I Built a Safe Zone in the Dead World

The tower shook violently as distant explosions echoed across the city outside. Thousands of infected still surrounded the lower districts beneath the endless rainstorm while nervous civilians crowded hallways and defensive floors in silence. Nobody slept peacefully anymore. Not after witnessing the massive horde gathering around the tower.

Inside the command floor, soldiers studied city maps while Reina coordinated defense routes with exhausted teams rotating across barricades and sniper positions. Supplies were slowly decreasing again after accepting new survivors into the tower, and tension continued growing between civilians every single day.

Fear never truly disappeared anymore.

It simply became quieter.

Arata stood near one shattered observation window while watching the endless rain fall across ruined buildings outside. Fires burned faintly through distant streets while infected silhouettes wandered between abandoned vehicles below.But something bothered him.

The infected weren’t attacking the tower directly, They were waiting.That alone felt unnatural.

The system interface flickered faintly before him again.

[Major Mutation Presence Nearby]

[Threat Activity Increasing]

[Unknown Evolution Detected]

Arata’s eyes narrowed slightly, Unknown evolution ? Every day the infected became harder to understand.

Footsteps approached quietly behind him.

"You’ve been staring outside a lot lately."

Airi stopped beside him holding two warm coffee cups again. Her tired eyes looked softer tonight despite the exhaustion visible across her face. Even after endless medical work, she still somehow found time to check on him.

Arata accepted the coffee silently. "...Thanks."

Airi leaned against the broken wall beside him while watching rain hit the city below.

"The scouts found another possible supply location," she said quietly.

"Where?" he ask .

"A university district." she replied calmly.

Arata glanced toward her slightly.

Airi nodded slowly. "Medicine storage rooms. Emergency generators. Food supplies." She hesitated briefly. "Maybe survivors too."

The word survivors always complicated things now.

Sometimes survivors became more dangerous than infected.

Before Arata could respond, Yuna suddenly appeared from nowhere between them holding bags of stolen snacks again somehow.

"Good morning emotionally repressed people."

Airi sighed immediately. "Where did you even come from?"

"Shadow realm."

Reina walked into the hallway behind Yuna while carrying several documents. "...She was sleeping inside the storage room again."

Yuna pointed dramatically. "Strategic food defense position."

"You mean stealing."

"Borrowing permanently."

Even Arata looked slightly less tense hearing their argument.

For one brief moment—The atmosphere felt almost normal again.

Then Reina’s expression turned serious.

"We’re sending an expedition team to the university."

The tension returned instantly.

"The scouts confirmed multiple storage buildings still intact," Reina continued calmly. "If supplies remain untouched, it could keep the tower stable for weeks."

"And the infected?" Arata asked quietly.Reina placed several photos onto a nearby table.

Destroyed streets, Collapsed campus gates.

Blood-covered hallways, But surprisingly—

Very few infected appeared in the images.

"That’s the strange part," Reina muttered.

Miyu adjusted her glasses beside the table while studying the photographs carefully. "...Population density too low."

Yuna frowned slightly. "Meaning?"

"There should be more infected."

Silence followed.Because everyone immediately understood what that implied.

Something was hunting them, Or controlling them.The system warning flickered again before Arata.

[High-Risk Zone Identified]

[Unknown Presence Interference Detected]

Arata closed the screen silently.Whatever waited inside that university—The system already considered it dangerous.

Several hours later the expedition team prepared near the lower tower entrance while heavy rain continued falling outside. Soldiers loaded ammunition while civilians watched nervously from upper floors.

The team included: Arata, Airi, Yuna, Reina, Kaede, four armed soldiers

Everyone carried enough supplies for a full-day mission.

Yuna stretched lazily beside the armored vehicle while spinning a combat knife between her fingers.

"If we die horribly today," she announced dramatically, "I’m haunting all of you."

"You’re already haunting us alive," Reina answered instantly.

"Cruel."

Airi checked medical bags carefully nearby while Arata inspected weapons silently.

Then suddenly—A small child from the tower approached Arata nervously.

The little boy looked around eight years old.

"M-Mister Arata..."Arata lowered his eyes slightly toward him.

The boy held out a tiny handmade charm made from old string and metal pieces. "For luck."

Silence briefly settled around the entrance.

Arata stared quietly at the small charm before finally accepting it carefully.

"...Thanks."

The child smiled brightly afterward before running back toward civilians upstairs.

