After the initial shock wore off Bernard gutted the monster and secured it for travel. I was slightly surprised that the zone monsters even had guts, my running theory was that the monsters from the zones were somehow spawned in or created by the system, they were just too different from real monsters, and they were all exactly identical, as well as roving in select groups that did not deviate. Regardless, with our kill secured we moved on to find more. It wasn't difficult to find monsters out here in the open, however we did try and avoid the six-legged bugs and the flesh hyenas. I was slightly surprised by this as it would have been faster to just kill them and move on. Either way we eventually found something that interested our group.
Upon closing with the trio of snake lizards Leith, who had been carrying our first kill, dropped his load and prepared to fight. Alvin and Jasmine stationed themselves near the carcass so as to not allow anything to drag it off during the fight. We used the same formation on the lizards with the three front line people each taking the attention of a single lizard. Before we engaged, we had come up with a strategy, or rather I was informed of their usual strategy for these situations. While the front line was keeping them busy, Bernard and I would help out Reyla and Kal respectively while Jasmine and Alvin supported Leith.
It was a solid strategy and we executed it well. During this fight I was able to spot what I thought were skills coming from Bernard, Kal, and Reyla. Reyla and Kal seemed to be using similar skills to take hits and attack with greater force. It was only when I focused hard on Bernard though that I spotted him using a skill as well. It was a skill that was similar in a way to Kal and Reyla's but quite different at the same time. Paying close attention, I watched as he cut at the lizard's shoulder and was actually able to cut completely through the arm amputating it. What was interesting about the skill was that it wasn't just extra force like the skills from Kal or Reyla, but an increase in what I could only describe as sharpness.
This skill wasn't like mine where my energy ate through a creature's body, but it worked to separate parts of the creature, like the energy was attempting to create space and push cells or molecules apart from each other. A true act of cutting. My information on the process came mostly from my energy sense, I could feel as energy was focused on the edge of his knife and how when he struck not only did the creatures flesh and bone part, but so too did its energy. I could also feel that none of the energy was missing, nothing was devoured or destroyed like with my energy, but it was simply parted, separated from the other side.
While Bernard assisted Reyla, I attacked the lizard fighting Kal. I struck at its stomach, kidneys, and intestines, or at least where they should be on a human. However, I didn't strike its heart or lungs, as I didn't want to end the fight before I got more information on the group. After studying Bernards skill, I shifted my focus to Leith. Before, I hadn't seen him using any moves, but now that I knew more what to look for, I could feel Leith's energy moving as he took hits. My best guess was that he had some sort of improved version of the blocking/stabilizing skill that Kal and Reyla had.
That led me to think about how varied skills were, and how it was decided what skills who got. I received two of my skills because I had some version of them before, but what is a skill. Not every skill is based completely on energy. Could it be that these three used these weapons before they got a class. Was that why they had similar skills and those specific skills to begin with. What would stop the system from giving a warrior wielding some sort of spear a sword skill or a great sword user a shield skill. Thinking about it, it made sense that you would gain skills based on how you achieved your class, otherwise wouldn't most people have at least one useless skill.
Having seen at least a single skill from everyone at this point, I started doing real damage to the monster finishing it off in the next ten seconds. I had learned my lesson from the last one and used less finesse with these lizards. Once one was down Kal and I moved to help Leith and by the time we finished that one Reyla and Bernard had killed theirs, ending the fight. Bernard, Kal and I all partook in the gutting this time around, and while we were working, I asked a question.
"Do you think this will be enough food or are you hunting for more than just yourselves." I asked, trying to get a read on the size of their group, if this was the entire party or if they were part of a larger group.
"Nah, we aren't part of any gangs, we're an independent group." Kal said.
"You could say the same about me, but I'm sure you already realized that." I smiled at him before continuing.
" I was wondering if you had heard any recent news. I spend most of my time alone and I'm not caught up on the goings on the state of affairs." I had thought over how I wanted to get more information and I decided playing it like I was just out of the loop, but still knew the general state of things was my best bet.
"Well, we hear some things, and a gang trader came by our area not too long ago. From what I gathered the Big Three are inching closer to war every day. You should naturally take that with a grain of salt as the Big Three are always getting closer to war, but it hasn't happened yet so who knows. As for underling gangs in this area of the city, the Back Street Bastards Are busy with the Conglomerate, but the Side Street savages made a play on the Under Street Umpires while they were busy trying to take territory from the Hordes of Hades. It was a bloody fight, but the Umpires held their ground, though they gave up on the play for Horde territory. I can't imagine the Masters were too thrilled about that." Kal finished, shaking his head at the news.
Before I could consider the full implications of what I was just told, Reyla jumped into the conversation.
"Of course the Main Street Masters would be pissed. Their underlings are trying to steal territory from each other instead of from their rivals." Reyla scoffed as if disgusted.
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"You're not wrong." Leith added.
With Kal and Leith nodding in agreement the conversation settled as we continued our work. This gave me ample time to consider what I heard. This gang called the Main Street Masters was in control of the Side Street Savages and the Under Street Umpires, they also probably controlled the Back Street Bastards that were mentioned first. That probably means the Main Street Masters are one of the Big Three that Kal mentioned. That leaves the Conglomerate and the Hordes of Hades, these are probably other gangs, though I'm unsure if either are another of the big three. I decided to ask for more information on these two entities.
