As the morning sun swept over the camp, Anders climbed out of his bed, spear in hand. Ever since yesterday, he couldn’t get the image of a polearm out of his mind. It didn’t matter whether it was a spear, bo-staff, glaive, halberd, or anything else.
Even while he was sleeping, he still had dreams of swinging something around.
‘This talent is amazing!’ He inwardly exclaimed, feeling slightly more powerful than yesterday.
His core was taut, the mind-muscle connection to his legs was more prominent, and his arms were a bit more flexible.
He stretched his limbs a bit before walking outside to the nice, cool morning sun. The fresh breeze brushed against his skin, and the soil was soft and moist from last night’s rain.
With the makeshift, somewhat cracked spear held tightly in his hands, he began swinging. Following the movements Zayzal taught him yesterday, he moved fluidly. It took him a bit to get into a rhythm, but once he did, it was as if he had entered an enlightened state.
Closing his eyes, the pores on his skin opened as mana was sucked in. It channeled through his body in a rather specific way, and he did his best to attune his movements to the flow.
However, he wasn’t exactly a genius with the way of the spear to begin with, and his talent only improved his comprehension speed. Some of his movements were off slightly, causing the mana to spiral out of control and enter a different area in his body.
The more he moved, the more he realized just how precise everything needed to be. Not just his positioning but muscle control, intensity, mind-body connection, balance, speed, flexibility, and seamlessness all had an effect on the efficiency of progression.
When he finally moved according to the flow, his thrusts were more powerful, swings faster, and he felt stronger, but if he didn’t, there was hardly any change.
This realization was both inspiring and daunting to Anders. It showed him a path toward greater strength and mastery, but it was a path wrought with meticulousness and precision.
Every element of his movement and stance, every subtle twist and flex of his muscles, needed to be in perfect sync with the mana flowing within him.
With furrowed brows and a heightened focus, Anders continued his practice, immersing himself in perfecting his techniques.
The camp slowly stirred awake around him, and the sounds of daily life commenced.
However, none of this registered in Anders’ perception.
As the sun climbed higher, casting its warm, golden glow over the landscape, Anders could feel the incremental changes within him. It was not a torrential surge of power but rather a gradual accumulation, like sediment depositing layer upon layer over time, forging a foundation robust and unyielding.
The meticulous nature of this process, however, did little to dampen his spirits. Each thrust that felt more natural, each swing that cut through the air with a bit more grace and force, was a testament to his progress.
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes observed his solitary practice from a distance.
Zayzal watched with a thoughtful gaze, noting the determination and focus etched on Anders' face.
A smile tugged at the corners of Zayzal's lips as he watched Anders. He was satisfied that the man didn’t take his help for granted.
‘Maybe he could be a trustworthy companion.’ He thought, his smile widening. Although he wasn’t as strong as Sera, having a dependable, hard-working teammate was already a huge help in dungeons.
As the morning wore on, Anders finally lowered his spear, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead under the sun.
He let out a deep breath after finishing his training.
His gaze eventually landed on Zayzal, and he smiled, waving his hand. “Hey! If I had known you were there, I would’ve stopped!”
Seeing that he was caught, Zayzal walked over with a grin. “No need. We don’t have any plans for today other than looking for some sort of transportation.”
“To get to Greece?”
Zayzal nodded while Anders looked thoughtful.
However, as Zayzal stood next to him, he frowned. He saw large, dark bruises all over his body. The worst were the ones on his back, but there were a few on his arms and legs that looked quite bad.
“...You okay?” he asked with concern written all over his face. Zayzal just waved his hand.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. They look worse than they really are.” He said, mustering a carefree smile, but inwardly, he was concerned.
‘Am I really alright? Why am I not in pain? These aren’t ordinary bruises, after all.’ Then it suddenly dawned on him.
‘My Adaptability!’
His body must’ve grown accustomed to the pain and adapted to it. Either that or the worst of the wounds had already healed. He wasn’t sure.
