"Okay, we'll head to a zone with low WTR. I used a pair of binoculars and spotted an area that's easy for us to gain coins. The Au Lac park, over there, those infected rats called the Rotten Fang are running rampant."
In truth, Tilus didn't know if the place was safe to farm coins. That information came from the journal.
"R-RATS?!" Jasmine jolted up.
"Oh right, Jasmine's afraid of rats." Leon burst into laughter.
"Can we hunt something else?" she pleaded.
"Nope." Tilus grinned.
"The infected in the streets aren't weak either. If they attack in a group, we'll be in trouble. Avoid them or take them down one by one," he continued.
"Alright, let's get moving. I wanna test these daggers out." Leon twirled the blades playfully between his fingers.
As the team readied their gear—Tilus' sword hanging at his hip, William's bow steady in his grip, Leon's daggers flashing, Ben's axe resting like an extension of his brute force, and Jasmine's sword held with reluctant determination—a small, unspoken moment passed between them.
Jasmine eyed William's bow. "Maybe I should swap with you?" she asked, half-hopeful.
William shook his head with a small smile. "We stick to the plan."
After the dinner we decided to leave next morning to the park. The group packed their gear in silence, the faint rustling of bushes and distant cries of infected filling the air. The morning sun barely peeked through the thick haze, casting an eerie glow over the abandoned park.
"We almost there everyone" William walk ahead and he smile to ease everyone
"You know Rats aren't the only threat here." Tilus remind them
"I still think this is a bad idea," Jasmine muttered under her breath.
Leon smirked, slapping her on the back roughly. "Don't worry. We've got your back." He twirled his dagger playfully, the blade glinting in the dim light.
"We move together then everything will be fine" William added
Ben cracked his knuckles, axe swinging idly at his side. "I will carry you guys no worries."
The group moved through the underbrush carefully, their boots crunching leaves and twigs. The infected scents grew stronger—rotten flesh and decay clinging to the air like a thick fog. Suddenly, a low growl echoed from ahead.
"Infected," Tilus signaled, raising his hand. The group froze, weapons at the ready.
A lone infected man stumbled out of the shadows, its torn clothes fluttering in the breeze. His eyes glowed with hunger, mouth filled with yellowed teeth.
Without hesitation, Ben swung his axe aiming for the infected head it fall down and he had a hard time pulling it out by the time he does so
more cries echoed from the trees.
"Looks like we're not alone," Leon said, grinning despite the danger. "Come."
The group spread out, each engaging their own targets.
Tilus darted forward, his sword cut down forward the man and then stuck, he dont have much strength tp begin with that why to fixed his weak strength,
[Lv1 strengthen cost: 100 coins]
[Skill strengthen lv1 had been learned duration]
[Increase strength, endurance for 10% for 2 minutes]
It does not help much but enough that I can cut down the infected
[You had killed an infected man]
[50 coins is rewarded]
William loosed arrows from his bow, he missed, and when it actually hit, it doesnt have enough force. Then I also his bow become green, that probably a skill, i dont know what it is yet
Jasmine hesitated, her sword trembling in her hands. The sight of the grotesque man sent chills down her spine. "I—I can't do this," she whispered, backing away slightly.
William noticed and rolled his eyes. "You're fine. Focus on hitting, we will help you"
Leon also struggle to pull his own weight with the dagger
Crude weapon like Ben Axe are the best when it come beating these infected in low level and thanks to Ben build body, he manage it just fine and able to support others
"Thanks Ben" Jasmine said
"You are welcome" Ben said
Ben bellowed, swinging his axe in a wide arc that decapitated two infected at once. His voice was gruff but reassuring.
As the fight raged on, the group began to push deeper into the park. The infected grew more aggressive, their numbers overwhelming. Then, they heard it—a blood curdling screech that echoed through the trees. It was a sound none of them would forget.
"Rotten Fang," Tilus growled, his eyes narrowing. "They're here."
From the shadows emerged a pack of infected rats—mutated, grotesque, and far more dangerous than anything they had faced before. Their beady eyes glowed with malice, their elongated fangs dripping with venom. The group stood their ground, weapons at the ready.
"Take them down!" William shouted, loosing a flurry of arrows. His bow hummed like a swarm of angry bees as he took out several rats from a distance.
Jasmine's hands trembled, but she steadied herself and swung her sword.
"I got this, treat it like an game, Jasmine, a game" and she manged to take some down
Leon danced around the battlefield like a shadow, his dagger flickering in and out of the fray. He was a blur of motion, leaving devastation in his wake.l
"Come on, you ugly bastards!" he taunted, dodging a snapping jaw.
