Chapter 12 - FOR TOMORROW

Outside they walk near the alley. They are searching for zombies. Tan is still pale when they had to face five zombies before they reach here.

The wind carries the smell of rotten flesh.

And it was nauseating…..for both Azief and Tan.

Tan even puked once when he encounters a very gruesome five year old zombie with maggots poking in a hole which appears to be where the brain was.

Wriggling and sticky in the child zombie head, while the boy try to approach near him. Azief slices the boy head like slicing paper, one slice and it's done.

And then they face with the five zombies which hinder their path on circling the residential area.

But it was at that time Tan look at the lightning sped fast reflexes of Azief. Azief moved past the five zombies like water, slicing them like slicing a piece of paper, heads fly in seconds.

It is thanks to Azief that their relatively short journey is safe and secure. If he is alone, tan didn't think he will made it past the second house before he is dead.

Then Azief perked up and brought Tan to another location.

'That is another stiff.' Azief spotted a zombie walking with three of his zombie friends in the back alley.

Azief pointed the zombies to Tan

'Prepare yourselves Tan. I'm going to attack them. Whatever you do don't scream' Tan nodded.

The last time he screams he attracted 10 zombies. If not for Azief dispatching the zombies head, Tan would already be dead.

Even at that time Azief was sweating.

Not because of the 10 zombies but because of the fear. Fear that the ten zombies would then attract more zombies.

And more zombies.

What Azief fears from the zombies has always been their horde. Fighting A lone zombie, he is invincible. Thousands of them? Even he would be overwhelmed. He is not a one man army.

Thinking of this Tan is startled when he hears the sound of Azief dashing from his initial position.

Azief has begun his attack.

Azief dash forward and it was like he was the wind itself, arriving just a few meters from the zombies and with one slice, one of the zombie arms flown away to the nearby drain.

Another zombie went forward and tries to attack Azief. Azief crouch downward with lighting speed, slicing the zombie legs and it was cut clean off.

Comparing the speed of Azief and the zombie is like comparing an oxcart and an F1 race car.

It is incomparable. Of course this comparison make sense because of the zombie slow reaction time.

Azief then jumped from his position, taking some distance from the stiffs.

'Come on Tan. Hurry up and kill these suckers'

Tan also come forward steeling himself and smash the zombie with his staff. Brain matter exploded and one of the vilest smells enter both of the men nostrils.

Azief was about to puke smelling such travesty to any senses it came towards. Not to mention Tan.

Combined that with seeing the zombies maggoty face, and the holes in their body which shows Azief and Tan of what is happening inside the zombie bodies, Azief become faster in dispatching them.

The three zombies are made quick work by Azief and Tan. Then they retreated. This is Azief plans.

To find isolated zombies and defeat them.

'Did you level up?' Azief said when they reach at a safe place. They were in somebody house.

There were one zombie inside the house but Azief quickly dispatch the zombies when he first enters.

The body is ten covered with one of the blankets in the house. After throwing the head outside, there is no threat from the headless corpse anymore.

At least that is what Azief believe and there is nothing that he sees that challenge that belief.

Before Azief cover up the body of the poor man, he did have time to examine the body.

From the looks of it the zombies have wound on his feet. The man must have got bitten and then return back to his house. Azief mused

'I level up to 4.' Tan said when he has clean himself with tap water in the house. Azief get up from his leaning and said.

'Good, let see our loot.' Tan shows the loot to Azief.

'We got a few vials. Some for stamina, some for health, some for spirit.' Tan summarized their loots details.

Azief nodded in satisfaction.

'That is okay. That's good.' Azief said. Azief take the stamina, health vials while spirit is all given to Tan.

'So what now, Azief?' Tan asked

'We keep going. We level up some more. Tomorrow we will go raid the mall. If you level up higher, tomorrow will be easier.'

Tan nodded. They then went out and hunt some more zombies determined to clean up the zombies around the base of their operations.

They did this for the remainder of the evening. And by the time it reaches almost night, Azief has level up to 19.

