Master Of All Maps

Shinon led the way as the trio made their way back to their base, each carrying a bundle of supplies they had scavenged from the abandoned buildings in the city. Kira walked beside him, her pistols at the ready, while Rico brought up the rear, flaming machetes in his hands.

As they walked, Shinon couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. His left eye was itching like crazy, and he couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with the system.

He tried to ignore it, hoping it was just a passing sensation, but the itch grew more intense with each passing moment. Suddenly, he stumbled and collapsed on his knees, his hands clawing at his left eye in agony.

"God damn it!" He cursed loudly. "Why now of all times!?"

But the itching only worsened until it felt like his eye was on fire.

"Shinon, what's wrong?" Kira asked, alarmed.

But Shinon could only shake his head, his teeth gritted in pain. He didn't stop clutching at his eye as if he could rip it out of his socket to stop the itching. He groaned and gasped, feeling like his head was about to explode.

Suddenly, a holographic message appeared in front of his eye. It was written in a language he had never seen before, but somehow he knew it was the reward system had mentioned earlier.

Soon, the pain subsided somewhat as the message grew clearer. Shinon realised that the system had imprinted a holographic map of the area they were in directly onto his retina as a reward, and the pain was the temporary price he had to pay for the prize.

He gasped as he looked at the map marked with various symbols and colours. There were level locks on specific areas, indicating that they were too dangerous for their current level, and markings for areas with valuable loot and potential enemies.

But Shinon couldn't focus on the map for long as the itching in his eye returned with a vengeance. He fell forward onto the ground, writhing in pain as Kira and Rico looked on in concern.

"Shinon, what's happening?!" Kira shouted, trying to help him up.

But Shinon could barely hear her over the sound of his mental screams. He felt like his eye was being ripped apart from the inside out, and he couldn't take it anymore.

Just when he thought he couldn't take the pain any longer, it suddenly subsided, leaving him gasping for breath on the ground. He looked up at Kira and Rico, trying to regain his composure.

"It's...it's nothing," he gasped, trying to hide the map still imprinted on his retina. He knew they wouldn't understand, and he didn't want to risk them thinking he was crazy.

"The way you were screaming didn't look like it was nothing." Rico retorted. "But if you don't wanna talk about it now, you don't have to. Let's get to the base first, and then we can talk about it only if you feel comfortable."

Shinon nodded as Rico helped him back to his feet. As his pain subsided, the map began to take shape before his eyes.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before. The holographic display was incredibly detailed, with every street, alley, and building in the city rendered in stunning clarity. It appeared as a translucent overlay over his normal vision, superimposing the real world with a wealth of information.

The map was divided into sections, each marked with different colours that denoted the level of danger in that area. Red areas were marked as high-level zones, with powerful enemies and treacherous terrain beyond their current capabilities.

Orange areas were moderately dangerous, while yellow areas were relatively safer but still required caution. While green spaces were wholly rid of the zombies.

In addition to the danger level, the map displayed various icons and symbols that marked points of interest. Areas with valuable loot were marked with different types of chest icons, ranging from simple wooden chests to elaborate golden chests, indicating the potential rewards that could be found there.

The map also marked the locations of zombies, zombie nests, and other hostile creatures. These were depicted with menacing red icons, allowing Shinon to steer clear of potential dangers or plan their approach strategically.

Furthermore, the map displayed the locations of neutral individuals and potential allies. These were marked with green icons, indicating they were not hostile and could provide assistance or information. Right now, there were only two such icons on the map, both beside his marker.

Shinon was relieved to see that Kira and Rico were marked as allies, but he couldn't help but wonder who else might be out there.

'Hm, Kira and Rico are both in the green. Don't think I'll be facing betrayal from them anytime soon.' Shinon joked. 'Damn, this would've been useful while I was dealing with the Phoenixes and...Selena. Fuck it, let's think about the future.'

As he scanned the map, he noticed it was constantly updating in real-time. New markers would appear and disappear as they moved through the city, reflecting the ever-changing landscape and the movements of creatures and individuals within it.

Shinon also realised that the map had a system of level locks. Some areas were marked with blue icons, indicating that they were currently inaccessible due to being locked behind a certain level requirement.

This made Shinon realise that the system was not only granting him new abilities but also presented him with challenges and obstacles that he would need to overcome in order to progress and unlock new areas.

'I wonder what'll happen if I do this... damn, it actually works!'

The map also had a feature that allowed Shinon to mark custom locations, such as potential hideouts or places of interest. He could set waypoints and plan routes, using the map as a valuable tool for navigation and strategising their scavenging missions.

'I can't reveal the existence of this map to Kira and Rico,' he thought to himself. 'They are unaware of the system's existence, and revealing too much too soon could put them in danger.'

Shinon couldn't help but notice a metal chest icon on the holographic map that appeared before his eyes. He knew this was a sign of some valuable loot nearby and felt a strong urge to move in that direction.

However, a few zombies were there, which meant they would have to fight to get the loot. It was risky, but at the same time, it was an opportunity to validate whether the map was legit or not.

He glanced at Kira and Rico, wondering how he could convince them to follow him without revealing the system's existence. But then he decided to just wing it.

"Hey guys, I just remembered something," Shinon said, trying to sound casual. "There might be some supplies in this direction. Do you mind if we check it out?"

Kira looked at him sceptically, while Rico seemed more interested. "What kind of supplies?" he asked.

Shinon shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I don't know, maybe some food or medicine. It's worth a shot, right?"

Kira still looked unconvinced, but Rico nodded his head in agreement. "Sure, why not? Lead the way."

Shinon felt a wave of relief wash over him as he started moving toward the metal chest icon. He couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement as he got closer, wondering what kind of loot awaited them.