***

January 26, 2029

A knock on the door echoed through the room, jolting Lucy from her sleepiness as she roused herself from the bed.

“Who's there?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“It's me, Sarah,” came the response from the other side.

Recognizing the voice, Lucy made her way to the door, still groggy. “What's going on?”

“Today is our group's turn to collect food. We need to head out,” Sarah explained.

Fully awake now, Lucy replied, “Sure, we'll be down in a minute.”

“I'll wait downstairs for you,” Sarah said before leaving.

Lucy quickly went over to Lucas, who had also been roused by their conversation.

“Remember, today we need to gather information. I have a bad feeling about this place, and I don't want us staying here for too long,” Lucas advised.

Lucy nodded in agreement. “I've been getting the same vibe. It's like they're hiding something.”

After their conversation, they freshened up and headed downstairs. The members of group C, including Sarah's child, were already waiting.

“Why are you so late?” Ethan complained irritably.

“Apologies, we just haven't had a proper rest in a while, so we took our time,” Lucas explained, his tone apologetic.

Ethan brushed off the apology. “Fine. Today, we're going to the nearby grocery store.”

***

“Lucas, have you noticed? There's an eerie lack of zombies around here,” Lucy observed, casting a concerned glance at him.

They had been walking for about an hour, yet there were almost no signs of any zombies.

“Yeah, something's definitely off,” Lucas agreed, his response confirming Lucy's suspicions.

As they continued walking, an unsettling silence pervaded the air, devoid even of the usual sounds of wandering zombies.

The only sound audible was the rhythmic beat of their footsteps. Suddenly, Ethan, who was leading the way, called out to them.

“You two! Come here,” he commanded.

Baffled by the abrupt summons, Lucas asked from a distance, “What's the matter?”

“Just come here!” Ethan's irritation was evident in his tone.

Lucas and Lucy walked over to Ethan, sharing a puzzled look.

“Hey, you, come with me,” Ethan instructed, motioning for them to follow him.

Unsure whether it was wise to comply, Lucy glanced at Lucas, who subtly nodded. She fell in step behind Ethan.

Inside the building, which appeared to be a former grocery store, Ethan led them directly to the freezer. Lucas raised an eyebrow, glancing around. The store seemed well-stocked with snacks and food, but what caught his attention was the conspicuous absence of any zombies.

Ethan hadn't bothered to explain his intentions, leaving Lucas perplexed. Sensing something amiss, he hurriedly whispered to Lucy, “We need to hide, now!”

Lucas grabbed Lucy's arm and hastily led her out of the store. Once outside, he returned her earring and katana, urgency in his voice.

“Let's find cover in that building. Something's not right here.”

They darted toward another building, and inside, they encountered a few zombies. Working together, Lucas dispatched them with his dagger while Lucy wielded her katana. Each kill earned them 200 experience points. It took them mere seconds to eliminate the eight wandering zombies.

As the dust settled, Lucy questioned, “Lucas, what's going on with Ethan?”

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Guiding her to a window on the second floor, Lucas pointed out Ethan emerging from the building they had just left, addressing group C.

Lucy remained bewildered. “I still don't understand.”

“Remember our suspicion that they're hiding something? Notice how Ethan only took us into the grocery store?” Lucas prompted.

“Yes, but I'm not connecting the dots,” Lucy admitted, her confusion deepening.

Lucas gestured toward group C, who was scouring the nearby structures. “It seems this group may be involved in cannibalism.”

Lucy's voice faltered as she repeated, “C-cannibalism?”

Lucas, though not as shocked as Lucy, acknowledged the gravity of the situation. “Did you notice how well-stocked the grocery store was?”

“Yes… but that doesn't necessarily mean they're eating human meat. Maybe this is their first time in the grocery store,” Lucy speculated.

Having already considered this possibility, Lucas let out a sigh. “I wish that were the case, but remember, you mentioned earlier that there were no zombies anywhere near them, even though they were outside for a while.”

“I'm still not following,” Lucy admitted, her confusion evident.

