The first time I activated one of my new wands, its effect took me by such surprise that I might as well have been the one who was stunned.
I had moved further into the back of the warehouse, tracking the dots. The next goo-zombie I stumbled upon appeared to be trying to subsume an entire pallet of auto parts in one go. It reminded me of the time I saw a pelican attempting to swallow a fish almost as big as it was. No matter how it twisted, it couldn’t seem to fit the dang thing in its mouth.
Not that the goo-zombies had mouths. At least, none obvious. But you get the idea.
Since I had no idea the exact range of these weapons, I snuck close until I was about twenty feet away. If they couldn’t fire at least that far, they weren’t worth the trouble.
I needn’t have worried. No sooner did I activate the wand—don’t ask how, it just seemed to know that I wanted to use it and took over from there—than a beam of blinding light cracked the air, zigzagging between the shelves and pallets towards the zombie. It struck with another thunderclap.
The goo-zombie froze in place, pallet hanging in the air. The room was entirely quiet as we stared at each other. Well, I stared. The zombie might have been looking at me, or that might have just been my imagination.
Then the five seconds elapsed, and the pallet dropped from the zombie’s faux mouth with a crash. It twisted about and began slug-crawling its way towards me with angry purpose.
Seemed like the first one’s disinterest in me was a bit of a fluke. Oh well.
I waited until it was about five feet away and fired the second shot from my wand. This time I was ready, and no sooner was the lightning arcing away than I was loping after. I hit the goo-zombie paws first near the top of the pile, and my claw practically sawed the beast in half.
It was almost too easy. The zombie didn’t even have a chance for my stun to wear off before I was crunching down on its head. It died without even a moan.
You have defeated: Zombie (Advanced) — Level 5
300 XP and 1 Common Core awarded.
Aww, no loot box. I suppose I shouldn’t come to expect such treats, even with a more difficult foe. There were three more wandering the warehouse though, so I was certain I’d see another before too long.
Since my wand was on cooldown, I took down the next zombie without it. A bit of a risk, but between my Claw Slash and my increased Agility, I felt more than prepared for the task. I even managed to avoid getting my head stuck this time.
You have defeated: Zombie (Advanced) — Level 5
300 XP and 1 Common Core awarded.
The third and fourth both met an end at the hands of my wand/Claw Slash/chomp combo, never even getting a chance to react.
You have defeated: Zombie (Advanced) — Level 5
300 XP and 1 Common Core awarded.
You have defeated: Zombie (Advanced) — Level 5
300 XP and 1 Common Core awarded.
By now I was feeling pretty good about myself. I’d cleared the entire warehouse, netted myself a collection of common cores, and even got within 400 experience of my next level. Not bad, considering just that morning I’d been desperate enough to eat...
You know what? I’m not going down that road again.
Suffice to say, the situation had drastically improved. I still had no idea what was going on at the waterfront, or with the city in general, but I felt in a better position to go explore after this. There were bound to be more advanced zombies somewhere in the shipyard. By the day’s end, that next level would be in my grasp.
At least, that was the plan until I reached the back of the warehouse.
I’d been moving steadily in that direction, hoping for another dot to appear in my vision, even if I knew that the warehouse must have been cleared by now. But that next level was so close... I could hear its crooning voice calling to me. So it was worth the extra few moments to pad between the last shelves, looking for any monsters I might have missed.
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In the darkest corner, I found it. Nestled in a mess of sticky strands, like the world’s largest spiderweb, was an object about eight feet across, coated in white gauze. Like a cocoon.
It was a cocoon. One big enough to fit a buffalo, but a cocoon, nonetheless.
I stared at it, half in confusion, half waiting to see if the system provided some useful information. When nothing appeared, I padded a little closer and sniffed it.
Nothing, beyond the smells of the warehouse and the distant rot of the now-dead-again zombies.
What was this? And why hadn’t I run into something like this before? There certainly hadn’t been any out by the shipping containers.
Curious, I activated Claw Slash, but my paws bounced off it like I’d hit a steel wall. This time I did get a system message.
Warning: CGI generated weapons and skills are ineffective against users and entities currently undergoing a metamorphosis protocol. Users are advised that they may be subject to civil and criminal penalties if they attempt to interrupt another user’s metamorphosis.
