The air was thick and heavy, a low-hanging humidity that made every breath a conscious effort.
Overhead, the clouds were a bruised purple, spreading out to swallow the sun. A soft, continuous rumble, like the distant drum of war, echoed across the landscape.
The temperature was dropping, and a storm was coming. It was a good time to move and the corrupted mostly roams around in this atmosphere as he had observed earlier also.
Lin Kai led the way, his steps silent and deliberate. His mind was a blank slate, focused only on the path ahead.
He moved with a practiced, almost inhuman grace. His group of survivors are all new faces to him which he had selected earlier. Most of them did their best to keep up, some have their movements clumsy and loud in comparison.
He had chosen the east side of the city. The area was dense with old office buildings and forgotten alleyways, perfect for finding those corrupted. But it was also perfect for getting ambushed.
He signaled with a single hand, his fingers spreading and closing, telling them to stay vigilant. He could sense their fear, a hot, anxious energy that made the air around them seem to ripple.
He turned and looked at them. The faces were a mix of terror and grim determination. He knew they were all from Jing Yu's group.
They were a mix of ages and backgrounds, but none of them had seen what he had experienced in this calamity. He had to show them what they were up against, and why they had to fight.
After walking a few blocks, the group saw their first target. It was a lone corrupted, hunched over a body in the middle of a deserted street.
A terrible, wet chewing sound filled the air. A few people in the group gasped, their faces turning a ghastly white. One person, a young man, vomited on the pavement.
Lin Kai didn't flinch. He slowly raised his hand, his expression dead serious, and motioned for silence. His voice, a low whisper that carried surprising authority, cut through the tension.
"This is it," he said, his eyes never leaving the creature. "This is what we face. A High rank of Zero Order Corrupted one. I'll immobilize it. You will kill it."
He didn't give them time to think or to object. He moved forward, a ghost in the urban decay. The corrupted, lost in its gruesome meal, didn't notice him.
In a flash of speed, Lin Kai was beside it. He delivered a controlled punch to its gut, just enough to stun it but not enough to kill it.
In a blur of movement, he pulled a rope from his storage space and wrapped it tightly around the creature.
He dragged the thrashing monster back to the group. They stared at the creature in a mixture of horror and fascination. It was a person, but twisted and malformed. Its skin was gray and rotting, and its eyes were a vacant, milky white.
Lin Kai's voice was gentle but firm as he addressed them.
"This is your chance. It's an easy kill. Just one of you needs to step forward and finish it. I will not let anything happen to you."
He pulled out a sharp, beautiful knife and offered it to them.
"Take this and aim for its neck. One strike is all it needs. Just give a finishing blow with all your strength."
Silence. No one moved. Their faces, pale with fear, stared at the writhing monster on the ground.
Lin Kai's heart sank, a familiar frustration welling up inside him. But he pushed it down, a wave of calm settling over him.
He spoke again, his voice filled with an almost fatherly kindness.
"I am here. Nothing will happen to you. I'm giving you a chance to evolve, to get stronger. I can't do this for you again and again. I won't. This is your life. You have to fight for it."
After a few tense seconds, a young girl stepped forward. Lin Kai recognized her. She was a girl from his grade, a quiet, studious person he had seen in the library. Her name was? Yes, Rong.
Her hands were shaking. She took the knife from his hand, her eyes locked on the corrupted. Her face was a mix of terror and resolve. She took one step back, her breath hitching, then she took a deep breath.
With a wild cry, she plunged the knife into the monster's neck. A gruesome gurgle filled the air as the blade found its mark.
The corrupted's body went limp. She then began stabbing the creature, screaming. "You monster! You killed them! You killed my friends! I'll never forgive you!"
Tears streamed down her face, and her screams were filled with the helpless grief of someone who had lost everything.
Lin Kai let her continue. He understood. He can feel the grief and rage when he had to watch the same kind of evil person killed others in front of him. After a few minutes, her rage subsided, replaced by a quiet, deep sadness.
He walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's dead now," he said, his voice soft.
"It's okay. Use your anger to get strong. It's the only way to protect the people you love."
She looked up at him, her eyes red and tear-stained. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for this chance. I promise to be strong."
A mental voice sounded in Rong's head:
"First Soul has been reclaimed. Zero Order (Mid) attained."
The girl's aura had changed, a subtle shift in her very presence. She had a new kind of quiet confidence. She could feel it herself, a new power flowing through her veins.
Lin Kai nodded, satisfied. He knew she had the potential to be a great warrior.
He turned to the rest of the group. They were staring at the girl, their eyes wide. They saw the change in her. They felt it in the air.
The fear in their eyes was still there, but now it was mixed with a new feeling: curiosity.
"See?" Lin Kai said, his voice now a low, persuasive hum. "She took a chance, and now she's stronger. I can only help you this one time. You have to seize your chance."
A few of them started to protest, but sensing the serious and calm tone of Lin Kai, they were convinced.
They saw the fear and the power in the girl and they wanted that power too. A few of them began to nod, their hands raised. "Okay, leader," a woman raised her voice. "We will do it."
Lin Kai finally allowed himself a small, tired smile. The first lesson was over. The clouds above opened up, and the first drops of rain began to fall.
They were ready to move, to face the storm and to become stronger. They marched forward, their resolve set, their eyes on the rising water in the streets. They would not turn back.
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Author's Note:
Hm, will release next tomorrow ok? I know how u feel but I will try. Go to my Kofi page if support. I hope u had seen my characters art above also. Comment on it if u like it.