Apocalypse: System of lotteries

At dusk, Digennaro heard a series of explosions and wondered aloud, "Hmm? Gunshots? Firecrackers?" Without hesitation, she grabbed her ram's horn and ran toward the source of the sound. Her logic was simple: she only knew of her brother and his companions being here, no one else. Surely, the noise was their doing. She needed to check.

...

Alan stood in front of a special shop. The screen displayed four options:

[1. Randomly obtain a voice message left by your girlfriend for 120 coins.]

[2. Randomly access a chat history with your girlfriend for 120 coins.]

[3. Randomly obtain a cherished photo of you and your girlfriend for 220 coins.]

[4. Randomly unlock a five-slot storage for 20  coins.]

A buzzing noise filled Alan's head. Girlfriend...

A memory he had buried deep within surged to the forefront: the moment when his girlfriend was bitten by a zombie, and he had to end her life with his own hands.

Holding his chest, Alan felt lightheaded and nauseous. He had sworn to Helena that he would survive and to himself that he would uncover the origins of this apocalypse to avenge her. But... he longed to hear her voice once more.

"What's taking so long?" Hawkins, standing guard nearby, called out.

"Choosing..."

Alan's eyes welled up as he glanced at the first three options.

"Option 4!" After making his choice, he immediately took over from Hawkins.

At that moment, he looked up at the evening sky, holding back his tears. "Helena," he whispered to the heavens, "Your voice is etched in my heart. I don't need any reminders, right?"

Lowering his gaze to an approaching zombie, his eyes regained their usual cold detachment. With a determined stride, he thrust his spear through the zombie's head.

Hawkins, now in front of the unique shop, examined:

[1. Randomly receive a bouquet of flowers for 19 coins.]

[2. Randomly receive a wedding dress for 19 coins.]

[3. Randomly receive a wedding ring for 19 coins.]

[4. Randomly unlock a special talent for 99 coins.]

"…"

Hawkins stared at the screen, feeling as if the rules of the world were omnipresent. How did it know he was preparing for marriage and wanted the essential wedding goods? It felt unnerving to think someone might know everything about him.

Option 4.

"There's an explosion!"

Alan, hearing the noise, swiftly turned and cautioned, "It must be the boss. Only he has that unique shotgun. We should head there now."

Hawkins, after making his selection, responded, "Wait. Let's assess the situation over there first. If the others are with him, we can't approach him too soon. Otherwise, our ban will never be lifted."

"Alright."

Alan broke into a nearby convenience store and quickly located a pen and paper. He scribbled, "I'll check if he's alone or if they've regrouped. Ask about the twig."

Hawkins, standing by, added, "Also, inquire if they've found the sheep."

"Got it."

…

In the commercial street convenience store, David channeled energy stones to continuously power Mike's armor. Holding his Gatling gun, Mike stood like a fortified turret at the store entrance, unloading a barrage onto the horde of zombies on the street.

Ratatat!!

Hiss!!

Ming weaved through the surrounding area, finishing off the stragglers. The zombie bodies had piled up several layers high on the street.

David shouted from the side, "Mike, aim better! Those energy stones and elemental stones cost money, you know!"

"I'm trying! These damn zombies have evolved; they're much faster now!"

Mike, with his Gatling gun blazing non-stop, yelled, "I need some stamina potion! I can't hold on much longer."

David bit open a vial and moved closer. "Open up!"

"…"

Mike opened his mouth to receive the potion, glaring at David afterward, "Next time, use your hand, not your mouth."

Ratatat!!

Hiss!!

Bullets and flames intersected, mowing down rows of zombies. When only about ten remained, the Gatling gun suddenly jammed.

Mike turned to David, "Where are the energy stones? Refill!"

David held up an empty storage box, "I told you to conserve! Look, you've used up the entire box."

"Just a dozen more. After that, we wait for the shop to refresh."

Ming rushed forward, cleaning up. David, looking somewhat fatigued, followed, "Boss, I might be reduced to mere support this time. This is our fourth shop, and my options are still blind boxes. No skills, no talents. I wonder how the others are doing."

As David spoke, he skewered a zombie's head.

Ming said, "No rush. With all the noise we're making, they'll definitely know where we are."

After all, losing a teammate meant they would be trapped here forever. Since there were no rule prompts now, it meant the others were still alive. Searching blindly for them might not be as effective as using gunshots to draw them in.

Suddenly, a tall figure appeared around the street corner. The three turned to look, spotting the figure holding a large iron shovel, its purple eyes especially bright in the night.

"A King-level!" The three of them gasped in unison. Facing a King-level zombie now was deadly!

Crack! Crack! Crack!!!

Mike grasped the Gatling, pulling the trigger. Yet without the energy and elemental stones to power it, the gun remained silent. Casting the heavy weapon aside, he unsheathed his longsword and stepped out of the store. "Boss," he said, "I'll lead the charge. Strike!"

With those words, Mike advanced, longsword in hand. As he approached, he swung wide. The King-level zombie deftly leaned back, narrowly dodging the blade, then sprang forward, smashing Mike's armored chest with his shovel. The force sent Mike stumbling back, crashing into the walls of the adjacent buildings.

Ming quickly pushed David to safety, opting to launch his own assault from a different angle. His agility far surpassed David's, who appeared helpless in the fight.

Suddenly, a powerful kick from the zombie sent Ming flying, bending a lamppost upon impact. He crumpled to the ground, pain shooting up his back.  Was the King-level truly this formidable?

"come on !" Mike roared, launching another attack. His blade landed on the zombie's left shoulder, breaking through its guard but failing to wound it.  instead, the zombie smashes the hilt of its weapon onto Mike's helmet.

A loud clang echoed. Beneath his helmet, Mike's head rang from the impact.

The zombie wielded its shovel again, toppling the armored Mike with a single blow.

Suddenly, a muffled thud sounded as Ming, wielding a war hammer, struck the zombie's head. However, it remained unharmed, retaliating swiftly and knocking Ming to the ground with its shovel.

"Damn it!"

David, brandishing a blade, charged forth. But before he could close the distance, the zombie's foot sent him soaring, crashing into the illuminated sign of "Peaceful." He groaned, clutching his waist, "Ah, damn it! That hurts!"

Mike attempted to rise but was again floored by the relentless zombie.

The three were soundly defeated.

"Alas..."

At that moment, a clear voice rang out. The zombie turned to see a young girl, holding the horn of an antelope. Her eyes blazed with a golden light, emitting twin laser beams that struck the zombie squarely in the chest.

hit it!

The zombie gazed downwards as the beams sliced through, bifurcating its torso. Another sweep of the lasers cut it in half at the waist.

The zombie writhed as it fell.

"ming!"

Digennaro sprinted forward, lifting the helmet to reveal Mike's face. she seemed incredulous. "Why is it you?"

So what? Am I, not your brother? Did I let you down?"

Digennaro rose, sidestepping a fallen ally, and gently helped Ming to his feet. Cradling the bruised man in his arms, a golden tear trickled from his eye. "Brother, does it hurt?"

"I'm alright. Just be gentle with your grip, might ease the pain a bit."

Upon seeing the girl, Ming managed a smile, then suddenly pointed in the distance. "The sheep! Don't let it get away!"