With Yui finally acting like kids her age, one of Ryujin's problems is over. However, that was the least of his worries. Whenever he peeked outside the window, creatures that existed only in games roamed the streets while the number of goblins continued to increase.
They still had some food, and it can probably last for a few months if they ate sparingly, but it was just a matter of time before they ran out of something to eat. When that time comes, Ryujin would have to go out there and get some. There was also no guarantee that the monsters won't go and attack them inside the house.
He was worried about the future, and he also needed to learn more about the "status" that suddenly appeared along with the robotic voice inside his head.
There were a lot of things that Ryujin needed to do though he could only take things one step at a time. And the first thing he wanted to do was find another shelter.
The house they were in was quite safe; however, there were no nearby stores where they could gather food. The closest thing to them was a convenience store, but even that was a few blocks away. It wouldn't have been an issue a few days ago, but times have changed. What used to be safe is now considered a dangerous endeavor.
The corpse of Yui's mother was also going to rot soon, and he didn't know whether it'd stay as a normal corpse. Ryujin wanted to either bury or burn the body, but he didn't have the luxury to do so he decided to cover it with bedsheets.
Ryujin also stopped Yui from going in that room, and while she was upset at first, she had no choice but to listen after hearing his explanation. They offered a simple prayer before locking the windows and the door, so no one disturbs her body.
"Ryuu, there's nothing on TV."
Yui complained as she switched the channels, but everything was static. She was a brilliant kid. However, she'd display her naivety like this from time to time, though she'd understand if you explain it to her.
"Everyone is scared of the monsters that they have abandoned the TV stations. They've also stopped using the J-alert System, so things might be worse than we thought."
Ryujin started to voice out his thoughts at the end, but it didn't matter. Yui understood the situation to some degree; however, unlike Ryujin, there was still trust in the government present in her mind. Suffice to say that he didn't try to convince her otherwise.
He may be quite blunt and rough when it comes to handling kids, but that didn't mean he'd crush her hopes. He was quite hopeless enough as it is; there was no need to add another one.
Besides, it's not like he believed the JSDF was powerless and helpless in this situation. He just didn't think that they'd be able to eradicate the monsters within a few days. If Ryujin had to estimate, they'd at least take a few weeks at best, a year or two at worst.
Looking at Yui, who no longer talked still looking for something to do, a determined look appeared on his face as he approached her. Noticing the approaching Ryujin, she looked at him with a smile, but the resolute look on his face made her feel uneasy.
Ryujin kneeled in front of her, and a sigh escaped his lips as he saw the anxiety on the girl's face before he started talking.
"Listen, Yui. I'll be leaving for now, and I won't be back for a while. I want you to stay here and prevent anyone from entering the house."
Yui's face turned white, and tears started to form in her eyes as she suddenly held on to Ryujin without any intention of letting go. She cried as she begs.
"P-please, don't leave Yui alone. I'm sorry, I'm sorry I-i promise I won't ask anything anymore. I'll be quiet, j-just don't abandon Yui."
She tried to hold back her tears and hide her fearful look, but her speech exposed her feelings. Feeling slightly guilty, Ryujin hugged Yui before apologizing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. It's my fault I should have explained, so please stop crying. I'm not abandoning you."
Hearing his words denying her worries, Yui began to calm down, but she continued to sniff as she waited for his explanation.
"Listen properly, Yui. I need you to be brave, alright? I'm going to have to leave, but I swear I'll be back before the night comes. Until then, I want you to make sure nothing gets inside the house."
"You're going to watch the house while I'm gone, but don't force yourself. You're going to hide upstairs in your room, just like how I found you when something gets inside, and you're going to wait for me. Remember! Hide and wait for me when something gets in the house!"
Yui nodded with all her might, but Ryujin knew that she was putting up a front. However, he had no other choice Ryujin didn't like leaving Yui all by herself, but it was safer for her to stay in the house rather than take her along with him.
Staying in the house crossed his mind as well, but it was just too risky, especially when he didn't know what'll happen next. Besides, he felt that stronger monsters would appear if he continued to wait, and Ryujin would rather face the weak goblins.
Though he called them weak, they were still more than he could handle. When he faced the lone goblin, he felt that it had twice the strength compared to an average man. If it weren't for its overconfidence and its lack of intelligence, it would've killed Ryujin like an ant.
