Xavier was exhilarated. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and a vibrant smile covered his entire face. He was fast, terrifyingly fast.
For the first time since he could remember, Xavier was not restrained. He wanted to give his all to achieve his goals.
A grand goal? Did Xavier even have something like that right now?
He wanted to survive and protect his family from unknown dangers. That was obvious. But what about the days after he survived the apocalypse with his family? What did he want to do then?
Was there something like that, in the first place? Was there an ‘After he survived’? When exactly would his family be considered safe and sound from the unknown dangers? Once they were all taken care of? Xavier doubted that. In fact, he was doubting everything since the Messages appeared and the Classless Decks manifested in front of them.
But right now, at this moment, Xavier felt free and unrestrained. It felt as if he had barely been surviving all these years. Just existing as the sun went up and down the horizon. He had never felt truly alive before. Not like this.
His excitement and youthfulness took over Xavier’s rational mind. It overwhelmed him and showed him the might of true power, the addictive feeling of being stronger than those around him, and demonstrated to him what the true meaning of power in the ever-changing world meant.
The apocalypse wreaked havoc. It destroyed the natural order and eradicated the society mankind had painstakingly built up over the course of centuries in a single day. The food chain not only changed but was turned upside down as new, fiercer predators suddenly invaded their planet. And the once strongest race of the planet was now pushed down to the bottom. But how did that happen? It was as plain as day and night. Mankind had been too weak and gullible. No. They became weak.
Over the course of centuries, humans gradually became more comfortable but, in many ways, physically weaker as well. Technological advancements and modern conveniences eased many aspects of daily life, reducing the need for physical exertion. As a result, mankind adapted to a more simple and less physically straining lifestyle, leading to a decline in physical strength, and endurance.
The transformation provided comfort, convenience, and opportunities for intellectual growth and cultural development that other previous generations could only dream of. However, the transformation also created a weak mindset in those who embraced the comfort wholeheartedly. After all, not only the physical body adapted to the ‘new’, but the more comfortable life that technological advancement provided. The mind grew much weaker as the fight for survival ceased to exist. All that was left were privileged issues, something one could also label as ‘champagne’-problems.
Not being forced to fight to survive, mankind grew weak. Too weak to fight against the appearance of Infected, the mutation of animals, and the appearance of real monsters.
Xavier was no different. He never had to fight for his survival. The most he ever fought was with his mom over letting him have extra food or letting him play games in peace. He had been an average student but worked hard to make sure that his younger self would be proud of himself, but it was the first time Xavier had to put himself in danger to ensure his own survival and that of his family –, and he didn’t know when it would end. Would it ever?
Did he want to end it, in the first place? This feeling…this excitement?
The feeling of being at the top of the world, capable of growing stronger by bulldozing those weaker than oneself?
The adrenaline coursing through his body fogged Xavier’s mind. Every kill gave him a kick, and every time his blade sliced through the green, beady-eyed monsters, his heart soared with pride. It was as if he had finally found a purpose in his life. He felt as if he could do this all day without breaking a sweat. His mission was to kill whatever would stop him from attaining absolute power.
It made him feel high and influenced him to keep going, intensifying the excitement that seemed to encompass his whole being as one message after another appeared in front of him.
Goblin has been slain. +1 Soul Essence
Goblin has been slain. +1 Soul Essence +1 Common Card Shard
Goblin has been slain. +1 Soul Essence +1 Common Card Shard
Warm blood sprayed on his face, guttural screams filled the surroundings, and blood and innards were spilled all over the cobbled pathway. Limbs and heads flung through the air, and the unmistakable sound of bones being crushed reverberated through the street.
Amidst the chaos, a young man, soaked in warm, crimson blood dashed through the rows of Goblins, his speed exceeding that of his opponents’ manifold. A ruby blade whizzed through the surroundings, drawing blood through the air as it cut through the sickly green flesh of his enemies with great precision.
All of a sudden, silence blanketed the cobbled path as the last twitching Goblin’s screams died down. No Goblin was left standing. Each of them had collapsed on the ground, some missing their head, others a few limbs. But they had all one thing in common; they were dead.
For a while, Xavier just stood there, panting heavily and staring at the gory sight around him. His breathing was ragged and his heartbeat frantic. Now that the screams of the Goblins and the clangs of their weapons did not echo through the surroundings, he could hear just one sound very clearly.
The sound of his raspy breath.
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He stumbled back as the fog in his mind dispersed slowly and his eyes began to widen in shock.
“What the…Did I do that just now?”
Looking down at himself, Xavier saw nothing but blood. His once clean clothes were covered in goblin blood, and so were his hands, his face, and even his shoes. He looked like he’d bathed in the Goblins’ blood like a crazy maniac. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel repulsed nor did a tiny seed of remorse dig its roots in his mind.
But the smell of blood and the corpses that began to attract flies was too overpowering. Now that the adrenaline rush subsided, he felt as if he had walked in a landfill of dead, rotten meat. He doubled back and retched once – no. twice – but Xavier knew that he couldn’t afford to throw up. He couldn’t waste his precious lunch. Who knew when he would get to savor another lunch like earlier this noon?
