The convenience store (1)

Enzo took a step forward, his dagger gleaming with the deadly poison. He could feel the weight of the moment. Even though he got stronger, deep down he knew that a moment of inattention would be his demise.

"I won't lose!" Enzo murmured, recovering his lost confidence.

As he closed the distance between himself and the giant zombie, Enzo could see more precisely how the giant zombie moved. It was as if now, every movement of his became calculated and precise. Enzo's agile form weaved through the slow strikes of the creature. His enhanced reflexes allowed him to evade each attack more and more easily as time passed. After all, he started to get used to his opponent's movements.

Rose looks at the fight from behind in awe. She could clearly see how he was moving. Where he was striking. Everything looked perfect as if he had become someone else.

An uppercut came, but Enzo glided his short sword to dodge it before cutting the monster's hand. A punch on the head tried to strike him, but he dodged it easily before opening the zombie's skin a little.

Even though he couldn't do much damage, in reality, he didn't have to. He had opened enough wounds to do what he wanted to do.

With a swift motion, Enzo lunged forward, his poisoned dagger aimed at the holes he made with his short sword. The blade sank deep into the already damaged section, the lethal toxin seeping into the creature's vulnerable flesh.

He continued the process into all the wounds he had already created since the start of the fight, even the place he broke when the fight started. While it may have been difficult to do the same with another monster, it was quite easy right now as the zombie was really slow, while Enzo was a lot faster.

If he hadn't been caught off guard earlier, he was sure that he could have still won, even without his new butterflies' aid.

After the poison went deep into the zombie's body, a loud roar echoed from the zombie as the poison took effect. Its movements became sluggish, its strength waning. Enzo knew that time was of the essence.

He didn't stop there and continued attacking with both of his swords, striking with precision and finesse, targeting vital areas. Each blow landed on the right spot to weaken the giant monster further.

With one final strike, Enzo's poisoned dagger found its mark, piercing deep into the creature's brain. The giant zombie let out a final, anguished cry before crumbling to the ground, defeated.

[You gain 25 Titan Zombie's Eden. Strength +12; Stamina +10]

[You have reached level 12. You gain two stats points to distribute freely]

[You have reached level 13. You gain two stats points to distribute freely]

[The 'Butterfly Extraction' skill is now level 11. You can now store up to 14 butterflies and new butterflies will be available from now on]

Silence filled the air as the dust settled, the weight of their victory sinking in. Rose looked at everything from behind, still in awe of what she just witnessed.

During this time, Enzo looked at the system's notification. He was feeling down because he hoped to level up a bit more, but the fact that his most used skill had leveled up balanced things out. Without waiting more, he crouched down in front of the dead zombie and used his skill.

Alas, he only got one more carnivorous butterfly. 'I guess I couldn't be that lucky, right?' He thought. Nonetheless, he still had three remaining spots, so maybe he will manage to get a new type of butterfly.

"We did it," Rose said, making Enzo remember that he wasn't alone. Her voice was filled with relief. "Thank you so much, Enzo!"

Enzo stood up from his crouched position, wiping the dust off his hands as he turned to face Rose. A genuine smile graced his face, exhaustion and happiness shining in his eyes.

"No, thank you, Rose," Enzo replied, his voice filled with gratitude. "You were there every step of the way, supporting me, and I couldn't have done it without you."

Rose's tired expression transformed into a beaming smile, a sense of pride evident in her gaze. She had witnessed Enzo's strength firsthand, so she didn't really believe in his words, but it still made her feel good. "Come on, we both know that I wouldn't have survived without you." She hit him on the shoulder in a friendly manner. Though, the hit hurt Enzo more than he thought.

'Rose has great strength, it seems.'

"You've become so much stronger," Rose added, her voice filled with admiration. "I knew you had it in you, Enzo."

"Thanks, I guess." Enzo scratched the back of his head, not knowing what else to do. Rose could clearly see that he didn't know how to take compliments.

"Anyway, I think we should get going. The noise of the fight started to attract more monsters in the area."

"Yeah, you're right." Enzo nodded. "But should we still continue on with what we were supposed to do? Or should we head back?" Even though Enzo would like to continue, he still wanted to take Rose's stance in that her head was probably working better in those types of situations.

Rose pondered Enzo's question for a moment, her brows furrowing. She understood the gravity of their situation and the risks they faced by pressing forward, but she also recognized the importance of their mission.

"I think we should push forward," Rose finally replied, her voice filled with determination. "We've come this far, and turning back now would mean all our efforts were in vain, right? Besides, we can't really come back without anything, do we? We won't last long if we were to do that."

Enzo nodded, understanding Rose's reasoning. He trusted her judgment, knowing that she had a knack for strategic thinking. "I guess you're right." Nonetheless, Enzo was still prioritizing his survival above the others. So he didn't want to risk his life for them either. Though for now, he will go with what Rose said.

With their decision made, Enzo and Rose began to move forward, leaving behind the defeated giant zombie. They moved carefully, their senses alert, and their weapons at the ready. They didn't want to meet another type of monster like the Titan Zombie, so they were more cautious than earlier before meeting it.

As they ventured deeper into the campus, they could see more and more bodies on the ground, half-eaten by all the monsters roaming around.

After a while, they finally came to the store. Though, what they saw shocked them greatly.