*Thunk! Thunk!*
Everette stared at Jack, the happy guy, as he watched him nock arrow after arrow and launch them into the heads of the infected humans.
Everette then turned his attention towards Amelia, the shy girl. She displayed a nimble performance with her share of Infected. Her hands flashed with purpose as they used the knives equipped to them to deal lethal slashes.
{"Party Members Hawkeye and Thornbush killed Two Level 1 Infected Humans, One Level 2 Infected Human."}
The two had smiles plastered on their face as they fought and supported each other, almost like they adapted to the reality of killing to survive. They were so impressively synchronised that it felt as though they were reading each other's minds.
***
*Flashback*
"Party Gate"
Everette opened the last function of [Eden].
{"[Party], a function to add people into your group. This allows whoever in your group to see each other's HEALTH, STAMINA, AND MANA bars while also having an equal share of experience gained towards the rest of the party members. When sending invites, the host can create an alias to mask their name"}
'It really is like a game... An alias?'
Everette then looked back at the two following behind him before getting a bright idea.
***
*Jack's POV*
{"Ding! Party Invite from "VainValor" Accept?"}
"Huh?" I looked up from the blue screen and looked towards Amelia who I assumed had also gotten the invite from this "VainValor" person.
Turning my attention to Everette, I saw him looking at me with an impatient look.
"Did you send a party invite under the name... "VainValor"...?"
"Mhm, I believe it's better if we're in a party—"
""Pfft!""
Me and Amelia began laughing.
Everette's veins seemed to pop out due to our laughter.
"What!? Got a problem with my alias?!"
Wiping a tear from my eyes, I responded:
"No, no... It's just that... we already know who you are, Everette. Why do you need an alias around us?"
Probably due to my logical reason, Everette folded his arms and turned away from us.
"Hmph! Because it's cool!"
Amelia and I looked at each other before accepting the party invite.
***
{Party}
[VainValor: Party Leader]
HEALTH: 97 / 100
STAMINA: 40 / 50
MANA: 90 / 100
[HawkEye]
HEALTH: 110 / 110
STAMINA: 54 / 55
MANA: 10 / 10
[ThornBush]
HEALTH: 60 / 60
STAMINA: 29 / 30
MANA: 20 / 20
***
After walking for a bit, we came across a group of about 5 of those grey, foaming guys who looked a lot like zombies.
I was a bit shaken. Without any obstacles in front of us to prevent them from getting to us - it got me worried.
Looking beside me, I saw that Amelia was also shaken up too. Putting back on my usual carefree smile, I comforted her enough to where she stopped shaking.
Sometimes just smiling is one of the most powerful gestures one can do. It is a tool used for comfort while also a tool for deception.
As the "zombies" approached us, I held up my bow and began nocking it with arrows. I aimed it at a zombie's head and pulled back the bowstring.
But I couldn't let go... No... It was more like my body didn't want to let go.
'The zombies still used to be humans once right? What if they're trapped inside begging us for help?' I began having these thoughts that began to cause cracks in my smile.
This thought began growing more and more until... For once in my life, the unbreakable smile I held was shattered. I fell into dismay.
That was... Until Everrete stepped up to intercept them.
I lowered my bow as I saw him take care of them. I stared in awe as he took them on head-on without any evidence of fear or panic in his eyes or face.
Each swing of his spear carried his desire to kill, and each thrust of his spear carried his desire to survive.
Although, I can tell he wasn't experienced with fighting, given how clumsy his movements are. But there is something about fighting with your life on the line that excited me. How every time he moved he narrowly avoids the sickly hands of those zombies wanting to kill him and then suddenly striking back with the same intent back.
I looked to the side and saw Amelia also awestruck by his battle.
Outside of academics and archery, I wasn't really great at anything else. Sure... I am quite social but that doesn't mean I automatically make friends everywhere I go. And I wasn't especially always like that.
I used to always fear rejection when I was younger so I always shunned myself to my parent's backyard to practice my archery with almost anything I could get my hand on.
That was of course, until Amelia came along.
Her father was a good friend of my dad and wanted to bring her over so we two could become acquainted with each other.
At first, I thought she was kind of weird. She constantly stared at my practice with my bow every time she came over. After getting annoyed by her constant staring, I confronted her about it.
===
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
"H-huh...?" She probably wasn't expecting me to talk to her after I ignored her for so long.
"I asked, why do you keep staring at me? It unsettles me and messes up my aim."
"I-I just admire how hard you work..."
"How... hard I work?"
She nodded and gazed at my fingers.
"Those bumps on your hand are calluses, right?" She then went up and held my hand - gently caressing it.
"H-hey!"
"You must've worked for years for these right?"
It was a first for me, to get genuinely complimented after so long like this. My parents wanted a kid to show off to the other neighbourhood parents. So they got me into archery.
