Chapter 2: Encounters in the New World
Confused about the situation she was put into, Kazumi surveyed the surroundings.
Large towering trees with branches so long as if wanting to cover the sky completely. Its leaves rustled as the wind blew past them. Plants far from what she could recognize were rooted everywhere.
"Taro!!! Akane!!!" Not knowing what to do, she called for her companions. "Jake!!! Can you hear me?" Yet, not one of the three answered.
At times like this, it would have been best to stay where she is and wait for the others to find her. However, Kazumi doesn't know if anyone will ever come to rescue her. In addition, there is the threat of the undead looming around, waiting to pounce on her unguarded back. Her gun hand instinctively tightened and decided to move on.
She trudged through the dense forest, worrying when something would jump on her. As she walked, the forest grew thicker, colder, and darker.
The birds chirped in eerie harmony, yet not a sight of them was present. Every rustle from the bushes makes the heart pound heavier than the one. In the shadows of the darkness lurks the unprecedented danger it might hold.
Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the air. Kazumi's senses heightened. Her head snapped towards where the sound came from.
She quickened her pace, her heart racing by the seconds, and headed towards the piercing cry.
Stumbled upon three people. They looked the same age as her, if not younger, cornered by snarling goblins.
Two boys and one girl, back against a massive tree.
Goblins, wiry and twisted, eyes burning with malice, maniacly laughing in front of its terrified victims.
Kazumi's panic set in. 'What is going on' is the only thing she can think of as she looks at the scene. It's not the undead that she's worrying about, nor anything she had witnessed before, but something else.
She spun around, ready to flee.
But the goblins closed in on the three kids, jagged blades flashing.
One goblin plunged its blade into the girl's chest. Kazumi's reflexes took over.
She drew her pistol, finger tight on the trigger.
BANG!
One goblin, the nearest to her, crumpled down, brains splattered, twitching uncontrollably, and then it stopped. The goblin is dead.
Kazumi's hands shook, gun still smoking from the release of its bullet. It was the first time she had fired it, not before, not ever.
Breathing heavily, she stared at it intently.
'This… this feeling'
Seeing their comrade die pathetically, the other goblins all focused their attention on the strange woman who killed one of their own. Face twitching angrily with veins popping on their head, screeching, ready to attack at any given notice.
The teenagers stared, shocked.
Seeing the opportunity, the boys exchanged terrified glances and sprinted away, abandoning their wounded companion.
"Wait! Come back!" Kazumi shouted, but they vanished into the trees.
The girl, fatally wounded, gasped for air as if begging for them to take her with them. But to no avail. They ran faster than they were shivering a few seconds earlier.
Frustrated with the situation, Kazumi cursed the cowards who left their friend dying. But she couldn't worry about them anymore. Her enemies were in front of her, advancing ever slowly, cautious of the loud bang that killed their comrade.
One of the goblins run directly at her, threatening to stab her with its rusty blade. Kazumi pulled the trigger of her pistol. However, shooting a stationary target is different from a moving one.
BANG!
And she missed her shot. Seeing her shot missed its target. Panic is all that is written all over her face.
"Shit… Shit… Shit… Shit…"
However, it is not without merit. The loud bang had the goblins shaking. The one running toward Kazumi halts its movement, waiting for what will happen.
BANG!
"aaaccckkkk" the goblin who is the closest to her dropped, blood spurting from the bullet wound. The bullet had struck its side, making a mess of it. Its cry elicits no pity. Rather, it causes panic among the other goblins, who flee in terror of the deafening thunder-like weapon.
Seeing the opportunity for a kill shot, Kazumi again tried pulling the trigger, but nothing happened. There was no loud bang, only the hammer hitting the metal.
"Click… Click…"
Just a few months ago, Kazumi was a 17-year-old high school girl in the city. It is understandable that she knows nothing about a gun. After all, it was her first time using one.
"aaccckkkk… aaccckkkk… aaccckkkk"
The high-pitched screech the goblin makes added fuel to her frustration. She had wanted to finish it by shooting once again, but alas, her pistol jammed. Out of frustration, Kazumi grabbed a stick lying nearby where she was standing.
