Off Limit System

They rested and watched on the roof of a building near the bridge. The zombies did not move or disperse from the bridge. They gathered there, seemingly intent on blocking access.

Ethan scanned the area, looking for a way to cross and reach the tower. But there was nothing around the bridge except the sight of seawater.

"Are you sure there is no other way?" Dane asked.

"No, there isn't. Even crossing the water is impossible. There are no boats or rafts or anything," Miriam replied.

"Relax, we'll think of something," Chloe tried to calm her panicked friends.

Ethan thought hard. There could be a way to get the zombies to leave the bridge, although getting thousands of zombies to move seemed highly unlikely. There had to be something to get their attention so the zombies would focus on that 'something.'

"What if the goal isn't actually the TV tower?" Chloe suggested. "That's a possibility, right?"

Miriam shook her head firmly. "The game wouldn't change. Supporting factors might change; something nerfed or buffed. But the main goal? That's impossible."

Dane agreed. "Miriam is right. How could the game developers just change the core concept like that?"

"I don't really understand that. I'm not much of a gamer," Chloe sighed.

"Is there a time limit to the game?" Ethan asked.

Miriam hesitated and shook her head. "I don't know. It took me almost a day and a night last time, so for now..."

"I can't imagine us being stuck here for days. My family would think I was in a coma if I didn't wake up," Dane lamented.

Dane's concern was shared by the others, especially Chloe, who seemed pressed for time. Her father's funeral was imminent, yet she was trapped in the OFF LIMIT game, as competitors were not allowed to skip the main game.

"Can we focus on the game for now?" Miriam grumbled, slightly irritated.

From a distance, they heard people approaching, drawing the attention of the four young people. From the roof, they looked down and saw a group of people arriving, carrying torches and various items that they quickly gathered in the middle of the street.

They set fire to the items in no time, creating a considerable blaze and thick smoke. These people approached the horde of zombies, shouting and trying to get attention.

"Stupid," Miriam muttered in growing frustration.

Of course, some zombies were attracted to the commotion and tried to chase the humans. As a result, the zombies on the bridge moved, but they didn't head toward the fire. As soon as the human figures disappeared from sight, these zombies simply walked around the fire. The actions of the other participants were useless.

"And we're really trapped," Dane sighed.

Earlier, the zombie horde hadn't been outside the building where Ethan and his friends were. Now, there are dozens of zombies. They didn't know how to get out of the building.

"Damn, we can't get past these zombies without being seen," Chloe began to lose confidence. She began to despair. "Opening the door downstairs would attract them, and they'd rush in."

"But their vision isn't that clear, is it?" Dane looked at Chloe.

"They can smell you. The scent of your socks or sweat," Miriam commented.

Once again, Ethan remained silent, absorbing information from his friends. The zombies were attracted to sound, moderately bright light since their vision wasn't that clear, and then to human scent.

Most zombies seemed to follow a similar pattern, except for the classic stories of the past, where zombies were said to feed only on human brains.

"I think there's a way we can do this. It sounds crazy... but I think it might work," Ethan suggested.

"What's that?" the others asked.

"Become zombies."

...

"I'm not sure whether that would work."

Dane's pessimistic muttering stopped his friends from approaching the building's entrance stealthily. They all turned to him, somewhat annoyed by the young man's attitude.

"I'm being realistic," Dane added.

Ethan's idea was indeed extreme.

They would act and emit a zombie-like scent to get through a horde of thousands on the bridge. Their plan was to dispatch a few zombies, then rip open their bodies and apply the zombie scent to themselves.

It sounded simple and disgusting.

But the reality might be different.

And Dane had a pretty logical reason for thinking that Ethan's plan was beyond reason and too crazy.

"If we fail, we'll have another chance when the main game resumes," Miriam said casually.

"And that's my last chance with Dane," Chloe sighed.

"I don't want to experience being torn apart and bitten alive," Dane shivered. "That's easy for you to say, Miriam. It sounds like a never-ending nightmare."

"Guys, come on. Our first step is to catch some zombies; don't overthink it," Ethan interrupted.

Chloe and Miriam just nodded and continued their steps towards the entrance of the building. Meanwhile, Dane stood in place, unwilling to move at all.

Ethan ignored Dane's protest and approached Chloe and Miriam.

"Open the door slowly. If any zombies come in, stay hidden, then we'll close the door carefully," Ethan instructed.

Chloe and Miriam nodded. They looked at Dane.

"Maybe Dane will be a good decoy," Miriam muttered.

"No, let them come in without anything suspicious. That way, we won't attract the attention of the dozens of zombies outside," Ethan replied.

Chloe and Miriam hid behind the lobby desk, and Ethan carefully opened the front door. Dane immediately ran to join his friends, looking visibly frightened. Ethan cautiously moved behind a pillar and watched from there.

After a few minutes, the door opened more extensively, and several zombie figures entered. They growled and sniffed around, tilting their heads to listen for something. About five zombies entered, then wandered around the corridor, bumping into each other and moving on.

Ethan dashed to the door and shut it quickly. He moved behind the zombies, who were unaware of anyone behind them.

Miriam and Chloe followed Ethan, as well as Dane. Ethan moved quickly forward, then slammed his shield into one of the zombies. Chloe fired an arrow, the arrowhead piercing the zombie's eyeball. Meanwhile, Miriam hit the back of a gun repeatedly, causing one zombie to collapse.

Two other zombies growled loudly and charged Ethan. Ethan used his flaming shield to push them back. Without much difficulty, Chloe fired another arrow, subduing all the zombies.

"Wow!" Dane marveled at his friends' actions.

Chloe immediately handed Dane her father's sword. "Your next task."

Dane sighed softly. "What kind of dream am I having, dissecting zombies?"

"Come on, Novice. Don't complain too much!" Miriam retorted.

Ethan walked closer to the wall, then sat down, leaning against it and catching his breath. Sweat poured down his forehead and body. Chloe, apparently, sat next to Ethan and watched as the Dane hesitated and nearly vomited at the thought of disemboweling a zombie. Miriam watched the young man as she crossed her arms.

"Can we get out of here?" Chloe whispered quietly.

"We're working on it," Ethan looked over and smiled.

"You always think positive, don't you?"

"What else can I do, Chloe? My life is at stake; there's nothing else to fear." Ethan sighed softly. "Although I admit the fear is still there. But I just want to make the most of my time while still alive."

"By the way, I want you to use my father's sword," Chloe said suddenly.

"Is that allowed? My classification is tank."

"Just try it because the sword was given by OFF LIMIT. Anyone can use it."

"Why me? You're Albert's daughter; you're more deserving."

"Come on, Ethan. The sword is for melee; I fight from a distance. If I use a dagger, that's still possible. You're in the front line; the sword suits you."

There was no way Ethan could refuse this request. Ultimately, he nodded in agreement, though he wasn't sure if he would be disqualified or warned later for carrying a weapon that wasn't classified.

Miriam suddenly snapped her fingers, drawing Ethan and Chloe's attention.

"Hey, who wants to try on a zombie blood mask first?"