Discussing the course of action for the following hours took a while. It was important to clarify what they had to do and what to pay attention to. Fortunately, everyone was on the same side by the end of the discussion. A unilateral vote determined that the highest priority was to rescue the survivors and grow stronger before dealing with the Monster Gate.
At last, their plan was set in stone and everyone went their separate ways to complete the final preparations before the departure. Xavier was about to get up when he heard Glut chirping happily.
He turned around as the Ember Sparrow jumped from his head. Glut flapped his tiny wings to fly through the wide-open room before landing on a large wooden tray. A bloody chunk of meat lay on the wooden tray. It had a strong smell, but was in no way repulsive. Instead, it smelled quite decent – for a chunk of meat.
“I am sorry for intruding, but I started dismantling the boar and felt like someone might want to try the boar’s meat. It doesn’t seem to be infected or anything like that, and Ivan used Lesser Cure on it just to make sure that it is free of bacteria so I hope nothing will go wrong. …” The elderly man with short brown hair and bright, chestnut brown eyes said as he approached the dining table.
It was the village’s retired butcher. He retired a few years ago and didn’t want to lift his butcher knife ever again. Unfortunately, the apocalypse forced him back into his profession, especially after he obtained a Common Card for killing an Infected. The retired butcher’s Common Card was called dismantle. It allowed him to dismantle bodies cleanly.
The Fiery Boar’s body was like a treasure trove. Its hide could be used to make armor for the hunters and the tusk was sturdier than most steel weapons. As long as they were treated properly, most body parts of the boar could be conserved and turned into weapons, or armor. Now the only question left behind was whether the mutated animal’s meat was edible.
If it was edible, the village’s food scarcity could be solved easily. They wouldn’t have to face any problems in the future – when it came to food, at least.
“I can try it. In fact, I wanted to try the boar’s meat, either way,” Xavier volunteered, showing no sign of hesitation. He smiled at the old butcher, who nodded his head. He walked to the kitchen and started to cook the meat. There was no need for him to ask any questions. The determination in Xavier’s eyes said everything that had to be said.
“Xavier, you are not allowed to eat this monster’s meat!!” Silvia declared all of a sudden, “What if you get sick?! We have to test first and find out the reasons that triggered the boar’s mutation. What if you mutate as well and turn into a frenzy beast just like most monsters?”
While his mother’s worries were certainly justified, Xavier was not that worried. He doubted that a small piece of meat could stimulate his body to initiate a mutation. Even if it did…would that really be bad?
Mutating would grant him more power which he could then use to protect those around him. Her worries about him losing his sanity were far-fetched because the Mutated Dogs didn’t look like they had lost their sanity, but it was not impossible.
Nonetheless, someone would have to test the meat of mutated animals to see if it was fit for consumption sooner or later.
“Mom, don’t worry. My Vitality is close to 20. I will be fine,” He reassured his mother, whereas his father whistled in surprise.
“Your Vitality is already close to 20? I thought your Agility and Strength were higher than your Vitality…” Mark exclaimed, breaking into a sweat when he saw that his wife glared daggers at him. Maybe he shouldn’t have stood next to Silvia or acted like an excited little child in front of his son, but Mark was both confused and excited. His son…was strong!
“My Strength exceeds 20. It’s at 24 right now. Meanwhile, my Agility is one lower than my Vitality at 17.”
“How high is your Foundation in total?”
“My Foundation is at 95, and I still have 2 Soul Essences to integrate. Glut’s Foundation is at 53 now, if you’re curious about that as well.” Xavier revealed.
Thinking about Glut, Xavier called the Ember Sparrow back to him. He obeyed like a well-trained dog and landed back on his head, chirping loudly.
“I was already wondering if you would ever come back. You chose me over the boar’s meat. That’s very kind,” Xavier joked lightly, which resulted in a bombardment of chirping. Glut didn’t seem to be all that happy about Xavier’s little joke.
Xavier glanced at his mother, who was about to shout at her husband when Mark added, “Xavier has the highest Vitality and he can have a small bite instead of eating everything in one go. If nothing is wrong after a few minutes, he can continue to eat. You don’t really think that our food provisions are enough to feed this glutton, do you?”
Mark pointed at Xavier, who could only press his lips together.
Is it wrong to love eating? Mom…why are you looking at me like that? I am not the problem here…am I?!
Xavier felt wronged when he saw that his mother sealed her lips. She threw her son a judgmental look but decided to stay silent. Xavier didn’t even want to know what his mother was thinking about. It couldn’t be anything good.
