The moonlight shone.
Vincent walked, clenching the knife.
He moved toward the city's outskirts.
Rot lingered in the air.
The zombies didn't rest. They moved mindlessly, ignoring him.
A trail of fresh, violet blood followed Vincent.
He gritted his teeth.
It hurt. Almost unbearable.
But he enjoyed it.
He was still human.
With the scar, he would never forget his sin.
The night was quiet.
Only the distant howls disturbed the eerie tranquility.
He kept his guard. But his thoughts wandered.
Lost in thought, Vincent didn't notice the distance he walked.
Soon, standing buildings started appearing.
A push away from collapsing, but still standing.
He didn't want to risk it.
He continued walking until he came across a sturdy building.
He entered.
The house had a first aid kit.
But he only found bandages and antibiotic pills—nothing to clean the wound.
Vincent swallowed two pills.
He wrapped the wound with bandages and left, taking the pills with him.
He walked down the street, searching for a surviving store.
He blend in with the zombies. It felt safer.
Before, the screams of humans filled the night.
But now, they seldom appeared. The surviving humans adapted to this new world.
[Notice]
[The zombie virus spreads. Successfully infected 2000 beings]
[You received: 2 attribute points]
Vincent's eyes widened.
His body trembled.
'It's been merely 2 hours. 2 hours since the last notification!?'
His chest tightened. Guilt.
The virus was spreading too fast.
A dreadful thought crept into the back of his mind.
The speed of infection was getting faster.
His shoulders hung heavy. The weight of his sin only increased.
But he decided to move forward. He couldn't stop.
[Mana: 30]
With a thought, his mana went up.
'One point equals 10 mana,' Vincent analyzed.. 'I need one more point to use the skill contract.'
He continued walking.
Not long after, he came across a store.
The walls cracked. The roof sunken in. But it stood.
Moonlight shone through the broken glass door.
Vincent approached.
His grip on the knife tightened.
Cold sweat crawled down his spine.
Heart pounded. Adrenaline rushed through his veins.
The memory of the last time he approached a store flashed before his eyes.
He swore. Never to repeat that mistake.
Badum!
His hair stood up. Heart skipped a beat.
Swoosh!
He jolted back.
"Grrowl!"
A hungry growl tore through the night.
A monster leapt from inside the store.
Vincent's feet touched the ground.
He increased the distance.
Thud!
The hound landed on the ground.
Hairless, violet skin hung, its body imposing.
Its gaze locked on Vincent, blood-hungry.
The mouth salivated, hinting at its intention. To tear him apart.
The world grew silent.
The monster and Vincent stood still, observing, waiting for a moment of weakness.
Vincent's thoughts raced.
His senses on high alert.
'Close,' Cold sweat drenched his back. 'I couldn't detect it. Fortunately, it couldn't hide the rotten stench from its mouth.'
If not for his improved senses, Vincent would've met his end.
His brows furrowed.
An idea crossed his mind.
'Probe!'
He tested out his skill.
A status window appeared before his eyes.
His heart skipped a beat.
An unusual feeling washed over him. Something left his body. He felt a strange emptiness.
But he had no time to care.
[Status Window]
[Race: Demon Hound (Lowest-grade)]
[Strength: 9]
[Stamina: 12]
[Agility: 11]
[Perception: 13]
'Its stats are higher than mine.'
The information only decreased his morale.
Swoosh!
The face-off didn't last.
The demon hound leapt.
Vincent jumped aside.
Clack!
The sharp fangs tore the air.
Swoosh!
Vincent stormed. Running away.
The demon hound cahsed.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins.
'It's stronger than me. I can't fight it.' He glanced back.
The demon hound was closing in.
'I can't escape. How can I win? What are my advantages...Think! Think!'
Vincent clenched his fists, not daring to let go of his only weapon - the knife.
His wound pulsated.
A sharp pain surged.
The bandages turned violet.
He ignored it.
But suddenly, his eyes widened in realization.
In a single motion, he cut the bandages.
The wound bled.
With no hesitation, Vincent smeared the knife with blood.
Thud!
He halted.
The demon hound leaped.
Vincent swung his hand.
Violet blood droplets splashed at the incoming demon.
Vincent immediately dodged again.
The sharp teeth tore the air again.
Vincent thrust the knife.
But he underestimated the demon.
It turned swiftly, leaping at him.
Vincent retracted his hand.
But he had no time to dodge.
Head-on confrontation was inevitable.
'There is no other way!'
He put up his left forearm.
His teeth creaked. He braced.
Grrrr!
The demon reached him.
Shluck!
The teeth sank into his forearm.
With zero hesitation or concern for his arm, Vincent thrust the knife at the demon's neck.
Shluck!
