My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 97: Welcome Back to Humanity

"Jaxon. So you were alive after all." Sam shot up from his seat and crossed the short distance in two steps. He pulled Jaxon into a rough embrace, then stepped back and gave his shoulder a hard pat.

"I barely survived that night," Jaxon said, the memory of those horrible encounters still making his chest tighten. "What about you guys? I didn’t see you at the survivor gathering earlier. I honestly thought you didn’t make it."

Sam let out a short breath. "That’s what I wanted to say to you. You told us about the train evacuation, and when we didn’t see you, we thought you died out there." He shook his head, then smiled. "Guess we got transferred earlier and missed you."

"I’m glad you made it," Jaxon said, meaning it.

He turned slightly and gestured behind him. "Oh, right. These are my friends. The people I’ve been surviving with. Haris, Bong-gu, and..."

"Name’s Burgors," Burgors cut in with a grin as he stepped forward and offered his hand. "You’re the guys Jaxon got the guns from, right? Those weapons are the reason we made it here."

Sam took the handshake and laughed softly. "Nah, Jaxon saved our asses back then. And besides, those firearms weren’t really ours." He looked at Jaxon and shook his head. "I can’t believe you carried those bags of guns all night."

"Had to do it," Jaxon chuckled. "How’s everyone doing?"

"Kira’s still kicking," Sam said. "Probably giving the soldiers a hard time." He glanced around, then shrugged. "But as you can see, we’re all breathing."

From his seat, Uncle Harlan lifted two fingers in greeting. A cigar rested between them, smoke curling lazily toward the ceiling.

Jaxon looked at him for a moment, thinking that the man didn’t seem to ever run out of cigars. It was as if he had a lifetime supply hidden somewhere, always ready for a smoke.

"Kid," Harlan said with a slow grin. "Figured we’d meet again. That kind of shooting... doesn’t come around often, I haven’t seen that since my younger days."

Rex, sitting nearby, glanced at Jaxon for a moment, then turned away, saying nothing.

Then Jaxon’s eyes caught something else, Sam’s left arm, hanging loosely by his side, had turned completely black.

Sam caught his stare and gave a small, casual smile. "Ah, this?" He lifted the arm slightly. "Got sprayed with something like acid that night." He shrugged. "Doc says it’s badly burned. Won’t be able to use it anymore."

His voice stayed light, though there was a faint edge of pain beneath it. Then he laughed softly. "I’ll be fine. At least I’m still alive."

Jaxon nodded, forcing a smile. They talked quietly for a while, Sam joking and retelling how they’d managed to survive until the train arrived.

Eventually, Jaxon and Burgors found a spot nearby and sank down, finally letting themselves rest.

’I’m already level 12, huh,’ Jaxon thought as the familiar notifications hovered in front of him. There weren’t any major changes, just his stats. ’Better to save the stat points for now.’

The kills on the way to the train had pushed him up two levels at once, boosting his Agility and increasing the DMR’s damage stack.

He let out a quiet breath and closed his eyes. Everything had gone surprisingly well. There had been danger, chaos, and near-death moments, but they had all made it here safely, and even met some familiar faces along the way.

Looking through the train’s reinforced windows, Jaxon noticed the welded metal and the armed soldiers stationed at every corner. ’So they really put effort into this evacuation mission. I guess they hadn’t entirely abandoned their citizens.’

’Maybe I should see if I get the chance to assist the soldiers with killing the infected on the way to the safe zone. That would be ideal.’

.....

Hours passed, and most of the passengers had fallen asleep. Sam, still awake, nibbled on a piece of bread from a crumpled paper bag.

A light tug on his sleeve made him glance up. A thin boy stood there, his clothes ragged and dirty, eyes fixed on the bread in Sam’s hand. He looked almost like a beggar.

"You want some?" Sam asked, holding the bag out. The boy nodded eagerly.

Without a second thought, Sam offered the rest of the bread, even the piece he had been eating.

The boy snatched it up in an instant and bolted down the aisle.

Sam chuckled softly, not bothered that the boy didn’t even say thank you. He leaned back, made himself comfortable, and soon drifted off to sleep.

In the back of the train, the boy arrived at a small corner where two younger children waited. His siblings, eyes wide with worry as hunger marked their small faces.

"Big bro! You brought food!" one of them exclaimed, grabbing his arm. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Yeah," the boy replied, holding up the bread. "Those soldiers said we couldn’t get anything until quarantine was over. But don’t worry, I got some for us."

"Thanks, Big bro!" the youngest cheered, his eyes shining.

They huddled together, sharing the bread. Each bite was quick and desperate, a hunger that made it clear they hadn’t eaten properly in days.

.....

A few more hours passed. Jaxon sat quietly by the window, his eyes followed the blur of the world outside, watching abandoned towns and cities slip past. Buildings stood empty, streets cracked and overgrown, remnants of a life that no longer existed. Silence stretched over everything, broken only by the faint rumble of the train.

’So this is what the world has become,’ he thought, a hollow weight settling in his chest.

Now and then, he caught sight of the infected running alongside the train, drawn by the noise. They moved with terrifying persistence, but the train was faster than they could keep up with. Some slammed against the windows, only to be stopped by the reinforced metal. One by one, the infected fell behind, disappearing into the distance.

’I hope this holds until we reach the safe zone,’ Jaxon thought.

Soon enough, soldiers returned, guiding the survivors through a quick checkup before leading them to another car.

From the speakers above, a voice rang through.

"Every survivor is a chance. You are hope for humanity. You lived through the end of the world and survived. From this moment on, you are safe. The government will protect you. Food and clean water will be provided. Warm clothing, medical care, and essential supplies are waiting for you. This train is en route to the Mongoloid Safe Zone, a haven where you can rebuild your lives, surrounded by others who share the same struggles.

There, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the rebuilding of our nation. Your duty is to recover, to rebuild, and to become the foundation of a new society. You are not alone anymore.

Welcome back to humanity."