12 New quest
You completed a quest!
You received a new quest!
Survive for four hours!
Reward: Bash Skill Book.
Congratulations! You learned the spell: Fireball!
Fireball: Cast a Fireball with both hands and shoot it towards the target.
Damage: M. Attack x 2 - Magic defense (Target)
Cost: 03 MP
Range: +3 meters
Lv 01 0/100
Next Level: increased range, damage, and the ability to shoot the spell with a single hand.
The moment Bruce left the building, he received these notifications. He could use Fireball three times in his current state, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough to defeat monsters from a distance. He also questioned his accuracy from a certain distance.
"Well, it's a new weapon," Bruce said. "At the very least, it can give me an opportunity to surprise my enemies."
The ability to create fire was also useful. Bruce, being a city boy who had never camped before, knew that this spell would come in handy. He returned to the alley since he wasn't confident he could handle the numerous monsters around the burning shop, even with his newfound magic. However, when he put on the night vision goggles, he saw two shadows approaching in the distance. To his disappointment, it was Chris and Diane.
"I'm wasting too much time here; maybe taking the longer route isn't such a bad idea," Bruce sighed. "Let me guess, you guys want to stick with me until we find a larger group of survivors."
That guess was too accurate, surprising Chris. Diane, being around Bruce's age, saw through his intentions. There was no need to lie; working together would be convenient for both parties. Although Bruce knew this to be true, he wasn't particularly interested in forming a party with them. Nevertheless, it was only temporary and would be beneficial for him. It was better than staying in the alley, waiting for monsters to appear.
"That's right," Diane affirmed. "I assume you're smart enough not to refuse."
"No, I'm not smart enough," Bruce replied. "However, as long as you two don't hinder me, I'll keep my complaints to myself."
Bruce sighed upon seeing their statuses, realizing that even a teenager was stronger than him at level one. The siblings were unaware of his sigh, but they would understand once they leveled up. Bruce's stats were quite pathetic.
Status
HP: 04/10
MP: 09/09
SP: 04/10
Level: 02 (14/200)
Strength: 07
Physical Attack: 8 + 3
Vitality: 02
Physical Defense: 3
Agility: 02
Movement Speed: 6 meters per second
Intelligence: 4
Magic Attack: 5
Dexterity: 3
Magic Defense: 5
Luck: 5
Range: 6 meters
Free Points: 00
Spiritual Coins: 09
Social Status
Level: 01 (90/100)
Karma: 00
Intimidation: 02
Charisma: 2
Persuasion: 02
Insight: 04
Perception: 04
Presence: 01
Allies: 02
Enemies: 01
Bruce checked his status again to confirm any changes, and as expected, some things had changed. His social status was about to level up, his Karma had reset to zero, and he had gained two allies. It was strange since Bruce hadn't helped them; they had only made a deal. The system was odd, but since it didn't seem important during battles, Bruce decided to ignore the changes.
"Your goal is to find other survivors, but mine is to reach the northern part of the city," Bruce explained. "We won't accomplish anything by staying here, so let's move."
"Who died and made you the leader of this group?" Diane challenged.
"...Here, you can borrow this," Bruce said, passing the sword he obtained from Chris back to him. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't break it, but given the circumstances, maybe that's asking too much. Make yourself useful."
Although they formed a party because Diane believed it was best for everyone, she had no intention of letting Bruce take command. Even though he had the final say, Bruce chose to ignore her. The situation became more complicated with his remark. The sword originally belonged to Chris, so Bruce's words sounded sarcastic.
"Let's not argue over trivial matters, alright?" Chris forced a smile. "Let's just work together because without cooperation, we won't get far."
"It seems those monsters can easily be attracted to various phenomena," Bruce said, stepping out of the alley and surveying the burning shop. "However, they tend to follow their primal instincts more readily. The number of monsters blocking the road has decreased; they're probably searching for other humans. Nevertheless, there are still at least ten monsters there. We have to eliminate them before proceeding."
"We need to level up as much as possible since the monsters can level up by killing humans," Diane stated. "I agree with your plan."
"Wouldn't it be riskier to face ten level two goblins at our current level rather than ten level ten goblins at our current level?" Bruce questioned. "We have our own goals, but we can't ignore the monsters. The more we let them run rampant, the harder they'll be to deal with later."
Chris couldn't find an argument against that logic. In fact, he also wanted to fight as much as possible to indirectly save lives. However, the image of his sister almost losing her life was still vivid in his mind.
"Don't worry, we have shields now," Diane reassured, patting her little brother's head. "We even have swords, so we'll kill all the monsters before they can harm us. By the way, what's your real name?"
"Bruce..." Bruce replied. "The monster probably just got lucky with her injury. You can relax, kiddo."
"That's right," Diane said confidently. "I killed two of them, and the third one caught me off guard, so..."
"If I were her, I'd be more concerned about leg injuries," Bruce interrupted. "Her neck is almost out of reach for goblins. But her legs...they're easy targets."
Bruce was only joking, as Diane was a bit of a nuisance. However, judging by her glare, it seemed she took offense. While her height was an advantage, she disliked having it pointed out, especially by someone shorter. It wasn't entirely accurate to call the 1.70-meter-tall Bruce short, but it wasn't entirely incorrect either. Regardless, Diane decided to remain silent, realizing that protesting would only draw more attention to the sensitive topic.
