[Name: Takahashi Riku
Age: 18
Strength: 16
Intelligence: 12
Vitality: 15
Agility: 16
Dexterity: 11
Status points to allocate: 0
Skills: 3
Physical Skill:
Melee Weapon Techniques Level 1
Passive skills:
Psychological Distress Immunity Level 1
Unique Skill:
Appraisal
Skill points to allocate: 6
Equipment: None
Titles: "The First Survivor", "Undying"]
"This is not enough." He thought to himself as he looked at his status. His heart was burning with a desire for power. His despair unconsciously turned into envy the power he feared became the power he wanted. After all, all he wanted was to have the ability to survive now so he wouldn't waste the sacrifice of his parents. The monster he feared was his goal and just like how he was scared of the monster. He wanted the monster to fear him as well.
Eliza must've run after him seeing how she was sweating all over as she tried to catch her breath. She immediately checked his body all over the place as she asked in anger.
"Were you bitten? Oh my f*ck*ng god what were you thinking?! Do you want me to make it easier for you and kill you myself? Goddamn it!"
Riku could only apologize as Eliza continued to scold him. Eliza has always been a kind person unless there was a reason why she shouldn't be just like when Stephen abandoned them, she was kind but she wasn't naive. With her being kind in general and now that they're closer than before, there was no doubt that she'd be worried about him.
"We need to level up faster."
It took some time before Eliza managed to calm down but when she was finally calm Riku immediately told her what he wanted to do. It's not like they were going slow but Riku felt like at their current pace they'll never be able to catch up with the monsters. They never maximized the free time they had. Eliza who shared the same sentiment decided to tease him as revenge for making her worry.
"No, I don't think so. We should just stay here where it's safe, why should we voluntarily risk our lives?"
Riku couldn't help but worry, it was after all true that there's no real reason why they shouldn't just stay. Seeing how cute Riku was trying to think of a way to persuade she finally decided to stop teasing him.
"I'm just joking, we'll go out tomorrow besides we're running low on food so we'd need to get some more."
Both Riku and Eliza knew that if they decided to go out killing monsters, there's a high chance that one of them might die, however, dying as they try their best to become strong enough to live peacefully was better than living a life where they'd have to live in fear every day wondering if it's their last.
"We need to start burning the bodies as well, I'm afraid that if we leave the already rotting bodies of these creatures we would need to deal with the animals that'll be attracted to the smell especially now that you've killed every single one."
They didn't know much about the evolved animals, they didn't even know if they eat the zombies but burning the bodies was something they'd have to do as well. The concentrated scent of rotting bodies was just nauseating. They initially wanted to bury the bodies but there was just no nearby location to bury the over 30 corpses.
"We might as well try and kill the zombies roaming around the apartment that should make things easier for us tomorrow."
Riku's desire to level up was obvious but what he said is true, the number of zombies would just increase tomorrow if they left them alone.
With a goal in mind, they first dragged the bodies down into the lobby and after resting for a while Riku dragged them in the middle of the street while Eliza watched their surroundings. On the process of stacking the bodies, the nearby zombies must've heard the commotion as they approached the two. Amidst the process of killing the zombies, after killing one of the zombies a box out of nowhere appeared, remembering the announcement they proceeded to kill the rest of zombies where another box has appeared only when there were no more zombies did they start wondering about the boxes.
Riku decided to pick one of the boxes and once he held the box, it dematerialized into the air and in its place was a pair of gauntlets which at first looked like just the bones of a hand. He might've just thrown them away had he not notice it's peculiar size.
[Bone gauntlet, a part of the low-quality set "Bones". A gauntlet made out of enhanced humans bones for the sake of survival. When equipped an additional 1 status point is added to strength and vitality.]
Eliza took the other box and it dropped a white ring afterward she said.
"It's called the ring of hope and it gives two points to intelligence and a point to dexterity."
"This is the bone gauntlet, a point to strength and a point to vitality."
After looking at their status and they realized that they preferred the item that the other got. Eliza wore the gauntlets despite not liking its looks and Riku wore the ring, he wanted to use [Appraisal] as soon as possible.
[Ring of hope, a physical manifestation of a survivor's hope for the rise of humanity. When equipped an additional 2 status points are added to Intelligence and 1 status points to Dexterity.]
They were both happy with what they have as they proceeded to burn the supposedly 30 but now over 50 corpses. They managed to rest for a while as they watched the bodies burn, as for why they were watching them burn aside from not wanting to spread the fire but more importantly it served as a reminder that their resolve must never wane, that there was no backing out now.
They were mentally exhausted at the end of it, it took a lot of mental strength to discard some of the morals that were ingrained into their heads from the moment they were born. They were at first just numb to the feeling of guilt but after this, they no longer felt guilt in killing the zombies. The old mindset that they have in a functioning society has adapted to their current situation, their mindset now was centered around surviving though they still couldn't completely discard every moral they developed. It felt like it was the one thing that separates them from what they call monsters.
