Level up Zombie

Hearing Kun’s words, Zain had just learned that not all of those like him could heal as he did. Which made him wonder if he was different from the person across from him and how much he should tell the others if he was different.

“I’m just a student who was bitten in his room. I’ve been through a few tough situations, and this is how I am. My body keeps on changing as time goes on.”

Kun was staring directly at Zain. He then raised his finger and scratched the wound on the side of his mouth but soon stopped himself before he did so.

“Sorry, I’m just a bit jealous, that’s all,” Kun replied. “I forget everyone has their own story, things they have gone through—lives of close ones that they lost along the way. You see, I was in a band, playing a gig when this all kicked off.

“I was the only one out of the others that ended up like this after being bit. I don’t know why either. I don’t even know how my family is doing, at least they don’t live in the city. Maybe it hasn’t reached that far yet…at least that’s what I tell myself, but even if they are safe, how would they react when they see me? I’m sure you understand what I’m talking about.”

There was an intense look on Zain’s face when Kun said those words._.

“I don’t have a family anymore, only that guy,” Zain replied, pointing to Skittle, who was just standing in the room obediently.

“I have been meaning to ask, why is that Zombie following you? I mean, he’s not like us, right? And it seems like he listens to everything you say.” Kun asked curiously.

“You know the system, the game screen?” Zain mentioned.

“Huh, what are you talking about?” Kun replied.

Zain stopped there, he had thrown out a few words to see how Kun reacted, but his reaction seemed genuine. So the two of them weren’t the same after all. At least not entirely.

“Sorry, I was just saying that the two of us played games together all the time. We have a close bond, and it seems to have stayed after an accident turned him as well.” Zain was careful to give out limited information.

If others found out he was the one that turned him, then word could spread, and there would be people after him. So it was best to keep the information to a minimum, asserting everything to be a mystery.

“I wanted to ask you a few questions too.” Zain leaned forward in his chair, looking toward Kun, showing his seriousness. “After killing that Titan, you said you were looking for something. What were you looking for?”

Since the topic seemed to be quite serious, Kun, in return, sat up, no longer lying on the sofa.

“It’s strange for someone as strong as you not to know much about the Evolved Zombies.”

Zain had gathered that the zombies that the system had referred to as Stage 2 Zombies were the Evolved Zombies that Kun was referring to.

“A lot happened in four days. The whole city was in chaos, with the military police force, special SWAT teams and others trying to combat whatever was happening,” Kun explained. “So, I have seen my fair share of those guys, and just like you saw, the military is capable of taking out the large guys.”

“Titans.” Zain interrupted him. “I named them titans.”

“Okay?” Kun replied. “I saw the military take out these ‘Titans’, But what happened was regular-looking Zombies would come over and find this small crystal inside the Titan and eat it. Then, seconds later, they themselves would turn into a Titan.”

Hearing this, now Zain knew what had happened earlier and how the Mutated Zombie had turned into a Titan.

“I was looking for that crystal, so there was one less thing on the streets for people to worry about, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I didn’t have much time to look, to be honest, so maybe I just missed it, but the crystal is usually contained in the upper half of the body.

“They are also not the only ones with the crystals inside them. Some Zombies have them as well. Although it’s impossible to tell which ones do or don’t just from looking, they tend to attack us if we get close, which is a clear sign.”

Without a doubt, Zain knew that Kun was referring to the Mutated Zombies he had seen. What was interesting to note was that they had no way to tell which ones were mutated, but Zain did.

His system would inform him when looking at a Zombie if it was a Stage 2 or a mutated one. Zain had never attempted to open a zombie’s body after killing them, so maybe this crystal inside their body could be significant, and the system would be able to analyse it and use it somehow. It was a test he wanted to try out, so opening the sliding floor to the balcony, Zain looked out.

“What are you doing?!” Kun panicked and pulled Zian back inside immediately.

“I was just going to try and see if there were any zombies with those crystals you were talking about. It sounded interesting.” Zain replied.

Facepalming, Kun felt like he had befriended a loose cannon, but due to the former’s strength and healing abilities, he didn’t want to lose this person either.

“Look, there is one rule in our group that you should know and follow no matter what, and it’s for your own safety, so I’ll tell you,” Kun said, looking directly into Zain’s eyes, “Never ever go out at night if you want to live.”

It was strange to hear this. Zombies were out on the streets at night, and although it was harder to see, Zain didn’t understand the problem. But just then, he remembered the quest on the first night- Survive the night.

‘Is there something about the night that I don’t know?’

“Just rest up for the night, and tomorrow morning I’m going to take you somewhere special,” Kun smiled and returned to the sofa. “I’ll take you to meet the others, the ones that are like us.”

*****

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