C3 Invincible Intelligence, Guidance to Kill.

Urlan froze for a second. "Is this the system? Does everyone who comes into the Chaotic Space get a system?"

In that brief moment of shock, a zombie shambled toward him.

"Urlan, there's a zombie! Run for it! What are you spacing out for?"

"Damn, talk about bad luck. Just got here and already facing a zombie—and it looks like he's one of the fast ones!"

"This is it. Urlan's about to set a new record for the quickest elimination!"

Clearly, Urlan was just a student, and the prospect of facing a zombie, a creature of nightmares, probably turned his legs to jelly, fighting being the last thing on his mind.

"Hahaha, this is too funny. Weren't you the ones saying he'd show us up with his strength? I'll just wait here. Maybe I'll even catch the next Osmistanian to stumble into the Chaotic Space."

"Yeah, seems like Lady Luck's shining on him—gets a personal zombie welcome the second he steps in!"

"No wonder they call him a weakling. What good is being handsome now?"

The Osmistanians all clenched their fists, unable to come up with a retort.

At that moment, Urlan did indeed tense up at the sight of the zombie. A delicate scholar by nature, he wasn't the type to stay cool and collected in the face of the undead.

"Info: Standard zombie (Level 1). Strength exceeds an adult's by 10%. Extremely low agility. Carries a high viral load. Avoid injury. Stay calm, and you should be able to escape. To kill it, aim for the head or extract the crystal nucleus."

"Pre-zombification status: Name, Finlay Harris; Gender..."

Urlan's eyes widened. The information was incredibly detailed, even including the zombie's life before transformation?

The zombie hobbled closer to where Urlan stood.

"Dude, run! Now's not the time to freeze up!"

"Exactly. You were all set to bolt a second ago. Why the daze now?"

"He's not actually paralyzed with fear, is he?"

All the Osmistanians watching the live feed were anxious for Urlan.

And the mocking foreigners were quick to chime in.

"Haha, hasn't he ever seen a Chaotic Space broadcast? There are always zombies!"

"Seriously. After all those zombie streams, he's still this fragile? Osmistan's new generation is just too soft!"

"I bet he won't last three minutes. He's going to be the fastest trial challenger to get knocked out, hands down!"

"Three minutes? My money's on one. If he makes it past a minute, I'll eat my own shit live on air!"

Even though Urlan seemed out of his depth, the Osmistanians shot back, "We'll be watching for that live show!"

Noting the zombie's sluggish pace, Urlan kept his cool and scanned the area for a potential weapon.

He wasn't about to flee. Having been chosen for the Chaotic Space, he was determined to gauge a zombie's power—after all, he'd be facing them regularly from now on.

Spotting a snapped steel rebar, he picked it up and tested its weight. "Wonder if this is sturdy enough to crack open a zombie's skull."

"Info: Rusty steel rebar. Despite the rust, the sharp tip can easily penetrate a zombie's skull."

"Well then, let's give it a shot." Urlan licked his lips, eyeing the approaching zombie.

"Look, everyone! Urlan's armed himself!"

"Right on! Go Urlan!"

"But honestly, running might be the smarter move right now."

"I know, with his slight build, I'm really concerned!"

"Damn, he's actually fighting back. Tsk, seems more like he's serving himself up on a platter!"

"Remembering your ID up there! 38 seconds to go—Urlan's made it a minute. You ready to eat your shit?"

"Pfft, thinks he can fend off a zombie with a steel bar? Naive!"

The live chat was abuzz as the zombie drew near to Urlan.

Urlan sprang into action, dashing toward a crumbling wall.

Perched atop the wall, Urlan thought, "How can I take down this zombie smoothly?"

"Info: Adjust your stance to the left. Leap and thrust the steel bar at a 45-degree angle into the zombie's right eye. Before the bar sinks a quarter way in, let go and dodge aside to avoid scratches."

The information came with both text and images, giving Urlan a clear visual of the suggested maneuver.

As the zombie closed in, Urlan didn't hesitate.

He positioned himself, leaped, and plunged the rebar into the zombie's right eye!

A gush of black blood oozed from the socket, but didn't spray out.

Seeing the rebar embedded a quarter deep, Urlan released his grip and rolled to the side, following his jump's momentum.

In the midst of his roll, the zombie's claws swiped at him. Had he not let go of the rebar, he would have been caught.

Being caught meant infection, and with it, certain death—even if the zombie itself didn't finish him off.

Urlan tumbled across the ground several times. When he finally came to a halt, the zombie beside him thudded to the ground and lay still.

"Holy smokes, Urlan, you're seriously my hero! How does such a scrawny frame hide so much power?"

"Incredible! He's got to be the first person in Osmistan to take down a zombie!"

"Own it! Drop the 'got to be'—he IS the first in Osmistan to kill a zombie."

"That sequence was badass!"

"Where's the guy who claimed he'd only last ten seconds? Need me to whip up something to eat? It's still piping hot!"

"Yeah, where did that guy go?"

"Damn, he's bailed on the live stream."

"Their country's known for empty talk, from the president down to the common folk. Don't sweat it. Just keep your eyes on Urlan. He might just make it out alive!"

The staff in Chaotic Space were equally astounded. They had the professional gear and personnel to break down Urlan's moves.

"Director, Urlan's execution was flawless. Our supercomputer's analysis suggests it was the optimal choice!" an excited technician reported. "The angle and force of the attack, the timing of releasing the rebar—it was textbook perfect!"

Ollie was on the verge of losing hope, but Urlan had pulled off an unexpected feat.

"Fantastic, let's hope he keeps this up!" Ollie said, his eyes glued to Urlan on the screen.

Panting, Urlan found a stick and cautiously approached the zombie, giving it a tentative poke.

When the zombie showed no signs of life, Urlan muttered to himself, "Where's the crystal nucleus?"

"The crystal nucleus is in the brain. You can try retrieving it through the eye socket or by cracking open the skull."

Urlan grimaced, then gripped the rebar lodged in the eye socket and yanked it out with a forceful tug, bringing with it a grisly mix of red and white.