Level Up Arcana

Small Zombie Horde

A wave of flames erupted outward, engulfing all three zombies. They shrieked and flailed as the fire consumed them, eventually collapsing into charred corpses.

Kade stared at the bodies, chest heaving. "Holy s**t. I just... I actually..."

"Yeah," Raiden said quietly. "You did."

No one spoke after that. They all understood now. This wasn't just about running and hiding. If they wanted to survive, they had to fight. They had to kill.

Even if the things they were killing used to be people.

As they continued toward the training complex, Raiden remembered the reward from his earlier quest. The Black-grade Treasure Orb was still sitting in his inventory, unused.

He opened the translucent interface with a thought. The inventory screen appeared, showing a single glowing black orb icon.

Curious, he mentally selected it.

[Black-grade Treasure Orb]

[Open? Yes / No]

Raiden thought 'Yes'.

The orb materialized in his hand. It was a smooth, dark sphere about the size of a baseball. It pulsed with faint energy, warm to the touch.

He squeezed it with enough force.

The orb shattered like glass, fragments dissolving into light. In its place, a weapon appeared, falling into his grip.

The weapon was a sword.

It was about three feet long with a sleek, silver blade that seemed to catch the light at odd angles. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, comfortable in his hand. The whole thing felt perfectly balanced, lighter than he expected but sturdy.

[Silvermoon Sword]

[Grade: Refined]

[A common weapon found in Black-grade Treasure Orbs. Sharp and durable.]

Raiden tested the weight, giving it a few experimental swings. It was a much better weapon than the metal rod.

According to the system information that popped up, treasure orbs and weapons were ranked in a specific hierarchy.

Treasure orbs were of varying colours: Black, Yellow, Orange, Red, Green, Blue, Purple, Silver, and Gold.

While weapons were: Refined, Profound, Earth, Spirit, Soul, Sacred, Heaven, Origin, and Primordial.

This Silvermoon Sword was the lowest tier of both categories. But right now, it was the best weapon he'd ever held.

"Whoa," Jace said, eyes wide behind his glasses. "Where did that come from?"

"It's a treasure orb," Raiden explained. "A reward from the quest I completed."

He glanced at the metal rod in his hand, then at Jace. Without a word, he tossed the rod to his friend.

Jace caught it awkwardly, he'd only used it to kill the zombie previously. He wasn't familiar with it yet. "You sure?"

"You need a weapon more than I do now." Raiden held up the Silvermoon Sword. "This'll work better anyway."

Jace looked down at the rod, then back at Raiden. Something like gratitude flickered across his face. "I should get used to swinging it around then."

"Of course."

The group pressed on, now better armed and slightly more confident. They protected whoever they could save along the way, a few straggling students here, a terrified staff member there. Not everyone made it as some were too far gone, already surrounded by zombies. Others were too panicked to listen and ran in the opposite direction.

But the ones they could save, they did.

Each kill brought more mana, more experience, more notifications. The system was constantly pinging them, updating their levels and stats.

Raiden was now Level 3 Spirit Circle. Jace had reached Level 2. Mira and Kade were both Level 2 as well.

The survivors they'd picked up along the way were starting to level up too. Well, those who could bear to face their fears and kill at least, though they killed more slowly since they weren't doing the actual fighting.

After what felt like hours but was probably only thirty minutes, they finally reached the western edge of campus.

The training complex loomed ahead. It was a massive stone building with reinforced walls and narrow windows. It was built like a fortress, designed to withstand magical duels and combat training.

Right now, it looked like their best chance at survival.

But there was a problem.

Between them and the gate stood over thirty zombies, mindlessly roaming around in a loose cluster. Some were students who wanted to train before the change happened, and some were staff. A few wore guard uniforms, which meant they might have been stronger when alive.

A shocking sight indeed.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kade muttered.

Finn looked like he was going to pass out. "We can't fight that many. There are too many of them."

"We don't have a choice," Mira said, her voice hard. "That's the only way into the complex."

Raiden studied the horde carefully. There were over thirty zombies, maybe more if he included others wandering nearby. His group had fifteen people total, but only four of them — himself, Jace, Mira, and Kade — were actually capable fighters right now.

The odds weren't great. But they'd come too far to turn back now.

"We need a plan," Raiden said, gripping the Silvermoon Sword tighter. "If we just charge in, we'll get overwhelmed."

"What do you suggest?" Mira asked, looking at him intently.

Raiden's mind raced, thinking through their options.

They needed to thin the horde by drawing some away to create an opening.

His eyes lit up like a bulb as a sudden thought hit him.

"Fire," he said, turning to Kade. "How big can you make your flames?"

Kade blinked. "Uh, I mean, pretty big? Why?"

Raiden pointed toward a supply shed off to the left of the zombie horde. "That shed. If we set it on fire and create enough noise, it'll draw their attention. Zombies are attracted to noise and movement, right? The fire and smoke should pull at least some of them away."

Mira's eyes lit up with understanding. "And while they're distracted, we can slip past and get inside the complex."

"Exactly."

Jace looked nervous. "And if it doesn't work?"

"Then we fight the few zombies left behind," Raiden said simply. "But this gives us better odds."

Kade nodded slowly. "Alright. I can do that."

"Everyone else," Raiden addressed the eleven survivors, "stay behind us and stay quiet. When we move, you move while sticking close to each other. Got it?"

They all nodded, too scared to argue.

"Okay," Raiden said, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."