With the passing of days, Tysone found himself thinking about an important event that had yet to happen. The EMP strike, specifically. It would disable most of Japan's electronics and vehicles. Cars crashed. Trains derailed, buses and trucks lost control. Tokonosu City turned into a total blackout overnight.
All cell phones, internet, and TV broadcasts went offline.
He didn't remember the exact date, but if he recalled correctly it should've already happened. The fact that it didn't only made Tysone's suspicions worse.
This world was slowly diverging from its predetermined course. If the EMP strike didn't happen, it meant that something far worse could come instead. Tysone felt the weariness of stress and worry weigh heavily on him. It was like knowing that a disaster would happen, but not knowing when or how to prepare for it.
'There's no way that it won't happen. Something's else at play here.'
Maybe Black Label somehow intercepted the attack. Tysone hoped that was the case.
He shook his head and returned to reality. He wouldn't bet on a miracle, but at the moment it was out of his hands. Better to focus on something else.
Tysone walked around the courtyard, observing each resident. Over a week had passed since their arrival at the mansion—since everyone's training began—and each day had seen steady improvements across everyone. Whether it was physical fitness or skill, everybody had made considerable strides in one way or another.
While some members lagged behind, that was inevitable. Those who were already athletic excelled, those who weren't, understandably, failed to meet expectations.
One of them was Yui, who could barely lift up a couple of pounds during weight-lifting.
The upside was that she managed to tag along and support the team regardless. She had been learning well under Shizuka.
Tysone continued walking, glancing down at the black crystal in his hand. He had gotten that from killing the Infected Zombie, after cutting open its chest cavity. He had yet to figure out what it was and what it did.
Its pitch-blackness reflected absolutely zero light; Tysone feared gazing too deeply into the abyss.
He shook his head, sighing.
Well, that's why he was on his way to find Saya. He needed her scientific knowledge; whether it'd amount to anything remained to be seen.
Once inside, he searched for her. As usual, Tysone found Saya holed up in her bedroom. He knocked thrice on her door.
"Yes? Come in!"
He pushed open the wooden slab and entered.
"Oh?" Saya paused when she spotted him. A book lay sprawled open on her desk, whereas various others were scattered around the desk. The desk lamp provided adequate lighting for her room. "You? Why are you here?"
"Why wouldn't I be here? It's my house, after all." Tysone quipped dryly.
Saya ignored his quip. "What brings you here, Ty?" She inquired again.
"This thing here."
"What's that?"
"Don't know. Found it inside the zombie's chest." Tysone reached inside his pocket, pulling out the strange stone. Its surface glittered faintly.
Saya gingerly took hold of it.
"So pretty..." She commented whilst weighing it in both palms, her brow furrowed pensively. "It looks organic but artificial at the same time." She traced the contours of the peculiar crystal with curious fingertips. Then she moved toward her desk and set the black gem onto the flat surface. "You said you found this inside the zombie?"
"Yes."
Saya contemplated silently.
Seconds passed before her gaze narrowed suspiciously.
"Didn't it cross that thick skull of yours that it could be dangerous to remove it?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Doubt it."
"And why is that?"
"I don't really know." Tysone confessed honestly. "My instincts told me it was safe, and I felt this... urge to keep it close to me."
Saya hummed, giving him a side-glance. "Instincts..." She echoed doubtfully. Nevertheless, curiosity got the best of her. "You know... maybe the source of 'them' and 'this' have something to do with it." She suggested, gesturing vaguely at the mysterious object. "It certainly doesn't seem natural."
"This is the only instance where we found a zombie with something like this inside." He elaborated. "Not sure if it's a coincidence or merely a result of the zombie's mutation. What's your take?"
She bit her lip pensively.
