A team of four people and a skeleton walked in silence, retracing the path they had already taken. At the front of the group, Dean carefully watched the surroundings, his eyes scanning the landscape from side to side as if searching for something specific.
"What bad luck we have..." he muttered, shaking his head in disapproval.
"There has to be a place with zombies. I refuse to believe they all went in the same direction."
The other three members exchanged discreet glances, relieved by the lack of enemies. Although they had agreed to get stronger and face their fears, changing their mindset wasn't something that happened overnight.
After a few more minutes of walking, Dean stopped abruptly. His eyes had caught silhouettes slowly moving among the trees in a nearby forest.
"Found them. You guys ready?"
Nervous smiles appeared on the three faces. They only nodded in silence, avoiding words, as if fearing they'd draw unwanted attention.
"First, we're going to scout and see how many there are. I'm not trying to get you killed," Dean reassured them.
The team approached slowly to assess the situation. There were six zombies in total, all spread out and wandering aimlessly among the trees.
"Great, great."
"Mila, the first zombie is yours. It's the weakest and far from the others."
Mila trembled slightly upon hearing that, trying to muster the courage to fight.
"Can't it be Leo instead? He's a guy—he'll handle it more easily."
Leo wanted to agree, but he hesitated when he saw a smile forming on Dean's face.
"You sure, Mila? I guess I'll have to find another zombie for you, then. Oh, how about that one that looks like a 6-foot bodybuilder?" he suggested.
The smile that was about to form on Mila's face disappeared as terror took over, strangely accompanied by a spark of bravery.
"No, no, leave it to me. A skinny zombie won't stop me."
"Ha, great. Go ahead then," Dean smiled, along with Leo and Clara.
Mila gripped her pipe wrench tightly as she walked toward her opponent, who hadn't yet sensed her presence.
Getting closer, the stench of rotting flesh hit her, making her want to vomit. She held it back with all her strength. Each step brought more anxiety until she accidentally stepped on a dry branch, making a soft cracking noise.
The zombie turned toward her, its eyes glowing a deeper yellow—it had found prey. It didn't want to alert the others, wanting the feast all to itself, so it charged toward her.
Mila nearly fell backward but reminded herself that if she couldn't kill a mere zombie, she wouldn't survive long in this new world.
She gathered her courage, raised her wrench, and waited for the perfect moment to strike.
As the zombie lunged to bite her, she landed a blow to its jaw, knocking it to the ground.
She didn't celebrate—she attacked again to make sure it was dead. Two more hits, and she finally relaxed.
"I did it... I actually did it..." she looked at her trembling hands, normal for someone killing such a creature for the first time.
"Congrats, girl! You beat your first monster!" Clara cheered, running over, excited for her friend.
Leo came over as well to congratulate her, while Dean and his skeleton watched the surroundings to avoid surprises.
After congratulating Mila, the tension returned. There were still five zombies among the trees, and the challenge was to stick to the plan.
Dean stepped forward, catching everyone's attention.
"Alright. Next up... Leo, you're up."
Leo swallowed hard, his throat dry as sand. Despite the earlier jokes, now that it was his turn, the reality weighed heavily on him.
"Alright..." he replied, taking a deep breath. "Leave it to me."
He pulled out the iron rod he'd picked up at the pharmacy—not the ideal weapon, but better than nothing. Clara patted his shoulder with an encouraging smile. Mila, still catching her breath, gave him a thumbs-up.
Dean pointed out the next zombie. It was slightly bulkier than the previous one but still alone, distracted by the rustling leaves.
"If you get in quickly and hit hard, it won't even know what hit it," said Dean, like a coach instructing a trainee.
Leo advanced, trying to keep his steps steady and silent. Unlike Mila, he didn't tremble, but it was clear he was fighting back fear.
As he got closer, he raised the rod with both hands, and when the zombie turned its head slightly, he struck with all his strength. The dry sound of the impact echoed, and the creature fell sideways.
