My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 119: Chain Reaction

"Sam... what are you saying?" Harlan spoke beside him, voice tight. "It’s not your fault."

Tears streaked Sam’s face as his voice trembled. "It was me... if I hadn’t given him that bread..."

Around them, survivors began murmuring, piecing the situation together. "Are they saying... they caused the train disaster?"

The realization hit like a shockwave. Anger quickly replaced the fear in their eyes. Many had lost friends, family... everything, when the train went down.

"So it was you! You caused Burgors’ death!" Bong-gu shouted, his voice cracking with rage.

He had known this group from before, they’d been introduced to each other by Jaxon. Burgors had even shaken Sam’s hand, but that didn’t matter now. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Elena, Elaine, and the others went silent, their faces darkening as memories of Burgors resurfaced.

Jaxon, however, felt a storm of conflicting emotions. His thoughts spun uncontrollably, confusion, dread, disbelief. ’How did he get infected? Was he infected all along?’

Then he noticed Sam’s left arm hanging limply, blackened and still like dead weight. Jaxon’s eyes widened as realization struck him, the memory of that night came rushing back. ’The acid spray... that fight... the infection...’

Suddenly, Jaxon’s knees gave out and he dropped to the ground. ’Then... everything that happened...’

His thoughts spiraled violently. A chain reaction... a butterfly effect...

’If I hadn’t gone out that night... If I hadn’t met them... If I...’

Natasha noticed him immediately and knelt beside him. "Jaxon, what’s wrong?"

His hands trembled. His voice came out low and hollow. "I... I killed Burgors."

Natasha stared at him, completely lost, but seeing him like this, she didn’t hesitate, she wrapped him in a tight embrace.

Cindy and Isabel were quick to notice, rushing to his side without a second thought.

"Brother... what’s going on?" Cindy asked, clutching his arm.

Meanwhile, the soldier Jaxon had restrained moments ago was freed and immediately ran toward Sam. Other survivors surged in behind him, their anger driving them, trying to strike Sam and the others.

"Enough!" The blonde doctor’s voice rang out sharply. The soldiers stepped in immediately, pulling the agitated survivors back.

"Your body is infected, but not in the conventional way," the blonde doctor explained. "The infection hasn’t triggered full neurological takeover yet. Instead, it’s in a dormant replication phase."

He glanced at Sam with a mix of pity and professionalism. "Cases like yours have happened in other safe zones before, leading to devastating losses. I’m not blaming you, but the fact remains. The only way to prevent further danger is to eliminate it, just as we do with the fully infected outside."

He drew a syringe and stepped toward Sam. "This... will end it painlessly."

"No! There has to be another way!" Kira suddenly shouted, rushing forward. "He’s not like the others! There has to be a cure!"

Harlan joined her, helping the severely beaten young man to his feet.

"Kira! Harlan! Step back!" Rex barked, his face twisted in fear. "He’s as good as gone! Don’t get yourselves killed trying to save him!"

"Shut up! He..." Kira shouted, but her words died in her throat as the soldiers stepped forward.

"Step aside," one of them barked, raising his rifle. "Leave him on the ground, or we’ll consider you infected too. Use the syringe, or we’ll end it ourselves."

"Stop it! Please..." Kira protested, but before the argument could escalate further, a new voice cut through.

A man in his forties, gray hair neatly combed, wearing dark sunglasses, strode into view. Soldiers flanked him as if he were some high-ranking VIP. A golden wristband shone on his wrist.

"Sir," the soldiers said in unison, stepping aside and saluting sharply.

The man moved slowly toward Sam and the others, his gaze assessing him like a specimen. "Mm... Interesting. Well worth coming all this way."

The blonde doctor stepped forward, his voice firm. "Sir, with all due respect, letting an asymptomatic infected live is incredibly dangerous. It could threaten the entire safe zone."

"Thank you for your concern, Doctor Keller," the man replied calmly, "I know what I’m doing."

He turned to the soldiers trailing him. "Take them away."

Without hesitation, the soldiers moved, not just taking Sam but also his three companions.

"Hey! Why am I being taken? I’m not infected!" Rex struggled, but his protests were ignored as he was forcibly swept away.

Before leaving, the man in the golden wristband glanced back at the remaining survivors and soldiers. His eyes locked briefly with Jaxon’s. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.

"Continue your task. Forget what you’ve seen," he ordered.

The soldiers saluted, and murmurs rippled through the crowd as everyone tried to make sense of the man’s presence and authority.

Dr. Keller remained silent for a long moment, his gaze following the man as he departed, before finally turning back and resuming his duties.

From Jaxon’s group, N-rin, Elaine, and Hae-in noticed him slumped on the ground.

"Jaxon... you don’t have to think about them. They’re..." Elaine said hesitantly, misreading his turmoil, thinking he was conflicted over Sam and his group, or feeling guilty about Burgors.

He didn’t respond right away. Around him, the noise of the crowd faded into a low hum, whispers replacing shouts.

Jaxon’s gaze dropped to the dirt beneath his boots.

Chain of cause and effect. One choice, one meeting, and lives were lost. Not intentionally, but lost nonetheless.

He slowly pushed himself to his feet. "It’s not like that," he said quietly. "But... thanks. I’m fine now."

His eyes drifted to his hand. ’Did I lose sight of what I wanted to protect?’

Back then, he had only thought about saving his family. Gradually, that changed. Meeting more people, helping strangers, these experiences shaped him, gave his life meaning, and made him stronger. He learned that risking himself to help others could be worth it.

But the world didn’t care about intentions, only consequences.

His jaw tightened, resolve hardening. ’No more acting on impulse. I have to stay cautious... or risk losing the people I can actually protect.’

Turning back to his group, he said, "Let’s return. Finish the screening, then we regroup."

Na-rin watched him closely, sensing a subtle shift she couldn’t quite name. Something about him felt different. Still, she stayed silent, her eyes tracking him as they all made their way back.