Echoing Footsteps

Emerging from the supermarket, they were suddenly confronted by a group of zombies as they continued along the road a few miles from the store. Dispatching the zombies took them merely two minutes. Well, not exactly dispatching, more like beheading.

"Lucas, have you noticed how rare it is to come across level 2 zombies lately?" Lucy asked, pondering the question as they walked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe there are stronger ones lurking around?" Lucas speculated.

"You mean like level 3 zombies?" Lucy clarified.

"Yes," Lucas confirmed, gazing at the putrid, decaying street. Everywhere he looked was now marred by the sights of death and blood, both green and red. The constant exposure seemed to be numbing his senses.

"We know that level 1 zombies are slow, level 2 are stealthy, and level 3 are fast, but what about level 4?" Lucas mused.

"How do you think they level up? Is it through killing or does infecting people also count?" Lucy questioned, half-jokingly.

"Infecting? I'm just as clueless. You'd have to ask the zombies if you want to know," Lucy answered with a playful smirk.

Sighing, Lucas scanned their surroundings as they continued their walk. This narrow walkway, barely wide enough for a car, seemed relatively undisturbed apart from a broken plant pot and scattered bits of rotting flesh on the ground. It wasn't particularly challenging to navigate.

Typically, they chose routes like this to avoid the attention of zombies from a distance. This strategy had worked quite well, except for that one time when a man unexpectedly rushed toward them with a knife.

"Lucas, stop. I heard a footstep," Lucy whispered suddenly, prompting Lucas to halt.

"A sound?" Lucas murmured, his focus shifting to the ambient noises around them.

He closed his eyes, his hearing heightened to its maximum potential. Amidst the symphony of zombie moans and groans, he detected a faint sound—like something was in motion.

"Thud! Thud!"

Aside from the typical zombie noises, he could discern the rhythmic sound of footsteps. Opening his eyes and nodding to Lucy, Lucas started to follow the source of the sound.

"Is it coming from here?" Lucy wondered aloud, her gaze fixed on the building in front of them rather than the branching road leading ahead, from which the sound seemed to emanate.

"Perhaps. If there's a living human in there, we should investigate. At this point, apart from humans, we can handle anything else with our strength," Lucas remarked, extending his hand to knock on the door.

"Is anyone in there?" he called out.

In response, the sound of hurried footsteps reached their ears as the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman inside.

"God, is this the military?" she exclaimed tearfully, her eyes welling up.

Lucas stepped back slightly, his brow furrowing. "No, we're not. We heard some noises and thought we'd check it out."

"Oh, thank goodness. Are you here to help me?" the woman asked, her relief palpable.

"No, we're not. We can barely help ourselves. We know that if things go wrong, we'll die," Lucas explained bluntly.

"You're not here to help me? I've been starving for days. Could you spare some food?" the woman whispered to Lucas.

Lucy overheard and whispered back, "Should we? It's been a week since the apocalypse started. She'd rather die of hunger than face a zombie."

"It's fine. It's just a bit of food after all," Lucas responded quietly, taking out his pouch. The woman's eyes pleaded for sustenance. She seemed to be in her thirties, slightly plump and had a hoarse voice.

Lucas reached into the pouch, withdrawing some provisions and placing them on the ground by the woman's front door, along with some water bottles. The woman suddenly exclaimed, "What's that?"

Normally, he would conceal his inventory pouch, but considering the woman's weakened state, he decided to assist her openly, not bothering to keep it hidden.

"It's an inventory pouch. You can obtain one by killing enough zombies," he explained.

"Zombies? From those things?" She eyed them disbelievingly, skepticism evident as she bent down, gathered all the food from the cement ground, and cradled it in her arms.

"Don't lie. Do you think I'm that gullible?" she retorted, her gaze sharp and accusatory.

Seeing her sudden change in attitude, Lucy thought, 'Her demeanor shifts quickly, quite hypocritical.'

"I'm not lying. You can kill a zombie to confirm it. Remember that voice you heard last week at midnight? You'll hear it again, and it'll give you the system after you've taken down a zombie," Lucas explained hastily in response to her doubt.

"Is there food and drink inside?" the woman inquired, her skepticism still lingering.

"Yes," Lucas confirmed, not bothering to hide the truth since she had already witnessed his inventory pouch.

The woman's tone changed to one of realization, and she uttered, "Oh..."

With a slow realization, the woman swiftly snatched the pouch from him and slammed her door shut.