But to Leo's surprise, the zombie tried to rise again. Eyes wide, he slammed the rod down two more times on its skull until it finally stopped moving.
"Yes!" he gasped, almost in disbelief. "I did it!"
"Nice one, Leo!" Mila said with more confidence. "I thought you were going to make me go again," she joked.
Dean chuckled briefly.
"Good job. Now there are just three left... Clara, you're up."
The redhead hesitated. She didn't have a real weapon, just a makeshift wooden staff—and no magic, despite being a Mage class. But she took a deep breath, brushing off her doubts, and stepped forward.
"Show me which one, Dean," she said firmly.
Dean smiled, admiring the growing courage in her. He pointed at a zombie that looked like it had been a young woman in life, hair stuck to her face and part of her jaw dangling.
"That one. Alone, by the fallen tree."
Clara was ready to proceed, but Dean stopped her.
"With that weapon, you'll have a hard time killing that zombie. I'll lend you my bow so you can attack from a distance. Plus, you're the shortest."
Clara looked surprised—she expected to have to fight like the others. But when she was about to get excited, that last comment made her fume.
"Who are you calling short? Just because I'm 1.65m?" she puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
Mila and Leo covered their mouths to stifle laughter, ready to diffuse the situation.
"I mean, your arms are shorter..." The more Dean spoke, the more irritated she became.
"Ahem—anyway, do you know how to use a bow?" he coughed, changing the subject quickly.
Clara didn't press the issue and took the bow from his extended hands.
"I've used one before, but it's been a long time. I don't really know how anymore, but..." she hesitated, knowing Dean was already doing a lot by lending it to her.
"Haha, I figured you'd say something like that. Don't worry—I'll teach you. It's nothing too hard."
Clara held the Tactical Viper Bow with both hands, staring at it like it was a sacred artifact. The weight, sturdy design, and reinforced metal parts made it clear it was no ordinary weapon.
"I... don't want to break it," she murmured, unable to hide the tension.
Dean chuckled softly.
"Relax. It'll only break if you miss so much it decides to end itself," he joked, arms crossed beside her.
"Ha-ha," Clara replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, listen. It's not like in movies or shows. Don't pull the string to your ear like it's natural. Pull with firmness, breathe deeply, and aim with both eyes open. Don't close one," he explained, gesturing.
Clara tried to copy him, but her first pull was weak, and the bow nearly slipped from her hands.
"Damn it, this is harder than it looks!"
"Relax, tiny archer," Dean teased with a smirk.
Clara slowly turned her face, eyes half-shut with pure threat.
"If you call me that again, I'll shove this bow where the sun doesn't shine."
Mila and Leo burst out laughing. The tension was replaced by something lighter—and even the skeleton knight seemed to tilt its head curiously, as if trying to understand the joke.
"Alright, no nicknames. Now aim at that zombie by the tree. It hasn't noticed us, so take your time to focus."
Clara took a deep breath, nocked the arrow, adjusted her stance, and this time pulled harder. Her hand trembled, but her eyes stayed focused.
"Aim at the center of the head. Breathe slowly. And when it feels right... let go."
She exhaled. And released the arrow.
The sound of the shot sliced through the silence, and the zombie staggered as the arrow lodged in its neck. It wasn't a kill shot, but it threw the creature off balance.
"Finish it!" Dean shouted, handing her another arrow.
Clara grabbed it, aimed again—less shaky this time—and fired.
The second arrow hit right in one eye. The zombie collapsed, lifeless.
A respectful silence settled until Clara let out a long sigh.
"I did it..." she said, more to herself than anyone else.
Dean lightly tapped her shoulder.
"See? Not bad for a... medium-height archer."
She looked at him again, this time with a faint smile.
"You're improving... maybe you'll survive me another day."
Dean smiled as he walked toward the fallen zombies.
Mila ran over, excited:
"You were amazing, Clara! I would've been shaking like crazy using that bow."
Leo added:
"And that was your first time with a ranged weapon. Just imagine once you get the hang of it!"