Yuna grinned immediately. "Wow." She placed a hand dramatically over her chest. "Our cold protagonist is becoming emotionally approachable."

Arata ignored her completely.But Airi noticed him quietly attaching the charm onto his gear afterward, And somehow—That small action made her smile softly.The expedition vehicle finally left the tower shortly afterward.

The rain never stopped anymore.It poured endlessly across the dead city like the sky itself was mourning humanity’s collapse. Streets drowned beneath flickering neon reflections while ruined buildings disappeared behind cold gray fog stretching across the horizon. Somewhere far away, infected screams echoed faintly between empty districts, but even those horrifying sounds felt distant tonight.

Inside the armored vehicle, silence filled the atmosphere heavily, Nobody joked, Nobody relaxed.

Ever since the massive horde surrounded the tower, everyone understood something terrifying:

The infected were changing.And worse—They were beginning to think.

Arata sat beside the rain-covered window while watching ruined highways pass outside silently. Burned vehicles lined the roads like grave markers while corpses remained scattered across intersections untouched by anyone for weeks.

The city looked dead, But Arata could feel it breathing, Waiting.The system interface flickered briefly before him again.

[High-Risk Area Ahead]

[Mutation Activity Increasing]

[Survival Probability: Unstable]

Arata closed the screen quietly.Across from him, Yuna stretched lazily while resting her boots against supply crates. "If something horrifying jumps on this vehicle today," she sighed dramatically, "I’m blaming Arata."

Reina didn’t even look up from her rifle. "You blame Arata for everything."

"Because he has protagonist energy."

Airi laughed softly for the first time all morning while organizing medical supplies beside them. Even exhausted, her calm presence somehow made the suffocating atmosphere easier to endure.

Kaede quietly glanced outside through the fogged glass. "...Too quiet." Everyone noticed it, No wandering infected, No movement, No screams, Just rain, And silence.

That silence felt wrong.The vehicle finally slowed near the outer university district nearly forty minutes later. Massive campus gates stood partially destroyed beneath the storm while abandoned military barricades blocked sections of the road. Emergency evacuation buses remained overturned near sidewalks, their shattered windows covered in dried blood.

Arata stepped outside first.Cold rain soaked through his clothes instantly.

The system activated again immediately.

[Entering Danger Zone]

[Unknown Survivor Signals Detected]

Survivors, Yuna stepped beside him while scanning nearby rooftops carefully. "...You think anyone’s actually alive here?"

Nobody answered, Because survival inside this place felt impossible.

The group moved deeper into the campus carefully while soldiers covered every hallway and building entrance. The university looked frozen in time. Torn student banners still moved weakly through the rain while classroom lights flickered faintly behind shattered windows.

Inside one lecture hall, overturned desks remained covered in bloodstains.Inside another—Half-eaten corpses.

Airi lowered her eyes quietly.

"...This place must’ve become hell overnight."

Then suddenly—BANG! A loud metallic impact echoed somewhere deeper across campus, Everyone froze instantly, Another crash followed.

BANG!

Then infected screams erupted afterward.

Reina immediately raised her rifle. "Southwest building."

The group sprinted through rain-covered pathways while the sounds continued echoing louder through the storm. Blood trails stretched across campus floors leading toward the university cafeteria building ahead.

Yuna gripped her knife tighter. "...Someone’s fighting."

Arata reached the entrance first.The cafeteria doors burst open violently, And chaos exploded before them.

The upper cafeteria floor swarmed with infected, At least fifteen.

Tables overturned everywhere while blood covered the walls and broken emergency lights flickered above the destruction. Several terrified students hid behind barricaded storage doors nearby while infected clawed toward them relentlessly.

And standing between the monsters and those students—Was a girl.

Long wet black hair flowed around her body while rainwater dripped slowly from torn ceiling pipes above. Her white shirt clung tightly from the rain and sweat, partially hidden beneath a dark jacket hanging loosely from her shoulders. A loosened black necktie rested against her chest and the half button of her chest was open her chest was clearly visible and wet , drop of water was dripping from her perfect size breasts ,her legs were longs and beautiful she is wearing a short black skirt that was all wet from sweat and water and her ass was big that they are perfectly fitting in that skirt . She was sweating, and because of that every part of her body almost looks visible through her clothes, and that’s why she looks more sexy then anyone who was present there .

Even exhausted—She looked breathtaking.

