Run, run, run…
Sliding on the blood-stained floor, I flew through the cramped corridor littered with garbage in a couple of seconds.
I dashed through the doorway but miscalculated our dimensions - something muffled bumped and there was a quiet sob a second later. We didn't have any time to lose - I can already feel death's claws treading closer and closer. She, with a guttural growl, rattled the dishes and approached her prey. Bursting into the diner, it was as if I had hit an invisible wall. If I stay alive, then this picture will haunt me for a long time in nightmares. Roars behind me were getting closer, and I rushed forward. Adrenaline did its good deed - in a few whopping jumps I moved a dozen meters, leaving behind hundreds of swarming creatures. I flung open the front door with a kick and finally escaped into the fresh air.
With my appearance I interrupted the afternoon snack of three gentlemen. At a loud sound, they turned their toothy mouths - the nearest one had practically no lower jaw, and all the meat that he tried to eat fell out onto the asphalt.
“Urghhh…” Creature apparently tried to tell me something and then their whole trio rushed up the stairs at me.
"Red faction..."
I jumped aside from the nimblest freak with whitish scales on the cheek. Ignoring others, and jumping over the stone parapet, I landed clumsily into the bushes. And I did it just in time. A wave of pursuers, having broken down the doors, swarmed out of the dining room, tearing apart poor fellows from the yellow faction to pieces on the move.
They did not forget about me either - the crowd, pushing and shoving each other, rushed at me.
Damn you…
I barely had time to turn around when there was a loud crack overhead and pieces of glass fell down together with the ugly creatures. Thank gods, my legs moved on its own and, bending my neck, I flew through the dangerous section, utilizing my maximum possible speed.
I never liked running, but now our lives depend on it. With both my hands busy, my lungs started burning within ten seconds, and my brain insistently demanded that I leave behind my burdens: little girl and my precious spear.
I threw a quick glance to the side, and my hopes of salvation were reduced to hundredths of a percent. From around the corner of the dining room, merging into a single stream, a whole horde of monsters rushed after me. Luckily it seemed like the giant wasn't among them. He would have caught up to me in a matter of moments.
Familiar courtyards and streets whirled by in my vision like blurry pictures. Jumping over another flower bed, I thanked all these grannies who took care of the territories nearby. These tin fences, old tires, playgrounds, bushes and other yard utensils actually saved my life. My dumb pursuers which were closing on me were so hungry for fresh meat that they didn't look around, not even ahead of them and thus creating real traffic jams for their fellows, making my escape much easier.
Single zombies on our way also helped me in every way they could - I avoided them, rushing past, and with unexpected nobility they rushed into the never-ending sea of the enemy altered ones.
Following the given rhythm, I passed half the way to the house in about ten minutes and even began to get used to this pace. It is not clear whom to thank for this: my instincts of self-preservation or an increased level, which increased my physical characteristics.
«Hah, wait for me to get some levels, and we'll see who will run after whom next time. »
Turning left at the next nine-story building, I've finally arrived at the crossroads. Over there two main roads of our town intercrossed. Of course, I expected that everything would be bad, but this much?! I wonder if anyone could survive in this mechanical catastrophe? It feels like I snuck into a car junkyard. Everywhere you look: mountains of upside-down, flattened, broken, burning metal coffins, and new kings of the food chain deftly rushing in-between.
As soon as I saw them, I prayed to all the gods that I remembered, and, apparently, one of them heard me - desired text appeared above the monsters:
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Altered (*). Level 1. Green faction.
Altered (*). Level 2. Green faction.
Altered (*). Level 0. Green faction.
Altered (*). Level 1. Green faction.
…
Busy feasting over their spoils, these creatures did not pay any attention to my lonely figure. I had to get their attention - I screamed as loudly as my tired lungs allowed me to, hoping that this would be enough, and, without looking at the result, I rushed to the alcohol market at the end of the five-story building.
Running up the stairs, I stumbled inside, ready to meet at least a couple of zombies, however, to my joyful surprise, there was nobody here: no seller, no visitors, not even a single bloody footprint inside.