The blood-stained knife pierced the neck.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Vincent's pained cry tore the air.
The demon bit harder.
The fangs reached Vincent's bone.
Violet blood splashed.
"Just die already!!"
Shluck! Shluck!
The knife repeatedly entered and exited the neck.
But the demon bled far less compared to him.
Still, the bite force lessened.
"Finally..." Vincent muttered, his teeth gritted. "It's taking effect..."
He bore the immense pain for this.
The demon hound let go.
Its body trembled, swaying as it stepped back.
"Grrr..."
It leapt. Using its last bits of strength.
Vincent's heart skipped a beat.
Too late to dodge.
He had already dropped his guard.
Thud!
The demon hound collapsed.
Vincent's chest went up and down. Cold sweat drenched his back.
The demon hound lay before his feet.
It growled.
Breathing heavy, vision blurry.
"You thought drinking my blood had no consequences?" Vincent forced a bitter smile.
His body trembled.
Just now, his heart almost stopped.
"Just go and die."
He tossed the knife on the ground.
He grabbed his bloody hand and walked inside.
The demon hound remained outside, struggling, alone, dying in agony.
Through the store, Vincent moved with purpose.
Blood gushed out of his wound.
He had to stop it. Now.
He took a few bottles of whisky and a few first aid kits.
Vincent sat on the ground, leaning on a wall.
The adrenaline subsided.
Dizzines attacked him.
Pop! Splash!
He popped the cap off with his teeth, pouring the alcohol on his arm.
"UGHHHH!"
Muffled cries echoed in the dark store.
His eyes almost popped out.
Vincent took sharp breaths. His heart pounded, mind throbbed.
Pain! Crazy pain!
The alcohol stung.
Agony was an understatement.
'Damn...'
His eyes flashed with determination.
'I'll survive...'
Memories flashed before his eyes.
'I still have to bear my sin!'
Since the towers descended, how much pain did he endure? He'll endure this as well.
'I'll save. I'll save survivors with this cursed power. I'll never allow this curse to vanquish the world.'
At this moment, thoughts flashed in his mind, not for the wound, but for his future.
Only after swearing the oath did he focus on his wound.
The fangs had left holes. Four holes deep to the bone.
He wound bled.
'This needs sewing...'
He needed no medical degree to conclude.
But with limited resources and knowledge, there was only so much he could do.
He stuffed a lump of bandages in his mouth. Biting down hard.
"Uuggghhhh..."
He began.
Stuffing the wound with homostatic gauze.
Pain surged.
Blood soaked the gauze as it entered the wound.
But he pressed on it.
He wrapped bandages, tightening and securing the gauze so it stayed inside.
A terrible sensation washed over him. The feeling of touching his flesh. It was not pleasant.
But the fear of death prevailed. No, the desire to fulfil his oath.
And if he wanted to do that, he had to stop the bleeding.
He applied a tourniquet above his elbow and tightened it just enough to slow the blood flow.
'How did Marin kill a demon like this?'
Involuntarily, he compared.
'Was his ability so strong? Or does the body get stronger when awakened?'
He had no way of knowing at the moment.
[Notice!]
[You killed a lowest-grade demon]
[You received: 68 Exp]
[The demon surpassed you in strength]
[You receive an additional 30 Exp]
Vincent stood up.
He glanced at his arm. The bandages slowly soaked, but the bleeding had slowed down.
'The wound won't stop bleeding.'
He walked to the shelves and grabbed whatever food he could.
He satisfied his hunger before taking pain relief pills.
'I have to sew the wound,'
He stepped outside.
His heart jumped.
The demon hound has disappeared.
But he quickly relaxed.
The moonlight shone.
The figure of the demon roamed mindlessly.
'Status window.'
[Name: Vincent]
[Race: Human (Carrier of the zombie virus)]
[Level 1] - [Exp: 98/100]
[Stats:]
[Strength: 8]
[Stamina: 8]
[Agility:8]
[Perception: 8]
[Mana: 24/30]
[Skills: (Contract) ; (Command) ; (Probe)]
'I don't have enough mana,'
He stared at the zombified demon hound.
'It's strong. I want to contract it.'
He paused his thoughts for a second.
A thought crept into his mind.
His teeth creaked.
It is only a matter of time before I get enough points.'
Just the thought boiled his blood—the thought of secretly being happy for the spread of the virus.
After all, the more infected, the more attribute points.
He glanced at his injured arm and then at the zombified demon.
'I need to go to the hospital'
Regret formed on his face.
'If I go, I'll lose the demon hound. But if I don't, I'll lose my arm and bleed out.'
His arm already went numb.
Vision blurred.
He couldn't delay it anymore.
He faced the direction of the hospital, praying his arm would last the distance.