Fog clung to the ground and walls near the streets below, making it hard to see the streets clearly. However, despite that, a distinct sense of danger emanated off the street, along with numerous screams filled the atmosphere.
Zam slowly walked through the streets, keeping alert for any sign of danger lurking behind the corner of any of the buildings. He hid in an alleyway, barely peaking his head around the corner to look in front of him, where several figures ran down the street.
Zombies...
A group of five zombies ran past the alleyway while Zam hid within the shadows of the dark alleyway. One of the zombies stopped and lifted his head, staring directly at Zam. Though it didn't seem to actually see him as he was too well blended within the darkness. The zombie took a singular step forward with its decomposed legs cracking loudly against the pavement, followed by the sound of breaking glass crunching underneath its feet.
Its head moved back slightly, as it seemingly sniffed the air like an animal. Then its head snapped forward abruptly, its sharp yellow eyes seemed to glare straight at Zam as it sniffed again, pausing a second. Zam watched nervously as its head slowly moved forwards again, closer and closer to him until its eyes were less than two meters from his chest. As the zombie stared at him in dead silence. Zam began to sweat heavily.
To stop himself from making any noise, Zam forced himself to take a deep breath and hold it for a minute as he tried to keep his cool and ignore the slight panic rising inside him.
'C'mon... leave already...!' He thought, his grip on his bat tightening ever so slightly. There was no way that it was aware of Zam hiding within the dark alleyway.
The zombie continued to stare directly at him, waiting. Zam stared right back at the thing, refusing to avert his gaze.
'Leave... Leave!!' Zam thought, willing the creature to walk away.
'Just walk away...'
The zombie's head tilted to the left as a zombie that stood in the middle of the street snarled softly, causing the zombie near Zam to suddenly snap to attention. The zombies that stood in the street began to twitch as they all looked back at their fellow undead ally.
The one near Zam let out a loud screech as his eyes glowed with pure fury. The zombie immediately looked at the dark alleyway briefly before moving its head back to the zombies in the street. Its jaws parted, revealing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth that were just itching to sink into someone fleshy.
The zombies gave a loud roar, and the group of zombies increased their speed again, rushing straight for a particular building in the distance. The noise made by their movement seemed to increase in volume until it was deafening.
The zombie near Zam made a noise like a dog barking, huffing one last time before stepping back from the alleyway and continuing its slow and purposeful march onwards, away from Zam and his location.
It didn't take long for the zombies to vanish from sight. Only when they were gone did Zam release a heavy sigh of relief. As his breathing returned to normal, he lowered his bat to the ground beside him, allowing him to relax slightly.
"Jesus Christ..." He muttered, running his fingers through his sweaty hair anxiously. He let out another deep sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That was... unbearably close..." He muttered softly, peeking his head around the corner to check if any of the other zombies were nearby. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief once he spotted no undead around.
He picked his bat off the floor and placed it gently on his shoulder before wiping his face clean with his arm, trying to rid himself of the sweat that gathered on his skin. Once that was done, he turned around to start heading down the road with his hoodie up, covering his head as a few strands of his chocolate-colored hair peaked out. He trodded extremely slowly so as to not make any unnecessary noises as possible.
"Shit... that was close..." He whispered to himself quietly as he continued to walk forward. He glanced to his left and right from time to time, seeing nothing but a murky fog that made it unable to see more than 5 meters in front of him.
"Geez.." Zam mumbled to himself, looking down at the road. His footsteps echoed slightly as he moved forward. It was silent for several minutes. "Guess we'd better hurry though..." Zam decided aloud after walking a few more minutes.
Zam walked a little longer till he reached a crossroad. He paused, glancing at both sides of the street, thinking carefully about the direction that he should head towards.
The crossroads were pretty wide, which meant that there was plenty of space for him to run, or at least, run as fast as he could without stumbling over a stone or something.
Zam sneaked near a wall as he cautiously glanced to the side. No undead appeared to be anywhere. He let out a relieved chuckle at that, as he turned back around to continue towards the other side of the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he was trying to find.
As Zam kept walking, his thoughts wandered to everything that was going on in his life lately. It wasn't every day that a magical System forcibly attached to you asked you to kill a horde of zombies...
"I still can't believe you managed to convince me to come down here..." Zam chuckled dryly as he spoke softly to The System as he strode on the sidewalk. He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly as he let out a sigh while the end of the bat rested on the floor. "Are you sure it's even this way?" Zam asked, stopping in his tracks as he scanned ahead of him quickly.
{Yes, do not underestimate a system scan, User Solis} The System replied. {I assure you, this is the best route to your desired destination}
"What makes you so confident?" Zam asked curiously.
