[Conditions to Unlock the 9th Ability have been met.] Faraday's voice echoed in Black Flame's head, breaking his focus.

"What? Really? How? I've only saved this one woman, and as far as I remember, I need to save 99 more people to unlock the 9th Ability," Black Flame asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

[You are correct.] Faraday responded.

"Then how?" Black Flame pressed, still not understanding.

[You don't need to save 100 people personally. You've killed over 9,000 zombies, and those zombies could have killed over 100 people in the future. By eliminating them now, you've indirectly saved those lives.]

"Oh, I see..." Black Flame muttered as the realization sank in.

[Do you understand now?] Faraday asked.

"Yeah, I get it. But it does raise more questions." Black Flame replied, rubbing his helmet where his chin was supposed to be thoughtfully.

[Such as?] Faraday inquired.

"Could the same apply to saving humans? Like, if I save a human who, in the future, kills a hundred zombies, does that count toward my kill count?" Black Flame asked, his mind spinning with possibilities.

[Yes, that would count as well.]

"That's great!" Black Flame grinned, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

[Don't get too excited. Given that 95% of the population is now zombies, the chance of finding such humans is extremely low.] Faraday cautioned, quickly bursting his bubble.

"Ugh... just when I thought things were going to get easier," Black Flame groaned internally.

[Focus. The woman needs your attention.]

"Oh!" Black Flame snapped back to reality and turned to the pink-haired woman, who was still standing there, trembling in fear. Her emerald eyes were wide, her face pale and strained, clearly terrified.

"Hmm? Why are you so scared? I'm not going to hurt you or anything," Black Flame said, trying to sound reassuring, though his blood-drenched appearance likely wasn't helping.

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"P-please, spare me," the woman stammered, her voice shaking.

Sigh. Black Flame let out a soft breath. "I told you, I'm not going to do anything bad to you. I promise."

"R-really?" she stuttered, still unconvinced.

Since the beginning, this man had terrified her. His menacing armor helmet, the dried blood covering his armor, and the way he had mercilessly obliterated the zombies only made things worse. In this apocalyptic world, where there were no laws, who would save her if he decided to harm her?

'Is this it for me? Am I going to die unmarried, without even having a boyfriend?' she thought, panic surging through her.

'No, Alice! You're overthinking this. If he wanted to kill or hurt me, he would have already done it instead of talking to me. I need to trust him... besides, what choice do I have?' she reasoned internally, trying to calm herself.

Suddenly, a loud grumble came from Alice's stomach, breaking the tension.

"Hmm?" Black Flame glanced at her, noticing her face flush bright red from embarrassment.

'Faraday, when you scanned the island, did you find anything edible nearby?' Black Flame asked telepathically.

[There's a coconut tree approximately 150 meters behind you.]

"Activate Rocket Boots," Black Flame commanded.

[Understood.]

Fusshh! He shot toward the tree, grabbing two coconuts before returning just as swiftly. He then activated his Wolv-Claw Hands, neatly slicing through the hard shell with surgical precision.

He turned back to Alice, offering her both coconuts.

"Hmm? Don't want them?" Black Flame asked after a moment passed, noticing she hadn't taken them.

Alice, still in a daze, snapped back to reality. "Ah! S-sorry! Th-thank you!" She stuttered, bowing slightly as she accepted the coconuts.

'Did he just fly? Why am I even surprised? After killing so many zombies, flying should be the least of my worries,' Alice thought to herself as she took a hesitant sip of the coconut water.

The moment the sweet, creamy liquid hit her tongue, she drank greedily, like someone who hadn't tasted food in days—which, in her case, was true.

"Aah~," Alice sighed contentedly as she finished the first coconut, immediately moving on to the second.

"Hmm..." Black Flame observed her as she finished. With a quick slash of his claws, he halved the coconut and peeled the white meat, placing it neatly on the coconut shell and handing it back to her.

[Unbelievable. You're using the strongest metal on Ataraxia like a kitchen knife to cut coconuts.] Faraday remarked dryly.

'Shut it,' Black Flame responded.

"Here," he said, offering the coconut meat to Alice.

"Th-thank you," she said softly, accepting the food. She took a bite, her face lighting up with delight.

"Mmm~! It's so delicious," she said, savoring every bite.

Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you... You saved my life, fed me, and treated me kindly... even though I treated you like a monster. Please forgive me."

"It's fine. I didn't mind," Black Flame replied, brushing it off. "But, what are you planning to do now?"

"Huh?" Alice looked up, surprised by the question.

"I mean, where will you go? The zombies are gone for now, but the food on this island won't last forever," Black Flame explained.

"Well... I've been staying in a cave nearby, and I thought I'd just go back there for the night. But now, I'm not sure," Alice admitted, her uncertainty clear.

"I have an idea," Black Flame said, his voice steady.

"Really? What is it?" Alice asked, her hope rekindling.

"You could come with me," Black Flame offered.

***

Thank you once again for reading.