Chapter Four

I feel like I’m in a role playing video game and I just stumbled upon an enemy encounter. This cave is crawling with numerous monsters of all shapes and sizes, but the only thing I see is the monster in front of me like I’m stuck in a trance and it is some sort of tunnel vision. This is crazy. One moment I was reeling in the fact that I’m reincarnated, am some sort of lizard, and have magic in the form of tail weapons and now I am about to fight this sort of rocky zombie looking thing.

At the very least, I’ve only caught the attention of one of these zombies. I don’t think I should be outnumbered soon, so I can focus on this one on one fight.

“Well, Gabby. You got what you wanted… an adventure and a trial by combat.”

I step back. The pond at my back. The rock zombie leans and stumbles forward. I keep the same distance and attempt to circle around. Well, I’m terrified.

I have various thoughts running through my mind in the form of strategies and retreat plans. I could fight it out with my kickboxing. I can lure it into the pond. I can make use of these dog abilities. I can grab one of these neon crystals and use it as a weapon. I can run and find a path out of this cave. I can swim across the pond to temporary safety. I have plans A-Z flowing through my brain.

I have to do something! I can’t just wait for a solution to drop Deus Ex Machine style.

I decided to test out my magic.

“Let’s see. What can a dog do? Bark, bite, growl, run.” I count my fingers while listing these abilities. Well, for sure I’m not going to bark or bite it.
Barking is embarrassing and the bite could get me sick. There’s no telling what sort of effects could happen if I bit a zombie. Also, my jaw is still human. I can feel my fangs a bit longer, but I’m pretty sure they are still part of my lizard biology. Not to mention the taste. I can already smell the wet and abhorrent mixture of stone and flesh. I do not want anything like that in my mouth.

So, I decided to go for a growl option. There is probably some sort of supersonic amplification ability that comes with it. Also, it can be an intimidation tactic. I’ve seen chihuahuas capable of spooking people my age.

I take another step back and circle the zombie. His back is now facing the pond. I huff my chest and ready my vocal attack.

“Aaaah.”

I let out a pathetic wail.

I can’t do this. It’s too embarrassing. Even in a life or death situation, I can’t for my own integrity. I am still sane, so that’s why I can’t.

The rock zombie does not lose its sight of me, it swings its limbs chaotically building momentum as it spins rapidly towards me. Like a human tornado, or a monster tornado, it strikes. I managed to dodge by remembering my kickboxing training. As soon as the zombie’s attack started its build-up, I instinctively started hopping around lightly. Right, left, then right again. I remember my coach instructor would tell us to always be in motion so that we are ready to strike and anticipate the enemies’ movements at the same time. Thanks to that, I was able to hop to the side and completely dodge the rock zombie’s straight line attack.

But man, what a childish attack. Spinning around. I guffaw at the ridiculousness of the situation. But this monster is most likely undead, so there are no emotions involved. Must I also become undead to not be embarrassed too?

I roll my eyes at my self pity and ready myself again. This time I just screamed. I don’t know how to actually growl in a loud manner, so I’m doing my best to intimidate this zombie.

But the zombie does not flinch. It doesn’t react, flee, or panic in fear.

I attracted the attention of all the monsters in the cave to my specific location.

“Eek!” I panic at the unwelcomed party of rock spiders, rock goblins, and even more rock zombies approaching. Wow, I kinda dig the theme.

Fear aside, I manage to find a path out of my predicament. I leap into the air and find out that I have some sort of super soldier agility. As a result, I hit my head on the medium-low ceiling of the cave. I fell down uttering an OOMPH like sound on impact. I roll from my back to stand up and find the same rock zombie five steps from me. All this effort and I haven’t managed to shake this guy off.

“You know what I had enough!”

I am filled with adrenaline. I go for a 1-2 jab combo. Both fists connect to the zombie’s temple. I send the zombie tumbling away before it immediately regains its balance a couple more steps away. Its eyes filled with more hunger and wrath than before. I feel my heartbeat rapidly rising and my blood boil and body cool. This is a fight. To the death.

All I wanted was a standard brawl, but here I am. I instinctively feel my kickboxing training take effect once again as my feet start to light hop around from side to side.

“AHHHH!” I unleash a flurry of punches ranging from jabs and crosses. My fists aim mainly for its mixed composition of rock and flesh and most of them hit their mark.

I could go for a better battle cry instead of a goat scream. Mid-thought, the zombie manages to bite my left arm as I miss my punch. I bend my arm back and glimpse at the abnormal bite mark.

“Oh no. Oh shit!” I panic and start dreading the horror that I will transform into. I spin and deliver a back heel kick slamming the zombie’s head into the stone wall seemingly knocking it out.

I start breathing heavily. Is this disease like a poison thing, is there a way to remove or even mitigate the damage? I feel the sweat dripping into my ears and rolling down my face. The saltiness of my sweat temporarily grounds me in and I see that the group of rock monsters is skittering towards me. I feel my legs give out and I fall knees first to the ground.

“Am I going to die again?”

Suddenly a burst of light illuminates the cave. I hear the sound of multiple projectiles hitting the flesh and rock of the monsters in front of me. They all fall one by one with bullet holes on them and green liquid dripping out of their wounds. I turn to see a young woman with ash grey hair and bright blue eyes holding a rifle. My world type of rifle.