We go inside the house, and all sit around a table.

-D: okay so, what are we gonna do?

-A: I don’t know, I’ve lived just fine listening to what Norman says, I’m okay to continue doing that.

-M: You’re the boss I guess.

– okay then. I think our first priority now should be to secure this place completely.

-M: isn’t this place secure enough?

– against a couple zombies, sure, but against a horde, this place is like a house of cards.

-J: so what should we do?

We all turn around to look at Jacob, and start whispering to each other.

-A: don’t you think it’s weird that he’s the first one out of the others to talk to anyone but their family?

-yeah, I don’t know how to respond.

-C:*clears throat* I think I should be on fortifying duty, because of my skill.

-agreed. Me, Ayden and Marcus should run out to get supplies every 2 or 3 days.

-D: We should train our bodies too.

-Yeah, especially me, the way we are now, our chances of surviving are slim. The only reason we’ve survives this long is because we relied on game logic. Oh, Marcus, What’s your skill?

-M: I tried to get a skill that let’s me hide my presence in the shadows, but I got sneak instead.

-wow, the system really is a dick. Actually, your skill will be useful while we’re gathering supplies.

-M: I guess.

-D: what about me? I give him a meaningful stare.

-You stay here, until we get you, something to help you. We nervously laugh for a bit, then something comes to my mind.

-hey you know what? Dex, you can make somewhere for us to train, you know martial arts, don’t you? He thinks for a while.

-D: If Connor helps me build, I can do that.

-good. I turn to the non-chosen, the family I guess and think.

-do any of you know how to cultivate land? Marcus’ sister, Marie(?) raises her hand.

-okay, with the help of Connor, make an area to grow food, we can’t rely on canned food forever. Mr. Price, you’re a doctor, right?

-Mr. Price: yes.

– can you make a list of all the medicine we have, and what we may need in the future?

-Mr.: yes.

-thanks. I look at Mrs. Price and Jacob, and think.

-Jacob, is there anything you can do that may be useful?

– J: I know kick-boxing.

-awesome, help Dexter with the training grounds, and help Connor out too whenever you can.

-J: okay, got it.

-chill, you don’t have to act so tough, if you’re always this stiff, life will be hard. I turn to Mrs. Price.

-ma’am, do you know how to sew?

-Mrs.: I can, though I’m not very good at it.

-M: I know how to sew too.

-perfect. Mrs. Price, you’re on housekeeping and sewing duty, that’s shared with Marie.

-M: Maria.

-sorry. And you, please teach Mrs. Price how to sew.

-M: okay.

-okay everyone, we all have a role to play right now, if you have any complains or suggestions, come to me. I stay silent to see if anyone has anything to say.

-that’s it for tonight, you all rest up, and get on your duties tomorrow morning. Also, always have a pack ready to leave in case of an emergency.

I walk outside, and look up.

-whoever did this, couldn’t you have just left out the children? As I look back down, I see Cesar with a tilted head standing in front of me.

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-hey bud! Come here, let me pet you!

   I sit on the stairs, and he comes and sits beside me, and rests his head on my lap. I put away the suit, and start petting him. I don’t know how long I was sitting there, but eventually, I get up and go inside, to rest up for the long day ahead, but fail to do so, as the faces of all those I put down kept appearing before my eyes, so I stayed awake all night. In the morning, I hear some metal being hammered away, and some wood being chopped. I get up, and go outside, to see Jacob, Dex and Connor, reinforcing the gate.

-C: good morning!

-good morning. Need a hand?

-C:yep, can you bring over that log over there? I nod, and walk over to pick the log up. I lift it up with way less effort that I thought I’d need.

-D: damn, you got some serious muscles!

-I don’t think that’s the case. I look at my stats, to see that my strength has risen to D+, but my level and Exp are still the same.

-I guess the + makes a lot of difference, huh? I bring over the log, and head back to the house to eat something. I head inside the kitchen, and grab a can of beans, heat it up and start eating. While I was eating, Marcus came in the kitchen.

-M: hey.

-*mouth filled* hey. He grabs another can, heats it up, and sits beside me and starts eating.

-M: hey, I’m sorry about how I acted yesterday.

-it’s all good bro, no worries. Just, try to be little bit more considerate, eh?

He nods while slowly eating his food.

-when you’re done, come outside, let’s test out our new toys. He chuckles, and nods.

-M: okay, be right there.

When I walk back outside, I see the guys resting.

– hey, guys we’re gonna test out our skills and items in a bit, just saying.

They all nod, and then continue to talk among themselves. I equip the suit, and jump on the roof again, and hang my feet of the edge. I stay up there a bit, and see Mr. Price come outside from below me.

-Mr.: um, Norman? I have the list. I jump down from the roof, and land beside him.

-good morning. So what do we got?

-Mr.:luckily we have antibiotics, some rubbing alcohol, some vodka and drinks, but no gauze or sterilized fabric. There’s a bottle of painkillers too.

