Unlikeable Doggos

Shinon trudged through the city's empty streets, his eyes scanning the ruins for any sign of valuable materials. But all he found were broken bricks, shattered glass, and scraps of metal that were too rusted to be of any use.

Frustration etched on his face, Shinon muttered under his breath, "At this rate, I won't be able to put my blacksmith skills to use. I need more materials to work with."

Shinon wasn't looking for ore or anything like that. He was merely hunting for any craftable metal. Once he gets his hands on something like that, he could always use [Alteration] to change its properties.

He sighed heavily, his mind drifting back to when he worked as a blacksmith for the planet's most influential people. Back then, he had access to plenty of raw materials and could easily craft anything he wanted. But now, in the strange futuristic world, his options were limited.

He continued to scour the city, hoping to find something useful, but his search proved fruitless. As the sun began to set, he finally gave up and headed back to his makeshift base in the forest.

But his day wasn't over yet. As Shinon walked through the forest, he heard the sound of barking dogs in the distance.

At first, he thought nothing of it, assuming it was just a pack of wild dogs chasing after their prey. But as the noise grew louder, he began to feel uneasy.

He climbed to the terrace of a nearby building and saw something he hadn't expected. A group of people at a distance were sprinting down the street with a pack of zombified dogs hot on their heels.

Shinon's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, ready to defend himself if necessary. As he watched, he saw the terror in their eyes, the fear that they might not make it out alive.

Part of him wanted to rush to their aid, to be the hero and save the day. But another part of him hesitated. He had been burned before, betrayed by those he thought he could trust.

The Phoenixes had shown him that people were willing to do whatever it took to survive, even if it meant betraying those they once called friends.

Shinon stood there for a few moments, weighing his options. Should he risk his own safety to help these strangers? Or should he just walk away and let them fend for themselves?

"Aw fuck it!"

Ultimately, he couldn't ignore the screams of terror from the group.

With a deep breath, he took off towards them, his sword drawn and ready. As he got closer, he got a better look at the zombified animals.

The zombified dogs were a terrifying sight to behold. Their once soft, shiny fur was matted and caked with dried blood and filth. Their eyes were clouded over, dull and lifeless, yet they seemed filled with a fiery hunger for flesh.

Their jaws were slack, drool and foam dripping from their sharp teeth. Their bodies were thin and emaciated, with rib cages protruding and skin stretched tightly over their bones.

Every movement they made was jerky and unnatural as if their bodies were not entirely under their control. And yet, despite their undead state, they were still fast and agile, capable of running down their prey with alarming speed.

There were four of the Zombie dogs circling around a group of seven humans, with three of them under the age of 15. The adults carried makeshift weapons, but from one glance, Shinon knew those weapons would not hold long enough against the beasts.

***

The group of people were huddled together, backs against a rusted metal fence as they tried to fend off the pack of zombified dogs.

The snarling canines circled them, saliva dripping from their jaws as they bared their teeth. The group brandished whatever weapons they could find, but they were no match for the relentless attacks of the undead animals.

One of the children, a small girl, was crying in terror, her arms wrapped tightly around her mother's leg. The mother, armed with only a rusty pipe, swung it wildly at the dogs, trying to keep them at bay.

The other two children, a boy and a girl, stood frozen with fear, their makeshift weapons of broken broom handles shaking in their hands.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted that bastard!" One of the men gritted his teeth, waving his makeshift spear in the dogs' faces.

"As if we had a choice! We needed the medicine-"

"Yeah, now take the medicine and shove it up your ass before these dogs feast on us!" The first man barked. "On your left!"

The adults in the group were trying to coordinate a defence, shouting instructions and trying to keep the dogs from breaking through their meat barricade. They knew their chances of survival were slim, but they refused to give up without a fight.

The pack of dogs continued to circle and snap at them, closing in with each passing second. The group's fear turned to desperation as they realised their situation was becoming increasingly dire.

As the dogs lunged towards them, something black and fast whizzed past their heads. Before they knew it, one of the dogs was impaled by a black spear, whimpering on the ground.

"Wha-" The woman turned around and saw a figure racing towards them.

As he drew closer, they could see that it was a tall and muscular man with a sword in his hand. He moved with fluid grace, his steps deliberate and confident. The dogs noticed him, too and started to growl, circling around the group.

The man didn't seem fazed by their presence. He simply walked forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The dogs lunged, but the man was too quick. He easily dodged their attacks, his movements almost too fast to follow.

The group watched in awe as the man took down one dog after another. His sword glinted in the sun, each strike precise and deadly. Within minutes, all four dogs lay dead at his feet.

The man turned to face the group, his face unreadable. They didn't know what to make of him, but they were grateful for his help. The woman stepped forward tentatively.

"Thank you," she said, her voice trembling. "We thought we were goners."

Shinon wiped the blood off his sword and began to walk away from the group. He didn't look back, assuming they were now safe from the zombie dogs.

"Wait!" A voice called out to him. The bald man from the group was panting as he ran to catch up to Shinon.

"What do you want?" Shinon asked, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"We...we need your help," the man gasped, "we're trying to get to our settlement, but we're being constantly attacked by those things."

Shinon raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think I would help you?"

"We don't have much on ourselves, but we'll be able to pay you for your troubles."

"And how are you gonna pay me for that?" Shinon replied.

"Resources! Food, first aid, water, anything that we have at our disposal-"

"Do you guys have iron bars or any metal, for that matter?" Shinon replied, intrigued by the man's offer.

"We do... but are you sure that's what you want-"

"How much are we talking?"

The bald man hesitated before replying, "Three bars, 10 kg each, and we'll give you some food and water too. It's a fair deal."

Shinon considered the offer for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it. But I'm only helping you get there. After that, I'm on my own."

"Thank you so much. We really appreciate it." The bald man nodded gratefully.