The token falls on the blank side, and I use one of the swords that belonged to the three hunter aspirants to cut off his head. Incredibly, he seemed relieved before he died.
Although there was no notification, I gained more than I would have by just killing him.
I walk towards the third one, throw the token, and see the third guy start to tremble.
[You won +0.14]
[You won +0.14]
[You won +0.14]
[Reached the limit of fear points that can be obtained from the target]
The token fell, and both he and I watched the result.
••••
When night falls, I take refuge in a small, rather old building with a metal roll-up door. The old building had no other entrance, which meant you couldn't see inside, which was quite convenient for me.
I stay awake, as they say that from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. is when monsters and supernatural beings are most active. At around that time, I hear screams coming from the direction where I left the bald man. Incredibly, he screamed for almost an hour; he must have met a rather grim fate.
I take out two packets of cookies, eat them slowly as usual, drink the rest of the bottle of water, and wait a little longer. While I wait, I remember that I didn't take the cores from the hellish bear or the poisonous zombie.
-Damn you, aspiring hunters. -I murmur under my breath, still hoping to find my cores tomorrow.
When the most dangerous hours are about to end, I decide to go to sleep, but then I hear the desperate cries of the other aspiring hunter. This time they only lasted 10 minutes, but I must say that those ten minutes were like a hellish orchestra. Although it was brief, it seems that he suffered more.
Shortly after, I use my hunter's senses one last time before going to sleep. I don't notice anything strange in the surroundings, so I lie down and rest my head on my backpack. In the end, you do everything you can, and what you can't do or control is left to chance or fate.
••••
When I wake up, I feel a cozy warmth. Lila is using my chest as a pillow, and we are both covered by her red blanket.
A few days ago, I had asked her to stay away if she sensed the aspiring hunters nearby, as that was the only way they would come closer.
"Damn them, I lost a lot of points because of them. I'm glad they died horribly," I think, and then I wake Lila up. Dawn will soon break, and I must continue to take advantage of every opportunity to earn fear points.
-When did you get back? -I ask her as she lifts the rolling door slightly.
-About two hours ago. -she replies casually.
After seeing so many zombies' heads roll, I'm not even worried. I think she must be a magician or a witch. Her style fits that of a witch quite well.
We started walking toward where the corpses of the hellish bear and the poisonous zombie lay.
When we got there, both of them had had their cores ripped out. It looked like the work of a supernatural being, although I wouldn't rule out the possibility that it was a zombie that had evolved into the second stage of evolution.
Zombies evolve in stages and become stronger. Despite this, not a single zombie has become a nightmare; apparently, they are killed by monsters or rational, anthropomorphic supernatural beings.
I carefully observe the ruined surroundings. Noticing nothing out of the ordinary, I leave the place. There was no point in tracking something I couldn't defeat.
I search the surroundings and kill a few zombies, although the fear points I get are reduced by half or a third. Still, it's more useful to hunt them than not to hunt them. Besides, now that I've increased my agility and fear, hunting them is easier.
I throw away one of the swords I got from the aspiring hunters because it was about to break. I take out the other sword and continue searching for zombies.
"If I compare the strength of the obsidian dagger with the strength of the swords I got from those aspiring hunters, the difference is remarkable," I think to myself as I head toward an area full of debris where there is another poisonous zombie.
I take out "Scarlet Rose," and after the bullet absorbs a quarter of my fear, I aim and say to the fat, poisonous zombie:
-Disgusting thing. I came to say hello.
Bang!
The zombie's head exploded. I hear the zombies approaching, but this time I don't back down. I immediately cover my hands in fear and use my sword to open the zombie's greasy chest, filled with corrosive fluids, and extract its core.
[You have killed a 3-skull monster: +0.78]
-Come on. You sons of bitches!
I shout as I see the ordinary zombies and the long-armed ones approaching.
I infuse fear into my sword. I jump towards two long-armed zombies.
They jump towards me.
Cut!
Cut!
A foul-smelling liquid gushes from the severed arms of both zombies.
I fall behind the zombies and immediately run towards them and cut off their heads.
[You have killed a 2-skull monster: +0.27]
[You have killed a 2-skull monster: +0.29]
"Damn, I want to kill those wannabe hunters again," I think as I see my points reduced, and I lunge at the ordinary zombies to vent my anger.
[You have killed an F-rank human: +0.11]
[You have killed an F-rank human: +0.11]
[You have killed an F-rank human: +0.13]
[You have killed an F-rank human: +0.14]
[You have killed an F-rank human: +0.11]
...
The sword breaks, I cover my fists with fear and start crushing the zombies' heads. It's dirty and disgusting, but it's the only way I can level up.
When more than an hour has passed, I begin to feel tired, so I leave. And I leave behind the rest of the fear points.