"Guys, I think we should just stay put and farm these zombies for XP until you guys level up a bit more," I suggest, keeping my voice low to avoid attracting unwanted attention. "Leveling up will give us more skills and stats. We'll be way more safer when we're stronger."

Sara fidgets with the hem of her sweatshirt. "But it's so dangerous," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "What if we get swarmed?"

I nod, understanding her concern. "It's okay, Sara," I say, reaching out instinctively to comfort her before awkwardly pulling my hand back. "Um, well, I'm already level 13. As long as nothing too strong shows up, we'll be fine. Probably." The word 'probably' hangs in the air, not exactly inspiring confidence.

Tim scowls, his grip tightening on the chair leg he’s carrying. "It's not the worst plan," he grudgingly admits. "Better to fight them here where we know the layout."

Lily, her face set in a thoughtful frown, finally speaks up. "What if we just peek outside first? See what's going down out there, at least?"

The hallway falls silent, save for the distant groans of zombies echoing from somewhere in the school. Everyone's eyes turn to me, waiting for a decision. I feel their expectations, knowing that as the highest-level player, they're currently looking to me for leadership.

"Um, well, I think Lily's onto something," I break the tense silence. "No harm in a quick look outside. If it's safe, we can think about leaving, and find out what's up. If not, we stick to the original plan. Level up, and survive."

Sara lets out a shaky sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Alright. Who's going to go?"

"Let's all go," I suggest. "Safety in numbers, yeah?"

No one argues, and we start moving down the hallway. Our footsteps echo softly against the linoleum floor, mixing with the occasional creak of a locker or the distant sound of breaking glass. As we walk, I can't help but marvel at how surreal this all is: the four of us, just students a minute ago, now talking about 'leveling up' like we're in some video game.

We reach the school's main entrance, the large double doors looming before us. My hand hovers over the handle, my nerves buzzing with anticipation and dread.

But before I can pull it open, a translucent blue screen materializes in front of us, floating in the air. The message it displays sends a chill down my spine:

Warning:

You cannot leave the dungeon until the Level 15 Elite Zombie Boss has been defeated.

We stare at the message, stunned into silence. Tim is the first to find his voice, his words dripping with disbelief and anger. "Dungeon? Elite Zombie Boss? Level 15? Since when did our school turn into a dungeon that we can't get out of?"

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"And why the heck is there a Level 15 boss?" Sara adds, her voice trembling. "We're barely Level 2! This is nuts!"

Lily's brow furrows, her eyes narrowing as she processes this new information. "So, we're trapped? We have to beat something that tough just to leave?"

I look at each of them, their faces a mix of fear and disbelief, and I feel my stomach twist into knots. This is worse than we thought; the system isn't just changing our reality — it's controlling it. We're just pawns in its game, and the rules just got way harsher.

"I've come face to face with it," I confess, after a while, the words spilling out in a hushed, raw tone. "The Level 15 Elite Zombie Boss — I didn't exactly fight it. It was more like I barely escaped from it.”

Sara's face pales, her hands flying to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "You've seen it up close? When?"

"It was right after everything went crazy," I begin, swallowing hard. "I was hiding in the restroom, in the safe zone. I thought maybe I could use the environment to my advantage, you know? I had this idea that I could use the trash can I found to attack them from inside the safe zone."

I pause, the memory of the encounter flooding back. The Elite Zombie's eyes, glowing a sickly red, its face twisted into a monstrous snarl. I can almost feel its bone-crushing grip on the trash can again, the violent force as it yanks both the weapon and me out of the restroom.

"It caught me off guard, and grabbed the trash can and pulled me out like I was nothing," I continue, my voice barely above a whisper. "That thing is strong — crazy strong. I barely managed to get away. That's when I ran and found you guys, hiding in that classroom closet."

For a long moment, no one says a word.

"So, we're stuck," Sara’s voice finally breaks the silence. "We're stuck in here, in this dungeon, with that thing."

"We're toast, we're all freaking toast," Tim mutters, his gaze dropping to the floor, and he kicks at a piece of debris in frustration.

Lily looks up, a spark of determination blazing through the fear. "No, we're not," she growls, her voice ringing with resolve. "We may be stuck in here with that thing, but we’re not alone. We have each other. We'll level up, grow stronger, and make it out of here!”

"You're right," I agree, gritting my teeth. "We'll just have to get stronger, level up, and take that thing out. It's the only way out, and the only way forward."

***

Author's Note:

Hi, there, my reader! While you're waiting for the next chapter, if you're interested in checking out another one of the stories I've written titled “LitRPG: Returning to the Beginning of the Apocalypse”, feel free to take a look here: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0CW1981CC

image [https://i.imgur.com/R7faI4F.png]

Here's a synopsis: When the mysterious System takes over Earth, it presents a deadly challenge: complete 100 lethal scenarios while getting points. The prize? A single wish for the highest scorer at the end. But there's a catch — if humanity is annihilated before reaching the end, they will be erased from existence. Forever. Luke, an exceptionally skilled human, is on the edge of completing the final scenario when he finds himself betrayed in the final moments by his second in command, Richard. As he draws near death's door, a fervent wish forms in Luke's mind: a plea to return to the first day of this merciless game. In an unexpected twist, he suddenly finds himself transported back to the beginning, equipped with all of the knowledge of the future and fueled by his thirst to change things. But will he be able to rewrite his fate and change the destiny of humanity?