For the sake of their safety, I instructed Anna and Mia to remain in the car.
Before leaving, I made it clear to Anna that, in case of any unforeseen danger, she should drive herself and Mia to a safer location. The specific destination didn't matter as long as they were secure.
Even after discussing this plan and assuring her that both David and I would handle ourselves just fine, we almost ended up in an argument.
Anna didn't agree, and deep down, I hadn't really expected her to, even though I wished she would.
Having the knowledge that she and Mia would be safe if we were ever separated was reassuring. I'm sure David felt the same way, as earlier, when I quietly debated with his mother, he stood by my side but refrained from speaking due to the look she gave him.
I couldn't blame David for staying silent. She gave me the same look, but my primary concern was Anna and Mia's well-being in case of an unforeseen issue.
Although I knew Annaunderstood my point of view, she remained steadfast in her decision to drive the car away only when I was inside.
I knew Anna well. Even if she had verbally agreed to drive away from this area and leave David and me to fend for ourselves, her current demeanor made it clear that her agreement would only be vocal and nothing more. I just hoped they would stay safe until we returned.
After navigating through a few blocks with some twists and turns, David and I finally encountered our first zombie.
Even in the darkness, with our enhanced vision and a bit of moonlight, we were able to discern the zombie's appearance quite clearly.
Unlike the descriptions of zombies in novels, which often portrayed them as undead with rotting flesh and decaying skin, this one had a notably different appearance. It's possible that this was due to it being the first day of the apocalypse.
The zombie had skin as black as charcoal, a withered texture that made it seem as if it had been completely drained, and striking red eyes.
David and I observed the motionless zombie on the road, examining its figure and the dirtied clothes that identified it as a female zombie.
"So that's what zombies look like," David commented beside me, and it wasn't long before he continued, "It doesn't seem as scary as I had imagined, though."
I could sense that David was trying to put on a brave facade, but the way his heart had raced from the moment we spotted the zombie until now gave away his fear. Maybe it was because there was only one zombie that I didn't feel as alarmed as David did. Or perhaps I had a stronger mental constitution that made me less easily rattled.
Since there was only one zombie on the road we initially didn't intend to cross, we opted to avoid it and changed our route. However, as we ventured deeper in search of a store or shop with accessible supplies, we encountered more zombies along the way.
Unlike before, where the absence of zombies had concerned me, now, the sudden appearance and increase in their numbers worried me more.
During our encounters with these zombies, David and I decided to conduct a few experiments.
We discovered that the zombies couldn't see and solely relied on their hearing.
When we threw stones in different locations while staying within their line of sight, they only pursued the thrown objects. Their inability to see might have seemed like a disadvantage, but I couldn't help but disagree.
The heightened sensitivity of their hearing was a weapon in its own right. Perhaps not being able to see slightly reduced the threat posed by these zombies, but I felt it only diminished it to some extent. These zombies had exceptionally sharp hearing.
The good news was that while their hearing was strong, it wasn't perfect or precise. As long as we maintained a constant, consistent sound of the same pitch without sudden spikes or variations, we could manipulate their hearing to some extent.
We tested this discovery, and it caused a zombie to come after us. However, David and I easily outran it; it was too slow, even compared to normal humans. At least there was something consistent with zombie novels in that regard.
During our search for a place where we could access supplies, I couldn't help but notice the conspicuous absence of humans in the area.
Had everyone managed to escape, leaving only those who had turned into zombies behind? It seemed plausible, given the desolation of the place. However, I still harbored doubts and decided to activate my ability to see if I could gain new insights.
As my vision shifted, revealing the world in its familiar black-and-white palette, I noticed something disconcerting.
We were being observed by creatures that could only be described as monsters.
In my unique vision, I spotted several feline and canine creatures, resembling miniature tigers and wildcats, lurking near the buildings.
We were surrounded, and we hadn't even realised it.
"David, get ready!"