The elven bandit leader slumped to the ground, blood spurting out of the gash in their neck. Sally was out of breath, her own white shirt covered in blood and torn in a few places where she had been injured. A couple of bandages had kept her going, and now we were finished with the area.

  “Wow,” she said, using a shaking hand to smudge a streak of crimson across her face idly. “That was certainly an experience.”

  I hadn’t needed to step in at any point, even when she had taken damage. Despite clearly being traumatized by the process of taking a life, Sally had kept her cool between each engagement and had refined her approach when attacking. She was rather spry and used her natural agility to position herself repeatedly during the fights so that she could constantly harry her opponent with the sharp end of the spear.

  Of course, even if she had lost her nerve after the first pack and bailed, it would have been worth the effort - due to the item she had given me.

  [Fate Overwhelming]

  [Enchantment Stone. Can be applied to any magical weapon or equipment]

  [Temporarily increases the activation chance of conditionals by 50% every time that conditional is activated]

  It was figuratively burning a hole in my Inventory, right next to the uncommon skillbook and solar blessing.

  I was never great at maths, but I could run some basic numbers around my skull to get a good idea of how great this could be. If Killing Blow was a 10% chance when the enemy was on low life, then Deny Life would instantly make the next occurrence 15% chance, then… 22% or something - provided I kept the kills within thirty seconds.

  Maybe for most skills, it would only be a minor improvement due to cooldowns… but for me this could heavily swing fights in my favor.

  //Scarlet: Ask Rich if there’s a downside to pooling all bonuses into one item.

  //Sally: And ask yourself how you’re feeling. Oh, Doris too!

  //Scarlet: Sure, that too.

  //Bernie: Okay. I’m much better after a rest, thank you.

  I pulled a face at the waitress, who was smiling - practically back to her normal self if I ignored how pale she was. And... the thousand-yard stare that was boring through me.

  “You don’t need to tell me every skill or item upgrade you get, but let me know if there’s anything rare or especially broken.” I gestured back to the crested hill we had arrived from. “Our next fight will be a little different, but we’ll stop at the bunker to get refreshed.”

  “Sure.” She nodded and put her spear away. “I’m close to level 3 now, and there’s a bunch of milestones to dig through.”

  “Get used to that. Like I said before, use everything you get, but I’ll take anything Morale based that you find, and in turn trade you any Guile items I get.” It was less likely for me, given that I had Luck boosts, but if I started getting better items before the others I could trickle the loot down.

  I wasn’t yet entirely convinced that the waitress was ready to go adventuring off on her own… but if she wasn’t, then what did that say about the rest of the world? Maybe things were meant to be handled by small groups rather than individuals, but being tied down to the progress of others was… a weight on me.

  “There’s certainly a difference between imagining and actually doing.” She sighed and tried to brush her hands off on her skirt. “Genocide is exhausting.”

  I rolled my eyes. Bucky was off to the side, looking rather guilty. Somehow, he had managed to get bloody and covered in even more dirt, despite not needing to intervene in any of the battles. Thankfully, it wasn’t his blood. Maybe it was almost tripping me twice as he weaved between my movement that had him feeling bad.

  “Good boy,” I told him. “I feel much safer with you watching over us.”

  He hopped toward me and yipped. Any previously held guilt over being a nuisance was immediately erased by the slightest praise. I eyed the waitress again, wondering how alike the pair were.

  Although she wasn’t looking too great.

  “You looking at your screens, hun? Or is this a bit much?”

  Sally looked over at me, her blank stare turning into a pout as her eyes welled up. “Doesn’t feel like camping anymore,” she managed.

  I withdrew some napkins from my Inventory and handed them over. “You’ll receive no judgement from me if you want to chill at the bunker with the others. There are no prizes for putting yourself at risk.”

  A little lie, as the System had slid me a few rewards for my reckless actions. It was a misplay to give the waitress the STAR when we didn’t have monsters lined up to kill while she had the two-hour buff.

  //Bernie: Richard says that as long as the item is Rare, there is no downside at this stage.

  //Scarlet: Thanks. We’ll be back soon to resupply.

