Azrael flicked Hong Yan's screen aside. Her breathing had steadied, her skin no longer clammy, the Soul Crest on her abdomen glowing faintly gold whenever she came close to him. He blocked the broken glass and entrance with help from his skeleton.
Yan's words from earlier finally registered, and he looked back, able to see the changes clearly.
He nodded with appreciation.
"What?"
"Nothing, Manager Yan."
"We should double up the freezers. Come on, let me help."
They had a few minutes, maybe fewer, before more goblins swept the block. The shattered storefront wouldn't hold long. He and Yan dragged freezers across the tiles, metal legs screeching as they braced them against the ruined glass.
The skeleton positioned itself at the weakest section, wielding the mop-spear, angled at the only opening.
He's acting the same as Brandon... A thought lingered at the back of Azrael's mind as he turned to the safe room door.
"Let's check on the people inside next," Azrael wiped his face, expecting to find sweat, but his skin felt smooth and colder than usual. "They'll still be inside worrying."
"We need the hands."
Yan nodded, looking at her half-exposed body, tightening the strips of torn fabric around her chest and shoulders.
The panic room door was still locked. Azrael knocked twice. "Chloe? Miss Isabella?"
A few moments passed in silence before the sound of bolts being unlatched and opened. The door cracked with a slight whistle as warm air spread from the heated room. A face peeked through; it was Chloe's. She gasped the moment she saw the skeleton, but then, after Azrael came from behind the door, her blue eyes glistened with tears.
"It's me," Azrael said, low. "We cleared the floor. Come out."
"Az!"
Chloe eased the door wider. Isabella slipped through first, eyes darting around the ruined store before settling on him. She carried a bent metal pipe like a club. Chloe followed with a more sheepish pace, but her eyes never left Azrael's face.
"...after all he looks handsome without that long hair." She muttered.
Azrael looked at their group and tried to keep his voice quiet. "Did you receive anything strange from that voice, a system or status screen perhaps?"
He wanted to make them speak the word, to reveal it if possible.
Not everyone played games after all...
The two exchanged a glance before Chloe swallowed and raised her hand, and a faint glow sparked between her fingers. "Yeah. I… I'm a Priest with the spells Heal and Sanctuary."
Isabella snapped a 20cm kitchen knife from its packet, then twirled the blade around her hand like a professional killer, brushing the black hair from her pretty face. "I'm something called a rogue, with the skills Dash and Backstab." She tapped the pipe against her shoulder. "I guess I am more useful now, right?"
Azrael found himself drawn to her sensual and charismatic aura, much different from the shy housewife from before.
He nodded to them both. "Good, I don't think it's easy to accept but those weren't the last of the monsters, I think they'll attack again. And Soon."
His words were calm, collected and lacked any trace of fear, anxiety or doubt.
This must be a benefit of being half-undead.
Hong Yan crossed her arms, eyes burning with a strange new intensity. "We all need to pull our weight. I've already died once, hell if I am going to die again!"
The group of four, plus a skeleton.
Not much when thinking of what might await them outside, but at least they weren't alone.
"This skeleton is my skill. So don't be scared, my abilities are just that kind of thing."
Azrael kept some of his power secret, but hiding strength wasn't something he enjoyed, nor did he think doing so with allies was smart. If they know his strengths, they won't be shocked later.
"I see..."
"I was going to ask, but it felt a little rude." Isabella carried on after Chloe's fearful pause.
Azrael checked his tally in the corner of his vision.
[Exp: 6 / 10]
[Soul Essence: 1]
Close to his first level, but he knew one level wouldn't change anything in the grand scheme of things.
I can level after we find a safer place to hold up.
"Grab what you can carry," he said. "Water, tape, anything sharp and food, things that last a long time and perishables to eat now."
While Azrael and Hong Yan searched through the fallen shelves, Chloe's voice came from behind suddenly.
"Uh, Az… you need to see this."
"Hm?"
Chloe stood near the counter, holding up a medkit. "You see it?" She asked with a bright smile, then with a flash of light it vanished from her hand, and then a second later it reappeared as a tiny glowing square beneath her status page.
"Oh? Is that an inventory!? How many slots, how do you get it to work?" He asked.
