Dawn began to rise on the eastern horizon, painting the sky with pale shades of orange that gradually chased away the darkness of night.
In the quiet courtyard, Gabriel stood alone—surrounded by hundreds of motionless zombie bodies, as if they were a silent monument to the battle that had just ended.
The night before, he had spoken at length with Takashi. Gabriel had handed over a bag filled with ammunition and the location of the Katana for Saeko, along with a brief message:
"Take care of them."
Takashi accepted the heavy bag without protest. His expression clearly showed the weight of the responsibility that had just landed on his shoulders.
Without waiting for a response, Gabriel walked away—never once looking back.
With time still on his side, Gabriel decided to go back to hunting zombies, though not as recklessly as before—this time, because he no longer had enough healing elixirs.
In the end, an additional 130 zombies fell by his hand. With 5 system points awarded for each living corpse, his total points now reached 25,650 system points.
Finally, Gabriel's time in that world came to an end.
Before the sun fully rose, his body dissolved into reality, vanishing slowly as if he had never existed there from the very beginning.
***
Ding!
[Herald with serial number 95.111 has returned to the Infinity Room.]
[Evaluation initiated.]
Gabriel stepped back into the familiar dark room with four brick walls, standing quietly as he took in the familiar view.
Meanwhile, a soft white light enveloped his body, restoring the mental strain from using Gigan and the lingering stomach pain.
A few seconds later, a series of System Evaluation notifications appeared before him.
________________
Mission Title: Highschool of the Dead
Difficulty Level: Easy
Number of Participants: 1
Number of Main Missions: 3
Main Mission 1: Kill 500 Zombies. The number of zombies killed will affect the System Evaluation.
Main Mission 2: Form a survivor group with characters from that world, with a maximum of 5 members. The number of members gathered will affect the System Evaluation.
Main Mission 3: Obtain 5,000 System Points. The amount of system points collected will affect the System Evaluation.
Time Limit: 3 Months
Penalty: 1,000 system points will be deducted for each main mission that is not completed.
Reward: To be determined after all main missions are completed.
________________
[First Mission completed successfully. You killed Zombies beyond the required limit: Evaluation Results greatly increased.]
[Second Mission completed successfully. You rescued 7 surviving individuals: Evaluation Results slightly increased.]
[Third Mission completed successfully. You earned Points beyond the required limit: Evaluation Results greatly increased.]
[Evaluation Result: S]
Ding!
[The system detected a Factor that may influence the Evaluation Result!]
[Factor: You completed the Secret Mission C-Level - Reform the Hope Squad - Evaluation Results increased.]
[Evaluation Result: EX]
[Reward: 45,000 System Points, 15 Attribute Points, and 3 Skill Points.]
Seeing that he had inadvertently completed a Secret Mission, Gabriel froze in place.
Most of his persona mask seemed to fade—like lowering a phone screen brightness to half.
"I… completed a secret mission?" Gabriel murmured, his brow slightly furrowed. "Reform the Hope Squad… sounds like I've been appointed team leader without my consent."
His surprise wasn't without reason. Secret Missions were among the nearly impossible to complete.
Their appearance rate alone was only about 0.5%, a figure even senior Heralds rarely witnessed in their entire lives.
It made sense, then.
No Herald truly knew the detailed requirements of a Secret Mission. Everything was tightly hidden—only achievable if a Herald's actions coincidentally met conditions that were never announced.
Because of that, anyone who completed one would receive not only extra rewards, but also a sharp spike in their evaluation results, far surpassing ordinary main missions.
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Heh. If that's what they want… very well. Ash will guide you a little longer in the future."
With a flicker of focus, Gabriel extended his hand forward.
On the palm of his right hand, a pulse of white light suddenly appeared—softly throbbing, as if responding to the call of its owner.
The light then faded, forming a star-shaped medal, gleaming white like sacred metal.
Before him, a holographic screen appeared, displaying a full description of the reward he had just received.
Ding!
World Command Medal
Rank: Bronze
Description: A special item capable of performing certain interventions when receiving a compatible Main Mission. When used, it randomly offers five Worlds to choose from.
Price: 20,000 System Points
Note: This item can be used up to five times before it is destroyed.
After reading the full description of the Medal, Gabriel finally realized just how valuable this item was.
With the ability to select one out of five random worlds for the next Main Mission, he couldn't help but wear a satisfied smile.