“If…you really have to eat boar meat…eat a small piece at a time and stop the moment you sense that something is off…” Silvia added reluctantly.
That didn’t really make Xavier feel better given that all it took to convince his mother was to be accused as a glutton. But it was better than nothing. Probably.
Xavier was about to say something but the aroma wafting from the kitchen caught him off-guard. The butcher had left them to argue and had tossed the small chunk of meat in a pan with some oil and spices.
As it was barely a mouthful, it did not take him long to cook it. The butcher was a decent cook so he quickly pan-seared the meat until a nice brown crust formed on both sides and the juices began to ooze out of the meat. A faint crackling sound reached Xavier’s ears not long after and he saw the elderly man bring out a plate and place it in front of him.
Silvia shot him a worried look as Xavier’s mouth salivated at the sight of the freshly cooked meat. But noticing the watchful eyes on him, he did not grab it in his hands like a grizzly bear and shove it down his throat. Instead, Xavier slowly reached for a fork and a knife and began methodically cutting a small bite-sized piece from the meat.
There was pin-drop silence as he raised his hand and brought the fork to his mouth. His father gave him a thumbs up and Xavier tried to not roll his eyes as he slowly pushed the fork inside his mouth.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
And no sooner had he done that, than his taste buds exploded. That small piece of meat was packed with flavor and was one of the best things he had tasted in the last few days. He let himself savor the flavor and chewed it slowly, as his stomach rumbled in response, craving for more of it.
Xavier broke into a smile. The moment he finished the small piece, he felt a fresh wave of energy course through his body. He felt euphoric but stopped himself from celebrating too early because he was not sure what changes this energy would cause. Fortunately, he did not have to wait for long.
The energy flowed through his veins, invigorating his mind and body. Feeling extremely satisfied with himself, he quickly cut another piece of the meat and devoured it. A wild mixture of energy, nutrition, and stamina flooded his body. It was the perfect meal for him to recuperate and fill his stomach.
“Can I get some more? This will not be enough to fill me,” Xavier asked the old butcher, who was already smiling from ear to ear. “Of course, Xavier. Just wait for a few minutes.”
Xavier devoured the rest of the meal while ignoring his family’s worried faces. He was done with the first plate and patiently waited for the old butcher’s return.
“The meat is full of nutrition and energy is weaved into every inch of it. I guess the energy stimulated the mutation of the monsters. The Classless Deck probably restrains such a mutation from taking effect. Maybe our body cannot contain energy, which results in a malignant mutation…a mutation that turns us into Infected – without the Deck, of course. That’s the mutation that happens to humans, I guess,” Xavier theorized while trying to sense the energy within his body,
“That’s also probably what the first messages meant. We cannot handle energy and would thus go extinct if not for the countermeasure; the appearance of the Classless Deck.”
Mark stared at his son. “Don’t you think that is a little bit far-fetched?”
“Is it really far-fetched? I don’t know,” Xavier responded with a shrug. He was curious about the truth, but there was no gamemaster, or administrator to ask. This was not a game, after all.
It was worth trying to get some answers from the messages that popped up in front of him every now and then, but they didn’t provide much information the first time Xavier tried to inquire more about the Classless Deck. The Messages explained some things – not a lot though.
“We have yet to find someone who survived the start of the apocalypse without binding the Classless Deck. That should mean something. Since we lack information, research materials, and tools we cannot find out the truth easily, but I don’t think that my theory is far-fetched. All that matters right now is that the boar’s meat is edible. That’s something we should focus on,” Xavier said with a bright smile on his face when he saw that the old butcher returned. The old butcher was holding a small plate full of bloody strips of meat that he placed on the table next to Xavier.
“That’s for your little friend. I hope it’s small enough for him to swallow,” The old butcher said. Glut chirped loudly and ascended into the air. He circled the old butcher, who chuckled lightly as he entered the kitchen once again.
Glut returned and dived on top of the small plate of grain-sized meat strips. The little Ember Sparrow devoured the meat strips and chirped happily. Once the plate was empty, Glut stared at Xavier, chirping even louder than before.
“Another Glutton. A very rare find. I only know…two. Glut and my lovely son,” Mark joked, laughing heartily. Even Silvia smiled, seeing Glut peck at Xavier, demanding more food.
“Calm down Glut, or should I actually call you Glutton?!” Xavier gently caressed Glut’s plumage. He was attacked with affection and love in return. Glut threw his entire body against him, staring at his master with puppy eyes. “This one is smart…Okay, okay. I will give you more. Just wait. I’m hungry as well!”
