{Dungeon Cleared!}
{AP Gained: 500}
{AP: 500/500}
{Quota reached!}
Minor Healing Potion (5)
Large Club
{Weapon}
{Uncommon}
{A very large piece of wood. Its size is directly proportional to its ability to break things. Some say it is used to compensate for other things, however.}
VAL: 200 WST
As Zenith stepped out of the eerie portal, she found herself once again standing in the desolate corridors of the abandoned high school. The faint echoes of her footsteps reverberated through the empty halls, a stark reminder of the solitude that surrounded her.
Level 5
MP: 10/10
EXP: 5/50
AP: 500
WST: 435
---
Endurance: 10
Speed: 4
Precision: 1
Strength: 1
Arcane: 1
Turning to face Tamira, who appeared in her usual snake-like form beside her, Zenith asked:
"Tamira, am I leveling up quickly?" she inquired, her voice tinged with a hint of anticipation. "Without taking my buff into account."
Tamira regarded her with a knowing smile, her eyes gleaming with an otherworldly wisdom.
"Very much so," she remarked, her tone laced with a sense of admiration. "But remember, that's mainly because you took on that dungeon solo. If you'd teamed up with others, you'd be sharing the experience gains. Even with your buff, you'd be set back a little."
"Just means I need to keep doing that, right?"
"You could," Tamira replied. "But you might get yourself killed if you do."
[Hm... She's right. There were two moments in that dungeon where I nearly died. Maybe I should take it a little bit easy. Depends on how Asuka's doing.]
Zenith nodded, absorbing Tamira's words with a sense of satisfaction.
However, as she contemplated her next move, a nagging sense of concern gnawed at the edges of her mind.
Despite her newfound power and resilience, she couldn't shake the worry that lingered in her heart for Asuka. She needed to know if her friend was safe, if she was okay.
"Tamira, I need to find Asuka," Zenith declared, her voice firm with determination. "I can't just leave her alone out there, not knowing what's happening to her. Where is she?"
Tamira's expression grew somber, a hint of concern flickering in her eyes as she regarded Zenith with a mixture of empathy and caution.
"Well... Listen, I get where you're coming from," she began, her voice gentle yet firm. "But in my opinion, your efforts are best spent continuing to get stronger. The world out there is dangerous, especially for someone as... well, let's just say 'headstrong' as you. And, this buff isn't going to last forever. The clock is ticking."
Zenith's jaw clenched as she absorbed Tamira's words, her resolve faltering for just a moment.
At this point, she was fairly certain she understood the risk of showing up to a place well before she was ready to be there.
But, her pact compelled her. She needed to see how Asuka was doing.
"I appreciate your concern, Tamira, I really do," Zenith replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil brewing within her. "But I can't just stand by and do nothing while Asuka might be in danger. I have to find her, no matter what."
With a resigned sigh, Tamira nodded, conceding to Zenith's determination.
"Very well. If that's what you want to do, then I won't stop you," she conceded, her voice tinged with a hint of resignation. "I'll go ahead and mark her location on your map. Good luck!"
Zenith offered Tamira a grateful nod before turning on her heel and striding purposefully down the corridor, her mind set on the task ahead.
[Don't worry, Asuka. I'm coming.]
---
As Zenith followed the designated location on her map, her footsteps echoed softly against the desolate streets.
She couldn't shake the sense of unease that gnawed at the edges of her consciousness.
The world around her seemed to teeter on the brink of chaos, a precarious balance between survival and oblivion.
[Something feels off about this place. It's like the calm before a storm, but I can't quite put my finger on it.]
Drawing closer to the safe zone, a mall that stood like a beacon of refuge amidst the surrounding turmoil, Zenith scanned her surroundings with a wary eye.
The streets were eerily quiet, devoid of the usual cacophony of monstrous growls and distant screams.
[It's way too quiet for a city that should be infested with monsters. Where is everything? I mean, they can't go in the safe zone, but that doesn't mean these things should just not exist near it, right?]
As she neared the entrance to the safe zone, Zenith caught sight of several figures moving about within its confines and hid behind a car resting on its side.
People.
A great many of them, in fact.
Some were engaged in the grim task of burning corpses, some of fallen monsters and others of actual humans, their faces etched with weariness and resignation.
Others stood guard with weapons drawn, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of approaching danger.
