After my mana pool completely refills I stand and make my way to the door. The gouge I had put in it earlier letting light in from the lobby.

I take the baton out from it’s spot on my belt. The cool metal feeling is more familiar in my hands now than ever. If it wasn’t for this I probably wouldn’t have made it this far. I silently thank whatever manager at my security company decided it was fine for an unarmed officer to have a baton.

Casting Mana Saw on the baton illuminates the walls with a cool arctic blue. The mana coating the shaft sings and rotates viciously. At about eye level I slide the baton through the door. The wood chipping away as the fast moving mana digs into it, smoke rising from the spot.

Like the name for the spell I saw a square into the door just wide enough for a head to pass through. With that done I let the mana coating the baton dispel. Looking through hole I can see the horde of zombies pushing in against the door.

A slight burning smell rises above that of the zombies. However the sound of their moans heightens as they see me through the hole. Some try to reach their arms through.

Holding my right hand as if it’s a gun, pointer finger extended out and thumb raised up, I command the mana into the familiar spiraling spell. I pick a head and let loose, sending a Rifle Round into the horde. A cloud of blood mists into the air. I pick another head and shoot. Over and over and over until My finger burns from the excessive mana use. After the sixteenth or so shot I walk away from the door and sit in the chair to rest and restore my mana.

After sitting for a second I get a familiar message.

PING!

Level Up

I grin, feeling the mana pool inside of me instantly replenish. Opening my character sheet I dump the free Attribute Points into my Intelligence. Then I get back to work, Rifle Rounds zipping across open space, dropping zombies. After almost completely depleting my mana reserves I take another break.

I make out only a handful or so more zombies in the lobby. Enough that I could probably take them with my Mana Saw. For a second I entertain the idea but ultimately decide against it. I’ve set myself up to easily handle the rest. No reason to make it more difficult on myself.

I sit back in the chair and rest my eyes. A pounding headache forming in the back of my mind. I watch the small lake grow inside of me mesmerized by the small moats of light forming into drops of mana. Opening my eyes I look at the finger I’ve been using to conduct my mana and notice that the skin is a bright pink.

Channeling mana out of your body like this probably isn’t the best way to be doing it. In most media mages have wands or staffs that they channel their mana through. Wait.

Should I be basing how mana works off of fiction? I know so far it’s helped me make a few attacks but I have no clue how this energy actually functions.

Who knows. For now there isn’t much I can do about it. With nothing else to do just yet I close my eyes and focus on regaining my strength.

After I’ve regained a little over half of my mana I check out the little peep hole I made. The rancid stench of rotting corpses and copious amounts of blood greet me. I’m able to count maybe four zombies shambling around the lobby, but more can get in until I close the front doors.

Using my left hand to avoid burning my finger any more I conjure more Rifle Rounds. In seconds the four zombies are down. The blue screens above their heads flashing black for a second before vanishing.

Listening for a second I hear feet still moving in the lobby. Looking through the peephole I made doesn't reveal them. They must be closer to the door, maybe zombies brought in by the horde.

Stealing my resolve I take my baton out and cast Mana Saw on it. The blue light stretching over the dark metal and humming in anticipation of the fight. I throw my shoulder into the door, the weight of the bodies piled in front of it making it harder to open. A gap wide enough for me to slip through opens and I lunge out.

Six zombies stand in the lobby. Their blood shot pale eyes gazing over to me. The black veins in their pale skin bulge as their eyes scream in hunger.

HHHHHHUUUUUUUUGGGGGGG!

They moan and start shambling towards me. I carefully make my way over the mass of bodies beneath me and onto flat ground.

The closest zombie lunges at me forcing me to pull back. My foot lands on a body and threatens to send me toppling over. However I manage to stay upright as I jab out into the skull of the zombie. The mana coated baton digs in effortlessly. Rapidly eating away at its life. It falls to the ground dead.

I turn to the open doors, five zombies standing between me and them. I point my finger and let a Rifle Round shoot one zombie, downing it effortlessly. Taking a stand, I plant my feet and roar at them, daring the zombies to come for me.

AAAAARRRRRRRRR!

They respond in kind.

HHHHHUUUUUUUGGGG!

They lunge forwards as I charge lashin out with my baton. Sky blue arcs of energy trail my every swing. Blood mists the air as the baton passes clean through one zombie's skull. The next I bring the baton down in a heavy downward strike. It’s skull caves in and the body shoots to the ground.

The next zombie lunges at my torso maw agape with anticipation. I jam my baton into its mouth pulling up on it as I do so. The baton digs through the creature's skull and into the air bringing globs of brain and blood with it.

