***
February 19, 2029
As the sun cast a pale glow over the tranquil morning, Lucas approached Meri with a mixture of concern and composure poised to address her apparent error.
“Meri,” he inquired, his voice a soothing contrast to the gravity of the situation, “are you conscious of your mistake?”
Meri met his gaze, her eyes reflecting a mixture of regret and understanding as she sat cross-legged on the cold floor. She responded, “Yes, sir. I acknowledge that it was my fault.”
Lucas leaned down to her level, his wounds now crudely dressed with makeshift bandages, his expression serious. “That's not the central issue here. Going outside without informing anyone not only jeopardized our security but also exposed our location to potential threats.”
Meri's voice quivered as she admitted, “I deeply regret it, sir. I'm so sorry.”
Lucas, however, was not finished. He turned to Lucy, whose presence had been crucial in Meri's rescue, and continued, “Don't limit your apologies to just me; Lucy was the one who initially searched for you.”
Lucy interjected; her voice tinged with forgiveness. “Lucas, Meri has already expressed her remorse to me, and I've forgiven her.”
Meri, looking genuinely contrite, added, “I'm sincerely sorry, Miss Lucy.”
But Lucas, determined to make Meri understand the gravity of her actions, responded firmly, “Don't attribute my forgiveness to your age, Meri. I forgave you because it's essential that you understand the gravity of your actions. I nearly lost my life searching for you, and now that they know we've harmed one of their own, they won't remain passive.”
“And I must admit, I bear some responsibility as well for not informing you about them. However, your decision to venture outside and vanish for hours without a word was not a wise one.”
Meri nodded, her eyes showing a glimmer of understanding.
“And you mentioned that you were hiding nearby when you found me,” Lucas continued.
“Yes, sir,” Meri confirmed.
Lucas's expression grew more serious. “Did you hear the sound of gunshots while you were in hiding?”
Meri shook her head. “No, sir. I only heard the cacophony of numerous zombies on the third floor of the building where I was hiding. I peered through the window and saw you unconscious amidst the lifeless corpses of multiple zombies.”
Lucas furrowed his brow, deep in thought. “That's strange. When I collapsed and lost consciousness, there were several level 10 zombies, and even the fire spirit struggled to handle them. Yet, when you found me, they were all dead?”
Meri's uncertainty showed. “I think so, sir. I didn't know what had happened.”
Lucas pondered further. ‘The zombies the fire spirit killed should've been registered as my kills, but there was no notification regarding the death of those level 10 zombies at all. They must have either lost interest in me or someone dealt with them. I wonder why.’
Lucy, breaking the moment with a touch of humor, remarked, “Lucas, for a recently awakened patient, you sure talk a lot. Don't overthink things for now. Auntie, you can go make lunch. I'll take care of cleaning Lucas's wounds today.”
“Okay, Meri, that's it for now,” said Lucas, the oddity of being addressed as “sir” by a grown woman not escaping his notice. After nearly ten days together, he was slowly getting used to it, even though it still felt somewhat peculiar. “But remember, don't do anything reckless again. There won't be a second chance. Do you understand how you betrayed my and Lucy's trust?”
Meri replied solemnly, “Yes, sir.”
“Okay, you can leave,” Lucas said to Meri, his brow furrowed. He still felt confused about who or what had killed those level 10 zombies, but for now, he had to keep an eye on Meri, too. Who knows, maybe one day she would break her promise to him again.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
With that, Meri left the room, leaving Lucas and Lucy to contemplate the events that had unfolded, each carrying the weight of their recent experiences in this unforgiving world.
As soon as Meri left, Lucas was suddenly struck by Lucy's grasp on his shoulder. He looked up at her, her concern evident in her eyes.
“Lucas, please don't be angry with Meri,” Lucy implored quietly. Her voice was laced with concern, and her eyes pleaded as she defended her friend. “She's been through enough stress, bringing you back covered in blood, with her own body battered and wounded.”
