My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 66: Rooftop Duel

Inside the hotel, the lights were off. The students huddled together, curling up as best they could, trying to soothe their own fears with warmth and proximity.

"I wonder what Jaxon is doing upstairs," Hae-in whispered. "Hunting? Is he... killing the infected?"

"Maybe he’s trying to take them all out so our trip tomorrow will be safer," Bong-gu said, his voice a mix of hope and awe.

Everyone turned to him and shook their heads. Killing all the infected? That would be impossible. Not unless humanity decided to self-destruct with them. And even then... maybe it still wouldn’t be enough.

"We’ll just wait for him quietly, okay?" Elaine whispered, placing a reassuring hand on Hae-in’s shoulder. "I’m sure he’s doing something important right now."

Na-rin looked up toward the ceiling, frowning. She didn’t understand his actions, going out now, hunting? She doubted he even had enough bullets, since he didn’t seem to carry many.

His move didn’t make sense; he wasn’t the type to do anything without purpose. Then she remembered the time he suddenly handed Bong-gu and Lucas a fire axe and a crowbar that came out of nowhere. Her brows furrowed as her thoughts ran deeper.

Silent and tense, they waited, hearts pounding in the darkness,

.....

Atop the rooftop, Jaxon continued picking off the infected below.

Then, abruptly, the chaos below froze. Those feasting on the dead froze, their jaws hanging, as if some invisible command had stopped them.

The air shifted, colder and heavier. Even Jaxon felt it, a deep, instinctual fear gnawing through him, making the hair on his arms stand on end. It was like a predator had entered its territory.

The ground trembled. A low, rumbling growl rolled through the streets as the infected all turned their heads toward a single point, their guttural howls rising in unison.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Concrete and debris exploded from a nearby building, walls shattering in succession, sending dust and rubble into the darkening sky.

BOOM.

The final wall collapsed, tearing open a massive hole. From it emerged a creature that dwarfed even the largest infected Jaxon had ever faced. Its muscles were ripped, black veins snaking across its massive, pulsing body.

A variant, like the same kind from the Hudson Heights Senior High, but this one moved with a dreadful presence. Bulkier, heavier, with steps that made the rooftop tremble under its weight. A small horde of bald infected trailed behind it, almost like obedient followers.

Its eyes swept over the infected below, still feasting on the corpses. A low, guttural roar started forming in its wide mouth, but a silent bullet whistled past, striking its left eye.

Black blood spattered, but it did not fall. A chunk of flesh had been torn away, revealing raw muscle beneath, yet it remained standing, unflinching.

Before Jaxon could fire again, the variant lunged with terrifying speed, vanishing behind the crumbling walls.

’What the hell... it knows how to take cover?’ Jaxon thought, his pulse quickening. ’And a headshot... it didn’t even slow it down.’

He steadied his grip, adjusted the scope, and locked the massive creature in his sights, as every muscle in his body tensed.

The streets and rooftops trembled beneath the movement of the infected. The large variant tore across the city, leaping from building to building with inhuman speed, eyes scanning like a predator hunting its prey.

Jaxon tracked it carefully through his scope. Each bullet he fired was precise, but the creature was cunning, diving behind crumbling walls, vaulting over gaps, and using the broken city for cover.

Though the smaller infected trailing behind it weren’t so clever. One by one, they fell under Jaxon’s silent shots, heads splitting as they collapsed onto the streets below.

The variant paused for a fraction of a second, turning its massive head toward the fallen. A deep, threatening growl rolled from its chest, vibrating across the rooftops. Its muscles bulged violently, radiating pure power and rage.

Jaxon’s eyes narrowed as he adjusted for the next shot. The hunt had begun, and he knew the creature was just as aware of him as he was of it.

He fired again, aiming carefully at the variant. The bullet slammed into a wall beside it, barely grazing the creature. Its head snapped toward the source of the shot, red eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.

Seeing his shots miss, Jaxon’s mind raced. He couldn’t stay in his place for long. Sooner or later, it would discover him. His gaze swept the nearby rooftops, calculating his next move.

Crouching low, he sprinted toward another rooftop and leapt, boots landing softly. He raised his rifle and fired again, but the variant moved faster than he expected, almost anticipating his aim. Another miss.

The gap between him and the massive creature was shrinking, each leap and shot bringing the hunter closer to danger.

Jaxon’s heartbeat pounded in his chest. He scanned for cover, calculating angles, distances, and timing. A higher rooftop offered a better vantage point. Without hesitation, he sprinted, vaulted across the gap, and fired as he landed, the bullet missing once more.

The variant snarled, muscles rippling as it launched forward. Jaxon ducked behind a crumbling wall, chest heaving. His mind raced, searching for a way to turn the odds in his favor.

Then his eyes landed on the bloodied blanket draped over his body. Instantly, a plan took shape. He sprinted across the rooftops, vaulting from building to building, using every shadow, every wall, and every corner to stay hidden.

The variant’s eyes caught a faint human shape on a nearby rooftop. Its pupils flared with fury, as it lunged toward the target, faster than anything Jaxon had seen.

Its feet landed with a heavy thud where the blanket lay. Teeth bared, its claws slashed through the air, only to strike nothing but the soaked, twisted fabric.

Its head snapped back, red eyes widening. The blanket had fooled it. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Jaxon seized the moment. Bullets whistled past, striking its skull. Black blood splattered across the walls, but the variant didn’t fall. He fired again and again, tearing through flesh and bone until the variant finally collapsed, twitching violently before lying still.

(100 EXP, 150 coins, 1 Strength obtained from the zombie)

(You have leveled up to Lv. 7.)

Jaxon’s chest heaved. Sweat and grime clung to him, adrenaline still pumping as his eyes scanned the eerie creature.

’That was way too close,’ he thought, wiping his brow, finally letting himself exhale.