{The scan informed me of the nearest source of nutrition} The System explained. {While the scan performed may be one of the weakest ones since you find yourself only at level 1, the scan still informed me of the closest source.} Zam nodded as he started walking again, giving a thoughtful hum as he pondered the System's words. The System had been very helpful thus far... or at least it tried to be...
It could be very... difficult at times.
{Normally, a System would suggest purchasing edible food and drink items from the in-system shop...} The System explained. {However... I think you know quite well why that wouldn't be possible...}
"That's true..." Zam agreed, nodding his head as he lowered his head and jogged down the street a little bit quicker. "You said the shopping center isn't safe right now... so we're going to a smaller store, right?"
{Exactly} The System stated simply. {Although... the store that the scan indicated is located on only a few more blocks away.}
"I'll make it then..." Zam murmured softly. A small grin spread over his lips. "... Thanks..."
{No need to thank me} The System replied. {My primary function is to provide knowledge and protection to my User; therefore, anything that is necessary to assist you in completing a task I will gladly help you complete.}
"Alright," Zam sighed, smiling at that statement. Although he appreciated how understanding the System was currently, he couldn't help feeling slightly uncomfortable with it sometimes.
The System is such an odd thing...
Zam shook his head as he continued jogging down the road, trying to avoid the worst of the zombies that seemed to have begun roaming the streets, looking to hunt humans.
It was rather hard to run properly when you were being chased around by monsters. So he did his best to stay close to the walls as he ran.
The silent jog lasted for several minutes until the buildings began getting further apart along the sidewalk, becoming more rundown and dilapidated. Many of the bricks and wood on some of the buildings had fallen off leaving behind bare white patches that contrasted with the rest of the old brick. The occasional broken bottle lay scattered throughout the cracked asphalt.
Zam raised his eyebrows and stopped abruptly.
"Huh? What the hell...?" He whispered softly under his breath as he gazed ahead. He stared intently down the destroyed street that stretched out in front of him, noticing an eerie silence amongst all of the buildings that surrounded them.
"I was here yesterday...!" Zam whisper-shouted in surprise. "How did it become like this so quickly? It couldn't have been the zombies, right?" His eyes narrowed as he then began to scan through the area cautiously. "And yet... somehow this place seems like it hasn't seen sunlight in years.
{Indeed, User Solis, the Undead-type monsters were not responsible for this destruction} The System spoke calmly.
"Oh really...?" Zam responded, raising a brow as he eyed a building across from him.
A large number of the buildings had collapsed, lying scattered about the ground. Several piles of bricks and splintered wood littered the ground.
Large parts of some walls were missing completely, leaving gaping holes in the buildings. Windows were shattered and boarded over, making the windows look darker than ever.
'I thought The System said that there weren't any other humans besides me... Yet widows are boarded up?' Zam wondered as he watched the pile of rotten boards fall down to the pavement.
"System, explain" Zam ordered suddenly. He knew that there was probably a reason as to why everything was like this.
{I believe the sudden forcing of the Tutorial Dungeon onto this world is the cause} The System answered. {Your original Tutorial Dungeon had an apocalyptic theme, so when this fusing of both worlds occurred it caused a massive shift in the "Theme" of your world. Resulting in this}
"So the whole city was affected...?" Zam mumbled, furrowing his brows. The idea of this happening seemed strange to him.
{Crrection: The whole world}
Zam paused for a second. He stood staring silently at the demolished buildings in front of him, his mind wandering momentarily as he thought about all of the information that he received earlier that day.
He should be panicking about this situation, but for some reason, he didn't feel the slightest bit worried about anything, well mostly anything...
He was still absolutely terrified of encountering a single zombie... But he was also incredibly intrigued about this entire scenario; whether he wanted to admit it or not.
After a few seconds, he shook himself out of his thoughts and continued walking forwards with his bat clutched tightly in his hand. He glanced up to look at the covered sky.
{...!!} The System suddenly gasped, catching Zam completely off guard.
Zam snapped back to reality and turned his attention to the System.
"What is it? What's wrong?!" He yelled in an anxious voice, almost afraid to hear what the System had found. "Is it the zombies?! Oh god, please don't tell me it's another fucking zombie!!" He exclaimed.
{Uneeded question, User Solis. Just hide!} The System commanded hurriedly. {Run into the alleyway nearby, quickly!}
"Eh? Why? What's happening!" Zam asked. He looked toward his right and saw the corner of a narrow alleyway in front of him. Without thinking he took a few steps towards it and disappeared into the dark darkness of the alleyway.
Zam stumbled slightly as he slipped and fell over the edge of a deep rut. He yelped in pain as he landed with a painful thud against the ground.
"Damn...!" He said as he fell. He slowly crawled his way to a crouching position "What is happening!?" He questioned rapidly, his breathing heavy.
He felt the sweat start to trickle down his face.
