The zombies shamble far below me on Everett street. Their presence is only made known by their rocking movingments.

My anger rises as I watch them. If I’m a predator then my baron was my claws and they had the audacity to try and declaw me. Baring my teeth I point my finger down at the figures.

Energy wells up inside of me as I form a Rifle Round. The spell illuminates my section of the roof. Adding an eerie feeling to the environment.

I take careful aim despite the anger inside of me demanding me to just destroy. My first shot misses as does my second, third, and fourth. Realization dawns on me that I’m simply too far away to hit them accurately.

I still want to kill them but I’m too far away. An idea that I know Decker would frown upon blossoms. I could just go outside. I may not have the master key anymore but it’s not the only key.

I walk down the eleven flights of stairs and head into the lobby. The bodies of the dead still cover the ground. We should probably figure out what to do with these. They’re going to attract bugs and germs like there's no tomorrow.

I carefully pick my way behind the security desk. Once there I open a drawer and find a lock box. Inside of the lock box are keys to different areas of the building. Different colored lanyards indicate which parts of the building they go to. My eyes find a black lanyard and I pull out the key attached to it.

The only other master key to the building. With it in hand I put the lock box back and make my way to the kitchen. The door that leads outside from the kitchen opens up onto Second street.

Peering through the glass door I see only two zombies on the street. I expand my senses as I unlock the door, my mana fills the air giving me a mental map of my immediate surroundings. Once sure that my spell is active I leave the building for the first time since the start of all of this.

The air feels more damp down here than it did up on the roof. As if the death of the day prior lingers like a fog. I form two Rifle Rounds letting them sing through the air as they punch holes clean through the two zombie’s heads. Their bodies fall to the ground with damp thunds.

My eyes scan the street worried the noise would draw another horde onto me. Up the street towards the north lies vacant cars and the shadows of a few shambling bodies. Too far to see me or hear the thuds. To the south is much the same, however in the far distance some kind of structure blocks my vision of the street. As if a wall was erected in the street.

I want to investigate but the moans of the group in the lot behind the building draw my attention first. Pulling my knife out of its place on my belt I hold it at the ready.

I sneak up the block to the corner of the building. Peeking around I count twenty-five undead. All with blue lights above their heads. Checking my mana reserves I realize I don’t have enough mana to take them all out at once. At most I can conjure about twenty-seven Rifle Rounds. But between the shots I took from the roof and the ones I took down here I don’t have enough mana at current.

Maybe that’s where I should focus my attribute points for now, assuming wisdom increases my mana regeneration. I throw those thoughts away as I focus on the battle I’m about to engage in.

I concentrate on my mana letting it coat the blade of the knife. Then I push more out creating a dagger about a foot long of rapidly spinning mana. The spell takes hardly anything to maintain but still costs a decent amount to start.

Set with a weapon now, I calm my nerves and turn the corner. My mind races back to Decker’s movements in the garage. He flowed like the waves of the ocean. Pushing into the horde then drawing back.

I race out from the corner, the light of my spell illuminating the dark lot. I manage to kill two zombies before the rest notice me. Their bodies fall with similar wet thuds. I spin to my left jabbing the mana blade into another zombie dropping it’s health to zero.

The group howels their horse battle cry as they all move as a collective. I slash out cutting cleanly through zombie after zombie. After pushing into the group a little I take quick tentative steps back giving me space.

My Magical Sonar tells me nothing is sneaking up behind me as I do. With the created space I analyze the group before me. With six down, twenty still remain. I take a deep breath letting the horde come to me.

Once they’re within striking range I begin pushing against them again. Blue arcs trail after my mana blade. The energy burns off with each strike. The zombies give little resistance as I slice and stab into their heads. As I feel like the zombies start to surround me I pull back.

I quickly create fifteen feet of space between us while I catch my breath. Blood drips off my arms as I feel the slimy substance stick to me. When the zombies draw near I re-engage.

Our dance of back and forth lasts maybe three more minutes as I cut down every single zombie. I don’t know if it’s the level difference, as the highest level I fought in this battle was a level four, or my technique but zombie slaying has become a lot easier.

Eying the area quickly I find no more zombies in the immediate vicinity. Further down any street I know I’ll find more zombies. But none seem to be drawing near because of the battle I just won.

I let the mana blade disperse plunging me back in darkness. I take a second to catch my breath before walking to Third street. There I find no zombie to be seen. Carefully I make my way down the street to my car.

Aside from some blood on the hood I don’t find anything wrong with the piece of junk. I unlock the door and enter the cab of the car. In the passenger seat is the same backpack I’ve had since middle school.

It’s an old sack that I’ve had to repair myself many times. Giving it an almost ratty look to it. However, it’s the only artifact that I felt was wholly mine as a kid. I bought it after secretly saving some money I made helping my neighbor rake leaves while my dad was at work.