‘I’ll have to keep this in mind. I don’t want my bones snapping in half or muscles tearing for no reason.’ He noted inwardly.
Seeing that Zayzal was really fine, Anders breathed a sigh of relief before he changed the subject. “Greece, huh? How are you thinking of getting a car? Steal one? Trade for one?” He didn’t particularly care what they did, he was just curious.
Zayzal just shrugged, “I would like to trade, but if I have no other option, I might have to take one.”
“What if I could take you? Would you want to join?” Anders suddenly asked with a slight smile. He truly meant it. If he had someone like Zayzal and Sera by his side, he was confident that he could leave his back to them in case things went south.
As a soldier, although he hadn’t gone to war, he at least understood that sometimes the worst enemy is having a bad teammate.
The first rule of the apocalypse, in his book, is to find people you can trust.
There’s only so much a single person can do, especially against hordes of monsters. Maybe if he was some insanely powered superhero, he could go solo, but as he was now? Not a chance.
Zayzal’s eyes widened, not expecting him to have a car, but immediately agreed. “Of course I would! But are you alright with that? Greece is quite far.”
Anders nodded, “I was meaning to return to Germany anyway. I don’t really talk much with my family, but it’s still my homeland. Denmark is basically not a country anymore after all the floods, so there’s no point in staying here any longer.”
“If you have a car, then why didn’t you leave earlier?
Anders shrugged, “There’s strength in numbers.”
That was all Zayzal needed to know to understand. Anders didn’t feel comfortable traveling through monster-infested regions alone. He couldn’t really blame the guy, either.
Without Sera, he probably would’ve died on that mountain. Even if he didn’t, his trip would’ve been several times more difficult.
“When do we leave?”
“Since you have a car… as soon as possible.”
Well…” Anders awkwardly scratched his chin. “My car is back at my flat, which is quite a few miles from here. I was just out here on business when all this shit went down.”
“No problem.” Zayzal shook his head with a laugh. “Gives us a chance to check out the rest of the country. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. I’ll go get Sera.”
Anders nodded, and the two immediately left to pack up their stuff and get ready.
Zayzal approached Sera's tent, gently pulling aside the flap to reveal her already awake and alert. She looked like she had gotten a great night’s sleep and was ready for the day.
"We're moving out," he declared.
Sera simply nodded, accepting the statement without the need for excessive verbal exchange. She trusted Zayzal knew what he was doing and began to pack up her stuff alongside him.
Around half an hour later, the trio reconvened, ready to leave the campground. Zayzal had his spear on his back, a short sword at his side, a dagger on his belt, and a leather pack filled with all his belongings and loot over his shoulder.
Sera had her shield and axe on her back, with another leather pack over her shoulder. She also had the compass they found in the dungeon in her pocket, just in case they needed it. Though, they still weren’t quite sure what it was for.
Meanwhile, Anders had on his new tunic and was carrying the crudely made spear in his hands.
As they walked through the camp, everyone looked at them weirdly, including the ‘guards’ since they seemed like they were about to go to war. Some of the kids grew nervous and ran behind their parents while everyone else eyed them carefully.
Just when they were about to exit the wire fence to find Anders’ car, a guard stopped them. “Are you guys leaving?”
Although they didn’t have to answer, as they weren’t from this country or held much care for this camp, Zayzal still replied, “Yeah. It’s about time we look for a way home.”
"I see…” The man lowered his head, a trace of disappointment flashing through his eyes. He shook away negative thoughts and said, “Good luck out there. I hope you can make it back home safely."
Clearly, he was reluctant for their camp’s best fighters to leave, but what could he do? He was just an ordinary man who volunteered to ‘guard’ the base.
‘Maybe this is a good thing. The people here need to realize that they have nobody to rely on. Hopefully, that’ll wake them up.’ He thought, his eyes regaining their clarity.
“Thanks. I hope you all survive, as well.” Zayzal said, waving goodbye to the guard, before he turned around and said, “We dealt with the nearby troll problem, so hopefully, you won’t have any problems for a few days or so. Use that time wisely. If you don’t want to die, you all need to get stronger.”
