Sid looked back at the zombie shopkeeper. It groaned again, weak and hollow, but there was no real threat left in it, just a sound of something that once was. Sid sighed deeply, sheathing his knife.

"Alright, Beka. You win. I’m not killing you. You’ve been stuck here long enough."

He walked past the counter, stepping carefully.

"So, uh... I’ll just take a few things off your hands, okay? Sheets, cloth, whatever’s still usable."

He glanced back at her and raised a hand in mock politeness.

"Don’t be mad. I’m basically a shoplifter with manners."

The zombie let out one more pitiful groan, almost like a sigh. Sid smiled faintly.

"Did you just reply? Ha! Thanks for understanding."

He walked forward to the shelves. Hands on his chin as he check every corner his eyes widening as the blue glow of his Lootsense pulsed over the shop. Each usable ingredient flickered faintly, highlighting cotton rolls, thread, and stuffing he could grab. He muttered shouting to Beca,

"Beka your shop great! You actually got some items here but uh... just where the hell is the damn recipe?"

But his attention snapped sharply as he noticed Beka struggling violently in her wheelchair. Rusted wheels squeaked, her arms straining to push herself forward, her shriveled legs twisting unnaturally.

"Beka, can you hold your horses?! I’m trying to focus my vision here!"

His LootSense flickered nervously over the scattered ingredients, the glow dancing as he struggled to keep his attention on the task instead of the writhing zombie.

A sudden snap echoed as her leg tore free from the remnants of the chair, hitting the floor with a wet thud. Sid’s jaw dropped, and he instinctively turned his eyes away— only to notice a naked mannequin lying nearby, its form eerily lifelike.

"Beka, what the f*ck?"

He muttered awkwardly, blinking rapidly. Despite the apocalypse setting, he couldn’t help but glance at the mannequin’s perfect curves and posture, briefly forgetting the immediate danger.

"Ohh, you don’t have any clothes left... maybe some damn shoplifter even stole them, ha. What should I call you? Petite Amy, maybe—"

Before he could reach for the mannequin’s breast, Beka slammed her hands against the counter. Using the strength in her arms, she hauled herself forward, crawling with a speed that belied her previous immobility. Sid’s senses screamed at him. Her red, dead eyes locked on him, teeth bared.

"WHAT THE— YOU WERE CRIPPLED JUST A SECOND AGO!"

Beka’s jaw sank onto the petite Amy’s breast, and with a forceful bite, she tore it off.

"How dare you tear her breast, you monster!"

Sid shouted, his voice trembling with rage. He kicked Beka with all his might, sending her crashing into the counter. The impact rattled the entire display, and Sid staggered back, clutching the lifeless dummy protectively in front of him.

"Sorry, petite Amy!"

But she wasn’t done— Beka recovered in an instant, leaping toward him again with horrifying speed. Sid’s grip tightened, adrenaline pumping as he readied himself for another strike.

Suddenly, his HUD flashed with a sharp alert:

[SYSTEM ALERT!]

[Zombie Classification Identified]

[Crawler]

[Condition: Humans with crippled legs, paralysis, or long bedridden.]

[Background: Infection shifts muscle to arms. Arms become monstrous; can crawl rapidly, leap short distances.]

"Wait... what the— crawler? The crippled is a crawler now?!"

Sid froze for a fraction of a second, eyes wide as Beka launched herself at him with terrifying speed, her monstrous arms propelling her like a predator striking at prey. Reflexively, he raised the mannequin between them, letting it absorb the first violent impact.

CRASH!

The dummy splintered in his hands, arms breaking at the shoulders, legs snapping beneath the force. Sid cursed under his breath.

"Alright... pity’s out the window. You’re asking for it."

The HUD flared, activating [Combat Vision Skill]. Button prompts appeared:

Sid’s mind raced as the crawler lunged again, claws slashing downward. He ducked, tapping [ Ctrl] just in time to avoid the swipe, feeling the wind rush past his face. He rolled to the side, prompting [Ctrl + Space Bar] and grabbed a nearby wooden mannequin arm that had fallen during Beka’s first attack. With [E + G] he swung it like a club, hitting her squarely in the side. The sound of cracking bone echoed as she recoiled but quickly recovered, crawling faster than Sid expected.

"Okay... okay, calm down! Beka, chill!"

He scanned the environment quickly. Shelves, mannequins, scattered tools— everything could be a weapon or obstacle.

Using the [W + Left Mouse Click] , he slammed a shelf onto Beka as she charged, forcing her to flip backward across the room. She landed hard, arms digging into the ground, and snapped back upright with monstrous speed, growling and slashing at the air toward Sid’s head.

Sid vaulted over the counter with [ Space Bar near obstacle] landing behind another pile of broken mannequins. His heart pounded, adrenaline surging.

"I’ve got mixed feelings about killing zombies today, honestly I do but you’re leaving me no choice, Beka!"

As he crouched behind the counter, a violet spark caught his eye on a nearby shelf. His eyes widened, shining with excitement.

"OH GOD... there it is! My recipe!"

Just as he reached for it, Beka lunged. Sid ducked under the attack [ Tap Ctrl] and grabbing a wooden plank with nails sticking out. Swinging with [ Right Mouse Button] , he landed a heavy blow across her shoulder. She screeched, clawing through the air, but the plank shattered mid swing. His eyes flicked to the violet spark on the shelf.

"Recipe... I’m coming for you, no matter what!"

Beka’s relentless crawling, leaping, and slashing pushed Sid to the limit. He used [Space Bar near obstacle] over low debris repeatedly, [Ctrl + Space Bar] to avoid fatal strikes, and picked up heavy mannequins with [ E] , throwing them strategically to buy distance.

Each time he hit her, Combat Vision highlighted the next safest move: a narrow gap near the back wall, where a cluster of broken shelves formed a funnel. He lured her in, shoving with [ W + Left Mouse Click] repeatedly, limiting her movement.

Finally, after a grueling series of blocks, rolls, and heavy attacks, Sid saw the opening.

"Alright... this is it. One clean hit and it’s over time to finish this!"