Ben waded through the crowd with his axe, each swing sending rats flying with sickening cracks. His face was set in a grim determination.
"You don't stand a chance," he grumbled, cleaving through another rat.
Tilus fought with a deadly efficiency, his movements precise and calculated. He weaved through the chaos, targeting weak points and delivering swift, fatal strikes.
"You guys are doing well, keep it up, fall back when you need help, keep the formation"
The battle was brutal, the air thick with the sound of screeches, wet squelches, and the clash of steel against rotting flesh. The group fought valiantly, their teamwork holding them together despite the overwhelming odds.
Finally, the last Rotten Fang fell, its body twitching before going still. The group stood amidst the carnage, their chests heaving.
"Well," Leon said, wiping his dagger on his pants, "that was fun."
Jasmine glared at him, her sword still shaking in her hands. "Fun? FUN? I'm covered in rat blood!"
William chuckled, slinging his bow over his shoulder. "You did good, Jasmine. Didn't panic too much."
"Shut up," she muttered, but there was a hint of a smile on her face.
Tilus sheathed his sword, his eyes scanning the area. "We're not done yet. Let's grab what we came for and get out of here before more show up."
And then, from the trees, came a new sound—a low, guttural cry that sent shivers down their spines. It was the call of a leader, and it rallied the Rotten Fang King into a frenzied charge.
"Kill the rat king then we retreat" Tilus said
"Huh, why ?" Jasmine said
"We will be overrun by them, the king is the one rallied them, without it the remaining rats will scatter away" Tilus said
"Got it" Leon said as he dashed forward
"Wait Leon don't be reckless" William said
"No worries, it would be a… " but Leon didn't get to finish that sentenced as the rat show him why it is a king, it bite on his shoulder and Leon let out a terrifying scream
The infected rats was relentless, Ben was still holding on not letting them swarm Jasmine and William that behind him
"Damn it, William cover me" Tilus said as he dash forward
"Got it" William shot at the rats aiming at me and one charged shot to shook off the leader rats
[Leon health bar was down to 10%]
Tilus quickly used strengthen again and dragged him back
I got him, we are leaving now. Ben help me
"Im tighted" Ben reply as he fighting the rats swarming him
"Jasmine help hurry" Tilus turned to her
"Arghh I got it" she groaned
She dash forward help me carry Leon,
"Eat this you fucking idiot" Tilus pull out the pill of Life from his pocket
[Leon had consumed pill of life]
His health is regenerating
"Ben carry Leon, we will cover for you" william said as he pull out a dagger then stopped the upcoming rats
Tilus and Jasmine also helped, they manage to escape
Back in the house. Ben was the one who snapped first.
"The fuck were you thinking, Leon?!" His voice boomed over in the kitchen. His fists clenched at his sides, trembling with frustration. "You nearly got us all killed!"
Leon flinched but tried to play it off with a nervous chuckle. "Hey, relax. We're still standing, aren't we?"
Ben took a step forward, his towering frame making Leon look small. "That's not the point, dumbass! You don't get to gamble with our lives like that!"
Tilus, who had been silent about to say something but William step in
He placed a hand on Ben's shoulder.
"Let's not waste energy fighting each other," he said calmly. "Leon made a mistake, and we all felt the consequences. But we're still here. That means we have a chance to do better."
"He is right Ben, it not a good time for us to be divided" Jasmine said
Ben let out a slow breath, his rage simmering down but not gone. He turned away with a grumble, muttering, "He better not pull that shit again."
Leon, for once, had nothing smart to say.
Leon approached, rubbing his sore shoulder where the rat king had sunk its fangs. His usual grin was subdued, a rare flicker of guilt in his eyes. "Hey... thanks for that. The Pill of Life, I mean. You really saved my ass back there." His voice was quieter than usual.
"But… you missed one now. How are you gonna survive?"
"Ah that why we are going back tomorrow, since the pill of Life is 500 coins, I would need to kill that rat king to have enough coins to buy it" Tilus said flatly
Silence settled over the room for a brief second before William clapped his hands together with a grin. "Alright! Then we'll help him get it, right, guys?"
Jasmine groaned, rubbing her temples. "It can't be helped"
Ben folded his arms, letting out a huff. "See, more problems to deal with, Leon."
Leon chuckled awkwardly but nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I get it... but I'll help you get it, Tilus. No worries this time."
Tilus let out a small breath, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "Then let's make it count."