Chapter 4

Xiao ZeZhou crawls hastily into the wardrobe with her half dead father, crouching, trying her best to lower the volume of her heavy breathing. Her heart was beating faster and faster as time went by, she had never expected things to go THIS far. Looking through the small and narrow gap in the wardrobe, she stayed cautious of any sound that wasn't her wheezing self. It was a super unpredictable day. Aside from that weird message, she didn't know that things would escalate to this point, let alone know that anything bad would happen. A few hours later, in the middle of the night, she was awoken by the sounds of blood hurling screams. That was when she had noticed her father lying down on the ground, unconscious. She quickly glanced outside the window, only to see multiple lifeless bodies covered in blood just lying on the pavement. She was no paramedic, but the best she could do was hope that her father would be able to hold up for long. Even if she knew a couple of medical procedures, she wouldn't want to risk it.

Shaking in terror, she held back her tears. Ever since a young age, she loathed crying, but it didn't mean she didn't want to. After all, nothing bad had happened to her. But that was the strangest thing of them. Why was she the only one left without an injury? She was worried. How much time did she have? Could she have run away when there wasn't anything or anyone there yet? It's important to remember that she still was not aware of what the hell was attacking everyone and causing all this commotion and chaos. As she was in thought, an object suddenly slammed against the wardrobe's door. Her heart nearly stops as she glances towards the source of the sound.

With another thud, the wardrobe toppled over and she screamed, she couldn't help it. There was no way she could help it, she was scared for her life. A coat falls on top of her and she looks towards her father helplessly. Peeking through a gap in the wardrobe, she tried calming herself down and getting her heart rate back to normal but she still felt the urge to scream even more. A red eye abruptly appears in the gap, it's pink strained veins visible, staring directly back at her. She covered her mouth and closed her eyes. Her heart was thudding again and again in her chest and she couldn't pay attention to anything. The sound of the door being torn apart escaped into her ears. She crumbled up into a ball, protecting her father and cried as the wardrobe that she used as shelter was destroyed. Who cared if she cried anyway, she could scream until her voice was hoarse and nobody would help.

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As she opened up her hereditary emerald eyes a glimmer of hope shone in them, but it didn't last for long because she realised she didn't even know how to use her power. She thought that it was unusual that she advanced to Level 2 since she only left the hospital once, and if she couldn't have met anyone of the Dark Clan, wouldn't she know? When she had watched Harry Potter in the past, they had recited spells. The problem was, she knew none of them. At this point she was at death's doorstep when a half transparent beast appeared beside her, seeming like a strange mutant, since it was glowing in a greenish colour. In a state of shock, she didn't notice a huge claw heading directly towards her chest. For the first time, she saw the monstrous being in its full form. It had dark blue fur covering every part of its body, and it's body shape was the same as a wolf but approximately twice the size. In addition, it had horns the size of his face facing forward, like a wolf bull hybrid. She was knocked down, unable to escape since her legs had gone numb. That's it, I'm going to die, she thought. What she hadn't expected was for a glowing beast next to her about the same size as a baby horse to leap into its face. The being knocked it down with the swipe of his paw and it fell down pathetically, only to stand up again and charge back into its target.

Was this beast mine? She thought, since there was nobody else willing to help her. She didn't want to think too much and took the opportunity to escape. Her anxiety rose as she pulled her father onto her back, crept out of the wreckage of a wardrobe and crawled over to the door, too scared as too even breathe.

She winced beyond hearing the sounds of the beast falling onto the floor several times. Even if it belonged to her, there was no way she could really have beaten a monster like that.

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When she had reached a location far enough, waves of relief hit her and seemed like medicine to her dying brain. It surprised her that she could even make it out alive. The best option there was, was to get out of this corrupt city that was more likely completely populated by weird beasts at this point. But it would take several days, and carrying a middle-aged man wouldn't increase her chance of survival or success. She needed food and a place to sleep, and her father didn't seem like he had much time left. The streets weren't safe at all. If she left her father anywhere, she was sure he'd get eaten alive by some beats by the time she comes back with food and water. In the end, in her panicked state, she decided to carry him with her. After all, she didn't have enough courage to go by herself, all alone. Too many things had happened in a short span of time, causing her to think improperly. She was still barefoot, and the stone pierced her skin every step she took along the way in search for anywhere that could've had food. She had also bound up Xiao Guozhi's wound with his own cloth. Everything that was happening confused her. There were clear bite marks on his side, but why were the teeth taken out and why didn't he finish the job and take a bite? She had so many questions forming in her mind. It all just seemed like a nightmare, but the moment she felt the monster's breath against her face and felt it's claw almost tear her apart, she was aware that was a very clear and big hint saying it was not at all a dream.

