Sid plunged the knife forward, aiming for the zombie's head. The blade sank in, but barely. Unlike the game, where one clean stab made heads pop like balloons, here he had to push, twist, and force the blade deeper.
"Oh… oh God…"
His arms burned, muscles trembling, but he drove it harder, feeling the wet give of flesh and cracking bone. Sweat stung his eyes as he gritted his teeth, refusing to let it escape.
"Wow… so this is what it feels like… driving a knife into someone's head… I mean, a zombie's head! Hey! Stop staring at me like that!"
The zombie lurched, its jaw snapping inches from his face. Sid flinched instinctively at the sudden hunger in its eyes, the raw glint of teeth flashing. It was slower than him, predictable, but the instinctive terror of those gnashing jaws was enough to make him pause. His pulse raced, a mix of fear and exhilaration.
"Okay… okay, you're still scary. In the game, you looked dumb, you know?"
As his heart pounded from the flashing teeth, Sid's confidence, the pride of a legend rank player took over. He adjusted his stance, lowered his center of gravity, and forced the knife in deeper with a twist. The zombie let out his final groan, collapsing in a heap at his feet.
"I'm not just ordinary meat… I'm a f*cking Legend rank!"
Sid staggered back a step, panting, wiping sweat from his forehead. His hands were sticky, the knife coated in gore, the smell thick and suffocating. He stared at the corpse, then at the alley.
"In the game… one stab, done. Here… damn. Real work. Real effort. And God, that smell… unreal."
Even with the danger over, adrenaline still coursed through him. A wide grin spread across his face, and he raised the knife like a trophy.
"First zombie down…"
The calm voice chimed back, almost like applause.
[MISSION COMPLETE: Hostile zombie eliminated.]
Sid laughed, wiping his hands on his pants.
"Yeah, that's right. Loot time. Let's see what this tutorial monster dropped."
Sid crouched down beside the corpse, grimacing at the smell.
"Yeah… yeah, this is kinda gross. I didn't think scavenging would be like this in real life."
He hesitated a moment, staring at the bag slung across the zombie's chest.
"You… you're telling me I'm supposed to grab someone's stuff off a dead body? Really?"
[Tip: scavenging from the dead is far safer than venturing into abandoned buildings or malls. Supplies are limited, and open areas reduce ambush risk.]
"Yeah… thanks for that tip."
Sid froze, staring down at the fallen zombie. His throat tightened, and for a moment he almost laughed at how absurd it was. This was supposed to be normal here, right? The system made it sound so casual, but standing over the body made his stomach twist. Still, the logic was solid. Supplies were supplies. He swallowed hard and forced himself to move.
"Please don't haunt me, okay? It's just a game! I swear I'm not a corpse thief in real life!"
He reached for the bag, hesitating again as his hands brushed against the damp, decayed fabric. The stench made him gag, but he forced himself to slip it over his shoulder.
"Ugh… okay. Gross. But… whatever. Inventory secured."
He then unclipped the belt bag from the zombie's waist, fumbling with the fastenings as the weight of the reality hit him. The leather strap was stiff and smelled sour, but it would be useful. Sid buckled it around his waist, adjusting it until it felt snug enough to hold supplies.
"Man… why does this feel so weird? But, yeah, okay. I'm a survivor now, I guess."
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
[Skill Unlocked: Inventory Management]
[Description: You can now store, manage, and organize scavenged items.]
Sid's eyes lit up despite the stench clinging to his clothes.
"Ohhh… nice. Finally, some game mechanics that actually make sense here. Inventory unlocked, baby. Alright, let's see what you've got for me."
He patted the bag experimentally, already planning his next move with a mix of excitement and determination.
Sid crouched back down, expression twisting at the sight of the zombie's head as he gripped the knife still lodged in its skull.
"Alright… yeah, this might come in handy later."
He tugged the blade free, wincing at the sticky resistance, and felt the cold, wet smear on his hands. But the moment he lifted it, the knife vanished from his grasp.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
[Skill Unlocked: Instant Loot]
[Description: Items you touch are automatically stored in your inventory. Weight and size do not affect storage; even large items fit seamlessly.]
"What…? Are you kidding me? This is insane! Dimensional bag style? This is actually genius. I could literally carry a car if I wanted, and it would just… fit? Ha!"
[Be cautious. Inventory has a maximum capacity. Items cannot exceed the limit. Manage your space wisely.]
He nodded, still marveling at the technology or magic of the system.
"Got it. Don't go crazy, Sid. No hoarding everything in sight. But damn… this is perfect. I could survive forever with this thing."
He flexed his fingers, feeling the invisible weightless bag against his waist, already imagining all the scavenging and looting he could do in the days ahead.
[When you wish to retrieve an item from your inventory, speak: "Inventory: [item name]". You may also reach into the bag physically to take what you need.]
"Physically? That'll just take time. In real life, grabbing stuff isn't instant. The animation alone will slow me down. Man, I still remember how much the slow grab screwed me over in-game. Every time my avatar fumbled, I nearly had a heart attack thinking I was dead already."
He grinned, tapping the side of his temple. His chest bulged out, chin lifted high. An overproud gamer basking in his own legend.
"But me? I found the exploit. The cancel animation. That's why I got my rep, fastest switcher in Dead World Online."
He looked down at the knife in his hands, and then with a grin, he tested the voice command.
"Inventory: Knife."