The Level III Zombie

As they descended to the second basement level of the supermarket, the signs of a hurried and violent looting were immediately apparent. The sprinklers had been knocked aside, their water buckets now missing, leaving the scene of a silent struggle. The once-pristine glass counters were now a tableau of destruction, with shards of glass scattered across the floor like the remnants of a shattered mirror. Cautiously, they navigated past the cash registers and the wreckage of the counters, only to find the shelves that once held fresh milk, yogurt, snacks, rice, flour, and oil completely bare. Even the cookware and thermoses had been claimed, their absence echoing the desperation of the times.

Suddenly, Emily and Chloe halted, their senses heightened as they detected the swift approach of undead presences. "Everyone, be on your guard," Emily warned, her voice steady and firm. "A level one or higher zombie is approaching, and it's more formidable than any we've faced thus far. Chloe, take the crossbow and stay at the back with Duke."

The unexpected alarm startled David and Elizabeth, who swiftly armed themselves, their expressions shifting from relaxed to alert in an instant. Alex, too, unsheathed his long knife, his body tensing as he prepared for the impending confrontation. Duke, ever the loyal companion, bared its teeth and fur bristled, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. A palpable tension filled the air as they steeled themselves for the challenge ahead.

In a flash, a male zombie, tall and gaunt, materialized before them. It wore tattered casual sportswear, now marred by the gruesome reality of its transformation. Large chunks of flesh were missing from its belly and shoulders, and the stench of decay hung around it like a malevolent shroud. Its face was a mask of decay, features nearly unrecognizable beneath the rot, save for the bulging eyeballs with orange pupils that betrayed its status as a level three zombie.

The sight of living humans sent the zombie into a frenzy, its pace quickening as it lunged towards the family. David struck first, his ice spike piercing the zombie's eye with precision. Alex followed suit, unleashing a thunder ball that crackled with electric energy, while Emily danced around the creature, her wind blades slicing at its vital points with deadly accuracy.

The level three male zombie, endowed with a metal ability, posed a unique challenge. Elizabeth responded by dousing the zombie in a relentless stream of water, exploiting its weakness. Alex continued his assault with thunder balls, each hit sending arcs of electricity coursing through the creature. Finally, with a surge of courage, Emily closed the distance, her long knife gleaming as she struck at the zombie's neck.

The decapitated zombie collapsed to the ground, its lifeless body twitching in a final spasm. With a practiced hand, Alex extracted the crystal from the creature's remains. As Elizabeth raised her hand, she channeled her ability to cleanse the crystal, revealing its vibrant orange hue.

Emily pondered the discovery and proposed, "Perhaps the color of the crystal corresponds to the zombie's level. The one we just dispatched had eyes of the same orange shade." It was a hypothesis born of observation and necessity, a way to make sense of the chaos they navigated.

Emily's knowledge of the undead hierarchy was incomplete, her previous life cut short before she could witness the full spectrum of the zombie threat. She had heard whispers of a ten-tiered ranking system, with the appearance of a level ten zombie king marking the end of her world. Legend had it that this king's eyes would glow a deep, foreboding purple, but she had never laid eyes on such a creature before her demise.

With the zombie vanquished, Emily's family resumed their scavenging operations, venturing next to the supermarket's warehouse. It was a treasure trove of supplies and frozen foods, a stark contrast to the desolation outside. They found frozen beef, lamb, chicken, and pork, along with hotpot ingredients like meatballs and various meat rolls. The shelves also held frozen buns, fried dough sticks, tangyuan, ice cream, and pizza—Emily wasted no time in transferring all the freezers into her space.

Descending to the first basement level, they discovered an assortment of toys and loungewear. Emily saw potential uses for these items in the uncertain future and collected everything without hesitation, much to Chloe's delight. The family then made their way to the first floor, which offered a variety of clothing suitable for all seasons, shoes, bedding, and an array of gold jewelry and luxury goods.

The second floor beckoned with furniture, home goods, and a bookstore, while the third floor housed electronic products, appliances, and another bookstore. Emily's space swallowed the lot with ease, a testament to her unique ability to store items with a mere thought.

In their subsequent explorations, they encountered several other large supermarkets. The only notable exception was the first mall, where they had faced a level three zombie. The rest were populated by level one zombies, which posed little challenge to the well-prepared family.