  Without any hesitation, I went into my Inventory and applied the enchantment to Threadcutter. The axe had been my bread and butter. Considering I had already sunk upgrade stones into it, I felt it made sense to keep it the strongest thing in my possession. Since Fate Overwhelming could be placed on magical clothing, it sounded like I just needed it equipped to take effect, rather than have that piece of gear be the one responsible for the conditional skill activating.

  I had to check that I hadn’t taken any Knowledge points inadvertently.

  Sally had cooled her nerves and dried her eyes, which mostly had the effect of getting the messy blood even more all over her face. She didn’t look too unlike that photo she had shown me, where she was dressed as a zombie for Halloween.

  “For what it’s worth, you did well.” I attempted a reassuring smile.

  “Thank you.” Her glum one was equally barely managed. “It always feels like a win when I get you to break your resting bitch face.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Despite your pleasant demeanor, you’re quite the piece of work, you know?”

  Sally grinned. “Stop me if shit-talking is not how you make friends.”

  My mind quickly flicked through my past acquaintances like a rolodex of snapshots. She wasn’t half wrong, but I wasn’t about to admit that. “Do me a favor, hun. If you ever get the chance to upgrade skills to do with speech or verbally manipulating monsters, go for it.”

  “You want me to become some kind of… bard?”

  I pulled a face, regretting the decision. “Be whatever you want to be, but if you start singing, I’m relegating you to the reserve team.”

  “You’re making a team?”

  Maybe waking up this morning was a mistake. As we walked back to the bunker, I rubbed at my forehead. Sally had the uncanny ability to read people as if she had opened up their skull and stuck her finger in their delicious brains. I ran my tongue across my lips. So if we ever came across neutral monsters, having someone who could do the boring diplomatic shit would save me a headache.

  If she didn’t annoy them into attacking us, at least.

  “I don’t know,” I eventually said. “There’s a dungeon I have to clear, and I’m prepared to do it alone… but I’m also trying not to be so reckless after yesterday.” Not that I wanted to drag anyone else into the firing line, either.

  “Richard warned me to be wary of accepting any plan you put forth.” The waitress raised an eyebrow. “He didn’t tell me the details, but he made your solo fights sound more dangerous than what we just did.”

  I shot her a wry grin and explained it all. For the duration of our walk back to the bunker, I went through each of my fights, what went wrong and how lucky I had gotten. While I chalked up most of my success to good use of opportune consumables and the stubborn drive to win no matter the cost, Sally actually thought I sounded incredible. Worthy of being called a hero, even.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  I wasn’t as good at reading people, and wasn’t sure if she was just boosting my ego for other reasons, but it did make me feel better about what I had achieved.

  Stepping back into the cold darkness of the bunker almost felt like a shame as we left behind the warmth of the outdoors.

  The three inside turned to us as we entered, their eyes mostly on the blood-splattered waitress. She went over to Bernie and Doris to assure them that she was okay, while I turned to Richard.

  “I understand why you told me to keep the items,” I told him. “Killing monsters was a lot for her, physically and mentally. She will be slow to adapt.”

  He tilted his head. “Yet you gave them to her anyway.”

  “Of course. I make risky decisions, you know this. In fact, I’d probably lose trust in you if you didn’t know that I was going to do it, and the reason why.”

  Richard pulled a face and glanced over at the waitress. “I am just here to guide. I cannot make demands. Thank you, though.”

  “Eh, save it. It’s only day two of the apocalypse, and we’ve got a long way to go.” I gave him a glum smile and turned to Bernie. “Speaking of that… hey, Bern?”

  He looked over from where he was fretting over Sally’s safety. “Yes, dear?”

  “How many skills do you have? Is it just the scouting one?”

  “I have three now. One of them is related to my scouting, and the other for being a pacifist.”

  Richard stepped up beside me, his arms crossed. “While I do not think the bunker can be a long term solution, the System will reward Bernie for every day that he does not have a weapon and does not kill anything. The longer he can maintain that, the better the rewards will get.”

  But eventually we’d probably have to arm him. The Guide didn’t want to say it out loud, but I understood him clearly.

  From my Inventory, I retrieved the solar blessing. Bucky looked up and wagged his tail at the glowing ball again, but I handed it over to Bernie.

