Zombie Survival System

Kouyat firmly crossed her arms and declared in a strong, unwavering voice:

"Now that the demonstration is over and you've clearly seen what your enemy looks like, let me explain what's coming next. My role is to prepare you for the end-of-term exam! To achieve this, you'll need to master two essential aspects: firstly, the fundamental knowledge of Hunter combat—tactical movements, constant vigilance, observation, adaptation in hostile environments, and so on; secondly, the basics of survival in wild environments."

She paused briefly, allowing the weight of her words to settle into the anxious minds of the students.

"As for combat techniques, I will personally teach you the fundamentals. However, for surviving in hostile environments, it will be entirely up to you! You'll have the academy's encyclopedia at your disposal, and it will be your responsibility to carry out your own training and field experiments. I strongly advise you to take advantage of the resources offered by Hunter Island, which is 95% wilderness: dense forests, steep hills, secluded beaches... There's plenty of space to test your skills in real conditions."

With a decisive gesture, she concluded sharply:

"Today's lesson is over! Tomorrow, Jack Blade and I will start teaching you basic combat skills through a physical trial. You're dismissed!"

The students slowly stood up, leaving the amphitheater in a gloomy and apprehensive atmosphere. Just outside, as they headed toward the cafeteria for lunch, an unusual excitement suddenly caught their attention. Intrigued, Alexandre, Marlon, and William quickly approached a group of students engaged in animated discussion:

"Incredible! Finally, we can earn points outside of exams!"

"Yeah, I'll finally be able to catch up with my score!"

Marlon, puzzled, frowned and said:

"What the hell is going on?"

The three men moved even closer until they spotted a large bulletin board covered with various notices. On the papers, job offers could be seen, such as: "Freight Port: Box Carrier, Salary: $15/hour and 1 academy point/hour," or "SubMineral: Miner, Salary: $18.75/hour and 1 academy point/hour."

Alexandre suddenly recalled the peculiarities of Hunter Island—a kind of semi-independent microstate directly administered by the Hunter Association and the academy. Since the island, populated mainly by Hunters and known for dangerous species, significantly discouraged ordinary workers, it constantly suffered from a severe labor shortage. Thus, to maintain a viable local economy, the academy allowed students to engage in professional activities outside school, even rewarding them symbolically with academy points.

However, despite the apparent diversity of job offers, Alexandre quickly noticed a recurring proposal that occupied at least half the board:

"TerraCorp: Hunter Blood Donation—$300 and 2 academy points per liter."

Alexandre was stunned. Three hundred dollars for Hunter blood? Certainly, for an ordinary student, this sum might seem enormous, almost miraculous. But for a Hunter, this was absolutely trivial compensation. Alexandre knew very well that Hunter blood had exceptional medical properties: a simple transfusion could cure virtually any bacterial or viral infection within mere hours. Even better, it extended cell longevity, significantly strengthening organs and tissues. A single bag of Hunter blood could easily fetch nearly $5,000 in the continent's top hospitals!

Alexandre knew already that most students would likely rush towards this seemingly easy opportunity. But for him, it held no interest. Firstly, the compensation was ridiculous, both in terms of money and academy points. Secondly, it was clearly a disguised trap by the academy. Professor Kouyat had just explicitly told them to focus on independently learning survival skills. Getting distracted by tasks unrelated to their main objective could prove fatal for their academic ranking.

Alexandre exchanged a knowing glance with William, known for his sharp, analytical mind.

Immediately understanding his thoughts, William murmured:

"Yeah, we'd better avoid this, even though our bank accounts look downright depressing."

Marlon, surprised and confused, suddenly asked:

"Wait, guys—what exactly are we avoiding?"

William, with calm clarity, explained:

"We shouldn't spread ourselves thin with these side jobs. The academy's requirements for advancing to second year are extremely demanding. Kouyat literally just warned us that we have to handle survival skills entirely on our own. We can't afford to waste time or energy elsewhere."

Marlon looked utterly bewildered. He glanced back and forth between Alexandre and William, protesting anxiously:

"What? Are you guys serious? Three hundred dollars just for giving blood! You're really going to pass that up? Do you think I won the lottery or something? I can barely afford my share of rent and food!"

Alexandre had to suppress a discreet smile: after all, he himself had recently won the considerable sum of $100,000 through something as trivial as a sports bet—placing his situation completely at odds with Marlon's.

William continued calmly, unfazed:

"Think about it, man. Have you ever seen the academy offer an easy, generously paid option without a hidden catch? Never! For a Hunter, blood is literally our source of power and regeneration. I don't know precisely how long it takes to fully regenerate one liter of blood, but for a normal human, regenerating 500 ml takes about two months. So imagine what it might mean for us—it could seriously impair our abilities. I don't know exactly how this could affect our physical performance, but I'm betting it's anything but trivial!"

Marlon hesitated, clearly unsettled by these strong arguments, then turned toward Alexandre:

"What about you, Alexandre? Honestly, what do you think?"

Alexandre quickly considered the question. For him personally, losing blood didn't directly impact his powers, but William raised a critical point. He finally shrugged and said:

"I'm not exactly sure what precise impact it would have on your performance. But if William's right and you're weakened for several days, maybe weeks, it'd be a huge handicap you can't afford. We all know the academy loves setting traps. Just hang in there a little longer, man. I know it's tough right now, but we're all in the top 100. After this first trimester, financially things will get easier."

Marlon shook his head, puzzled:

"A trap? That makes no sense. Doesn't the academy benefit from us succeeding?"

William replied coldly and bluntly:

"The academy's logic has always been the same since the initial selection. Their goal, from start to finish, through to third year and even up to graduation, is crystal clear: ruthlessly sorting, selecting only the best, and mercilessly eliminating anyone who becomes weak or distracted."