As night slowly descended on the first day of this surreal nightmare, I continued patrolling the school hallways, my senses on high alert. The transformation of the school into this dungeon-like abyss was still hard to believe. After battling through hordes of zombies, I finally hit level 15, a milestone that brought me a sense of achievement.

With the pangs of hunger gnawing at me, I decided to go towards the cafeteria. I was starving. I haven't eaten in almost a day. I moved silently, my steps muffled by the eerie quiet of the night, the darkness only broken by the occasional shaft of moonlight piercing through the windows.

As I neared the cafeteria, a strange sound halted me in my tracks. It was distinct, out of place — the sound of a meat cleaver slicing through meat. My heart raced, my hand instinctively going to the weapon at my side. Right now, any sound was a potential threat, and the normality of the sound in such an abnormal situation was disconcerting.

I crept closer, my every sense straining to detect any hint of danger. The moonlight cast long, ominous shadows across the hallway, transforming the school into a scene like from a horror movie. The rhythmic chopping continued, steady and precise. My mind raced with possibilities. Another survivor? Or something worse?

I finally reached the cafeteria door, pausing to listen. The chopping sound was clearer now, accompanied by the occasional clatter of utensils. It sounded so normal, so human, but in this context, it was anything but. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open, bracing myself for what I might find.

The sight that greeted me was surreal. The cafeteria was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight streaming through the windows. And there, in the center, stood a figure, their back to me, working methodically at a counter.

The figure in front of me was hunched over, their movements precise and almost hypnotic. As I cautiously stepped into the cafeteria, the moonlight revealed more of their form. They were huge, their size accentuated by their hunched posture. An unsettling feeling twisted in my gut, the atmosphere in the room heavy with dread.

Then, without warning, the figure suddenly turned around, and I was confronted with a sight that sent shivers down my spine. The grotesque appearance of the figure was like nothing I had ever seen before. It was a zombie, but unlike the ones I had encountered before. Its skin was sickly pale, stretched tightly over its bloated form, and its eyes were a lifeless, milky white.

The most chilling detail, however, was the blood that dripped from the meat cleaver it held in its grotesquely swollen hand. The blood oozed slowly down the blade, dropping to the floor with a soft, sinister sound. My eyes darted to the lump on the counter, the object of its earlier attention. It was unrecognizable, a mangled piece of what once might have been... I couldn't tell. The mere thought sent a wave of nausea through me.

As I stood there, frozen in horror, a blue screen suddenly materialized in my vision. The System flashed a notification: "Level 10 Zombie Chef." My heart pounded in my chest, fear mingling with the adrenaline that surged through my veins. This was no ordinary zombie; it was something far more dangerous, a creature that had adapted to its surroundings with terrifying efficiency.

The Zombie Chef's gaze met mine, a chilling intelligence in those dead eyes. It was as if it was assessing me, weighing me as a potential threat... or perhaps as its next ingredient. The air in the cafeteria felt colder, and heavier, as if the presence of this abomination was sucking the very life out of this room.

I knew I had to act, to either fight or flee, but for a moment, I was paralyzed, the horror of what stood before me rendering me immobile. The Zombie Chef's grip tightened on the cleaver, and it smacked its lips with hunger in its eyes.

Shaking off the paralyzing fear that gripped me, I reminded myself that I was level 15, five levels higher than this disgusting level 10 Zombie Chef. This realization sparked a flicker of confidence within me, an assurance that I had the upper hand in both strength and experience.

I also remembered the unallocated stat points I had accrued from my last two level-ups. The ten points, untouched, was a potential game-changer in this situation. Without hesitation, I quickly allocated all ten points to agility. The System's interface flashed briefly in my vision as the points were assigned.

Status Window

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Name: Kei Sato

Level: 15

Health: 300/300

Health Regen: 0.03/Second

Mana: 100/100

Mana Regen: 0.01/Second

Stamina: 300/300

Stamina Regen: 0.03/Second

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 20

Agility: 45

Vitality: 30

Intelligence: 10

Luck: 10

Damage Reduction: 3%

Critical Chance: 1%

Unallocated Points: 0

As soon as the points were allocated, a euphoric sensation washed over me. I felt a newfound lightness in my limbs, a subtle but noticeable increase in my speed and reflexes. This boost in agility was exactly what I needed right now.

Feeling the surge of agility coursing through my body, I began to quickly retreat from the cafeteria, keeping my javelin aimed at the monstrous Zombie Chef. The weapon, now feeling like a natural extension of my arm, was poised to strike if needed. As I backed away, the creature let out a guttural roar, a horrifying sound that echoed through the empty cafeteria.

Saliva was dripping down its chin, adding to its grotesque appearance. In a startling display of aggression, it started lumbering toward me, its massive form moving faster than expected with surprising swiftness. The meat cleaver in its hand, its blade still dripping with fresh blood, was raised high, ready to cut me down at a moment's notice.