After collecting all the cards, Dean put them in his pocket, ready to use them later.
"I'd better check how things are outside."
Dean thought as he approached the window. The first thing he saw were a few zombies wandering the streets, with several cars scattered chaotically. The screams were gone, and the woman who had been on the rooftop had disappeared.
Fortunately, the situation in front of his house seemed to have calmed down, with no zombies nearby, giving him some time to rest.
Dean approached his skeleton, which now had several cracks in its bones, though it seemed to be slowly regenerating. He gently patted his companion's shoulder and said:
"Good to see you're okay, my friend."
In just a few minutes, that skeleton who once tried to kill him had become a loyal ally, someone he could trust with his back turned.
While retrieving his arrows, he noticed some had broken — something he already expected. Of the 20 arrows, only 17 remained. He put them back in the quiver, ready for any surprises.
Or so he hoped.
Not far from there, a gigantic figure slowly rose. The houses around it looked tiny in comparison. Its mouth opened slowly, revealing rotting ligaments and missing chunks of flesh. A shrill growl escaped its throat, shattering the windows of nearby houses and spreading terror among all living beings in the area.
---
Urgent notice.
A Regional Boss has appeared.
Defeating it will grant great rewards.
Giant Zombie
Danger Level: FATAL
---
The notification appeared in everyone's mind, causing general panic. If dealing with regular zombies was already hard, imagine facing a boss?
While others were overwhelmed with fear, Dean now sat on the floor, his ears bleeding. Terror gripped his heart. If just a scream had hurt him, he didn't even want to imagine the damage a direct attack from that creature could do.
"That scream was so loud… It must not be far. I better move away."
He got up from the floor, holding his bow tightly, and ordered the skeleton to follow him.
He went downstairs, where many zombie corpses still lay, releasing an unbearable stench. On the other hand, those corpses served as a natural barrier, making it harder for new enemies to get in.
Upon reaching the lower floor, Dean looked around for danger but found nothing else there. He continued until he reached the door, which was blocked by a dresser. After pushing it aside, he managed to open the door — revealing the true chaos on the street.
Luckily, most of the zombies had been attracted by the loud scream, making things easier for the survivors in the area.
Looking in the direction from where the zombies had come, Dean could see a dark shadow destroying everything in its path.
His heart froze at the sight. He gripped his bow tighter.
Dean couldn't stop staring at that monstrous figure — each swing of its arms destroyed houses and sent nearby vehicles flying like toys. Each step made the concrete vibrate.
It was truly a terrifying creature. Even the skeletal knight could feel it — despite being undead, he sensed fear in his very existence.
"I think we better get ready to leave this place."
The knight nodded his bony head in agreement.
Dean returned to his house to gather necessary supplies. He knew resources would become more limited and rarer, so he had to take as much as he could.
After a few minutes, he left carrying a camping backpack with some clothes, food, water, and a few medicines.
"All set. We're ready now, my skeletal friend."
…
The rays of light had already begun to appear, signaling the beginning of a new day in this now-devastated world.
Dean and his monster had already traveled a good distance away from the boss area. On the way, he had only encountered three zombies, which he easily defeated.
He still couldn't understand why the zombies had suddenly disappeared, but since the path was clear, he kept going. His skeleton had already been stored in the collector's box, as he was trying to be as stealthy as possible.
Now that the world had descended into chaos, he didn't know what might be lurking around. So, the more stealth, the better.
After a few minutes of walking, Dean finally reached his destination: a gas station.
It was the closest supply point to his house. Although it didn't have as many resources as a supermarket, it would still help.
As he approached, Dean saw two zombies trapped inside the convenience store. He could easily defeat them but decided to scout the area first before going in.
After checking all sides of the station, he decided there were no extra threats. Pulling back his bowstring, he took out the first zombie, and the second, attracted by the noise, groaned softly before another arrow pierced its skull.
You defeated 1 zombie.
+1 EXP
EXP: 12/160
You defeated 1 zombie.
+1 EXP
EXP: 13/160
Looking at how slowly his EXP was increasing, a desire to face stronger enemies crossed his mind — but it vanished just as quickly. His fight with the mini-boss had shown he wasn't ready for stronger foes.
After briefly checking the notifications, he began searching for supplies, and luckily, it seemed no one had arrived before him.
"Guess the zombies made great security guards, haha," Dean smiled to himself as he put several cereal bars and energy drinks in his backpack — until some footsteps echoed behind him.
Dean pulled back his bowstring as he turned, ready to shoot whatever was behind him.
"Hey, calm down! I'm human!" said a female voice.
It was a young woman, probably in her 20s, red hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a leather jacket and holding an improvised spear made from a broomstick with a knife taped to it.
Dean didn't lower his weapon but analyzed her carefully. She looked exhausted, but sane.
"You alone?" he asked.
"I've got two others. We were hiding in a pharmacy basement, but that scream… we had to leave. I saw you enter here and decided to take a chance."
Dean nodded slowly.
"You can take some food — as much as you can carry. You'll need it."
"Really?" she asked, looking at Dean, who nodded in confirmation.
She started talking while gathering energy bars and water.
"My name's Clara."
"Dean."
"You… also heard that mental warning?"
"I did."
"Do you think someone could stop those monsters? Maybe the military will wipe them all out?" She paused for a moment, seeming uneasy.
