'If I go, I would lose the demon hound. But if I don't, I'll lose my arm,'
Vincent desperately desired the demon hound.
He would have protection. Almost nothing could threaten him.
But is it worth more than his arm? He might even bleed out.
His arm bled.
He could feel his body growing weaker.
His vision blurred.
Time was running out.
"Sighh..."
A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
He decided.
'The future is uncertain. The demon hound is not the strongest creature the tower houses. It's not worth losing an arm for temporary and uncertain safety.'
The distant howls tore the night.
The dangers of the night increased.
Vincent wasted no more time.
He took the knife and departed.
Heading to a familiar hospital. Hospital on the border of the inner city and the outskirts.
He strode into uncertainty.
A road of risks.
Risk of encountering demons.
Uncertainly if the hospital still stood.
He could only pray.
Pray that, as a key building, the hospital was built stronger.
Swoosh!
His foggy eyes snapped awake.
He walked past a zombie.
The rotting stench reached his nostrils.
He turned back abruptly.
The zombie wore a blood-stained military uniform.
'This person...was a soldier?'
Vincent stopped to analyze.
'The military bases are outside the city.'
Realization fell on him.
The military has come to the city.
His heart lightened.
At least the military has not abandoned them.
...
Vincent walked stealthily.
Half an hour had passed.
His heart trembled.
The occasional demon cries kept him on edge.
The line between life and death was thin.
Survival was the top priority.
With each demon cry, regret washed over him.
His thoughts kept going to the demon hound.
A good opportunity. He missed it.
His heart ached for the loss - greed.
'If I leveled up...'
The thought haunted him.
He might have gotten an attribute point.
And he only lacked two experience points.
It was deplorable.
Uuuuurgh!
A deep groan snapped him out of his thoughts.
He walked past another zombie.
He hadn't come across one in a while.
'Wait...'
He froze.
A thought flashed in his mind.
His grip around the knife tightened involuntarily.
'Probe,'
He used his skill.
[Status Window]
[Zombie]
[Race: Undead]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 3]
'Undead?' Vincent frowned.
'It can't die? And it doesn't have stamina? Is it a system error?'
Several questions emerged in his mind.
But he ignored them at the moment.
He walked up to the zombie.
A zombie of an ordinary citizen.
The zombie didn't detect him.
A perfect opportunity to thrust the knife.
The grip tightened.
He prepared.
Swooosh!
He thrust.
But as the knife approached the zombie, it slowed.
Stopping an inch from the zombie.
His hand trembled.
Vincent hesitated.
The zombie was once human.
An ordinary, innocent citizen.
'Stab him. Stab him...' His mind screamed.
"It's not right!"
Vincent rebuked.
'He is dead. What are you hesitating for?'
"It's not right..."
His voice got quieter.
'You killed thousands. What does it matter stabbing a walking corpse? No one will know. No one will judge.'
SHLUCK!
The knife thrust forward.
Reason won over morality.
The knife pierced the chest.
Grkkkkkk!
A rasp, drowning sound escaped the zombie.
The vocal cords barely worked. Rotting.
Green blood splashed.
The roting stench intensified.
But the zombie continued moving.
As if the wound didn't exist.
SHLUCK!
Vincent pulled out and thrust again.
This time, he didn't hesitate.
The knife pierced the eyesocket.
The zombie stopped.
Blood splashed.
Vincent twisted the knife, embedding it into the skull.
The knife reached the brain.
Thud!
The zombie collapsed on its knees.
Vincent pulled the knife.
Disgusting stench followed it.
Muddy green liquid and rotting brain matter covered it.
"Bleeg..."
Vincent held in the urge to vomit.
The zombie fell face-first.
It stopped moving.
'So it dies when the brain is destroyed,'
He analyzed as he wiped his hand off the clothes.
He threw the knife.
It was too disgusting for further use.
'But it doesn't give any experience.'
His heart tightened.
Regret flashed on his face.
He wasted precious time.
The white bandages on his left arm had almost completely soaked.
'I need to go quickly,'
He glanced at the zombie corpse.
"May you rest in heaven,"
Vincent wasted no time and resumed his walk.
...
The moonlight lit the road.
