Zombie Survival System

The Chief of Staff said, "Let's get things moving quickly. General Pantherson, Director Hart, please debrief us on the 2036 edition of the Hunter Entrance Exam."

General Pantherson waited for Director Hart to stand up. She didn't. He swore under his breath and stood up in front of the assembly, swaying slightly. He felt annoyed at being ordered to present so quickly after sitting, but he took the microphone and said, "Dear colleagues, here's the complete report on the 2036 edition. We began with 77,837 candidates. 169 died. 1,789 were seriously injured and received immediate medical attention. 22,145 were slightly injured—generally sprains, a few broken arms or noses. These candidates received first aid and left the island. By the end of the tests, we had 1,289 qualifiers. The vast majority of these have by now registered with the academy. I feel confident that very few will reject the offer to become students this year!"

The Chief of Staff cleared his throat. "Hmm, nothing exceptional in terms of deaths or injuries. Even still, of course, I'll ask our friends in the press to communicate a reduced figure so as not to tarnish the academy's reputation."

Dean Pegasus stood up and said, "Thank you, Field Marshal, for your support! While we're on the subject of the academy, I'd also like to discuss the academy's budget and the ongoing role and responsibilities of the Hunter Association."

He swept his gaze across the gathered faces before adding, "As you know, despite our losses in the Black Zones, the Hunter workforce is always getting bigger. Now that we're dealing with a surplus of personnel, some guilds are spurning candidates with protein 31 and sending these valuable individuals to staff strongholds in Dark Zones. This is at best a waste and at worst a risk for our collective goals. Combined with the fact that the Hunter Association currently has little regulatory oversight over individual Hunters themselves, I'd like to see more control over the Hunter guilds which encompass them."

The Dean took a breath and prepared to keep speaking, but his pause was interrupted by the rising of a suited man wearing a lapel pin depicting the American flag.

It was none other than the President of the United States himself. Though the office had been weakened in the years since the Great Wave, it still demanded enough respect that the Dean had no choice but to stop talking.

"Mr. Dean, what do you want us to do?" asked the President. "The guilds and Terra Corp generate 20% of America's GDP. Our economy relies entirely on the biological materials these guilds provide. You've complained about the guilds dedicating so many resources to Black Zone fortresses, but these fortresses are the very things which allow us to exploit the Black Zones' resources so efficiently. What you're proposing is that we kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Besides, we don't have the resources to dedicate to heavily regulating the guilds! Need I remind you that we're in a period of deep economic crisis?"

A silence fell over the room. In principle, the man in front of everyone was the most powerful man in the world. However, everyone also knew that the President was under immense pressure from lobbies and special interests. The words he was speaking were in the service of others, plain and simple. Yet who would be the one to challenge him?

At long last, the Chief of Staff said uncomfortably, "Mr. President, we should consider the dean's words..."

Dean Pegasus seized the opportunity and said, "Mr. President, you're not wrong that this will be an expensive maneuver. However, I am confident that it won't be a mere expense, but an investment. We need to keep the Hunters of the world under the control of the Hunter Association if we want to maintain the USA's dominance in the years to come—investing this money now is, in effect, the most efficient way to increase the power of the US military."

Despite his words of support for the dean, the Chief of Staff seemed annoyed that he hadn't been allowed to finish his thought. "As I was saying, the dean's words have merit, but we should consider them... at a later time. For now, I know how busy all of you are. We have a more important matter to discuss! A threat to national security has just emerged, and we must prepare to meet it at once!"