Finally noticing some type of marketplace, she dropped Guozhi carefully onto the ground and limped her way there. She had injured her leg when she first tried to carry her father but couldn't even consider resting, it wasn't a choice. Even if the stalls were destroyed, even if the food was lying on the ground, she hurriedly emptied a basket of apples and threw them onto the grass, filling it up with cheese, bread, and some fruits. She limped her way back and put her father into a cart on top of a sack of potatoes as a sort of pillow for comfort. She was about to carry the cart away, before realizing there was a flaw to her plan. She didn't know where another city was. There could have been a map somewhere here, but she had no idea where she was, and she wouldn't even know where to start searching. She then looked at the basket of food. She decided it could last her the time, and began to run all over the place in the search for a map.

2 hours later

She returned, wheezing and huffing heavily, with cuts and bruises all over her arms and legs. In her hand was a rolled up map which she had ripped off a board somewhere. She had acquainted with 2 of the same beasts, but luckily, only one of them has seen her. It chased after her, all the way to a cave where she had taken refuge. That was where the wounds had come from, from the rocks and stones in the cave. Seeing that Xiao Guozhi was still safe, she studied the map for a couple of minutes and then came to an agreement with herself on a direction to head to. When she came back, she filled another basketful of food and covered them with a cloth just in case the trip would take longer than she expected. She was also reminded to bring some water with her when she came back, sweating. It basically would've been an act of suicide to walk into the middle of nowhere and not have anything to drink, and she was not at all willing to drink her own urine. She started her trek, and kept on walking. And walking. And walking. She continuously checked on her father's wound and noticed that it started rotting. The seemingly endless walk carried on and on for what she counted as 6 days. It was most likely infected at this point, but she would get him treated as soon as she could. That would be hard, of course, since she has no money.

A water shortage would most likely be estimated in a few days, so she picked up her pace.

On the 8th day, she finally arrived at her destination. Her water and food finished that morning and her father had just gotten a fever, she could've died along with him. When she arrived, it wasn't anything like the city she appeared in. The road was wonky in all directions and the house were all tiny, most of them joined together. When she walked through them, they eyed her with intense enmity and hatred. She had seen those same eyes with her ex-husband. Goosebumps started to firm on her arms and neck. She shrugged it off, and found a vacant home to occupy and stay in for a while. It was nearly 2 kilometers away from where she had come from. This place was overly populated, so it was a miracle she found it in the first place. Where could she find a medic? She recalls hearing another term for it as 'healer' but that was only in the games she's seen. The town looked incredibly poor though, there was a low chance she'd find one here. She laid her father down onto the floor and leaned her back against a wall. She glanced at her hands. They were dry and hard, covered in dirt and debris. Sighing, she huddled into the empty potato sack and slept, forgetting completely about both eating and drinking. She hadn't slept comfortably ever since the night it all started, she had been having nightmares most of the time, and now that a majority of her worries are no more, she feels free. She knew that her father was about to die, but sleep was embracing her, persuading her and comforting her. It felt so peaceful, she could barely resist.

"Hey! Wake up! What are you doing here?"

Xiao ZeZhou frowned as she heard someone shouting at her. Opening up her heavy eyelids, she notices the blurred figure of a boy in front of her. She rubbed her eyes, and her eyesight focused on what seemed to be a 15 year old boy. Why was this little kid acting so righteous? He should know how to show some respect. And then realization hits her- she had possessed the body of a 13 year old.

"What are you doing in this house?" repeated the boy, scowling.

"Am I not allowed to be in here?" she answered.

The boy, rolling his eyes as if the answer was clear, replied, "Of course it's not allowed! The respected and famous Gu N-"

A hand clasped his mouth. It was a 40 year old man's hand. He looked down at the child and said,

"Hey, don't say so much, she's a stranger, don't blabber all the time. '

"But I-"

The boy was interrupted once again to an elderly woman this time.

"What is your business here? This house is occupied. And what was your reason for visiting this place? I don't suppose it's for a holiday?"

Although she was better at hiding it than the others, ZeZhou could still see the contempt and sarcasm on her wrinkled face.

"There was an invasion. The entire city got burnt down. My father has also almost lost his life, so I could only come here."

She replied truthfully, but she didn't risk saying what kind of invasion it was. She felt stupid being oblivious and unable to recognize something almost everyone knew.

"But why come here? You do know it's the slums, right?"