4 The Terrors Of The Night

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a crimson hue over the desolate landscape, Arthur knew he needed to find his bearings quickly. He remembered an old trick from his past life — using the sun to determine direction.

"Alright, the sun sets in the west," Arthur murmured to himself, watching the sun's descent. 

"So, that way is west." He pointed ahead, where the sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon.

Confident in his chosen direction, Arthur began his trek toward the west. The terrain was rough, dotted with occasional patches of the snake grass he had learned about earlier. As he walked, he kept his eyes peeled for any signs of shelter.

"I need to find someplace to camp out for the night," he spoke aloud, his voice a mix of determination and weariness. 

"A cave, a ruin, anything... Just need to get some sleep."

But Arthur was blissfully unaware of the horrors that this world concealed in the darkness of its nights. He had survived many dangers in his past life, but nothing had prepared him for the nightmares that emerged when the light faded in this new, brutal world.

As Arthur continued his trek westward, his attention was caught by an unusual sight under some wooden rubble - a cluster of purple mushrooms speckled with black dots. Curious, he crouched down for a closer look. His Scavenging Eyes activated, and a status window promptly appeared before him.

Category: Flora

Name: Dotted Queen Mushrooms

Properties: Useful in concocting healing remedies when combined with other organic materials when dried. Can be poisonous if eaten without drying.

"Hmm, Dotted Queen Mushrooms," Arthur mused, his eyes narrowing as he read the description. 

"Useful for healing, but dangerous if not handled correctly." He carefully gathered a few of the mushrooms, ensuring not to damage them.

"These could come in handy, especially if I can find more components for healing remedies," he thought aloud. The idea of having the means to heal himself was comforting, especially in a world as dangerous as this one.

Arthur tucked the mushrooms safely into a pocket inside his robe, mindful of their potential toxicity. 

"I'll need to dry these out before they're safe to use," he reminded himself. 

"It's a good thing I found them now. It might take a while to prepare them properly."

As Arthur progressed, the momentarily moved-away dark clouds began to close in again, ominously shrouding the sun. He noticed the wind picking up, carrying with it a chill that crept through his hastily made robes. The signs were unmistakable.

"Fuck, it seems like it's going to rain," Arthur muttered to himself, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. The last thing he needed was to be caught in a downpour, especially with night approaching and unknown dangers lurking.

He scanned the barren landscape around him, a sense of urgency building. The flat, desolate terrain offered little in the way of natural shelter. With no trees or caves in immediate sight, Arthur quickened his pace, his eyes darting around in search of anything that might provide cover.

"I need to find shelter, or at least make one before the rain and night arrive," he said, his voice laced with determination. The thought of being exposed to the elements and whatever horrors the night held was not a pleasant one.

Eventually, Arthur's hurried pace brought him to a sight that sparked a glimmer of hope in his weary heart. In the distance, he spotted a ruined wooden building, its structure partially scorched by fire. 

Rushing towards the ruin, Arthur's senses were on high alert. He carefully checked each corner, his eyes scanning for any signs of predators or scavengers that might have claimed the building as their own. 

"Let's hope there aren't any surprises inside." He heaved a sigh of relief and muttered, finding no threats.

Every shadow and sound made him tense, ready to react at a moment's notice.

The building was a shell of its former self, with parts of the roof missing and the interior exposed to the elements. Knowing he needed to act quickly before the rain started, Arthur set to work.

"Alright, let's see what I can do with this," he grumbled, surveying the available resources. He found several large planks of wood and broken furniture pieces scattered around. Using these, he began to patch up the holes in the roof.

"Damn, this would've been easier with my old body," Arthur cursed under his breath as he struggled to lift a particularly heavy plank. His current scrawny form lacked the strength he was accustomed to, making the task more challenging than he had anticipated.

Despite the physical limitations, Arthur persevered. He propped the larger planks against the holes in the roof, using smaller pieces and debris to fill in the gaps. It was a crude fix, but it would hopefully keep out the rain.

"Got to make do with what I've got," he muttered, wiping sweat and grime from his brow. The building slowly transformed into a makeshift shelter, albeit a rudimentary one.

After securing the roof as best as he could, Arthur gathered some of the remaining wood and fashioned a rudimentary bed. 