The group felt closer than ever. Even in the chaos of the world, those small victories sparked hope in each of them.
While the trio chatted, Dean examined the corpses for loot. Of the three zombies, only the one Clara killed dropped an item. He picked it up and returned to them.
Dean took the bow back but looked at Clara seriously before putting it away.
"You did well. If you want, I can make a bow just for you when we find good materials."
"I'd like that," she replied, surprised but with a gleam in her eyes. "Just... don't make it pink, please."
"No promises," Dean said with a wink.
"I now declare you all true players since you've gained your first experience points—but this is just the beginning. I want everyone to level up at least once before we rest."
Dean grinned, while the others looked horrified—they had seen their experience bars and knew they were barely filled. They'd have to kill many more monsters to level up.
After that, Dean slowly approached Clara, who noticed and turned toward him.
"Here's something to cheer you up. If you're lucky, you might get something like this, so always check after killing a monster," he said, handing her a card.
The three of them looked confused, unsure what it was—but Clara understood. Dean had explained earlier.
"This... is for me?" she asked, shyly surprised.
"Yes. You killed that zombie, so the item is yours. Tear the card, and the item will appear."
Following his instructions, she tore the card—and a pair of sneakers appeared in front of her.
Item:
Agile Sneakers [Common]
+1 AGI applied.
[You feel your steps become lighter!]
Clara's eyes sparkled as she slipped the shoes on. The moment she did, she could feel a difference in her legs, making her eager to test them out.
A faint glow ran through her body, signaling the activation of the agility bonus. Clara gave a little hop on the spot, then walked a few steps with excitement.
"Wow! These are super comfortable! It's like my feet are floating," she said, swinging her ankles side to side.
"With that +1 to agility, you'll probably be able to outrun me if I tease you again," Dean said with a mischievous smile.
"If you tease me again? Please, that's a guarantee," Clara replied with a laugh.
Mila watched curiously.
"So this really is like a game… I never imagined something like this would happen in real life."
Dean nodded as he slung his bow back over his shoulder.
"It's real. Zombies won't always drop something, but whenever they do, check it. Could be the difference between life and death."
Leo crossed his arms, thinking.
"So... each zombie is like a surprise box? You get XP, maybe some loot, and of course... a good chance of dying."
"Exactly. A deadly combo," Dean replied casually, already walking toward the next targets.
Only two zombies remained in the forest. Dean looked at his companions with a nod of approval. Despite the fear they had felt at first, everyone had made progress — they were more confident, more united. That was exactly what he wanted to see.
"Time to finish the job," he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
The skeletal knight, who had remained still and silent until then, walked alongside Dean like a grim bodyguard. The blue flames in its helmet glowed brightly, as if hungering for more combat.
"This time... it's on us," Dean said, glancing at his knight.
Clara, Mila, and Leo watched closely. It was time to see how zombies were handled… the professional way.
Dean drew an arrow and got into position. The skeleton marched calmly beside him, steady and relentless.
The first of the two remaining zombies didn't even have time to react. Dean's arrow flew straight through its skull, dropping it with a dull thud onto the leaf-covered ground.
The second one, however, seemed to hear the sound and turned, growling as it charged toward them.
Dean didn't move. He simply nodded.
The skeletal knight surged forward like a predator. In seconds, it raised its rusted sword and drove it into the zombie's chest, pushing it to the ground. A second strike finished the job.
All in under ten seconds.
Dean looked back at the others and smiled.
"Simple, clean, and efficient. You'll get there."
Clara crossed her arms with a playful grin.
"You just wanted to show off."
"Maybe a little," he replied, winking again.
With the last zombies defeated, the group took a short break under the shade of the trees. They were sweaty, tired, but alive — and now officially had their first victories in combat.
Dean then stepped forward, extending his hand to Clara — not offering an item, but something symbolic.
"Congratulations. You're officially an adventurer now."
She shook his hand firmly.
"And you survived the average-height archer. Impressive."
Everyone laughed.