"Where are the zombies?!" Zam shouted fearfully. His voice echoed loudly through the empty alleyway, reverberating back to him from all directions.
{Remain quiet} The System insisted urgently. {Keep your head down and wait until I inform you it is safe to get up}
"But-" Zam began, struggling to raise his upper body from the ground as he gripped the bat tightly in his hands.
{Don't. move} The System interrupted sharply. {Just listen to me and do as I say} Zam hesitated for a second, before letting out an exasperated sigh and lowering himself back down onto the ground.
"What is it?" Zam whispered impatiently. "Why are we hiding?"
The teen received no response as the System stayed silent. The teen furrowed his brows as he lifted his head and peered over the top of the rut, searching through the darkness of the alleyway and out to the seemingly empty streets. The silence made his blood run cold; there was something lurking ahead.
Zam took in deep breaths as he continued to wait anxiously, his gaze flitting from the shadows of the alleyway to the empty street and back, hoping desperately for it to just be a simple mistake made by The System
After a while, the boy let out a soft curse as he placed his forehead on the dirtied cement ground, his eyes widening in surprise and worry.
There was movement!
Vibration in the ground!
His heart hammered wildly in his chest, nearly drowning out the sound of his breathing. His hands trembled violently against the handle of his weapon, making it hard for him to grip the bat firmly, almost causing him to lose his balance.
He heard heavy footsteps stomp away in the streets which sent ice through the veins of the teen.
"Shit...!" He muttered quietly, his eyes doing their best to focus on what was outside. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
His heartbeat slowed. His shaking eased as much as it possibly could.
He kept trying to calm down. He tried to stop his rapid heartbeat. He attempted to relax.
He failed to do so.
Stomp... Stomp... Stomp... Stomp...
His muscles tensed as if waiting for the first blow. Every muscle in his body tensed up as they prepared themselves for a fight.
His mouth was dry... he licked his suddenly dry lips nervously. Sweat trickled down his forehead and down the sides of his face.
But there was something else...
<
That very same feeling he got from when The System first spoke to him.
Just pure and utter dread, that seemed to come crashing down upon him. It was terrifying enough to make his whole body shudder from within, making him wonder if he would faint from terror soon.
The steps became louder and louder as a shadow was cast over Zam's face. Something huge had walked past the alleyway, blocking out most of the sunlight pouring into the alley. A low snarl echoed in the distance.
However...
The monster did not seem to notice him at all. In fact, it seemed like it was focused on something else entirely. Something near its feet made it pause instantly in place. It seemed as though the monster was rooted to the spot as it glared at something behind it... It then started moving again. Slowly.
Very gradually. The monster raised its head slowly, turning around to stare directly at what it had seen. It then let out a loud snarl and charged toward it...
Zam gulped hard, wondering what that could have been, his curiosity getting the better of him. He couldn't help it as he slowly raised himself from the ground. He gazed ahead carefully, looking for whatever had caught the monster's attention.
All he could see were dark clouds, a grey mist, and nothing else. It was impossible to know how far the monster had gotten without actually seeing the monster, however, that didn't stop him from trying.
"Hm?" He blinked twice in confusion, squinting his eyes at the sight before him. Suddenly a flash of silver appeared in his eyesight. His eyes widened as he recognized the object as a small metallic ball; it was being slowly dragged across the asphalt while it was attached to a long rusty chain that fully wrapped around the large monster's arms, legs, and torso.
As he stared more closely, he noticed that the metallic ball had a number of tiny spikes protruding out of its edges. The spike tips moved along with every step the monster made, allowing it to effortlessly drag itself along the concrete ground.
Suddenly weak growl reached Zam's ears, drawing his attention to the monster's lower half. He tilted his head slightly, taking a closer look at what was going on.
It was hard to discern what was happening and the color due to the poor lighting of the alleyway and the thick fog that covered the streets, but to Zam's amazement, he could see that there was some sort of liquid dripping from under the giant creature's feet... It was dark, brown, and resembled blood.
'What is going on over there...?' Zam wondered in shock, looking down at the floor with curiosity and fear building up inside of him. His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of shuffling. He turned and looked in front of him again.
A zombie was staggering toward him from around the side of the large creature. It looked beaten beyond belief. Putting aside its horrible disfigured and decomposed body, the zombie looked like it had gone through hell.
Its head hung low, its body slumped, and its skin hanging loosely off its bones. Its teeth were yellowed and rotten, showing signs of decay. Its hair was matted and tangled. Its face had numerous scabs and bruises. Even though it was badly damaged and covered in dust and mud, it still managed to make the zombie appear intimidating.
Zam looked on, speechless. The zombie kept staggering its way to the large shadowy monster, occasionally lifting its head and letting out a pained moan.
Its movements were slow and unsteady. The zombie's legs moved unevenly. It was practically limping. As the zombie reached the large creature, the zombie stood still, panting softly, staring at the monster blankly.
