When Leo woke up again, he realized he was inside a tent. Not only that—he could smell the rich aroma of meat soup.
His head was still a little dizzy, but he forced himself to sit up and climb out of bed.
What surprised him was that although his arms and legs still ached faintly—and were splinted with makeshift braces made from small branches—the pain in his head and internal organs was gone.
When he moved, his arms no longer hurt either, just a faint, lingering sting.
"…Strange. How long was I out?"
Stepping out of the tent, Leo saw a campfire burning nearby. Two women were sitting beside it, boiling meat in an iron pot. They were dressed the same way as when he'd last seen them.
Leo looked at the slightly tomboyish woman, his mind clearing further, and cautiously called out:
"Kelly?"
Hearing her name, Kelly turned her head from the pot, flashed Leo a cool, confident smile, and waved the wooden stick she was using as a ladle.
"Oh, you're awake? The food will be ready soon—just sit down and wait a bit. Oh, and this is Tsunade Senju. She's the one who saved you earlier, so make sure you thank her properly."
Tsunade Senju?
Leo felt a tightness in his chest. Of course he knew who that name belonged to—but he never expected it to be that Tsunade, from Naruto.
Blood phobia… had all her loved ones already died?
Leo couldn't help glancing at Tsunade, then bowed deeply to her.
"Thank you for saving my life."
Tsunade showed little reaction to his gratitude. She just sat there, staring at the pot of boiling meat, looking somber and distant.
"It's nothing," she said calmly. "There was a price, though."
She then turned to look straight at Leo.
"As payment, you should tell us what's going on here, shouldn't you?"
She was extremely curious about this world. She'd been planning to leave Konoha with Shizune to find a quiet place to live. The moment she stepped outside her home, she'd been dragged here—into a land filled with corpses.
She hated things like this. For a moment, she'd almost thought she'd fallen into hell.
"This place… isn't much different from hell," Leo sighed, sitting down as he began explaining.
"The humans here were wiped out by some unknown disaster and turned into corpse monsters that only crave human flesh. The only way to kill them completely is to destroy their brains. But that's not the worst part. What's really strange is this world itself—every time we kill zombies, we gain experience. That experience raises our level and unlocks new abilities tied to this world. The strange powers you saw earlier all come from that."
He paused, then instinctively opened his character panel—
And froze.
He was level 51.
He hurriedly checked the other tabs. The map was unlocked. Quests and skills were now accessible.
A compass and clock even appeared above his vision, showing the time as 8:20 a.m., along with cardinal directions—he was currently facing north.
The quest tab was still empty, and the skill section only showed basic attributes—Perception, Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Intellect. No special skills yet, but it was clear they would unlock with higher levels.
He had only one skill point for now.
Still, it gave him hope.
Hope of surviving the next horde.
No—with these two here…
Leo looked at Tsunade and Kelly, and the knot in his chest loosened.
Kelly's strength aside—anyone who could survive in the Sky Realm wouldn't be weak. But Tsunade was the real trump card. Even with blood phobia preventing her from killing zombies, her raw strength made her perfect for construction and fortifications.
Mining, at the very least, wouldn't be a problem.
As he paused, Kelly spoke up.
"So you're saying those abilities—pulling wood and guns out of nowhere—are powers given by this world? I thought it was some kind of spatial equipment. Also… do you have a way back?"
Tsunade nodded as well. When she'd first seen Leo conjure wood, she'd nearly mistaken it for some mutated version of Wood Release.
"Yes," Leo said. "And I can also turn you into players by spending experience—as thanks for saving me. Do you want to become players?"
Seeing that neither of them fully trusted him yet, Leo explained further.
"Without player status, you can't interact with this world's systems. For example, that intact building over there—the one with the merchant inside. She's clearly alive, but she doesn't act like a living person at all. Her location and building can't be damaged. If you're not players, you can't even trade with her. But… how long was I unconscious?"
"One day," Kelly answered.
"…Damn. Then there are only four days left until the next horde."
Leo grimaced. Four days wasn't enough time for much. At best, he could dig an underground bunker.
"A horde?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes. I arrived here seven days ago. The day before you found me, I was surrounded by a horde. The zombies move together in massive numbers, and when the moon turns blood-red, they rush toward you and destroy everything in their path. Honestly, I don't even know how I survived. Thinking back, it was probably because I set the gas station on fire."
"And as for going back…"
Leo hesitated, then decided to be honest.
"I haven't found a way yet—but there is a method."
He took the hot water Kelly handed him and glanced at the clear sky, wondering if Erina was safe.
