He lunged forward, snagging the strap and pulling hard. The bag twisted, knocking the zombie’s weight off-balance. It stumbled forward with a strangled groan, arms flailing as Sid pulled it down into position. The prompt blinked brighter.

[Right Mouse Button]

"Alright, you asked for it."

He swung his free arm high and smashed his fist down on the zombie’s skull like a sledgehammer. Bone cracked in a hard, decisive break. The creature collapsed instantly, crumpling against the pavement.

"Holy... I actually... I just beat a zombie. With button prompts."

[MISSION COMPLETE: Hostile zombie eliminated.]

"Oh... hell yes. First win on the board."

Sid stood over the body, fists lowering as his breathing slowed. The rush of the fight faded, leaving him staring down at the crumpled corpse. The stink still clung to his skin, but his focus shifted. For a moment, he felt something strange... pity. The way the zombie twitched before falling made it seem less like a monster and more like a broken person.

"Whatever. This isn’t real. It’s just... the game, right? My main body got dumped here, not my avatar. These things aren’t people anymore. They’re just NPCs."

Still, his words wavered as he glanced at the ruined face.

"Man... if this dude wasn’t infected, maybe he would’ve been a survivor. He probably had bad luck."

Sid crouched down, tilting his head at the torn clothes and battered body.

"Bet he’s packed with gear, though. All the tutorial mobs usually are."

Before he could say more, the voice cut in.

[To claim your starter gear, you must loot the defeated zombie.]

"Oh, come on. You’re seriously making me do this?"

He swallowed hard, the back of his throat tight. His eyes dropped again to the corpse, skin crawling at the thought of reaching into its pockets.

"Great. So I’m about to loot a dead body... well, double dead body. First it dies, then it turns into a zombie, then I kill it again. Yeah, double dead. Fantastic."

He blew out a tense breath, bracing himself, and reached down.

"Oh come on, why not just give me a code and I’ll redeem it, then just send it to my mail and boom! All of it goes into my inventory, huh?"

[Game features like that are impossible here. You must thrive in this game by earning things.]

Sid groaned and slapped a hand over his face.

"Of course...I finally end up in a game world, and it’s the one that hates shortcuts."

[Tip: scavenging from the dead is far safer than venturing into abandoned buildings or malls. Supplies are limited, and open areas reduce ambush risk.]

"Yeah... thanks for that tip."

His throat tightened, and for a moment he almost laughed at how absurd it was. This was supposed to be normal here, right? The system made it sound so casual, but standing over the body made his stomach twist. Still, the logic was solid. Supplies were supplies. He swallowed hard and forced himself to move.

"Please don’t haunt me, okay? It’s just a game! I swear I’m not a corpse thief in real life!"

He reached for the bagpack, hesitating again as his hands brushed against the damp, decayed fabric. The stench made him gag, but he forced himself to slip it over his shoulder.

"Ugh... okay. Gross. But... whatever. Inventory secured."

He then unclipped the belt bag from the zombie’s waist, fumbling with the fastenings as the weight of the reality hit him. The leather strap was stiff and smelled sour, but it would be useful. Sid buckled it around his waist, adjusting it until it felt snug enough to hold supplies.

"Man... why does this feel so weird? But, yeah, okay. I’m a survivor now, I guess."

He shrugged the backpack on and felt the extra pull from the belt bag at his waist. Jumping a little to test the balance, he grinned despite himself. For the first time since being dropped here, the setup actually felt right.

"Yow, I kinda love this look. I really do look like a survivor! But, ugh—the damn smell is horrible!"

[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED!]

[Skill Unlocked: Inventory Management]

[Description: You can now store, manage, and organize scavenged items.]

Sid’s eyes lit up despite the stench clinging to his clothes.

"Ohhh... nice. Finally, some game mechanics that actually make sense here. Inventory unlocked, baby. Alright, let’s see what you’ve got for me."

He patted the bag experimentally, already planning his next move with a mix of excitement and determination. His fingers brushed the belt bag and felt something solid. When he pulled it free, he found a pocket knife. Sid turned it over in his hand, testing the weight.

"Huh... not bad. Kinda small though."

He slashed the air a few times, testing its weight and imagining how it would handle against a zombie’s skull. His expression soured.

"Man, I miss my dagger from the last save. Got that thing from a gacha event, cost me a fortune just to pull it. Now I’m stuck with this little butter knife. Great."

He sighed, then gave a crooked smile.

"Alright, fine. I’ll accept it. At least it cuts."

The moment he confirmed the thought, the knife shimmered. Pixelated bubbles burst around it, and in an instant, it vanished from his grasp.

[Pocket Knife Acquired]

[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED!]

[Skill Unlocked: Instant Loot]

[Description: Items you touch are automatically stored in your inventory.]

"Oh-ho-ho... no way. Instant loot? This is straight-up cheat mode. Like, forget searching menus or stuffing my bag, just touch and zap, it’s mine?"

He tapped the belt bag at his side, remembering the pocket knife he had looted earlier. His smile widened.

"The knife went in, but the bag feels the same..."

[Weight and size do not affect storage; even large items fit seamlessly.]

"What...? Are you kidding me? This is insane! Dimensional bag style? This is actually genius. I could literally carry a car if I wanted, and it would just... fit? Ha!"

[Be cautious. Inventory has a maximum capacity. Items cannot exceed the limit. Manage your space wisely.]

He nodded, still marveling at the technology or magic of the system.

"Got it. Don’t go crazy, Sid. No hoarding everything in sight. But damn... this is perfect. I could survive forever with this thing."