My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 111: Our Choice

The storm raged beneath the mountain forest, wind tearing through the trees as thunder rolled above them. Gunshots cracked through the darkness, mixed with ragged shouts and the low, guttural roars of the infected closing in from behind.

The survivors and soldiers ran with everything they had left.

Breath came out in harsh gasps. A few survivors stumbled, nearly falling, their legs shaking from exhaustion as the infected chased them without slowing.

Every few seconds, soldiers and Jaxon’s group turned back and fired. A few infected dropped into the mud, twitching. But more pushed forward from the trees, their figures emerging one after another through the rain and fog. They were endless.

Jaxon ran alongside the group, his eyes sharp as he scanned everyone. The survivors were reaching their limit, men and women gasped for air, their faces pale and drained. Some clutched their sides as they ran. Others were already slowing down, one wrong step and they would fall.

In contrast, his group still had strength. They were tired, but still able to move and fight.

Jaxon’s gaze darkened. Only two choices remained. Fight with everything they had... or leave the ones who could not keep up.

Thomas knew it too. He gritted his teeth as he ran, his eyes flicked toward the survivors who were barely holding on, then toward the growing swarm behind them. Dark shapes kept pouring out of the forest, faster than before.

’Damn it.’

"Hey!" Thomas shouted, turning his head toward Jaxon. "Take the survivors and push them forward! Lead them away and run like hell!"

Jaxon’s eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Thomas suddenly slowed and turned around.

His voice rose over the storm. "Come on, boys!" he barked. "I want clean headshots! Drop anything that gets close!"

The soldiers stopped retreating. In one motion, they spun around, rifles raised, and opened fire in controlled bursts.

"You can’t just dump that on me," Jaxon muttered under his breath.

Behind them, a few survivors finally lost the last of their strength. One by one, they dropped to their knees in the mud, their bodies shaking as they tried to breathe. Some tried to stand again, but their legs would not listen. They just trembled there, soaked by the cold rain, unable to move any farther.

Jaxon slowed down. He glanced back at them, then turned to his own group. Natasha, Elena, Isabel, Elaine, and the others were still running, but their faces were tense, their eyes watching him.

"What do you all want to do?" he asked quietly.

Elena let out a short breath, almost like a quiet laugh. "So you’re finally asking our opinion."

Even in the middle of the storm, a small smile tugged at her lips. She turned her upper body and fired a short burst into the trees behind them, dropping an infected that had been closing in.

"If you’re asking me," she said calmly, "then we fight."

"Elena!" Natasha clicked her tongue in annoyance, but her steps slowed. She let out a breath, then stopped running and turned back as well, lifting her pistol.

"We’ll fight too," Hannah, Hae-in, and Cindy said almost at the same time. The twins moved beside them, raising their guns as they faced the forest behind.

Elaine tightened her grip on her weapon and gave a firm nod. "If we hold the line with the soldiers, we can save them. We can’t just abandon them like this."

One by one, the rest of the group stopped retreating.

Boots sank into the mud as they spread out and took their positions, forming a loose line behind the exhausted survivors. Their guns rose, their eyes sharp despite their fatigue.

Then Isabel gently tapped Jaxon’s arm. "Jaxon," she said softly.

He turned and looked at her.

"If we can save them... don’t hesitate." she continued, her voice calm but steady. ""And don’t be afraid of losing anyone because of this. This is our choice."

She gave a faint, bittersweet smile. "Just like Burgors. He chose to save us. That was his will."

Jaxon’s chest tightened.

He took a slow breath and finally stopped running. When he turned, only Na-rin was still right beside him, keeping pace without a word.

Carefully, he removed the cloth bundle from his back and took Sumiko in his arms for a moment before handing her over. "Can you take care of her for a while?"

Na-rin didn’t answer right away, she looked straight into his eyes, studying him. Then she smiled and nodded. "You’re finally acting like yourself again."

Jaxon blinked slightly. "Am I?"

"You are," she said quietly. "You always carry everything alone. You don’t have to hesitate every time you want to protect people."

She adjusted her hold on Sumiko. "We can handle ourselves. So go."

Jaxon stared at her for a second, then gave a small nod. "I’ll leave her in your care."

Na-rin held Sumiko close and stepped back.

Without another word, Jaxon sprinted toward the front line, where Thomas and the soldiers were struggling to hold back the swarm.

"What are you doing here?!" Thomas yelled over the gunfire and growls. "I told you to keep moving!"

A small, grim smile slip in Jaxon’s face. "We’re not running. Form a defensive line. Command my group too, and hold your ground. No one’s dying today."

