After the meeting ended and William gave all the photos and videos to Eliza, he went to his room and stayed there all night.
He was already starting to get bored in the shelter. For some reason, it felt very small to him because he didn't want to just sit around. He wanted to improve and level up, but the limitations of the system were evident here.
William needed evolution points to improve, and special zombies were hard to find.
It was very difficult to kill the creatures in the open dungeon because they roamed in groups. This left William with only one option: to enter the open dungeon as a team with the people in the shelter. He had already started making plans. Who could help him the most and how?
Marcus and Eliza were at the top of the list. He had observed them as soon as they arrived, and it was clear that they hadn't been idle during the past month.
Of course, they weren't the only ones who had improved. Mick, Ed, Jason, Min-jun, and even Kim were among those who had improved. Trudie, however, was nowhere to be seen.
He had asked about her when passing by her room, but Eliza had simply said that she had "disappeared."
William raised an eyebrow at this answer but said nothing.
After going to his room, he opened the system panel. His repertoire of abilities had improved considerably over the past month.
[William Aunitidis – Level: 10]
[EXP: 141,120/144,000]
[STRENGTH: 6.7 (+++)]
[SPEED: 7.6 (+++)]
[PERCEPTION: 3.2 (+++)]
[LEY: 1 (+++)]
[EVOLUTION POINTS: 3/10]
[Level Cycle: 0/10]
[SP:0] (System Points)
[Skills: Power of Breath IV, Weight Mastery III, Advanced Perception II, Silent Steps V, Silent Strike V, Piercing V, Among the Shadows V, Shadow Step V, Night Vision V, Critical Cut V, Strike Momentum V, Throwing Mastery V, Dual Sword Mastery V, Dagger Mastery V, Pistol Mastery V, Automatic Weapon Mastery V, Sharp Vision V, Long Range Vision V, Environmental Awareness V, Area Awareness V, Quick Digestion V,]
[Blessing: EXP10X]
[System Coins: 327,780]
[Marketplace (+)]
[STORE (+)]
[LIBRARY (+)]
[CODEX (+)]
William was happy with what he saw on the abilities panel. The new screen provided detailed information about abilities, and he learned that basic abilities could be improved up to a maximum of level five.
In short, all the abilities in the system's library were basic and could not be improved beyond level five, except for one ability.
[Basic Perception] This ability continued to improve after level five, and its name also changed. William was eagerly awaiting its next path of improvement, so he always looked at every zombie, every item, and every person with high focus.
William focused on the [Hide] option, and all abilities that had reached level five were hidden.
William would spend his time here filling his EXP bar and learning the abilities that people were selling at the market.
He would also try the level cycle.
William had a rough estimate and thought it was most likely correct.
The system would allow them to reset their level when they reached level 10, so they could improve their sub-stats or main stats further, but the system was playing a game here.
Did he want to evolve now? Or did he want to collect more evolution points and evolve more powerfully after his stats had increased?
William understood the system's trick here. Most likely, if he chose to enter the level cycle, he would level up more difficultly, but he would gain more stats.
Still, the dilemma in his mind wouldn't go away.
If he advanced to Level 11, he could kill the zombie in the open dungeon as soon as possible. That was also an option. Moreover, he still had no clue where the Necromarax battlefields were or how to get there.
William wasn't sure what to do. Should he strive to be the strongest? It seemed logical, given the gift he had been given. Or should he be the first to level up quickly and reach the top, but what if he encountered a stronger zombie at the same level? Moreover, there was a reality that William and even Joseph feared.
There were high-level items in the system's Marketplace.
Some of them weren't related to combat, including materials needed to build factories, such as energy converters, but the combat-related items were their main concern.
The Marketplace had items of level fifty and above, and they came with a lot of information they didn't know.
William furrowed his brows. If the zombie apocalypse wasn't the only problem? What if they were attacked by different people or different races one day? How would they defend themselves then?
They had managed to survive somehow for a month and a half, but then what? A year later? Five or ten years later?
William took a deep breath.
He fell asleep, exhausted from hours of thinking.
William was worried.
...
When he woke up the next day, William was greeted by a pleasant surprise.
Breakfast consisted of fresh vegetables and fruits. William had gotten used to eating canned fish and meat even for breakfast for the past month, so the taste was a little different at first, but the sweet aroma of the fruits soon filled his body.
Still, he ate only what was given to him and did not ask for more.
When he went outside, he saw that everyone was busy.
They were standing around a machine, watching Austin and a few other people working on it.
