Standing up, it was time to take action.
"It's time to put an end to my zombie housemate. But what a pity."
I thought, feeling a pang of sadness that I couldn't finish things with my own hands. I decided to at least eliminate the zombie him and be a little content.
It's not because my heart is black and I hold a grudge, but like they say in cultivation novels, it's all because I'm afraid that I would get a heart demon. Otherwise, with my good-natured heart, I would never do something like killing him.
Reassuring myself of my noble character and virtuous heart, I approached the door and opened it slowly, peering through.
"Thankfully, no one's in the living room."
Relieved that no one was there, I went to the kitchen and searched for the largest knife we had.
"Found it."
Holding the knife, I debated whether to proceed with just the knife or make further adjustments. That's when the cleaning tools caught my eye. Spotting the wooden staff, though thin, I thought it could give me better reach.
First, I searched for the sealing tape, then took the cleaning tool from the wooden staff. Placing the knife at the tip, I tightly wrapped the sealing tape around them until the knife was securely fixed and immovable.
"And just like that, we have a roughly crafted spear."
Satisfied, I cautiously approached his room door. Opening it slightly, I hesitated to peek inside. But deciding not to and ensuring the poorly made spear was ready, I kicked the door.
Like a switch had been flipped, the quiet apartment was suddenly filled with the groans of two zombies. Taking a stance I'd seen in some anime, I aimed for my dear friend's chest first. Feeling the impact on my hand, I felt a surge of adrenaline in my system.
But trying not to get too distracted, I took a step back and struck again. Because of my excitement, I didn't aim correctly, causing me to miss the chest and hit his neck instead.
[You have killed Lv.1 Zombie]
[You have earned 500 Experience]
[You have reached Level 1]
[All attributes increased by 1]
[You got 5 unassigned points]
Seeing the flurry of system messages and feeling my body getting stronger, excitement overwhelmed me. Trying to calm down, I quickly turned to the other zombie. Seeing it too close, I got flustered and swung the spear with all my strength.
"Kacha!"
Breaking the spear's shaft, I felt disheartened. But luckily, I managed to wound its shoulder near its neck. It stopped a little, but seeing no message from the system, I knew it wasn't dead yet.
Grasping the broken spear still lodged in the zombie, it began to move again. But I was faster and swiftly stabbed its neck.
[You have killed Lv.1 Zombie]
[You have earned 500 Experience]
[You have reached Level 2]
[All attributes increased by 1]
[You got 5 unassigned points]
Seeing the same notifications, and my body growing stronger, I was relieved that the enemy had died. I collapsed on the ground, the exhilaration of battle finally fading.
After resting for a while, I tried to reflect on the short battle. Other than needing to keep my excitement in check, I don't think there was anything wrong. The excitement itself stemmed from finally defeating my nightmare and feeling my body grow stronger.
"It's addicting, though."
Still, after thinking about my innate talent and the soulforge mastery, I was reminded that there is no change. Is it that the zombies don't have souls, or is it because I'm still not able to feel anything close about my soul? I was not sure, but trying not to dwell on the topic too much, I breathed in and out. After calming down, I opened my status window again.
[Status]
Name: Ellis Miller
Race: Human
Title: None
Level: 2 (EXP: 400/1000)
[Attributes]
Strength: 10
Agility: 8
Stamina: 7
Vitality: 8
Mana: 42
Charm: 11
Luck: 4
Unassigned Points: 10
[Blessings: Subtle Soul Rebirth (☆☆☆)]
[Innate Talent: Evolutionary Pathways]
[Skills: None]
Seeing that nothing had changed other than the attributes, I felt a little disappointed. How exactly should skills be learned? As for the unassigned points, I decided I would allocate them later according to the situations I encounter.
Standing up, I looked at the two zombie corpses. I remembered that sometimes there were core-like stones in zombie corpses, but I couldn't bring myself to dismantle these low-level ones. Deciding against it, I went to take a shower and make something to eat.
I should cherish these moments now while they last.
After relaxing a little bit, I went to my housemate's room. If there was something nice about him now after dying, it would be that he went to some wooden martial arts club. Of course, it was just for some girl going there. And he just went there for a couple of days; after hooking up with the said girl, he left the club. But the point here is that he still has that sturdy wooden staff.
"We shouldn't waste anything."
And I'm taking my "emotional" debt from him after all. Even if this much is not nearly enough, something is better than nothing.
Searching his room a little, I found it easily.
After making a new, better spear than the previous one, and sitting in the living room, I started to think about my plans for the future. Like what should my priority be for now. Raising my level is a matter of course, but what about the other things?
"It all comes down to the blessing that I have."
I should try to find some way to make it stronger, as it is useless now. And it has the potential to be something very strong. Even the innate talent, if possible.
Then should i stay alone or search for those gatherings of survivals that my mother talked about?
Thinking about the advantages and disadvantages that come from groups, and remembering how I don't know anyone trust-worthy enough here in Rusford. I decided to stay alone for now and take a look at my surroundings.
My long-term goal aside, my immediate needs should be food. When I have some leeway, I could think about my goals again.
"That's it, it's time to venture out and hunt some zombies."