  “Use this, and hopefully it will increase your scouting.” I’d much rather we powered that up that gambled on my myriad of passives.

  “Okay.” He seemed uncertain, but raised his hand up all the same. The orb floated into the air above him before bursting like a bubble. Bright light showered down on the man as he sat there in surprise.

  “My scouting hit level five,” he said, eyes trying to dart across the invisible screens. “Now I can use it every thirty minutes, it says.”

  “Amazing, Bern.” I nodded. “Start clearing the map from the motel to the castle. After that, just open up space so we can see what else is near.”

  Bernie gave me a brief salute, and his eyes drifted off back to his menus.

  I had prodded Richard on how he knew about the castle when we hadn’t scouted that way yet, but apparently, proper dungeons showed up on the map just like bunkers. In knowing that, I had tried to find it and had been successful - but any other important landmarks were either out of range or obscured.

  While I waited for Sally to change into a cleaner shirt, I fed Bucky a snack. He was still a little bundle of mystery himself, but the fact that he hadn’t acknowledged Richard a single time was comforting, in some ways. Doris had feigned a disliking for the dog, only petting him when she thought nobody else was watching, and Bernie spoke to him as if he was an elderly acquaintance.

  I brought out the skillbook and held it out to the dog. He tilted his head, confused at this not being something else to eat.

  “Shake?” I asked.

  Bucky lifted a paw and placed it on the end of the book, although looked concerned that it wasn’t my hand I had offered. Other than feeling the pressure of him on the object, nothing changed.

  I wracked my brain for any other commands. “Take.” He removed his paw and tilted his head. “Carry.” A tilt in the other direction. “Help.”

  The dog leaned forward and opened his mouth, gently taking the book between his teeth and pulling it from my grip. I let him do so, and he then sat down with it.

  “Other than getting drooled on, nothing will happen.” Richard watched with a bemused smile. “For him, it’s just a regular book.”

  “I know. But it’s the process. As much as I don’t want him getting into trouble, being able to transfer items between us could be useful in a pinch.” I stood up straight and pointed at the waitress. “Help Sally.”

  Bucky turned to her, stood and took a few steps to get close—dropping the book in the process—before latching his mouth around her ankle.

  “Ah!” Sally said. “I’m friend, not food.”

  “Bucky, here.” I sighed and picked the skillbook up as he ran back over, looking like he had just done the best job in the world.

  “He’s a very good listener,” Sally said, checking her leg for teeth marks. “He knows when you’re trying to instruct him.”

  I kneeled down and pet him. “I’m not used to animals that are smarter than me. He gets full marks for effort, at least.” I stood and gestured to the door. “If you’re ready, we’ll set off.”

  She was, and we did. I felt bad that Doris was now the odd duckling, unable to see Richard or be a part of this dangerous new world. Other than grumbling about the diner or how there were no strong men about to do the dirty work, she was mostly quiet. Sally knew her best, so I’d leave it for her to deal with. I didn’t have the time to wait another day or two and then have to help the diner owner level up as well.

  By then, I’d be almost half turned into a zombie.

  A sour thought that kept cropping up every hour or so. The regular reminder that being foolish was a short-lived way of existing out here.

  “We’ll kill the monster group,” I began, as we set off from the bunker, “and then go to the motel. Check it for supplies and danger. If it’s clear, then we’ll come back and get the others, then take them all over there for showers and exercise.”

  Sally eyed up the bumpy desert around us. “You’re not worried about patrols or anything?”

  “If that is an issue, then they will be relying on us to handle it. Unfortunately, we can’t wait around because of what-ifs.” I frowned. “That’s why getting you a few levels is important.”

  She nodded. “Reasonable. Do you think I can get my Class today?”

  Given what I had gone through to get mine, it didn’t seem likely. The orcs would put her up to level 3, but with the experience being shared and there being no immediate gauntlet of other hapless System creatures to wade through, I wasn’t rating her chances too high.

  “Let’s survive one thing at a time,” I said. Probably not the answer she was looking for, and the silence that followed told me all that I needed to know, even if I hadn’t already read her intentions last night.

  To distract myself for that future malady, I drew out the skillbook. There might be more needful hands around, but I found it and had shared enough. Opening up the pages, I learned a new skill.

