Unholy_Student

[Tainted Lands] 6 – Looting

Added 2025-01-06 07:02:41 +0000 UTC

Grunting and gasping for air, I raised my hand, wiping the sweat off my forehead and backing off from the freshly covered grave. After I killed the Shades, I had leveled up twice, gaining ten more stat points; then I walked to their backyard, broke into their shed, and grabbed a shovel. It took some work dragging their bodies to the backyard and digging up a grave big enough for the couple and their dog.

As I looked upon the grave, memories of my previous encounters with the couple occupied my mind. In one moment, I saw the scared couple as the man shielded his wife from me; the moment after, all I saw was their forms tearing apart to reveal the monsters beneath.

I could only hope that whatever took over their bodies, stringing them around like puppets, did not leave the people that the monsters once were, alive. I could only imagine what kind of horror the people would have experienced if their minds were trapped and forced to watch, but I doubted it.

Why?

Shade, a copy or something that once was. At least, that was what I believed the name meant. Despite that, I still gave the bodies a proper burial, one that they deserved.

Shovel and axe in hand, I entered their house, finding that it was full of old memorabilia, memorabilia like old photos, baby pictures, family pictures, flags, diplomas, and more, but I ignored them after a glance. Instead, I focused on raiding their pantry and refrigerator for everything I could use.

Bread, apples, a few onions, yeast, flour, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, a bunch of canned vegetables, two cases of bottled water, and dried rice. I found some raw beef, bacon, and other perishables in the freezer and fridge. I stuffed it all in my bag before searching the house for any weapons. I was hoping they'd have a gun or two, but after an hour of searching, they certainly did not.

I did, however, find the keys to their two vehicles.

The couple had an SUV and a small truck. The SUV was larger and could carry more, so I took it, but not before loading it up with anything I could use.

Things like the shovel, a few grocery bags full of more ingredients and food, spare clothes, blankets, and tools, and after a bit of struggle, I even managed to strap down their deep freezer to the roof of the SUV.

Getting in the car, I started the engine, seeing that it had three-quarters of a full tank, plenty of gas to last a while, and I could always come back to siphon the gas from the truck if I needed more. Backing up out of the highway to the road, I shifted into Drive and started making my way down the road to my house. Luckily, I lived only half a mile away from the old couple's house, so it took hardly a few minutes till I reached my home and began unloading the SUV of everything I grabbed.

I put up all the food, water, and ingredients before heading outside with the axe in hand and a knife in my pocket.

I wanted to chop down a few trees and get myself some wood for a few reasons. It would be good firewood, and I could use it to make more traps. I also wanted some wood to barricade my windows and door.

For the rest of the day, I chopped wood with the axe but kept close enough to home in case I might need to flee if more of those monsters showed up.

That night, I had some beef paddies and canned green beans for dinner.

...

The following morning, when I woke up, I climbed out of bed and found that my makeshift barricade of a dresser pushed against the door was still there. I grabbed the axe and moved the dresser out of the way. After clearing my house to make sure nothing was lurking inside, I checked outside before heading back inside to brew some coffee.

After I was awake enough, I got dressed and made my way outside, heading out into the woods with the axe and knife, checking the traps, and finding that I had caught a few rabbits and even a snake. The snake certainly surprised me, but after chopping its head off, it wasn't a problem anymore, or, to be more accurate, It was still a problem since a snake could still bite even after losing its head for a while, even to the point of biting its own body in some cases. I left the snake, not wanting to accidentally poison myself, trying to eat it. I only caught three rabbits, but I kept them all and took them home.

I'd read somewhere that rabbits were a very efficient source of meat in an apocalypse scenario and were easy to raise. For now, I'd keep them locked in the old kennel my dad built, which is sitting in the corner of the carport. It had a wire fence, and since it was under a roof, they'd be safe from the elements. However, I'd have to be wary of any critters getting to the rabbits and eating them, as well as getting them enough food to breed.

While many may think all of my actions are overly burdensome, after seeing what happened to the town, I felt that I was facing an apocalyptic scenario. So, I'd rather start preparing for the future than sit on my hands, waiting for help that would never arrive. The sky was still blood red, and the sun looked like an ominous ruby in the sky, so I was willing to bet that it wasn't a local problem, especially with how suddenly the Shades replaced the people in the town.

However, I had another reason...my abilities. I knew that if the government, if it still existed, learned of my abilities, I'd end up in some black site being dissected or brainwashed to become an immortal soldier. Sure, it might not happen, but I was not willing to take the chance.

Moving on from that disturbing thought, I wanted to test one of my powers, [King of Golems].

[King of Golems - Unique Skill - You who can mold clay and carve wood can bring inanimate objects you molded, chiseled, smelted, or carved, personally, to life to do your bidding. The effectiveness and strength of the Golems depend on the mana used to create the Golem, the material, and the method in which they are created]

Mana used to create the Golem.

After reading the description over and over, I decided to give it a try, heading outside with some water, a small spade, and gloves.

It mentioned I could bring to life objects I molded, chiseled, smelted, or carved. Would that include something as simple as a ball of mud? Pouring some water on the dirt, I scooped it up with the spade before reaching out with my gloved hand.

Trying to be as careful as possible and to keep my mana from deviating from the path it took whenever I cast mana bolt, I poured a trinkle of mana into the mud, finding that my mana had a bit of difficulty traveling through the material that made the glove I was wearing.

Stopping, I threw off the glove and tried again, sinking my palm and fingers into the surface of the mud ball. Pouring a small stream of mana into the ball, I felt something was beginning to take shape.

It was a strange feeling like my mana was melding with the mud.

Continuing to pour my mana into the ball, it only stopped when I had poured 50 MP into the ball.

The ball of mud began to vibrate in my hand before stopping as a screen appeared in my vision.

/=========+=========\

Name: None

Species: Mud Slime

Type: Golem

Level: 1

Health: 10/10 - (21) [] Mana: 20/20 (0) [] Stamina: 50/50 (5)

=[Attributes]=

Strength: 1 / Agility: 3

Vitality: 1 / Endurance: 5