"Maybe. Humanity has some powerful weapons," Dean lied to comfort her, checking her state — she looked worn out, her clothes in tatters.
The girl sighed in relief, as if a large weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Thanks…"
"Have you killed any of those zombies?"
"I couldn't. Just escaping was already a huge feat," Clara sighed.
"What's your class, if I may ask?" Dean asked again.
"My class is Mage… but I don't have any spells yet," she replied quickly.
That answer surprised Dean, as that class was certainly a powerful one — but without spells, survival would be tough.
"Well, with your class, it's just a matter of time before you can survive on your own. What you need is simply a skill," Dean tried to comfort her with words that were actually true — as long as she could get a spell.
"Thanks again," she said once more as she approached Dean, having finished gathering the supplies she could carry.
While they talked, a strange noise came from outside the store — it sounded like a bark mixed with a growl, something that definitely got Dean's attention. He quickly checked the situation.
Looking at the glass door, Dean saw what looked like a dog — but unlike normal ones, this one was nearly his height, and large parts of its body were decaying.
The zombie dog stared coldly at them through the glass, its mouth dripping with blood, looking like it had just made a victim.
Dean loaded an arrow while summoning his skeleton from the collector's box, readying for the upcoming battle.
Clara panicked at seeing a skeleton holding a sword appear out of nowhere, and was ready to attack it — but realizing Dean showed no concern, she relaxed a little, though still nervous.
"Is your class Necromancer?" Clara whispered.
"No. My class is different."
Hearing that, the girl pondered what class could possibly have a skeleton companion — but quickly pushed that thought aside, as the monster outside still terrified her.
The zombie dog stepped back a few paces, as if preparing to lunge — which made Dean curious. That curiosity was quickly answered when the zombie dog charged full speed at the glass door, smashing through it easily.
Its speed didn't slow down at all as it charged toward Dean.
The skeletal knight stepped in front of his master, taking a battle stance, ready to slash the zombie dog, which leapt without fear.
The skeleton's sword slashed across its chest, leaving a trail of blood and rotten flesh.
At the same time, the zombie dog bit one of the skeleton's arms fiercely, trying to rip it off.
Dean wouldn't waste that opportunity. He shot an arrow straight into the dog's head.
Despite the direct hit, the arrow only pierced a few centimeters — not enough to kill it. Seeing this, Dean readied another arrow, but the zombie dog wasn't foolish enough to stay in place — it let go of the skeleton's arm and retreated.
Now free, the skeleton ran toward its opponent, ready to strike again. But the dog avoided it, jumping from side to side, trying not to stay still and be hit by another arrow.
Dean waited patiently, while Clara stood beside him with her improvised spear, maintaining some degree of courage and bravery.
The zombie dog dodged a few attacks from the skeleton, but that gave Dean another opportunity to shoot — this time hitting one of its legs, making its movement slower.
Now the fight seemed completely under control. Dean readied another shot while the skeleton fought the zombie dog, which still refused to face them head-on.
Eventually, the zombie dog stopped dodging and had one of its legs sliced off by a sword strike. Ignoring the pain, the dog gathered all its strength and lunged straight at Dean.
Dean fired his arrow, hitting its skull dead-on, killing it — though its body continued forward, crashing into one of the store shelves.
You defeated a level 1 zombie dog.
+30 EXP
EXP: 43/160
'That gave me a lot of EXP. Even though its level was the same as a regular zombie, its strength, agility, and even vitality were way higher.' Dean confirmed his theory: level often indicated strength — but only within the same species. A level 100 creature might not be as strong as a level 10 from another species.
"Wow… You're so strong," Clara said, snapping Dean out of his thoughts.
"I believe you'll become even stronger than me once you get your spells," Dean said, approaching the zombie dog's body.
"Hey, we got lucky this time, haha," Dean said, spotting a green card on the floor. He picked it up while Clara looked on curiously.
"What's that?"
"I'm guessing you've played some RPGs before, right? To know about your class and all… Well, this is another RPG mechanic called drops. Items might or might not fall after killing a monster — it can be equipment, consumables, or even skills. Depends on luck. I don't know if these monsters have defined drop tables or if it's random," Dean shrugged as he explained.
"Yes, I've played some RPGs before. I'm somewhat used to the system, but… I didn't expect it to be real."
"So we're really living something like a game? I can really kill zombies and become as strong as you?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
Dean nodded, making her eyes shine even more. A drastic shift seemed to be taking place in that girl's mindset.
Meanwhile, Dean focused on the card in his hands, reading the item description.
---
Uncommon Item.
Reinforced Leather Jacket [Uncommon]
Crafted by skilled hands, this jacket combines style and functionality. The leather has been carefully treated for maximum durability, while precisely sewn reinforcements offer extra protection in vital areas. Small metal plates, carefully hidden between the inner layers, increase resistance without compromising mobility. It's a piece made for those who intend to survive with confidence — and style.
Type: Light Armor (Torso)
Defense: +8
Durability: 60/60
Requirements: None
Bonuses:
+2 resistance against slashing and piercing attacks
Increases intimidating presence by +1 (useful in social interactions)
Special Description:
"Made with care, worn with courage."
---
He took a deep breath after reading the description, quickly tearing the card — making the jacket appear in front of him. He put it on immediately, as it was one of the items he most needed at the moment for survival.
Clara saw it all but remained silent — after all, Dean and his skeleton had taken down the monster entirely on their own.