Nathan stared at the notifications flooding his vision, translucent windows stacking over one another like an overly enthusiastic congratulatory slideshow.
"…These notifications are going to be really annoying if they pop up every time I kill a zombie…" he muttered.
As if responding directly to his complaint, the interface shimmered softly.
The massive notification windows shrank instantly, sliding downward until they occupied only a small, neat space at the lower-left corner of his vision — present, but no longer blocking everything like an aggressive pop-up ad from the time when add-block wasn't a thing yet.
Nathan blinked.
"…Oh."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Well then," he said dryly, "thank you for your service, System."
The minimized notifications pulsed once, perhaps it was its own way of saying 'No prob'.
His attention shifted to the final line.
[Walkers kill quota fulfilled: 1/1 — Vitality: 1.2 → 1.3]
So that's how Hunter's Gallery works. Simple enough.
He opened the tab immediately.
—————————————
Hunter's Gallery
• Each newly slain monster type is added to the gallery.
• Every kill increases said monster's counter by 1 (only kills using firearms are counted).
• Rewards granted when kill quotas are fulfilled.
• After each completed quota, the next requirement increases by 1.
Zombie Types:
• Walker (F-Rank): 0/2 — Reward: Vitality +0.1
—————————————
Nathan nodded slowly.
"…Okay. That's dangerously addictive design. Devs certainly know how to keep player's retention."
He switched to his status window.
—————————————
Name: Nathan Nightshade
Class: Hunter
Level: 0 — EXP: 1/10
Condition: Fine
HP: 13/13 | Stamina: 11/13 | Mana: 9/10
———
Stats
Vitality: 1.2 → 1.3
Strength: 1.2
Agility: 1.3
Magic: 1.0
Dexterity: 1.8
SP: 0
—————————————
Nathan placed a hand on his chin.
"Interesting…"
So I get stronger the more zombies I kill… and probably other monsters too.
But the requirement keeps increasing.
A slow smirk formed. Gamer instincts ignited instantly — Grinding mechanics. Stat growth. Scaling rewards — his metaphorical gamer blood began boiling.
This… this is literally every RPG player's, and lit-RPG fans' dream.
Then another thought surfaced.
[Critical Hit!]
Was that random?
Like gacha RNG? Or—
Did it happen because I shot the head?
His brain began spinning theories rapidly — damage multipliers, weak points, skill synergy—
A guttural growl snapped him back to reality.
Nathan's head jerked toward the outside of the wall.
The zombies were now only a few meters away.
"…Right," he muttered. "focus, Nathan."
He tightened his grip on the handgun.
"Well… like always — science requires experimentation."
He stepped toward the wall's edge and aimed at the walker approaching from the north. The creature shuffled forward slowly, dragging its feet across the grass.
Distance: roughly eight meters.
Still slightly farther than his liking.
Nathan waited.
The zombie groaned closer.
Less than six meters now.
Perfect.
Ammo is limited. Don't waste any shots.
Fortunately, the walkers clearly had no concept of running. They simply staggered forward, arms outstretched, scratching uselessly at the wooden wall as if personally offended by Nathan's carpentry.
"They're called Walkers for a reason," Nathan muttered. "Thank the goddess none of them learned bunny hopping."
He activated his skill.
"Hunter's Mark."
Mana drained faintly, followed by the appearances of a pointer above the zombie's head.
He fired.
*BANG!*
The bullet struck directly between the zombie's eyes.
Its body dropped instantly, collapsing dramatically like overtuned ragdoll physics.
A small notification chimed politely in his peripheral vision.
[Critical Hit!]
No annoying, screen-filling interruption this time, only small ones on his peripheral vision.
Nathan grinned.
"Oh, I love this new life already."
EXP increased. Kill counter ticked upward.
He quickly placed his earmuffs back over his ears.
"Okay, hearing preservation mode activated — this pistol's just super loud."
The zombies posed little threat while stuck outside the wall anyway.
He moved along the wall top toward the west side where two walkers approached together. Firelight flickered behind him while indigo twilight deepened overhead.
"Hunter's Mark."
First zombie — the one carrying a rusted sword.
*BANG!*
Headshot.
Instant drop.
Notifications appeared again.
[Walker kill quota is fulfilled: 2/2 — Vitality: 1.3 → 1.4]
A subtle warmth sensation spread through Nathan's body. His breathing felt easier, muscles lighter — like removing a backpack he hadn't realized he was carrying.
"…Whoa." He flexed his fingers. "I actually feel stronger… or maybe, healthier?"
He fired again.
Another critical hits…
Another clean kill.
Every headshot so far had killed instantly.
Conclusion forming rapidly:
Headshot equals critical hit.
"Science confirmed," he whispered proudly.
Then—
A growl sounded behind him. A very close one.
Nathan turned sharply.
Another walker was emerging inside the fortress, rising grotesquely from black sludge just like before.
A cold realization struck.
"…Are they spawning endlessly?"
But instead of fear, his excitement surged.
Infinite EXP?
Okay, maybe not. Calm down… remember I only have limited ammunition.
He stepped deliberately toward the ladder, kicking it down.
"I'm not taking my chances with you — Hunter's Mark."
*BANG!*
Headshot.
The zombie collapsed immediately.
Nathan switched his attention and scanned the clearing again, counting carefully.
One… two… three… four—
And another one emerged from the same black substance. Five walkers outside.
He exhaled slowly.
Yep. Another theory confirmed.
Every time he killed one, another emerged nearby. Not from the forest — they simply spawned within a certain radius around him, like enemies tied to a player proximity system.
