I was standing near the shattered window of a weathered house, aiming two fingers at the horde of zombies shuffling forward on a cracked street. Each shot from me echoed through the hollow streets below, like a jet preparing for takeoff as the bullets blew their heads to bits. Zombies in this world loved sound because it usually meant humans were nearby. Fortunately for me, I was one of their kind now so, instead of coming to attack me, they simply groaned in my direction.

My finger gun attack had quickly improved. Probably ‘cause I had more time on my hands that wasn’t being used to find more food for Sunshine. It’s not like I didn’t cherish those moments. It’s just a little more difficult feeding a kid with a high metabolism.

While this new technique had gotten better, my “Type Two Radion finding” skills hadn't improved at all!

According to Jesus, the journey to Hallowsville would take about a month–three weeks if I moved fast enough. He did mention the possibility of spotting Jason on my way there, but the chances were pretty low since that masked maniac was the type of guy to move nonstop if he really wanted to do something. He definitely wasn't wrong about that. And with how fast he was, he’d probably take half the time it would take for me to get there.

Unlike Jason though, I had something he was probably too dumb to use. A status board! Well, it wasn’t mine–it was Jesus’s. I just wished I could have seen where he pulled this tool from. The thought of this not coming from inside his horse head made me shiver.

I stopped shooting at the zombies and sat down on the dusty floor, grabbing the status board I placed on a table next to me. It was one of those special ones I saw the people in the Underground City had so it took me a couple days to get used to the mechanics. This “cellphone” made me realize how outdated the status board I lost back at Savir’s convenience store was.

It's been ten years since I last used a phone, after all!

One of the special features it had was a map that showed me the path to Hallowsville with a long, red line that curved jaggedly till it reached an orange checkpoint. Judging by the faded colored section of the line, I’d say I’ve gotten a week’s worth of walking in. That and the map literally has a box of text that says “Congratulations!!! You’ve actually put in the effort to walk a week’s worth of steps!!!! You’re well on your way to losing weight, fatty,” right at the bottom.

I’m not even fat!

But I was going to have to slow down soon. Even if the chance was low, I couldn’t risk meeting Jasonnat my current level. The strength that ran through my bones when I destroyed Dante…I needed to find another Type Two in order to get that again.

Shit! Why did I leave without asking Jesus where-

Suddenly, a cry for help rang out across the abandoned town, making my body jump as the phone slipped from my grasp. I peeked through the window and saw two people, a man and a woman, hiding from the horde I was just firing at. They used to be a group of three, but the zombies were in the middle of feasting on the third one, screams of agony reverberating out of the poor guy.

The two quietly hurried from the back of the van to the front door of the house I was in. Good thing I kept the front door locked and decided to go through the back door instead! It wasn’t locked but they’ll probably just move on to another house instead of figuring that out.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Both of them had these large, heavy duty backpacks with an array of small knives strapped to the sides. They wore a set of green camouflage gear like the ones a soldier would wear. Although, what they wore looked more like cheap knockoffs than something out of the military. The Halloween store kind.

These guys were Resource Adventurers! But why would they look for resources in some dead end place like this? Plus, they had no guns. What kind of idiot travels without a gun at their hip?

“Hey, if the door’s locked, then let’s go to the next one already,” said the woman, with a serious panic in her voice. Her hair was back-length and light brown—almost orange.

Who the hell has such flashy hair nowadays? She’ll get herself spotted looking like that.

“Didn't you hear the gunshots coming from inside?” he asked, fiddling with the doorknob. “Brandon could be inside trying to help us. Or maybe some other adventurer. We won't know unless we check.”

“D-Does that mean Victoria’s in there? Like right now?”

“Like I said before, we can't know for sure until we can get in here,” he responded, his voice growing more tense. “Now keep quiet before they hear us. Don't let that girl die for nothing, ok?”

“That didn't answer my question,” she said, her voice raising as she shook his shoulder. “Is my baby there or not?”

“Rosey, I don't-”

To my surprise, the woman began to scream the name “Victoria!” to the house but the man quickly shut her mouth with his hand, stopping her before she could say anything else.

However, they were too late as the zombies slowly shifted their attention to the two adventurers and started to make their way over to them. They froze for a moment, the realization that they were about to get eaten sinking in like a stone in a pond.

“What are you stopping for, Elias!? Kick the door down!” she yelled, slapping his back.

“Calm down, woman! Step back and I'll get to it!”

He pushed the girl to the side and proceeded to lunge at the door, slamming his shoulder against it. But it was to no avail.

“Damn it! Whoever’s up there, kill these zombies already, will ya!? We're gonna die out here!”

“Victoria, it's mommy! Please open the door!”

I really had no reason to save them here but hearing a mother simply desperate to find her child made me resonate a lot with her. And there was a pretty easy solution to their problem.

I stepped away from the window and shouted “The back door! The back door’s still open!” Once that was done, I peered through the window a second time and noticed the two bolting to the back.

Good! Now to leave before they see me.

I dove out the window, shards of glass trailing behind me as I crashed down onto the skull of one of the sauntering zombies, painting the concrete green. They paused, acknowledging my presence with a vacant stare, but then resumed their lifeless shuffle as though I were nothing more than a passing breeze.

With a sharp inhale, I swung my arm in a wide arc, the force whipping the air into a strong gust. The wind slammed into them like a tidal wave, sending their rotting bodies hurtling backward. I then ran through the town, hoping to find some kind of exit out of here.

I thought back to that Type Two Dante had in that mini forcefield of his and wondered where the hell did he even find one of those. Maybe in a place with a whole bunch of radioactive energy? Or nuclear energy? Maybe it’s one of those animal things where they’re the leaders in a pack.

Oh, I know! Maybe I can put two destinations at once on this status board and just input “Where to find a Type Two Radion.” That could totally work!

I reached for the status board in my pocket…wait a minute…I’m naked! I completely forgot I gave that weirdo Jesus my pants! I mean, why wouldn’t I? I couldn’t just let him walk around in his underwear around Sunshine.

Which only meant one thing…

I sprinted back to the house and, to my dismay, the two adventurers were in the middle of starting up a truck. The guy had the status board in his hand.

“Hey, you! Give that thing back to me!” I shouted, running towards them.

But all that did was scare them, causing them to jump into the car. I was just about to open the door when they drove off, my hand still clenched to the handle.

“Hey, stop the car! I’m not gonna hu-”

“Wh-Wh-What the hell! This thing can talk!?”

Ah, great. Not that again.