The man was stunned. What did he just hear? They dealt with the trolls? My god!
He wanted to do something to repay them, but before he could say anything, they were already gone.
‘Alright! Now, we must take advantage of this opportunity! I won’t let these people be lazy anymore!’ His eyes burned with resolve before he marched back into camp, ready to set some people straight.
On the other side, the trio had jogged away from the camp, not wanting to be stuck in a conversation any longer. It would probably take them a few hours to reach their car by foot, so they couldn’t waste time talking about nonsense.
The group continued their light jog, with Anders leading the way. Since they were stronger now after being introduced to mana, this was as easy as walking.
When they eventually reached what looked to be a major road, they were taken aback by what they saw.
Rows of abandoned vehicles littered the roadsides. Some bore splatters and smears of dried blood in them, while most of them looked like they had gotten in some kind of a wreck.
While Sera and Zayzal had seen some of this back in Norway, it wasn’t this bad. Perhaps it was because they were now in a more urban environment.
Shops were looted, buildings were destroyed, and the concrete was covered in blood. Most of it had washed away, but the grey stone still had shades of red dyeing it.
Nature, it seemed, was swiftly reclaiming its dominion over the land, unperturbed by the human desperation that had unfolded here. Animals, no longer confined or intimidated by the bustling human activity, ventured out tentatively from their hideaways. Deer and foxes could be spotted darting between cars while birds of various species circled overhead.
The homes and buildings they passed whispered tales of hasty fortification. Windows and doors were boarded up tightly, while fences were lined with makeshift barbed wire or something equivalent.
As they moved further into the residential areas, the eyes of hidden observers followed their progression.
From behind curtained windows and cracked doors, the survivors of this apocalypse peered out warily, eyes flickering with a mix of fear, curiosity, and desperation. The sight of the armed trio stirred whispers and speculation amongst these hidden watchers, but no one dared to approach or challenge the determined group.
The group only had one thought while walking through all this, ‘Can we even make it to the car?’
As the morning sun swept over the camp, Anders climbed out of his bed, spear in hand. Ever since yesterday, he couldn’t get the image of a polearm out of his mind. It didn’t matter whether it was a spear, bo-staff, glaive, halberd, or anything else.
Even while he was sleeping, he still had dreams of swinging something around.
‘This talent is amazing!’ He inwardly exclaimed, feeling slightly more powerful than yesterday.
His core was taut, the mind-muscle connection to his legs was more prominent, and his arms were a bit more flexible.
He stretched his limbs a bit before walking outside to the nice, cool morning sun. The fresh breeze brushed against his skin, and the soil was soft and moist from last night’s rain.
With the makeshift, somewhat cracked spear held tightly in his hands, he began swinging. Following the movements Zayzal taught him yesterday, he moved fluidly. It took him a bit to get into a rhythm, but once he did, it was as if he had entered an enlightened state.
Closing his eyes, the pores on his skin opened as mana was sucked in. It channeled through his body in a rather specific way, and he did his best to attune his movements to the flow.
However, he wasn’t exactly a genius with the way of the spear to begin with, and his talent only improved his comprehension speed. Some of his movements were off slightly, causing the mana to spiral out of control and enter a different area in his body.
The more he moved, the more he realized just how precise everything needed to be. Not just his positioning but muscle control, intensity, mind-body connection, balance, speed, flexibility, and seamlessness all had an effect on the efficiency of progression.
When he finally moved according to the flow, his thrusts were more powerful, swings faster, and he felt stronger, but if he didn’t, there was hardly any change.
This realization was both inspiring and daunting to Anders. It showed him a path toward greater strength and mastery, but it was a path wrought with meticulousness and precision.
Every element of his movement and stance, every subtle twist and flex of his muscles, needed to be in perfect sync with the mana flowing within him.
With furrowed brows and a heightened focus, Anders continued his practice, immersing himself in perfecting his techniques.
The camp slowly stirred awake around him, and the sounds of daily life commenced.
