Ethan panted heavily, his body trembling as he sank to one knee.
His chest rose and fell in uneven rhythm, each breath ragged and labored.
His eyes drifted to the system notification hovering before him.
'This is the first time I've received mana and health stats from a zombie. That one was definitely different'
A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he gazed at his point balance, the numbers flickering before his eyes.
Suddenly, a realization struck Ethan like a bolt of lightning, the person who had thrown the television.
His head snapped in the direction of the memory.
There, standing amidst the chaos, was a familiar figure.
A boy, around 5'9" in height, with black hair and dark eyes.
A grin tugged at the corners of his lips, though his gaze seemed unfocused, as if he were staring into empty space.
But Ethan knew better.
The boy's attention was directed somewhere far more specific, into his system.
It was Logan.
"Are you going to keep grinning like a madman?"
Ethan's voice was rough, but there was a sharp edge to it as he pushed himself to his feet, wiping the blood that had trickled down his lips.
Logan snapped out of his daze, his eyes shifting to meet Ethan's with an almost casual indifference.
"Come in quickly"
Logan said, his tone serious now.
"We don't know what other monstrosities are lurking out there"
Without waiting for a response, Logan stepped forward, offering his support to Ethan and guiding him into the room.
The door clicked shut softly behind them, the sound cutting through the tension in the air.
Logan moved with swift motion, immediately turning to barricade the door, his every movement calculated, focused.
"What gave you the nerve to actually fight that thing?"
Logan's voice was low, laced with an undercurrent of anger, as he turned from the door after finishing the barricade.
He kept his tone controlled, careful not to alert any other zombies lurking nearby.
Ethan's response came without hesitation.
"What do you mean? I had no choice. If I'd run, I'm sure it would have followed me"
Logan exhaled sharply, dropping the subject.
"How's your injury?"
Ethan winced slightly but steadied himself.
"My body aches, but I'm about to buy something from the system to patch me up"
His gaze shifted to the system interface before him, the familiar glow of the screen offering a temporary sense of relief amidst the chaos.
Ethan thought for a moment, focusing on what might help heal his injuries.
A list of options appeared in his mind.
[Vitality Apple: Heals minor injuries within two hours. 100 points]
Without hesitation, he purchased the apple.
It materialized in his palm, its green hue almost glowing faintly, resembling any other apple he had seen before.
Ethan didn't waste time questioning its appearance. With a swift motion, he ate the apple whole.
The moment it touched his mouth, a warm surge of energy coursed through his body.
He could feel it seep into every injury, its healing properties slowly stitching his wounds back together.
"You good?"
Logan asked, his eyes still fixed on Ethan as he observed the healing process.
"I'm fine. I should be completely healed in two hours"
Ethan replied with a tired sigh, his body already feeling the effects of the apple.
Logan nodded, settling himself against the wall with a casual ease, his gaze never leaving Ethan.
"So, what are you doing here?"
Ethan gave a dry chuckle, his grin widening.
"Of course I'm here to save you. I didn't see you around, so I figured you were here"
Ethan leaned back slightly, then added with a playful grin.
"I guess you could say you owe me your life now, since I saved you from that zombie"
"Saved who?"
Logan snorted.
"Please, if it wasn't for that huge zombie blocking the way, I would've farmed a lot more points like you by now"
Logan spoke with complete seriousness, his frustration evident.
The battle Ethan had just fought had forced Logan to stay holed up in his room, missing out on valuable opportunities.
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"I have to say, you were really brave. Throwing a TV at a zombie"
Logan shrugged nonchalantly.
"Well, I saw the two of you were stuck in some kind of impasse. I'd been watching through the peephole while you two fought in the hallway. Then, when you were tossed into another room like a ragdoll, I figured you looked like you were on your last legs. After that, I just acted on impulse"
Logan exhaled a sigh, almost looking embarrassed but still sticking to his nonchalant attitude.
When Ethan had sliced through the window glass and protective barrier earlier, Logan had heard the crash and peered through the peephole to see what was going on.
But before he could even open the door to call out to Ethan, the zombie had stepped in.
"I saw you grinning while looking at your system. How many stats and points did you get for tossing a single TV at a zombie?"
Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.
Logan chuckled, leaning back slightly.
"You forget, that TV created an opening for you. But for my efforts, I only got five stats each in strength and agility, and twenty points. What about you?"
Ethan paused for a moment, his expression softening as he replied.
"Well, I received twenty stats in stamina and health, forty in mana, and three hundred points"
Logan nodded, his expression thoughtful.
"Understandable"
Logan rose from the floor, walking over to Ethan's side.
He bent down and picked up Ethan's sword with a smile spreading across his face.
"Holy, woo... To think I'd actually see a real sword"
Logan marveled, his eyes widening as he held the weapon.
Without missing a beat, he began making random poses, mimicking moves from the animes he'd watched.
Ethan chuckled, watching Logan's antics.
"Since you've got more than ten points now, you can buy one for yourself"
Logan paused in his dramatic pose, looking down at the sword in his hand.
"Hmm... I don't think I'll buy a sword. I'll figure out another weapon to get. I'm sure there are already plenty of sword users around here"
He stood up, his face thoughtful as he set the sword down and stopped his playful display.
"Up to you, bro"
Ethan replied with a light laugh, shrugging casually.
Logan suddenly snapped his fingers, his face lighting up in realization.
"Ohh yeah! How did I even forget this? What was that last attack you used? Was that a skill, or did you awaken some crazy ability or something? Tell me!"
Ethan leaned back with a grin, clearly enjoying the question.
"That was the ability I awakened, it's called Air Manipulation. Basically, it lets me control the wind however I want, as long as I have enough mana to back it up"
Logan clicked his tongue in mild frustration, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Tsk... Why do you get such a cool ability? You could literally fly if you had enough mana, or just wipe out hordes of zombies with a wave of your hand!"
Ethan chuckled at Logan's tone, amused by his friend's reaction.
"Why so bitter? Is your ability so useless that it's making you jealous?"
With a weary sigh, Logan offered a response.
"My ability is known as The Bomber"
Ethan, brow furrowed in confusion, cocked his head to the side, silently urging Logan to elaborate further.
"It grants me the power to cause anything I touch to explode"
Logan explained simply.
Ethan, still unsatisfied with the brevity, pressed for more details.
"Elaborate, Logan. I need a clearer picture"
Logan nodded, his tone shifting as he began to delve into the specifics.
"When I make contact with an object, I leave behind a mark, visible only to me. The more mana I channel into this mark, the greater the force of the explosion it triggers"
His expression, once shadowed with a hint of sadness, suddenly brightened into a wide, beaming grin.