My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 126: First Assignment

"Hannah and Claire applied for communications, they’ll handle radios and internal coordination. Jannah and Hiromi chose to assist at the clinic, mostly light work: cleaning, organizing supplies, helping patients when needed."

"Sounds about right for them," Jaxon said slowly, nodding. "And what about Na-rin?"

Natasha clicked her tongue, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "That girl... she said she’s joining C-5 too."

"That’s unexpected," Jaxon said, raising a brow. "With her sharp mind, I thought she’d go for offices or something more... stable."

Natasha’s eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp enough to make him tense. "We’re still going ahead with your plan? Seems like you’ve been enjoying your time with those two girls."

Jaxon chuckled and shook his head. "Those two are headaches, not exactly fun company. Of course, we’ll stick to the original plan."

"You’d better." Her tone softened slightly. "That also means we’ll be leaving soon."

"You’re leaving?" Sumiko’s small voice came from the side.

Jaxon turned toward her, a smile tugging at his lips. "Oh? Since when did you start worrying about me?"

Sumiko’s face flushed red as she quickly turned her head away, mumbling something under her breath.

Jaxon laughed softly, then crouched down to gently pat her head. She didn’t pull away. "I’m not leaving for good," he said quietly. "I’ll always come back. After all... I can’t abandon my precious little sister."

Sumiko remained quiet, embarrassed, but a faint warmth flickered across her face.

...

The next day, Jaxon didn’t train with Annie and Lina. Instead, he received his first assignment as a registered C-5, an official government field runner.

He slung a large backpack over his shoulders and stepped out through the towering metal gate.

’Being in a special unit isn’t bad,’ he thought. ’The treatment, the privileges... it all looks good.’

But there was one catch that made the perks almost worthless to him: the restrictions. Every soldier in the special units was considered vital. Outside missions, they weren’t allowed to leave freely. They were kept inside until orders came. It was a way to avoid losing valuable personnel, but for Jaxon, it felt like a cage.

’Sorry, but being locked up isn’t worth it,’ he thought. ’Restricting me from going outside would cost me more than I’d gain. Training is one thing, but what I really need is to hunt the infected, level up, gain stats and coins, that’s more important than privileges or class.’

He paused for a moment, looking at the path ahead. He appreciated everything Annie, Lina, and their squad leader had done for him, the lessons, the guidance, but he knew he couldn’t let it come at the cost of his freedom.

Anyone who didn’t know about his system would never understand his choice.

From the walls above, Lina and Annie watched his back as he stepped out through the gates.

Annie’s knuckles were white as she gripped the railing. "That idiot, idiot, idiot!" she shouted, startling the nearby soldiers. But because of her rank, they didn’t even flinch.

"Annie, calm down," Lina said, snapping her friend out of her frustration.

"That man... he’s infuriating!" Annie hissed, her voice tight. "I don’t understand why he would choose that... after everything we showed him. He’d be so much better with us. He’s wasted his talent."

"Better with us...?" Lina raised an eyebrow, glancing at Annie.

"I mean it," Annie said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "He’s quick to adapt. Back then, it took us months to even finish one full run of the maze. And he already works well with us... he’d be an incredible teammate."

Lina placed a hand on Annie’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, it’s fine. It’s not like he’s locked out forever. If we keep persuading him, he might join. He can always change his class later if he wants."

Annie scoffed, her back stiff as she spun on her heel. "Hmph, let him run himself to death out there."

Lina watched her friend walk off and smiled wryly to herself. ’You’re the one who insisted he join, Annie... even went so far as to process the papers and make it easy for him.’

Her eyes followed Jaxon as he disappeared into the distance. ’Don’t worry, Annie. I’ll make him join us eventually.’

With that thought, Lina turned and followed Annie, keeping her resolve quietly to herself.

.....

Jaxon walked along the train tracks, his steps steady and quiet.

He wasn’t alone. Natasha, Cindy, Isabel, and Na-rin moved with him in a loose formation. Each of them carried the standard C-5 loadout: a pistol fitted with a suppressor, a military knife, smoke grenades, a tracking beacon, a radio, ration packs, and a compact medical kit. All issued by the military, no cost to them.

Jaxon let out a quiet breath, and couldn’t help feeling a little dissatisfied.

No vehicle, motorcycle, or armored car. Which meant long-distance travel would be on foot from the very start.

He glanced briefly at the others.

Natasha had registered as C-5 without hesitation. She knew about the stat increase tied to her pistol, there was no way she would let him go alone when she could grow stronger too.

As for Cindy and Isabel, Jaxon and Natasha had convinced them to join as well. The hidden benefit of gaining stats, however, remained unspoken.

Then his gaze shifted to Na-rin.

Out of all of them, her decision made the least sense on the surface. The role was dangerous, unpredictable, and offered little stability. For someone like her, who had a sharp mind and many safer options inside the safe zone, choosing C-5 carried more risk than benefit.

He slowed his pace slightly. "Na-rin."

"Yes?" she replied, walking beside him.

"Why did you register as C-5? Why join us out here?"

"Because you need someone to watch your back," Na-rin answered without hesitation.

Jaxon stopped walking. The others slowed down as well, glancing between the two. He turned fully toward her, his eyes steady and observant.

"That’s not the whole story," he said quietly. "Tell me the truth."

Na-rin didn’t answer right away. She simply met his gaze, her expression calm but unreadable.