However, none of this registered in Anders’ perception.
As the sun climbed higher, casting its warm, golden glow over the landscape, Anders could feel the incremental changes within him. It was not a torrential surge of power but rather a gradual accumulation, like sediment depositing layer upon layer over time, forging a foundation robust and unyielding.
The meticulous nature of this process, however, did little to dampen his spirits. Each thrust that felt more natural, each swing that cut through the air with a bit more grace and force, was a testament to his progress.
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes observed his solitary practice from a distance.
Zayzal watched with a thoughtful gaze, noting the determination and focus etched on Anders' face.
A smile tugged at the corners of Zayzal's lips as he watched Anders. He was satisfied that the man didn’t take his help for granted.
‘Maybe he could be a trustworthy companion.’ He thought, his smile widening. Although he wasn’t as strong as Sera, having a dependable, hard-working teammate was already a huge help in dungeons.
As the morning wore on, Anders finally lowered his spear, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead under the sun.
He let out a deep breath after finishing his training.
His gaze eventually landed on Zayzal, and he smiled, waving his hand. “Hey! If I had known you were there, I would’ve stopped!”
Seeing that he was caught, Zayzal walked over with a grin. “No need. We don’t have any plans for today other than looking for some sort of transportation.”
“To get to Greece?”
Zayzal nodded while Anders looked thoughtful.
However, as Zayzal stood next to him, he frowned. He saw large, dark bruises all over his body. The worst were the ones on his back, but there were a few on his arms and legs that looked quite bad.
“...You okay?” he asked with concern written all over his face. Zayzal just waved his hand.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. They look worse than they really are.” He said, mustering a carefree smile, but inwardly, he was concerned.
‘Am I really alright? Why am I not in pain? These aren’t ordinary bruises, after all.’ Then it suddenly dawned on him.
‘My Adaptability!’
His body must’ve grown accustomed to the pain and adapted to it. Either that or the worst of the wounds had already healed. He wasn’t sure.
‘I’ll have to keep this in mind. I don’t want my bones snapping in half or muscles tearing for no reason.’ He noted inwardly.
Seeing that Zayzal was really fine, Anders breathed a sigh of relief before he changed the subject. “Greece, huh? How are you thinking of getting a car? Steal one? Trade for one?” He didn’t particularly care what they did, he was just curious.
Zayzal just shrugged, “I would like to trade, but if I have no other option, I might have to take one.”
“What if I could take you? Would you want to join?” Anders suddenly asked with a slight smile. He truly meant it. If he had someone like Zayzal and Sera by his side, he was confident that he could leave his back to them in case things went south.
As a soldier, although he hadn’t gone to war, he at least understood that sometimes the worst enemy is having a bad teammate.
The first rule of the apocalypse, in his book, is to find people you can trust.
There’s only so much a single person can do, especially against hordes of monsters. Maybe if he was some insanely powered superhero, he could go solo, but as he was now? Not a chance.
Zayzal’s eyes widened, not expecting him to have a car, but immediately agreed. “Of course I would! But are you alright with that? Greece is quite far.”
Anders nodded, “I was meaning to return to Germany anyway. I don’t really talk much with my family, but it’s still my homeland. Denmark is basically not a country anymore after all the floods, so there’s no point in staying here any longer.”
“If you have a car, then why didn’t you leave earlier?
Anders shrugged, “There’s strength in numbers.”
That was all Zayzal needed to know to understand. Anders didn’t feel comfortable traveling through monster-infested regions alone. He couldn’t really blame the guy, either.
Without Sera, he probably would’ve died on that mountain. Even if he didn’t, his trip would’ve been several times more difficult.
“When do we leave?”
“Since you have a car… as soon as possible.”
Well…” Anders awkwardly scratched his chin. “My car is back at my flat, which is quite a few miles from here. I was just out here on business when all this shit went down.”
“No problem.” Zayzal shook his head with a laugh. “Gives us a chance to check out the rest of the country. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. I’ll go get Sera.”
Anders nodded, and the two immediately left to pack up their stuff and get ready.
