Dead Man Walking

Zane did not react in any shape or form to the fact that Elena was now hugging him and crying into his chest. Perhaps if he was the same boy that he was years ago when the two of them were friends, he would hug her back and assure her that everything was going to be okay.

But that would be a lie… Things were not going to be okay… In fact things would never be okay again… And while this may be a new and terrifying concept for most human beings, it was a reality that Zane was already well accustomed to.

Sure…. Zane now found himself in a dystopian world struggling to survive and get through the day unharmed, but was that all that much different from his previous existence? A new day filled with new enemies, that's all this was, and thus the young man simply stared coldly at his former friend, and backhanded her across the face.

An action that stunned both Elena and Olivia, who gazed at Zane as if he had suddenly gone mad. I mean, in the old world, it was unacceptable for a man to lay his hands on a woman. Even if she had become hysterical or, god forbid, hostile.

But this was a brave new world, and such vain notions of chivalry were nothing but a detriment to one's survival, or they would be soon enough when the monsters who lurked among the living population showed their true colors.

With an expressionless look in his black eyes, Zane scolded Elena for wasting his precious time during her previous emotional outburst.

"Shut the fuck up and help me get as much medicine as possible! Painkillers, antibiotics, antihistamines, bandages, fresh gauze, and tape! Hell, if there's a first aid kid, grab it and give it to me! Get everything you can and fill it in my bag!"

This sudden slap to her face, and the stinging that overwhelmed her internal turmoil, caused Elena to twitch in rage. Never before had a man laid hands on her, not even her own father. Yet Zane had just done so while she was having an emotional outburst? It was just too cruel!

But Zane had other concerns, and dealing with Elena's emotions was at the bottom of his list of things that were important to him at this very moment. Instead, he began to get to work, entirely ignoring the hissy fit that was brewing in the girl's mind.

In fact, Olivia spotted this and quickly grabbed the girl's shoulder before giving her a slight shake of the head. Her eyes darted towards the front door of the nurse's office, silently signaling that any outburst may attract unwanted attention. Thus, the two of them put their emotions aside and quickly worked together with Zane for what they believed to be a team effort of survival.

From Zane's perspective it was not exactly like he had accepted these two women as his companions, but more of the fact that if they were going to orbit around him, then he damn well was going to make sure they actively contributed to his chances of survival.

Because of this miscommunication, the three of them worked together to fill Zane's bag with medicine, in addition to the food and water that was already stockpiled inside of it. Meanwhile, the screaming of terror that had come from their other classmates, screams that echoed across the halls that were plagued by the undead, had finally ceased.

Either the other students were all now deceased, or they had found hiding spots of their own to ensure their survival. Either way, Zane did not care… There were more important matters to consider. Like the semi-intelligent Zombie he had come across while he tried to leave the school. And the small crystals he had collected earlier in the day.

What exactly was that thing? And why was it simply watching and waiting near the school? Were the survivors of the initial outbreak its prey, and if so, why did it not just break into the school and feast upon the flesh of those foolish enough to leave their classrooms like the other undead have already done?

Not to mention there was the matter of the crystals that Zane had recovered. What was their purpose? Or did they even have one? And why did some of the undead have these things lodged in their brains, while others didn't?

Did the different sizes and the luster of its color represent anything in particular? Or was it all just meaningless? These were the thoughts that rushed through Zane's head as he desperately scavenged for supplies.

Thinking about this, Zane instinctively reached into his pockets and found that he had three of such devices. There were also three of them, currently hiding in the nurse's office…. Though he had previously experimented with the device, there was one thing he had not considered.

Whether he was the naturally inquisitive type who was capable of thinking of solutions that others were beyond conceiving, or if he was simply desperate to find out what exactly this crystal really was. Zane decided to make a brazen and risky action, one that could very well harm him.

He popped the largest of the three crystals into his mouth in an act that was not witnessed by the two women who were currently scavenging medical supplies. Much to Zane's surprise, the moment he tossed the crystal in his mouth, it melted into a river of blood which flowed down his throat.

The young man practically gagged on this vile liquid, but no matter how much he wanted to throw it up, he physically could not do so. And by the time he had gained control of his breathing once more, a peculiar thing appeared in his vision.

What displayed itself was written in an elaborate blood-red lettering. It was almost like the UI from an RPG. A very clear message displayed itself to Zane, one that the man thought was a hallucination.

