When I bought the battle mace from the options menu, I nearly had a heart attack as I saw the weapon magically appear in front of me. The weapon was about 60 cm long and weighed nearly 2 kilograms. Overall, it looked like a well-crafted weapon, which made me wonder why the system categorized it as "terrible quality." It was hard for me to see in what sense that term applied to this weapon. If this weapon was "terrible," I couldn't help but wonder what qualified as "excellent."

Similarly, when I bought the potion, it appeared in my hand, and upon drinking the liquid, the bottle disappeared into thin air, as if it had never existed. I lay back and closed my eyes. I swear I could feel a kind of warmth rising from my stomach and spreading through my body. I was absorbed in this sensation.

Without realizing the passage of time, I suddenly heard a voice that snapped me out of my trance.

"James, did you fall asleep?"

"Not exactly, I was just resting."

I didn't want to say anything about using potions or the weapon I had in my hands. While it wouldn't be hard for the others to infer where I got such a weapon, it was useful for them to have their doubts for the time being.

"Are you ready then?"

"More or less, I've had some trouble assembling the group."

"All they need is some blunt weapon, sticks, metal rods, anything heavy they can strike with."

"I managed to get a couple of retractable batons, as well as a bat similar to the one you used. Apparently, there are more in the sports field, but it's too far to search for more of those."

I looked at the group behind Solis, and they all seemed hesitant. The reluctance to go out was evident, and some seemed ready to die. Somehow, they had resigned themselves to feeling powerless in this situation.

"Listen, guys, the enemies outside are hardly a threat if we keep their numbers low. They only follow what they see. So, if we're careful in our movements, there's nothing to fear."

As I spoke, I subtly moved my right leg forward so the others could see my weapon. I hoped this would instill some confidence in them. If they were willing to die from the outset, they were likely to make a mistake that could take me down with them.

From what I could observe, my small act worked, and after discussing some minor details with Solis, we set out to hunt some zombies.

This time, everything was much smoother. When I delivered a full-power blow to a zombie, I nearly stumbled from my own rotational force. Somehow, with my new weapon, the zombie couldn't even withstand this blow. Before, it took two to three full-power strikes, but now I had strength to spare.

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After killing a couple of zombies solo, I finally improved my weapon handling and adjusted my strength usage. Moreover, the other people gained some self-confidence. I helped them kill a few and then gave them more space while I continued my session.

As we carried out our hunt, I noticed other groups—many groups. Unfortunately, they were very disorganized, leading to many mistakes. After all, you couldn't intimidate this enemy with numbers. I called them zombies because they showed no reaction, neither fatigue nor pain.

It didn't take long for chaos to take hold of the battlefield. The first deaths occurred, and with them, panic flooded the souls of every student, including those with me. Everyone began to run toward the main hall, causing a human stampede that resulted in even more casualties than the zombies.

Instead of running, I checked my map to see the infection zone timer. There was less than an hour left. I couldn't afford to waste more time. Ignoring the main flow of people, I went in the opposite direction. I had to see what was happening there. If I couldn't handle it on my own, I would have no choice but to abandon it and face the consequences later.

Thanks to the commotion caused by the others, I managed to get close to the point with minimal issues. Thankfully, this point wasn't too far from the main hall. Considering that St. Edmund's College campus stretched for several kilometers, defending more distant points would become very difficult.

Finally, I could see the infamous infection point. There was a relatively larger zombie here. Its physique appeared toned. To be honest, this one didn't even look like a zombie, more like a pale adult. But for the sake of my sanity, I decided to keep calling it a zombie. After all, no adult could perform a ritual to open some macabre portal, as this one was doing.

My only problem was how to face this without being surrounded by zombies. Although there were only a few in the vicinity, if they interfered with my fight, it would be the end for me.

For some reason, curiosity overpowered my logic, and I approached the area with great caution. I noticed that there seemed to be a kind of line—a large circle drawn on the ground—that separated the green grass of the school from the dreary, lifeless ground in a way that made it almost seem like two distinct spaces. Well, when I crossed the line, I realized they were indeed two distinct spaces.

As I took the final step and entered the circle, a system window immediately appeared, saying, "If you remain within the zone for ten seconds, combat will begin."

My heart began to race, everything was too strange, and I didn't know what would happen. What did this message mean? Would I have to face this thing alone, against all the zombies combined? The uncertainty finally overwhelmed me. However, when I tried to retreat, the time had already run out.

The duel will now begin.

With that, the zombie rose and turned toward me.

In that moment, my training and experience kicked in. I remembered the moves I had practiced in my zombie-fighting sessions and tried to stay calm despite the anxiety I felt.

My father's figure came to mind—hours of military training, both in shooting practice and hand-to-hand combat couldn't be in vain.

"Come on, James, you can do it," I whispered to myself.

The zombie took a few steps forward, and in an instant, I swung my combat mace in a downward arc, aiming for the creature's head. The strike connected with a solid impact, and the zombie staggered back. I seized the opportunity and delivered a second blow toward its head, knocking it to the ground.

As I attempted to land another blow to the head, the zombie, for the first time, exhibited a different behavior. It launched a kick that connected with my hip.

A sharp pain surged through my body immediately, causing me to step back a few paces and then fall to my knee.

"You damn bastard."