The next day Riku and Eliza were looking outside through the balcony, they chose the paths that they thought were safe and the stores they wanted to go to. They have decided to focus more on the stores with food and first aid kits only when they think it's possible would they ever go check other stores.
They didn't want to find other survivors, while they considered them as additional baggage to carry they just couldn't guarantee that they'll be able to protect them even now that they're stronger they already have their hands full just trying to survive. They simply weren't naive and dumb enough to believe they'll be able to protect everyone and it was far better to leave them alone now rather than making a promise of protecting them only to either abandon or disappoint them in the end.
A few moments later they were walking towards a supermarket as they looked at their surroundings with caution. Riku and Eliza were now both level 4, Riku leveled up last night while Eliza leveled up as they killed some zombies on their way.
[Name: Eliza Mary Hayes
Age: 26
Strength: 15 (+1)
Intelligence: 14
Vitality: 10 (+1)
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 10
Status points to allocate: 0
Skills: 0
Skill points to allocate: 8
Equipment:
Set Item: Bones (1)
Bone Gauntlet
Titles: "Unbreaking Fortitude"]
[You are an unmoving mountain, there is nothing that can ever stop you from standing strong and proud. Your mental and emotional strength has reached an amazing level without the assistance of the System.]
[Congratulations! You just earned the "Unbreaking Fortitude" and gained an additional 4 status points to your intelligence.]
Eliza added 3 points to agility. She focused more on agility and strength and only when she reaches the point where she was satisfied with one of the two that's when she'll distribute other points to the other attributes.
She was watching Riku most of the time, while she didn't show it to Riku she was worried about him, she thought that Riku would eventually become too hasty like last time and endanger his life. Fortunately, Riku seems to be level headed right now but she didn't want to risk taking her eyes off of him for the event that he'll do something stupid again.
They eventually reached the supermarket, on the way they noticed how the number of zombies was lower than expected but they didn't have the capabilities to doubt and figure out why so they just entered the supermarket. Inside the supermarket was a bunch of zombies eating humans that seems to have died recently based on how much flesh they still had. The scene reminded Riku of his parents and although he got angry he managed to regain his composure.
"I can't lose my composure, otherwise I might lose my life instead." He thought to himself as he started to run to take care of the zombies. Riku and Eliza could easily handle the zombies now thanks to their experiences and unless the location was unfavorable or the number of zombies reaches more than a dozen, the chances of Riku losing was extremely low.
The zombies in the supermarket were thankfully split up because if they grouped up together Riku and Eliza would have to deal with more than 30 zombies. Riku was only able to kill that number of zombies because of the apartment's layout that made it so that he'll only face one or two at a moment and the zombies can't use their strength in numbers.
The supermarket doesn't give them this advantage rather it's the opposite if they had to face a group of more than 30 zombies the supermarket allows the zombies to easily surround the two of them. When the area was clear, they took two shopping carts and decided to fill it to the brim. The shopping carts in Japan were after all not as big compared to countries like in the US.
There was still a lot that could fit in though if they're only taking canned foods and other food that wouldn't expire soon. Riku was walking through the aisle with a handful of berries that he washed beforehand to eat when he heard the sound of someone or something munching. He knew that Eliza was far from him so he knew it wasn't her, he slowly walked towards the sound that led him to the fruits section. The sound of munching was getting louder. The sound of munching was coming from under a pile of apples and mangoes.
Riku was getting ready to attack whatever the creature was when the munching sound stopped, it seems like whatever it was that was eating have sensed him. With his hand on his hatchet, he was coming closer when the head of a fox with large ears and golden fur appeared from the pile of apples and mangoes.
The fox tilted it's head as it looked at him, there were no fear or anger in its eyes rather it felt like it was looking at him with curiosity. It stared at him for a long time before it looked at something else intently. Riku who didn't know what it was looking at followed the direction of its eyes. The fox seems to be looking at the berries in his hand, to test it out he brought the berries up and the fox followed it, amused Riku put the berries to the left and the right and fox still followed it with its eyes.
Taking a berry, although he still prepared himself in case the fox attacked, he tossed it to the fox who caught it with its mouth before chewing it with its eyes closed. When it was finished it looked excited as it stared at the berries, with no other berry coming, it seemed like would just eat an apple but it didn't, it just held the apple between its mouth while it nods its head towards his direction as if it was making him take it.
Bewildered by the situation, Riku unconsciously left his palm open near the fox's head and before he could even regret doing that, the fox left the apple on his palm before looking at the berries intently once more. Riku gave it a berry that the fox ate happily when it was done it ran up to his shoulders before rubbing its soft and fluffy golden fur.
Eliza was waiting for Riku at the entrance frankly, she was getting quite worried that he did something stupid again but she eventually saw him coming until she saw a fox with large ears and golden fur with the size of a cat sitting on Riku's right shoulder. Not knowing what else to say she asked.
"What's that on your shoulder?"
"It's Kohaku, my buddy." He answered nonchalantly.