A/N: First, I'd like to sincerely apologize for nearly a year delay. Second, I've made changes to the prologue, and lastly, wow! Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows!
And a little heads up, there will be a short uncomfortable situation ahead.
The sound of metal boots hit the ground as she stepped on the dirt road. Another person accompanied her as they walked along the streets to purchase some items before they set sail. They stocked on liquids and food for their long journey.
Dressed in jet black metal armor, she and the other, in light blue silky and billowing robe, boarded the boat with a few others and embarked.
Landed ashore onto an unknown land, they explored deep into the lands of green when they were ambushed by wolves and hideous looking beings, killing those who had traveled with them. Brandishing their weapons, monsters died one by one, as the warrior slashed with her sword and bashed with her small shield, and the magician released magic spells. Together, they killed everything in their path and continued until they reached their destination.
"Ready?" The warrior in black asked, as the two stood at the entrance of a gigantic cave. Seeing the magician nod, the warrior dashed inside. Within the dimmed cave was a steep slope, which would lead them to the vile beast at the bottom of the cave. Sliding her sword back into its sheath and placing her small circle shield on her back, she descended. Followed by the mage, the two reached the location of the final boss.
Slowly, the two prepared themselves; the mage used her skills to buff each other and a campfire was set up for additional damage buffs. Cautiously, they advanced to the middle of the cave. A combination of a cry and screech echoed the hollow area, the walls of the cave rumbling as the boss; a massive half human and praying mantis broke through a wall. It's body were fused together, resulting in a muscular and dark gray skinned, with a human face inside the insect's mouth.
Amidst the broken hole the boss came out of, a liberty like bell hung. The bell needed to be rung thrice for the monster to be temporarily stunned. On the walls that surrounded the cave, were small hooks and moving platforms. Immediately, the two split. While the warrior fought against the boss, the magician ran to ring the bell. Once, twice, it rang. As the magician ran back to the warrior to rebuff the skills given for additional damage, the two switched. The mage would take offense and the warrior would get the final ring. She leapt and swung onto the small platform. One more platform and two swings would stop the boss. She waited for the platform to move vertically towards her. As it came closer, the warrior saw herself swinging too early and falling down to her death.
"Nooooooo!" I cried as my character flopped and laid on the ground. I turned my head and stared at my friend's screen.
With a few dodges, she made her character run to the hanging hook. Swiftly, she completed her land onto the next platform and rang the bell, causing the boss to be stunned. Landing safely onto the ground, she ran over to my character and used a feather to revive me. "You're welcome," she sing songed.
Revived with full health, we were back on full force. Keys were spammed on our keyboards; the warrior slashed three times before she kicked powerfully with her leg, whereas there were repetitive fire, ice and lightning attacks being blasted. Attacks from the beast were blocked with her small shield and counterattacked twice in a row.
Down to three health bars, the boss flashed red for a brief second. Unable to block the attack or dodge, the warrior was struck and half her health was depleted. Forced to dash away to heal up, the fighter stood a good distance away to drink a health potion, healing her missing health, before resuming her battle.
Each hit accumulated special points. Gained enough points, the magician used her ultimate first. Standing away, she pointed her staff at the enemy and powerful mana burst through it. In the meantime, the warrior continued to attack.
Slashing and kicking away, there were enough points for the warrior to use her ultimate. Her shield bashed and embedded into the boss, it caused a temporary stun, as there were continuous hacking and slashing. Spinning with her sword, she dragged the blade across the boss' face, knocking the shield off, and having it land on her side the same time she placed her sword down.
Our characters froze as still shots of us appeared on our screens as the the victory music played. Once we were able to move, we ran in circles, waiting for the 'Cleared' screen to appear.
I leaned back against my chair and stretched my arms. "Tiff. Whoever out damages the other, we'll watch whatever show they want to see. Loser treats to food," I said.
She gave me a confused look, before she smirked. "You're on, Wonder Woman," she replied, sounding as if she already won.
A few seconds later, I looked at my friend with annoyance while she cheered. The damage results were 57.18% and 42.82%. "A shield and sword can't out damage a staff user. Even with all those counter attacks," she said in a triumphant tone.
