Alex wouldn't trust a stranger so easily, but listening to the man couldn't hurt.
After a few quick questions, the iron tower-like man seemed eager to talk. Alex gleaned plenty from him, piecing together his own thoughts.
"Seven days ago, a Greenridge team went into Ashen City for some machinery," the man said. "On their way back, the city's zombies went wild. The team was nearly wiped out. Those zombies didn't return to Ashen City—they're still roaming near Greenridge. My guess? A leader-type zombie's behind it."
"Leader-type zombie?" Alex asked, surprised.
He'd never heard of such a thing, but the name hinted at its power.
"Yeah, zombies are mindless, driven by instinct," the man explained. "They can evolve, sure, but there's a rare chance for a leader-type to appear. These can control other zombies, and they've got some smarts. The way those zombies are acting, it's gotta be one. Our old base got overrun by a leader-type once—that's why it fell…"
His voice dropped, heavy with memory.
Alex nodded, done talking. He didn't even ask the man's name, moving cautiously toward the forest's edge.
The little girl, silent as ever, trailed him closely, her guard almost fully down.
Alex knew if the man spoke true, the forest's edge was dangerous. Evolved beasts likely gathered there, fending off the zombie tide.
The absence of beasts these past days seemed to back the man's story.
Glancing at the girl, Alex worried for her safety.
But the apocalypse spared no one. Everyone faced their own perils. He'd help her as much as he could without compromising himself. Her speed-type Awakened ability gave her a decent shot at escaping.
Nearing the forest's edge, Alex caught distant sounds of combat. Closer, the clash grew sharper—a chaotic roar.
No need to see it. The battle-like din told him everything. Breaking through a war between zombies and evolved beasts was impossible.
Alex didn't dare fly up to scout. The skies swarmed with zombie and evolved beasts.
Humans fought zombies. Evolved beasts, with their faint intelligence, attacked zombies too.
But humans and beasts weren't allies. Beasts hunting humans, or humans hunting beasts, was common.
Three years into the apocalypse, humans, zombies, and evolved beasts formed a tense stalemate, ruling the world. Zombies, though, held the greatest numbers.
Whoosh!
As Alex turned to leave, space rippled. A massive war hammer materialized behind his head, swinging down hard.
The sudden strike came without warning.
An ordinary person might've been caught, but Alex thrust out his palm, flicking it aside. The hammer crashed to the ground, shaking the earth, dirt flying.
"What!?" The iron tower man emerged from thin air, stunned. His surprise attack had failed.
"Couldn't hold back, huh?" Alex sneered, the White Dragon sword flashing free, its blade tracing a strange arc toward the man.
Horrified, the man tried to retreat.
But an unseen weight pinned him, locking his limbs.
With ease, Alex's sword sliced through, severing the man's hands.
"Ah!" A piercing scream echoed. The man's iron armor had joint gaps for movement. The White Dragon sword's sharpness made quick work of them.
"How'd you spot me?" the man gasped, staring at Alex in disbelief.
His bulk and hammer screamed brute strength, but his Awakened ability was stealth, like a game's assassin.
That contrast—size versus invisibility—had felled countless foes. Today, he'd met his match.
Villains die from talking too much.
Alex wasn't one for chatter, ignoring the man's question.
True, he couldn't sense the man's invisibility. But the iron armor and hammer? Magneto's ability tracked metal effortlessly. Alex had felt someone trailing him, even pinpointing their position.
Wielding a hammer and armor, the man was helpless against Alex's magnetic control.
After disarming him, Alex kept the armor's weight crushing down, immobilizing the man. He pressed a palm to his body.
Ding! Removable storage device detected.
The man's C drive showed no genetic powers, just like most.
Alex accessed the D drive's skill area.
Two files appeared.
The first, invisibility, was basic—optical only, not masking scent. Still, at 4G, it fit Alex's 60G capacity. He copied it without hesitation.
The man, a second-level Awakened, had another skill: air linger, a high jump with a brief hover.
Useless to Alex, he skipped it.
Ignoring the man's screams, Alex waited five or six minutes. The copy finished, and invisibility clicked into place. His body faded, vanishing completely.
"What? That's my invisibility!" The man, hands gone, forgot his pain, shock overtaking him.
