broken, dragging itself forward with its hands.
Shkkk.
The rifle hissed softly as the bullet pierced its head. The sound was faint, much quieter than before, but still noticeable in the silence.
"Not bad," Jaxon whispered, watching the body go still. "It's a lot quieter now... though there's still a bit of sound. As long as they're not too close, they shouldn't hear it."
He looked around and noticed several more crawling zombies scattered near the wrecked vehicles. Some were the ones that had survived the soldiers' attack, shot in the legs, left to writhe on the ground. Others looked crushed, likely run over when the military tried to escape.
Taking a slow breath, Jaxon adjusted his grip and began putting them down one by one, each quiet shot echoing softly through the air.