章 15: Getting Stronger, Part Three
{Julia}
A somewhat short girl with strong arms walked down the desolate street, her footsteps echoing against the cracked pavement.
She wore an old leather jacket over a faded t-shirt, paired with sturdy jeans and scuffed boots. Strands of her chestnut hair escaped the confines of a messy ponytail, swaying gently in the breeze.
If she saw any monsters she'd have to change out of this, sure, but she enjoyed walking around in homely clothes.
[... Silence has never been so loud, huh?]
The once vibrant street now lay barren and lifeless, its buildings looming ominously overhead like silent sentinels of a bygone era.
Broken windows and graffiti-covered walls bore witness to the chaos that had engulfed the city, serving as stark reminders of the world's descent into darkness.
Julia's brown eyes scanned the empty storefronts and abandoned vehicles that littered the street. Maybe she could find a random body or dead monster to loot.
Interrupting her somber reverie, a familiar voice called out to her from behind. Julia turned to see her friend Frederick approaching, his face etched with concern.
"Hey, Julia!" Frederick called out. "We're just about ready to move the food trucks. We've been waiting for you."
Julia nodded in response, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"Hope they didn't eat it all."
"Not this time. Come on, let's go."
She fell into step beside Frederick as they made their way back towards their group of friends.
As Julia and Frederick walked together, Frederick cast a sideways glance at Julia.
"Man, I remember how you couldn't take two steps through this street without bumping into someone, or something," Frederick said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "It's hard to believe how much has changed."
Julia nodded solemnly, her gaze fixed on the crumbling buildings that lined the street.
"Yeah... it feels like a lifetime ago," she replied, her voice tinged with sadness. "But we can't dwell on the past. We have to focus on the present and what we can do to make things better."
Frederick let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping under the weight of their shared burden.
"I know, I know. It's just, sometimes it's hard not to think about the way things used to be," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like I might forget if I don't, though."
Julia reached out and gently patted him on the shoulder, offering him a small smile of encouragement.
"What can you do, though, right? This is our home now. Might as well make the most of it."
Frederick nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Yeah, you're right," he said. "Getting some of that pizza we bought would be a good way to start, I think."
"You guys bought pizza!?" Julia's eyes gleamed.
"Hey, we're not eating a bite until we reach the station, remember?"
"Agh," Julia groaned. "I wish I hadn't heard that. I'm so hungry all of a sudden."
"Good, maybe that'll make you walk a little faster. You've got everyone waiting!"
---
As Julia and Frederick made their way back to the police station, their footsteps echoed against the quiet streets.
Their conversation was interrupted by the approach of one of their friends, a fellow survivor named Malorie.
She wore a grim expression on her face as she approached, her eyes betraying the weight of the news she bore.
"Hey," Malorie said, her voice heavy with emotion. "Didn't run into any trouble?"
"No. Did anything happen while we were gone?"
"We just got the news we had a clash with those bastards at the mall earlier. We lost some good people."
"Shit... Get some people up in the nearby buildings. They might want to push their advantage a little. Can't have that."
"Alright, I'll tell 'em."
Malorie nodded in acknowledgment before turning to walk away, her shoulders a little slumped.
As Julia watched her go, her thoughts turned to the members of their community and the way all this started.
They were a group made up of survivors from all walks of life, bound together by a common goal:
To rebuild and reclaim their world from the chaos that had consumed it.
[Hm... We're just not high enough level, though. Up until now, we've been trying to minimize our time in the dungeons just to make sure no one dies unnecessarily, but those assholes at the mall have probably been throwing themselves at the dungeons non-stop. We can't compete right now.]
They were all relatively low-level, ranging from 7 to 14.
Julia herself was level 13.
Julia Koral
Class: Paladin
Level 13
MP: 10/10
EXP: 25/130
AP: 500
WST: 625
---
Endurance: 15
Speed: 10
Precision: 5
Strength: 10
Arcane: 1
---
Skills:
Alchemy: 5
Archery: 5
Blade: 5
Blunt: 10
Blacksmithing: 5
Blocking: 5
Dual Wielding: 5
Unarmed: 5
Healing Magic: 5
Combat Magic: 5
Utility Magic: 5
Lance: 5
Summoning: 5
Sneaking: 5
Speech: 5
Scouting: 5
They had been taking turns exploring dungeons and venturing out into the dangerous world beyond their safe haven, always careful to avoid unnecessary risks.
[Maybe we need to step up a little, though.]
Now, they were on their way to deliver a truck full of food to another group of survivors in exchange for rare loot they had found. It was a risky venture, but one that was necessary to ensure their continued survival in a world where resources were scarce and alliances were fleeting.
As Julia and Fred arrived at the truck, the faces of their friends lit up.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Julia remarked.
The atmosphere was tense, but Julia did her best to project an air of confidence as she exchanged greetings with their allies.
"Hey, glad you could make it," one of the group members said, a note of relief evident in his voice. "Hopefully, those guys haven't given their shit away to anyone else yet, huh?"
