The Fundamentals, Part Five

Zenith's heart pounded in her chest as she faced off against two goblins that stood before her.

Level 2

MP: 10/10

Level 2

MP: 10/10

Their grotesque features twisted into snarls of aggression as they lunged forward, their movements swift and unpredictable.

Zenith gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on the hilt of her greatsword as she prepared to meet their attack head-on.

With lightning-fast reflexes, the goblins closed the distance between them and Zenith, sinking their sharp teeth into her thighs before she could react.

[AGH! You fast... tiny... little shits!] 

Pain shot through her body, but she refused to let it slow her down. With a primal roar, she swung her greatsword with all her might, the blade slicing through the air with a deadly arc.

The goblins let out gurgled cries of agony as Zenith's blade cleaved through their bodies, cutting them in half with a single stroke. 

Blood spurted from their wounds, splattering across the ground. As the last goblin fell to the ground, Zenith breathed a heavy sigh of relief, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

EXP Gained: 10

EXP: 15/50

WST Gained: 20

WST: 455

[Well... Those things sure are weak. I still haven't even put any points into my Strength and I still killed them in one blow. But, holy shit, their bites sting.] 

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Zenith put away her blade and went to sit down on a nearby car's hood. 

Pulling up the World Shop, she purchased a cold bottle of water for a handful of tokens and took some greedy sips from it. 

[... Any progress is good progress. Don't get too caught up in how much time this all takes. Just try to stay consistent. Heh, those are some words to live by, huh?] 

After a while, she put that water away and approached their bodies.

[Let's see if they-]

But as she reached down to search them, a sound caught her attention from behind.

Zenith flinched.

Footsteps echoed through the deserted streets, accompanied by the murmur of voices in conversation.

Instantly, Zenith's instincts kicked in, and she crouched low, pressing herself against the nearest building as she listened intently.

"I can't believe we're still stuck in this dump," one voice grumbled, dripping with frustration. "When are we going to get out of here and find a real safe zone?"

"Patience, bro, patience," another voice replied, calm and measured. "Good things come to those who wait. We just need to bide our time and wait for some rival zone to make us a good offer, then, we'll be good to go." 

Zenith's brow furrowed as she recognized the voices of the people passing by.

They were survivors from the supermarket, individuals she had seen before from afar.

[Hm...] 

Curiosity burned within her, and she found herself compelled to follow them, to learn more about who they were and what they were planning.

With a healthy amount of distance between them, Zenith trailed behind the group, her footsteps not silent at all, but muffled by the sounds of distant fighting.

The rhythmic sound of her breathing echoed in her ears, almost as loud as the individuals themselves. 

As Zenith trailed behind the group, their voices carried faintly through the night air, their conversation punctuated by bursts of laughter and animated gestures.

"I heard we got a new vendor. Did you meet him?"

"Ohhhh, the Chinese guy? Yeah, he said he had some homemade dumplings. Bought a couple myself." 

"Did they taste homemade?" 

"How the fuck should I know? But, fuuuuck, they were good." 

"Man, I'm jealous." One of them remarked, his voice tinged with excitement. "I can't wait to try them out."

"Spicy dumplings? You wanna clog the toilet again? Seriously?" Another replied, a hint of amusement in her tone. 

As they strolled along, Zenith tried to follow as best as she could. 

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to kicking back and relaxing this weekend," one of them said with a contented sigh. "It's been a long week."

His words were met with murmurs of agreement from the others. 

"I'm thinking of heading out to the park with the wife," another piped up, his voice filled with determination. "Do some... isolated training, you know?" 

"Gross." 

Zenith strained to keep pace with them. Sneaking around wasn't something she was used to, and her heavy armor wasn't making it any easier.

Moving from one street to another, Zenith kept a safe distance, her eyes never leaving the group as they navigated through the darkened alleyways.

Every now and then, they encountered monsters lurking in the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malevolent intent. Most of the time, they took them down with no trouble, but after a while a bigger confrontation took place. 

Zenith held her breath as some creatures closed in on the group. Zombies, but somehow stronger-looking than the ones that killed Zenith herself.

The players fought with practiced efficiency, their movements fluid and coordinated as they unleashed a barrage of spells and sword strikes against their undead adversaries. Arcane energy crackled through the air as fireballs erupted from their outstretched hands, incinerating zombies in a burst of flame.

But for every zombie they struck down, two more seemed to take its place, their relentless advance threatening to overwhelm the group. Zenith watched with bated breath, her eyes wide with awe as she witnessed the sheer ferocity of their battle.

[Come on... I need information. Don't you dare get yourselves killed.] 

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though one of the monsters had caught wind of her presence, its gaze locking onto her with a feral intensity.

Fear gripped Zenith's heart as she braced herself for the inevitable attack, her muscles tensing as she prepared to defend herself.

But just as the creature lunged forward, a flash of movement caught her eye as one of the group members sprang into action, dispatching the monster with a swift and decisive blow.

Relief flooded through Zenith as the danger passed, but she knew she couldn't let her guard down. She had come too far to be discovered now.

Soon, the zombies were dealt with, and it seemed like the players were going to keep moving. 

But, before that, one asked: 

"Hey, Courtney, is it true you're joining Dylan's squad tomorrow?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

Zenith's eyes widened, almost bulging out of their sockets. 

Courtney nodded, her expression grim.

"Yeah, unfortunately. I don't have much of a choice," she replied, her voice tinged with bitterness. "But honestly... I feel like I'm fucked. I'm just gonna be another one of his meat shields," she stated quietly. 

The others exchanged somber glances, sympathy evident in their eyes.

"It's insane that Dylan even bothers to bring anyone with him when he's so strong," one of them remarked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Courtney shrugged helplessly.

"I think he just likes to show off for his slaves," she muttered bitterly, her tone laced with resentment. "Like seeing him fight will make them suck his cock a little harder or something." 

Zenith's heart sank as she listened, a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach.

[... Slaves?]