"I see…" Kelly crossed her arms thoughtfully.
Tsunade, however, spoke coldly.
"Let's put the 'player' thing aside. If you appeared here suddenly too, then you must've had a companion. Did you send her back? And does your so-called method come with a price?"
Her eyes locked onto Leo.
Leo nodded, not hiding anything.
"Yes. I sent her back to her original world. The method comes from that. Because of fear and… circumstances, we became close. After that, I discovered I gained a kind of energy whenever someone formed an emotional bond with me. When I accumulate a thousand points, I can send someone back. Whether they truly return to their original world, though—I don't know."
"Huh?" Kelly tilted her head, pointing at her chest.
"So if I want to go back your way, I have to sleep with you? That's a pretty convenient system for you, don't you think?"
Her expression was pure disbelief.
"…That's the only data I have so far," Leo said awkwardly. "But it shouldn't require sex specifically. It's emotional resonance. Maybe becoming companions would work too."
Tsunade turned her head away.
"I hope so."
She still hadn't ruled out the possibility that Leo was behind everything. This world was too strange, and he was the only one they'd met so far.
Blind trust would be foolish.
Leo understood that.
Tsunade was a ninja, after all. And if Kelly were the type to trust easily, she wouldn't have survived this long either.
"I know it's hard to trust me," Leo said seriously, "but for the sake of the next horde, I hope you'll work with me."
Unable to gain their trust yet, Leo decided to act first.
He'd build an underground bunker for himself.
As for constructing large buildings to resist the horde… remembering that endless sea of zombies, he discarded the idea immediately.
Instead, he chose honesty.
"I won't force you to do anything. You're free to explore this world yourselves. As thanks for saving me, I'll provide food and resources. But please—don't get scratched. Without medicine, infection is very likely. And if you encounter a screaming zombie, kill it immediately. Those can call others and greatly boost their strength and speed."
He paused before adding,
"And remember—by the third day, no matter where you are or what you find, come back. Without a proper base, surviving the next horde will be extremely difficult."
His tone was earnest, without concealment.
"I see," Tsunade said, exchanging a glance with Kelly.
Kelly nodded.
"All right. We'll be counting on you for now."
It was the best arrangement. They planned to scout the area first before deciding whether to trust Leo fully. His tactfulness also left a good impression.
They talked a bit more. Leo explained the different zombie types, then they ate in silence.
Kelly's meat soup was… edible. Compared to Erina's cooking, it was practically pig feed—but no one was in a position to complain.
After the meal, the two women headed out to scout. They didn't even stop by the strange female merchant. Leo stayed behind, watching their slender figures disappear into the ruined town, and sighed.
"What a shame."
If Tsunade and Kelly trusted him, things would be much easier.
Kelly had taken his scrap machine gun, but only about a hundred rounds of ammo. Tsunade took nothing at all, seemingly relying on Kelly for protection.
"Now it's my turn to work hard."
Taking a deep breath, Leo entered the merchant's shop.
Everything was exactly the same as before—only the female merchant inside, still smiling, still unmoving.
Leo said nothing. His body wasn't ready for heavy work yet. He opened the merchant interface and selected "Do you have any jobs?"
The next moment, the merchant moved.
"Oh, you came at just the right time. I have plenty of work that needs doing."
Standard English came from her mouth, yet Leo understood it perfectly. Her voice wasn't as sharp as Erina's, but it carried a gentle warmth.
Then several quests appeared:
Clear all zombies from the fire station (214 m).
Retrieve White River smuggled goods from a three-story building (200 m).
Retrieve food supplies from a white wooden house (160 m).
Clear all zombies from a wooden bungalow (121 m).
Leo immediately chose the fourth—the closest one.
More importantly, he was certain the town had burned down completely. There shouldn't be any intact bungalow left.
"Wonderful! The last group I sent there died, and I was worried I wouldn't find help. Thank you so much!"
A quest marker appeared on the right side of his vision. When he opened the map, a large exclamation mark appeared in the ashes of the town, labeled Clear.
"So the destruction of the building doesn't affect the quest system… Does that mean zombies will spawn when I arrive, or will the quest auto-complete?"
Leo licked his lips and turned to leave—then suddenly remembered something.
Could this merchant be used to upgrade his return ability?
Staring at the scantily dressed merchant, Leo fell into hesitation.
Do it… or not?
He knew that the moment he hesitated, the thought had already formed. The only reason he didn't act was because he didn't want it badly enough yet.
"…Not now."