Not delicate, Not fragile.Dangerously beautiful and sexy.

Her sharp violet eyes remained cold and focused despite the infected surrounding her from every direction. Blood stained parts of her clothes while bruises marked her arms from days of survival, yet somehow she still stood with terrifying composure.

And in her hands—Only a metal baseball bat.

CRACK!

The bat smashed directly into an infected skull hard enough to send bone fragments across nearby tables.Another infected lunged toward her immediately.

She stepped sideways instinctively before driving the bat upward into its jaw with brutal force.

BANG!

The infected crashed backward violently, But more kept coming, Too many. and she was beating them, Her clothes were sticking to her body more because of the sweating and water.

Yuna stared upward in disbelief. "...How is she still standing?"

The girl breathed heavily now, Her hands trembled slightly from exhaustion.

Yet even cornered—Her eyes never showed panic, Only determination.

One infected suddenly grabbed her arm violently while another rushed toward her chest, he was just too close to her , his hands was just approached to her chest , but then —Arata moved instantly.

His blade flashed across the cafeteria.

The infected’s head separated cleanly before crashing across the floor.

Everyone attacked immediately afterward, Gunfire erupted.

Reina eliminated three infected instantly with perfect rifle bursts.

Kaede’s arrows pierced skulls rapidly from behind overturned tables.

Yuna vaulted across cafeteria counters before driving her knives into another infected’s neck while laughing wildly.

Within seconds—The remaining infected collapsed, Silence returned.

Only heavy breathing remained beneath the rainstorm echoing outside.

The mysterious girl stood near the staircase gripping her blood-covered bat tightly while staring toward Arata’s group cautiously.

Even now—She didn’t lower her weapon.

Water dripped slowly down her face and hair while the dim cafeteria lights reflected faintly within her violet eyes.

Up close—Her beauty felt almost unreal.

Long black hair framed her pale face while rainwater traced slowly along her neck and jawline. Despite exhaustion and bruises, her sharp features remained elegant and mature in a way that instantly drew attention without effort.

But what disturbed Arata most—Was her composure.Most survivors broke emotionally long ago.This girl hadn’t.

Not yet, Then several frightened younger students slowly emerged from hidden storage rooms behind her. Children, Teenagers.Weak survivors.

Immediately, the girl stepped protectively in front of them again while gripping the bat tighter.

And suddenly—Everything became clear.She stayed alive here protecting them. Alone For weeks.Airi’s expression softened instantly after realizing it.

Yuna whispered quietly toward Reina:

"...Okay yeah." She glanced toward the girl again. "She’s definitely main-character-level pretty."

Reina sighed heavily. "Focus."

The girl pointed the bat slightly toward them anyway.

"...Who are you?" Her voice sounded calm despite exhaustion.Cold, Guarded.

Arata studied her silently for several seconds before answering.

"Survivors from the tower district."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, She clearly didn’t trust them yet.Yuna slowly raised both hands dramatically. "We’re friendly." She paused briefly while looking around the destroyed cafeteria. "...Usually."

No reaction, The girl’s expression barely changed.

Airi stepped forward carefully afterward. "You’re injured."

"I’m fine."

"You’re bleeding."

"I said I’m fine."

Definitely difficult, Arata thought silently.

One younger student behind her suddenly tugged nervously on her sleeve. "...Akari..."

So that was her name, Akari.

The girl finally lowered the bat slightly after hearing the frightened student’s voice, But not completely.

Arata noticed that immediately.Even exhausted—She remained ready to fight everyone inside this room if necessary.

And somehow—That made him respect her instantly.

Then suddenly—A loud roar echoed somewhere outside the cafeteria building.

Everyone froze.The sound felt massive, Heavy, Inhuman.The windows shook violently afterward, Several students screamed fearfully.

Akari’s expression changed for the first time since they arrived, Not panic, Recognition.

Yuna noticed immediately. "...You know what that thing is?"

Akari remained silent briefly before answering quietly:

"...It hunts at night." She said

The cafeteria became completely silent.

Rain hammered endlessly against broken windows while distant infected screams echoed somewhere outside campus again.

Then—BOOM.Something enormous crashed through a nearby building outside.

The floor trembled slightly beneath everyone’s feet.One terrified student began crying immediately.

Akari tightened her grip around the bat again while staring toward the dark rain-covered campus outside.

And for the first time since meeting her Arata saw fear inside her eyes.