Zombie Apocalypse: I Have Safe Zone Superpower

With two hundred and twenty points, he bought a loaf of bread, a small glass of water, and a pack of pickles. It was not much, but at least it was something.

When he returned home, the leaking roof greeted him again. He walked inside and handed the bread to his wife.

Her eyes lit up when she saw it, and for a moment, her face looked alive again.

She carefully tore the bread into two halves. Instead of eating right away, she gave one half to him.

"Eat with me," she said softly.

He shook his head, but she insisted. Finally, he took it. She opened the small pack of pickles and spread a little on the bread before taking a bite.

A happy expression spread across her face as if it were the best food in the world.

The man looked at her, and his heart broke into pieces. He remembered how she used to live in her wealthy family, dressed in fine clothes and eating delicious meals every day.

Now she was smiling over half a loaf of bread with pickles.

His fists clenched. He thought about how many contribution points were needed just to rent a room in the military base.

A thousand points. To get that, he would have to kill a thousand zombies, maybe more. The rate was cruel. He had already killed more than a thousand, and still he was living in this broken, leaking house.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to smile at her. "Don't worry. Soon, I'll get us a better place to live. You won't have to suffer like this anymore."

His wife nodded and leaned her head gently on his shoulder. She did not say anything, but in her heart, she wanted to believe him.

Marco woke up early the next day and prepared himself like always. His body ached, but he forced himself to stand.

When he reached the gathering place, the team was already waiting. They looked stronger than before, as if every day only made them tougher.

One of the men suddenly asked, "Marco, have you awakened yet? Any power?"

Marco froze. His chest tightened. He shook his head and said, "Not yet. But I will. One day, I will have power too."

The team leader, Spade, stepped forward. His voice was calm but carried weight.

"Marco, I know your life is hard. I know you fight every day without power. But I pity you. That pity ends here. Our team cannot carry you any longer. We need stronger people."

Marco's throat went dry. He looked at Spade with mixed feelings. "Please… give me another chance. I will awaken. I promise I will."

Spade only shook his head.

"The missions are harder now. Contribution points are fewer. If I keep weak people in the team, none of us will survive. I cannot take you anymore."

Marco's heart sank as he watched the team slowly walk away. Beside Spade was a new member, a young man with thunder powers.

Sparks of electricity flickered around his hands. Marco could not stop himself from feeling jealous. Why did others awaken so easily, while he had nothing?

Taking a deep breath, Marco turned away. If no one wanted him, then he would fight alone.

That day, he went out by himself. The city ruins were crawling with zombies. Each fight was a brush with death.

More than once, rotten hands grabbed at his arms, and sharp nails nearly tore into his skin. One time, a zombie leapt at him, and he barely dodged in time.

Sweat poured down his face, and his hands shook, but he kept fighting.

By the time he returned to the base, his clothes were torn, and his body was covered in bruises. He had risked his life many times, yet all he had gathered were thirty crystals.

He held them in his hands and felt a heavy weight press down on his chest. Thirty crystals were nothing. Not enough for food. Not enough for a safe place.

Back home, he placed the crystals inside a drawer. When he looked at his wife, his heart sank again.

She lay in bed, pale and weak. Usually, she would be up, doing small jobs for points. But today, she could barely move.

He rushed to her side. "What's wrong?"

Her voice was faint. "I… I feel cold. My head hurts."

Marco's stomach dropped. She was sick. He hurried to spend all the crystals on medicine. Even then, it was not enough, and he had to buy on credit. The debt reached one thousand crystals.

When his wife finally began to recover, Marco let out a long sigh of relief. But there was no time to rest.

He picked up his weapon and went out again. This time, he pushed himself harder.

He fought recklessly, and blood ran down his arms from the wounds. More than once, he thought he would not come back.

Days passed, and his injuries grew worse. Each time he returned home, his wife looked thinner.

Her cheeks were hollow, and her eyes dim. The food he brought back was never enough.

Sometimes, Marco lay awake at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering if this was the end. Maybe their lives would end like this.

Hungry, wounded, and without hope. He thought about the zombies outside and the humans who had powers.

Compared to them, he and his wife were so small, so powerless.

While Marco was struggling outside, Ivy had already returned to her base. Life there was not easy either, but she had something different on her mind.

She believed that people did not only fight for crystals and survival. They also fought for food. Without food, no one could last long.

So Ivy started a plan. She decided to open a store. It was not fancy, and she did not have much to sell, but she thought it was worth trying.

At least it would give her a start. She called it a grocery store, though in truth, the items were very few.