Metamorphosis? Why did that word sound familiar? I wracked my brain until it came back to me—the description for the advanced zombie had mentioned them undergoing a metamorphosis. It had apparently been their first stage. Did that mean this was the second?
I attempted to gnaw on the cocoon with my teeth, but to little avail. Despite the flimsy appearance of the material, it was surprisingly durable, closer to corded steel than fabric or textile.
Whatever was in there was out of my reach. At least for now.
Another message appeared in my vision.
New quest available!
The Grand Adventure — Part 1
The strange cocoon at the back of the warehouse has left you with more questions than answers. What are these monsters doing here? Where are all the people? What exactly happened while you were asleep? The answers to these questions and more are awaiting you in the wider world. It’s time to set out and learn what you can.
Task: Discover Where Humanity Has Gone
Time limit: None
Reward: Black Quality Loot Box
I read the words, then read them again. I was just starting a third read when they winked away, the quests title appearing on my quest log. I probably could have expanded this to see them again but forced myself to leave it closed.
How interesting. Some of the quest’s description echoed my thoughts from just a moment ago, but just as much of it was oddly worded. I actually hadn’t been giving much consideration to where the monsters had come from, though in hindsight perhaps I should have. Nothing like that existed in my memory before my awakening today. That implied their presence here was unnatural.
And yet, I was more concerned about the exact nature of the quest’s message. So many of the system’s comments had felt artificial and pre-generated, but this... it specifically mentioned the warehouse. I had to stop myself from glancing around. Was the system watching me, even now?
No, even if it was, it didn’t matter. I needed to focus on the things I had control over.
And what I had control over was my own actions. I had been planning to continue searching the shipyard for monsters, maybe return to the crate with the Korean snacks a few more times... but now I wondered. It might be better to follow this quest’s prompting. Step out into the wider world and see what was happening in the city.
At the very least, I might be able to find some better food.
Feeling more resolved than before, I turned away from the cocoon and made my way back towards the front of the warehouse. There was nothing else for me in here, and a whole world waiting just outside.
Though something tickled at the back of my mind the entire walk back to the hanger doors. Hadn’t I seen six dots, not five?
One of the zombies must have wandered outside while I fought. After all, they didn’t seem attracted to the sounds of combat like the basics were. I’d have to hunt it down before I departed. Three hundred experience was that much closer to the next level, after all.
The doors loomed in front of me. I padded forward, my tail wagging happily at the thought of what awaited me on the road ahead.
I almost missed it.
Had I, it would have been my death.
The dot blinked into my vision, far to the top, almost out of sight. My eyes involuntarily flicked upward.
A mass of black goo was plummeting towards me. I didn’t think, I just reacted. My legs coiled and sprang back. I cleared the landing zone by mere inches.
The goo-zombie hit the floor with an earth-shattering crash. The entire warehouse shook from the impact. It was only a small miracle I didn’t stumble and fall myself.
Instead, I raised my head and took in the monster before me. It was a goo-zombie, but three times as big, with enough bones inside to make up a dozen or more humans. Even without a face, I could tell it was angry.
Zombie Guardian (Advanced)
Level 8
Boss
You ever taken a trip to the local waste management facility and stood before a giant, stinking heap of garbage, wondering how humanity could produce so much just to throw it all away? Then, did you ever, just for a moment, feel like the pile might be looking right back at you, thinking the same? That maybe, for the briefest of seconds, it was contemplating drowning you in its malodourous mass, to punish you on behalf of all humanity for your wasteful, planet-destroying sins?
That’s basically what the zombie guardian is. Rage towards humanity personified. While the other advanced zombies are buzzing about gathering materials for their nest, the guardian watches over them, ensuring their work remains undisturbed. And should it ever fail in that duty, they get very, VERY pissed.
You might want to run about now.
Warning: This entity is more than five levels above your own. It is recommended you return and challenge once you have raised your own level. Engage now at your own risk.
Warning: This entity is a boss-class monster. It is recommended you engage with a party of at least four members. CGI is not responsible for any negative experiences resulting from disregarding this advice.
Seriously, why aren’t you running yet???
I yipped in terror, then turned and fled deeper into the warehouse. Behind me, the guardian let out rumbling cry and slithered after.