"Well, I have something very important to announce."
"Recently, I took a walk outside, and I happened to see something that left me deeply distraught," he said, his voice heavy with sadness.
"As you all know, I had an epiphany on the day of the apocalypse, which led me to develop this base." His expression took on a strange reverence, as if in worship.
His hands clasped together as though in prayer, a wide smile spreading across his face.
The audience frowned, their expressions tinged with the discomfort one might feel when looking at a madman.
"But unfortunately, I am not competent enough to accommodate the whole of humanity." A tear slid down his cheek.
He looked so genuinely sad and disappointed that the audience instinctively stepped back.
They shivered at the sight of such a crazy man.
"So, therefore, I have decided that everyone should live in fairness.
"Those inside and outside the base should both face some form of struggle to balance things out.
"That's why there will now be rent for those staying in classrooms—five points a day.
"And there will be two points deducted daily simply to remain in the base."
The crowd began to murmur at this sudden change.
"But in the spirit of fairness, I do have some things here to make your stay worthwhile.
"There's a saying that work and play should be balanced.
"So, I turned the art building into the Entertainment Sector—where we have everything you might need, including but not limited to games, television, internet, karaoke, nightclubs, and even a casino.
"In fact, for a hefty number of points, you can be upgraded to VIP status, granting you the right to choose your job.
"You can also hire the scout team to retrieve something custom-made for you.
"Honestly, with points, you can do anything." The director ended with a laugh.
The murmuring crowd grew silent as excitement flickered in their eyes.
"So, my dear friends, don't worry about anything as long as you're in the base.
"All you need to do is use your points to fulfill your desires.
"I wish you all the best and a happy stay."
He glanced at the five kids one last time before turning to leave.
The five shivered under his gaze, staring at the ground until he was gone.
The cafeteria immediately erupted into excited chatter as people discussed the new possibilities.
After all, they had struggled since the start of the apocalypse. A chance to relax like this was rare.
The base seemed safe enough, considering survivors could confidently camp outside.
After all, zombies were obsessed with humans and would never stop chasing until one of two things happened:
Either the zombie was dead—
Or the human was dead.
There was no in-between.
"Should we also check it out?" Shae Harris asked.
She didn't mention the strange feeling she got from the director—mainly because she didn't know how to explain it.
Neither did the others.
It was easy enough to dismiss; the man was clearly a fanatic.
"I'm curious whether they really have everything," Ming Jun said.
"The place will probably be packed today and tomorrow," Wei Zhi added.
"Better to avoid being trampled by the crowd," Mori Aoi said.
"Then let's wait a few days," Noi Karn suggested.
"Don't you think it's suspicious? We never heard him bring all that stuff in, and we've certainly never seen him walking around," Yi Zheng said, frowning.
That whispering voice on the breeze spoke to him again—telling him the director was dangerous.
Yi Zheng could feel it too, deep down. Something was off.
"Eh, I didn't think about that," Shae Harris said, eyes widening.
"You're onto something," Ming Jun agreed.
"But so what?" Wei Zhi shrugged.
"The director's the founder of the shelter," Mori Aoi said.
"So there's nothing we can do to him," Noi Karn added.
"Investigating what he's plotting is for smart people," Ming Jun smirked.
"So in conclusion, it's none of our business," Shae Harris decided.
Yi Zheng stared at them, stunned, his expression thoughtful.
"It'll most likely affect you—he's the director of the base you stay in,"
" He's in charge of the place and has the power to do anything he wants ", he insisted.
"Then we'll just run away once it gets too scary," Wei Zhi said.
"I call window seat behind Old Man Yi," Shae Harris grinned.
"Isn't it a bit early to call seats?" Ming Jun retorted.
"I call back seat," Mori Aoi raised her hand.
Then she turned and looked at Wei Zhi nervously.
"Alright, I call back seat too," Wei Zhi replied to her gaze.
"Ah, then I guess I'm middle seat," Ming Jun sighed.
"Why don't we just stick to where we usually sit?" Noi Karn suggested.
The others nodded.
Yi Zheng looked at these cowards and thought they were the fastest at running away he'd ever seen.
"Aren't you worried about the people in the base?" he asked, intrigued.
"Well, people are destined to be split apart—but we six are together forever," Shae Harris said solemnly.
"Who wants to be with you forever?" Yi Zheng shot back.
"Old Man Yi is so mean," Ming Jun said, pretending to wipe tears.
"Are you leaving?" Mori Aoi asked, real tears clouding her eyes.
She looked like she'd cry any second.
The others glared at Yi Zheng like he was a villain.
Yi Zheng: I didn't even do anything!
Sighing, he agreed to accompany them if they ever escaped.
Mori Aoi brightened instantly, and the topic of escaping was dropped.