After gathering all the supplies, the family returned to the car, ready to discuss their next move. However, the sudden cacophony of zombie roars interrupted their plans. The sounds echoed from all directions, growing louder and more menacing as a horde of zombies converged on their location. As the undead spotted them and began to sprint towards the RV, Emily made a quick decision and stored both herself and the car in her space.

Upon entering the safety of the space, David and Elizabeth were still visibly shaken, their hands instinctively moving to pat their chests in a gesture of relief. The abrupt emergency had forced a halt to their journey, leaving them no choice but to make do with a hasty meal before turning their focus to training. Alex, ever the responsible brother, took it upon himself to impart new skills to the group and offered constructive criticism to help them address their weaknesses. The day, filled with learning and growth, passed by in a flash.

As evening approached, Emily found herself standing before Alex's door, a level 3 crystal in hand. When she presented it to him, Alex was both surprised and touched. His initial instinct was to decline the gift, intending to offer the crystal to Emily, who already possessed dual abilities, and was, in his eyes, the family's pillar of strength.

Emily, perceiving her brother's thoughts, offered a gentle smile and said, "There will be level 3, 4, and even 5 crystals in the future. You can give them to me then. But for now, your increased strength will be a shield for us all. It's called 'the greater the power, the greater the responsibility'." Recognizing the sincerity in his sister's words, Alex accepted the crystal with gratitude, exchanged goodnight wishes with Emily, and retired to his room to absorb its energy.

The following morning, after a simple breakfast, Emily could sense the change in her brother. The crystal had done its work, and Alex's power was palpably enhanced. The disparity between level 5 and below level 5 ability users was vast, and Emily felt a surge of pride in her brother's progress.

Using her ability to scan the surroundings, Emily confirmed that the coast was clear of zombies. With a thought, she retrieved the RV from her space. The mysterious zombie horde that had forced them to retreat still loomed in the back of their minds as they climbed aboard the vehicle, resuming their journey to leave the confines of New Port city.

As they reached the long-lost highway, Emily was left with a lingering question: why had the zombie horde appeared so suddenly? The highway, once a bustling artery of travel, was now a desolate stretch, with the occasional zombie wandering aimlessly about. Overturned and rear-ended vehicles lined the road, a stark reminder of the chaos that had ensued.

The city, once vibrant and full of life, had succumbed to decay in the span of a month. Its walls showed the first signs of weathering, and some roadside houses were now entwined with weeds, nature reclaiming its domain. During their journey, they encountered other groups of people, all sharing the same desperate goal: to escape the city's grasp. The urgency to flee led to traffic jams, a testament to the mass exodus that was unfolding.

As the RV navigated through the remnants of the city and onto the open road, Alex's adept driving skills were put to the test. They had to navigate around abandoned vehicles, clearing a path through the traffic while remaining vigilant for any sudden zombie attacks. The journey was fraught with tension, but thanks to Alex's steady hand and smooth driving skills, they managed to avoid encounters with powerful zombies, ensuring their exit from the city was as smooth as could be hoped for.

After driving for a considerable time, Alex broke the silence, "The RV has been running non-stop for quite a while now. We're going to need to refuel soon. Let's pull into a gas station up ahead to fill up the tank and stock up on some gasoline and diesel before we hit the highway." With a clear plan in place, they soon found themselves approaching a gas station, which, as anticipated, was teeming with zombies aimlessly wandering about.

To the right of the gas station lay a crossroad, clogged with a sea of vehicles that had once been part of an exodus attempt. These cars, now tombs for the undead, were a grim reminder of the city's fate. The fortunate aspect was that the zombies trapped within could not escape to pose a threat.

With a strategic eye, Alex and Emily decided to clear the area of the nearby zombies before proceeding with refueling. The horde consisted of level one zombies, which posed little challenge to Alex's newfound level 5 abilities. With a swift motion, he summoned a devastating rain of metal spikes crackling with electricity, obliterating the immediate zombie threat in an instant. Emily watched her brother with a mix of awe and surprise, realizing the sheer power that came with being a level 5 ability user.

Before envy could take hold, Emily and Alex set to work, collecting all the level one crystals from the fallen zombies. Though these crystals held less utility now, they were still valuable as a resource to be stored for future needs.

Once the crystals were secured, Alex wasted no time in refueling the RV, while Emily rummaged through her space and produced several empty oil barrels, which she handed off to David and Elizabeth. Together, they set about the task of siphoning and collecting as much gasoline as they could, knowing that fuel would be a precious commodity in their journey ahead.