When I left the hotel for the second time, soon I found a mutant polar bear. But this time I wasn’t interested in following the monster, as soon as I fifty meters away from my target, I shot. The bolt hit the monster’s nape, but the explosion didn’t kill the beast. Just like before, only half of the creature’s head had been destroyed. The beast screamed and looked at me faster than I had anticipated.

‘Shit! At least stop moving a little, damn it!’

Immediately I picked the vampire hunter’s crossbow and began to shot steel arrows on the creature’s face. But to my surprise, the beast didn’t even flinch. I felt a chill run down my spine while shooting and looking at that colossal beast running towards me.

Even though the beast was tall and heavy, it managed to run forty meters in three seconds. However, it stopped before it could reach me. Somehow, all my steel bolts pierced the creature’s head. Although I didn’t see it while I was shooting, four of the steel bolts pierced the beast’s eyes. I didn’t move an inch since I began to shot, but I felt exhausted.

You have obtained 250 Evolution Orbs.

You have obtained 250 Evolution Coins

‘I naively thought this cape would make the battles incredibly easier; I'm really dumb. But at least the rewards are amazing.’

After a few more hours, I also found nearby the hotel the mutant dire wolf and the mutant snow leopard. Even though they were physically weaker, those beasts were much faster than the mutant polar bear. So they scared the shit out of me every time I found them and didn’t manage to damage them enough with my pre-emptive attacks.

Once in a while, I would be able to kill them with a single shot, but it was rare. But the battles against those fast beasts became a little easier when I hit their front paws. With three paws, they would be able to run, but the monsters wouldn’t be able to do it with two legs heavily damaged. Although cause enough damage in both of the front legs was even harder than hit their heads. They could die instantly if an explosive bolt pierces one of their eyes and explode. But, only someone like Claire could do that with every single shot.

For the rest of the day, I hunted the monsters safely, thanks to my cape. But I didn’t look only at the radar; I also investigated all plants that I could find above the snow. But the skill analyze didn’t activate when I looked at those plants. But I couldn’t just give up, the mutant bees’ honey was valuable, so if I could find a plant with any healing proprieties, I would be able to sell it and obtain a lot of evolution coins.

‘All things considered, it would be weird if the vegetation didn’t also mutate. It grew at an alarming rate after all.’

Although I was sure that was the case, I didn’t find anything on that day. Since I was mentally tired because of the battles against the mutant snow leopard and the mutant dire wolf, I decided to sleep earlier than usual. When I returned, I saw many of the survivors discussing their plan of action in the coming days. Harry and the others were the ones who would lead the negotiations with the north, but they welcomed any pieces of advice and listened to the other survivors’ opinions. Since I already declared that I wouldn’t help with that, I just ignored them, and I went directly to my room. And to my surprise, Claire was in front of my room, waiting for me.

“We need to talk,” Claire said, showing a serious expression.

“About what?”

“About how this whole operation in the north will fail,” Claire answered.

“I already knew that, but it’s not like you and I can change the opinion of the others.”

“I think you are misunderstanding me,” Claire answered frowning. “If you and I help, we can overthrow the leaders in the north and their henchmen. But even if we didn’t lose a single survivor, we will suffer irreparable damage.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Even if they succeed,” Claire answered with her arms crossed.” Their reputation will be stained forever. Even if they free hundreds of people, no one will forget that they had to kill other survivors to do it. On this kind of situation; the people need good leaders. Good and respected leaders, a killer will never be recognized as a good leader.”

I finally understood why Claire looked troubled and disagreed with the others. While Harry’s group was only concerned about saving as many survivors as possible, Claire was worried about the problems that would cause in the future. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was like the coward survivors. And just like me, they wouldn’t refuse to follow the commands of a good leader, at least until that is convenient for them.

“Harry and Sarah already killed one person.”

“Yes, but they tried to protect themselves from a group bigger than theirs,” Claire explained. “It’s very different; in this situation, they will be the attackers. Anyone will understand that they accepted the risks and didn’t hesitate to dirty their hands.”

“I guess you are right. So, why are you saying this to me?”

“We can prevent this,” Claire declared. “If you lend me your cape for a few days, I can cause enough damage in the north to make them accept anything that Harry’s group can propose.”

“So, you disappear for a few days, and then miraculously most of the troublemakers in the north die, and then you reappear. I’m sure no one will be suspicious of you.”

“Maybe some will,” Claire said, looking very troubled. “But no one will find any proof to blame me.”