Isabella arched a brow. "Hmmm, what a useful ability, I could bring all my products with me."
"Useful?" Chloe laughed nervously, already stuffing things in like gauze, tape, disinfectant, and bottled water. "Did I help you, Az?"
Azrael and Hong Yan nodded without delay.
"Of course this is an amazing find, good job Chloe." Azrael secretly felt embarrassed that he hadn't checked himself.
"Good," Azrael said. He was already scanning shelves for anything metal or sharp. "Take what will help you survive in your inventory, preferably heavy or private items. Then fill these bags with water and perishable food."
They grabbed what they could. Isabella snatched up a box of cigars and a lighter, tucking them into her cleavage while storing ladies' items and cans of food in her inventory. "I've got my car keys still by the way, Azrael, Yan." Isabella said, patting her pocket. "My car isn't far, if we leave through the back it's about two blocks over. If it's still there."
"Heh, as always you rich woman." Hong Yan and Isabella seemed to have some sort of friendship, but Azrael was shocked to realise that only now.
"That's our exit, can it take four people? I can have Brad hang on the back or something." Azrael said while wearing a pair of slash and heat-proof gloves. "Let's have Brad lead us."
"Who is brad?" Chloe asked, looking around, until the skeleton passed her, a big rucksack of food wrapped around its shoulder. "Kya!?"
"Don't be scared, since he reminded me of Brandon... I gave him the name Brad."
"I see." She watched Azrael, who walked past and headed to the back door, with a wistful gaze. "He's so different, not that it's bad..." Yet Chloe's expression didn't clear up as she chased his broad back, convinced that Azrael had changed.
The metal door groaned open. A narrow alley stretched into darkness with dumpsters leaning against brick, the stench of garbage thick in the air.
Brad clattered ahead with his mop spear, while Hong Yan remained close to Azrael's side, the faint glow of her Soul Crest warming her chest whenever she stayed close.
They didn't make it twenty steps before yellow eyes gleamed in the dark. Four goblins crawled from the trash.
"Figures," Isabella muttered.
Everyone knew how terrifying these monsters could be, but the two who acted fastest didn't pause.
"Brad, take care of the two on the left!"
The first goblin rushed at them on all four limbs, but the skeleton braced the mop before driving it through the goblin's jaw with a crack.
[+1 Exp]
[+1 Soul Essence]
"Ignite!" Hong Yan called out as her fists became fire.
The second goblin hopped along the dumpsters, aiming to sneak-attack the skeleton. She kicked off the wall and punched the goblin's ribs with a burst of searing flames. The creature shrieked, hitting the bin lid, before bouncing on the floor into Azrael's reach.
He clamped a hand on its throat. Vampiric Touch drained it dry.
[+1 Exp]
[+1 Soul Essence]
Another leapt onto the skeleton's back, dagger poking at its bones, before a blurry figure of a woman appeared, her breasts shaking in her loosely fitting dress, as she showed a fierce smile, nothing like the kind, mature wife. "Backstab~" she liked her red lips as the blade pierced through the goblin's back, and out the front.
She then twisted the blade before dragging it out.
"Naughty boy."
[+1 Exp]
[+1 Soul Essence]
The last came straight at Azrael, who gripped the second goblin; his eyes shimmered with an eerie light as he looked up. "Heh."
The goblin lunged at his throat.
Clang!
Azrael used the blade-proof gloves to grip the knife, twisting the goblin's arm with a Snap! Before he crushed the green monster's throat from behind and slammed it into the dumpster.
Vampiric Touch
[+1 Exp]
[+1 Soul Essence]
[You have reached Level 2]
[+4 Stat Points Gained]
Azrael's shoulders loosened as the glow settled into his chest.
"That's one block down," he muttered. Although calm on the outside, he felt lucky they only met four... any more and something could have gone wrong. "Keep moving, the car isn't far now."
Hong Yan snorted while flexing her fingers, faint smoke blowing off her knuckles.
Chloe looked pale. She watched the fight and struggled to move, but she didn't scream or wet herself at least... Isabella shocked Azrael the most. She rolled the pole in her palm, while the other held the knife in a reverse grip, eyes on the street ahead.
However... the car was right ahead.
The skeleton clattered forward, leading them deeper into the night.