"Not exactly five-star accommodation, but it'll have to do," he said with a tired chuckle.

As he settled down in his makeshift shelter, the first drops of rain began to fall outside, pattering against the wood. Arthur lay back, listening to the rain, his body exhausted but his mind alert. 

Despite the dire circumstances, Arthur felt an odd sense of excitement bubbling within him. 

"Why am I feeling excited?" he asked himself, puzzled. It was a strange contrast to the desperation of his situation, yet there it was, an undeniable thrill at the challenge and the unknown.

Seeking distraction, Arthur summoned the system interface and glanced at his status window. 

"When will I unlock the system store?" he inquired aloud, hoping for a positive response.

[The system needs to be upgraded before unlocking more functionalities and tabs] The system's robotic voice informed him.

Arthur rubbed his hands together, a determined glint in his eyes. 

"Looks like I've got a lot of work to do," he said with resolve. "Hopefully, I'll meet some people in this world tomorrow. Allies... or more enemies."

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Arthur slowly closed his eyes, the rhythmic sound of rain lulling him toward sleep. The day's exertions had taken their toll, and he desperately needed rest.

But his brief respite was shattered by an unexpected noise. Growls and strange, guttural sounds pierced the night, jolting Arthur awake. His heart pounded as he abruptly sat up, his senses on high alert.

Peering cautiously through a gap in the building, Arthur's eyes searched the darkness outside. The night was randomly illuminated by flashes of lightning, revealing several figures in the distance. In the brief, stark light of a lightning bolt, their appearances became dreadfully clear.

They were grotesque, shambling creatures, their flesh decayed and hanging loosely from their bones. Their eyes glowed with a malevolent light if they still had them. 

"Zombies," Arthur realized as a chill ran down his spine. Their movements were jerky and unnatural.

Arthur's breath caught in his throat as he watched them. They were far enough away not to have noticed him yet, but their presence was a stark reminder of the nightmares that prowled this world after dark.

"Fuck," Arthur whispered under his breath, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he realized the imminent danger. The zombies, if they continued on their path, would lead straight to the ruin he was sheltering in.

Not wasting a moment, Arthur abandoned the makeshift roof that had been his refuge. He moved stealthily to the other side of the building, hoping to find a clearer path for escape. His heart sank as he peered out. 

"Damn it!" he cursed, seeing more zombies approaching from the other directions, and they were much closer. 

"I'm a sitting duck here," Arthur muttered to himself, his mind racing for a solution. Quick thinking was crucial now. He spotted a stick nearby, long and sturdy enough to serve as a weapon. With swift movements, he used the dagger he had taken from the scavengers to carve it into a pointy makeshift spear.

"Time to run like hell," he said, steeling himself for what was to come. Arthur positioned himself, ready to sprint as fast as his legs could carry him. His plan was to find higher ground, somewhere the zombies couldn't easily reach him.

Holding the spear tightly, Arthur took a deep breath. 

"Here goes nothing," he whispered and bolted out of the ruin into the rainy night. His feet pounded against the muddy ground, splashing through puddles as he maneuvered around the shambling undead.

Every second was crucial, and Arthur pushed his body to its limits, driven by the primal instinct to survive. He darted through the dark, his eyes scanning for any elevation, a hill, a large rock, anything that could offer temporary refuge.

Arthur dashed past the zombies, the stench of decay and death filling the air around him. It was a nauseating mix of rotting flesh and damp earth, overwhelming his senses.

As he was running away from the zombies, something suddenly lunged at him from the shadows. Instinctively, Arthur raised the stick in his hand just in time to intercept the attack.

At that moment, a lightning bolt tore across the sky, illuminating the scene in a flash of stark white light. Clamped onto the end of his makeshift spear was a grotesque creature, a zombie wolf. Its fur was patchy and matted with blood and grime, and its eyes glowed with a feral, unliving light. Half of its face was torn away, revealing the ghastly bone and sinew beneath. Its teeth, yellowed and broken, were biting viciously at the stick, trying to reach Arthur.

"Zombie wolf?" Arthur exclaimed in disbelief, his voice laced with horror and anger. 

"Fuck you, God!" he shouted into the stormy night, his voice echoing against the sound of rain and thunder.