How had Alex stolen his ability with a touch?
How could he steal my ability with a touch?
A sword's glint flashed through the void. The iron tower man's head sailed free, and Alex's form shimmered back into view.
"Not bad," Alex said, nodding. "Invisibility breaks when I attack, but it's still handy."
His eyes caught something else, glinting on the man's severed arm—a watch-like device.
"A crystal measuring device?" Alex muttered, surprised.
"This guy had something this rare?" He pried it from the arm and strapped it to his wrist.
He activated the device, and a number blinked into view.
45!
Staring at the crystal points on the display, Alex's eyes widened, then lit with joy.
He hadn't expected 45 points.
Back in the world of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, his 10 crystal points let him control about 100 kilograms of metal. Now, he could manipulate 1000 of kilogram.
45 points made sense.
He'd trained hard there, breaking through during the Shaolin Temple clash. Reaching 45 seemed fitting.
But Ethan, Greenridge's leader, reportedly had over 300 points. Revenge would have to wait.
Alex checked his system stats. His C drive started at 100G. Inner strength training added 3G, totaling 103G.
System files and Magneto's gene took 46G, leaving 57G free on the C drive.
His D drive held 88G total. Riding and driving skills used 18G. Blocking skill took 3G, Dugu Nine Swords 5G, and the new invisibility skill 4G, leaving 58G free.
The C drive tied to his lifespan—what about the D drive?
If the C drive filled, he'd die. But a full D drive? Would he lose the ability to learn new skills?
Alex shook off the thought, scavenging food and water from the corpse before turning to leave.
Lily trailed him like a shadow, silent, neither speaking nor crying.
Even during the fight, she hadn't fled. She'd backed away, watching from afar, then crept closer after Alex's victory.
With some scavenged bread—a change from days of roasted meat—Alex offered her a piece.
Lily hesitated, then took it.
Unlike before, she didn't dart away. She held the bread to her nose, sniffing softly.
"You haven't said a word in days," Alex said, mood lifting at her growing trust. "Are you mute?"
Lily glanced up, silent as ever.
Seeing her less nervous, Alex gently placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair.
It felt dirty—she hadn't bathed or washed her hair in days. Both of them looked like drifters.
Lily tilted her head, mildly uncomfortable, but didn't pull away. Alex's heart warmed.
After days, she'd finally lowered her guard.
Humans need company. Alone, loneliness creeps in. Maybe that's why Alex kept her close.
Now, with her trust, he had a companion. After chatting a bit, he led her to a forest stream to wash her face.
Cleaned, Lily's delicate, fair face shone. With proper care, she'd look like a little princess.
"You don't talk, and I don't know your name," Alex said, studying her. "I'll give you one."
If his life were a story, she'd need a name, right? Even the author would agree.
Lily stayed quiet, no objection.
Her clean, cute face sparkled. "I'll call you Lily," Alex said. "It suits you. From now on, you're Lily, okay?"
Lily tilted her head, thinking, then nodded, accepting.
In the days that followed, Alex and Lily stayed in the forest.
The zombie tide blocked their exit, but it also kept evolved beasts at bay, making the forest safe.
Small animals, edible plants, and wild fruits ensured they wouldn't starve.
So, Alex and Lily lingered, waiting for the zombie tide to fade.
Alex kept up his training. His crystal points climbed, proof his efforts paid off.
The Yi Jin Jing refined his inner strength and strengthened his body.
Curiously, no Yi Jin Jing file appeared in his D drive.
As he'd suspected, inner strength was knowledge, not a skill.
Half a month passed. One night, in a cave, a small bonfire crackled, its soft pops breaking the stillness.
Deep in the night, Alex's eyes snapped open.
Lily, curled like a sleepy cat in his arms, slept soundly. Firelight danced on her peaceful face.
Over the past weeks, their bond had grown. She even slept nestled against him. In this lonely forest, they were each other's warmth.
Careful not to wake her, Alex raised his palm.
In the fire's glow, the laptop pattern on his hand was nearly complete.
Nearly a month since his return, the computer pattern was almost finished.
After half an hour, the final lines formed.
A vortex swirled in his palm. Clutching Lily, Alex and the girl were pulled in, space twisting as they vanished…
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Next World : One Piece World