The Witch Tamer, Book 1

by Naosu N R

  We also at times stopped and did normal combat with zombies when we needed to clear streets that had blockages but weren't so bad that we'd get totally overwhelmed.

  My watch tells time normally, even though my cell phone isn't working.

  ...

  5 PM to 6 PM

  We killed 19 more zombies while exploring and retreating during this hour.

  But the scary part is that's how many we had to kill while trying to avoid ANY engagements with them.

  We verify that the zombies do melt in the dungeon when they die, which also might help in figuring out our situation. But they don't always leave loot. And even if they did, we wouldn't know if its even safe to eat it. (Also this is further evidence that we're in THE dungeon.)

  Loot found; Weird money, looks like US dollars, but has different pictures and faces on it than our money has. But it doesn't have the look of foreign currency either, which is weird. Plus, it has weird bar codes on it. Not sure we can even use this. And the pics of the leaders on the money...I'm not sure but I could have sworn they look like pics you'd see of some art of an Isekai fantasy manga of going to another world to dungeon, instead of Ben Franklin and George Washington, but otherwise looking like US dollars.

  Dungeon money? Or is it money from another world? Why does it not have my home language's text on it?

  This money is weird.

  24 dungeon dollars(?) found

  What the hell are dungeon dollars?

  But money is good! I want money!

  ...

  6 PM to 6:30 PM

  We killed 17 zombies.

  Loot found; car keys, but no car is in the dungeon (How did the keys get in here?), store keys, knife, woman's purse, lost shoe, belt

  ...

  By now my mana pool is about half its normal tank rate, thanks to using the shield skill and my stun skill. And Mandy is quite impressed also.

  We also made a few other discoveries.

  There are live humans in the city dungeon! Pockets of survivors are hanging out all over the place, but scattered and not together.

  Unfortunately they aren't in easy to reach places. We saw them from them waving and holding signs high up trapped in the skyscrapers around us that abound endlessly all over the cities. This makes climbing such buildings to even rescue one of them almost miraculous.

  We can't do anything, I thought.

  My family also will want me to save myself if I can. So I can't expect help from them. In fact, they could even punish me for being too much of a 'cannon fodder type' if I don't show them I can win over something lowly like zombie trash.

  We weren't able to get to them in time. But we did clearly hear and see pockets of combat with humans against the zombies also.

  Plus, we ran into other orc squads also exploring the city!

  "What does it mean?" I wondered aloud, asking Mandy.

  "If orcs are here...their equipment didn't look modern. Its possible that there's some way they are getting in here?" she asked.

  "Do you think that means a way out?" I asked.

  "Possibly. But it could be more dangerous. With Zombies we can at least hide out. But not with orcs. They will actively hunt for us and at night when we would be sleeping. And its weird that they were on the same map. Something isn't right about that," she said.

  Finally we had a break through.

  After going a bit further into an isolated spot we spotted something.

  "Hey, that apartment building there has a big multi-level parking garage connecting to it. And there's a few stores near it also, but its sort of in its own elevated terrain. I think it could work as a hiding spot," I said.

  "That depends on if the doors really do work in locking," she said.

  "So let's find a smaller street with a few street front shops and see if they lock. A parking garage's upper floors would be perfect to stash the car to explore also. And we can't burn up all our gas all at once," I said.

  "OK, boss," she said with a sigh.

  Although I wanted to hide out in this building, it had too much distance between where we would end up leaving the car to go inside and hide out. That meant potentially getting trapped.

  So, to test if doors could lock and if the buildings fully mirrored normal Earth buildings we back tracked to one of the less crowded streets with some smaller shops.

  "OK, let's do it!" I said.

  Mandy pulled up on the curb fast and then slammed the car's brakes putting it in park.

  I hit the first zombie near us with a stun. Then the next one, which finally let Mandy open her car door safely.

  The third, fourth, and fifth zombies are already charging us!

  I put up the umbrella shield, which a mana charge fully up and ready...

  The zombies slam into it, but it holds and takes up all the damage while Mandy just head shot the one zombie with the crowbar. But it took her 3 times to finish it off, not because she missed, but because her arm strength isn't that great.

  I stunned the next zombie. Then the next.

  Mandy has finished another zombie. I managed to kick one of the zombies over by using a kick against its center of balance. Then I used my enchanted crowbar to head shot one with 3 swings killing it.