-okay, good, what is an absolute necessity in the future?

-Mr.: some gauze, clean fabric at least, some sharp tools just in case, some thread for stitches, and we can never have too much antibiotics.

-roger that, thanks.

-Mr.: should I start doing something else? I gently grab him by the shoulders, and shake him a bit.

-ease up. You’re our doctor, and until there’s an emergency, you should help wherever you can. He nods nervously, and goes back inside.

-ah, motivating people is a pain, I should get someone else to do it.

Marcus comes out of the house, and comes over to me.

-M: So? What’re we doing? I invite him to follow me, and go over to the guys at the to be training grounds.

-okay, now, let’s talk about your powers. Ayden has the hyper-damage, which is basically double-damage, Connor is our Tool smith, and is also on defense duty, Dex, well, we know what he has, and Marcus has the ability to sneak, which will be useful. Now what we’re going to do is find out the limits of our powers, except for Dex. *Dex mumbles damn it!* Okay, who’s going first?

-C: I guess I’ll go first. I started testing out the skill I got since morning, and found out that at this level, this skill allows me to reinforce and strengthen everything to their best physically possible condition. I’m guessing as it levels up, it’s gonna let me do abnormal adjustments. Also, crafting or modifying anything requires a large amount of materials, so you guys have to gather those for me, and, I think that’s it.

– okay good to know. Marcus?

-M: well, while you were in the kitchen, I activated my skill and then entered, but you didn’t notice me. I turned it off to see if you were even paying attention, but you heard me before I came inside, so this skill is pretty useful. I haven’t tested it on zombies though.

-you should.

-M: yeah. He looks up, to see me looking at him eagerly.

-M: What? Now?

-Yeah now! Do you have anything better to do? He starts looking around, and then at Dex and Ayden, who shrug at him, and gives up.

-M: No I don’t. Where are we going anyways?

-D: We?

-Yes we, we are all gonna use our stuff against zombies, and let Dex watch. We laugh, although for a short while, but we laugh nonetheless. Jeez, it feels like it’s been ages since I last laughed.

-Alright, you lot get ready to roll out, Connor, can I talk to you for a sec?

-C: Sure.

I drag him away from the others a bit.

-C: What’s up?

-Can you craft anything with what we have now?

-C:*Sigh* Yes, but not much. I’ve set it as my main objective to get the training grounds up and running, but after that, maybe one single weapon. A club, for now.

-Okay, how fast can you make that?

-C: Five minutes tops? Maybe even less.

-Good, make that and pass it to Dex, he’s the only one of us that doesn’t have anything to fight with, well, nothing abnormal. And about the grounds…

-C: Yeah?

– I need a lot of weights, it seems my build is mostly STR, so I want to boost that as far as possible early on.

-C: Got it.

I nod at him, and go towards the gate, and Cesar follows. I lean against the wall next to the gate, and pet Cesar a bit. After a few minutes, I see the others coming up to me, with gym clothes, and backpacks, with an extra one in Ayden’s hand.

-Thanks, where’s Connor?

-C :I’m not coming.

– Why?

-C: I don’t have any combat qualities, and we need at least one of us to stay behind, don’t we? I growl.

– Fine, but u better do something useful while we’re gone.

-C: Oh, and Dex, catch! He throws Dex the club.

-D: What’s this?

-C: A little thing to help you out there. Dex looks at me with a confused look.

– No, he’s not gay. I told him to make you that. Because, you know, you don’t have any combat things. He sighs.

-D: Sure, thanks Connor. Connor nods in response.

- Okay let’s plan ahead. Ayden, you keep the hyper-damage off until we need it. Marcus, have your stealth activated at all times. Dex, you, just, don’t fuck anyone okay? Dex chuckles.

-A: What about you?

– I’m gonna master the controls of this, thing, and kill zombies with my bare hands.

-M: You seem awfully excited for the second part.

– I thought I would be, but I’m not. At least not as much as I would’ve been yesterday, before all this. Dex opens his mouth to say something, but Marcus stops him.

-M: We haven’t seen what he has. Just, don’t.

I glance at Marcus with an appreciating look, and then shake my head to clear my thoughts.

– Okay, this is not a joke anymore, call for help even if you feel like you are in any sort of thing you can’t handle. I will be on higher ground just to observe everything, so don’t freak out, and stay together. Don’t split up until you have to, okay? And if any of you spot other people, hide, and tell the others. If you get separated from the others, get yourself to a spot away from constant attacks, and call for help. If other people show up to help you, don’t tell them about our group and our location. If the people are hostile, run. Don’t even think about fighting them. And last but not least, pick anything and everything you can. You never know when you’ll need all that junk.

-A: Copy that.

– And new rule, from now on, pretend we’re soldiers. We all laugh again.

– Okay I’m gonna jump over the wall to observe the other side. Don’t open the door unless I tell you. They all nod. It seems like my logical explanation set a new picture of me in their heads. I hope it stays that way.