Zombie Annihilation 1

"Put down your weapon! Or I swear by Odin's name that I'll make you see what we call The Blood Eagle." The young man commanded, his voice shaking with authority as he stepped closer. I held my sword tighter; my eyes darted left and right. The corpses of women, of those that I once called friends and family, lay lifeless in the ground. A sickening pool of blood and entrails surrounded them, filling the air with the stench of death.

As I frantically turned my head from side to side, looking for anyone who could help, I caught a glimpse of my mother's lifeless body. My younger brother's beheaded corpse lay next to her in a pool of blood, and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I saw my father's final moments. His throat was slit open from ear to ear, his face was pale with shock, and his hands were desperately trying to close the wound, yet the fountain of blood kept spurting. I felt completely powerless, yet my rage burned. It burned with grief. It burned with anger. It burned with the desire for revenge.

"Goddess of the earth....." I wanted to pray one last time when the tall, muscular young man came towards me with slow, determined steps, pointing his long, deadly sword at me. "Put down your weapon, you foolish, idiotic Boy!"

"I'll take you down with me!" I thought to myself, determined to take at least one enemy with me. I had scanned the battlefield earlier and noticed that there weren't any enemy corpses, which meant they were either, good at retrieval or we were just dead without killing anyone. Alas, seeing the lack of blood, it could only mean that we are killed without killing back, which is dishonorable to our God.

I slowly threw my sword to the ground, making the young man nod in approval. Even though his face still looked young, with a small and harmless smile, I could see the contempt and years of experience in his eyes — especially with the long, jagged scar running down his face.

The long, scar that ran down his face, coupled with his cold, hard eyes that were looking down at me, even though I'm taller than him, made me want to give up. But the images of my family who were killed in cold blood made my spirit ignite in a firestorm. I waited for the young man to walk close to me, then I lunged toward him, ignoring his sword that slashed my left hand when I jumped on him. My right fist connected to his jaw. And just as I unsheathed my dagger with my left hand that was at my back, I heard him say.

"You can't just blindly trust the word of these animals!" And then, suddenly, it was over. I saw the sky, and then the ground rushed up to meet me. My head lolled to the side as I wondered in my dying moments how he had managed to kill me.

Even though my head made a sickening thud when it hit the ground, I didn't die.

*Thump*

I stood up, feeling nothing but a numbing emptiness, as I looked at the young man with matted hair and a wild look in his eye, screaming: "Odin owns ye all!" He viciously kicked my head in the house that was engulfed in flames, while his accomplices were looting our home, leaving nothing behind. They didn't even bother to bury us.

Eventually, the slayers left our burning home, leaving our corpses to be devoured by the wolves who came soon after. I even saw a raven poke my eyes and peck them out, while looking straight at me. Even though those men that killed everything that stood in their way didn't see me after I died, the raven saw me and gazed directly into my eyes as slowly a creepy smile formed on the raven's face.

[Do you want revenge?

Y/N]

"Goddess of Earth?" I asked incredulously, as I saw some ancient runic words in front of me that said if I wanted revenge. I was shocked and truly bewildered, as I couldn't help but think if this is what happens when we die.

Additionally, The goddess's message not only gave me the power to move myself but also the power to feel truly alive again. The weird, emotionless feeling I had earlier completely disappeared.

I was still in my destroyed village, but everything seemed to be moving in a fast-forwarded blur around me as if I didn't exist. I saw people running around in a panic, animals strutting around in the newfound emptiness. Our corpses removed, and burned trees slowly growing. As for that Raven, it was long gone.

"Revenge?" I mumbled to myself while taking in my surroundings and looking down at my transparent hands. I shouted out, loud, "They came from nowhere! They killed my family, burnt my house, and took what is rightfully mine! Of course, I want revenge!"

[Congratulations, my bold adventurer!

You have received a very special Quest.

Quest: Kill the monstrous Herald Froe and receive a second chance at life.

This is a rare opportunity, so good luck player!]

I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust my eyes to the sudden, bright light that shone from nowhere. I found myself inexplicably walking toward an unfamiliar village. This village was protected by a wooden wall that was taller than me. A small moat separated the wall from the rest of the village. The village itself was made up of small, thatched-roof wooden houses. There was a small, dirt path that led through the village and ended at an entrance in the center of the wall.

I looked around me and found different people and animals. No one talked, no one shouted, no one breathed. Only the sound of marching steps was heard. What shocked me was the lack of emotion against these "people." They looked like monsters with pale skin and bloodshot eyes. The animals growled sometimes, while a bear who was behind us looked around, as if looking for something.

We found ourselves in front of the entrance to the village. With my eyes that were making my vision red, in addition to being blurry and strained, I couldn't even see what was in front of me. Yet, through the haze, I could make out different types of traps. I wanted to warn every living being besides me, so I shouted.

*Grawllllll*

I was so shocked that it took me a few minutes to understand what had happened. I wasn't a human anymore. I was a monster.

*Thump*

*Thump*

The sickening sound of something hitting the ground woke me from my daze. Lifting my head, I saw several other monsters fall into several deep pits. Gray blood, guts, brain matter, and several limbs were scattered in the pit. Regrettably, there isn't just one pitfall. There were many before them.

"They die so easily!" I thought to myself.

Suddenly, I saw several figures that screamed, "Familiar!" I wanted to run toward them, but my legs were hard to move. I walked hurriedly as these figures were at the vanguard of this horde-like gathering of monsters. It seems my vision got better as when I began walking, I recognized several of them as warriors, women, and slaves of my late village - those who died for nothing. I saw them again, making my spirit burn in delight. I walked towards the front and I saw my mother and father with my little brother. They were slowly working towards another visible pitfall.

I shouted and cried with my monstrous, guttural voice until my throat was raw, but it was to no avail. I saw them fall to their death again. I didn't know if this monstrous body of mine was capable of tears, but I cried buckets full. I shouted and cried uncontrollably, waving my hands around like the monster I am. I completely forgot the goddess's quest and that now I am by myself since I ran faster than other monsters and zipped past some pitfalls. Something a hare-brained of a human would not let slip.

"Heheh! A level 10 Zombie! Jackpot," I heard a voice say in a language I didn't understand. But the voice was too familiar. I turned my head and saw the same young man who killed me just a few hours ago, pointing a sharp piece of wood at my face. My face grimaced in anger as I just wanted to leap toward him with my monster-like body. But then I heard him say, "A zombie Crying? Here, take this tissue!"

*Woosh*

I felt my vision black out as I again felt the same familiar feeling of Death looming over me.[Congratulations, you have wasted one of the few opportunities that even the Gods wished to have. Now you can rest in peace, Trash.]