They began eagerly planning a day to visit the Entertainment Sector.
The day passed smoothly, and as expected, they were the only ones in the classroom.
Most of the base was at the Entertainment Sector—and the director had been telling the truth.
It really did have everything.
The building has five floors with each floor built with an attraction
The first floor was a movie theater with a popcorn vending machine, a drink vending machine and a snack vending machine
The second floor was a night club
The third floor was a casino
The fourth floor was a fully equipped restaurant with a chef that could make you any dish you wanted - for a price of course
Then the fifth floor was an anonymous auction where you can apply for special services
There was a special app on the watch just for the Entertainment Sector, accessible only after registering there. It made all users anonymous.
The next day, people woke more refreshed and full of energy.
Including the team who now had to pay for Noi karn's stay
The team members pooled points at intervals to cover Noi Karn's stay.
Of course, Noi Karn wanted to refuse; he felt there was no need.
But they insisted, so he quietly accepted—though his heart was far less calm than his face looked
Meanwhile, people in the base worked as hard as possible to earn points by doing extra tasks.
Unfortunately, there were only so many points to go around—and not enough work.
Many could only gaze longingly at the Entertainment Sector's amenities without touching them.
Eventually, it was announced there would be a fee for entry.
By then, everyone had already gone sightseeing there, so they weren't missing much.
Most put the matter aside until they could afford it.
No one thought anything of it, since nobody in the base had enough points to truly spend there anyway.
The shelter remained peaceful—
Until the first problem occurred.
It came silently and without warning.
"Hello everyone, it's the director again," came that same unhinged voice during lunchtime.
"I just wanted to warn you to be careful—there have been casualties among survivors camping outside.
"You don't need to worry about the shelter; I can swear on my life it's 100% safe in here.
"But unfortunately, that only applies to those in the base.
"It's not my job to take care of those outside, too." He spread his hands and shrugged.
"Lastly, I've listened to some complaints from certain nobles living here.
"And as someone who prides himself on fairness, I had to address it.
"Therefore, nobles will naturally have a daily input of 2,000 points.
"Of course, they have no authority—but they do have a lot of points, so it's quite fair."
Some people muttered in disagreement.
"Well, it's not like you can't fight back if they try to bully you.
"There's no siding with them just because they're nobles—so I think it's fair," the director said as if to reassure the crowd.
The audience thought about it and agreed he was right.
Still, a twinge of envy remained.
"Who knows? Maybe you can bridge the gap between rich and commoners.
"Then maybe the rich will share points with you."
"Well, that's all I have to announce." He waved and left.
The crowd: rolling their eyes.
The nobles, who had been struggling the past few days, perked up.
Heads held high, they began strutting and snorting at commoners.
They went straight to the Entertainment Sector after lunch, paid the 100-point entry fee, and headed to the nightclub.
Some girls were appointed as strippers, dancing seductively on poles.
The nobles paid 500 points an hour for the performance—and felt it was worth every bit.
The night felt empty without liquor so they ordered some
Even the cheapest liquor cost 500 points a glass.
In the apocalypse, drinkable liquor was a privilege, not a necessity.
They partied all night, much to the jealousy of others, who ground their teeth in frustration as they slept.
Days passed. The nobles thrived—ordering the best food, playing all day, and letting their arrogance grow.
Habits are something that can never completely be gone
The nobles fell into their habits very quickly
They harassed anyone who got in their way.
The commoners in response also fell back into familiarity
The commoners still lacked the courage to fight back.
Protests to base staff went nowhere.
Frustration and resentment built like a waking beast in their hearts.
The five team members kept their heads down, avoiding the nobles.
Noi karn had it easier than the rest
Noi Karn, being blind, spent most of his time in the classroom—though food was sometimes spilled on him. He ignored it.
He wasn't the only one in the group being bullied though
When one of them was bullied, the others stayed silent—knowing that apologizing later would be useless.
Instead, they had their own unspoken way of showing regret: pinching themselves when someone was bullied, or pouring water on themselves if food was spilled on a friend.
Yi Zheng, however, felt no guilt. They were the ones clinging to him, and he had no intention of playing savior.
Oddly, that honesty about themselves and their situation helped the group settle into a smoother rhythm.
It was annoying, but still better than living outside with the zombies.
Until something happened that changed everything.
They woke to the sound of a scream.
Scrambling from their blankets, they found a corpse nearby.
Their defenses weren't strong; they looked away.
A handsome young man approached to examine it—the same one Yi Zheng had crossed paths with before.
His name was Jae-Hyun.
Jae-Hyun frowned at the corpse, eyes locked on the transparent blue screen in front of him.
[ Main Quest: "Hunt for Demons" Activated ]
[ Side Quest: Investigate the Death of the Noble ]