"Lucas, did she just—"

"Yes," Lucas replied, his words tinged with disbelief.

"Lucy, are all humans our enemies now or something? Why haven't I had any pleasant encounters with anyone?" Lucas glanced at Lucy.

"Except you, of course."

"Are we going inside?" Lucy inquired, eyeing the sturdy wooden door.

"It would be difficult to slice through it," she added.

"Who said anything about slicing?" Lucas retorted.

"What? Then how—"

"Fire blaze!" he declared.

Lucy's mouth gaped open as she witnessed the door quickly consumed by flames. 'Thirty seconds of burning, and it'll be reduced to ashes.'

"AHH!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" A scream echoed as the woman rushed out of the house.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HIDE NOW?" she raved; her eyes were wild.

"You took our belongings first," Lucas countered calmly.

"You people can do magic! Why not just let me have this?" The woman's logic left them speechless.

"Lucy, talking rationally to her isn't working. She's blinded by greed for food. It seems showing kindness and giving food to those in need is still a risky endeavor."

Casting a disdainful glare at them, the woman stuffed the pouch into her pocket. She had been hungry for four days since her food supply ran dry three days ago.

"My husband and daughter are missing, and now you won't even share your food. This is disrespectful. I'm older than you. Show some respect!" She retorted indignantly, then turned and stomped off to a nearby room.

"Lucy, remember that incident with the man?"

"Yeah... you don't mean—"

"Yes! Remember what I told you back then?"

"That I shouldn't spare those who try to harm us? But she only took your pouch. Isn't this a bit extreme?"

"Lucy, in this apocalypse, the rule of law is gone. Killing is no longer illegal, especially when the government can't manage the zombies and mutated beasts."

Looking at her thoughtfully, Lucas continued, "You can do it. She's good practice, so when we confront James's four groups, you won't hesitate or freeze in a fight."

Lucy listened silently before responding, "Alright..."

Despite finding it extreme, Lucy began to consider that Lucas might be onto something. This approach might be more effective than reasoning, given that the woman was using her age as a defense mechanism in this apocalyptic world.

Approaching the room where the woman had retreated, Lucy raised her katana and called out, "Icicle!" With a resounding "Whoosh!" an ice-sharp icicle materialized before her. She sent it hurtling towards the door, creating a small hole that was just large enough to fit her katana. Sliding her katana through the opening, she sighed inwardly. 'Am I really resorting to this?'

"AHH!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS TIME? ARE YOU CRAZY? FIRST YOU BURNED DOWN MY DOOR AND NOW YOU'RE CUTTING THROUGH IT? ARE YOU INSANE!!?" The woman's prolonged and vehement screams amused Lucas as he approached Lucy.

"Allow me to help. Her screams are too much. Zombies might be drawn here any moment now." Lucas suggested, only for the door to have a substantial hole near the lock after just a few seconds. The door was now easily openable.

"You handle her; I'll watch. Let me know if you need assistance." Taking out his dagger, Lucas joined in, using the blade to cut through the door and help Lucy.

Unperturbed by the woman's continued wailing and curses, Lucy entered the room with her katana in hand. 'Should I just decapitate her?' she contemplated, her gaze on the woman who remained engrossed in her tirade.

Raising her katana, Lucy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The woman, upon seeing the raised weapon, abruptly halted her curses.

"Wait, a minute... What are you doing?" The woman shook her head in disbelief.

"You didn't listen to us, did you? We tried talking to you, but you wouldn't listen," Lucy responded, drawing closer to the woman.

"No, are you insane? I just wanted some food." She stepped back gradually until her back was against the wall.

Lucas nodded, prompting Lucy to grip her katana tighter. "I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have forced our hand."

As Lucy swung her katana, the woman's protests turned into a chilling scream. "AHHH! STOP, YOU'RE GOING TO HELL! I—"

Undeterred, Lucy pierced the woman's neck with her katana, causing a torrent of blood to flow forth like a ruptured water container. The woman continued to curse even in her final moments.

Observing the red liquid cascading slowly—unlike the initial gushing—Lucy experienced a mix of emotions. Her blade had a hard time slicing through the woman's neck, perhaps because humans hadn't yet rotted. Their fresh blood flowed strongly, or rather, it was still flowing.

Sighing once more, Lucy closed her eyes to center herself. Then she struck downward again, severing the woman's neck completely.

"AHH-..." The woman's last words echoed as her head separated from her body and thudded to the floor.