  Finally the small group of zombies is out! But down the street another group is running this way!

  I really hope we can get to a safe spot! Inwardly I'm really sweating from stress.

  "Hurry!" I said.

  "Two inside the shop. But I see keys on the desk!" she said.

  "We have to risk it. The other shops might not have keys, even though they look clear," I said.

  It took only a few minutes to get inside this shop, after stunning and head shotting the other two zombies. But we have to act fast!

  We're in luck!

  The city dungeon's doors do lock!

  "Anything we can loot or grab?" Mandy said, half panicked.

  "We can't risk it. We can come back to that in the morning after we get through this. We have to leave before that other pack arrives!" I yelled.

  As it was currently, we still had a hard time getting out.

  I had to shield us from two zombies that got there early while Mandy started the car after opening her driver side door. Then I had to sort of throw myself over her lap while she's taking off with the door open.

  I barely avoided getting bit, but banged my arm and elbow against the driver's side steering wheel.

  Plus, Mandy's embarrassed at our close contact.

  We managed to get the door shut while she swerved all over the road.

  That was when we saw the 'HELP' signs drawn in several windows of buildings around us. Some of them even have live people in them!

  !

  "This sick bastard. This whole time he's kept the zombies alive with real people that he's brought in here!" Mandy observed.

  "Do you think that's what it is? Or is it more like he's just putting political rivals or targets he's been hired on in here?" I asked.

  "I...can't prove it. But why else would there be other people here? This isn't a functioning city. They must have been trapped here somehow," she said.

  "Well that's a thought also."

  "What should we do?" she asked.

  "For now we can't rescue these people until we create our own safe spot," I told Mandy.

  I could see on her face she was giving the people waving help signs in the building windows pained looks. "I agree," she sighed.

  "I know...but its so sad," she added.

  "It doesn't mean we can't try something later. They can probably make it another night still. But we have to plan it out and make it real, and very organized. Plus, your priority is working for me," I added.

  "OK."

  We pulled into the parking garage and went to the top level of its 3 levels. We're lucky that the different levels also channel most of the zombies to the bottom level and not the top. Each level there are less, though our car engine sounds may disturb that over night as they try
to follow where they heard the sounds.

  We parked as close as we could to the ramp and stairs which went to the second floor. And that second floor ramp led right into the building.

  I still had to use about 5 stuns, just to go forward. We ended up just pushing the zombies over the balcony edges to land on their heads, which was a really great cheat exploit.

  Finally we got to the apartments!

  We go in the door.

  "Stop! Draw those out first!" I said, barely managing to stop Mandy from doing something suicidal!

  She was almost bit by several on the other side of the door, that she hadn't seen.

  "Oh jeez! I'm so sorry!" she said.

  "I'm not mad. Just don't get bit," I shouted.

  A throng of four zombies rushed us from the door.

  I hit my umbrella shielding up. Then hit the fourth with a stun.

  Mandy head shot one with her crowbar. Then we pushed one over the edge.

  We managed to keep the other two off, while I replenished the energy shield enchant.

  "Good. Now the hall. But we shouldn't take the first apartment since this level is next to the garage and too close to the entrance. We want to go to the top floor if possible," I hurriedly breathed out while we're trying to rush forward.

  Another zombie came out an open door way.

  Mandy and I take him down with numerous crowbar slaps.

  Then we do two others, one by one that came out of doorways.

  We're lucky.

  The enchanted gear I have is giving me a huge advantage.

  But then the stairs were more tricky.

  We had to avoid freeing stuff from downstairs while moving up. And sound carries a bit too well in stairwells. Its also hard to fight zombies going up from below them, where you can't get head shots, and only get leg shot openings.

  I lost a bunch of mana as we were going up the stairs.

  We also had to stop several that were coming up from below. But these we got free head shots on, as long as we don't let their outstretched arms grab at us.

  Slam!

  Spluck!

  Splulck!

  Shlep!

  The sounds of zombie gore went off, blow after blow we managed to push up and forward. The knock back effect enchant I'd put on my crowbar is a god send for zombies. Without it, we'd have already been bit several times.

  Finally we got the top floor cleared.

  We went inside and locked the door breathing hard with our backs against the door.

  But then we had another big shock.

  !

  There's people already in this apartment!

  "Where the fuck did you guys come from?" a guy on the couch asked.