[... Those people don't look particularly happy about what they're doing. Were all of those humans killed by monsters, or perhaps...?]
For a moment, Zenith hesitated, uncertainty clawing at the edges of her resolve. She knew that she was vastly underpowered compared to the other inhabitants of the safe zone.
The thought of walking into their midst, vulnerable and alone felt ridiculous.
[Level 13, Level 18, Level 15... They're all far stronger than me. Walking in right now would be akin to putting a slave collar around my own neck.]
But then, she remembered Asuka, her friend and constant companion, and the steely determination that burned within her heart.
She knew that, at the same time, she couldn't afford to let fear hold her back, not when the safety of someone she cared about was at stake.
[So... What do I do?] She considered it briefly.
Then, with a silent exhale, Zenith made her decision.
Instead of barging into the safe zone unannounced, she opted to linger outside its boundaries, keeping a vigilant watch over the area while she waited for Asuka to emerge.
[Might take an hour, might take a day, might take a week. But, I can't just walk in right now.]
As she stood there, her gaze fixed on the bustling activity within the safe zone, Zenith took slow, steady breaths.
[And now, I wait.]
...
.....
It was probably going to take a while.
---
As Zenith waited in the shadow of the safe zone's entrance, her eyes trained on the bustling activity within, she suddenly became aware of a commotion erupting further down the street.
At first, it was just a distant clamor, barely registering in her consciousness. But as the noise grew louder, she turned her gaze toward the source, her curiosity piqued.
A group of players from someplace else had launched an attack on the mall, their movements swift and coordinated.
Arrows whistled through the air, spells crackled with energy, and the sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the deserted streets. People cried out as steel met flesh.
It was a raid, a sudden eruption of violence in the midst of an already chaotic world.
[What in the world is happening?]
Zenith watched in stunned silence as the battle unfolded before her eyes.
Players clashed with a ferocity that sent chills down her spine, their faces twisted in expressions of rage and determination. Blood stained the ground, pooling beneath fallen combatants.
She saw one mage incinerate another with flame-based magic. Zenith flinched. It was her first time seeing such a thing since she came back to life.
Beside them, a lady wielding a pair of sharp daggers carefully planted them in that same sorceress's back, ending her contributions to the fight. Then she was pushed back by a man in heavy armor, aiming a hammer at her.
Zenith could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating, as each side fought desperately for dominance.
[... Madness.] She didn't particularly care, but it was interesting to see.
As the skirmish raged on, Zenith felt a familiar sense of unease settling in the pit of her stomach.
[This is not my fight. I should leave before anyone notices me.]
Just as she was considering slipping away unnoticed, her eyes caught sight of a figure emerging from the chaos.
"AAAAHHHHHH LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A hulking brute yelled out.
He was a man with a shaved head and a fiery demeanor, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity as he strode purposefully toward the attackers. Behind him, a small group of followers moved quickly, with silent determination, their weapons at the ready.
[Who is he?]
Without hesitation, the man launched himself into the fray holding a club almost as big as the one the troll Zenith fought wielded, his movements lacking any type of fluidity or grace.
But, every one of his strikes looked like it was calculated to inflict maximum damage on his opponents.
With a sickening squish, Zenith watched as he flattened someone with his club. Then, he swung it at someone else, sending them flying with a streak of red following them through the air.
His followers followed suit, their attacks coordinated and efficient as they worked together to turn the tide of battle in their favor.
[... Damn.]
Zenith found herself unable to tear her gaze away from the scene unfolding before her.
Despite the chaos and violence surrounding them, there was a sense of unity among the man and his followers. An order to their bloodshed.
As the battle reached its climax, the attackers were driven back, their numbers dwindling with each passing moment. The man and his followers fought with unwavering resolve, their determination unyielding even in the face of overwhelming odds.
The woman with those daggers gestured away from the mall and turned to run. Just like that, the attackers retreated.
The mall dwellers breathed a sigh of relief, adrenaline still coursing through their veins.
[They did it. They won.]
As the dust settled and the echoes of battle faded into the distance, Zenith was left alone with her thoughts.
She knew that she had witnessed something extraordinary, something that would stay with her long after the memory of the battle had faded.
And as she watched the man and his followers disappear back into the building, she realized:
[I'm far from ready. I need to get stronger before I even get close to this place again.]