The motion forces me to take a step back as the momentum threatens my balance.Trying to correct my balance causes my foot to catch on something. My foot slips on the blood pooling the floor. My leg crumples painfully beneath me. I force the pain out of my mind as the last zombie falls onto me.

Instinct guiding my actions, my arm races out grabbing the thing by its neck. It’s teeth chopping down on nothing as it lunges for me. Barely being held at bay. Blood and drool leaks from its mouth.

I go to bring the baton up and into it’s head only to realize I dropped it in the fall. Looking around frantically reveals that it rolled just out of reach. My arm starts to buckle under the strain of holding the zombie back.

Turning my focus back to it I quickly focus mana in my head. I feel heat emanating from my eyes as mana pools just behind them. Then the world is white as I shoot a stream of mana from my eyes.

The energy bores a hole into the zombie and I watch it’s hit points fade to zero.

Zombie

Level: 1

HP: 4/10

Zombie

Level: 1

HP: 1/10

Zombie

Level: 1

HP: 0/10

The box above it flashes black and disappears. I end the stream of mana bursting from my eyes and lie there for a second. My eyes burning feeling dryer then ever. Blinking rapidly I know I’m not trying that again.

I crawl to my feet and hobble forwards. Every step with my left foot sending pangs of pain through me.

I reach out grabbing the handles of the bullet proof glass doors. I pull back on them causing the familiar crack as whatever mechanism holding the doors open is disengaged. Sudden movement out of the corner of my eye makes my heart skip a beat. I jump back just as a zombie races into the door on my right.

I fall back onto my butt shocked and spooked by its speed. It bounces off the still closing door and onto the sidewalk. It recovers fast and is on its feet in the blink of an eye.

Is this even a zombie? A red light above it catches my attention and I only get a second to read it.

Zombie

Level: 12

HP: 30/30

It’s hand snakes around the door filing it back open. It jumps at me. I roll out from its path and lunge for my baton. My fingers wrap around the baton but before I can properly grab it something pulls me by my leg. I roll onto my back kicking out with my free leg.

The zombie is pushed off of me but it recovers far too quickly. I focus on the lake inside of me, grabbing as much mana as I can and shooting it from my finger. A laser of artic blue light jams into the zombies eye. It’s head snaps back and the laser fades.

I pull back crawling away from the monster. I focus and gather more mana into my palms. The zombie recovers anger burning behind it’s remaining good eye.

AAARRRRGGGGGGG!

It roars, lunging for me. I push the mana out from my palm sending a Cannonball right into its torso. The beast is blasted back further away from me. It’s body slides to a stop and doesn’t move.

I sigh with relief thinking the battle is over. I look for my baton and grab it only to freeze in place.

AARRRGG!

It belts out. It leaps into the air and it’s all I can do just to get the baton between it and me. My back is forced against the floor as the monster pushes into me.

Blood drips from it’s open mouth as it breaks it’s teeth on my baton. The metal bends in as the creature pushes down on me with more strength than I thought possible from a zombie. Focusing as best as I can I coast the baton with mana rotating it as fast as possible.

The baton diggs into its mouth slowly eating away at it’s jaw. It’s lower jaw falls open as the tendons controlling it are eaten away. The zombie pulls back, breaking my concentration.

The spinning mana evaporates as the zombie slams it’s head forwards into the baton, bending it even more. Again and again the baton bends little by little.

Even without being able to close its mouth the zombie is relentless in its pursuit to eat me. My arms strain with the struggle of keeping it off of me. Desperate, I think of something to do. Everything I’ve thrown at it wasn’t enough. Nothing I have packs enough of a punch. An idea pops into my mind.

Mentaly I force a strand of mana out of my arm and down to a pouch on my belt. There the tendrils of glowing energy burn away at the fabric holding my pepper spray in its pouch. I warp the can in mana trying to push as much energy against it as possible.

Praying that it’ll work I wait for the zombie to pull back again. With it’s jaw wide open I slam the pressurized can into its mouth. I feel my mana pool drying up quickly and panic rises in me.

BOOOOM

The can explodes in a cloud of red mist. The air instantly smelled of burnt chili peppers. The red box above the zombie's head flashes black.

Zombie

Level: 12

HP: 0/30

Then it disappears. The thing's body falls over, smoke rising from where it’s head used to be. My eyes burn as the cloud of pepper spray falls on me. But I don’t care. I did it. I’m alive.

Exhaustion racks my body and I can’t help but to close my eyes. I know it’s not wise to sleep here but I can’t help following the intoxicating pull of exhaustion. The darkness consumes my consciousness and I pass out.

PING! PING!

Level Up

Level Up