The two survivors look at him with surprised eyes, as if something unnatural and impossible had just happened. In a way, he can't blame them for thinking that. Even if they do not appear as so, those goo zombies are deceitfully strong and resilient and can become fast if you leave them the space to run.
If he hadn't a high-strength stat and a special class to deal with them, he too would be taking the easy and safe route around the dead. As if hearing his mind calling them manageable, the goo zombies rush him instead.
Holding the [Rib stabber] with both hands, he drives it in a forward thrust, piercing through the cranium of the zombie, while the second takes a detour— Looking around, the guy and the girl run away, going deeper into the park. Soon the point of return is reached by, the dead vanishing by entering contact with the Anima Mundi's crystal.
"Not even a thank you, huh?" Sin sighs, a part of him annoyed that they didn't even say anything, but another part of him understands that they are right to run away first and think about their helper later.
Survival is on the line.
[UNDEAD SLAIN: 9/50]
No drops it seems. How unlucky… looking back, beyond the park's limits, a great creature shows itself, 21 feet tall.
Its appearance was brute like that of a gorilla, with barely any black goo on its body, but rather fortified bone structures, appearing like a greater version of the bulky goo zombie.
But far bigger, its bones thicker than steel plates, all of its body molded like armor, protecting the black ooze of rot that composes its body alongside the bones. Its bones form embracing its inwards like an exoskeleton.
A long flat face, giving an eerie familiarity to the one of a dog, but wrong, corrupted, its lower maw being disproportional to its head, being large and flat like a plate, embracing its upper jaw. Contrary to the others, its eyes are composite like those of flies, not just vacant spots full of goo.
On its back corpses are impaled with prejudice, without care to where they are pierced through, just that they are pierced and put on the thing's back, rotting and blackening, the goo of the thing's body infecting and seeping into them, slowly corrupting the dead into more goo zombies.
An overwhelming and outright painful to look at, making his stomach ache and cold sweat fall even by just looking at it.
The aura of a predator, of an apex creature at the top of the food chain.
This time, a bit of fear blends with his words, eyes straightening and focusing entirely on that beast. "So, Yomi's hounds are here, huh." Despite its form, he went the extra mileage to learn the name of those roaming bosses of the tutorial, even if they couldn't be defeated without a miracle.
Their eyes met for a moment. Mutual enmity showing in his eyes, and the thing's composite ones. "Activate inner focus."
[20 POINTS OF CHI CONSUMED]
"WGOAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The creature lets out a high roar, sending chills through his spine, piercing through the Defiant trait and battle mode, warranting something else to block it.
[INNER FOCUS: ALLOWS THE USER TO NEGATE A STATE OF PANIC FOR ONE INSTANCE, AS WELL AS CLEARING ILL AND DARK THOUGHTS]
Even if it can be defeated with [Rib Stabber] right now, it isn't worth the effort. Not even the system is popping up a message about fighting or surviving this thing, in other words: an implicit message that says a fight against it is the worst idea possible, to which he agrees.
Without giving the thing a chance to attack or roar again, Sin retreated to the inwards of the park, quickly reaching the safety of the crystal area. The creature stares at him from afar and then proceeds to do whatever it would be doing before, taking a direction opposite to the one of the park.
For a few seconds, it keeps staring at him, before scoffing and walking away. A show of recognition in its eyes, as if not seeing him even as a worthy prey to hunt, understanding his retreat and not giving chase, lest it falls on the crystal's area…
"Tsc. You were scouting here, weren't you? Damn dog…" Despite using its arms to help with movements and short legs like that of a gorilla, it still is named a hound in the game. What a deceitful name…
It has more to do with a primate than a canid, up to its intelligence. Sin's lips turn in a frown, as battle mode is instantly deactivated, cold sweat starting to drop, even if the creature is making the distance between it and the park.
Even if it is just a tutorial special boss, the difficulty is above the skies, since they lack the proper equipment to bring something like it down, and even fewer people with the skills and traits to kill that thing.
His teeth grit against each other. The thing is intelligent, and not dumb as many would expect. It came, observed him go back to the crystal area, and ignored him. Even if he is stronger than its average prey, it made the correct judgment to stay away and bid its time.
See where the biggest concentration of humans may happen, and stay put to attack when their defenses go down. "A roaming boss waiting for our defenses to go down… guess killing it is not a matter if I want or not, but of need…"
If it comes back after a week, everyone will die. He has a timer to kill that thing in seven days or let his life to fate and luck's hand. His stomach thrashed and turned, almost making him puke on the spot.
Guess luck is not on their side. "I will think about bringing you when I get some more people…" Even if he makes a strategy now, it is a boss, and he is under-leveled and alone to face it.
Going back to the "base" of sorts, the four other survivors are there, the guy looking healthy, while Nae does her best to comfort the girl, while the teacher is away from them, sitting on a bench.