"Hope not," Julia chuckled. "Let's just head out before they change their mind, alright?"
As they set to work unloading the packages from the truck, Julia couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of her mind.
The roads had been suspiciously barren on their journey, devoid of the usual dangers that lurked in the shadows. It made her wonder if the System was intentionally holding back on spawning monsters, or if something else was at play.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a couple of her friends expressing their concerns about the possibility of being attacked during the exchange.
"So... Say they do want to throw hands, what do we do?"
Julia didn't even want to entertain the idea, but she had to, being their leader and all.
"Run," she replied.
"Why? Can't we take them?" Her friend asked.
"That's not the issue," Julia shook her head. "The problem is, if they actually do mean to fight us, the station is going to be attacked too. We'd have to run away to get back and help as soon as possible."
The boy made an "oh" face and nodded.
"Got it, got it."
Soon, they arrived.
The other group's safe zone was a hospital. Far larger than the police station. Julia's hope was that, hopefully, if these people were trustworthy, their groups could merge.
[Generally speaking, two things are probably ideal. Having a small group or having a very large one. Small groups you can move around and clear dungeons easily, without getting any attention. Large groups, you can manage each other and establish some actual rules. Build a community. Our group is getting a little too big for the former, so, it's time we start looking for people to join.]
The leader of the group they were delivering to approached, his expression guarded as he eyed Julia and her companions.
He was a tall, old man with an eyepatch, shaved white hair, and wearing a business suit, carrying a bow on his back that was twice the size of Julia's own.
"Hey there," he said, his voice cautious. "Julia, right? You got the resources we need?"
"Howard?" Julia asked and nodded, her own demeanor mirroring his caution. "Yeah, we've got everything you asked for. Just give us a minute to unload the packages."
She motioned to a couple of her fellow survivors, instructing them to begin unloading the crates from the truck.
The atmosphere was understandably tense. Everyone sized each other up. Both groups' members had their weapons out, just in case.
Julia knew that they were at a disadvantage. Everyone here at this hospital ranged from level 10 to 16. On top of that, they were outnumbered.
[There's no misunderstanding this,] Julia thought, breathing slowly. [The only incentive they have not to attack us is on account of us being useful to them. They do dungeons, get tokens, spend those tokens on weapons and armor, we bring them food. They do dungeons, get tokens, spend more tokens on better weapons and armor, we bring them more food, they give us the old weapons they aren't using anymore. Rinse and repeat.]
That was the logical way to think about it, from Julia's perspective, but she had no guarantee these people would see things her way.
But, to her relief, nothing happened. As the last crate was unloaded from the truck, the tension in the air seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of cautious relief.
[Done.]
"Alright," Howard called out. "Bring them their loot."
A couple of players went and did the same, moving to load up crates onto Julia's truck. Julia made sure to check them first, of course.
"What, think we'll give you some empty boxes?" Howard laughed.
"You can never be too safe, right?"
"Indeed," Howard nodded. "Indeed."
As the crates were loaded, he stretched out his hand.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
They shook hands.
"Same here."
And, just like that, parted ways, with Julia sneaking in a sigh of relief the instant she was out of the other group's sight.
[... Way too tense for me. Fuck.]
---
The night enveloped the city in an eerie shroud, casting long shadows across the moonlit streets below.
Julia stood atop the roof of the police station, along with Max, a high school student her group picked up recently, their eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of movement.
"So, Max, have you seen any good loot recently?" Julia asked, breaking the silence as they kept watch.
Max chuckled softly, adjusting the strap of her binoculars around her neck.
"Nah, nothing too exciting. I dunno. You'd think I would have at least seen something Unique-tier by now."
"I don't think I've ever seen loot like that either. Wonder how exactly you're supposed to get it.
As they continued their idle conversation, Max suddenly stiffened, her gaze fixed on something in the distance.
"Hey, Julia, check this out," Max said, passing her binoculars to Julia.
Curious, Julia raised the binoculars to her eyes and focused on the figure that Max had spotted.
Out in the middle of the road, a lone figure clad in dark armor was locked in combat with a horde of zombies.
The woman's armor was a striking combination of black and green, shimmering in the moonlight as the figure moved from one enemy to another.
[What the fuck?]
She had no grace, no fluidity. But, what she lacked in terms of elegance, she made up for with sheer ferocity.
"Whoa," Julia murmured. "Do we know this girl? Is she with anyone?"
Max shook her head, her brow furrowed in concern.
"No, looks like she's on her own. Kind of reckless if you ask me."
Julia nodded in agreement, her gaze never leaving the figure below.
There was something almost otherworldly about her, her glowing green eyes shining with an intensity that matched the eerie glow of the moon.
"I wonder if she'll make it through the night," Julia mused, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "She's good, but even a bunch of level 1 zombies can kill you if you get unlucky."
As if on cue, a message from the System interrupted their conversation.
[Hm?]
Julia's heart skipped a beat as she read it.
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