"Willie, how much mana have you used for Small Fireball? Adam, what are you feeling after using telekinesis?"
After they had dealt with a group of three zombies, Leo wanted to analyze their fighting capabilities. Knowing the limits of the skills may help them last longer in fights.
"I had used 5 mana points for one Small Fireball."
"It didn't cost me any mana, but I'm feeling dizzy after using Telekinesis."
Willie and Adam quickly explained their abilities to Leo. Listening to their explanations, Leo began strategizing based on the vulnerabilities of their abilities.
'Willie will be able to cast another 4 Small Fireballs, yet if we consider the usage of Life Pulse, it will go lower to 2 uses. Hence, Willie can't use it as much as he wants. Adam uses his spirit for telekinesis, so he may find himself mentally exhausted if he overuses it. It is better to save their skills for stronger zombies.'
Leo quickly devised a strategy outlining when and how Willie and Adam should use their abilities in battles. Mostly, he was interested in how they would perform against evolved zombies. Willie may not be as flexible as Adam, but his Small Fireball boasts fearsome attack power. On the other hand, the use of telekinesis was more varied than Small Fireball.
"Both of you should make killing moves from your skills and save them for more strong opponents. In the next battle, you will fight using your weapons. Willie, if you detect any evolved zombies, we will try killing them."
Adam had no objections, while Willie was clearly depressed that he was going to fight zombies in close combat. He liked how easily he had killed that zombie and thought that Small Fireball was worth all the efforts he poured into learning it.
Seeing that color was returning to Charlotte's face, Leo decided that it was already time to continue hunting. After they had dealt with a group of three zombies, they had picked fights with several other groups.
As a result, their group had killed more than thirty of them. After engaging in continuous zombie battles for over 2 hours, Charlotte's initial fear subsided, and she became more adept at handling group fights. She grew less fearful of zombies and was able to put up a fight against them. Perhaps, after leveling up another time, she found it easier to handle zombies than before.
Following Leo's guidance, she invested an additional 2 points in strength to bolster her attack capabilities based on his advice. If before she was a newbie who couldn't kill even one zombie, then now she was able to easily handle a zombie in a one-on-one battle.
Even though he had already saved her life several times, Leo was sure that Charlotte had overcome her fear of zombies. Leo was satisfied by the fact that they had another enhancer among their group.
Suddenly, Willie flinched slightly as he checked his surroundings another time. Judging by his facial expression, he seemed to discover something.
"Leo, there is a giant zombie hundred meters away from us. Should we move in his direction?"
Apparently, Willie wasn't eager to meet other evolved zombies. It seemed that he still can't forget about how it banged the doors of the library.
"Yeah, guide us towards the giant. Also, you should get ready to fight with it."
"Okay, then... What? Shouldn't it be you who will kill it? Why me? No, no, you should be joking, right?"
Willie was stunned by his words as he started protesting him violently. He had never imagined that he would be the one facing it. Before the apocalypse, he already had a fear of muscular men since they resembled bullies from his mid-school. However, now he was going to face a two and a half meter, huge giant.
"Don't worry so much! If something goes wrong, then I will help you out."
Leo tried to assure him that everything would be alright, but it seemed that it wasn't enough to calm Willie. When Willie recalled how Leo said the same lines to Charlotte, he felt that his life was on the line. Knowing Leo and his personality, he knew that he would help him only when his life was in danger.
'What's up with his face?'
Leo couldn't help but be dissatisfied by Willie's reaction. He had a slightly pale face and wore a desperate expression on his as he was going to part with his life.
After several minutes of moving stealthily, they had finally reached a giant. It looked the same way as the Giant Leo had killed in the library. Thick muscles, a burly figure, and humongous hands induced even more fear in Willie's heart.
Adam and Charlotte also seemed to be fearful of it. It was much better for Adam since he had already seen how Leo had killed it. As for Charlotte, she clearly was stunned to see a real giant before her. She had never seen a person as huge as it. It looked like even three university students summed won't be able to rival it in size.
"How a zombie can be so huge?"
She asked Leo while still being stunned by the giant. Nobody can blame her since it was a common response when a survivor sees a giant for the first time. There even were people who were paralyzed by fear at the sight of a monster.
"As far as I knew, it is an evolved zombie that specializes in strength."
Since he had previously seen much bigger, Leo was unaffected by the giant. There were even Giants who were taller than 5 meters and as big as a house, so he was pretty accustomed to fighting with monsters much bigger than him.
"Willie, you shouldn't fear it so much! Try using your Fireball on it and see how strong it is. Maybe you can kill it with one hit. Aim on its head; otherwise, you won't kill it."
When he heard that he wouldn't fight it in close combat, Willie seemed to liven up. He won't stand a chance against it in close combat, but maybe he could kill it with his Small Fireball.
'Right! Why should I fight it in close range? I'm a mage, so attacking from a distance is my forte. I'm going to kill it with one shot!'
As he thought about it, Willie grew more confident to kill it. He even felt excited to test his small fireball on the giant's thick skin.
Willie started chanting the spell as unknown words were leaving his mouth. After 15 seconds, the fire was slowly gathering before him as it was shaped into a ball. Imagining how it would fly towards the giant, the small fireball obeyed his will as it flew in a straight line.
Attracted to the sound of the chant, Giant was striding in their direction. When Willie saw how Giant was nearing them, he panicked slightly, and a fireball flying towards its head slammed into its chest. It exploded loudly as big chunks of rotten meat were torn from its chest.
When the Small Fireball had slammed into it, Giant was sent several steps back and had stopped in its tracks.
"Idiot, you had a chance to kill it in one shot. Finish him!"
Leo shouted at Willie since he saw that he got distracted by fear. When Willie saw how his fireball missed its head, his face paled. He was screaming inside his mind, "Fuck!" repeatedly as he gazed stupidly at the smoke covering the giant.
As the smoke was diffusing to the air, they clearly saw a huge hole in its chest. Perhaps, even its heart and other internal organs were incinerated by the fire. It seemed that the injury had reached its spine as it fell on the ground, unable to move.
Seeing how it had collapsed, Willie sighed heavily as he wiped the sweat on his forehead, which had formed from the high temperatures of Small Fireball and NOT from the fear. He didn't want to admit that he messed up with the giant.
"Stop standing like an idiot and finish him. It's unable to move yet still alive."
Reminded by Leo, Willie rushed at the giant lying on the ground. It looked even bigger lying on the ground than standing on its legs. Willie approached it hurriedly as he stabbed his Failed Dagger continuously into its head.
After turning its head into blood paste, finally, the white light emitted from its body as a White Chest appeared near the giant's corpse.
Even though he was being scared a moment ago, Willie was delighted to get another treasure chest. Previously, he had opened only one White Chest, and this would be his second one. Apparently, he was nervous as he wondered what would drop from it.
Upon opening the chest, the White Chest vanished from his grasp, and in its place, a vial containing a red liquid materialized in his hands.
[Strength Potion]
[Description: Permanently increases the strength stat by 2 points.]
"Hey, Willie, you are quite lucky to get a stat-increasing potion."
Leo sincerely congratulated him. Even though Willie had fucked up his aim with Fireball, it still ended well for them. It was quite rare to get a potion that increases stats, even for a treasure chest. It was also great luck when Leo got his hands on Stat Potion.
At least, every item from the Blue Chest would be a great treasure no matter what it would be, so he would have never regretted it if he hadn't gotten a Stat Potion.