  In front of us, is a trapped adventuring party!

  There are three men and a woman. And being surprised with us coming into their rest spot has them reaching for their arms and armor. They held their arms and hands up in a way suggesting 'parley' and no harmful intentions, looking sincere.

  "Whoa, we didn't come here for trouble. We can go to the next room," I said.

  "Wait! Don't go! Please stay! Don't leave us! Please!" the woman with them said.

  "They must have seen our 'HELP' sign," one of them said.

  (This is one of those rooms?! Wow. That was accidental actually, I thought processing it.)

  "Yeah guys. Hey, can you help us out?" one of the guys in that team asked.

  "OK...?" Mandy tilted her head slightly trying to figure this out.

  But looking at them, I get worried.

  Their gear is good, if they weren't so dirty and could clean themselves up. They look really battered and beat up like refugees also. They look dirty, half starved, and have defeated looks on their faces. Its clear that they've had party losses, and this isn't the full group.

  More than one of them also has tear stains on their faces, and not just the girl in their group. No doubt they'd lost several members just trying to find a spot to hide out in!

  And if we're not careful, they might do anything if they are this desperate! For now, we need to just be really careful and not do any sudden moves.

  Somehow we ended up talking to them.

  We find out the names of this other team;

  James, level 24 knight

  Miguel, level 19 archer (out of ammunition)

  Sadie, level 18 ranger (also out of ammunition)

  Josh, level 25 soldier

  None of their gear looks really good. Possibly they'd lost some when fleeing predators in here.

  Do we trust them?

  Even if we do, I can't tell them even a tenth of our situation and definitely not about the car we have.

  Chapter 23

  So what do we do about these other people we ran into?

  Technically its not exactly a rescue...

  Currently we're parleying with the other team. Both sides face each other, with neither doing anything hostile.

  Do I really think I can trust these guys, I thought.

  But they look desperate.

  Normally I think desperate people can't be trusted, except when its a situation where 'safety in numbers' situations are created like now.

  So I decided to have us approach and talk to them.

  Glancing at Mandy, I think she's thinking the same thing.

  "Don't make any sudden moves please," Mandy warned.

  "We won't. We just want to talk," one of them said.

  "So how should we do this?" the other party's team member, a guy named James asked.

  "We just hole up until morning. I already told you guys that," Sadie sighed. She has her arms folded and looks tired like she hasn't slept in two days.

  "So let's do it. I've got some water if you guys need some for cooking and cleaning up," Josh offered.

  "We've got our own thanks," Mandy told him.

  "Really?" the one they called James seems too interested.

  "Sounds good, we can do our cooking, but we need to contain the smells. Especially don't let them smell anything meat like. But for some reason bacon really riles up undead," Sadie reminded them.

  "Really? Bacon?!" I said in surprise.

  She shrugged. "Some think...its like that because of bacon being similar to people. But I don't know if that's true."

  That's really creepy, I thought.

  Among the other group it looks like this girl is used to having her way.

  "We can't afford to share our food with them. Sorry guys," Josh apologized to us, while telling his friends.

  "Its fine. We can get our own," Mandy told them.

  "You guys seem pretty confident. Its not that easy to get food in a zombie map," one of them observed watching us.

  Mandy and I glanced at each other. We still don't know how much we can trust these guys.

  But actually I had a few food items stashed in my gear any way from the worries over my previous solo dungeon attempts when Melanie dropped me off and making sure I was prepared for if I got stuck in there. I never thought I'd actually have to use those rations though.

  "Well before we go into our life histories, what can you tell us about this dungeon zone?" I asked.

  "Fair enough. We could do that. The sooner we get on a plan to get out of here the better," Josh agreed.

  It seems like Josh is the leader of the other team. And he might be experienced, but I can't rely on the 'experience' of a team that's in trouble or failed. But that leadership he has is also complicated further, since they have lost a bit of faith in him after the deaths of their other team members; who became zombies. You can see the questioning doubts in how they look at him.

  Its also true, that as the only girl on her team sometimes Sadie can influence Josh it seems. Miguel looks sort of resentful to Josh being the leader, however. He seems moody also, and sort of like what you'd expect a typical Los Angeles cholo figure to look like an act like, but he's not a bad guy. He just acts tough, like I noticed he was checking on the others gear for them even while we talked to them. Oth
ers might have judged him by his appearance without seeing that.