Alex hid behind a tree and wanted to curse.

  Why were there guards even at nighttime?

  Don’t you guys sleep??

  Alex could understand the fact that guards might have a night shift in normal settings, but what could possibly be so secret to require it?

  Too bad for them. This just made him all the more eager to get in.

  Alex retreated his gaze from the guards and to the system screen.

  He studied the props placed in the system.

  They were all tools or skills related to his identity in the instance.

  This was the trend Alex observed after his second playthrough with the system.

  At the time, he was a student, so most of his skills and props were related to studying.

  Something like enhanced memory.

  A body that was always full of energy for the day.

  Enhanced focus to quickly understand the situation in front of him.

  Although these skills might seem useless in an apocalypse — as Alex originally thought — he found that the most important thing was the way in which he used them.

  Enhanced focus came in handy when aiming a gun.

  Good memory to easily remember all the blocked paths he passed or to memorize a map with just a glance.

  Or for watching a video about how to use a gun and learning it in seconds.

  Stamina made it easier for Alex to run away.

  Sometimes to outlast those stronger than him in the physical aspect by wearing them down.

  The props also gave Alex a headache on how to use them.

  At first, he discarded them as useless, but after seeing the light concerning skills, he had a reasonable change of heart… and still found the props an eyesore.

  Props like a uniform, glasses, and books.

  Compared to guns, knives, and food, they didn’t look like much.

  That is the magic in the props, I guess.

  To others and even to Alex himself, they all looked ordinary.

  But the results of using them were beyond the line of normality.

  The school uniform had a self-cleaning function and a moderate amount of defense.

  According to the system, it was important for a student to always look neat and impeccable in any situation.

  Even if that situation was killing zombies or fighting people.

  The glasses were meant to make him see better.

  True to the description, Alex did see better.

  He also saw everything all at once and nearly blacked out had he not ripped them off his face.

  The massive amount of information had overworked his usual brain capacity.

  So, while massaging his head, Alex thought about the use of the glasses.

  They allowed him to have a wider field of vision from all angles in a circle of his current environment.

  The system remarked that Alex hadn’t thought about what he wanted to see yet, so it went to default settings.

  What kind of default is that?? Alex grumbled while putting the glasses back on.

  This time, he focused on wanting to see behind him.

  It worked, which was a marvel to him.

  After experimentation, he could split his present view with any other view of his choice.

  The system remarked that a good student needs to see the board from any side of the classroom.

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  To that, Alex rolled his eyes.

  Now in the present, Alex remembered the system’s remarks once again, and his eyelid twitched.

  With a sense of anticipation — compared to the last time — Alex studied the shop.

  As expected, the items in the shop and skills looked very common.

  Skills like tastee, which enhances one’s sense of taste.

  Scent, which can help identify smells and also produce a scent he thought of.

  Identification, to easily identify ingredients.

  Steady hands, to work dexterously in the kitchen.

  The props too were mostly kitchen utensils.

  A frying pan to apply heat when mixed with oil.

  Oil that can lubricate an ingredient or the frying pan.

  A spatula for flipping ingredients.

  A chef’s uniform to ensure the chef is always neat.

  A season bottle that can unleash random spices.

  A pepper that makes one feel hot.

  A chef’s hat that protects the head.

  An oven for baking ingredients.

  Though this time he did have some offensive props.

  A bread knife that can easily cut through bread.

  Alex stared speechlessly at that one.

  A butcher’s knife so sharp that bone becomes paper thin.

  And lastly, the kitchen knife — a chef’s best weapon.

  Alex preferred the butcher’s knife, but this wasn’t a situation that required bloodshed.

  At least, it takes a few days and for his patience to run down before violence comes into play.

  Now he just needed the scent skill.

  And his kitchen knife in case the situation took a turn that required him to make use of it.

  Alex exited the shop and walked over to the guards casually.

  “I’m sorry, access to the building is not permitted,” a guard stepped forward to stop Alex from getting closer.

  “Really, what’s inside?” Alex looked at them like a curious man.

  “None of your business. Now if you would kindly leave.” The guard’s tone started to sound forceful.

  Alex felt his hand twitch and he unconsciously reached for his knife.

  It was a reflex action formed after surviving through so many playthroughs.

  Any reveal of ill intent in someone’s speech made him alert and battle-ready immediately.

  After all, he had experienced his fair share of sneak attacks from others.

  Sometimes to steal food or to kill him just because Alex was stronger than them.

  Being young and capable attracted attention.

  Mostly bad.

  See, people didn’t take it too well when a teenager would talk down to them.

  But in all fairness, they really were not as competent as Alex, and it was hard not to remind them of that when they tried to use seniority against him.

  After surviving through so many sneak attacks, Alex had developed the skill of detecting even the slightest trace of murderous intent in people’s words.

  Then respond to that intent in kind.

  Usually a domineering display of force.

  Sometimes directly killing if they didn’t bother to hide it in their words.

  Now Alex had to resist the urge to pull out his knife at them.

  “What are you even doing here at this time? Aren’t you meant to be in your room?” the second guard frowned, and his gaze turned suspicious.

  The other guard that had been speaking also realized how late it was.

  They weren’t at fault for forgetting because the street lamps on the pathway here were so bright it felt like day.

  Now that they realized something was off, their gazes sharpened and a scalpel slowly began to rise up in the air behind the two of them.

