Off Limit System

The door creaked open slowly, and Ethan was the first to leave the building. Upon hearing the sound, the herd of zombies swarmed towards him. He closed his eyes, attempting to remain calm as the zombies surrounded him, sniffing around and then continuing on, accepting Ethan as one of their own.

Ethan subtly glanced back, signaling to the others to exit without rushing. One by one, they emerged from the building, strolling to mimic the behavior of the zombies. Then, the four of them gathered, exchanging glances, and proceeded towards the center of the road.

They continued, passing by groups of zombies huddled together. Despite the tense situation, Ethan and his friends remained cautious. When they reached the edge of the bridge, they paused, staring in horror at the sea of densely packed zombies on the bridge.

Ethan moved forward, but Chloe's hand on his clothes held him back.

'No,' Chloe shook her head slightly to convey the word.

Should they turn back? They were already halfway.

'It's okay,' Ethan nodded, understanding her intention.

There were no words exchanged between them; speaking was impossible.

Eventually, Ethan took the lead, shielding himself with his blood-splattered shield. Chloe held onto Ethan's clothes from behind, followed by Miriam and Dane. They walked in a slow line, attempting to cross the thousands of zombies, aimlessly wandering the bridge.

In front of them, navigating through the dense crowd of zombies seemed daunting. The stench was overwhelming, making Dane nauseous; beneath his bloodied appearance, a pale look had crept in.

Carefully, Chloe retrieved a metal plate tucked into her pants and tossed it away, creating a clattering sound.

The zombies moved toward the sound, their bodies colliding with Ethan's shield as he tried to withstand the onslaught.

Their journey was difficult, with the bridge crowded with zombies. The half-mile span felt incredibly long and distant.

Ethan raised his head upon hearing a thunderous rumble from the darkening sky.

'Oh no,' Ethan panicked inwardly.

He quickened his pace, colliding his shield with each zombie blocking their path.

The top of the tower was already in sight, just another two hundred meters away. But droplets of rain were racing towards them. The raindrops arrived swiftly.

Ethan looked back; they had crossed the bridge, but there were still scattered groups of zombies ahead, and their numbers were quite large.

If they continued walking in their current condition, the rain would wash away the zombie scent. They would be caught in the rain, literally with wet bodies!

"Run," Ethan whispered to Chloe.

She just looked at Ethan, not understanding.

"Run, I'll hold them."

"But—"

"Now!"

Lightning struck, followed by a deafening roar.

The zombies looked up at the sky, reaching their hands upward.

Chloe ran as fast as possible, followed by Miriam and Dane, confused and panicked by the sudden dash. Seeing their movement, the zombies diverted their attention.

Ethan struck his shield against every zombie too close, protecting his friends so they could reach the entrance to the TV station tower.

They were like crumbs swarmed by hundreds of ants.

Chloe opened the door, and they all rushed inside, but there was no way they could stop the relentless pursuit of the ferocious zombies.

"Keep running upstairs!" Ethan yelled.

There was no time to try and slow down the zombies; if they did, they would all fail. Without further thought, Ethan half-knelt in front of the door, then slammed his shield into the ground. A fierce fire burst forth, halting the charging zombies in their tracks.

"Ethan!!" Miriam screamed.

"Go!"

The horde of zombies surrounded Ethan, and he closed his eyes. If Ethan had to replay the game, it didn't matter as long as his friends succeeded in passing that level.

The shield formed a ball of fire, suddenly enveloping Ethan.

[Activate: Harpy’s Inferno]

Then, a tremendous explosion occurred, causing the zombies to be flung backward and instantly turned to ashes. The first floor area was ablaze, with fire spreading everywhere. Ethan needed clarification: where should he go amidst the billowing smoke?

[Activate: Harpy’s Wing]

The shield moved on its own, carrying Ethan's body soaring swiftly. Ethan floated past the stairs, dodging the flames on the first floor. He stumbled, unbelieving that his shield indeed possessed extraordinary power.

A hologram appeared before Ethan's eyes, displaying information that astounded him.

[Honesty Mission: Dare]

[You have the privilege of an extra two hours for your life. Congratulations, player]

Two extra hours for life? What did that mean? Ethan wondered.

He safely arrived at the top floor, joining his friends. Nothing was in the room at the top of the tower except for a large crate in the center. Upon Ethan's appearance, his friends immediately rushed to hug him.

"Thank goodness!" Miriam nearly cried when she saw Ethan arrive.

"Let's go; we need to leave this place immediately," Dane urged, not wanting to waste any time.

Together, they opened the crate, finding five serum vials and nothing more. Ethan was taken aback; he looked at his friends.

"Only five?" Ethan couldn't believe it.

"OFF LIMITS only allows five winners, right?" Chloe looked at the others in turn.

"What about the remaining participants down there fighting to win this game? Their chances are limited to only three times," Ethan felt a chilling sensation sweep through his body.

"It's not our concern," Chloe asserted.

She took a serum and handed one to Ethan.

Ethan looked at the serum vial with a guilty feeling. Only one serum was left for the other participants, and the rest would be considered eliminated. Was this a game that could be called fair?

"Ethan, hurry. We've agreed that you should win this game," Miriam said.

Winner? Is this called winning when Ethan has to disregard the other participants? What if their fate ends up like Albert's? Even though it's not confirmed whether Albert's death was because of OFF LIMITS or due to an illness in his body?

"Come on, Ethan," Dane hurriedly urged.

Ethan placed the serum vial against his arm, feeling a sharp sting and a cold sensation spread through his body. Ethan's vision began to blur, and he lost consciousness.