Inside the pack I find my off duty clothes, a bottle of water, and two ramen packets. I throw the pack over my shoulder and check the rest of the car for something useful. Nothing jumps out in the cab as I don’t really have a lot to my name. Most of my income went to rent and food. The rest went to getting me clothes and a bed.

I leave the cab popping the trunk as I do so. Inside I find the spare tire and a tire iron. I test the weight of the cold metal tire iron, finding it heavier than my baton. However, despite how heavy it is, it is’t still the best replacement I can think of for my trusty baton.

I carefully set the tireiron down against the car while I fish out that inverter I was talking to Decker about. I slip that into my backpack and close the trunk as quietly as possible. Then I make my way back to the driver’s side and put the keys into the ignition.

I put the car into neutral and start pushing it down the street to the now empty lot behind the building. Turning the wheel feels like I’m having to pull someone up a hill. I take a second to appreciate power steering.

It takes almost half an hour to push the heavy car around to Second street. I leave it in front of the garage doors ready to be brought in or to have the gas in it easily siphoned out. I put it in park and lock it back up.

Armed with a new weapon I feel an itch to kill a zombie with it. Am I becoming addicted to this? If I am, that's probably a bad thing. Right?

I shake the thoughts away and make my way to Everett where I know a few zombies to still be meandering. Only three zombies stand in the street. I take a second to decide how I want to apply Mana Saw to the tire iron. I could make an ax with it or just use it like I was my baton. Experience tells me not to waste mana on the ax bit. Just coating the metal with Mana Saw is going to be more useful in long term fights.

With that in mind I let the blue light glide out of me and over the cool metal. The metal warms up as the mana starts whipping around it in a clockwise fashion. Calling it a saw is kind of inaccurate. It’s more of a mana drill but Mana Saw just has a better ring to it in my opinion.

I crawl out onto Everett, sneaking up behind the closet zombie. It faces the hotel on the corner of Everett and Third, directly opposite to where I am. The tire iron sings through the air as I smash the heavy metal into the zombie’s head.

The mana chews into the flesh and through the bones directly to the brain. Blood and mush flies as it’s caught and flung away by the mana.

The zombie falls to the ground drawing attention from the other two. Their attention turns to me and they growl in hunger.

HHHHHHUUUUUUUUNNGGG!

The closest one lunges for me. As it does so I stab out with the tire iron like it was a saber. The mana digs through it’s forehead like it is paper. It’s health flatlines as it falls to the ground dying instantly.

My attention turns to the last zombie as it’s arms reach out for me. I charge forwards swinging out with the heavy metal. The momentum carries into the zombies temple and continues out the other side. It’s head being bashed and sliced in half in a single swing.

HHHHHHUUUUUUUUNNGGG!

The cry of another zombie reaches my ears as I whip around. I feel it before I see it. A zombie races up behind me leaping into the air, it’s mouth open and set on course with my shoulder. I drop to the ground letting the thing fly over me.

It rolls on the ground for a second before quickly recovering. It turns to me and I finally get a good look at it.

Zombie

Level: 10

HP: 29/30

My heart rises at the sight of the blue light above its head. I bend my knees ready for it’s next charge. I channel more mana extending the tire iron’s reach by a foot. The mana hisses as I force it to spin even faster.

HHHHHHUUUUUUUUNNGGG!

The zombie moans as it launches itself in the air again. I side step it’s quick attack just narrowly avoiding it. I twist following it’s flying body conjuring a High Velocity Round as I do so. The zombie lands on all fours, stopping it’s momentum instantly.

It snaps it’s head around staring me down. Anger burns behind it’s eyes as if I wronged it for avoiding it’s attack. Focusing on it’s left eye, I send the mana heavy attack out. It slices through the air like a bullet, embedding itself into the thing's eye. The mana explodes sending the left side of its face flying off.

Zombie

Level: 10

HP: 8/30

The force of the explosion sends the zombie sprawling across the ground. Before it can recover I leap forwards bringing the tire iron high above my head. As if I’m trying to split the earth itself I slam the mana covered metal down onto the things head.

Zombie

Level: 10

HP: 0/30

It’s head explodes in a mist of gore.

PING!

Level Up

The blue box vanishes bringing a smile to my face. I check the street for any more unseen foes. Seeing none, I start making my way to the kitchen entrance.

I stop and look back at the kitchen debating on if I should take a peek inside. Just looking at the building sends a shiver down my back. Warning sirens ring loud and clear in my mind but I don’t know why.

It’s as if my body thinks it’ll die just by going in there. Shaking the idea out of my mind, I return to the kitchen entrance. I will go with Decker to scout the restaurant tomorrow.

Entering the building the fog of death lingering in the streets leaves me. I lock the door and return upstairs to rest.