CHAPTER 40: UNUTILIZED FEATURE

He opened his system.

[User: Riku Hayashi Level: 5

Experience Points: 3,890/8,200

Skill points: 0

SP BALANCE: 14,230

Armory Shop: Skills:

[[Skill Points Available:0]

Weapons Handling: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)

Melee Weapon Proficiency: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)

Hand-to-Hand Combat: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)

Stamina & Endurance: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)

Scavenging:Lv. 1 (0/10 SP)

Tactical Awareness: Lv. 1 (10/20 SP)

Driving: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)

Piloting: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)

Maintenance & Engineering: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)

Medical Knowledge: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)

]

The leveling sucks.

That was the only thing running through Riku’s mind as he stared at his stats, projected faintly in the corner of his vision like an unwelcome reminder. Level 5. After all the fights, all the close calls, all the blood on his hands—still only level 5. He had killed so many zombies he’d lost count, but the system didn’t care. From its standpoint, it was "balanced."

Balanced, his ass.

The thought lingered as he glanced at the figures. If every human really turned, that was at least eight billion zombies walking the earth. Multiply that by fifty, like the system’s scaling hinted, and the numbers went beyond comprehension. Maybe that’s why the system was stingy with levels. Maybe it expected survivors to grind endlessly. At least missions paid well if you completed them. Generous, even.

But none of that mattered right now.

The real problem was getting out of the building and getting to Miko, which is by the way not yet feasible due to the number of zombies outside.

He would wait for them to calm down and while they were at it, he would purchase weapons from the Armory Shop.

And looking at his current state of weapons. He still has his M4 Carbine with four magazines and an M24, which is practically useless. He has Glock 17 and it wouldn’t even make a difference from his main weapons.

Wait, he realized something.

He opened his system and tapped the inventory. There, he tried putting the Glock 17 there by simply thinking of storing the pistol in it. And suddenly, the Glock 17 disappeared from his holster.

And when he thought of grabbing it out from the inventory, it materialized back in the holster.

Wait, does that mean he doesn’t have to carry the actual weapons on his back? He can just simply think of getting it out from the inventory and it would appear?

In that case, Riku stowed the M24 Sniper Rifle in the inventory, leaving him with the M4 Carbine. With his SP Balance of 14,320. He bought ten mags of M4 Carbine for 1,600SP, leaving him with only 12,720SP, and the purchased items was transferred to his inventory.

Next, he needed something explosive just in case he’d encounter the tank outside. In Heavy Tab section in Armory Shop, there were

RPG-7

Cost: 10,000SP

Ammo: 300SP per rocket

Requirement: Weapons Handling Lv. 3

M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon)

Cost: 7,500SP

Ammo: Disposable, single-shot only.

Requirement: Weapons Handling Lv. 2

Description: Fire and discard. Cheaper alternative to the RPG, but no reloads.

M2 Browning .50 Cal Heavy Machine Gun

Cost: 15,000SP

Ammo: 150SP per belt (100 rounds)

Requirement: Weapons Handling Lv. 4

Description: Crew-served gun adapted for solo use. Incredible firepower, but heavy and cumbersome.

FGM-148 Javelin Missile System

Cost: 20,000SP

Ammo: 800SP per missile

Requirement: Level 10, Weapons Handling Lv. 4

Description: Fire-and-forget top-attack missile. Effective against heavy targets.

M224 Mortar (60mm)

Cost: 18,000SP

Ammo: 250SP per round

Requirement: Weapons Handling Lv. 4, Tactical Awareness Lv. 2

Description: Indirect fire weapon. Devastating, but impractical for close combat.

Riku whistled under his breath. "Damn... so the Armory wasn’t kidding about heavy."

The Javelin was out of the question—locked behind higher level requirements. The M2 Browning and Mortar were impractical inside a city teeming with fast zombies. That left only one real option he could trust now: the RPG-7.

But what about the M72 LAW?

It was tempting. Cheaper, lighter, disposable. Fire once and toss it aside. If he just needed a single shot to cripple the Juggernaut, it could work. But that was the problem—it was only one shot. No reloads. If he missed, or if the Juggernaut survived the hit, then what? He’d be standing there with nothing but his carbine against a monster built like a tank.

No. That wasn’t acceptable.

The RPG-7 on the other hand, while heavier and more expensive, could be reloaded as long as he had rockets. It gave him options. It gave him the ability to try again. Against something like the Juggernaut, he’d need that flexibility.

"Yeah," he muttered under his breath, fingers hovering over the purchase screen. "Insurance policy."

Purchase confirmed.

[RPG-7 acquired. -10,000SP]

[3x Rockets acquired. -900SP]

[Remaining Balance: 1,820SP]

The launcher materialized in his hands for an instant—a long, heavy tube with its iconic warhead already mounted. The weight was real, solid, but the moment he willed it, the weapon flickered and disappeared into his inventory.

Riku exhaled, tension draining slightly from his shoulders. He wasn’t helpless anymore. Expensive as hell, but worth it. With the RPG, he had a way to stand toe-to-toe with monsters bigger than buildings if he had to.

Still... that balance stung. From over fourteen thousand down to under two in a blink. SP bled away faster than he could ever earn it.

He flexed his fingers around the tomahawk, glancing at the barricaded door. The moans were still there, fists still pounding, but they weren’t forcing their way in yet. That gave him time—time to breathe, time to plan.

"Alright," he whispered to himself, crouching by the window and peering through the cracked blinds. Sunlight spilled across the street outside. Far below, distant figures moved—more of the dead, staggering in waves. And somewhere beyond, the faint tremor of the Juggernaut’s steps rumbled like distant thunder.

Riku’s lips pressed into a thin line. He had the tools now. He had the means. All he needed was the right moment.

And when it came... he’d make damn sure it counted.