He almost wanted to use it immediately—but held back. There were other things he wanted to do first.
Before continuing his inter-world journey, Gabriel briefly returned to his original world, spending 2,000 System Points.
He observed from a distance: Rian, the orphanage where he was raised, and the life that continued without him.
Without greeting, without approaching, he merely ensured that everything was still fine.
Once a sense of relief settled in, Gabriel returned to the Infinity Room.
This time, he spent 3,500 System Points and departed for the Highschool of the Dead world—2,000 Points for entry access, and 1,500 System Points to establish a fully equipped base with all the essential needs for the Survivors.
Only after everything was in place did Gabriel move toward the Auction House, where he could obtain additional supplies as preparation for his journey to the next world.
On his way to the area, the System activated again—displaying information, one by one, about various zones within the Infinity Room.
{Author's note: I probably don't need to explain this again, right? It's already covered in the other fanfiction, you're used to it.}
Upon arriving at the Auction House, Gabriel immediately took a seat at one of the participant chairs. The room was bathed in holographic lights reflecting data, item descriptions, and bids from other participants.
As the auction began, he focused intently on the Equipment and Items that caught his attention.
It didn't take long. Spending a total of 30,000 System Points, Gabriel successfully won:
____________________
> Mind Break Hand
Rank: Black
Type: Gloves
Effect: Increases Control by 25%.
> Vibranium Armor (Top)
Rank: Black
Type: Armor
Effect: With 10% Vibranium purity, this armor reduces 10% of damage taken by the wearer.
> Vibranium Trousers (Bottom)
Rank: Black
Type: Trousers
Effect: With 10% Vibranium purity, this armor reduces 10% of damage taken by the wearer.
> Vibranium Boots
Rank: Black
Type: Footwear
Effect: With 10% Vibranium purity, increases movement speed by 10% and dampens footstep noise to a certain degree.
> Little Flame Ring
Rank: Black
Type: Accessory
Effect: Increases all of the user's attribute points by +5.
> Elixir Potion
Type: Consumable
Effect: Regenerates damaged cells, restores lost organs, and can save the user's life as long as they are still breathing.
___________________
The transaction completed, Gabriel's name appeared on the winners' list, and he strode out of the auction hall with determined steps.
A system notification appeared, informing him that all the items had been delivered to his residence in the Infinity Room.
Upon arriving at his home—a small, minimally furnished yet comfortable room—Gabriel immediately opened the newly arrived boxes.
He inspected each piece of equipment, ensuring everything functioned properly, then began equipping them one by one.
In an instant, his appearance transformed, making him far more battle-ready than before.
And even though the System granted him nine days of rest, Gabriel had no intention of using them. Rest was not a priority.
After fastening his gear, securing his backpack, and adjusting his cloak, he stepped out of the house without hesitation.
His path led to the Sky Pillar—a colossal structure rising as if piercing the very fabric of reality.
It was a bridge between worlds.
A gateway for the Heralds.
And there, Gabriel would receive his next Main Mission.
A series of system notifications appeared before him.
Ding!
[Herald with serial number 95.111 has chosen to undertake a Mission before the 10-day rest period ends.]
[Starting Mission Assignment!]
Ding!
[The system detected that Herald 95.111 possesses a special item capable of influencing the Mission World. Do you wish to use it?]
"Yes," Gabriel replied succinctly.
Ding!
[Confirmed!]
[Herald with serial number 95.111 has chosen to use the Random World Command Medal. You may select one of five random Worlds to alter.]
__________________
First Choice: Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete
Second Choice: Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Third Choice: Mahoutsukai no Yome
Fourth Choice: Fate/Stay Night
Fifth Choice: Black Clover
__________________
Gabriel had just read the first choice—and immediately choked on his own breath. His Persona mask shattered instantly, like glass smashed with a hammer.
"Th… THAT WORLD!?!?" His voice cracked, pure panic. "W-WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM!?"
He instinctively stepped back half a pace, his face burning bright red, like a freshly boiled shrimp.
"I don't mind meeting Magical Girls, but—BUT—that's not a normal Magical Girl! That… that's moe-crime-level absurd!! I could get arrested just for appearing in the opening…!!!"
Gabriel grabbed his head, nearly raking his fingers through his hair, as if the world itself had collapsed on his shoulders.
"No. No. No. The first choice is immediately thrown into the bottomless abyss."
___
Author's note:
Currently, Gabriel's total system points are 10,220.