So, this is how this world works. Coins. Sponsors. Trials. Death. Now I get it…
The real game starts now...
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"Zombies? So, now we are finally getting the second season of 'All of Us AreDead', Shravani said.
"We're not getting to watch it this time — we have to live in it, you know?" Anjali replied.
"Guys, what do you think will be the best place for us to maximize our survival?", Shravasti asked.
"It should be somewhere with a huge open space. For example, the Science Core Ground near Rukmini Nagar. What do you think?" Anagha replied.
"That's actually a good idea," Anushka said, agreeing with her. "We should start moving immediately. I know a place nearby where we can stay. It's not completely safe, but we can use it as a shelter for now."
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances before silently agreeing.
Without wasting any more time, Anushka and her friends began heading toward the Science Core Ground.
As they walked through the unusually silent streets, Anushka's thoughts grew heavier.
Everything is happening exactly like my novel.
Nothing has changed… even after I entered this world myself.
Her hands unconsciously tightened.
But this time, I won't let my friends suffer the way they did in the story.
Even if I have to change the narrative itself… I'll do it.
Just as they reached the Science Core Ground, a system notification popped up in front of everyone—
#Sponsor Selection
Please select a sponsor to receive future benefits.
Choose wisely.
Everyone was confused, and I tried to act confused as well while waiting for my friends to decide what we should do next.
At that moment, Anjali spoke in her usual calm tone.
"We should do what the system says. That's the only thing we can do with the little information we have about this sudden change in the world."
Everyone agreed and chose the sponsor they found most appealing.
Meanwhile, on the screen in front of Anushka—
#Sponsors Who Want to Sponsor you-
The Immortal Serpent Storm of Fallen Crowns Queen of Crimson Threads Flame of Courage and Justice The Archivist of Broken Future
My expression stiffened.
"So, these are the sponsors who want to sponsor me...."
The Immortal Serpent.
A sponsor obsessed with survival through evolution.
According to the original novel, Amura once abandoned its own memories just to survive the collapse of its universe.
It never supported heroes.
Only survivors.
The Queen of Crimson Threads.
A sponsor fascinated by the invisible bonds connecting human hearts.
According to the original novel, Velthora once tried to save an entire civilization by rewriting the fate binding its people together.
Instead, she turned love into obsession, loyalty into betrayal, and trust into tragedy.
Since then, she had become obsessed with emotions powerful enough to destroy destiny itself.
Flame of Courage and Justice.
One of the few sponsors respected even among players.
According to the original novel, Solareth once stood alone against an apocalypse to protect people it didn't even know.
Unlike most sponsors, it despised cruelty disguised as entertainment.
It searched endlessly for people willing to protect others even when survival demanded selfishness.
Storm of Fallen Crowns.
A wrathful sponsor born from civilizations destroyed by arrogant rulers.
According to the original novel, Kaelthys watched countless kings sacrifice their people for power before finally bringing ruin upon their empires itself.
It despised authority more than death.
And among all types of players, it favored those willing to rebel against control—even if the entire world stood against them.
But this name—
The Archivist of Broken Futures—
I had never written about that sponsor at all…
Maybe it appeared in this world just like I did…
Or maybe this entire system was glitching....
DING!!
[Sponsor selection – completed]
[Beginning synchronization process]
.
.
.
[Synchronization complete]
-----
After some minutes...
#2 Trial - Survive the Zombie Apocalypse Began.
A massive portal suddenly tore open in the middle of the ground.
Dark purple cracks spread through the air around it, as if space itself was breaking apart.
Then—
they started coming out.
Zombies.
One after another
But what terrified us the most was their faces.
Some of them were our classmates, some teachers, some were people we had spoken to just yesterday.
All of them failed the first trial.
Now their eyes were empty with no will to live.
None of us moved or spoke anything.
Anjali's hands trembled.
Shravani covered her mouth in horror.
Shravasti was trying her best to hold back her tears in fear.
Even Anagha, who usually acted fearless, looked shaken.
And me?
I couldn't breathe properly.
Because at that moment—
the reality finally hit me.
This wasn't just a survival game anymore.
People were dying.
And the worst part was—
I was the one who had written this nightmare in the first place.
Every zombie.
Every trial.
Every death.
It all existed because of a story I created for entertainment.
My fists tightened unconsciously.
Guilt crawled through my chest like poison.
"No…" I muttered quietly.
"This wasn't supposed to become real…"
But then, a system window appeared in front of everyone except me.
Before I could question it, cricket bats materialized in their hands.
And almost instinctively—
they surrounded me.
Protecting me.
I stared at them silently.
How ironic.
The supporting characters I had written to suffer beside the protagonist…
were now standing in front of me like shields.
For some reason—
that hurt more than seeing the zombies.
--------
The first day of the trial was nothing like the movies we used to joke about.
There was nothing exciting about it.
Nothing heroic.
Only exhaustion.
Fear.
And the disgusting smell of blood spreading through the streets.
At first, even killing a single zombie felt impossible.
Every time one of them rushed toward us, our bodies froze instinctively.
Because behind those rotten faces…
we still recognized people we once knew.
