Acting

Rael bided his time, trying to conceal his excitement over the newfound power of his [Slayer] title. He watched as Donovan and the guards continued to battle the remaining zombies with renewed vigor, now that the more dangerous undeads were dealt with.

After a while Rael got up from where he sat and picked up his Uncommon Sword, he was going to kill some more guards and zombies.

With each swing of his sword and each zombie that fell, Rael felt a surge of satisfaction. He couldn't help but wonder if he was becoming something more than just a survivor in this bleak post-apocalyptic world.

'Maybe I'm going to become something else after this apocalypse shit is over, or maybe I will die trying to survive, I can probably even become one of the top people in this new world.'

'There's a multitude of possibilities, as for me, there's a single one I truly wish for.' Thinking so, Rael's gaze became determined. He was going to climb the stairs and reach the top, maybe even above.

As the last of the zombies were dispatched, the gymnasium was filled with the sound of heavy breathing and the stench of blood and sweat. Donovan approached Rael once more, a look of genuine admiration in his eyes.

"You're a godsend, Rael. We owe you our lives," Donovan said, clapping him on the back.

Rael nodded in acknowledgment, trying to hide his real intentions behind a smile. He had achieved his goal of infiltrating Donovan's group, and with his newfound power and the [Slayer] title, he realized he was capable of achieving great things in the future.

What Rael found funny though, was that Donovan personally thanked him for protecting his people, when Rael was actually the one who killed the most guards, even more than the zombies did.

As they regrouped and made plans for their next move, Rael couldn't help but think about acting on his plan.

Right now was the best moment, since a few guards were asleep, and the remaining dozen or so, Donovan included, didn't pose any threat to him at all.

'I should start already, there's no sense in dragging this down any longer.' Slowly gesturing to Maria and Ron to leave, Rael picked up his sword once again.

Rael's heart was still as he approached Donovan who was engaged in conversation with another guard. With a swift and silent strike, Rael slashed his Uncommon Sword across Donovan's throat, ending his life before he even had a chance to react.

"What are you doing?!"

"Donovan!"

A few guards who were talking with their leader suddenly screamed in terror when they saw that Rael actually killed him.

No one expected for their 'savior' to turn his sword towards them.

Chaos erupted in the gymnasium as the other guards realized what had just happened. They reached for their weapons, but Rael moved like a shadow, his sword dancing through the air. In a matter of seconds, he took down several more guards, their surprised expressions frozen in death.

A couple of minutes later, there were less than ten guards standing, but due to Rael's monstrous speed, they couldn't resist for much longer.

As the last guard fell, Rael's heart was pounding, he couldn't believe that these guards were so ferocious, not one of them begged for mercy. They had not only fought down to their last breath, but even had time to curse his past, present, and future generations.

Luckily for Rael, he seemed to have found something sweet, an item drop.

(Congratulations! You received an Uncommon Drop!)

'A drop from humans? Is this possible?' Rael's heartbeat accelerated, he was shocked to find out that humans could also drop items, or skills, he didn't know which one yet.

[Uncommon Skill] - Dash: Boosts Agility by 50% for a short period of time. Consumes Stamina 30% faster.

Rael's eyes gleamed when he saw that this new skill, Dash, didn't have a use for mana. This also meant that he could use it immediately.

'My Agility is already high enough, and with this Dash, it would become even more perverse.' Happy wasn't enough to describe Rael's feeling right now, he was feeling as if on cloud nine.

Quickly calling for Maria and Ron who were still hiding themselves, Rael told them to search the guards in case they had something on them.

He remembered that a few guards had some items that were probably of common grade, if he didn't have an immediate use for them he would give them to Maria and Ron.

In a few minutes, Maria and Ron found five items that were probably dropped from the guards who managed to kill zombies or other mutant creatures with their own hands or using a knife.

Surprisingly enough, among the five items there was a blue pendant.

[Uncommon Pendant - Increases Intelligence by 6 points.]

This pendant was quickly taken by Rael, leaving the other two common swords, one common shield, and a common pair of boots for Maria and Ron to split between them.

Reaching a consensus, Maria took a sword and the boots, leaving Ron with the sword and shield. This was purely because the young man wanted to become more useful. Not because Rael ferociously glared at him…

Among the guards' belongings, they found various supplies, from ammunition to canned food. Rael, not wanting to waste any time, pocketed a couple of items.

Maria and Ron gathered a few handguns and ammunition from the other guards. They were somewhat surprised to see that not all the guards were well-equipped, indicating the group's struggle for survival in the harsh post-apocalyptic world.

Rael decided to distribute the items among the group to increase their chances of survival. He handed a handgun to Maria, who had some prior experience with firearms, and another to Ron. They also shared the provisions they had found.

With the newfound skill, Dash, coursing through his veins, Rael's confidence had reached new heights. He could feel the energy surging within him, knowing that this skill would be invaluable in future encounters. It was a game-changer, and he was determined to hone it to its fullest potential.

As they regrouped and planned their next move, Rael couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for the journey ahead.

He had taken a drastic step to secure his place within Donovan's group, and now he was one step closer to achieving his ultimate goal of rising to the top in this unforgiving world.

"We should go back to the medical center now. I'm sure the others are probably worrying about us because we went missing for so long."

Hearing Rael say that, Maria and Ron nodded at him. The two were already used to heeding his commands, and knew that it was only because of Rael that they could receive such items and advance their level at lightning speed.

Currently, both Maria and Ron are level 4. And if they were to continue following Rael, there would surely be other opportunities to advance in the future.