Lucas let out another sigh. “Well, if I have to be straightforward, they might not be human—or at least not entirely. Did you notice how Sarah's child seemed almost devoid of any presence? We've been walking with them for an hour, and I haven't heard the child speak or seen any expressions. It's as if she's... not fully there.”

“I'm not entirely grasping it, but why didn't they just kill us back at the hotel?”

“Not everyone at the hotel might be part of this, or they might be new and unaware. Killing us there could be problematic. But now that we're outside, they have an opportunity,” Lucas explained.

“But why didn't they just kill us together with the group? Why has Ethan taken us away?”

“They likely have some hidden agenda or information we're not aware of. Sarah's child might be a key factor in this, and Sarah herself might be in the dark about it. Killing us in front of the group could reveal too much, so they chose to take us away,” Lucas reasoned.

“We need to increase our strength so we can protect ourselves from whatever is going on,” Lucy suggested.

“By increasing our strength, you mean killing zombies?” Lucy inquired.

“No, we're going to change our class,” Lucas responded, observing Group C depart the vicinity without suspecting that Lucas and Lucy might be concealed in the building just opposite the grocery store, on the second floor.

Among all the information he had shared with Lucy, the one thing he hadn't disclosed was that, by walking behind Ethan before entering the store, he had detected the scent of human meat on him. As for how he recognized that smell... well, that wasn't something he wanted to explain at the moment.

Initially uncertain about his theory, Lucas felt more confident now. The stocked grocery store and Ethan's lack of urgency to retrieve supplies seemed to support his suspicions. If the group had been limited to one canned food per day, Ethan should have displayed some hunger or urgency, yet he hadn't. Similarly, the loyalty of the hotel's residents and their acceptance of meager rations didn't seem to align with human behavior.

As they made their way back to the class change building, the journey was smoother than anticipated. Encounter after encounter with zombie groups revealed zombies that were less capable of defending themselves.

“Lucas, what if Sarah is with them? Do you think she's safe, considering she might not have been with them for long?” Lucy asked worriedly voiced.

“I can't say for sure, but at this point, our priority is safeguarding ourselves,” Lucas replied, his tone heavy with concern.

As they faced a group of zombies, Lucas didn't hesitate to take action. “Fire blaze!” he shouted, igniting one zombie while Lucy froze and sliced through others.

“Lucas, we've killed so many zombies, yet we haven't earned any achievements. Why do you think that is?” Lucy questioned.

Lucas pondered her inquiry. “Well, it's hard to pinpoint. Achievements seem to come from various sources—sometimes it's about the number of zombies killed, and other times it might involve being the first to accomplish something. We're still navigating through the mechanics of achievements and skills.”

Walking beyond the city's outer ring, Lucas responded to Lucy's remark. Now that they had a clear destination, finding their way back to the class change building wasn't as challenging as their initial aimless wanderings.

As they stood before the building, memories resurfaced for Lucy. “It's only been a short while, but it feels nostalgic.”

Lucas smiled, reminiscing. “True, especially considering you had a close call here. I'm glad I was able to save you.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow in playful skepticism. “So, you were actually thinking twice about saving me?”

Lucas chuckled. “Well, to be honest, I wasn't exactly the epitome of strength or confidence back then. Plus, I broke my bat saving you, so it was a tough call.”

Admitting her own role in the situation, Lucy conceded, “I can't stay mad at you, though. After all, you were the one who came to my rescue. I'm just really concerned about Sarah. She's the only other girl I've been able to connect with since everything changed.”

“And what about me?” Lucas queried.

Lucy shook her head with a knowing smile. “You wouldn't understand. There's a certain bond between girls that you guys can't fathom.”

Lucas playfully rolled his eyes. “Oh, of course. You're right; I can't possibly comprehend the intricacies of the sisterhood.”

Teasing her, Lucas continued, “Well, remember, you were the one who almost walked into Ethan's trap.”

Lucy grinned at his comeback. “Hey, it's not my fault that I didn't figure it out. Plus, who would've guessed they had cannibalistic intentions? Only someone as unique as you would jump to that conclusion first.”

Lucas chuckled, diverting his gaze to the road ahead. The area outside the city remained relatively zombie-free, with only occasional stragglers spotted.