"Says the one with an overpowered weapon." Wheeling myself away from the desk, I stood. "Alright, decide what you want to watch and I'll call for delivery."
~TGTWD~
"Thank you," I said before ending the call. We were going to binge watch The Walking Dead on a popular streaming site. A few bottles of alcohol, shot glasses and a few bags of chips on the table, we plopped onto the rug and began an episode as we waited for Korean food to arrive. Together, we cheered, argued and cried as we went further into the episodes.
As the credits began to roll, my friend brought up a question. "Hey, Alice. What would you do if you were in The Walking Dead?"
I took a sip of my drink. "Hm. I'd like to save everyone."
She slammed her hand on the table. "That's impossible. Not everyone gets to live in a happy world. This isn't a mmorpg! You can't be revived! Especially in an apocalyptic world! Hell, we'd both die right in the beginning!"
I narrowed my eyes. Why was she getting all worked up for? Must be the alcohol. Remaining calm, I responded to her. "Of course, we'd be dead. We live in the city that never sleeps. We'd probably get use to the smell, since all we smell is piss in the train stations."
"So who'd you save?"
My shot glass placed on the table, I looked at Tiffany. "My favorites of course."
"Bah!" She waved her hand in front of me before taking a shot of alcohol. "That would be a waste of time."
"Then what would you do?" I asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Hm…," she slurred. "Go to Alexandria as soon as possible and become Negan's wife."
"Unless he bashes your head," I retorted. She reached for the half filled bottle, but I quickly grabbed from her and chugged the rest. "You and your love for JDM, Tiff. Well, that's what you'd do. Everyone has their own imagination."
"Then I hope you will go through this," my friend said ominously. "Face the world with walkers and watch the ones you love die." She rested her head on the table as the next episode played.
I stared as if she grew another head. Surprised by her demeanor momentarily, I scoffed at her. "Yeah, right!"
Luckily, the doorbell rang, ending the weird atmosphere. "Food's here!" I rushed up from my seat and grabbed the money off the tableside as I rushed to the front door, almost hitting myself on the wall as I slightly swayed sideways. "I'm on my way," I said as the doorbell rang once more.
I opened the door, only to find my the bags of food on the ground.
"Hello?" I said, looking both ways and finding no delivery man. Shrugging, I picked up the bags and closed the door with my foot behind me. Yay! Free food! Bringing the food inside, I took out the to-go boxes onto the table.
The doorbell rang again and I stood once more. "Must be the delivery guy. I got it." Holding the money again, I opened the door to see the delivery man slouching slightly in front of me. He slowly looked up and snarled. Immediately, I slammed the door, dropping the change and stared into the peephole. The man was a zombie! It's glossy eyes, extremely off white face and clearly making strange noises, it looked like a zombie from a popular Korean horror movie. "Tiiiiifffffff!" I called and stepped back when the zombie began pounding on the door. "Call the cops!"
I turned around and found myself in darkness. What was happening? I slowly returned to the living room.
Bzz…
Bzz…
It wasn't the sound of a cell phone vibrating. I slapped my left arm and at the same time, the light went on. A large fly laid splat on my arm and a large pool of blood laid a few meters away.
There wasn't even a chance to scream when I was hit with a waft of something rotting. I immediately used my right elbow pit to cover my nose and mouth. What was once my living room was now the infamous scene from The Walking Dead; a body on the sofa and another on the floor, both with their heads blown off.
Terrified, I looked for a door. There was none. Was I really this plastered? A screen flashed and I almost shat myself.
Welcome to your tutorial! Your journey will soon begin in the television show, The Walking Dead.
"What the," I said, the words muffled by my elbow pit. Within the second of my blink, the bodies, blood, smell and the dead fly on my left arm disappeared.
You have 30 seconds to list 5 items you would like to bring.
I stared in confusion at the decreasing number, before it registered in my mind. Forced to think in a drunken state, I was unable to blurt out items in time.
