Every time I take down two, three more are just around the corner. I got the Ding~ from finishing the killing quest a bit ago, but I don’t have much of a reason to spend the points yet. I might as well use the time I have alone to blow off a little steam.

That’s when I find something odd. Theres a zombie with a reddish tinted skin at the end of a suburban alleyway. Fuck… that’s another anime trope a progression of difficulty.

The zombie doesn’t look that different from the others around it. The body is a bit muscular likely belonging to a fit person a bit over 6ft tall and looks like a body builder with skin that looks like it’s going through internal bleeding just under the skin all over its body its fingers also seem to end in pointed ends. They arnt wandering around aimlessly like the others. This one is actively searching for prey. Its eyes must still not be good since I’m at the end of an alleyway watching but the way it moves its arms, and its head swivels its clear it has an amount of vision. It checks the zombies near it that move like it sees but after a moment lets them go when they don’t seem to react.

Its jaw lets out a crack as it lets out a long grunt “Grraaaa” At that sound the others drawn by the sound follow it towards the end of the alley. The other ones havnt been very vocal but since this one growls it attracts the others as it actively searches for people. Hopefully they are rare or that could be a serious danger to scouting parties. Espeshally with how there are massing groups moving around now.

I should probably kill it now. Who knows if it will change again in the future? But I have no backup and I don’t know its abilities yet. Its probably only slightly worse than a normal zombie considering most series have a sense of progression of difficulty for a protagonist. Though that assumes that this world follows some sort of set of rules. I climb up the side onto the top of the 4ft concrete divider on the side of the alleyway. Looking down on the special red zombie as it made its way towards the exit of the alleyway. It briefly looks at me but since I hold still it ignores me like an object confirming that its only detecting movement with its red dull eyes.

Alright so the normals depend on sound these ones motion. Good first test. Second test.

I jump down from the side of the building intending to slice into its head. But even with my all my weight behind the slash my machete doesn’t fully pierce its head and it lets out a pained Grawl drawing the zombies towards it. The skin around the head seems to become much redder as blood begins to flow out of the open wound in a dark black and red. I’m stuck there staring into its red eyes seem to deepen as it stares back into mine with my arm still outstretched near its face. I watch in almost slow motion as its face twists into a snarl and its body contorts before lunging for me. I try to yank back on the machete as I move back but it’s stuck in there good the clawed swipe grazing my chest from the slight delay and leaving slight cuts. I hope those don’t infect me or I’m screwed already. Looking up from the cuts I see its eyes scanning me looking at my reaction.

This thing isnt smart but its far smarter than the other zombies which is a problem considering how durable it is. The machete was getting dull but with my strength and jumping from that distance it should have easily been enough to cut a lot more.

“GRAAA” It bellows and charges towards me. No real grace or efficiency just power.

Dodging to the side I have to be careful because of the other zombies in the narrow alleyway. Pulling out a kitchen knife wrapped to the side of my boot and freeing it with a yank, I stab the one near the end of my roll to give myself a bit more room. The normal ones are no real threat unless I lose track of them or they ward me in with this one. But it only takes one bite to potentially lose this fight.

How the hell am I going to kill it if its skull is this thick? I dodge another lunge from it sending it headfirst into the wall. Stunning it for a second and the sound of a sickening crunch as the machete is wedged in a little more. The glint on the bloody machete in the light shows me what I need to do. I may not have the bonuses for wielding a sword right now, but I am still pretty darn fast. I jump forward as it moves to claw me my foot lashes out kicking the machete handle top sending it deeper inside.

The moment of impact I feel a bit of the tension in my shoulders relax.

Only to immediately tighten again as it still doesn’t go down.

The Red zombie shrieks in seemingly pain lashing out it grabs my outstretched leg swinging me into the wall next to it.

THUD

FUCK The wind gets knocked out of me and I hear something crunch. My heads swimming as I see the red zombie let go of my leg and move towards my face. Fuck I’ve gotta, got do something… I’ve gotta hit it harder. I struggle but grab the machete as it lunges for me using it to keep the biting mouth away as it pushes towards me driving the machete slightly deeper with each lunge. I lean back and put my all into it as its arms swing out hitting me in the body several times. Gah that’s going to hurt tomorrow. Its claws rending into my sides with deep cuts not piercing too deep thanks to my resilience but still enough that I’m bleeding heavily. Its thrashing is also helping a bit as its arms are also keeping the other stray undead away, killing a few from its errant strikes.

Slamming my arm into the machete with the last of my strength in my right arm. It finally sinks in getting through that last snag of resistance sliding into the hilt smashing my hand into its head probably dislocating a few fingers bent in the wrong direction. FUCK my hands screwed now too. The red one slumps to the ground in front of me taken out for good. I feel the fading black around my vision, but I can’t let up since I’m still surrounded. Crap normally six of these things would be nothing but I can’t move much, and my dominant hand is sprained. I look around and think as they hobble towards the last sound. The sound of their feet getting closer as I fight off the ringing in my head.

