Chris stood frozen, like a statue, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before him. His gaze was locked on Zane, who casually broke off a piece of whole-grain bread and took a bite.
But Zane wasn't just biting into bread—he was sinking his teeth into Chris's shattered heart.
"This…" Brandon muttered under his breath as he watched the awkward scene unfold. Man, my teammate's really out here taking Ls left and right…
"This whole-grain bread is great. I didn't expect the folks at the Los Angeles shelter to be so generous. Thanks a lot," Zane said, turning to Chris with a warm smile.
Chris nodded stiffly, forcing a laugh. "No problem… haha…"
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, muttering to himself, What a disaster. Not only did I fail to steal the show, but I ended up losing face too. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
Brandon hurried after him, trying to console him. "Uncle, next ti, maybe do a little recon before you make a move?"
Chris shot him a look, still trying to save face. "What do you think I'm doing now? Recon."
"Uh-huh…" Brandon nodded, though he couldn't help but think the price of this "recon" was a bit steep.
Chris, however, wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. "It's fine. I've made a good impression. I'll take my ti with this."
"Take your ti? Dude, she's got a boyfriend," Brandon said, exasperated.
Chris gave him a sidelong glance. "So what? Just because there's a goalie doesn't an you can't score."
After a brief rest, the group gathered to plan their next move.
The parasite hive was located at the ruins of the old Santa Clarita shelter. The monsters had overrun it long ago and had been using it as their base ever since.
"The shelter was built underground, repurposed from an old bomb shelter," Mia explained. "There weren't many exits, which is why the survivors were wiped out. The monsters blocked all the ways out, and the people inside were trapped like fish in a barrel."
Zane nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. Otherwise, with tens of thousands of people in the shelter, at least so of them would've made it out."
"Now, after all this ti, who knows what condition those entrances are in?" Mia continued. "And if we go in to assassinate the parasite leader, the fight will definitely draw attention. Once the monsters swarm, we'll be in serious trouble."
Zane glanced at her, impressed. Her calm analysis and thorough planning were spot-on. Smart and beautiful, he thought, his admiration for her growing even more.
Ethan, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly spoke up. "Maybe we could use an Earth-type Awakener to seal off all the entrances once we're inside."
"Huh?" The group turned to him, surprised.
"Seal the entrances? Why?" soone asked.
"That way, the parasites outside won't be able to get in," Ethan explained. "After we take out the leader, we can open one exit at random to escape. It'll help us avoid most of the monsters."
The group exchanged glances, and after a mont, the realization hit them. It was a brilliant idea.
Mia nodded in approval. "Wow, you're really sothing. Always scheming, huh?"
"What?" Ethan frowned, not entirely pleased with her choice of words.
Mia shrugged. "Fine, how about 'resourceful'?"
"That's better," Ethan said, satisfied.
Zane studied Ethan curiously. He'd been keeping an eye on him for a while now. There was sothing about him that stood out—his strikingly handso face, his pristine white shirt. He was like a firefly in the dark, glowing brightly, impossible to ignore.
But there was sothing else, too. Ethan didn't give off any kind of aura, almost as if he weren't even alive. And yet, he and Mia seed close, often chatting and laughing together like old friends.
Zane's curiosity got the better of him. "Hey, man, where do you rank in the shelter?"
"I don't have a rank," Ethan replied bluntly.
"Oh…" Zane nodded, a small smirk tugging at his lips. No rank ant no significant power. So he's just a regular guy. All talk, no action.
Mia spoke up again. "None of us have been to the Santa Clarita shelter before, so we don't know the layout. We'll need a guide. We're waiting for soone to join us."
"The sole survivor you've been in contact with?" Ethan guessed.
"Yeah," Mia confird, glancing out the window. The sun was setting, painting the sky with streaks of blood-red and fiery orange.
"That guy's a night owl. He prefers to move under the cover of darkness…"
...
In a remote corner of Santa Clarita, a safe house stood tall. Its walls were made of solid alloy, thick and impenetrable. Inside, it was equipped with a radar system, a generator, and all sorts of other gear.
There was even an electric oven, radiating heat. On its grill, sothing sizzled and popped. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the tentacles of small parasite creatures.
Sitting beside the oven was a young man in a black trench coat. His sharp features—arched brows, piercing eyes, and chiseled jawline—gave him a strikingly handso appearance.
Alone in the safe house, guarding this desolate corner of the world, he looked like sothing straight out of a movie. It was hard not to think of I Am Legend.
The young man's na was Robert Smith, an S-Class Awakener with a unique ability called [Night Legend]. When night fell, his strength, agility, reflexes, and overall physical capabilities would multiply several tis over.
Tonight, he was expecting so companions to join him in hunting down the parasite leader.
At the mont, Robert was focused, preparing for the task ahead. But instead of sharpening weapons or checking gear, he was cranking a small hand-powered generator, charging up a music player.
After a few minutes, the device was fully charged.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Robert's lips as he slipped the music player into his pocket. Then, he reached for one of the roasted parasite tentacles on the oven and took a bite.
"Hot! Damn, that's hot!"
He winced, his face scrunching up in pain, but he still managed to swallow the bite.
Glancing at the clock, he noticed the sun had almost completely set. The night was about to begin.
Slowly, Robert stood up, taking the katana hanging on the wall and slinging it across his back. With deliberate steps, he walked toward the door.
"Ti to clock in…"
The door to the safe house creaked open, and Robert stepped out into the night. A cool breeze swept past, tousling the hair on his forehead.
He squinted, scanning the apocalyptic ruins of the street ahead. From the shadows, faint growls and guttural noises echoed—monsters lurking in the darkness, as if they'd been waiting for him all along.
Monts later, the tension in the air thickened. From the dim alleys, several creatures burst forth, charging straight at him.
The monsters were grotesque, their faces twisted with malice. They screeched as they moved, their long, whip-like tentacles lashing out like arrows, cutting through the air with terrifying speed.
But Robert didn't flinch. He'd seen this too many tis to be fazed.
Calmly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of earbuds, placing them snugly in his ears.
Suddenly, the world around him changed. The monsters' screeches faded into silence, the howling wind stilled, and the chaos of the night was replaced by the soothing lody of his playlist.
Robert nodded along to the beat, a small, satisfied grin on his face.
By now, one of the monsters' tentacles was re inches from his chest.
Robert's eyes narrowed, and in an instant, his figure blurred. He vanished, lting into the shadows like a phantom.
"Shing!"
The katana slid from its sheath with a sharp tallic ring. Embedded in its hilt was an A -grade lightning crystal core, which now flared to life, crackling with arcs of electricity.
The blade glowed in the dark, illuminating the single word etched into its surface: Justice.
With a swift, precise motion, Robert's katana sliced through the monster's tentacle, severing it cleanly. Without missing a beat, he surged forward, the blade's edge aid directly at the creature's heart.
"Justice… delivered."
...
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