As they kept walking, it didn't take them long to reach the city. Looking at its changed state, they struggled to say what they felt—looking chaotic, with cars, all messed up on the roads, some still whole while others were messed up and broken as if a big crash happened.
Continuing through the city, they saw burned trees and shrubs. Streetlights, building entrances, and windows were messed up. Scenes that usually only happen in movies about the end of the world were now happening right in front of them.
“I never thought it would be this bad,” Lucy said, her voice shaking.
“Me neither,” he agreed, still trying to get used to the hard truth. The outskirts showed a grim picture, but the city was way worse than he thought. The lively city with tourists and fancy cars now looked super empty. There were so many zombies that it was pretty scary.
“Do you think anyone else is still alive?” Lucas whispered; his voice was quiet as they walked on the side road next to messed-up buildings.
“I don't know, but, um... I just hope my parents are still alive,” Lucy said, a bit bitter.
Lucas suddenly remembered, “Oh yeah, your parents,” and got quiet.
“I'm sorry, I didn't think about your parents,” he quickly said, looking at Lucy, who looked like she might cry.
“It's okay. I didn't talk about it because I already accepted it, even before I met you, and was hiding at the construction site. I just hope they can see that I'm still alive and okay. But don't count on it too much; it's probably not likely,” she managed to smile a little.
Lucas, not really good at comforting others because he's not so social, tried to make her feel better. “While I can't fully understand how you feel right now, losing them when you were young, I hope you find the strength to overcome it.”
Lucy noticed he was a bit awkward trying to comfort her, quickly wiping away a tear that was about to fall. “No, it's okay. I can't keep crying and thinking about them. Surviving in a world like this is tough. Maybe it's kind of good that they left early,” she said, her eyes still a bit wet as she tried to stay calm.
In a world like this, where it's really hard to survive, she needed to get stronger. A girl who never really hurt anyone before and felt scared about doing it wouldn't do well against death and danger. Even with Lucas trying to help her, she still felt scared about taking someone's life.
Thinking about things, Lucy suddenly bumped into Lucas's back while walking. “Shh!” Lucas signaled, putting a finger to his lips. Seeing this, she slowed down and breathed quietly. Looking carefully around the corner, they saw a road with a bunch of crashed cars. About eleven zombies were walking around.
While they watched the zombies, Lucas leaned in and whispered to Lucy, “There might be a leader among the zombies this time.” Raising an eyebrow, Lucy asked, “Why do you think that?” Not questioning his smarts, but thinking about it.
“Maybe zombies have a leader too,” Lucas guessed. Talking in really quiet voices so the zombies wouldn't hear, Lucas told Lucy what he was thinking. “Remember what I told you about how only humans who stayed clear-headed when the system started can use it well, but the ones who turned into zombies because of a system mutation can't use it well because they don't have a clear mind or intelligence?”
Lucy nodded, so Lucas kept explaining. “If a human turns into a zombie because of a system mutation, like how it happens with animals, that zombie will follow the strongest.” Taking a breath, he kept going. “Before I met you, on the second day of all this, I was at the market trying to get food for my bag. There were only a few zombies there, and most of them were in groups. Later, I found out there are level-two zombies that can level up. From what I've seen, level-two zombies can control other zombies and maybe move quietly. I almost got caught in an ambush by one when two other zombies distracted me.”
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He pointed to the road they just walked on. “See how that road is empty, even with all the crashed cars and doors open? My guess is most zombies in the city now stick together in groups, following the stronger zombies.”
Pointing at the eleven zombies in the corner, he went on, “Thinking this way, maybe zombies and mutated beasts now have something like an army structure.” Pointing at each zombie, he counted, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. You see it? The last zombie is protected by the others. If it's like the level two zombies I met before, this one might be smart enough for sneaky attacks and maybe even pretending to be dead.”
Lucy took in all this info just by listening. Lucas's idea made her think—could there be a zombie king and mutated beast groups in the future? Just thinking about it made her shiver.
Feeling the urgency, Lucy talked to Lucas, still trying to process everything. “Lucas, what should we do? I can't stand the idea of being eaten alive by those dead bodies.”
Lucas's answer was straightforward, his face changing from the one he had when talked about her parents. He looked at her like he was asking, “Are you serious?” But he still answered, knowing she was scared of zombies. “I get you're scared of killing zombies, but we can't keep avoiding them. It's only been three days, and they're already grouping up. Soon, we'll have to face them.”
Talking softer, he went on, “The system treats everyone the same. Zombies level up slower than us, but there are so many of them. As they level up, they get smarter and stronger. If this keeps going, we might even run into zombie kings in the future.”
Stopping his thoughts, Lucy asked a question. “You said the system is fair, but aren't humans getting stronger slower than other species, even though we level up faster?”
Lucas smiled, thinking she might ask that. “Yep, the system is fair. Look at the mutated beasts—they're stronger animals with better skills, but they still follow the strong eat the weak rule. For us, players and zombies, a person who turns into a zombie because of something outside loses their brain power and becomes a zombie. But for humans like us who keep thinking straight, we become players.”
Pointing with his finger, he made two points. “Two things here. First, zombies were once people, so losing their brains lets them spread the infection. Because their numbers were small at first, they level up slowly to stay balanced. But as more zombies show up, they get stronger with each level because they used to be human, even if they were weak before.”
Lucas moved his finger to point at Lucy and then back to himself. “Second, as players, we had smarts but not much strength before joining the system. That's why we level up quickly and get stronger as we go. Also, there are way fewer of us now compared to the almost fourteen billion humans in the past.”
Lucy listened to him, feeling puzzled. “Lucas, can I ask you something? How many school awards did you get?”
He answered fast. “Why are you asking? I never went to school. Came from a simple background.”
She thought about what he said. 'He's super smart and never went to school. He's better than me in everything. He's like those cool guys in stories—an orphan who grew up rough but turned into a handsome, rich guy because he's just that talented.' She stopped her thoughts and looked at Lucas. 'With some polishing and growing up, he could be a real charmer, just like the main guy in those stories.'
Lucas saw Lucy lost in thought, figuring she was really into thinking about his ideas. He thought about it, too. 'She's so eager to learn. Even though she might seem regular like me, with a few more years of learning and her skills with that black katana, she could become one of those strong main girls.'
Lost in their own thoughts, they didn't notice until a loud scream broke through the air. They both snapped back, Lucas turning to Lucy. He looked at the zombie ahead before talking to her.
“Looks like the level two zombie is telling the others to check out that scream. The person who screamed is probably dead, but the level-two zombie doesn't get that. We can use this. I'll take down the leader, and while I do that, you shout at the others. Once they look at you, use your katana to take them down. Just be careful not to get hurt, okay?”
He said it seriously, even if she didn't like that. She nodded, still thinking about other stuff. Lucas dashed toward the zombies, and Lucy followed.