Laide was unable to lead James and Amara back to the Eleso faction base because night had already descended. Luckily, before separating earlier, he had told his faction members to head back first. With only the three of them left, Laide sought out a safe spot, an abandoned building that housed only a few weak monsters. He swiftly dispatched them and cleared the room enough for the group to rest.
He didn't dare light a fire; flames would only attract stronger monsters lurking nearby. Instead, he switched on a flashlight. Though its dim glow was weak, it was enough to pierce the surrounding darkness and reveal their immediate surroundings.
The three walked in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Laide's true reason for inviting James and Amara to his faction weighed heavily in his mind: the rewards. Every action that benefited the faction was rewarded, and bringing in two strong Ascendants would surely earn him more than simple praise. The anticipation of his potential reward kept his steps steady.
James, meanwhile, carefully laid Collins on the floor. The young man slept soundly, his face peaceful despite everything that had happened. James pulled off his jacket and draped it over Collins' upper body to shield him from the cold. Then he sat close, forming a protective barrier with his body, not just against monsters, but against Amara and Laide as well.
His gaze lingered on Amara. She had been staring at Collins for some time, and James didn't like the look in her eyes. He had distrusted her from the start, and Collins' presence was the only reason she hadn't been left behind already. Laide fared no better in James' mind. After all, their first encounter had been Laide attacking them on sight, mistaking them for criminals.
Amara kept her distance. She could feel James' suspicion and hostility toward her, and though it stung, she didn't care much. Survival came first. She knew very well that if not for Collins, James would have abandoned her without hesitation. Her curiosity, however, gnawed at her. How had they escaped the monster circle so quickly? What did Collins do? She couldn't figure it out. One glance at James' overprotectiveness convinced her he might know, but he would never tell her. So she chose silence. Survival meant sticking close to those stronger than her, even if they despised her. That was why she had abandoned her old friends at the beginning of the apocalypse.
Her body grew heavy with fatigue, dizziness settling in. She hated the thought of sleeping in such a place, but her body demanded rest. Eventually, she surrendered to exhaustion and drifted off.
Laide had been watching the tense atmosphere between James and Amara. It puzzled him, so he broke the silence.
"Aren't the both of you friends?" he asked curiously.
James glanced at the sleeping Amara before replying flatly.
"No. We're not friends. Just… passersby."
"Passersby? You mean you'll go your separate ways soon?" Laide pressed.
James sighed. "Little boy, don't you want to rest?"
Laide pouted. "You could have just answered properly…" he muttered under his breath.
The silence returned, heavier than before.
James' thoughts drifted back to his earlier encounter with the Hindu God, Kartikeya, and the warning he had been given about Collins. His life would be endangered if he stayed by Collins' side. But what of it? Everyone's life had been in constant danger since the apocalypse began. A little more danger meant nothing. Collins wasn't just a friend to him, he was a brother, his anchor to sanity. Leaving him was unthinkable.
James remembered the moment he became Kartikeya's Warbrand. The sensation of being chosen had been the warmest, most reassuring feeling he'd ever known. He summoned his status window.
«DING… STATUS WINDOW»
NAME: Makinde James
LEVEL: 4
ATTRIBUTE: The Gifted Hoodlum
TITLE: ——
SAGA: ——
WEAPON: Ordinary Dual Knives
HP: 900 / 900
MP: 600 / 600
STRENGTH: 38
AGILITY: 30
SENSE: 10
HEALTH: 40
INTELLIGENCE: 25
AVAILABLE POINTS: ——
SKILL: ——
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things. But no, his stats were exactly the same. No changes, no new powers, nothing extraordinary. Still, he couldn't shake off the memory of that divine warmth.
"Why isn't there any change in my status?" he muttered aloud.
Laide's ears perked. "Why should there be any change in your status?" he asked.
James ignored him, deep in thought.
'Maybe there's some condition I haven't met yet. Like those games, fulfill a requirement to unlock something hidden. The Hindu God couldn't have lied. I just have to wait.
"Hey kid, what's your name?" James asked suddenly, his tone serious.
"I'm not a kid. And you never asked before." Laide frowned.
"Just answer."
"Hmph. Fine. It's Laide."
"Laide, then. How did you get your skill?"
Laide looked at him as though the question was strange. "What do you mean? From the System, of course."
James frowned. "I know it comes from the System. I mean… what decides who gets skills and who doesn't?"
"Oh. That's easy," Laide explained. "Skills are tied to attributes. Not everyone can use them. In my faction, the ones who can use skills are at the very top. Even those with high stats but no skills get treated well, but not like us with skills."
James nodded, listening carefully.
"So you're saying skills are tied to attributes. Meaning those with skills are stronger than those who just rely on stats alone?"
"Bingo," Laide replied smugly.
James clenched his fists. His attribute, The Gifted Hoodlum only boosted his experience gain and helped him make up for his lack of fighting techniques. But it didn't grant him outward skills. He was still far behind.
"So, you're one of the elites in your faction?"
"Of course. There are only three of us with skills, the leader, the illusory super leader, and me."
"Only three?" James raised a brow.
"Yeah. Out of nearly a thousand members."
James' eyes widened. "A thousand? That many people survived?"
He remembered the 3D Akure map projection he had seen with Collins. The overwhelming red lights of monsters had overshadowed the blue lights of humans, making it seem like only a few had survived. To hear otherwise lifted a weight off his shoulders. Perhaps humanity wasn't as doomed as it looked.
A rare smile tugged at his lips. "That's… good to know."
"You'd better rest," Laide said, pretending to sound casual. "Tomorrow's going to be tough."
James nodded. He realized he hadn't rested properly all day. "Thanks for the explanation," he said sincerely.
Laide turned away, pretending to fall asleep. James chuckled quietly, then lay down beside Collins. His guard remained up, but for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to rest. Tomorrow, chaos would come again.