Omega stared at the floating blue words.
They smelled like...
Nothing.
He sniffed them anyway.
Sniff... sniff...
No treats.
No humans.
Very disappointing.
"Buddy..." Omega whispered.
"Yes?"
"Can I pee on the blue thing?"
"...No."
"Oh."
Omega sighed.
"I pee later."
The front door stood slightly open.
Cold air drifted inside.
It carried hundreds of smells.
Blood.
Rot.
Rain.
Smoke.
Fear.
And...
"...Human."
Omega's ears shot straight up.
"My human!"
He bolted toward the door.
"WAIT!" Buddy shouted.
Omega skidded to a stop, claws scraping the wooden floor.
"What?"
"Look outside first."
Omega carefully poked his head through the doorway.
His beautiful front yard...
Was destroyed.
His favorite tree had claw marks all over it.
The flower beds were torn apart.
Three strange humans staggered across the lawn.
Their skin hung from their bodies.
Their eyes were empty.
One slowly turned.
It sniffed.
Then its head snapped toward Omega.
"Grrrrraaaah!"
"Buddy..." Omega whispered.
"Yes?"
"I don't think that's a good human."
"No, Omega."
"It isn't."
The zombie charged.
MISSION START
Clear the Front Yard
Progress: 0/3
The first zombie reached the porch.
Omega barked with all his strength.
"WOOF! GO AWAY!"
The zombie kept coming.
"Oh..."
"It doesn't listen."
Buddy spoke calmly.
"Time to fight."
Omega lowered himself.
Tail stiff.
Ears forward.
Just like when he chased squirrels.
"Can I bite?"
"You are literally built for biting."
"BEST DAY EVER!"
Omega exploded forward.
SKILL ACTIVATED
SPEED
The world slowed.
Wind rushed through his fur.
The zombie barely had time to react.
CRUNCH!
Omega's teeth sank deep into its leg.
The zombie collapsed.
But instead of stopping...
It grabbed his fur.
"Bad human!"
Omega twisted.
CHOMP!
This time he bit its neck.
The creature stopped moving.
DING!
Zombie Defeated!
+5 EXP
Omega's tail wagged.
"I won!"
"Don't celebrate yet," Buddy warned.
"The other two heard you."
Both remaining zombies turned toward the house.
Then they began running.
Omega smiled the biggest dog smile imaginable.
"Oh..."
"Now we're playing fetch."
And he charged straight at them.