"Have you heard any specific news about the Conglomerate?" I asked Kal, deciding to start with them.
"Hah, probably nothing you haven't heard. The Conglomerate doesn't really do anything unless provoked. And the Big Three aren't banding together to provoke the Conglomerate any time soon." Kal said with a chuckle of amusement, as if the idea of the Big Three combining forces was so absurd it was a joke.
"You're right I was just curious. Any other news I should know about? Maybe about the Horde?" I asked quickly as if he hadn't just dropped a bomb in my lap.
"Nah nothing more than the info about the Umpires trying to take territory." Kal said shaking his head.
That was fine, I had already gained more information than I expected. This Conglomerate was the most impressive information to me, all three of the big gangs would have to combine to provoke the Conglomerate, and it wouldn't even be a sure thing? This must mean that the Conglomerate was at least the same size as the Big Three put together if not larger. I needed to find out more about this group and what they represented.
With our work done and the monsters gutted we packed up and carried all four bodies with us back towards the city. I was unimpressed with the work ethic of these individuals, I decided to eat with them and then simply move on. I had gained most of the information I needed from them, and I could always capture someone I found and get more specific information from them. I had considered doing that with these people, but they decided to be courteous and invite me to join them rather than attack me, so I wouldn't harm them.
It was a twenty-minute walk back to the building they were using as a base. As we approached, I finally saw another group of people. I had felt two other groups with my energy senses, but they hadn't been down on the streets. It seemed like this city was quite a bit more populated than my own, I wondered if maybe the outer edge of the city had a denser population than the rest. By the end I could have moved through a large swath of my city without feeling anyone around. Maybe this city was just luckier than mine and more survived? It was a thought that brought me a certain amount of joy; knowing that not every population center was as devastated as mine, was good for the human race as a whole. Though I wondered why mine was so badly affected.
The building Kal and his group called their home was nothing special. I believe it was an office building before everything happened, and not a particularly impressive one. There were several rooms per floor with offices and rest of the floor was open and full of cubicles. There was office equipment and computers everywhere, though obviously none were on. I hadn't thought about it before now, but this city was also without electricity. I wondered if the system messed with electricity on purpose or if it simply destroyed the power grid on accident when it rearranged the planet.
After walking through a good portion of the building we arrived at the roof. Up here there was what looked like a bathtub that someone had drug up here. When I looked into it, I was confused to see a great deal of soot covering the inside and a pile of ashes at the bottom. Then I realized that this was their firepit, they used this to contain their cooking fire, so they didn't have to cook out front of the building. It was a smart idea, and I was impressed. This kept them outside but safe from both burning down the building and from monsters.
It didn't take long before they had grabbed a few stacks of paper from a stack of boxes under an overhang next to the stairwell that brought us up here. After they got the papers lit on fire they brought over pieces of desks and wooden chairs or anything else that would burn. While that was going on Bernard had taken the time to string up the monsters on the opposite side under another makeshift overhang and started to skin the Beattle dog thing. After that as the fire came to life, he quartered the monster and brought one of them over attaching it to a makeshift spit.
It was all quite impressive and was more complex than I usually went for, but I didn't have a permanent set up like these guys. Less than half an hour later we were eating, though after the first quarter was done a second was put on the spit and set to roast. The meat was surprisingly bland, like what I imagined tofu to taste like if you didn't flavor it. We had enjoyed some small talk as we at but when everyone was done Kal asked me a serious question.
"So, Reaper are you planning on staying with us or going back out on your own."
I acted like I considered the question to be nice, but after a second, I responded.
"I think I'll head back out on my own. I just feel more comfortable that way." I told Kal.
There were nods and a look of confusion from Jasmine, but no one said anything and after saying goodbye I left them. Once I was back down on the street, I put a building between me and them in case they were watching and then quadrupled my speed and moved further into the city. I was looking for someone alone or a small group that I could ask pointed questions to. I wouldn't resort to violence with other humans unless I had to, or they acted first. I wasn't necessarily bothered by attacking humans, but I didn't feel like it was necessary to grind them like I would monsters ... for now at least. Maybe someday my opinion would change but I had no desire to be the last human in existence. I would not be pushed around by anyone though and if someone got in my way, I would put them down.
Maybe 5 blocks from Kal's group I sensed a trio of people down a side street. I took my time and quieted my steps sneaking up on them. This was the smallest group I had found so far, most gathered in groups of four or five. Looking around the corner and down the street I spotted three men. They were seated on barrels tipped on their sides and against the wall of the building to my right. They were all smoking and talking, some laughing. Good enough for me. I nodded to myself before stepping out into the open and walking down the street towards them.
It was only a few seconds before the one facing this direction noticed me.
"Hey kid, this is Bastards territory, what are you doing here." The man was probably in his 40's though I was surprised he called me kid.
"Ah, I was looking for someone to answer a few questions for me. You gentlemen seem like knowledgeable folk." I smiled at them, these were likely gang members which means they should have further information and more recent than Kal.
For their sakes I hoped they complied with my request otherwise someone was going to get hurt, and it wouldn't be me.