"What is this?" William approached and asked Elura.
"It's an energy converter... I think..." William frowned and looked closely at the machine, but his ability to perceive things was still not working, even with ordinary objects.
After a while, Austin and the two men beside him, one of whom was Saleem, stepped back and pressed a button.
"Vrooooommmmm…"
The sound was loud enough to attract zombies within at least a mile radius, but it only came out during the initial startup.
The sound gradually faded, and after a point, the machine began operating very quietly.
Austin celebrated and jumped for joy. Joseph clapped and supported him.
Shortly after, William understood what the machine was through Joseph's explanation.
It was a small military-style generator, but its energy output and efficiency were at the highest level.
Joseph said that this machine alone could currently meet the entire shelter's electricity needs.
William then inspected the shelter and its surroundings. A lot had changed in just one month. Of course, in a good way.
There were only a few adult men left living outside, and their tents were large enough to provide a comfortable environment like a house.
William saw several cables and pipes leading to each house.
"I guess they found a technician and a plumber." William nodded.
The help these people had given to the shelter was undeniable.
Elura came up to him. "How is it? Has it improved since you last saw it?"
"Yes, very much so." William turned and looked at Elura's increasingly visible belly.
"How's the little guy?"
Elura smiled and nodded. "Max said he's very healthy."
"Max who? The doctor?" William raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, we now have a doctor and two nurses. We even have a pharmacist who knows about medications and a dietitian who makes sure our meals are properly balanced.
"I guess we can call ourselves a small town now." William smiled.
"Definitely." Elura nodded.
She then changed the subject. "Are you going to participate in the mansion operation?"
William shook his head. "I haven't heard anything about such an operation. Since they didn't tell me, it wouldn't be right for me to join, would it?"
Elura shook her head. "That's not how it is. Just look at these people, William. You've made an impression on everyone in the group that came here. They all see you as a second leader alongside Joseph. Because you're strong."
Elura put her hand on William's shoulder.
"Even if I were asked who the strongest person is, I would choose you. When I look at Marcus, I see raw power, but you are in control. You know what to do, how to do it, and where to do it, and you know how to control your movements, and I hate to say this, but you don't discriminate."
Towards the end, Elura's voice cracked.
"What do you mean?" William frowned.
"Take a good look at Mick, Jason, and Min-Jun. Look at how old and neglected their weapons are. Now look at Edmond and the others. Marcus only gives what's left of his power and money to a select group. What's more, since he always uses the big guns, even if thousands of zombies die, you're only responsible for killing three or five at most. We're not gaining any EXP."
William looked closely at Mick. He saw that his level was three. This made him frown because most of the soldiers were level five or higher.
He also knew that his own group was quite skilled. Given the chance, they could all become zombie-killing machines.
"I understand…" William nodded.
"I'll handle this." After William's words, Elura walked away.
William then looked at Marcus, who was joking around with the soldiers.
[Marcus Steel Sv10]
[STRENGTH: 9(+++)]
[SPEED: 2(+++)]
[PERCEPTION: 1(+++)]
[LEY: 1(+++)]
He didn't look closely. He knew his blessings. He also knew that he was a madman who gave everything to strength.
William didn't see Marcus as a problem. What he noticed at the moment was that everyone was busy with their work, each holding onto a part of the task.
However, Marcus and his team were joking around with each other and playing small games.
Despite his age, Mick carrying heavy planks touched his heart.
The area where the shelter was located—Northmere to the north, Old Telludure to the south, and New Telludure to the southeast—was considered cleared.
Additionally, the shelter was surrounded by barbed wire, ensuring security.
Moreover, the building itself was also surrounded by barbed wire, meaning that a zombie couldn't get inside unless it was extremely powerful.
In short, these people did nothing but kill zombies, and as a result, the other people in the shelter remained at a low level, working like slaves in exchange for survival.
William then saw Ed join Marcus and joke around while smoking.
He couldn't accept this. He couldn't accept Marcus watching the women in the shelter working with all their strength and sighing.
William had trusted Ed, but now he understood the meaning of the looks he had seen in the beginning.
He also saw the women in Marcus's group, but they weren't much different.
Then he saw Eliza.
Eliza went over and scolded Marcus, but when Ed intervened, Eliza fell silent.
"There's no military discipline left," William shook his head.
He then walked over to Marcus's group.
Marcus composed himself a little after what Eliza had said, but with courage from Ed, he continued his relaxed movements.
At that moment, William arrived.