Classmates.
Teachers.
Friends.
Anagha was the first one to force herself to swing her bat properly.
Crack!!
The sound of bone breaking echoed across the empty road.
For a moment—
everyone went silent.
Everyone looked horrified by what she had done.
Then the zombie stood back up again.
Its twisted neck moved unnaturally as it staggered toward us once more.
"THE HEAD!" I shouted instinctively.
"Destroy the head!"
This time, Anjali swung her bat with trembling hands.
Bang!!
The zombie finally collapsed.
And didn't move again.
After that—
everything became chaos.
We ran more than we fought.
And whenever a zombie came too close to me—
someone always stepped in first.
"Behind you!"
"Move, Anushka!"
"Duck!"
At some point, I stopped counting how many times they protected me.
And slowly…
I started realizing something painful.
They genuinely thought I was too weak to survive on my own.
By evening, our clothes were stained with blood and sweat.
Our arms hurt.
Our breathing felt heavy.
Even speaking became exhausting.
I quietly lowered my eyes.
For the first time since entering this world…
I felt truly useless.
Then—
DING!!
A system notification appeared before every surviving player.
[Special Event announcement]
Zombie extermination has now been converted into a competitive ranking event.
All players who kill zombies will automatically participate.
Final rankings will be calculated at the end of the sub-trial.
Special rewards will be distributed based on total kills.
Survive.
Compete.
Entertain your sponsors.
[Announcing the first day ranking]
1. ...
2. ...
3. .... Anagha – 127 kills
4 ....
5. Anjali – 119 kills
6. ...
7.. .....
8. Shravani – 103 kills
9. Shravasti – 101 kills
.
.
.
.
267 Anushka – 12 kills
Anushka was last.
For real this time.
Nobody said anything about it.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody mocked me.
Which somehow made it hurt even more.
After a long silence, Anjali suddenly spoke.
"…So, what are we even supposed to eat now?"
And just like that—
everyone quietly changed the subject.
I knew they were trying to protect my feelings.
But somehow—
that only made me feel weaker.
A few hours later, everyone finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
Meanwhile, I quietly opened the system shop.
Most of the weapons were ridiculously expensive.
Swords.
Spears.
Axes.
Even the cheapest firearms cost more coins than I currently had.
After scrolling through countless options, I finally found the lowest-priced weapon available.
[Beginner Combat Rod]
Price: 700 Coins
A lightweight combat rod made from low-grade alloy material.
Low durability.
Recommended for beginners.
"…This will do."
The moment I bought it; a silver-gray rod materialized in my hand.
It felt surprisingly light.
Easy to swing.
Easy to carry.
Not powerful.
But enough.
The next morning, everyone stared at me in shock.
"You seriously bought a weapon?" Anagha asked.
"What? Were you planning to babysit me forever?" I replied while resting the rod against my shoulder.
From that day onward—
I started fighting on my own.
At first, it was difficult.
My swings were clumsy.
My timing was terrible.
And I nearly got bitten multiple times.
But slowly—
my body adapted.
The kill count beside my name started increasing day by day.
And before I realized it—
I had entered the Top 12 rankings.
For someone who had once ranked near the bottom…
that alone felt unbelievable.
Days passed.
And eventually—
the final day of the trial arrived.
That day felt strangely quiet.
Almost unsettling.
The streets were emptier than usual.
The remaining zombies wandered aimlessly through abandoned roads while survivors hunted them down for points.
Just like every other day—
we continued killing zombies until sunset.
Then—
the portal disappeared.
And everyone began waiting for the final results announcement.
But for some reason…
something felt wrong to me.
Without telling the others, I quietly walked toward the empty ground where the portal usually appeared.
The cold evening wind brushed against my face.
And then—
the portal opened again.
My eyes widened.
Around forty to fifty zombies started crawling out at once.
"What the—?!"
Instinct took over before fear could.
I tightened my grip on the combat rod and charged forward.
Crack!!
One zombie collapsed.
Then another.
Then another.
But suddenly—
someone rushed past me at terrifying speed.
Slash!!
A zombie's head flew through the air.
I froze for a moment.
A boy stood there calmly holding a sword stained with blood.
His movements were precise.
Efficient.
Almost unnatural.
And beside him—
another guy fought using a baseball bat with surprising skill.
Compared to the swordsman, his movements were rougher…
but still far better than mine.
Well…
that's still better than me though.
The three of us continued fighting until every last zombie was eliminated.
And finally—
the portal began closing once again.
For the first time since the battle started, the swordsman slowly turned toward me.
The moment I saw his face—
my grip loosened instantly.
Clang.
The metal rod slipped from my hand and hit the ground.
No way.
That face.
That expression.
I knew it better than anyone else.
Because I was the one who created it.
Reyansh Bukshi.
The protagonist of my original novel.
My breathing stopped.
Why…
He wasn't supposed to appear this early…
Then my eyes slowly shifted toward the guy standing beside him.
The boy holding the baseball bat casually rested it on his shoulder while staring at me curiously.
I didn't recognize him at all.
And somehow—
that terrified me even more.
_To Be Continued_