Ch. 14

( Haru Pov )

"There." I muttered as I moved a box under the gun so I could reach it.

I climbed the box and started reaching for the gun.

I knocked the gun off the wall and caught it in my arms, but at the same time, I lost my balance.

Thud.

I hissed in pain for a few seconds before looking at the gun in my arms.

It wasn't a gun but a bb-gun.

' Though It could be useful...for now.' I thought as I put it in my bag.

" Hmm?" I looked at the barrel sticking out of the bag as I realized it was too big for the bag.

" Others might see this and try to steal it..." I spoke as I wrapped a shirt on the barrel and tied it with a zip tie and poked a little hole in the shirt for the barrel to he used in emergency.

[ BB Gun ]

[ Ammo: 1 ]

There was only one BB in the gun as I decided to find some more around the store.

" There's plenty of ammo... but no BBs? Sigh." I sighed to myself, and I put any ammo I found into my bag for future use or trading.

" Okay... it seems this is much I could carry without falling over." I spoke as I picked up the bag and slung it over my shoulder.

' I should walk slowly and try to sneak around. I can't afford to waste stamina on running.' I thought as I walked to the back of the store and stepped over the dead zombie corpse.

I walked to the back door and slightly opened it, peeking outside.

' It's clear... good.' I thought as I spotted the general store and walked towards the backdoor and tried to open the door.

Click click

" Tsk, locked...hold on." I muttered as I saw the glass door shattered by the handle.

Grabbing my pocket knife, I slightly hovered the knife over the glass and hammered with my other hand with my palm.

The glass slightly shattered with a crisp sound in the alleyway.

I slowly reached through the glass and unlocked the door.

Luckily, this door wasn't barricaded.

As I opened the broken glass door, I also realized the bar door that was behind the door.

" Shit." I blurted, but with hope, I turned the nob.

Click creeeaakk

The security door was unlocked as happiness filed my body as I slowly opened the door.

With a pocket knife in my left hand and my right grabbed the flashlight and lifted it into the store.

The white floor was covered in blood, I observed the surroundings and didn't try to cover my nose.

I pocketed my knife, ready to use my magic, and resisted the urge to cover my nose as I needed to be ready for any surprises.

I slowly stepped into the store as i noticed the puddle blood leaving a blood trail to the front.

I felt the wind nudge me forward as I continued to look around.

The store was in a mess with food and drinks as well as some other items that were on the floor with boxes torn.

I didn't want to grab the food as they were covered in blood.

' Looked like there was a struggle here.' I thought as I faced the flashlight to a shelf that was knocked over.

I walked around the fallen shelf and came I'm face to the door that led to the front door with the blood trail in this direction.

I took a deep breath before exhaling and slightly turned the door handle and pushed it open.

I peeked inside with the flashlight and saw everything was normal except the trail of blood.

See, it was clear I fully opened the door and walked through, looking around.

It was dark as the windows were barricaded.

' I should get some food." I thought as I opened my bag once more and filled as many foods I could fit inside.

' Tsk. It's full.' I thought inwardly as I zipped the bag and continued to look around.

I felt a little gust of wind from my left side of the store as I decided to follow it.

' Well, the wind guided me here. Might as well...' I froze in place as I saw a person.

We both locked eyes as before the man became cautious as he took a bo stick behind him slowly.

' A survivor!' I thought as I lifted my hands up.

" I'm human!" I blurted as I dropped the bag.

The man's face turned into confusion before a sense of relief overcame him.

" Haa." The man patted his chest as he let us smile.

" Thank goodness. I don't think I have the heart to fight anymore." The man replied as he sat down against the wall.

" Come. Sit, child." The man gestured across of him as he used a portal stove to get some noodles.

I nodded and moved my bag and sat across him.

We both sat in silence before gaining the courage to speak.

" Uhm. May I ask something?" I looked at him as the man raised an eyebrow.

" Yes?"

" Do you... do you know how this happened?" I asked out of curiosity.

" You don't know?" He replied.

I nodded in response.

" I see... did you come from a bunker?" He asked.

I nodded hesitantly before opening my mouth.

" I'm lost, and I don't know this area that well." I said as I opened a bag of chips.

The man nodded before speaking again.

" You're a calm little fellow, aren't you? Children usually aren't supposed to be... nevermind." The man shook his head before focusing back on his food.

The silence continued before the man turned off the stove and started eating bis noodles.

" How did you survey for this long?" The man asked.

" I hid?" I replied nervously from the man's sudden question.

" I had a student... it's because of him that I managed to stay alive this long." The explained the reason he served.

" I taught Eskrima. My student was a prodigy with a big heart, wanting to learn to stop the gangsters in his neighborhood."

" What happened to him?" I asked.

" I don't know... we split at the mall with other survivors. The horde was too much for us. So, I chose to lead the horde away to save my students and his friends."

The man ate his noodles again before looking up.

" Thank you, child." The man smiled warmly.

I looked at him confused.

" For what?" I asked, curious.

" For making my final moments better than I initially thought. It was good to speak to someone..."

The man turned on the stove, which lit up the area again.

The man lifted his sleeves as he showed a bite mark.

My eyes widen in surprise.

" Hehe, that hunter really got me..." The man smiled helplessly as he looked at a corpse nearby.

I turned my head to see the zombie with it head bashed in.

I sat in silence as I knew that a bite from a zombie was deadly one. There was no chance for survival except for a cure, which we had none.

" Do not look too sad, child. Here, please. This world is scary one. You must prepare yourself." The man's face become solemn as he handed me his bo staff.

I blinked my eyes at the beautiful design and simplicity of this weapon.

" I wanted this weapon to be passed to my student... but it seems fate had different plans. Cough!" The man started coughing as everything around me turned cold.

The man reached his hand towards me, patting my shoulder in reassurance.

" This is my choice. Please!"

I stood up and tightly wrapped my grip on the staff as I looked at the dying man in front of me.

He was in a coughing fit as blood started to leak from his eyes and mouth.

I could've run away with the staff, but I chose not to.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening them.

[ Spirit 7 -> 8 ]

" Haaaa!!!" I shouted as I swung the staff down as hard as I could

Pokk! Pokk! Pokk! Pokk!

[ -45 ] [ -47 ] [ -49 ] [ -53 ]

[ Yuu Takashi ] [ Level 12 ]

[ Hp: 0/225 ]

[ You leveled up! You leveled up! ]

[ You leveled up! You leveled up! ]

I leveled up four times.

This man's health was already low. With this high-grade weapon, I easily leveled up to level 8

[ Level 4 -> 8 ]

[ Spirit 8 -> 9 ]

I stood in silence, watching the blood spread across the floor.

" What have I done..." I muttered as my legs gave out as I kept my grip on the staff.

I murdered someone, even before they could turn.

The irony.

I wanted to be a hero, yet I had to kill a man, no different than a villain.

I felt nothing, like it was all a dream that I tried to deny.

I closed my eyes to rest and hopefully to find myself back in my room.