บท 7: 07 - Acting

"Hey, uh, sorry for asking, but what's your name?"

Lucian could barely keep up with the Cultivator's pace since he was currently injured. However, none of that even mattered, as he needed to appear as useful and strong as possible. He couldn't get disregarded.

"It's Li-... no… Alex."

Lucian noticed that slip-up but didn't say anything since he knew it was related to the fact that he possessed someone.

'I'll just call him Alex. It will be simpler that way. Alright, Lucian. Calm down and act naturally.'

"Oh, that's a great name! Mine is Lucian Urias. I know I said it already, but thank you very much for helping us. Hell, if you hadn't been there, we would surely have died."

Alex gave Lucian a brief glance, not caring too much about him.

However, Lucian didn't get discouraged as he knew he wouldn't get close to him right away. It would take time.

"Sure, it's no problem."

"So, uh… what are your plans? Do you just want to kill all the zombies around?"

"I want to go to the Otherworld. That's what I want," Alex said out loud, before looking away and whispering something so quietly that Lucian didn't hear him. "Well... that's what they want, but...ah, can't believe I got stuck in this mess..."

'Uh… Alright, short answers, I guess.'

Even if the answers he gave were lackluster, Lucian needed someone strong enough to guide him to the Otherworld. He would try to kill some zombies while Alex would do his massacre.

"All right, then lead the way!"

Ava still held onto Lucian's shirt and pulled it a little, trying to get his attention for a small moment, it seemed. The coldness she previously exuded was nowhere to be seen, and her usual cute appearance had taken over. It seemed she didn't want Lucian to see this side of hers.

She put herself on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear.

"C-Can we trust him? He… looks scary. Can't we just stay… the two of us… alone?"

It seemed she had returned to her normal self once she talked to Lucian again.

"Don't worry. He's very strong. Let's try to stay with him a little, all right?"

Ava softly nodded in understanding, snuggling herself closer to Lucian. After what had happened with Trevor, it would be hard for her to trust another stranger out of nowhere. The only person she trusted at the moment was Lucian since he had stayed with her even after everything that happened.

Lucian was also quite happy that was the case. Now that she was so dependent on him, Ava wouldn't hesitate to listen to everything he said. The only thing she needed was a little bit of confidence to fight the monsters. However, that was a minor problem that would disappear as time passed.

Suddenly, Alex dashed forward without looking back once. He made the same sword attack as earlier, and a blue wave of energy came out of his sword, decimating everything it met.

'Is that Qi?'

Lucian had always imagined what it would look like in the books that he had written, but seeing it in real life was completely different and a lot more impressive.

—-----------

[All zombies have been killed.]

[868 people are still required to die before going to the Otherworld.]

[Second Tutorial Event: A Safe Zone has appeared across the 10th Area. Inside them, monsters won't be able to reach you. However, you will still be able to fight between yourselves.

Goblins, Zombies, Skeletons, Wolves, and all sorts of creatures will appear this time around. They will continue to appear until 868 people have died.

To see the progression of human death, you can check the Death Counter. Try to survive!]

—-----------

A huge oval appeared in the middle of the Hall of Fame street. The Safe Zone seemed divided into different colors. The center was purple, while the outer ends were red.

Various shouts of all sorts started being heard.

"We're saved!"

"Quickly enter it! No one will be able to attack us inside it!"

However, for some unknown reason, Alex didn't even notice the messages that appeared as he looked at the sky.

"Uh… sorry, but shouldn't we go inside the Safe Zone? It would be a lot safer inside it, no?"

Alex lowered his eyes. "Hm, you might be right. Killing those monsters for the others won't make me reach the Otherworld faster… They need to die for that to happen."

'Shit, shit, shit! I still need to kill some. I need to get those points, too. I only have 100 of them, and Ava doesn't have any.'

Lucian knew that there would be advantages to killing those monsters. He had no idea what it was yet, but the angel had given examples, which were all quite interesting. There was also the fact that Lucian was Classless. Maybe by fighting, he would be able to get one.

While Lucian's mind was in complete turmoil, his exterior appearance was calm, and he even agreed with Alex.

'Why did I even say something about going inside that zone?'

Soon enough, Alex, Lucian, and Ava started walking toward the Safe Zone. It seemed Alex had lost all motivation in fighting the monsters.

Unfortunately, or luckily for them, the Safe Zone was very close to them. They reached it fairly easily, not even meeting the slightest monster.

"So, what now?" Lucian asked as the zone was getting crowded quite fast.

"We wait. People will die at one point."

'How? Everyone is just going to stay inside here. No one will die. Just what the hell is that stupid Tutorial? The first one was way better.'

But then, as people kept entering the zone, something unexpected happened.

[Safe Zone Capacity: 1500/1500]

No one had noticed that small number over the Safe Zone. However, Trevor did as he was one of the last people who had entered it.

He looked behind himself, and a huge invisible wall raised itself.

'Ah… I get it now. It really seemed too good to be true,' Lucian thought, understanding what had just happened.

The Safe Zone had a maximum capacity, forcing people outside it to fight against the monsters.

"O-Over there!"

"It's a monster!"

It was, without a doubt, very dangerous outside the Safe Zone.

"Ahhhhh!"

Munch!

Crunch, Crunch!

The monsters outside the zone were having a field day. People were dying left and right, and the Death Counter was getting higher and higher.

[602 people left to die.]

Slowly but surely, Lucian realized that being inside the Safe Zone was a lot better. A lot more peaceful, that is, until he saw the face of that stupid traitor... Trevor.