Episode 20: Touch Of The Dead

Episode 20: Touch Of The Dead

The two boys ran down the hallway as fast as their legs could carry them. They puffed out hot air in exhaustion, their lungs were at the point of giving out. There was a loud scuffle behind them as a huge furry creature came at them at a fast speed.

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<You have encountered "Zombie Bat">

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"S**t! Marcus!" Cried the boy in a red sweater and curly blonde hair. "This thing is friggin fast!"

The other boy had a more built figure like a football player, he ducked his head barely avoiding the long fangs of the zombie bat. "He said to lead it to a tight enclosed space, and he'd deal with it! So quit whining Chaz!"

The blonde cried in fright.

"You don't think he was messing with us, d'ya?"

Marcus pretended to be unmoved by his companions words but they reflected a deep fear in him but he shook it off. "He better not! We managed to hurt that thing but it's still moving! Creepy bug!"

Hot sweat poured down their faces and soaking their clothes.

"Um, Marcus bats aren't bugs but some sort of mammals!"

Marcus sneered at him. "A f**king quarter back dares correct me? I am so going to whoop your ass when we get back!"

Chaz cried again. "Is that guy gonna show?"

"Well, he better!" Marcus looked over his shoulder and watched the zombie bat the size of a school boss test through the walls to get to them. The space was a bit confined for it to move it's wings but that only delayed it a bit. "If he doesn't we're dead!"

Chaz gulped down.

The zombie bat let out a screech that blasted the walls to bits and impacted the two boys. Their hands instinctively moved to their ears as they crashed to the ground wailing in pain.

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<Zombie 2 Bat has used skill "Sonic Screech" Lv.>

<You have been physically impaired>

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It's huge beady eyes stared down at them rolling on the ground. Thick black saliva drooped down the corner of its mouth. It's pulled back it's wings and walked slowly over to where they were.

The two boys pulled back their hands only to feel a loud chiming in their ears, they could feel the warm blood dripping out of it. Their sense of hearing had been heavily damaged by the bats cry.

"S**t!" Marcus cursed himself for trusting a complete stranger. He was the fool for believing humans would still remain good in the apocalypse world, they were teens after all. Teens who would betray even their siblings for money. "I shouldn't never have tr--"

Patter!!

A pair of red sneakers stood between them and the zombie bat.

Marcus heaved a sigh of relief. "He really came…! That bastard!"

The zombie bat launched another sonic attack at the figure who stood there unmoved.

"Funny thing! Bats are supposed to be fist sized!" The figure spoke with a proud tone. "Good thing I had some of the earplugs I use in class!"

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<Earplugs (common) has been damaged>

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The figure wiped the line of blood that came from his nose and smirked.

"Now that I've got you in a confined space… I can try my new skill!"

He raised his hand and puffs of thick black smoke seep out from it.

The zombie bat panicked and turned to flee but instead go it's wings constricted by the walls. The figure leapt hight in the head while the bat was looking away and slapped his palm on its head. "Don't look away when I'm talking you prick!!"

The zombie bat screeched out in pain as it's head started to melt into black goop, it took minutes for the it's head to fully melt away. The huge zombie bat collapsed on the ground with blood gushing out of it's severed head.

The figure frowned at himself as he stared at his hands. The black smoke slowly vanished from it.

"Hmm. I guess it still needs a bit more work!" He muttered to himself.

Ding!

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<You 1 have used skill "Touch Of The Dead" Lv.>

<Special Effect: "Decay">

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"It's a good skill I have to admit!! I got it after I reached level seven." Kilr Rombot pondered. "But it's slow and has a low efficiency! Also there's this…"

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<Skill "Touch Of The Dead" Cooldown Timer>

<1hr >

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Kilr furrowed his eyebrows together.

"Also, it takes up too much mana. Perhaps if I level up in the future it's be more effective to use! That lackeys paid their part, time to loot the reward."

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<You have recieved mid level zombie (mutated) core ×1>

<Dead Assessment has been initiated>

<You have recieved zombie bone ×42, bat fangs ×4>

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<100exp had been received>

<Double Gain is in effect>

<200exp has been recieved>

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<You 200 have recieved coins for completing the challenge>

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<You have obtained mid-grade zombie core ×1>

<Would you like to evolve "Zombie Slayer" with "mutated zombie core"?>

<Y N>

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Kilr pulled out his sword from the inventory and admired it's gleaming black and red glow. It hummed in his hands, he could have sworn he heard it speak but discarded the notion.

"So I can further evolve this thing?"

He rubbed his chin the way he'd seen the old movie detectives do when solving a crime.

"But why does it seem like a bad idea? It seems like an exclusive weapon, so why was it ranked so low earlier?"

Kilr had a frightful thought that the zombie slayer was left there for him, he had to acknowledge that it was a scary possibility. He but his lower lip and pressed his hand on the "yes" on the screen and marveled how realistic it felt like pressing down on a very smooth glass screen.

There was a crackle of black on the blue screen, something that had not happened before.

The core of the zombie bat floated from the corpse and shot into the sword in his hard. There was a large chunking sound as the fist sized grey orb broke to pieces and sank into the sword. A rush of information came flooding through Kilr's mind.

The first image was a dull looking man dressed in a janitors uniform. The second image showed him bloodied and looking half dead. The third image showed him on the ground looking up to a dark figure on a throne of bones and skull, the dark figure had his hands outstretched to him. The next image showed the janitors hand transforming into winged arms much similar to that of the zombie bat.

"Kugh!!" Kilr huffed out as hit sweat rolled down his face, his head was heavy with fear and confusion. "What was that?" The sword throbbed in his hand for a moment before going quiet.

A notification appeared before him.

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<"Zombie Slayer" has evolved>

<"Zombie Slayer" has risen a rank>

<Grade advancement from E to D>

<Attack 100 increased to +50, Durability>

<Special trait: Double Hit has been further refined>

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Kilr looked at the sword in his hand and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you telling me that this can become a grade A weapon even? Luck smiles on me for once!"

He stretched his back and watched the first rays of sunrise pierce through the glass window pane and reaching his knee. He looked down at the two boys who were still recovering from the aftereffects of the zombie bat attack.

"Hey guys! Quit holding me back, on to the next target!"

They both cried. "Waahhh!! I want my mummy!"