“I bet if a few dozens of people die with arrows in their foreheads, no one will be suspicious of you. You are too naïve, many of us already acknowledged you as a member of Harry’s group. If you do that, you will be labeled as a cold blood killer. Even if you do that with good intentions, you will still be a killer. You will damage Harry’s group reputation, not only that, what will the kids think of you if you do that? Eventually, you will be shunned, and the kids will also suffer from the same fate.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Then, what do you think I should do?” Claire shouted. “Do you want me to see this group slowly be destroyed from inside and do nothing? If this happens, the kids will suffer too.”

“Why are you getting angry at me? I just pointed a few flaws in your plan, besides, don’t ask to a brat what you should do. Anyway, I’m sure that you can find a better solution if you use your head a little more. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to sleep a little. Don’t do anything rash.”

Just to make sure that I wouldn’t be bothered anymore, I locked the door. However, that action didn’t change anything, because Claire didn’t insist, and my brain didn’t let me sleep. Claire’s worries and words didn’t disappear from my mind, and because of it, I began to think, trying to find a solution.

‘She is right; the survivors need some good leaders. A single one who could be trusted would be ideal, but since we have a group leading, all of them needed to be viewed as absolutely trustworthy. The survivors shouldn’t doubt and act against them, but that was hard to achieve unless the leaders can solve every single internal fight with dialogue.’

It was absolutely crazy to try to create a single perfect leader, much less a group of them. To keep a place safe, eventually, someone will have to do the dirty job. Some problems can only be solved by strength, and sometimes, as Harry said, a few have to be sacrificed to save the majority.

‘I guess to create a perfect leader; one has to create a perfect environment. That’s what Claire is trying to do.’

However, Claire was already part of the group. If she tries to leave now to solve that problem, some people may understand that she had been used as a scapegoat. Someone had to that, but not one of them. Someone who can appear and disappear at will, get rid of the troublemakers in the north while making like it had been an accident or rebellion.

‘… Why in the hell I’m trying to find excuses to do that kind of thing?’

It was madness; why should I do that? Why did I have to dirty my hands to help a bunch of strangers? Besides, everyone knew about my weapons; eventually, someone would blame me.

‘Unless I create another weapon specifically to this kind of job. Something like a knife, but I had to keep that weapon hidden at all times. It would be my secret weapon to use only against humans.’

Something was really wrong with me; it looked like I had decided that I would do it. But I was the best option. My hands were already dirty with blood, so what would change if again I try to clean the city a little bit? With my cape and a new weapon I would be able to do it, if I disappear for a few days, only Claire and Harry’s group would notice it. Since I didn’t interact much with the kids, they barely looked at me so I would be fine. And if somehow someone may find a proof to blame me, I could say that I wanted their evolution coins. I mean, I was the only one who left the hotel without the car to hunt monsters, so probably the other survivors already thought that I was a crazy and a greed bastard.

‘Oh, God… I’m not just dumb and impulsive; now I’m insane too.’

I was considering become their executioner, for what? To be necessary for that group? It was just too stupid; I wouldn’t obtain anything by doing that, only the title of a murderer. Kill a few to save the majority my ass, to hell with suck logic! Once the monsters disappear, and the city returns to normal, would I receive a medal? Of course not, I would probably be the first one to be executed. I bet not a single person would protest in my favor.

‘To hell with everything.’

Even though my mind was in turmoil, I managed to fall asleep after I said that to myself. It was insane to think about those things, but in the end, I embraced my insanity.

Soon after midnight, I woke up. The hotel was silent, and without making any sound, I headed toward the lobby. The place was empty, just like I wanted. But just to make sure, I analyzed the radar and confirmed that fact. All the survivors were sleeping in their rooms, and none of them was moving, so, I touched the statue.

‘Let’s see… I want to create a knife which no one but I can see it.’

Spiritual Knife: a weapon created by the spiritual energy of its user. It can be safely stored inside the user’s body. 10 MP will be used to summon and to store the weapon. It's able to ignore the target's defense. This knife will disappear after being used a single time.

Cost: 1500 Evolution Coins.

The statue showed me the hologram of a transparent knife, but it didn’t look special aside from that. Without hesitation, I created the weapon and filled my backpack with lots of lemonade bottles from the next few days that would be the only thing which would fill my stomach.

After that, I left the hotel and crossed the city in the darkness of the night. My MP was limited, so I only activated the cape when something appeared on the radar. At the beginning of this incident, the darkness of the night scared the shit out of me, but now I was fine with the darkness. I was more worried about the things that I was about to do, but in the end, I didn’t change my mind.

What motivated me was the fact that I didn’t want to see the kids suffer. All of them lost their parents, but they still had Claire. So to keep the only light in their lives clean and shiny, I decided to dirty myself again. I didn’t want them to see the light in their lives getting weaker, like the four lights on my life were getting weaker with every passing day.