Dante woke from his deep slumber, his eyes blinking open as he tried to orient himself. The gentle swaying of the minivan and the low rumble of the engine reminded him they were still on the move. His hand instinctively went to his neck, where the cool touch of the Zombiebane Relic reassured him.
“Is everyone okay?” Dante asked, his voice still groggy.
Sarah and Nir, the two who had also been infected but saved by the necklace, exchanged relieved glances before Sarah replied, “Everything’s fine. Thanks to the necklace, we’re good now.”
Dante nodded, gratitude welling up in him for the mysterious relic that had spared them a grim fate.
Selene, Sarah, Jack, Ron, and Nir were all accounted for. Dante closed his eyes briefly, letting the relief sink in. Then, with a sharp breath, he focused his thoughts and brought up his status screen to assess his condition.
Satisfied with his progress, Dante took note of the six unused stat points he needed to allocate later.
“We’re moving,” Dante said, his voice heavy with residual exhaustion. He glanced out the window at the shattered remnants of the city. Flames consumed buildings, and streets were overrun by familiar monsters—zombies, skeletons, and grotesque creatures unlike anything he’d imagined. “Where are we heading?”
Jack, focused on the road, answered without looking back. “We’re heading to Sarah’s neighborhood. We’ll stay at her house tonight, rest up, and tomorrow we’ll hit the police station and a nearby supermarket for supplies.”
Nir, sitting in the backseat, spoke up. “Thank you for saving me back there,” he said earnestly. “I thought I was done for.”
Sarah, who had been tending to Nir’s wound, offered a warm smile. “We look out for each other. That’s the only way we’re getting through this.”
Jack chimed in with a firm nod. “We’ve got a plan, and we’re sticking to it. Rest, regroup, resupply—that’s how we survive.”
Ron and Nir voiced their agreement, and Dante felt a sense of camaraderie settle over the group.
As the van rumbled on, Dante’s thoughts turned to their progress. “We never discussed our levels after that fight,” he said, addressing the group. “What levels are you all at now?”
The group exchanged curious glances.
Nir hesitated before speaking. “I’m at Level 4,” he admitted.
Sarah, who had proven herself in combat, added, “I’m at Level 6.”
Jack glanced at Dante through the rearview mirror. “I’m Level 7.”
Natalie, with her exceptional swordsmanship, said, “I’m Level 8.”
Ron, who had offered valuable support, stated, “Level 4, like Nir.”
Finally, Selene, who had been a formidable force with her fireball skill, revealed, “I’m Level 8.”
Dante raised an eyebrow at Selene’s significant progress. “How did you level up so much?”
Selene smiled knowingly. “Because I learned a skill—Meditation.”
Selene explained, “From what we’ve seen, you can get skills from special titles, monster drops, chests, and now we know—by learning them. Meditation has helped me recover Mana energy faster, and I’ve been able to fight longer because of it.”
The idea of acquiring new skills intrigued Dante.
“Can you teach it to the rest of us?” Dante asked.
Selene nodded.
She went on to explain the fundamentals of meditation, guiding her friends through the process of calming their minds, focusing on their inner energy, and harnessing it to recover their spirit more efficiently. It wasn't an easy skill to master.
Dante listened intently as Selene explained her own experience with acquiring the Meditation skill. It seemed that performing certain actions or focusing on particular activities might trigger the acquisition of new skills. The idea of mastering skills in this new world was fascinating and potentially game-changing.
Jack and Natalie shared their own discoveries, and Dante couldn't help but be impressed. Jack's Club Mastery skill and Natalie's Sword Mastery skill were invaluable additions to their arsenal. The fact that their power and attack speed increased by 10% when using their preferred weapons would undoubtedly make them even more effective in combat.
Jack
