Inside the room, Kris had just felt a surge of power from the strength potion. He was trying to get used to his new, stronger body.

  Wail... wail...

  A faint cry for help came from outside, interrupting his thoughts.

  Kris froze.

  The sound didn't seem like a zombie's howl. Instead, it sounded like a human's cry for help.

  His heart stirred. In the apocalypse, a living person meant hope, but also...maybe trouble.

  After a moment's hesitation, Kris decided to go check it out.

  He was now much stronger, so he might be able to help. Even if he couldn't, it was good to know what was going on.

  He carefully moved to the window and cocked his head, trying to hear better through the gap in the curtains.

  The sobs were coming from somewhere to the left of the hardware store.

  Kris held his breath, trying harder to figure out where the sound was coming from.

  Sure enough, it was a human crying, and they sounded young – like a girl's voice.

  He gently pulled the curtain open a bit more, looking to the left.

  What he saw made him frown.

  On the street outside the hardware store, two high school girls were huddled next to an old car, shaking from head to toe.

  Their faces were pale, tears streaming down their cheeks as they screamed in despair:

  "Don't come any closer!"

  "Please, help us! Anyone!"

  Surrounding them were five gruesome zombies.

  These walking dead wore tattered clothes, their bodies covered in filth and blood as they reached for the girls with claw-like hands.

  The girls were cornered, with nowhere to run, and could only cry out helplessly.

  The situation was critical!

  Kris's heart raced.

  This was the first time since the apocalypse began that he'd seen living people—and they were young schoolgirls.

  He tightened his grip on the fire axe, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hand.

  Take down the zombies and save them?

  The thought flashed through his mind, but Kris quickly pushed it down.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Stay calm! Don't act on impulse!

  He had taken a strength potion, but he had almost no experience dealing with zombies.

  What would he do if he charged in recklessly and failed?

  After all, he didn't know anything about zombie behavior or their weak points.

  Five zombies—he wasn't sure if he could handle that many.

  Kris took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

  Yet, as he looked at the two girls' despairing eyes and heard their anguished screams, he couldn't bear it.

  Besides, the zombies' backs were turned, and they hadn't noticed him at all. This was a perfect chance!

  If he struck now, he might be able to take them out easily.

  Kill the zombies to get more energy!

  The thought crossed his mind.

  Kris felt torn.

  Save them, or not save them?

  That was the question.

  Watching the zombies, Kris pondered carefully.

  He noticed they looked scary but moved slowly and reacted sluggishly.

  Moreover, they were completely focused on the two girls, paying no attention to their surroundings.

  Could this be my chance?

  To be absolutely safe, Kris decided to use his hint system again.

  Zombies are extremely sensitive to sharp noises. This is your best chance to start cutting them down!

  Kris read the message, and his heart lifted.

  His last bit of fear vanished like it was never there.

  That's right—sharp noises!

  Weren't the girl's screams just now an easy way to attract the zombies?

  It seemed that these slow-moving creatures weren't as scary as he thought. Now that he was stronger and held that fire axe, what was there to be afraid of?

  "The best chance to start cutting them down?"

  He checked his outfit.

  The helmet was on securely, protecting his head. The fire axe was tightly gripped in his hand. The weight of the axe's handle gave him a solid feeling.

  The strength potion worked like magic. Now, when he swung the axe, it felt lighter and easier to move, no longer as heavy as before.

  If this was the best chance to start cutting them down, he couldn't waste it!

  Kris walked carefully to the hardware store's back door. The door was old and wooden, covered in dust. Some green moss even grew between the cracks.

  He gently pushed open the door, which creaked loudly in the quiet street, its shrill sound cutting through the silence.

  As soon as the noise rang out, Kris felt a cold stare land on him.

  He froze, holding his breath, and peeked through the crack in the door.

  He saw a blue-jacketed zombie stiffly turn his head, its hollow eyes staring straight at the back door.

  Half of the zombie's face had rotted away, revealing a mouth full of frosty-white teeth. A dark-red streak of blood hung from its mouth corner, making it look repulsive.

  Kris's heart skipped a beat, a wave of coldness shooting up from his feet to his head.

  Despite the confidence the strength potion had given him earlier, fear swelled in him as he faced a real zombie.

  He gripped the fire axe tightly, his hands sweating slightly.

  The zombie lurched towards the rear door.

  Kris's heart climbed up to his throat.

  Just then, a shrill scream cut through the air from the other end of the street.

  "Ahh! Help! Help me!"

  It was the same girl's voice as before!

  As expected, the zombie that was initially heading towards the back door froze at the screams.

  Like a compass needle drawn to the pole, it stiffly turned and lumbered in the direction of the screams. Its steps were unsteady, but it moved faster than before.

  This could be my chance!

  Kris's eyes lit up, knowing that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

  He carefully cracked open the door. Even as he confirmed the zombie had been drawn away by the screams, he swiftly made his way outside.

  Moving silently like a stalking cheetah, Kris approached the zombie that had been drawn away by the screams from behind.

  The zombie's attention was completely focused on the distant screaming, failing to notice someone approaching from behind.

  Kris took a deep breath, tightly gripped the fire axe, and raised it above his head.

  Aiming for the back of the zombie's skull, he swung the axe with all his strength.

  Thwack!

  The dull sound of the axe striking reverberated as the blade effortlessly split the zombie's head. Blood and brain matter splattered out in an instant.

  [Hint: Zombie killed, 1 energy earned.]