You have been blessed with abilities and qualities from the manhwa, The Gamer, along with other games you've played. Want to kill or save a character? What you do with your abilities depends on you.
Here are the items you've stated:
1. Water
2. Toilet paper
3. Kimbap
What on earth did a Korean manhwa have to do with an American television show? This kind of crossover would only exist in… "Fanfictions," I said in disbelief. "And I'm the main character."
"Face the world with walkers and watch the ones you love die."
"No way," I said, astounded at the possibility.
Reflecting back on the items I called out, I suppose I chose alright. I had a source of food, water and something useful to wipe my butt. Perhaps a form of communication, fire, or a gun would have been preferred. Hell, even a change of clothing! I was still in my pajamas!
To start off, please say, "Menu."
Windows will not disappear until you press the 'X' button or swipe it to the side. You can also move the windows simply by placing your hand a few seconds and then dragging it.
"Menu?" I called out in confusion. "HOLY SHIT!" I needed to get use to these sudden surprises.
Start
Character Stats
Inventory
Skills
Cash Shop
Exit
Knowing from reading Gamer relates fanfictions, the 'Start' option would begin the game. "Character," I called out.
Here, you will see your character stats or stats for short. Until level 10, you will gain 5 stat points and 50 HP and MP. Afterwards, it will be 100 each. With these points, you decide where to place them: Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, Agility, or Intelligence.
Name: Alice Kim
Title: The Gamer
Level: 1 (00.00%)
HP: 100/100
MP: 100/100
STR: 5
VIT: 5
DEX: 5
AGI: 5
INT: 5
Stat Points: 0
From stories I've read, my stats lacked compared to them; about 10 times less. But hey, eventually I would become powerful, right?
It would just be a matter of time.
As for the distribution, I'd first put a few points into Strength, Agility and Dexterity for quick kills. Then on Vitality to have more energy and the rest on Intelligence, so I would be able to unlock and access the most powerful skill of all, Mana Shield. With the shield enveloped in me, I might survive gunshots and even a herd of walkers.
"Inventory," I called out next and two adjacent rectangles appeared.
All items placed into your inventory will remain unless thrown out. Any perishables will be preserved. To retrieve, pull or press on the item.
On the left had two tabs; one for my outfit, the other for undergarments. On the right, was six rows by four columns, totaling twenty four boxes. The items I had previously stated took the first four slots, each having a small infinity sign on the bottom right corner except for the dagger.
Wanting to test the inventory out, I reached inside the inventory with my left hand and shifted my body to look sideways. I was surprised when I didn't see my hand on the other side! Pulling my left hand out, I held a tray of kimbap. "No way," I said, amazed. Lifting the cover with my right hand and placing it beneath the tray, I picked a piece up and ate it. The dish was delicious! It tasted as if it was just made! Impressed, I called out the on the menu as I continued eating. "Skills."
All skills learned will be seen here. When the skill icon is selected, it will show you all the current information of that skill.
[Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv Max EXP: 00.00%] - Feeling angry? Nervous? Scared? You'll remain calm with this passive skill.
[Gamer's Body (Passive) Lv Max EXP: 00.00%] - Your body will behave in the real world like a game, meaning you'd have to eat, drink and sleep. Sleeping restores HP, MP, and cures all mass effects. Your body will always be cleaned. Even your teeth will be cleaned! Aren't you lucky!
[Mana Regeneration (Passive) LV1 EXP: 00.00%] - Allows faster recovery of MP. Recover 20% MP per 5 minutes.
They were the basic skills like the manhwa. "Cash shop," I said.
Money will be earned throughout your adventure from quests or killing walkers. Use it to purchase items from the Cash Shop.
Drinks | Food | Other | Pharmacy
I excitedly pressed on the first two tabs. There were various drink mixes and canned emergency food. Each product had a circled photo and below that was a row of amounts; one, eleven and indefinite. Beneath the line on the was the price of "FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!?" And this was only for the price of one can of cooked chicken chunks! For eleven and indefinite amounts, they were twice and thrice the amount!
Quickly, I pressed the Other tab. "Thirty thousand for an inventory expansion!?" I then pressed the 'Pharmacy' category. Despite the various medicines, they were all. FREAKING. EXPENSIVE.
Having enough at the prices, I swiped the window to the side.
I pondered at the last option. Exiting probably meant instant death or all the windows closing. "Exit," I said and sure enough, all the windows closed and I stared into nothing.
Here is your weapon. You will now learn how to kill walkers.
Eating the last piece of kimbap, I placed the container on the ground before I reached and grabbed the floating dagger. Immediately, all the windows disappeared and words in red replaced it.
Use your dagger and stab the walker's head.
I quickly covered my nose as the walker appeared on my right. With the sharp end of the dagger, I poked its chest and received no reaction. Trying not to wretch, I raised the dagger and stabbed it on the side of its head. Once I pulled the dagger out, the walker fell onto the ground and faded away. As the body disappeared, there were three health potions, one mana potion and a few hundred dollars. Dropping the potions into my inventory, I picked up the bundle of cash and counted it. Six hundred dollars and they were legit bills.
"At least I can afford a can. Just nine hundred to go for unlimited chicken chunks."
Next, here is a moving walker. Use your dagger and stab the walker's head.
The walker was moving, however, in one place. It's hands were stretched out, trying to get a taste of a living being. I gagged, but I was able to kill the walker.
Look out...
Multiple groans were heard. I quickly turned around and there were arrows. Left. Right. Duck. Each time I dodged, I would kill the walker. Unfortunately, I screamed and dropped the dagger when an unexpected walker toppled on top of me.
My hands were on the walker's head, trying to pry it off as the walker made biting notions. This was a real walker. Was I was already going to die? This was only the tutorial too!
A hand was felt on my stomach and I felt my life flash in front of me. My stomach was going be torn open and I would die soon. But instead of seeing part of my body get ripped off, I saw a ripple of blue reflection. Was this…? Knowing I won't die just yet, adrenaline rushed through me and I shoved the walker off me. I scrambled to pick up the dagger and killed the walker. I huffed when I pulled the dagger back out, watching the walker finally go limp.
My stomach felt weird and I vomited.
You've leveled up!
New skills learned!
[Sharp Weapon Mastery (Passive) Lv1 EXP: 00.00%] - Allows users to freely handle sharp weapons. 10% increase in attack damage with sharp weapons. 5% increase in attack speed with sharp weapons.
[Smell Immunity (Passive) Lv1 EXP: 00.00%] - The longer you are exposed, you do not feel any sickness, even if there is a sudden surprise.
You are currently unable to learn Mana Shield. Your Intelligence is too low.
"Stats," I called out weakly. Two points for Strength, two for Dexterity and one for Agility.
You've completed your tutorial!
Reward: An invisible face mask. This mask will prevent blood splattering into your eyes and mouth. You can still wash your face, eat, drink, and even pick your nose!
Your adventure will soon begin, once you say the word.
I frowned. I was really going to go through this. I stared at my bare feet and scrunched my face. There was this uncomfortable feeling of stepping on anything other than tiles or polished wood floors. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. There was no way out of this. Money and potions scraped, I dropped them defeatedly into my inventory.
"Start," I called out.
The room dissolved and the night took over as I entered the apocalyptic world. All I heard was my breathing as the world felt like it rapidly revolving. Emptiness and quietness. In the distance, I recognized the being and quickly ran away from it.
This was a big dungeon. Filled with zombies and no escape route.
~TGTWD~
I knew I would meet the main cast at some point. Why else would I just suddenly drop into this world?
My inventory was opened as I stared into one of the boxes; the invisible face mask. Sticking my hand inside, I pulled out the item out. It was transparent, however, under the sunlight, you could see reflections. Placing it on my face, there was a cooling sensation as it melted onto my skin.
Money would become scarce as the timeline went on. Even if the banks were cleared out, the only way I would receive money is by relying on quests, herds and killing people and again when they turn into walkers.
Which was why I decided to scavenge. Although it was late morning, it was best to get an early start.
Stragglers were quickly killed and I would obtain their loots as I roamed the neighborhood. A dine in restaurant was noticed in the distance. The doors and large windows were boarded up with large pieces of wood. I was for sure no one had cleared inside yet.
Moved quietly to the back door, I found the door locked. Thank goodness I had put some points into strength as I slammed myself onto the door and was able to get inside. There was a walker behind the counter, but quickly fell after I stabbed its head.
The sound of the cash register echoed in the empty dining area as the drawer opened, revealing a couple of dollars and change. Stuffing the change into my inventory, I closed drawer and continued my exploration. Pushed through the swinging doors, I found cleaned and dirty dishes, pans, kitchen essentials, backpack and a raincoat, but no sharp or blunt weapons.
I froze when I heard some gunshots outside and then the back door opened loudly. "We know you're in here! We'll spare you if you give us everything you have!" Quickly, I dropped my dagger into my inventory when the kitchen doors opened and a gun was raised at my face. Forced to walk out with my hands up near my head and the man who brandished the weapon behind me, I was greeted by another man, who held a shot gun.
"I have nothing!" I said as the man I just met walked around the dining room.
"Then how did you kill that?" The man jerked his head towards the counter.
A new quest has been created.
Quest Alert: Escape!
Defeat the Intruders!
Completion: Gain 600 exp. and $750.00
Failure: No rewards given and an unfortunate event for you.
Yes or No
Moving my right hand over my face, I swiftly pressed the 'Yes' option. "With my bare hands," I answered, moving my right hand away from my face.
Goosebumps creeped up when the man behind me decided to grope my chest. "Oh?" I heard him say creepily.
"Hey, what's this?" The man behind the counter picked up an hp potion. "Is this wine?" Uncorking the bottle, he chugged it. "Wow! What is this? I feel so energized!"
I remained calm as the man decided to put his hand beneath my shirt. "We know you have more, sweetie."
"Why don't I check my inventory?" I said sarcastically, watching the window pop up. In an instant, I made a quick turn plunged my dagger onto the man's face.
I flinched when I felt something pierce through chest. Once. Twice, then the sound of empty clicks.
[Gun wound: 25 damage taken every 5 seconds.]
I touched my chest and saw blood on the palm of my hand. Huh, I felt relaxed despite two gun wounds. I turned around slowly and looked at the last man menacingly as I casually bent to retrieve the gun.
New skills learned!
[Auto-aim (Passive) Lv Max EXP: 00.00%] - Automatically shoot those in the head, allowing you for a swift and easy kill.
[Unlimited Ammunition (Passive) Lv Max EXP: 00.00%] - Whether the weapon has ammo or not, you can easily continue trigger the weapon.
I smirked at the new skills. "Cash Shop." Browsing the Pharmacy section, there was nothing that could immediately heal my wounds. Purchasing a gauze roll, I returned into the kitchen and removed my shirt to wrap the roll around my upper body. Putting on my shirt, I stashed the raincoat into the backpack that hung near the doors.
Not forgetting the man, I raised my gun at him. "What are you going to do?" The man yelled out. "There was no bullets in that!"
"Oh really?" I checked the chamber and he was right. I closed one eye as I waved the gun in front of him, then shot at the vintage diner booth. "You lied." Feeling the power shift, the man took a step back.
"Give me your gun," I demanded, pointing back at him. The man dropped his weapon and charged at me, when he fell on the floor, screaming in agony, clutching his bleeding hip. While I held the gun on one hand, I held my dagger in the other.
"What the hell are you!?" He shouted, shocked and confused at what just transpired. I walked behind the counter and placed the backpack down next to the walker. Taking out and wearing the raincoat, I proceeded to stab the walker in the stomach and pulled apart its stomach.
New skill learned!
[Rip (Active) Lv 1 EXP: 00.00%] - Tear an enemy or object with strong force. Increases tearing force by 30%.
Satisfied with the gut coverage, I walked up to the man again and squatted besides him, who at this point was whimpering. "I'm the Gamer," I said, before promptly stabbing him in the head. What a waste. I could have easily gotten drops from the two men, but it was my life versus theirs.
Quest Complete!
Gained 600 exp. and $750.00
You've leveled up!
Outside, I looked back at the restaurant. Had I already become heartless?
I treaded north, in hopes of finding the city, when I felt a droplet of rain on my nose, then my cheeks and lips. What was a bright sunny day, now became a pouring night. Walkers that were moving slowly at the corners of the block were able to smell me, causing me to run for my life.
You have slept on a bed. HP and MP fully restored and all status effects removed.
Walkers continued to roam the streets as I peeked behind the curtains.
"Stats."
Name: Alice Kim
Title: The Gamer
Level: 9 (13.29%)
HP: 500/500
MP: 500/500
STR: 23
VIT: 8
DEX: 15
AGI: 12
INT: 7
Stat Points: 0
I had accepted the quest of joining Rick's crew since it was more beneficial.
Reaching beneath my shirt, I tugged on one end of the bandage roll and began to unwrap myself. Dropping the cotton material with dried blood, I went to work.
Guts were reapplied onto the raincoat and my head, which were wrapped in plastic wrap found in the pantry.
Unlike the northeast, it was sweltering in the south. Pretending to limp and sometimes growl at nearby walkers, it took time before reaching the city. Whenever there were lone walkers, I would take the chance to kill them, earning some experience points and drops.
There needs to be a quicker way to pick up these items, I thought as I flipped a walker over to grab its drops. As if it read my mind, a pop up appeared.
[Auto Loot (Passive) Lv Max EXP: 00.00%] - All money and drops will automatically be in your inventory on every kill, unless full.
Cost - All of your money.
Would you like to purchase this item?
Yes or No
I sucked in my breath. "Inventory," I breathed out. I had $7,663.49. It was enough to purchase at least three indefinite kinds of food. But I couldn't risk causing suspicion on the drops every time I killed walkers or having villains get my potions. Raising my finger, I pressed yes and watched my money count drop to zero.
But it was worth it.
My eyes skimmed and my breathing slowed as I walk by the tank. There was no horse. Slowly, I entered the alleyway. Near the yellow ladder, I quickly shed the raincoat off and tossed it and began climbing. "Inventory," I whispered on the platform. Bottles of water were pulled out and stuffed it into my backpack. I then continued my way up.
I had just climbed over the roof, scaring Glenn who was looking at a certain direction. "I'm not a walker!" I whisper shouted as he tried to regain his composure. "Traveling on the roof is safer."
He took a breath. "Where are you heading to?"
"Virginia. There's a safe zone."
"It would probably be the same as the one in Atlanta."
"No, it wouldn't," I dismissed. My eyes looked at the ground before back at Glenn, wanting to disperse the awkwardness. "Name's Alice. Alice Kwon."
"Glenn Rhee," he greeted in return.
I eyed his backpack. "So, what are you doing out here?"
"Supply run. Found nothing so far."
I removed my backpack and unzipped the zipper, revealing a whole bunch of water. He smiled before it dropped when he looked at my head. "What's that on your head?" Glenn warily asked.
Backpack placed on the ground, I turned to the side and tilted my head forward. Carefully, I held the bottom edges of the saran wrap and pulled it off, quickly stepping away, so I didn't have any blood splattered on me. "Oh. Some walker guts." Looking at his disgusted face, I continued. "I know it's nasty, but I needed to disguise myself in order to get here. You need to smell like a walker. There's a raincoat covered in guts and blood at the bottom."
Glenn looked stunned at what I did before we heard a horse neigh. We ran to the edge of the roof and crouched down. The two of us watched the walkers take down and devour the horse and a few following a man in a sheriff's outfit. The sound of gunshots echoed in the area. Then silence. We watched the top of the tank open then close shortly. "We have to save him," I said.
"On it," Glenn said and picked up his walkie talkie.
I couldn't keep my smile down as I watched walkers pile onto the tank.
Quest Completed! Gain one level and $5,000.
You've leveled up!
This was just the beginning.
A/N: Thanks for reading chapter 1! Once again, I'd like to apologize for the delay and thank you all for the favorites, follows and reviews!