  Just as Alex brought out the kitchen knife, the two guards slumped on the ground.

  Alex released his tense posture and sighed in relief.

  Luckily, the skill actually worked.

  Although a bit slow, but the fact that they were ability users should be accounted for.

  That’s right — Alex had used his bought skill, scent, to make his body release one.

  An odorless scent that makes one pass out upon smelling it.

  It took a while, but it worked.

  Alex walked over to the guards and nudged their bodies.

  Then he inhaled deeply as he stepped into the building.

  His enhanced nose was able to catch the scent of the other people in the building.

  There weren’t many — just three on each floor.

  Seizing the opportunity, Alex used points to enhance the skill.

  Then he released the scent at full force on each floor.

  The result was all the guards and staff falling unconscious once he got close or they came close to him.

  Alex was glad that there were no cameras and just three floors.

  The first and second floors were all wards.

  The last floor only had one ward and an office.

  Alex guessed this should be the ward where they placed the Shae family girl.

  Then the office should belong to the manager.

  Alex glanced inside the girl’s room and found it empty.

  Ah right, that idiot Paul said she had left for school before the apocalypse.

  Alex suspected her to be dead already.

  After all, how can a terminally ill patient survive this long without drugs?

  The drugs in question were scattered on the bed as if she wanted to tell someone a statement after she left.

  Probably the manager.

  Finding no clues and receiving no prompt, Alex no longer rummaged through her stuff.

  With lock picking skills he had learnt previously, the door to the office yielded in less than a minute.

  It was good to know that most doors used an electric lock with a password.

  Normally, lock picking itself should be extinct due to that fact.

  But innovation goes both ways.

  Someone was able to create a tiny square metal object which only had the function to hack locks.

  And Alex made it his goal to always have one in each playthrough.

  After all, kicking down doors is old fashioned.

  The first impression of the office was neat.

  Very, very neat.

  Everything was arranged in such a way it was screaming order.

  Behind the table and chair was a bookshelf with books meticulously arranged.

  It was important to notice that the books didn’t look new, with obvious signs of use.

  In external circumstances, Alex would remark that the manager was a really good doctor.

  But a normal doctor wouldn’t require guards to watch his office, now would he?

  Alex was more careful this time and searched with great care.

  After all, such a neat freak would probably notice something was off if a cup was moved an inch back.

  So Alex would pick an item and place it back in its original spot one by one.

  All he found was a notebook full of information about medical stuff.

  Pictures of human anatomy with question marks and more medical terms.

  And lastly, a file containing patient information.

  All of which was useless to Alex.

  So the last place to check was the safe under his desk.

  After some lock picking, the safe opened.

  Inside, it didn’t lay bills or gold — instead, it was a notebook and two files.

  The first file had a picture of a girl with black hair and gaunt features.

  It was obvious the person was sick.

  Alex felt familiarity upon seeing the name.

  Only to realize that this person shared the same surname as the name on the door of the office.

  So this should be the manager’s sister according to the age written on the file.

  The second file had a picture of a young girl equally gaunt but with brown hair and green eyes.

  The name on it was Shae Harris.

  This should be the Shae family daughter who was pronounced dead.

  The two patients who had never met oddly shared the same disease and symptoms.

  A disease that was constantly mutating and enhancing by the second, so it changed characteristics and form every minute.

  With random symptoms each day — sometimes it didn’t change until a week, a month, or even a year later.

  It was a medical anomaly, and the scribbles in the files suggested it was one the manager hoped to solve.

  Unfortunately, his sister also had a deceased status.

  So it wasn’t surprising that he gave Shae Harris special care after the death of his sister.

  Older sister at that.

  He must have studied really hard to be able to become a doctor in this hospital.

  Although that care might have been a prison for the vibrant young girl.

  Who was more tenacious than his sister.

  His sister died not long after contracting the disease.

  It must have been his motivation to becoming a doctor in this hospital.

  While Shae Harris had lived a long time with it.

  After that, Alex opened the book and flipped through it.

  It was mostly about the doctor’s feelings toward trying to cure Shae Harris.

  How he struggled and his deep obsession with saving not just her but everyone in the building.

  Just as Alex was about to continue flipping, he met with a blank page.

  And a sticky note pasted on it in pink color saying:

  Let’s have a chat tomorrow and I’ll tell you all about it myself.

  Alex’s pupils dilated as he whipped his head backward.

  But there was no one else in the room.

  And neither was there a security camera in the office.

  So when was he watching me, and how did he know I was going to come here?

  Alex’s thoughts were in numerous.

  Questions about whether he let something slip.

  But even if he did, there was no reason for the manager to pay attention to him.

  Thinking wouldn’t get me answers.

  It’s best to wait till tomorrow.

  In defiance, Alex didn’t close the safe or arrange the contents back.

  Since the manager already knows I’m here, why bother?

  As for the hope that he wasn’t certain…

  Then Alex would arrange everything back neatly and pretend this never happened.

  A man who arranged his office so neatly is someone who would have a sense of arrogance.

  After all, geniuses are known for their confidence aside from their intelligence.

  Plus Alex was intrigued at such a clever person.

  The meeting tomorrow had his expectations.

  Alex returned to his room and went to sleep, still pondering on everything he had found out today.

  Gradually, his eyes grew hazy and he went to sleep.