Lucas sighed, his stern expression softening. “I understand, Lucy, but I have to establish boundaries. Otherwise, we'll find ourselves in the same predicament again.”
She nodded quietly, appearing as though she had more to say, but chose not to. Lucas didn't pry further; they often had differing opinions, and that was okay.
Afterward, he watched as Lucy quietly fetched a towel and dipped it into a bucket of water she had been carrying around. His wounds were gruesome right now, not healing as carefully as he'd like. They had no antibiotics, but they did find a first aid kit in one of the university rooms that Meri had helped apply to him.
He winced as Lucy gently pressed the damp towel against his wounded body, pain surging through him. “Ouch, be gentle,” he requested.
Lucy, her hands trembling slightly, continued to tend to his injuries. “Lucas, you really need to stop going outside. This is the third time you've returned on the brink of death. Look at the scars on your stomach; they're growing, not to mention your arm.”
Lucas, trying to reassure her, replied, “My vitality is already at a high level. If it increases further, I'll heal even better. Please, don't worry too much.”
Lucy's eyes welled up with frustration and fear as she retorted, “No, Lucas, I have every reason to worry. This isn't the first time you've come close to death. First, you were struck by a sword, then nearly killed by a vampire, and now you almost died at the hands of a human, fainting from the relentless onslaught of zombies. You have to take better care of yourself. Vitality doesn't heal scars; it's not some magical cream.”
Lucas relented, his determination giving way to acceptance. “Alright, Lucy, I understand. I'll tone it down.”
Lucy searched his eyes, seeking a promise. “Promise me?”
Lucas nodded solemnly. “I promise.”
***
Lucas found himself seated on the edge of a bed, his body feeling unusually light, a testament to the significant weight he'd lost during his prolonged unconsciousness. It was astonishing that he hadn't succumbed to the extended coma, especially considering that Lucy had only managed to feed him while he lay unconscious, providing minimal sustenance in the form of water and mostly plain porridge.
“Ah, I'm stressed, hurt, and hungry,” Lucas muttered, his voice carrying a mixture of discomfort and frustration.
With a heavy sigh, he reached for his phone, a small lifeline to the outside world that, if not for the view of nearby zombies through the window, would have seemed like a connection to an entirely different reality. Lucas couldn't help but shake his head at the stark contrast between his digital escape and the grim reality outside.
Lucas unlocked his phone and, as had become his routine, launched the Sudoku app. He delved into the puzzle game, finding a modicum of solace in its repetitive challenges.
Despite the mundanity of his routine, the world outside was sweltering, the air parched, and the acrid scent of decaying corpses lingered in the atmosphere. Seated by the window, Lucas gazed down, taking in the monotonous view of the road, dilapidated cars, and the endless sky—all of which had become painfully familiar over the past month. Tomorrow marked the one-month anniversary of his 16th birthday and, more significantly, a full month since the onset of the apocalypse.
Lucas couldn't help but wonder what awaited him on this milestone day. Would it bring good fortune or fresh horrors? The one-week anniversary had closed the easier path to obtaining system items through achievements, but as the days wore on, such opportunities had grown scarce. Lucas had even been declared a lord—or more accurately, a king— by the system by the end of the initial month, January, on February 11. Tomorrow's event was a mystery he couldn't quite unravel yet.
Or perhaps, he considered with a resigned sigh, nothing of consequence would occur at all.
A sudden sound jolted Lucas from his contemplation. It was a creak, seemingly emanating from the outside. He turned his attention to the source of the noise and, to his shock, noticed a small crack in the force field barrier that surrounded their safe haven.
“Huh? No way…” Lucas muttered, disbelief coursing through him. He had just woken up, and now his formidable 12,500-coin force field barrier was on the brink of shattering.
Then an unexpected notification materialized before his eyes.
---
[Force Field Level 01 has reached its cumulative impact of ten thousand assaults!]
---
Stunned by the revelation, Lucas meekly voiced his disbelief, “I just woke up.”
Before he could react, the barrier collapsed, leaving Lucas to face an uncertain and perilous world once more.