Zayzal approached Sera's tent, gently pulling aside the flap to reveal her already awake and alert. She looked like she had gotten a great night’s sleep and was ready for the day.
"We're moving out," he declared.
Sera simply nodded, accepting the statement without the need for excessive verbal exchange. She trusted Zayzal knew what he was doing and began to pack up her stuff alongside him.
Around half an hour later, the trio reconvened, ready to leave the campground. Zayzal had his spear on his back, a short sword at his side, a dagger on his belt, and a leather pack filled with all his belongings and loot over his shoulder.
Sera had her shield and axe on her back, with another leather pack over her shoulder. She also had the compass they found in the dungeon in her pocket, just in case they needed it. Though, they still weren’t quite sure what it was for.
Meanwhile, Anders had on his new tunic and was carrying the crudely made spear in his hands.
As they walked through the camp, everyone looked at them weirdly, including the ‘guards’ since they seemed like they were about to go to war. Some of the kids grew nervous and ran behind their parents while everyone else eyed them carefully.
Just when they were about to exit the wire fence to find Anders’ car, a guard stopped them. “Are you guys leaving?”
Although they didn’t have to answer, as they weren’t from this country or held much care for this camp, Zayzal still replied, “Yeah. It’s about time we look for a way home.”
"I see…” The man lowered his head, a trace of disappointment flashing through his eyes. He shook away negative thoughts and said, “Good luck out there. I hope you can make it back home safely."
Clearly, he was reluctant for their camp’s best fighters to leave, but what could he do? He was just an ordinary man who volunteered to ‘guard’ the base.
‘Maybe this is a good thing. The people here need to realize that they have nobody to rely on. Hopefully, that’ll wake them up.’ He thought, his eyes regaining their clarity.
“Thanks. I hope you all survive, as well.” Zayzal said, waving goodbye to the guard, before he turned around and said, “We dealt with the nearby troll problem, so hopefully, you won’t have any problems for a few days or so. Use that time wisely. If you don’t want to die, you all need to get stronger.”
The man was stunned. What did he just hear? They dealt with the trolls? My god!
He wanted to do something to repay them, but before he could say anything, they were already gone.
‘Alright! Now, we must take advantage of this opportunity! I won’t let these people be lazy anymore!’ His eyes burned with resolve before he marched back into camp, ready to set some people straight.
On the other side, the trio had jogged away from the camp, not wanting to be stuck in a conversation any longer. It would probably take them a few hours to reach their car by foot, so they couldn’t waste time talking about nonsense.
The group continued their light jog, with Anders leading the way. Since they were stronger now after being introduced to mana, this was as easy as walking.
When they eventually reached what looked to be a major road, they were taken aback by what they saw.
Rows of abandoned vehicles littered the roadsides. Some bore splatters and smears of dried blood in them, while most of them looked like they had gotten in some kind of a wreck.
While Sera and Zayzal had seen some of this back in Norway, it wasn’t this bad. Perhaps it was because they were now in a more urban environment.
Shops were looted, buildings were destroyed, and the concrete was covered in blood. Most of it had washed away, but the grey stone still had shades of red dyeing it.
Nature, it seemed, was swiftly reclaiming its dominion over the land, unperturbed by the human desperation that had unfolded here. Animals, no longer confined or intimidated by the bustling human activity, ventured out tentatively from their hideaways. Deer and foxes could be spotted darting between cars while birds of various species circled overhead.
The homes and buildings they passed whispered tales of hasty fortification. Windows and doors were boarded up tightly, while fences were lined with makeshift barbed wire or something equivalent.
As they moved further into the residential areas, the eyes of hidden observers followed their progression.
From behind curtained windows and cracked doors, the survivors of this apocalypse peered out warily, eyes flickering with a mix of fear, curiosity, and desperation. The sight of the armed trio stirred whispers and speculation amongst these hidden watchers, but no one dared to approach or challenge the determined group.
The group only had one thought while walking through all this, ‘Can we even make it to the car?’