For the next 20 minutes, Xavier and Glut filled their stomachs to the brim. Energy and nutrition fueled them. It forced Xavier to get up and do something. He didn’t want to stay idle anymore. But the hunters were not yet done with their preparations. Therefore, Xavier had to calm down and stay patient. To kill time, he took a look at his Missions, the Cards in his possession and the Foundation Orb.
“I think I’ll upgrade Dexterity to Novice. Since I got enough nutrition and energy within me, it shouldn’t take too long, either way,” Xavier mumbled to himself. His Dexterity and Wisdom were the only Foundation Stars that had yet to reach Novice grade. He didn’t have enough Soul Essences to upgrade Wisdom, but he had enough for Dexterity. Not knowing whether they could return home soon or find a safe spot to upgrade his Foundation Stars to the next grade, Xavier wanted to leave all options open. He decided to integrate his last two Soul Essences into the Star of Dexterity.
Integrate two Soul Essences into the Star of Dexterity. Y/N?
Requirements to upgrade the Star of Dexterity have been met. Please seek a safe place before the upgrade will commence.
Star of Dexterity [Inferior] has advanced to the [Novice] rank. Congratulations.
Xavier didn’t move an inch and firmly planted his feet on the floor. He closed his eyes and focused on sensing the changes occurring in his body. He glanced at his lower arm and saw the way his muscles bulged alongwith his veins that almost popped out. He felt as if someone was trying to pull him apart in two separate directions as every single cell in his body hurt and cried in pain. The pain was unbearable and he would have let out an anguished roar if not for the fact that his parents were around him.
He did not want to scare them, particularly his mother, so he stayed silent and prayed for his suffering to end soon. His knees wobbled as he tried to stand upright hence he blindly reached for support and grabbed the edge of the table. He grit his teeth as his nails dug into the wood, chipping off the edges. The skin around his nails got cut but the pain was a lot less than the agony coursing through his body like hot lava.
“Ooh..Oops.”
He maintained an iron grip on the edge of the table and broke into a sweat, his shirt almost plastering to his back. Fortunately, the pain subsided in a matter of minutes. A wave of heat and energy intertwined and flushed through his body, easing the numbing pain in his arms. He also noticed that his body didn’t excrete some black substances this time.
Xavier sighed heavily and looked at his parents. “That was easy.”
“Yeah? I don’t think so,” Mark responded, whereas Silvia stared at her son, her lips slightly parted. No sound came out of her mouth.
“See, now your mother thinks that you have suicidal tendencies. Who would be willing to be in pain all the time?” The old butcher scoffed, arriving with the last plate of food.
“Someone who wants to grow stronger and ensure that those around him don’t have to go through the same pain? Furthermore, everyone else should also focus on increasing their Foundation. Who knows, maybe the Foundation has some great effect on the elderly survivors? I can imagine Vitality being great for everyone, and not only someone young like me.”
The old butcher nodded unwillingly. He didn’t expect his retirement to end like this. All he desired was to rest for a few years and then fall asleep. However, the events of the last few days forced him to do otherwise. Maybe, it was not yet time to rest?
Glut chirped loudly as if agreeing to everything Xavier said. Xavier’s arms felt a little sore from upgrading his Dexterity to the next rank, so he couldn’t caress the little Ember Sparrow. Fortunately, Glut didn’t seem to mind.
“By the way, I forgot to ask you something. Do you want to wait with your evolution, or do you want to do it soon?” Xavier asked Glut as if speaking to a fellow human. Leyla was still a little bit stupefied that Xavier would upgrade his Foundation Star in the open, not bothering about keeping his image. But seeing him talk to the sparrow was a new low for Xavier according to her.
Thinking about it, he talked to Glut as if the sparrow was human the whole time.
“What the hell are you doing?” She asked, only to watch Glut chirp several times and shake his little head.
“So you want to wait? That’s a good idea. Hopefully, you can pick a better evolution path once your Foundation is stronger!”
Xavier was subjected to weird gazes by the other survivors as he spoke to Glut as if the bird was capable of having an intelligent conversation. They had no idea that Glut was not an average Sparrow. Hence, Leyla, the old butcher, and his parents stared blankly at him. Meanwhile, his grandmother laughed lightly.
“Sweetheart, you are 100% a Vador,” She declared.
Xavier just smiled in return.
“Of course, I am!”