System Active

Levi's face flushed with embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head. "I just lost control for a moment," he muttered, trying to downplay what had just happened.

But inside, panic clawed at his chest.

Moments before his vision changed, the floating screen had flickered into existence in front of him—something he had seen since childhood but had long since dismissed as a harmless hallucination. This time, however, the words were different.

[SYSTEM ACTIVE]

Before he could even process what that meant, his sight warped.

The world around him dissolved into an X-ray-like filter. He saw through flesh as if it were fog-like, revealing what lay beneath. His classmates were no longer just students—they were sitting skeletons, their hearts pulsating in their rib cages, their veins visible. His stomach twisted in horror.

Then he looked at Mrs. Lily.

At first, she seemed normal, but as his gaze settled on her, something dark curled behind her patched eye. A shadow—no, an infection. It pulsed deep within, like a sickness waiting to consume her from the inside.

Levi squeezed his eyes shut, his breath coming out in short gasps. No, no, no—this isn't real. It's not real!

Desperately, he willed his vision to return to normal.

And just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

When he opened his eyes again, everything was as it should be. No glowing organs, no skeletal figures, no infected shadows.

He swallowed hard, his fingers trembling at his sides.

Levi was unable to concentrate on what Mrs. Lily was teaching about the types of zombies. His mind kept drifting back to what had just happened—the system activating, his vision distorting, the unsettling glimpse of his classmates' skeletal forms. He forced himself to take deep breaths, grounding himself in the present.

Mrs. Lily continued, her voice steady and authoritative. "After evolved zombies, we have dominant zombies. These are special cases, such as zombies that have developed better muscle memory and whose instincts are slightly sharper. They're faster, more agile, and capable of reacting with an almost unnatural precision, making them significantly more dangerous in combat."

She paced across the classroom, her hands clasped behind her back as she continued. "Such as armored zombies. These zombies have developed an exoskeleton-like armor, making them much harder to kill with conventional weapons. Bullets often ricochet off their reinforced hides, and even blades struggle to pierce through their defenses. Engaging them in direct combat is not advised without heavy weaponry."

Levi tried to focus, forcing himself to memorize the details.

"Next are hive zombies. These creatures function differently from others. Instead of acting as lone predators, hive zombies use surrounding zombies to form a larger organism. This allows them to adapt and take on different shapes based on their needs, making them highly unpredictable. Some hive zombies can even merge into grotesque, towering masses of flesh and limbs, attacking anything in sight."

She let the words sink in before moving to the final classification.

"Lastly, we have swarm zombies. These are rare but incredibly dangerous. Unlike ordinary zombies, swarm zombies can deploy a special frequency—an inaudible signal that influences and controls other zombies, making them attack in coordinated waves like a commander directing an army. Facing a swarm-controlled horde is a nightmare scenario, as these zombies will act with near-military precision, overwhelming even the most fortified defenses."

Levi swallowed hard. The more he learned, the more terrifying the outside world seemed. And if his strange new vision meant anything… he might be seeing things no one else could.

After a lengthy lesson on the different types of zombies, Mrs. Lily finally shut her notebook and crossed her arms. "Enough theory for now," she said. "It's time for you to work on your first zombie."

A few students stiffened at her words, while others exchanged nervous glances. Levi remained silent, still processing everything he'd heard—and trying to suppress the memory of his distorted vision.

"Follow me," Mrs. Lily continued, turning toward the reinforced doors at the back of the classroom. "We're heading to the containment ward."

Levi's stomach tightened. The thought of being near an actual zombie was unsettling.

The class moved as a group, following Mrs. Lily as she led them deeper into the facility. The further they descended, the colder the air became. The sterile hallways, once brightly lit, gave way to dimmer corridors lined with reinforced metal plating. A faint, unsettling hum vibrated through the walls, accompanied by the occasional distant groan.

Levi barely registered his surroundings. His mind was consumed by a different concern—the floating screen. He was actively pushing it down.

Why did it activate now? Why did my vision change?

His hands curled into fists. It had been years since he'd last seen that screen. For the longest time, he thought it was just a hallucination from childhood—an odd quirk of his mind. But this was different. The words had changed. The system had activated.

He bit the inside of his cheek. Whatever it was, he couldn't deal with it now.

They finally arrived at the containment ward—a massive underground station where zombies were stored and "processed" for training purposes. Levi swallowed hard.

This was real.

Seeing a zombie in the flesh sent shivers down the spines of many students. It wasn't just the sight—it was the overwhelming presence of decay and death that clung to the air like a thick fog. Its skin, stretched too thin over exposed muscle, was a grotesque mix of charred flesh and darkened veins.

Then the stench hit them.

It smelled like burnt plastic and ink—thick, acrid, and suffocating. A few students gagged, while others covered their mouths with their sleeves.

Mrs. Lily, however, remained completely unfazed. She casually approached the reinforced containment unit, tapping a gloved hand against the glass. The zombie jerked violently in response, thrashing against its bonds, releasing a low, guttural snarl that reverberated through the room.

"The smell?" Mrs. Lily smirked at their horrified expressions. "That's the least of your worries."

She turned, sweeping her gaze over the class.

"What you should be concerned about is making sure they don't rip your head off," she continued, voice even. "Or worse—feeling your flesh being torn apart while you're still breathing."

A heavy silence followed her words.

Levi shifted uncomfortably, but he didn't dare look away.

Mrs. Lily took a step back and clapped her hands together. "Alright. Watch closely."

With precise, practiced movements, she moved toward a storage locker at the side of the room, entering a code. The reinforced metal hissed as it slid open, revealing protective gear. Helmets, reinforced gloves, anti-bite sleeves, and body armor were neatly arranged in compartments.

"You'll need these," she said. "Suit up and form groups of four. Five teams in total."

A few students hesitated before stepping forward, exchanging uncertain glances as they assessed each other.

Levi stood with his group, his hands clenched into tight fists as he forced himself to watch.

Mrs. Lily moved with precision, her every action calculated as she methodically ended the zombie's struggle. A single, well-placed incision at the base of its skull severed its spinal connection, causing the creature's body to spasm violently before going limp. The unsettling sound of metal against bone followed as she used a reinforced surgical blade to slice through the rotting flesh.

The moment she cracked open the skull, an overwhelming stench filled the room—something far worse than before. It was a mix of spoiled meat, chemical rot, and something foul Levi couldn't even describe. His stomach lurched.

A few students turned away, some barely holding back the urge to vomit. Levi tried to stay focused, but the disgust was too overwhelming.

Don't look away. This is important.

He repeated the thought like a mantra, but at that moment, his concentration slipped, and his vision changed again.

Only this time, it wasn't X-ray.

The world around him dimmed slightly, and instead of seeing bones and organs, certain parts of the body were highlighted.

Then, words flickered into existence right before his eyes.

[Corrupted Brain]

Key ingredient in several solutions, mostly defensive.

Levi's breath caught in his throat.

What the hell is happening to me?