"Time's back on? So I gotta wind this watch again?" Nathan grumbled, winding up the old pocket watch once more.
In a flash, time froze again, and Nathan smirked, "Nailed it."
He tucked his handgun behind his back and stepped into another room filled with the manager's collection. The walls were decked out with all sorts of melee weapons, from long swords to shields. Probably for maintenance, this room had no windows. He held up his phone, strolling past each weapon rack. Finally, his eyes lit up when he spotted what he was looking for!
A pair of kukris! These babies had rustic wrapped handles and gleaming, cold-edged steel. "Perfect for chopping zombies!" he muttered, eagerly opening the display case and grabbing the knives. The friction between the blades made a crisp sound. He narrowed his eyes, savoring the sweet melodic ringing of metals, feeling a surge of power coursing through his body. He couldn't wait to get out there and start slicing up zombies!
Back on the street, Nathan ditched the axe and swapped it for the two kukris, his expression cold and determined.
After a quick meal at the gun shop to recharge, he had one thing on his mind—killing zombies!
With his time-stopping ability, as long as he had enough stamina, he could take down a hundred zombies today and soak up all that mysterious energy.
But first, he needed to check out the building next to the supermarket.
After all...
"Yup, she's really just in her underwear," Nathan coughed, a bit embarrassed, and shyly pursed his lips. With the kukris in hand, he beheaded the nearest zombie!
The mysterious energy flowed into Nathan's body as soon as the zombie dropped.
No sticky mess like when he used the utility axe.
The kukris were insanely sharp and clean!
"Awesome!" he growled, charging forward with big strides.
The mysterious energy flowed into Nathan's body as soon as the zombie dropped.
He needed to save the woman and collect that mysterious energy! Nathan could feel that every time this energy entered his body, his genes got a little stronger!
Killing zombies had perks, and he could do it without getting hurt. How cool was that?
From downstairs to the woman's door, Nathan panted heavily, ready to stop the pocket watch.
But when he saw the busted security door, he ditched that plan. No wonder she was waving for help so desperately. She'd been chased into the house by zombies!
"Let's keep going."
Taking a deep breath, Nathan raised the still-sharp kukris and kept slashing through zombies.
He'd already taken down at least fifty zombies, and the mysterious energy had boosted his strength to more than double. That was why he was just panting heavily, but his arms weren't tired. The more he killed, the stronger he got!
At least, there were some benefits during the apocalypse.
He closed the pocket watch, and time kicked back in. With the sound of zombies hitting the ground, he stepped towards the woman's door and said, "Hey, I saw your distress signal. It's safe outside now..." While explaining, Nathan pulled out a bottle of water and a piece of bread. "I left some food and water at the door. That's all I can do for you."
With that, he took a few steps back, making sure his footsteps were loud enough for the woman inside to hear. He stopped near the security door. Inside, Elara heard the sudden silence after the zombie roars and then Nathan's voice. She couldn't believe she was safe! So many zombies had rushed in, and they were dealt with in an instant? Without even firing a gun? This guy was something else!
"Okay... please wait a moment!" Elara hesitated, then asked Nathan not to leave. She quickly wrapped herself in a thin blanket and cautiously approached the door. Before Nathan showed up, she had been trying to get help. Even if the zombies hadn't broken in, she was running out of food.
The guy who used to live in the building across from her had responded to her distress signal with a few red words on a white sheet: [Sex for Food!]
The apocalypse had really brought out the worst in people, and she saw it clearly then.
So even though Nathan saved her and left food and water at the door, her instinctive caution made Elara hesitant to trust him.
"I'm Nathan Duke. If you're scared, maybe we can get to know each other before we meet." As the room fell silent, Nathan, who had walked to the security door, spoke up. "I've pretty much cleared out the zombies outside. If you don't know where to go next, maybe we can team up."
"But first, I need to know more about you. You know, like an interview. Just tell me what you're good at or your profession."
Nathan leaned against the edge of the busted door, trying to get his voice to sound as casual and trustworthy as he could so that Elara could lower her guard.
Honestly, if he had bad intentions, he could easily overpower her with the pocket watch, but he knew he needed a partner who could communicate and fight for survival, not a slave or a toy. Maybe it was his peaceful era mindset, but Nathan still had a bit of a gentlemanly demeanor.
Elara's voice came through. "I'm Elara Vance, 25 years old, an intern doctor. I'm not good at much, except studying and working. I rarely interact with people. I... I haven't eaten anything for over two days. Can I have something to eat first?"
Hearing Elara's timid voice, Nathan smiled slowly. Since she was willing to talk, it was a good start.
An intern doctor? She might be a great partner.
But he still needed to see more. As Nathan was thinking, Elara had already walked out of the room, wrapped in a blanket.
The moment she opened the door and Nathan saw her, he froze, thinking, 'Well, damn. I need a doctor.' He snapped back to reality and handed a few pieces of chocolate from his backpack to Elara, saying gently, "Take your time to eat. Here, have some chocolate."
It wasn't that Nathan was easily tempted, but Elara's charm was off the charts! The female model who had died in his house before, aside from her long legs, couldn't hold a candle to Elara in any other way. Elara's high nose bridge, round face, seductive eyes, and petite chin made her a top-tier beauty! And her figure? Absolutely stunning!