  [Debilitate Resistance]

  [Skills that reduce your Stats are 20% less effective]

  A respectable passive to have. Sounded like a pain to level up, but anything that cut down the time or power of something trying to diminish my stats was helpful. It was a sliver of extra survivability - something I craved.

  Helping the waitress pulp the drab elves hadn’t earned me any skill levels up, which was disappointing. There must be a reduction in experience gained when the monster was a certain level below mine. In a way that made it easier for me to share with Sally - otherwise, I’d be at a disadvantage for not being more active in killing everything.

  That didn’t mean I’d skip weak packs in the future should I come across them… as we had to cleanse the land, after all.

  “So what is this new fighting style you wanted to try?” Sally eventually asked, breaking the silence.

  “You’ve got a decent grasp of the different jabs and movements of the spear, and now I want you to use your speed to become an opportunity attacker.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Up front, I’ll soak up the attention of the orcs. You stay back and attack past me, protect my flank, and finish off the ones I maim.”

  “I just have to avoid stabbing you in the back.” She grinned.

  “Might be difficult as you’ve been on my ass this whole time.”

  Sally stuck her tongue out at me. “C’mon. It hasn’t been all that bad, has it?”

  It wasn’t easy for me to trust people. Even the group I had gathered at the bunker… there was still part of my brain telling me to be careful. That I would be safer alone. Rationally, that was incorrect. Bernie was allowing me to pick and choose what I faced instead of wandering blindly. Bucky had literally saved my life. Sally was… actually decent to talk to when not trying to drive me insane. Doris existed.

  “Jury’s still out,” I concluded. “There’s a test you can pass for me, though.”

  From my Inventory, I drew one of my Rat Juice vials out.

  “I’m not a fan of shots,” she replied to my offer, wrinkling her face up. “I get pretty obnoxious when drunk.”

  I couldn’t even imagine. “Poison for your weapon,” I said. Richard had commended me on using them rather than let them rot in a dust-covered hoard, if only because these sorts of things had an effective level range.

  The cyclops hadn’t just resisted the plague because he was hardy, but also because this specific poison fell off against monsters over level 5. A shame, given how well they worked against my enemies.

  She held it up to the light and pulled a face, before stowing it away in her Inventory. “I’ll assume you didn’t milk some rats for that.”

  “You accidentally stab me with that during the fight and there’s a decent chance I’ll die.” Sure, I had antidotes and plenty of healing options - but with 10% less maximum HP, any unexpected damage could put me into a temporary grave and rising as a zombie.

  “No pressure then,” she murmured.

  The System seemed to be pushing me toward someone who excelled at fighting groups. I was missing a few key components to truly be effective - one of which was some way to avoid getting stabbed by eight monsters at once. Rat Plague helped level that field by taking opponents out with fewer attacks needed… but with only a single vial left after the orc battle, I hoped that Bernie would scout out some places where I could get decent loot before the dungeon.

  Bucky yawned as he trotted along beside us, before we stopped.

  There was the orc camp. All the walls were now constructed to a decent degree, and they even had someone up on battlements looking out for potential threats. Well, we were happy to oblige. Now a proper outpost, it might be difficult to draw them out… or better to funnel them through a chokepoint.

  “They are a little more imposing than the weak elves,” Sally said, squinting at the figure atop the wooden wall.

  “Give me about five seconds of combat and they’ll be more scared of us than you are of them.” I smiled and brought Threadcutter out. “Say, do you fancy trying the diplomacy option first?”

  “See if they’ll be our pals?” The waitress scratched at the side of her head. “Doesn’t seem likely, but I’ll follow your lead.”

  The bad news was that we had to clear the land of monsters to reduce the strength of the cockroach aliens. How this worked with neutral or even friendly areas - like the supposed shop nearby - I had no idea. One of many secrets I didn’t have the time or brain power to ask Richard about.

  I twisted the axe in my grip to put the Rat Juice on it, at the same time as Sally brought out her spear. Bucky just glared at the outpost.

  Vial in hand, I paused as a notification popped up in front of my vision, unprompted.

  I tensed up, heart caught in my throat.

  [Warning]

  [A Bounty has been placed on your head]