A grim and despaired look on her face, the look of someone who thinks they lost all. "Hey, I'm back after dealing with the monsters. Any other survivor besides those other two appeared?"
Strapping [Rib Stabber] on the backpack, he approaches the other survivors, as pop-up jumps
[SURVIVORS FOR MISSIONS:
2/10
4/100]
Two survivors were added to the list, and ninety-six to go. "Hwang! So… you did kill those things?" Unsurprisingly it is the Nae the first to approach and talk to him, eyes fixing on both weapons strapped to the backpack.
"Yes, but there is more scouting I need to do, see if there are any other survivors there. Did the teacher calm herself down?"
Looking at the weakest link, he can't help but wonder what will happen once things like the Hound of Yomi appear nearby, in a sense, it is good he was the only one to see it, the others wouldn't be… as calm as himself if they were there to see it as well.
Nae groans, facepalming. In one of her hands, the spear he suggested her to take. 'Guess you did take my advice to heart.' While it is good to see someone listening to his words, her reaction to the topic of the teacher being touched is… less than ideal.
"This says more than I wanted to hear… so anyway. You two. Name, experience, and what you know to do." Cutting the topic short with Nae, Sin points at the two new survivors, brother, and sister by their looks.
The girl opens her mouth to say something, but her brother raises his arm, stopping her before any word can be said. "I'm Kim Han, and she is my sister Kim Yoon." With a surprising sense of discipline and composure, the man answers first, concise and precise, despite the situation they are in.
'His stats. NOW!' Calling for the system's sheet of the man, it appears:
[NAME: Kim Han
CLASS: IMMORTAL (LOCKED)
PLAYSTYLE: IMMORTAL CULTIVATOR (LOCKED)
LVL: 1 (0/100)
GENDER: MALE
COMPATIBILITY: 10
DARKNESS: 30 - AVERAGE
TRAUMAS: THANATOPHOBIA
STATUS:
STR: 25
SPD: 18
DEF: 20
VIR: 20
STA: 30 - 78/90
SPI: 20
TRAITS: RESILIENT
SKILLS: MILITARY TRAINING, CQC]
A wide smile crosses his lips. Taking out the arm, he offers the bladed "weapon" to the man. "Kim Han, huh? Already had your military period, am I right? So? What about helping us out? This way, I can let you stay here, and use our supplies for you and your sister, as long as you help us reach more survivors and supplies."
The man's eyes widen, but he gives a nod. "You… well. I guess you too finished your military enlistment. So… you are making here a safe zone? This crystal… it has anything to do with these monsters?"
Time to conveniently release information to them. "As far as I know it, this crystal repels and kills those things, as you may have seen about the one that chased you away." His eyes widen in realization but he does not look away.
'If you don't feel remorse, then don't apologize' Type of posture, he did his best to defend his life and his sister, besides having Thanatophobia… Either way, his type of disposition will be useful.
He didn't hesitate to stand right back and fight those monsters to let his sister escape. 'This means his thanatophobia is not about his life, but for hers…' Knowing better, he doesn't look towards her, it may cause the wrong impression.
"I see… if this place is safe, do you have supplies to back your claim up? If you do, I will stay." His sister looks ready to say something, but once again backs off. A good head on her shoulders to when and where is a good situation to say something.
Sin points towards his many, many bags and baggage. "They are full of supplies, canned food, water, makeshift weapons, knives, sleeping bags, tents, solid fuel, firestarters, and other useful tools for our continued survival."
Walking towards one of the bags with food, he opens it to reveal its contents, many cans of meat, beans, tomatoes… "If you stay, I can help you and your sister with survival. Are you good with hearing my orders? Because I doubt anyone will endure against those things if they don't hear me."
Sin lowers his tone as he approaches the end of the speech, to both convey a message and a threat: "I know how to survive and deal with this situation, and I'm strong enough to deal with anyone who thinks otherwise."
A grim, and outright menacing message to pass, but he needs them all to survive, and more than ninety-six people too. Being understanding, compassionate, and empathic are not qualities needed for this part of the tutorial, not when a Hound of Yomi is strolling near their turf.
The man closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I will accept. It isn't as if we have other options in this apocalypse… everywhere will be swarming with monsters, won't it?"
Sin nods. If there are other Anima Mundi crystals, then there will be more safe zones, but the chances of encountering one so close to the other are dim, if not outright impossible. He knows it because of the multiplayer.
Each player got their base and their crystal, but they were far apart and needed extensive effort to reunite with each other to make one single powerful nation… "Yes, this is the only safe place in the whole country, probably. Everywhere else will become ruins with monsters. So it isn't as if you had a choice to begin with."
Everyone but Han flinches at his words, even the teacher snaps back to reality for a few seconds. It is cold, it is harsh, but sadly is the only reality they have.