Before Thomas could argue, Jaxon leapt, grabbing a thick branch and vaulting into the tree in one fluid motion. Seconds later, he crouched on a high branch, looking down over the battlefield.

His breathing slowed and his mind cleared. ’That’s right, no need to hesitate. Do what must be done, I’ll protect the people I care about, survive, and get stronger.’

His breathing evened, and his gaze hardened into cold focus.

Below, Thomas cursed under his breath, realizing he had no choice. "Boys! Form a line!" he shouted.

He wasn’t alone. Elena and Natasha had already taken positions, barking orders and organizing the survivors into a tight circle. Guns raised, they formed a protective shell around the exhausted civilians.

The soldiers swallowed hard as the infected surged closer. The line wavered under the relentless pressure.

Then, one by one, the creatures dropped. Clean, precise shots pierced their skulls, each shot silent and deadly.

Above, in the trees, a sniper perched high had begun his hunt, every bullet finding its mark.

Jaxon moved along the branches like a shadow, silent and fluid. Below, the infected surged forward, but each time one stepped into view, a precise shot dropped it before it could reach the survivors.

Natasha fired quickly, then glanced at Thomas.

"Don’t waste your bullets unless you have to," she said. "Only shoot if they get too close. Jaxon’s got them covered."

Thomas clicked his tongue, eyes wide. Every infected dropped with surgical precision, one, then dozens, then more. ’What the hell is that man? How is this even possible?’

"You heard her! Save your ammo! Close-range only!" Thomas barked, forcing the soldiers to focus.

For a long, tense moment, the line held.

Then... a new sound cut through the chaos.

A sharp, guttural screech, echoed above.

Something moved faster than any infected should. From the trees, it leapt over the horde, landing with terrifying speed.

"Mutated infected!" a soldier yelled. A crawler dashed forward on all fours.

Thomas’ eyes went wide. "Shit."

He sprinted forward, aiming to intercept before it broke the line. This creature was too fast to be shot reliably, he couldn’t let it tear through the survivors.

The crawler zigzagged across the trees, climbing trunks and vaulting from branch to branch.

Bang! Thomas fired. The bullet glanced off a tree trunk as the crawler twisted in midair and vanished behind the shadows.

"Come here, you bastard..." he muttered, shifting positions, eyes locked, stalking the predator through the chaos.

On the flank, Natasha and Elena moved in tight sync.

"There!" Elena shouted, spotting the threat.

It wasn’t just the one crawler Thomas was fighting, another had rushed toward them from the side. Knowing they couldn’t let it get close, the two moved quickly to take it down.

The crawler lunged from the left, its claws scraping mud. Natasha fired low, forcing it to dodge, while Elena stepped forward and unleashed a burst that clipped its shoulder. The creature screeched, retreating into the trees, waiting for another opening.

Behind them, the remaining seven soldiers fought with everything they had, joined by Elaine and the others.

"My ammo’s running dry!" one soldier shouted, slamming a fresh magazine into his rifle, hands shaking from exhaustion and adrenaline.

Far to the right, away from the defensive circle, Jaxon was running, but not retreating. He circled deliberately, drawing the largest wave of infected away from the survivors. Dozens poured after him, their snarls muffled by the storm, but behind them, something heavier was coming.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The ground shuddered with each step, trees splintering under the force.

Then, a hulking infected crashed through the forest, towering and grotesque. Its massive arms swung like wrecking beams, tearing through trunks and branches as if they were nothing.

Jaxon glanced back once, eyes cold and steady. "Good... just follow me," he muttered under his breath, already planning his next move.

He abruptly changed direction, weaving between the trees, forcing the horde to cluster tighter around him.

The space was closing fast. Infected began pressing in from the sides, hemming him in. He stopped, spun around, and three soft shots rang out, each bullet killing two or three infected at once.

Without hesitation, he dashed forward. A smoke grenade appeared on his hand out of thin air as he hurled it at his feet. Thick clouds of smoke billowed out, swallowing his figure.

The hulking infected roared, swinging its massive arms blindly, crushing everything in its path. One swing smashed into a tree, splitting the trunk with a deafening crack as splinters flew in all directions.

Its wild strikes caught even its own kind, several unlucky infected fell under its crushing blows.

When it finally emerged from the smoke, regaining its sight, a bullet streaked from above, hitting it squarely in the head. With a thunderous crash, it collapsed, the wet ground shuddering beneath it.

From the branches above, Jaxon watched, eyes cold and focused. He fired with precision, picking off any infected that stumbled out of the smoke.