Both of these four points from his two level up is given to his stamina. Now Azief stamina is 20. He rarely gets tired now and his stamina drains slowly.

Tan has almost reached level 10. Tan has learned Heal and Stamina Drain. Both of that technique is envied by Azief.

Azief also has a theory that the reward correspond to whoever killed it and chose the reward based on the difficulties of the killing and the nature of the people who killed it.

Of course he doesn't have anything to back that up. It remains his opinion. But still he envies Tan skills.

Stamina drain makes sure that Tan rarely has problem with his stamina and rarely Tan has to drink the vials.

While Heal is the same as Azief skills, clearly Tan has many more points on SP then Azief. Not to mention Azief is also using it to tame his pet.

They are now in another house. They decided this is where they are going to stay the night.

They killed about 70 zombies today. Azief also discovers that if he wounded some of the zombies before Tan do the finishing moves, they both shared the experience.

Azief even tested this in a zombie by guessing how many zombies Tan needs to kill to level up.

And he is sure of this. A party system Azief mused. Right now they are resting. They are drinking water. After all the battle both men were exhausted and thirsty.

Inside Azief ring is countless supplies, and water is a necessity.

'How is your ring?' Azief asked.

One of the zombies he killed before, dropped a storage rings. This one Azief gives to Tan. Tan is now capable to kill a zombie by himself.

But they still move in a group. Until now they did not see any survivors yet. During their wandering in this residential area, they also noticed many zombies are camping out in front of the mall.

The mall was closed. And the zombies prowls nears it. Azief feels something weird. Usually if the zombies detect nothing they would leave the area.

Could there be survivors in the mall? He thought to himself. It would be a perfect hiding place.

It has supplies, it has food, it has everything. If someone hiding in there, they could last for months, if not years.

Of course that is if the zombie doesn't manage to break through. If they did, then it will be a nightmare.

Both Tan and Azief made a decision, to check that place out tomorrow.

Still, if there are too many zombies there and the people inside do not want to open the mall, how could Azief enters?

Hmm. Should he break the door? With his strength right now, Azief feel breaking down iron steel is not that hard.

Maybe they blockade the entrance with furniture's or heavy things. Maybe I sh-

'The ring is good' Tan answers and Azief finally came back to where he is standing. He is always lost in his own thoughts.

'I store all the supplies on my ring now.'

'Good.' Azief nodded.

'Will we continue?' Tan asked. Azief look outside from the windows and shakes his head. Night is approaching.

'In night my vision is not that clear and I think the zombies are stronger at night.'

'So, will we stay at this house tonight?' Azief nodded and then he ordered Tan.

'Board the front door, and the back door, make sure nothing like rats or bats is inside the house. I don't want to get bitten when I'm asleep.'

Tan nodded and he moved back to do what Azief orders him to do.

By now, it is clear that Azief is the leader in this duo. Tan might be older but Azief is stronger. Not to mention he gives Tan item generously.

One day of fighting zombies could create a feeling of familiarity and that is what is happening.

It also helps that Azief is strong. To Tan eyes, Azief was his get-out-of-zombie hell ticket. Young, strong and powerful.

Tan could only sigh in envy.

In his mind, Azief probably get his power by bravely attacking the beast when it first appears.

Contrary to Tan expectation, Azief was like him.

He was fearful, and he too hides in a shop, just like Tan hide in his house. The difference is that Azief was lucky.

In all of his life, Azief is never that lucky. It was the first time and if not for that luck, Azief will not be as powerful as he is now.

On the other hand, Azief just finished his bed. Azief look outside the window and heave a sigh of relief.

Today with his strength and Tan support Azief is becoming more confident that the zombies pose no threat to him anymore.

Speed, strength, endurance each one eclipse the zombies. They are nothing but paper when sliced by Azief sword.

Smiling contently he closes the windows. Outside unbeknown to him a creature resembling a cat is prowling and its nose just smells its prey.

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