I didn't like it at first, my hand always slipped and the string sometimes cut me if I wasn't too careful.
However, when I got better at holding and using it, I began feeling a good tingly feeling inside my chest every time my arrows actually hit the target.
But my parents began worrying about my grades, they began falling when I spent more time practising with my bow instead rather than studying.
After that, they no longer praised my hard work with the bow and instead rejected my request to practice with it.
So I started working harder in school to bring my grades up before they finally let me play with it. But they still haven't praised me for my bow skills and only my academics.
So hearing that she acknowledged how hard I work.
*Sniffle*
Made me cry a bit.
===
And from that day onward I vowed, with my pride as a man and as an archer on the line, that I would always support her no matter what.
***
[Level 2 - > 3]
'Heh! Nice. Even with the XP shared between us three, I was still able to level up.' Everette thought inwardly with satisfaction.
As he was about to use some of his stat points, Jack called out for him.
"Everette! Could you please let me take care of the next group of zombies?"
"Zombies? Oh... You want to kill some Infected Humans too?"
"Are they what they called? Anyway, Yes!"
Jack then raised the hand he was carrying his arrows in before tightly closing it.
"As I was about to help you take care of some, I froze."
Jack's face then contorted to an expression of disappointment in his lack of competence.
"It was like I was drowning in uncertainty when I was pulling back my bowstring."
"I had this constant thought in my head on whether or not those things were still human or not."
Jack then took a deep breath before a wide smile spread across his face.
"But when I saw you kill them without any mercy at all, I convinced myself that killing them is also considered an act of mercy because we're freeing them from such a fate!"
Before Everette could respond, Amelia stood forth as well and bowed.
"P-please also let me help! I-I want to be of use too!"
"W-wait, Amelia! You don't have to do this!"
Jack tried to convince Amelia that there was no need for her to help but Amelia only responded with a shake of her head before lifting herself up from her bow.
"I-I don't want to make you worry about me anymore, Jack."
"I know I have always been a burden to you since we were kids due to my clumsiness but! I knew for a long time that you wouldn't always be there to help me with every little thing."
"So I want to, starting now, become more independent and perhaps even help you to repay your kindness!"
Jack tried to find an argument to counter it before relenting - knowing that she was right.
*Cough! Cough!*
Everette, who was looking at them, felt a little bit out of place in this emotional scene. He coughed to make them realise he was still there.
"Well if you want to start helping now, then now is a great time."
He pointed his thumb behind him.
The two looked up to see 3 Infected humans walking to them.
The two of them looked at each other before nodding. They stepped up and got into a stance.
Jack held up the bow upright and nocked an arrow before pulling back the bowstring.
*Thuck!*
The arrow whistled through the air before puncturing an Infected's torso. Everette noticed that Jack seemed to still be a bit hesitant.
Amelia also stepped up and swiped at the neck of one.
"EEK!"
before stepping back immediately, so the blood wouldn't get on her.
{"Party Members, Jack Birdeye, killed a Level 1 Infected Human"}
After seeing that notification, Everette turned to look at Jack who seemed to be proud of himself for doing it.
Amelia wanted to turn back and congratulate Jack but she also wanted to kill one so they could celebrate together.
With this in mind, she immediately plunged her right knife into the one she was facing before pushing it away to try and kill the one behind it.
{"Party Member, Amelia Rose, killed a Level 1 Infected Human"}
However, she got a little clumsy in her step - causing her to slip. This, however, was a blessing in disguise because she narrowly avoided a swipe from the Infected.
Jack, seeing that Amelia was in a messy situation, nocked in an arrow and launched it towards the Infected's head.
{"Party Members HawkEye kill a Level 2 Infected Human"}
*Clap! Clap!*
"Well done you two! I'm prou..." Everette seemed to choke on his word before trying to say it again.
"Prou...ud"
The two of them looked back.
Amelia was panting, while Jack looked at him with a questioning look.
"What was that?"
Everette sighed before waving his hand.
"I'm not used to giving compliments to people much, alright?"
""Pfft!""
The two began laughing at him.
"TCH! SHUT UP!"
***
*End Of Flashback*
Along the way down from the sixth floor, they encountered some survivors either hiding in their rooms or trying to fight back.
Everette looked back before faceplanting
'I know we came from the sixth floor and all but...'
He then stared at the masses crowding behind him and the couple.
'They're like 300 of them! How the hell am I gonna escort 300 of them when we get outside!?'
He held his head and tried to storm up some kind of plan before coming up with an idea.
'The Chapel! It's pretty close to the dorm. If we can make a sprint....'
He then began smacking his head.
"Stupid! Stupid! How the hell do you think we can avoid all those monsters!?"
He then brought the nail of his thumb to his mouth before biting down on it. A habit he developed to cope with stress.
He then let go of his thumb before coming up with another idea. This time even more stupid but may ensure more people survive.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
"I'll clear them a way to get through."