"There are numerous possible explanations for that, none of them very conclusive." She tapped her finger absentmindedly against her cheek. "The simplest theory, as you mentioned, is mutation, and that it was purely accidental. Another possibility is that this isn't a natural phenomenon at all, that something, or rather somebody created it deliberately. However, we don't have the equipment nor tools to ascertain that." Saya frowned. "Although it seems improbable, considering the current state of affairs, there's always a slim chance that someone could've caused it." She concluded. "Until we get some tangible evidence to the contrary, let's assume this whole situation was caused by nature. Unfortunate and horrible, but nothing man-made."
"Right." Tysone nodded curtly. "For the moment, let's assume that this is just nature being a bitch." He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Mutations happen, even to viruses. With that logic, the mutation caused the virus to affect not just the body, but also create strange minerals within its host." He scratched the top of his scalp.
"Mhm." Saya mused quietly. "So, why not destroy it?" She inquired suddenly.
Tysone raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Isn't it just that simple?" She rephrased her inquiry. "I mean, what's stopping us from getting rid of this thing right now and then never speaking of it again?"
His brow knitted together.
"You're right." He conceded thoughtfully after a prolonged moment of reflection. "... but maybe the key to finding a cure lies within it."
"Fair enough..." Saya relented, nodding once. "Still, what good does this serve us in our current circumstances?" She pressed onward. "Even if you manage to crack the mystery, what could you possibly achieve from it? We can't synthesize vaccines, nor mass produce it." She sighed exasperatedly. "Face the truth, Ty."
"It doesn't matter. For some reason, my guts' telling me that this thing is important and shouldn't be thrown away. I've kept it for a couple of days and nothing happened, which suggests that at least it's not actively harming anyone." He argued calmly. "Maybe later down the line we could use it somehow."
Saya stared at him for several seconds without saying anything; she simply studied him with an inscrutable expression. Then she finally spoke up again, chuckling. "I'll trust your instincts, Ty."
He smiled. "Thanks, Say'."
She mirrored his gesture. "Anytime."
"Well, I'm gonna leave you alone now." Tysone turned around, hand on the knob. "Later."
"Ty—"
"Yes?"
"I—" Saya opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, just to close it a few seconds later. She smiled awkwardly. "Nothing..."
Tysone stared at her for a while, then chuckled and left.
When the door closed, Saya deflated. "Damn it."
...
With that mysterious crystal left in Saya's intelligent hands, Tysone focused back on training, as did everyone else. He was still concerned about the meaning behind the EMP strike's delay, but decided that it wasn't something he could control.
By the time two weeks elapsed, everyone's strength and stamina had increased exponentially. Tysone stared at the callouses in his hands and wrapped some bandage around his palms. He flexed his fingers, feeling only mild discomfort.
At least the pain on his shoulder was almost negligible.
Shizuka complained a lot, and he loved it. Especially the part where he turned that complaint into a moan.
The woman didn't know the meaning of moderation, and neither did he, so they ended up in bed whenever they could steal a few moments to themselves.
He didn't know whether it was getting obvious or not, nor did he care since he was finally getting some stress relief.
"It's about time we resume exploring and scouting the city for supplies and, potentially, survivors." Tysone began. The tableful perked up, staring at him. "Since we lack any official ranking system, I'll make it easier by dividing ourselves into teams based on our proficiencies. Team Delta, our medic, consists of Shizuka-sensei and Yui. Team Alpha will consist of Mai, Takashi, Kohta, and me, with myself acting as leader. Team Beta consists of Saeko, Rei, Miku, and Marin, with Saeko acting as the leader." He explained. "Team Charlie will be only Saya for the moment, our primary intelligence-gatherer. We'll look into adding more people to each team."
"Hmph!" Saya grunted.
"As far as I see, these teams shall operate independently and are responsible for carrying out their own objectives." Tysone elaborated. "All teams will naturally defer to me during emergencies, or if I'm directly present to lead."
The group listened intently.
"For now, however, Team Alpha will depart. Team Beta and Charlie will guard the perimeter of the mansion until we return." He instructed. "Are there any questions?"
Everyone looked at one another, then back at him, shaking their heads.
"Great. Let's move out!"
Author's Note:
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at P@treon.com/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.