3 Aberrant Shadow (1)

A day passed, and Shinon was still stuck in an unknown place. On his way, he encountered a few zombies and managed to kill some of them while also stealing their stats.

The strangest thing was that his domination stat would increase whenever he killed a creature. At first, it wasn't clear what the stat did, but as he continued fighting, he understood the importance of [Domination] stat.

The gist was that the higher his [Domination] stat, the better he could use his skills. For example, whenever he gained a point, he could hide in his shadow for a few seconds longer than before.

[Domination] could also be used to level up his abilities, which wasn't possible back in his world. There were no shortcuts to getting stronger. One had to work their butt off to attain excellence.

Despite having the opportunity, Shinon decided not to upgrade the skills as he would lose his earned points. Besides, [Shadow Mimic] skill was already at level 2.

'Ten points to upgrade a skill once,' He thought, 'It wouldn't be so bad if obtaining domination points was easier- What was that?'

As Shinon walked through the deserted streets, he noticed movement in the distance. He crept closer, staying in the shadows, and saw a group of survivors huddled together, armed with various weapons. They were led by a young blonde woman who radiated strength and determination.

"Survivors!" Shinon was happy to see lively faces, but his excitement soon died.

Just because they were alive didn't mean they were friendly. Moreover, they were carrying guns and whatnot. Approaching them hastily could lead to deadly consequences.

Unfortunately, the right to choose was stolen from him when another notification appeared before him.

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You have been assigned a surprise quest!

[Friends in need]

Befriend the unruly raiders and discover their base of operations.

Condition for failure: Escaping the scenario or the raiders becoming hostile towards the user.

Punishment for failure: The user's HP will be reduced by 10 points.

Reward for success: One of the user's skills will be upgraded.

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"This son of a bitch... stop threatening me!"

Shinon's loud voice attracted unwanted attention sooner than he would have liked.

"Put your hands up and come out!" A frail-looking man yelled.

He approached them cautiously, and the group immediately pointed their weapons at him. He held up his hands, hoping it would deter them from shooting him.

The young woman stepped forward, her weapon lowered. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice strong and confident.

"My name is Shinon Flintlock," he replied. "I was transported here from another time."

The group looked at him sceptically, but the young woman seemed intrigued. Maybe she was playing with their prey.

"Another time?" she repeated, trying not to laugh, "you're one of those, huh? No wonder the disrupter went berserk. You're from the past, I guess?"

Shinon nodded. "I think so. I was working in my forge when I was suddenly transported to this place. I don't know what is going on-"

The group whispered among themselves, and Shinon could hear them questioning the young woman, asking if they could trust him. She turned back to Shinon and narrowed her eyes. Regardless of what she said, the guys would execute their boss's will without hesitation.

"Why should we trust you?" she asked.

Shinon took a deep breath and decided to be honest. "I don't have any weapons, and I don't know how to fight the undead efficiently. You're the only people I found in this wasteland, and I approached you for help.

Shinon continued, "But I don't expect it to be free. Hence I offer you my services in exchange for food and shelter. I believe I possess some skills that could be useful to your group."

The young woman raised an eyebrow. "What kind of skills?"

"I'm a blacksmith- I mean, I was one before teleporting here," Shinon replied. "I know how to work with metal and forge weapons and armour. I could help you make better weapons to fight the zombies. If I don't prove useful, feel free to kill me."

The group looked at each other, and the young woman seemed to be considering his offer. Finally, she nodded. Shinon didn't expect his words would work, but when they did, he grew suspicious.

"Okay," she said. "You can come with us. But you have to earn our trust. One wrong move, and you'll have a bullet in your head, got it?"

The threat of putting a bullet in a super's head was laughable back on earth. But since Shinon's abilities and stats had been altered, he wasn't sure about testing the raiders.

To survive, Shinon needed gear, food, shelter and, most importantly, information. Something he was planning on getting from the raiders.

He nodded, happy that he got the opportunity he was looking for. He followed the group as they made their way through the ruined city, staying in the shadows and trying to avoid attracting the undead's attention. Little did they know someone already had their eyes on them.

***

As they walked, Shinon couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief. He had never believed in time travel or alternate dimensions, even though dungeons could be seen as either.

But here he was in a world overrun by zombies. He wondered if he would ever find a way back home or if he was stuck in this nightmarish future forever.

The thought of being inside a dungeon crossed his mind for a moment. However, he knew it was wishful thinking and nothing else. No dungeon could be as expansive as the world he had teleported into.

The raiders were much interested in talking, either. All of Shinon's questions fell on deaf ears. However, he would often notice them side-eyeing him.

Shinon didn't mind if they were suspicious of him. The world he belonged to was vastly different from theirs, and was unaware of what kind of hardships they had to go through to get to the point they were at.

Suddenly, the lady raised her fist, and everyone stopped in their place.

"Something's off." the lady whispered, "take positions."

Like lightning, everyone formed a circle with Shinon at the centre. Although they were carrying guns, bullets must have been a rare commodity because they immediately switched to melee weapons, with the lady using a crossbow.

"What's-"

"Shush!" one of the guys urged Shinon to remain silent.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the building complex in front. The building was an old apartment complex, its windows boarded up, and its doors barricaded. But suddenly, the silence was shattered as the boards splintered and the doors burst open with a deafening crash.

A torrent of zombies poured out of the building, their moans and groans filling the air as they surged forward in a mindless frenzy. The zombies moved with surprising speed, their decaying bodies covering the ground with startling agility.

"Damned Sprinters!"

The Raiders were caught off guard, their eyes widening in terror as they realized they were about to be overrun.

"Take cover!" The lady yelled, drawing her silenced pistol. "If you don't have a silenced firearm, use melee weapons!"

The Raiders scrambled to take cover, diving behind nearby cars and trash cans as the horde drew closer. The lady pulled Shinon behind a car along. The blacksmith's life was important, and she didn't trust her comrades would be attentive enough to save his life.

As the horde approached them, the air around thickened with the stench of decay, and the sound of crunching bones and tearing flesh was sickening.

The Raiders fought back with whatever weapons they had at their disposal, hacking and slashing at the zombies with desperation in their eyes.

But the horde was relentless, its numbers seemingly endless as it closed in on the survivors. It was a brutal, chaotic scene, with blood and gore spattering the pavement and screams echoing through the air.

While the raiders fought against the zombies, Shinon was lost in his own thoughts. Should he reveal his ability and fight alongside them or escape silently?