Witnessing this, the wounded goblin tried crawling away, but its wound proved to be painful as it spit blood in its mouth at every move.
"You fucking bitch… shut the fuck up!" using the stick she found, Kazumi beat the living crap out of the goblin, making sure that it cannot fight back. Then she went to retrieve its blade.
Fearful that she could get tetanus from handling the blade, she wrapped her hand using a handkerchief before grabbing it. She anchored her knee to the goblin's back and stabbed it on its head, blood spurts everywhere drenching Kazumi's clothes.
This whole action leaves Kazumi tired. The adrenaline that was pumping into her veins earlier is now all consumed, and its effect is gone. But there is no time to waste.
"Please...help me..." the girl whispered, eyes pleading, blood dripping from her open wound.
Kazumi's breath caught, pulling herself despite the exhaustion. She rushed to the girl's side.
"I'm here..."
Kazumi's eyes locked onto the carnage.
Goblin corpses, twisted and still, blood everywhere. A scene not unknown to her. The only difference was that it was not from someone she knew who had turned undead.
Reality crashed down on her. This is not the world she knows of.
Where was she?
What was this world?
Why was she here?
The Girl's labored breathing pulled her from her train of thought. Kazumi's heart pounded. She knew she had to act fast, or nothing could be done to save her.
"Stay with me! Don't sleep!" Kazumi urged, but the girl's eyes fluttered closed. The light in her eyes grows dimmer, and her life threatens to slip away.
Kazumi ripped her shirt, using the fabric to stop the bleeding. She forcefully inserted the cloth into the wound and put pressure on it. The pain made the girl wince and spurt blood all over her mouth. It was a tense scene straight from a Western movie.
"Hold on...please."
The girl's labored breathing slowed down.
Kazumi scanned their surroundings, desperate for somewhere they could take cover from the elements. Across her, she spotted the direction the boys fled. It is a roughly made path, suggesting that people have been here before.
Despite the heavy supplies she was carrying and the exhaustion from everything that had happened that day, Kazumi squeezed all her remaining strength to shoulder the wounded girl she didn't even know the name of.
After what felt like an eternity, Kazumi found a small dwelling in the face of a giant rock. Weathered stones covered by overgrown vines provide a sturdy roof for a temporary shelter.
Kazumi dropped the girl hidden inside the shadows of the three. She planned to survey the area, ensuring its safety. weapon in hand, she positioned herself in front of the cave, then threw a rock at it, waiting for anything that may come out from inside. Moments later, nothing happened. Satisfied, Kazumi rushed back to the girl.
The girl's eyes had rolled back, blood bubbling from her lips.
Kazumi's heart sank. She dragged the girl's limp body to the cave
Using her flashlight, Kazumi assessed the girl's condition.
Pale skin, cold to the touch
Shallow breathing, erratic pulse
Kazumi knew she had to act.
She grabbed her supplies, looking for anything useful as a first aid. Inside, she found a painkiller medication, a needle, and a fishing line.
But, what can she do?
What could she possibly do? She was just a high school student. It is unfair to expect someone like her to know everything. The very thought of this helplessness leaves Kazumi crying from frustration. Tears flowed freely as they go.
"Can you hear me?" Kazumi, between her sobbing and wiping her tears, asks the girl.
"It's going to be painful, I beg you… Please bear it."
Praying that the morphine tablet would take effect, Kazumi began stitching her wound.
Every stitch she makes, the girl's face contorted in agony. As if feeling the pain herself, Kazumi cursed herself.
"Sorry…"
Kazumi's hands shook, but she persevered.
…
As night fell, Kazumi started a fire, warming the cave. She does not know if her operation has been successful.
She has a lot to think about. Where is she? What will happen to her now? How will she survive?
Kazumi's head drooped, her body surrendering to sleep. She hoped that when she wakes up, it would be just another Saturday morning with her best friends. They will meet up, go to the arcade and have fun. If not, the least she can hope for is the girl's survival.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone