"That's not something we should be worried about right now. We need to look at the bigger picture," Chris said, his tone calm but carrying a certain weight.
Raven's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hmm. Then what do you say we do?"
Chris leaned back, rubbing his chin as though the thought had been gnawing at him for a while. "From what I can tell… all of this feels like a game. The phase we're in, it's like a quest. Once we complete it, we get rewards and move on to the next stage. This phase, though… it's labeled SSS difficulty. If that's really the highest tier, then clearing it won't be easy with just the two of us."
He paused, looking directly at Raven, making sure his next words landed.
"We need more people."
The suggestion lingered in the air like smoke. Raven's expression didn't shift, but his silence was an answer in itself.
Chris pressed on. "Many people have already fallen here, but there are still survivors, people hiding, waiting, terrified. Desperation will eventually force them out. When it does, they'll have no choice but to fight these monsters. If we can gather them, build a team, maybe-"
"I'm against it," Raven cut in coldly. His voice carried the sharpness of a blade.
For him, adding more people was nothing but unnecessary weight. Trusting strangers in a world that had already been burned to the ground seemed like willingly tying a noose around his own neck.
Chris frowned. "Why? The more people we have, the easier it'll be. Numbers matter, dude."
Raven's gaze hardened. "I've told you this before. Unless a person's will to live outweighs their fear of death, they can't face the undead. The ones hiding now will only slow us down. They'll be deadweight." His words cut without hesitation. "I understand you want to save more people, and I won't argue with that. The way you see the world and the way I see it is different. I don't care about anyone who's useless to me, or worse, a burden."
It was harsh. But it was truth, the kind of truth Raven lived and breathed by.
Chris's lips pressed into a thin line. He looked away, the weight of Raven's words sinking in. But after a moment, he muttered quietly, "Then what about me? Am I a burden too?"
Raven's eyes softened, barely. "If you were, you'd already be dead, along with me. I'm not completely against adding people, but we don't need many. We need those who can pull their weight, people who can fight, not just cling to us for survival. Remember this, only if you survive can you save anyone else."
The words struck deeper than Chris expected. He wanted to argue, to cling to his ideals, but something in Raven's tone left no room for it. After a pause, he let out a long breath and nodded. "Alright. We'll do it your way."
Raven gave him a curt nod in return.
'Good. He's starting to understand. The sooner he lets go of those naïve notions, the better chance he has of surviving,' Raven thought. Still, his own mind was restless.
'But even if we agree on this… how do we fight them? The undead don't die easily. Bones won't help. My chains won't hold. What's left for us?'
Chris broke the silence. "Then let's act. The pace these undead are evolving… I don't think we'll make it to the end unless we evolve with them. Our first priority needs to be simple, gather a star and see what it does. Second… we need to reach the hospital."
'In these situations, you need a doctor. Always. Food we can scavenge anywhere. Medicine, though? That's different. And if things get worse, we'll need someone who knows how to treat injuries. Movies, books, games, they all showed this. Survivors don't last long without medical support.'
For once, Raven didn't argue. The idea was sound. Even he could see the practicality in it.
Chris, meanwhile, was silently hoping Raven wouldn't shut this idea down.
'This bastard's too distrustful. But a doctor could save our lives. Even he'll have to admit that eventually.'
Raven finally gave a small nod. There wasn't much else they could do before that.
But another problem surfaced immediately.
"How will we even get there? The undead are roaming everywhere. We can't just stroll down the streets," Raven said flatly.
Chris's lips curved into a faint smile. "We can use a car. Remember?"
Raven shot him a look. "Didn't you say you haven't tested your ability on a car yet?"
"I have faith in my skill," Chris said, almost smugly.
Raven didn't bother hiding his skepticism. "And I don't have faith in the undead. They'll flip the car before we even make it two blocks."
Chris rolled his eyes. "Why do you always have to be so negative?"
"It's called being realistic. Better to prepare for the worst than cling to fantasies. You think the undead will just let us drive through?"
Chris's smile widened, mischief glinting in his eyes. "When did I say we'd go past them?"
Raven squinted, suspicion rising. He could practically feel Chris cooking up something reckless.
"I've got thirty fragments right now. How many do you have?" Chris asked suddenly.
"Sixty," Raven replied without hesitation.
"Perfect. That means we only need ten more." Chris grinned. "And I have full faith in those monsters. At least one of them will drop ten fragments if we bring it down."
Raven's voice turned sharp. "So?"
"So? Isn't it obvious? We kill one of them. With a car." Chris's eyes shone with reckless excitement. "If we ram it at full speed, even if it doesn't die, it'll give us enough time to finish it off."
Raven stared at him, deadpan. The plan was insane. But Chris explained it like it was the most natural solution in the world.
"What if it doesn't work?" Raven asked, his voice heavy with doubt.
Chris clicked his tongue. "Then we run with our tails between our legs." His irritation leaked through. He'd spent a whole minute thinking of this brilliant idea, only to have Raven poke holes in it without hesitation.
Raven remained silent for a moment, his eyes lingering on Chris. The man was reckless, but not stupid. He had a knack for finding unorthodox solutions, ones that felt insane but somehow worked.
"Well? Got something better? You can speak now." Chris challenged, lifting an eyebrow. "If not, then don't just shoot down my plan. Speak up if you've got one."
A long silence stretched between them. Finally, Raven exhaled deeply. "Alright. We'll do it. But we target one that's alone. I won't gamble with both our lives on a horde."
Chris smirked. "Oh-ho. Ganging up on a single guy? Sounds like a solid plan to me. Let's go then."
Raven shot him a sideways glance, baffled by the sudden burst of enthusiasm. Just a short while ago, Chris had been full of fear, and now he looked like a child eager for an adventure.
But what Raven didn't know was that Chris's excitement wasn't for the fight itself. Deep down, the fear was still there, gnawing at him. His smile came not from eagerness to kill but from something else entirely.
***
Thanks for reading.