Right sound. I strain to not grunt in pain as I wrestle one of my shoes off with my functioning hand and throw it on the opposite side of the alleyway drawing them away. Haaaa that’s a relief these ones are still dumb. I look down at myself. My legs are in pain, but they don’t seem to have any fractures or bent in the wrong way. I just feel a lot of pain in my lower back and my right leg seemed to take the brunt of it. Leaning up against the wall limping my way out of the alleyway trying my hardest to stay silent. Once I’m at the edge I see the girls still loading the car in the distance. It takes a bit but once I’m closer they see me.

“HEY HARU! ARE YOU OKAY!” Crap I need to start being quite again I wave them to keep it down. Shutting them up instantly. Samada and Taniuchi run over to help me to the car where I feel like I passed out with some amount of grace.

Eventually I woke up, Still, in the back of the car but my wounds are at least wrapped. Grunting in pain as I sit up Rei is the first to look over me. Looking out the window we are still at Kawamoto’s place they just set me up in the car.

“What happened? Get your ass kicked by some of these ‘easy’ zombies?” Rei mocking me from the side but theres still a slight bit of concern in her eyes.

“No, -gah- it’s more serious than that. They are changing. I ran into one with reddish skin.” This shut her up quickly realizing how dangerous it must have been. Rei waves down the others to come listen to what happened.

“I noticed it down an alleyway at first it just looked a bit different. Thinking maybe it was just slightly stronger physically I watched it for a bit. They can see slightly but only really react to motion. I climbed up the side and watched it from the wall next to it. When it looked in my direction I stood still, and it ignored me. Looking back that probably saved my life. While it was distracted, I decided to take it down in case it would change more in the coming days. I jumped from the side with the machete. While I hit the head, my blade didn’t cut all the way in, and it got lodged in its skull.” Everyone looks worried at this point if any of them had wandered down that alleyway they would have likely died.

“It grabbed me and threw me around like a ragdoll. Its not too fast but it’s much stronger than a normal person. I got roughed up a bit but managed to get the machete the rest of the way into its skull. Speaking of can one of you go back and get the body and my machete? There are a couple of undead around it, but they are normal.” Rei nods taking her spear, Samada goes with her taking his.

“Gah I’m not looking forward to dealing with more of these things.” Kawamoto’s parents look frightened at the idea of this thing. They start packing faster her mother putting less useless items in boxes.

“Erg lets get ready to go once Rei and Samada are back Kawamoto rush your parents a bit we don’t want to be here any longer then need be in case there are more around.” I get helped over to the car and keep watch around us. I’ve never fired a gun but it’s pretty self-explanatory. We have two handguns in the car just in case. I never carry them since its just easier to use a sword. Maybe I should start if these things are this hardy. Either that or get myself something sharper then a rusty machete.

While I have a bit of time might as well check on my progress.

Name: Haruto Ikami

Age: 17 years 11 days

Carried over skills: Rebirth.

Health status 10/100

Afflictions: Fatigue, Fear, curiosity

Free Attribute points: 7 points

Strength: 11

Speed: 14

Endurance: 11

Resilience: 11

Thought speed: 13

Perception: 10

Current skills

Disease resistance lvl 99 (inborn skill) Studying lvl 90 Metabolism lvl 77 Swordsmanship lvl 99 Planning lvl 34

Some decent gains I got another 4 points from the 50 kills quest finishing up. It looks like I also gained some attribute points from something else, but I don’t remember anything that would give 3?

I check my notifications.

Congratulations! You have finished the fourth quest in a chain quest! Chain Quest: Defeat 50 zombies. Complete! Reward: 4 attribute points. [Next Chain quest: Defeat 100 zombies. 13/100] Congratulations! You have finished a new chain quest! Chain Quest: Defeat 1 matured red zombie. Complete! Reward: 3 attribute points. Next Chain quest: Defeat 5 matured zombies

Damn that’s a lot of points for one kill but also that was a hardass fight. I put three points into strength and two into resilience and two into endurance that should help a bit with the next encounter. I feel my muscles tighten a bit as the changes occur. Its also about time that I combine my study and planning. I don’t really know what to expect what will happen to the skill but having access to [treatment] skill should help with dealing with things like this in the future. Faaa but study is so close to 100 and I expect it will reach it before disease resistance will. I don’t know what it will take to push that one over. I’ll do the change when I get back. Just gotta milk out all the experience I can to make whatever I get that much stronger from the start.

“Haru we are back this thing is heavy. Why do we need to bring it with us?” Rei and Samada drag the red one over to the car.

“We need to look at its insides later to see if theres anything different about it from a normal person.”

They make a few grossed out faces.

“Anyways let’s get back we can’t delay telling them about this. If one of them is near the base it might kill someone.” And knowing Saeko she will want to challenge one. As much as I love and have trust in her skills if it grabs her, she will die…