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[Congratulations! You are the first human being to consume a blood crystal! As a result, you will be given a special bonus to your initial roll, giving you a higher chance of gaining a unique skill!]

[Roll for Skill? Yes/NO]

---

As much as Zane was confused by what he say, his first thought was something along the lines of "Who in their right mind would choose No?" And because of this one silent thought, the system that had appeared in his brain accepted the roll. Where a bunch of icons for various abilities flashed in the man's eyes, almost as if he had activated a slot machine.

In the end, the flashing icons stopped, revealing an icon that would be rather disturbing to the average human being. It was a portrait of Zane, but half of his body was himself, while the other half was decayed, almost as if he were a member of the living dead.

Below the Icon was the following description of what he had unlocked.

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[Congratulations! You have unlocked the skill Dead Man Walking!]

[Dead Man Walking: Passive]

[Tier I]

[Unique Skill]

[Description: You are both a member of the living and the dead, existing in a state of duality that no other being can share. To the living, you are one of their own, giving you the pros and cons of such a relationship. But to the dead they will only embrace you as one of their own so long as you are not in proximity to other living beings, or provoke them in any fashion.]

---

Zane stared at the UI and its display with curiosity. This Skills section was just one of many. In fact, there was a more basic menu called the Character screen, which he quickly activated with a single thought. It displayed a shocking amount of information regarding his current self.

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[User: Zane Graves]

[Race: Human]

[Subrace: Living Dead]

[Level: 1]

[XP: 0/100]

[HP: 100/100]

[Attributes]

[Strength: 10]

[Dexterity: 10]

[Constitution: 10]

[Intelligence: 10]

[Wisdom: 10]

[Charisma: 10]

[Skills]

[Dead Man Walking – Tier 1]

[Skill Points: 0]

---

According to this UI, he had now become an Undead Hybrid. Zane, of course, had no idea if any of this was reality, or if he was simply hallucinating after poisoning himself by consuming this strange and alien object. But since he had already walked this path, he decided to consume the next two blood crystals.

After tossing the two blood crystals into his mouth, Zane braced himself for the putrid taste he had previously experienced. But it did not happen this time around. In fact, the acrid taste of coagulated blood now seemed enjoyable, as if Zane had just taken a bite into what was essentially a nice and juicy steak.

Immediately, Zane thought this was some form of evidence that his body had genuinely and suddenly undergone some form of change. But he could not yet prove this hypothesis to be correct or not. Instead, he focused his attention on the two messages that popped up in his vision. Both of which contained the same text.

[You have consumed the Blood Crystal of a Walker! +10 XP]

And just like that, Zane now had 20/100 xp, bringing him ever closer to his next level. It was a curious sight, almost as if he had found himself as the main character of a video game. But this was still somehow reality.

Either that or, like he previously estimated, he may very well be hallucinating after consuming a toxic substance that was slowly killing him. Only time would tell, and yet Zane was not worried in the slightest.

Soon enough, the two women returned to him. They had scavenged every bit of medical supplies they could, and even found a few bags to carry them in. They both looked at Zane as if he were their leader, and begged him to tell them what the next step of his plan for survival was.

"Well? What now?"

Zane looked coldly towards Elena, he had no intention of telling her about the existence of Blood Crystals, how he had retrieved them, or what he had just done... Nor did he currently have any plans of keeping these two mouths to feed around him for long.

Instead, he needed time… Time to confirm if his newfound powers were real. And if they were… Zane could finally abandon humanity all together, and watch as their cruel fate unfolded. Thus, he had a stoic expression as he came up with an excuse to buy time.

"Now we rest…. The nurse's office is more secluded than the other areas of the school and has no windows which are vulnerable points. I am sure that we can blockade the door, and stay in here until the dead outside have had time to enjoy their meals…"

The way Zane so coldly said the phrase "enjoyed their meals" while talking about the cannibalization of his fellow classmates sent a chill down the spines of Elena and Olivia. But Zane was the only person in the entire school who had kept a level head.

He was also the only one who actually had a plan for survival. And after today's events, both Elena and Olivia were starting to believe that Zane was right about everything… Help was never coming, and they had not even begun to witness the worst of this whole ordeal… Thus they silently and obediently nodded their heads, while crawling up onto one of the Nurses offices beds, and trying their best to get some rest.

As for Zane, he volunteered to keep watch for the night, and when the two women finally managed to slip past the barrier of consciousness, Zane himself silently left their sanctuary. Boldly walking into the undead infested halls of his former high school.