Job Creation System: Apocalypse Workforce

Adam moved away from Ozan's base, following the map toward the marked X labeled "Mutant."

What does this mean? Is there really a mutant around here?

He was both curious and cautious. There was no guarantee that he could defeat a mutant if it truly existed. However, with two hours left before nightfall, he decided to check it out.

As he walked through the ruined city streets, his eyes remained fixed on the map. The area covered was vast—almost the entirety of Depok City. Several tent icons were scattered across different locations, marking various gang bases.

Adam counted them. Fifty? he muttered internally. That's a lot…

Maybe even small gangs of just five members were counted? He wasn't sure. But one thing that caught his attention was three symbols showing buildings next to tents.

Below them, the label read: "Military Base."

Damn… one of them is only three kilometers from my base.

Adam recalled Ozan's warning about the military. There was something about the way he spoke that made Adam feel there was a serious reason behind it.

However, this wasn't something he needed to focus on right now. Pushing aside his concerns about the government, Adam rolled up the map and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. He had memorized the location of the X marker. Now, all he needed to do was stay focused, keep moving, and eliminate any zombies he encountered along the way.

Twenty minutes later.

Adam arrived at a three-way intersection. If he continued straight and turned right, he would reach the marked X location.

But before he could take another step…

Dumm!

The sound of battle echoed through the streets. Explosions, metal clashing, and gunfire blended into a chaotic symphony.

Is someone else already there?

Adam quickened his pace, keeping close to the crumbling storefronts to muffle his footsteps. Slowly, he peeked from behind a collapsed wall.

There, in the middle of a ruined street, a 2.5-meter-tall mutant ape was engaged in a brutal fight against a group of people.

Among them, a towering man stood at the front lines. Flames roared around his arms, his massive axe engulfed in fire, making him look even more menacing.

"You're tougher than I expected," the man growled.

The ape swung its massive arm at him, but with impressive agility, the man dodged to the side and countered with a fiery slash.

Srekk!

The ape let out a pained roar as the burning axe tore through its flesh, leaving deep, charred wounds. It stumbled back, raising its injured arm.

But the group refused to let it recover. Another fighter—leaner but with clawed arms mutated beyond human—lunged at the beast, while others hurled axes and fired from a distance.

The ape went berserk.

With a furious roar, it leaped high into the air.

"Fall back! Get back!" someone yelled.

Boom!

When the ape landed, the ground trembled violently. Asphalt cracked beneath its weight, sending dust and debris flying. The fighters too close to the impact zone staggered backward.

Adam swallowed hard.

His body had become stronger since his evolution, but compared to the flaming axe-wielding man and the mutant-clawed fighter, he felt like a weakling.

What gang is this? They have at least two evolved fighters…

Adam recalled Ozan's map. There were no details about how many evolved individuals each gang had—just their base locations.

Dumm!

Another powerful tremor shook the ground. Adam, still crouched behind cover, peeked out again.

The scene had changed drastically.

The ape was now surrounded by a pulsating red aura.

Most of the gang members were sprawled across the ground—unmoving. Only two fighters remained standing: the fire-wielding axe man and the clawed mutant fighter.

But one of them… had lost an arm.

"Damn it… Why did it suddenly go berserk?!" the one-armed man yelled, blood dripping from his shoulder.

"I don't know! I've never seen this type before!" the axe fighter replied, his face tense.

"We need to retreat!"

Without hesitation, the two turned and ran, abandoning their fallen comrades.

But the mutant ape wouldn't let them escape.

With an incredible leap, it landed right in front of them, blocking their path.

"Shit…!"

The fire-wielding man lunged forward, swinging his flaming axe with all his might. The flames intensified, roaring like an inferno.

But the ape moved faster.

Its crimson eyes gleamed, and in a flash, its massive arm slammed into the man's torso.

BAM!

The force sent him flying into a nearby building. The concrete wall shattered upon impact, and his body crashed hard onto the asphalt, leaving cracks in the pavement.

Adam held his breath.

The man groaned, struggling to get up despite his injuries. But before he could fully stand—

Dugg! Dug! Dug!

The ape pounded him into the ground, again and again. The pavement split apart beneath each devastating strike. Blood splattered, and within moments, the man's groans faded into silence.

Adam clenched his teeth. His gaze shifted to the other fighter—the one who had lost an arm.

The man was frozen in terror, his body trembling, his face pale as death.

The ape turned toward him.

Then, without warning—

Brak!

It grabbed and hurled him into another building. A horrific scream echoed as bones shattered on impact.

Adam winced at the sound. Then, more sickening cracks followed as the ape kept pummeling him into the rubble.

Until, finally—

Silence.

Adam remained crouched behind cover, his breathing uneven.

His eyes stayed locked on the terrifying creature.

This was his first time seeing an ape this huge—and this brutal.

His mind raced.

Can I even kill this thing?

His hand slowly reached down, gripping the Viper Sniper slung across his back. His fingers tightened around the weapon, a small effort to calm his nerves.

"I hope you're enough…" he murmured under his breath.

Taking a slow breath, Adam whispered a question in his mind.

Sistem… will this sniper even work against that thing?