Reminding the nervous Yui once more, Ryujin slightly opened the door and peeked outside. Seeing that the coast was clear, he looked at Yui, who was standing behind before saying.
"Wait for me, okay? I'll be right back."
He stepped outside the door, carrying a knife on hand with a backpack on his back. He also had an extra knife that he carefully hid in his pocket.
He sneaked outside, hiding behind one of the cars. The street was desolate, and anywhere he looks, he could only see the remains of the people that died. Some were missing an arm or a leg, while the most unfortunate ones turned into a pile of unrecognizable flesh.
Ryujin made a gagging noise as he stopped himself from vomiting the contents of his stomach. He ignored the bitter taste rising in his throat as he diverted his attention to his surroundings.
After a day or two of watching the monsters' through the window, he knew they hadn't left yet. Most of them were just active during the night, but that didn't mean the streets would be empty, a few would roam in groups, but there are uncommon cases where they're alone, and those who were alone were his targets.
He carefully walked through the empty street; his eyes and ears worked to the best of their abilities. Perhaps it was the paranoia, but he felt like he was in a horror movie, and every noise he heard sounded ominous.
Ryujin was looking for signs of a survivor on every house and car he passed by when he heard a scream of a man in pain.
He ran towards the source of the scream to see a goblin with its back on him. The man was on the ground, no longer moving, and he could hear munching sounds coming from the two.
His face turned white for a moment, and he was on the verge of running away, but he steeled his resolve.
Ryujin grabbed the kitchen knife he brought with him, and slowly crept behind the goblin. He was a few feet away from the goblin when it suddenly turned around.
Not expecting the goblin to turn around, Ryujin instinctively stabbed the goblin right on the shoulder, causing it to howl in pain. Cursing his stupidity, he grabbed the knife and yanked it away from its right shoulder.
Of course, Ryujin didn't underestimate the goblin, and he was extremely wary of its strength. However, he was not to blame; he just didn't know the life of these creatures before they got here on Earth.
These monsters were on the bottom of the hierarchy, and every day there was a high risk of dying. They may not have the best senses, but it was enough to save their lives unless it was a powerful monster after them. That's why one needed to conceal their killing intent, or they'll expose their position.
However, Ryujin didn't know that, and even if he did, he had no way of hiding it.
He was about to stab it in the chest once more when it grabbed the dead man's severed arm and slammed it on Ryujin's chest, causing him to collapse on his knees. Enduring the pain he felt on his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood as he stared at the goblin that was looking at him with fury.
His heart was beating was in fear, and his body wanted to run, but he knew if he showed any weakness, he would die. And so calmed his breathing, from gasps to deep long breaths, his shaky eyes turned steady, and his entire focus was on the goblin's movements.
[Skill "Battle Concentration (Low)" Acquired]
Not a single thing could disturb Ryujin at that moment. He was like an immovable rock in the middle of a stream, and everything on his way could only move aside.
The goblin rushed towards him, holding the severed arm on its right hand and, with an incredible force, swung it diagonally downwards. Ryujin crouched to the left, narrowly avoiding the arm before thrusting the knife on its stomach.
He removed it almost immediately when the goblin kicked him with its left leg, causing Ryujin to fall on his back, but he didn't stay down for long. Adrenaline was traveling through his veins, numbing the sensation of pain as he stood up and ran towards the goblin.
And with all of his might, he swung the knife on his hand, causing a diagonal cut across the goblin's chest. It howled in pain once more before sweeping its weapon from right to left. Ryujin ducked, narrowly avoiding the arm before using the ground as leverage to stab the goblin right where the cut was.
Thinking to himself that this was his chance, he shoved the knife deeper, before taking the other knife he had brought stabbing the goblin once more. He used all of his strength to push it deeper into its chest.
The goblin continued to writhe in pain, and it was just about to grab Ryujin when the light in its eyes started to fade away, slowly signaling the end of its life. The robotic voice inside his head furthermore confirmed its death, allowing Ryujin to relax a little.
[Succesfully killed one goblin. "Igarashi Ryujin" Leveled up to level 1. 3 status points gained.]
Ryujin couldn't divert his attention to the voice when the pain finally registered into his mind. It took his all to not scream in pain.