What happened just now? I was just happy being faster than I ever thought I could be, and then…then everything turned into a blur. I know that I wanted to go faster and faster. That I wanted to test my limits and exceed them even. But what…what exactly did I do then? Was I able to reach my limit, in the first place? I don’t really remember. I think I did. But I was much faster than I expected. The Goblins couldn’t even react in time.
Is that the advantage of having several Foundation Stars at the Novice rank? But in that case…shouldn’t I be strong enough to deal with a blazing boar now? I killed a dozen…no, there were 20…26 Goblins, and I killed them all…
Xavier was momentarily too stunned to do anything. He killed 26 Goblins before realizing it, and almost every Goblin gave him a Soul Essence. If not for the Goblin Hunter Privilege, Xavier would have gotten one or maybe two Soul Essences at most.
However, with the privilege, Xavier was at a total of 14 Soul Essences, Essences that could be used to increase his Strength, Agility, Perception, Vitality, and Energy to an even higher level.
Xavier swallowed his saliva at the thought of further increasing his Agility. He was already much faster than anyone else he knew. It was not even unlikely that he was faster than someone on a bicycle. What would happen if he invested 14 Soul Essences straight into the Star of Agility? Would he be as fast as a scooter, maybe even a smaller motorbike?
For a moment, Xavier was scared of the future. If he was capable of procuring that many Soul Essences, what would happen if a criminal did the same? What if some humans were already stronger than him…and what if they were bad people?
Will society break down? What am I going to do with my parents then? And what about my friends? Are they going to be okay?
Xavier had been hoping that society could get back to its former glory, but even if the invasion of monsters and the mutation of animals would stop soon, everything would change. No. It had already changed.
The Xavier from two days ago was incomparable to the current Xavier. He was strong, fast, and resilient…and he had killed...over and over again.
The realization that he ended the lives of 26 living beings struck him only now. The Goblins might have been dangerous entities, monsters with bloodlust oozing out of their entire being, but they were still living beings.
Xavier had not just taken their lives out of the blue. He had observed them, prepared a plan and sneaked up on them. Then he attacked. He had been the predator, hunting his prey.
Xavier had enough reason to do so. He had to ensure that the Monster Gate wouldn’t be stabilized too soon. He had to protect his family. And last but not least, Xavier had to grow stronger.
It was crucial to gain as much strength as possible before it was too late. The future was uncertain and so were the dangers that awaited them in the future. Xavier couldn’t be certain about that but the Hidden Mission’s punishment for failing to complete the task and his gut feeling told him that this was just the beginning.
As if it was merely an initialization, the start of something much bigger, something far more terrifying.
Xavier shuddered at that thought. Goosebumps sprang up all over his body as more confusing thoughts flashed through his mind.
Putting aside the Apocalypse…am I still doing fine? I am soaked in blood, but other than disgust I don’t feel too much. I also lost myself in the middle of the battle against the Goblins. Will I be fine, or am I slowly losing myself and my humanity? I should be fine for now…probably. Let’s wait and see.
Xavier figured that he would change ever so slightly as the apocalypse progressed. He would slaughter more monsters and he had a premonition about bad people being able to grow stronger as well. In the future, he might have to fight against humans…maybe even kill some…
The thought of killing a fellow human was revolting but given the changes all over the world, Xavier didn’t think that he could afford to worry about brotherhood and fraternity. But that was what made his thoughts even scarier.
What would happen if these bad people defeated him? Would they kill, enslave, or torture him? What would they do to his parents, his grandmother, even Leyla? Would they hurt them, or do something much worse?
None of these options were acceptable. Xavier couldn't even begin to imagine them. He didn't want to. But what could he do against the powerful? What did he have to do to protect his family and friends? A myriad of emotions coursed through him, each thought scarier than the previous one.
He kicked a rock on the street as he raked a hand through his hair in frustration. The earlier bliss of having found a key to unlocking infinite potential was now replaced by confusion as worry, self-doubt, and fear about the safety of his loved ones began to chase each other to establish dominion over his mind.
He had to grow stronger and attain powers much more profound than anyone else. To protect, Xavier would have to kill. He had to continue the path he just started walking upon.
Grasping the ruby katana tightly, Xavier began to rummage through the bodies of the Goblins. He searched for the Common Card Shards that had dropped when he killed the Goblins. He didn't stop searching until he found a total of seven Card Shards.
They disappeared in his pocket right before Xavier bent down to wipe off the blood and bits of flesh clinging to the handle of the ruby katana with the dirty clothing of the Goblins. His eyes were filled with a sudden sense of determination, and a tinge of greed.
Xavier had always suppressed his greed. He didn't want others to know that he was greedy or think of him as a selfish prick. However, while standing in the middle of a bloodbath caused by none other than himself, Xavier finds the resolve to break the shackles he put on himself for years.
He accepted his greed and allowed it to grow. After all, only with a certain amount of greed fueling his reckless desire to kill before getting killed would Xavier be able to keep moving, keep killing, and grow stronger until he was strong enough to protect those worthy of his protection.
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