A figure swayed—his step unstable.
Bandages covered the arm.
Blood dripped.
The bandages had soaked.
Black dots danced across his vision.
His body moved purely by will.
He blinked slowly. Eyes weighed.
Slowly sipping into sleep.
The sounds grew distant.
But the hospital was within his view, standing strong, barely damaged.
A weight fell off his chest.
At last, Vincent arrived.
His blood didn't attract demons.
His breathing eased.
He approached the hospital.
His mind relaxed.
'So close...'
He reached for the glass door.
Thud!
His vision faded to grey.
Vincent's body gave out.
Then, everything went black.
Vincent collapsed before the door, his finger touching the glass door.
Unaware, fate was not done with him.
He had yet to witness its cruelty.
...
"We can't keep him here!"
A stern, male voice rang.
"But we can't just abandon him out there!"
Vincent could hear people arguing.
But he couldn't open his eyes.
He was in complete darkness.
"Look at his blood!"
Another male voice rang.
Voice of a young man. Voice full of indifference and selfishness.
"How can we let someone like this among us? What if he infects us all? His blood is purple..." The man paused. "He must have mutated! Kill him!"
"Enough!"
A young, female voice tore the air.
"Kill him? Has he done anything? It might be related to his ability."
The woman defended Vincent.
"We all have mutated."
'Mutated?'
Vincent listened intently, trying to piece his situation together.
The two sides were fighting over him.
'They mutated? What does she mean? Did the zombie virus cause it?'
Questions rose in his mind by the second.
'Could they have turned into zombies? No, they won't be able to speak. The zombies are brainless?'
His thoughts raced.
The conversation made him question all his previous assumptions.
Bep! Bep!
The sounds became clearer.
A rhythmic beep of a medical device reached his ears.
He felt his senses returning.
'Aghhh....'
Sharp pain assaulted him—pain in his left arm.
Swooosh!
His eyes snapped open.
The light blinded him.
Tiiiiiiiiiiiiinggg!
A ringing tore through his head.
As if a gong beat above his head.
He felt his head would burst.
Blurry figures of a man and a woman stood before him, arguing.
His eyes adapted to the light. His vision returned.
The ringing disappeared.
"Where...am I?"
Vincent uttered weakly.
The movement caught the attention of the people around.
They glared at him.
The man and woman stopped arguing.
The young man glared at him.
His silky black hair completely revealed his sharp eyes. Eyes gleaming with enmity.
A handsome face.
But one could feel something off.
He gave off a bad feeling.
"You're awake,"
The woman gently smiled.
The white medical cloak fluttered. She rushed to check him.
"How do you feel?"
She leaned over, checking his eyes.
Her long black hair fell to the side—a top beauty.
Swoosh!
The man pushed her aside.
"Are you infected?!"
He grabbed Vincent's shoulders, violently shaking him.
"What are you doing?" The woman shouted. "Get away from him!"
She pushed. He didn't budge.
The man focused solely on Vincent.
It was sudden. Vincent couldn't react.
And neither did he intend to answer his question.
He did carry the virus.
"Varlo, let go. Now."
Gulp!
Varlo gulped hard.
He snapped to reality.
A cold medical scalpel pressed on his neck.
"L-Livia...Let's calm down."
Varlo spoke, his voice breaking.
"Let go,"
Livia pressed the scalper.
A cut opened. A line of blood slid down.
He let go.
"Varlo," Livia lowered the scalper. "Do this again, and I promise you. You can't handle the consequences."
"Bitch, what do you think..."
He turned sharply.
But froze.
"Am I clear?"
He met her cold eyes.
A faint light emitted.
Slowly changing from light green to deep green.
"I saved your life...But I can also take it."
His heart pounded.
Cold sweat drenched his back. Fear.
His body was warning him.
"Tch," He clicked his tongue. "I'll let you go this time."
His nails dug into his flesh.
Teeth creaked.
He left the room.
Vincent and Livia remained alone.
"T-Thank you,"
Vincent thanked, unsure.
Livia smiled kindly.
Her green eyes, clear as crystal, focused on him.
Not a trace of evil intent remained in her.
"Why is your blood violet?"
His heart skipped a beat.