Raven slung his chains back over his shoulder before heading out with Chris.
The descent to the ground floor was quiet, save for Chris's constant grin. His lips curled wide, his eyes glimmered with excitement, too much excitement.
'Has he gone mad?' Raven wondered, frowning at the sight.
He had seen people break before. Fear made men scream, cry, even collapse to their knees begging. But smiling? Smiling in the middle of this nightmare? That was something else entirely.
'People tend to lose their minds when fear takes root.'
Raven wasn't worried for Chris's sake, if he lost it, that was his problem. What bothered him was the thought of fighting alongside someone unstable. Madness was dangerous on the battlefield.
And yet, the more they walked, the more Chris looked like someone thrilled to be alive. His pace quickened, his breathing sharpened, and the energy rolling off him felt closer to hunger than fear.
"Hey," Raven asked casually, watching him out of the corner of his eye. "You alright?"
"More than ever," Chris shot back, his smile refusing to fade. "Walk faster, dude. We need to get that star."
Raven's brow twitched.
'He's lost it.'
But he didn't push further. If things went bad, there was always one tried-and-true survival tactic left. The most useful skill in any apocalypse.
Running away.
Running with your tail tucked between your legs. Without looking back.
When they finally stepped outside, Chris darted his gaze around the street like a kid searching for candy. His eyes widened as they landed on a vehicle a few steps away.
A Jeep Wrangler SUV.
Rugged. Boxy. A car built for the rough.
"A perfect fit," Chris whispered, his voice trembling with glee.
Before Raven could say anything, Chris sprinted toward it, practically throwing himself against the jeep's frame. He hugged the vehicle, eyes sparkling as if he had just reunited with a long-lost lover.
Raven stood there, slack-jawed.
'This… is unreal.'
Could someone really act like this in the middle of an apocalypse? The fondness radiating from Chris was almost nauseating. Raven had seen men fall for women, for power, even for money... but a jeep? This was new.
"Are you gonna keep clinging to that thing," Raven muttered, "or are you actually planning to start it?"
Chris shot him a side-eye sharp enough to cut. His displeasure was written all over his face. How dare someone intrude on his moment?
'This bitch…' Chris thought but swallowed the insult. Out loud, he only said:
"I will."
He hopped into the driver's seat with the excitement of a child opening presents. Raven sighed and climbed in beside him.
Chris's fingers danced over the steering wheel, then froze. His brows knitted together in deep thought, his hand tapping his chin as he stared at the dashboard. He looked less like a driver and more like an engineer trying to solve a puzzle.
Raven watched silently. The minutes stretched.
'What the hell is he doing?'
Then, without warning, Chris whispered:
"Crafter."
[You have used the skill Crafter on the vehicle.]
The system's voice rang in his ears. A blue light flickered in Chris's eyes as his vision shifted. The jeep's entire structure unfolded before him in translucent layers. He didn't understand every part, but the skill filled in the gaps, guiding his thoughts, granting him control.
It was the same trick he had used with the coffee machine, only this time the drain on his mana was heavier... far heavier.
'This thing eats through my energy…' he grimaced, but pushed forward.
And then—
Vroom!
The engine roared to life.
Chris's face lit up with childlike wonder. "I did it!" he shouted, grinning ear to ear.
Even Raven exhaled in relief. A working car was more valuable than gold right now.
"Hehehe… finally…" Chris chuckled.
But his joy quickly twisted. His smile stretched unnaturally wide, his teeth glinting in the faint light, his eyes narrowing with a sinister glint. It was no longer the grin of a boy happy to drive. It was the grin of something else. Something dangerous.
He turned his head toward Raven, hands gripping the wheel with near-reverence. His grin deepened.
"Shall we go?"
Raven stiffened. For the first time, he felt something he hadn't expected to feel around Chris. Fear.
Chris didn't wait for an answer. The jeep lurched forward suddenly, shooting ahead with jarring acceleration before slamming to an abrupt stop. Both of them jolted hard in their seats.
"Oh… uh, I didn't control it well. Sorry. Won't happen again," Chris said with the most unapologetic tone possible.
Raven's heart thudded against his ribs. He tightened his grip on the seat. The way Chris's eyes gleamed, the way his hands clutched the wheel… he wasn't driving a car. He was taming a beast.
With a hesitant swallow, Raven asked, "Is this… your first time driving?"
Chris tilted his head, then smirked. "Do you think a teenager is allowed to drive a car?"
The answer hit like a hammer.
'Shit.'
Not only was Chris unqualified, he looked like a lunatic on the verge of a breakdown. Raven immediately reached for the door handle. Escape was still an option...
"Not so soon, dude," Chris said, his tone almost mocking. "Remember? We're supposed to trust each other."
Trust? With you? Hell no. Raven clicked his seatbelt into place with shaking hands. At the very least, if Chris killed them, his corpse might stay intact inside the seat.
Meanwhile, Chris leaned back, exhilaration practically oozing out of him. He didn't bother with pedals or gears, his mind, powered by Crafter, was enough to command the jeep.
"Let's see what this baby can do!"
The jeep surged forward, the engine howling like a predator let loose.
"You know what?" Chris laughed manically. "I've always wanted to mow down zombies like in those apocalypse movies. Today's the day, dude. Don't worry, we won't die! Hehehe~"
The speedometer climbed.
Eighty. Ninety. One hundred.
The jeep tore across the street like a bullet, reckless and merciless.
Not sure about the undead, but with driving like this… it wouldn't be undead turning them into corpses.
It would be Chris.
***
Thanks for reading.