Wasting no time, I checked Katya's condition. And as I thought she were unconscious again. She had a huge lump in the middle of her forehead, about the size of a fist. I felt a little prickly with guilt, but I guess it's even better this way. Giving my stiff hand a little rest, I laid my poor follower down on a small couch next to the lemon tree.
There was a cacophony of sounds outside. Two gigantic groups met and decided to find out whose faction is stronger. Part of the street was visible through the window in the plastic door. Hostile monsters entered a tough battle. While they were distracted, I had time to look around a bit.
Having examined the back room, I immediately found the necessary iron door - entrance of the five-story building. Closed, and frankly, I'm not that surprised. At that moment I heard a pop and a squeal from the store.
Not this again! - I rushed back.
A creature was already climbing through the broken window, deciding to avoid the massacre and get some meat easier; the spear blade easily pierced the skull of the uninvited guest.
You eliminated level 0 Altered, gained 2 experience.
«Hmm, I got less experience than before - is this some kind of a joke? » I looked back at my companion - she looked around frightened, but without the previous screams and tantrums. A couple more of these awakenings, and she either completely ceases to be afraid of anything, or will go crazy.
“Uncle Sasha… where… are we…?” Katya choked repeatedly, taking quick breaths in-between the words.
“My friend's shop.” I grumbled and went to the checkout.
«Damn you, where in the world does that jerk keep his keys? »
“Uncle Sasha!” Little girl shouted, pointing at the corpse stuck in the door window -it twitched, and I, cursing everything in the world, stood at the front door.
“Katya, you have to find the keys. They're somewhere within this small plastic crate.” Giving the child a task, I reached at the bars above the door and pulled it down.
«If a serious stuff starts happening here this shitty piece of tin will not last long, but it's at least something. »
As soon as the grille clicked, yellow faction creatures pulled out their colleague stuck in the window.
For a second there I was able to see what was happening on the streets - zombies that followed me from the diner firmly pushed back the creatures from the green faction. A pair of black ones clashed with some kind of freak, whom had tentacles for arms. Surprisingly, this creature could fight two enemy sub-elites at the same time.
I don't know what happened next - group of creatures blocked my view. And I methodically began to poke with my weapon at the crooked limbs of the monsters.
I immediately regretted lowering that bastard grille. Spear's crescent blades at the spearhead clung to the bars and didn't let me land strong blows. No wonder I couldn't get any more experience points. Within a minute I was covered with sweat, my hands becoming heavier with every strike. My strikes became weaker and slower, and zombies’ numbers besieging our mini-fortress, on the contrary, became larger and larger. My brain was already congratulating me for my stupidity and picturing my life's bitter end, where I was torn apart by a horde of wild creatures in the nearest future, and when I heard an excited childish voice:
“Found it!”
“Great, now I just have to buy us some time" - I glanced at the display with an expensive alcohol. Smashing display's glass with a bone shoe, several bottles fell on the floor. I threw the ones with a green liquid inside into the passageway at the zombies. I really do hope Vadim bought only elite stuff. Bottles, coming into contact with the wall, merrily smashed into hundreds of small fragments. In a couple of moments, the entire floor at the front door was covered with an expensive drinks.
I tore off security caps from a few bottles and uncorked them. Taking a quick sip, bitter liquid with herbs burned down my throat.
"Tastes like piss - good enough to drown my mood"
Last bottles of alcohol were intended for the wooden couch. Couch's upholstery quickly absorbed about a liter without grimacing even for a second there. I pushed it towards the passageway with my foot, and, after breaking another display's glass, grabbed a lighter. A blaze flared up. I looked up at the nasty, snapping faces. Even though I wanted to say some pretentious phrase, but even thinking about it made me terribly ashamed of myself. There was no point in waiting any longer, and I threw my lighter onto the absinthe-stained floor. Roaring blue flames flared up almost to the ceiling. We ran out like a bullet away from the local apocalypse. Applying pressure on the old iron door with my shoulder, I turned the key in the lock, and we went down the steps, stepping out into the streets.