"So this world could only renders enemies within less than thirty meters…" he muttered. "Glad it have the same amount of processing power as my grandma's old pc."
His eyes flicked toward the gun status.
[Bullet: 9 / 15]
Still plenty.
The walkers still couldn't climb his three-meters-tall wall, scratching wood with the emotional intensity of cats denied entry.
Which meant he controlled the pace.
"Haha…" he chuckled dramatically. "it's over, zombies! I have the high ground!"
Nathan steadied himself and waited for the nearest walker to approach optimal range.
Then he fired.
*BANG!*
Headshot.
Drop.
Another approached.
*BANG!*
Down.
Another.
*BANG!*
Clean kill.
Nathan blinked, mildly impressed.
"…Okay, I might actually be really good at this," he admitted. "At least under ten meters."
Then curiosity struck.
Experiment time.
A walker shuffled closer, unmarked.
Nathan deliberately did not activate Hunter's Mark.
He aimed carefully, then fired.
The bullet pierced its forehead—
—but the zombie didn't fall.
Instead, it staggered forward stubbornly.
He activate Hunter's Mark only to see it has mockingly tiny HP bar lingered.
[HP: 1%]
Nathan stared. Then rolled his eyes.
"…Oh, really?"
The walker continued groaning despite its newly installed ventilation hole.
He fired again.
And now it collapsed.
Nathan lowered the gun, slightly offended.
"What a bullshit mechanic."
Conclusion logged instantly:
Hunter's Mark's 10% damage bonus was the difference between instant kill, and awkwardly wasted ammunition.
"Skill dependency confirmed," he muttered. "No buff, no dignity."
He resumed firing rhythmically as more walkers reached range.
Each shot clean.
Each kill efficient.
Confidence built with every pull of the trigger.
Then—
The tenth zombie fell.
And the world slowed.
Not subtly.
The crackling campfire stretched into slow motion. Ash drifted like falling snow. Even distant groans elongated into warped echoes.
Nathan blinked.
Oh right.
—————————————
Hunter's High (Lv.1)
Enters an accelerated state.
• Thought process accelerated by 50%
• Mana Cost: 10
• Duration: 5 seconds
• Cooldown: 60 minutes
• Automatically active after killing 10 monster in a row with a critical hit using firearm (this effect has no cooldown and costs 0 mana)
—————————————
His thoughts remained normal, but his body moved as if submerged in thick water. Every motion lagged behind intention.
Time felt diluted.
This is wierd, he thought, watching a splinter rotate slowly in midair.
Five seconds passed.
Reality snapped back, and sound returned all at once.
Nathan rolled his shoulders.
"…Kind of annoying when it activates without warning," he admitted. "Still… had some future clutch potential."
Another set of notifications chimed in.
[You have slain a Walker — EXP +1]
[EXP: 10/10]
[Level: 0 → 1 — EXP: 0/100]
[Vitality: 1.4 →1.5]
[Strength: 1.2 → 1.3]
[Agility: 1.3 → 1.4]
[Magic: 1.0 → 1.2]
[Dexterity: 1.8 → 2.0]
[SP +2]
[System Function Unlocked: Crafting]
"Yeah! A level up." Nathan balled his fist in self celebratory gesture. "My mana and stamina were also fully recovered."
"Ah…" he smiled solemnly. "What a pleasant feeling."
He straightened. "I'll check the new feature later."
He then checked his ammo.
[3 / 15]
Alright.
I think it's reload time.
Five walkers were still outside, some harmlessly clawing at the walls while some other still walking. No zombies inside the wall either.
Safe window secured.
Nathan sat down and removed his earmuffs, letting them hang around his neck.
"Every shooter game player out there would agree with me," he announced to absolutely nobody while ejecting the magazine, "you reload whenever you're not actively fighting."
He began pressing bullets into the magazine one by one.
"Even if you're only missing one round."
Another bullet slid in.
"Even if the reload animation take ten years to complete."
Another.
"I'm looking at you, M-249."
He smirked faintly at his own joke.
The final round clicked into place.
And then—
A sound cut through the quiet evening.
It was sharp, slightly higher pitched, unlike the Walker's low, guttural growl.
Nathan froze involuntarily.
His head snapped toward the clearing.
A sixth zombie? That's wierd…
A lone zombie approached from the far end of the clearing. At first glance, it's looking like to be just another Walker, but something about its movement felt… off.
Its legs.
Longer below the knees.
Each step looked coiled — spring-loaded.
Nathan narrowed his eyes.
"…Okay, that looks unnervingly suspicious."
The creature stopped roughly ten meters (33 ft) away from the wall — then it bent its knees.
Deeply.
Nathan tilted his head.
"What's bro doing—" Instinct screamed. "—H-Hunter's Mark!"
The label appeared, widened his eyes in alert.
"Oh, hell no…"
The name alone speaks volume.
—————————————
Jumper
Rank: E
—————————————
He hurriedly stood up and grabbed his handgun. And, without warning—
The monster exploded forward.
Not running.
Jumping.
Of course it jumped.
It launched through the air like a released spring, covering the distance in a single terrifying bound.
"WAIT—!"
Nathan hadn't even reinserted the magazine — and the Jumper already slammed into him with full force, pinning him back.
They crashed onto the wooden platform, air blasting from his lungs as the magazine flew from his hand and clattered across the platform.
"Ghh—!"
Before his brain could catch up—
The zombie's jaw unhinged wide.
Nathan instinctively raised his right hand to shield his face.
Its teeth sank deep into his arm.
Pain detonated through his body, forcing his grip open.
The pistol slipped from his hand.
"AARGHH!!"