Everyone knew William. Despite his young age, he was strong. He was seen as being on the same level of strength as Marcus, but among the soldiers, Marcus's strength was godlike, and they thought William would remain silent while Marcus was around.
William approached and stood next to Eliza. "What's going on?"
Eliza didn't know William well enough, but she hadn't noticed any inconsistency or laxity in his movements so far. So she thought he was trustworthy.
"They need to prepare for the mansion operation, but they're slacking off," Eliza spoke angrily.
"Come on, Eliza! We've been training since morning; we deserve a little rest!" Marcus put on his most relaxed smile and spoke.
At that moment, Ed supported him. "The kids got up early this morning to kill zombies. Let them rest a little."
William had to speak up at this point.
He turned his head and pointed to the people working behind him, regardless of whether they were men or women. "Do you want to tell them that too?" William was starting to get annoyed with Ed. For some reason, he felt like there was a hidden meaning behind every word he said.
In response to William's words, Marcus stood up and walked over to face him.
"What's it to you? This is between us!"
Marcus tried to stand up straight, but he was a head shorter than William. He couldn't look down on William.
"I am also a citizen of this shelter. I have the right to speak. Besides, I see that you are breaking military discipline. Is it a new law to talk to your captain like that?"
William didn't back down. He turned his head and looked at Marcus. His body may not have been as broad as Marcus's, but there was no denying the amount of muscle beneath his clothes.
Strength was William's second greatest asset. With his fists, he could turn a single-story building into rubble with just a few blows.
"Look at you... The baby who was begging for shelter is now the boss. Stay out of this; this is between us." Marcus tried to push William away with the back of his hand, but he had made the biggest mistake of his life.
The moment Marcus's hand touched William's chest, William drew his dagger and held it under Marcus's chin.
Marcus didn't even have time to react. He might not die from a single stab, but he would certainly be seriously injured.
Sweat began to form on Marcus' forehead. Although he couldn't see the level of the dagger, he could tell that it was sharp enough to pierce him easily.
He frowned and spoke. "What does this mean?"
"It means watch out." William withdrew his dagger. He put it back in his belt and wanted to turn back. He didn't want to spend any more time with these people because, even though there were civilians behind them, they had their weapons pointed at William.
Eliza shouted at them all. "Put down your weapons, you fools!" She was at level seven. She hadn't had time to kill the zombies because she was dealing with the people, but even so, her voice echoed throughout the shelter.
William recognized Ley in her voice when she shouted, even though his own ears were ringing.
All the soldiers lowered their weapons. Except one, Ed.
Eliza glared at Ed but said nothing.
At that moment, an unexpected event occurred. As William sheathed his dagger, he saw a fist coming toward him.
A massive fist that felt like a meteor.
William understood in that moment. He wouldn't let this fool stand there until he had completely knocked him to the ground.
William suddenly disappeared from in front of the fist and appeared next to Ed. His twin katanas were already out, and he slashed at Ed's gun, splitting it in two. At the same time, William didn't stop and took another step forward, appearing behind Marcus.
When Marcus saw his fist swinging into the empty air, he immediately pulled it back and swung it sideways. His instincts told him the danger was right behind him, but when he turned around, he found no one there.
But the feeling of danger at his back didn't fade.
By the time he realized it, it was too late.
William appeared behind him again and pulled the shield off his back with a swift motion.
He then threw it aside and crossed his twin katana blades, pressing them against Marcus's neck as he tried to turn around.
Marcus couldn't do anything. How could he have known that the moment he threw that punch, his fate had already been sealed?
Marcus wasn't weak, no. It was William who was strong.
William's only advantage wasn't in leveling up. With every action he took, William gained more experience. If he had started learning repair work alongside Austin today, he could have been better than Austin in a month.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!" Joseph arrived at that moment.
William furrowed his brows, keeping his eyes on Marcus, and slowly returned his katanas to his waist.
"MARCUS, ELIZA, WILLIAM, COME TO MY ROOM!" Joseph then turned around and left.
William was not happy with this situation. He felt like he was back in school, but this was not a school. It was a shelter where people were trying to survive, and there should be no internal conflicts.
William walked at a normal pace and followed Marcus and Eliza.
None of them spoke during this time.
After a while, they arrived at Joseph's room.
Joseph was sitting in his chair, looking angry.
William was the last to enter and closed the door behind him.
He then slammed his hand on the table and shouted.
Joseph had underestimated his strength, and the edge of the table cracked.
...