Chapter 10: Group Hunt

He glanced at Arin, whose blonde hair was tied neatly into a ponytail, her posture exuding both confidence and caution. Her blue robe marked her as a mage, while the faint etchings of runes on her staff suggested she had invested in quality gear.

Paul, the bandana-wearing warrior, stood with his arms crossed, giving off a laid-back but vigilant vibe.

Joe, the priest, seemed a bit distracted, his eyes darting around the area as if on the lookout for threats. And Kate, the ranger, was leaning against a nearby tree, twirling a dagger absentmindedly in her hand.

Michael wasn’t sure if they truly understood what they were getting into. The Abandoned City of Deashal was no joke.

It had once been a bustling hub before being overrun by bloodthirsty zombies. These weren’t your run-of-the-mill zombies either.

The city was crawling with Zombie Rippers, Zombie Marauders, and even Titan Zombies—each deadlier than the last.

“If you go there unprepared, you’ll be ripped to pieces,” Michael warned.

He crossed his arms, scanning the group. “You’d need to be at least level 10, and even then, the place is filled with danger. What gives you the confidence to survive there?”

“This,” Arin said confidently, pulling a grenade from her inventory. The metallic sheen caught the light, and her lips curled into a small smirk.

Michael raised an eyebrow. “A grenade? That’s your grand plan?”

“Not just one grenade,” she corrected, holding up a finger. “I found an entire chest full of them. We don’t need to fight everything directly. If you can kite a group of zombies with your speed and gather them in one spot, I’ll blow them to kingdom come.”

Michael tilted his head, intrigued but skeptical. “And while I’m playing bait, what are the rest of you doing? Will you cheer for me while I risk it all?”

Kate, the ranger, stepped forward, arms crossed, clearly unamused. “Hardly. Joe, our priest, will cast a protection spell on you. I’ll take care of any zombies that get too close with my bow. Paul will step in if things go south, and Arin will prepare a large-scale spell to clean up the rest.”

Arin nodded in appreciation to Kate's help, adding, “To play it safe, we’ll grind a few more levels first. I want everyone at level 8 or 9 before we head into Deashal.”

Michael tapped his chin, considering their plan. It wasn’t the worst idea, but it wasn’t without risk either. There was also the question of trust.

Stellarion didn’t protect against team-killing, after all. If they wanted, they could throw a grenade at him along with the zombies and take all the rewards for themselves.

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“How do I know you won’t just blow me up along with the zombies?” he asked bluntly.

Arin met his gaze without flinching. “Because I’m willing to give you half of the grenades upfront. If you die, those grenades go with you into your inventory. That would be a huge loss for me. Plus, the fact that we’re sharing our plan with you should count for something.”

Michael’s suspicion lessened at her reasoning. If they were willing to stake their resources, they might be trustworthy—or at least competent enough to avoid disaster.

“Alright,” he said after a moment. “I’ll give it a try.”

Arin smiled, a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. She hadn’t been sure he’d agree, but having him on the team greatly improved their chances. Originally, she’d planned to have Kate kite the zombies, given her rogue speed.

But Kate’s low constitution and defense meant she’d be one-shot if anything went wrong. Michael, on the other hand, had both speed and the durability of a warrior.

Paul gave a casual nod. “Don’t worry, I’ll take the hits. You just do the slicing and dicing.”

Joe raised a hand in greeting, a slightly sheepish smile on his face. “I’ll keep you alive. Just don’t do anything too reckless.”

The atmosphere turned more harmonious, easing the tension that had been created.

The group set out together, forming a basic but effective formation. Michael and Paul took the front line while the rest supported from behind.

Michael had to admit, hunting in a team was far more efficient. Joe’s [Aura Armor of Protection] buffed him, reducing physical damage by 10%.

On their first hunt, Michael drew the attention of three groups of level 8 zombies, totaling eighteen. It was a chaotic dance of slashes, dodges, and blocks. Despite his best efforts, he took some hits.

Slick!

Slick!

-18

-14

A claw raked his left side, and another nicked his right arm as he raised it to block a blow. His health dropped by 14%.

[Cure Wounds]

+24

Joe’s healing spell washed over him, mending the damage and keeping him in the fight.

Meanwhile, Kate proved her worth as a sharpshooter. Her arrows flew with precision, interrupting zombies that got too close and landing final blows with skills like [Bullseye], [Strong Shot], and [Precision Strike].

Paul, clad in heavy armor, shielded the group’s backline, while Arin prepared her ace in the hole: [Searing Smite]. It was a first-class spell, but its one-minute chant time and two-minute cooldown made it tricky to use.

Michael’s task was the most dangerous. He danced around the zombies, slashing and parrying while ensuring their attention remained on him.

His focus wasn’t on killing but on surviving and depleting their health bars.

The seconds felt like hours, and the strain of constant movement took its toll.

A sharp whistle cut through the air—Arin’s signal.

Michael gritted his teeth and focused on breaking free. He targeted the zombies on his left, unleashing a combo: [Triple Slash], followed by [Tornado Slash], and then [Dash] to escape the encirclement.

For good measure, he used [Power Blow] to create distance, draining the last of his spirit energy.

BOOM!

The explosion was deafening. A massive fireball, two meters in diameter, crashed into the zombie horde. The ones at the center took -80 damage, while those at the edges lost -60. Flames spread outward, dealing continuous burn damage of -5 per second.

Most of the zombies were obliterated. The few that survived were swiftly picked off by Kate’s arrows.

As the last zombie fell, experience notifications flooded their screens.

+80 XP

Michael, being the lowest level, was the only one to level up. A soft glow enveloped him as he hit level 6, rejuvenating his spirits.

Eager to continue improving, he allocated his six attribute points—three to agility and three to reaction speed.

[Agility]: 21.46

[Reaction]: 20.98

[Ding!]

[Your agility has exceeded 20 points.]

[Due to your Nova Physique talent, you have obtained the skill: Shunpo (Epic).]