In what appeared to be quicker than lightning, the large monster clutched the zombie's neck. The zombie let out another pained scream as the large creature squeezed, causing an awful cracking sound to echo throughout the streets and alleyways.
Zam gasped at the scene in disbelief and horror, unable to comprehend what was happening in front of him. The teen bit his lip, his body trembling and twitching slightly in response.
The large monster let out a snarl followed by a soft chortle, holding onto the struggling zombie's neck tightly, squeezing it even harder.
"You d-don't deserve to walk a-anymore... You deserve to die... You are... pathetic...." The large monster let out a chilling snicker.
"Not Human... But still... You will become food... Your flesh is rotten and harsh... Y-you won't taste very good..." The monster spoke as a ray of light finally shone onto the beast's face as well as the zombies.
The teen flinched slightly as the beam of sunlight hit the massive figure, revealing a scarred, bloody face with flesh threatening to fall off at the slightest disruption.
Along with that, it had a chilling smile with sharp canines and blood seeping through it. Finally, it was revealed to have a pair of red glowing eyes, with malice pouring out of its stare glancing towards the light for a moment. The light was then gone a few moments later.
"W-weak... Unneeded... U-unneeded!" The voice of the massive creature cracked horribly. It then took a deep sniff of air in a rather creepy manner, a low chuckle escaping its throat as it lifted the helpless zombie above its head and began choking it again.
Slowly, the massive zombie brought the chain wrapped around it to the smaller zombie, using the end to tighten the grip on it and make sure the chain did not slip off of its victim. Placing a part of the chain on each limb of the flailing zombie above.
"Useless... Weak... Useless..." It repeated as it squeezed the smaller creature tighter. "Dying... T-the... Worthless. DIEEEEEE!" Its laughter grew more and more disturbing with each passing moment.
Finally, its cackles filled the entire alleyway and sent a shiver down the teen's spine. He couldn't help himself, however. His body shook as he stared up at the zombie.
The towering undead began pulling on the chain violently, causing the smaller zombie to screech in pain and struggle against the strong pull. "Useless... Worthless... Unnecessary... Useless!" It roared angrily, the small zombie struggling fiercely against the chains as its head swung to and fro furiously.
The chain tightened against the smaller zombie's body as it was pulled harder and harder, weak bones slowly starting to crack and a thick cascade of liquid began dripping onto the dirty ground from between the massive zombie's legs.
Finally, after much more effort, the smaller zombie stopped moving and fell limp against the chain that trapped it.
Blood leaked from its wounds which had been opened by the tightening of the chain.
"N-now..." The booming guttural voice uttered out. "Let us eat." It released a low rumble. The chain then tightened until the smaller zombie's corpse was completely crushed and lifeless.
A pool of gore, mixed with pieces of flesh and bone, soon exploded from the dead zombie, falling straight into the open jaws of the gigantic creature. After that, it continued eating and swallowing, completely ignoring the last few screams and whimpers that could escape its prey.
Each limb was torn apart piece by piece. Every part of the zombie's body was consumed whole. Once it had swallowed every single shred of meat, it then tossed the rest of the zombie's carcass towards the edge of the roof nearby, making a loud splash as it collided with the surface.
Zam could only watch, wide-eyed, terrified beyond belief, as a massive chunk of meat landed on the pavement below. It was a mangled mess of flesh with a few chunks missing.
A couple of bones sticking out here and there and parts of a ribcage or two were scattered everywhere. It was almost impossible to believe that such a gruesome and disgusting creature could ever be able to eat anything living or nonliving.
Yet there it was... Eating all of the flesh that remained and consuming it entirely, as if it were nothing more than mere scraps.
Zam's stomach lurched, revolted by the gruesome image that suddenly appeared in his mind. He forced himself to look away once he felt like he could take no more.
Though it didn't stop as the massive zombie then continued on its way…
A growl, followed by the sound of heavy dragging of a chain. Another growl. Then finally a loud shriek that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight.
"M-must... E-eat... HUMAN!!!" An echoing voice bellowed in between each snarl, each word coming in an inhuman and distorted growl. There was only one thing that came out of the mouth of that monster as Zam heard the voice.
The boy covered his mouth with his hands as a shiver ran down his spine. He swallowed hard and held his breath.
The massive monster kept walking ahead, slowly letting what little light shined through the fog back into the alleyway.
"EAT HUMAN!" The creature screamed once again, its words becoming harder and harder to hear as it went further away.
Its chain dragging against the asphalt ground, sending vibrations throughout the floor below.
Zam remained frozen in fear as he stared up at where the massive creature had been standing just seconds prior. His breathing grew even more difficult as his entire body trembled.
'W-what the h-hell...' Was all he could think.