Chapter 10: The Gentleman

The street was silent. The only sound was the wind blowing trash across the asphalt.

Ren stood in the middle of the road. He gripped his axe. He looked at the man in the grocery store window.

The man was sipping wine. He was wearing a grey suit. It was perfectly clean. No blood. No dust.

“Ren,” Chloe whispered. She hid behind him. “He’s Level 8.”

“I see it,” Ren said.

The man smiled. He waved his hand. “Come in. We’re open.”

Ren didn’t move.

“He’s confident,” Ren thought. “He sees my axe. He sees the blood on me. He doesn’t care.”

The man put his glass down. He walked to the glass door. He unlocked it.

Ding.

A little bell rang. It sounded normal. Too normal for the apocalypse.

“Please,” the man said. His voice was smooth. “I haven’t seen customers in days. I have fresh bread.”

Ren’s stomach growled.

Bread.

He hadn’t eaten real food in three days. Just rats, spiders, and tree hearts.

“Stay close,” Ren told Chloe.

They walked across the street. Glass crunched under their boots.

They entered the store.

It was cool inside. The air conditioning was still working. The shelves were stocked. Cans of soup. Bags of chips. Soda.

But there was a smell underneath the clean air.

Bleach. And copper.

“I’m Arthur,” the man said. He stood behind the counter. He rested his hands on the polished wood.

“Ren,” Ren said. He didn’t lower the axe.

“And the young lady?” Arthur asked. He looked at Chloe. He looked at her neck.

“Not for sale,” Ren said.

Arthur laughed. It was a cold sound. “Direct. I like that. You’re a Player too, I see. Level 5? Impressive for a brute.”

Arthur tapped the counter.

“I have a proposition,” Arthur said. “I own this block. I cleared the zombies. I have food. I have water. I need security.”

“You want us to work for you?” Ren asked.

“I want you to work for me,” Arthur corrected. “She…” He pointed a finger at Chloe. “…she can be dinner.”

Chloe gasped. She stepped back.

Ren didn’t blink. “You eat people?”

“We are evolved, Ren,” Arthur said. He picked up a knife. It was a silver rapier. “Cows eat grass. Wolves eat cows. We eat the weak. It’s nature.”

Ren tightened his grip on the axe.

“I’m not a wolf,” Ren said. “And she’s not a cow.”

Arthur sighed. “Pity. I hate wasting talent.”

He moved.

He was fast. Blindingly fast.

Arthur didn’t run. He lunged. The rapier flashed.

Ren raised his axe to block.

He was too slow.

Zip.

The rapier pierced Ren’s shoulder. It went straight through.

[Warning: Health -15%] [Bleeding Effect.]

Ren grunted. He swung the axe.

Arthur was already gone. He stepped back, wiping a speck of blood from his suit.

“Too slow,” Arthur mocked. “Strength is useless if you can’t hit me.”

Ren looked at the wound. It was deep. But his Chitin Shell passive had stopped it from hitting the bone.

Arthur attacked again.

Stab. Stab. Stab.

Ren dodged one. Blocked one. The third one hit his leg.

[Health -10%]

Arthur was playing with him. He was a Duelist class. Speed and precision.

Ren backed up. He hit a shelf. Cans of peaches fell on the floor.

“Ren!” Chloe screamed. She threw a can at Arthur.

Arthur caught it without looking. He crushed it in his hand.

“Sit down, girl,” Arthur said. “Wait your turn.”

Ren looked at the ceiling. The lights were bright. Fluorescent tubes.

Arthur relied on his eyes. He relied on seeing the target.

Ren had Tremor Sense. He didn’t need eyes.

“Hey, fancy pants,” Ren said.

Arthur looked at him. “Any last words?”

Ren grinned.

[Skill Activated: Jump]

Ren didn’t jump at Arthur. He jumped up.

He smashed into the ceiling.

CRASH.

Ren grabbed the metal fixtures. He ripped them down.

The lights exploded. Sparks showered the room. The ceiling tiles collapsed.

Darkness.

The store went black.

“Stupid!” Arthur yelled. “You can’t see me either!”

Ren landed on the floor. Softly.

He closed his eyes.

He felt the floor.

Tap. Tap.

Arthur was moving to the right. He was stepping lightly. Trying to flank.

Ren felt the vibration of his leather shoes.

He’s by the register.

Ren waited.

He felt Arthur stop. Arthur was listening. He was confused.

Ren gripped the axe.

He activated Dash.

He moved through the dark. Silent.

He appeared right behind Arthur.

“Checkmate,” Ren whispered.

Arthur spun around. His eyes went wide.

Ren didn’t swing the axe. He dropped it.

He grabbed Arthur’s arm. The one holding the sword.

Arthur tried to pull away. But Ren’s Strength was 15 now. Arthur was only Strength 8.

Snap.

Ren broke the arm.

Arthur screamed. He dropped the sword.

Ren grabbed Arthur’s throat. He lifted him off the ground.

“You like eating the weak?” Ren asked.

Arthur kicked. He clawed at Ren’s face. “Let go! I’ll give you the store! I’ll give you everything!”

Ren looked at the Level 8 tag above Arthur’s head.

“You’re right,” Ren said. “I am going to take everything.”

Ren opened his mouth.

He didn’t hesitate. This man was a monster. He killed people. He ate them.

Ren bit Arthur’s neck.

He tore the jugular out.

Blood sprayed. Hot and metallic.

Arthur gurgled. He went limp.

[Target Neutralized: Player “Arthur” (Lvl 8)] [Experience Gained: 200] [Level Up!] [You are now Level 6.]

Ren didn’t stop. The hunger was screaming. This was high-level meat. A Player’s meat.

He consumed the essence.

Gulp.

[Gluttony Activated.] [Consumed: Human Player (Duelist Class).] [Agility +5] [Dexterity +3] [New Skill: Precision Strike (Passive)] [Description: You know exactly where to hit to kill. Critical Hit chance increased by 20%.]

Ren dropped the body.

He wiped his mouth.

The emergency lights flickered on. A dull red glow filled the store.

Chloe was standing by the door. She was holding a jar of pickles. She was shaking.

She looked at Arthur’s body. Then she looked at Ren.

“You killed him,” she whispered.

“He was going to kill us,” Ren said.

“He was a person.”

Ren walked over to the counter. He stepped over the body.

He grabbed a bag of chips. He opened it.

He offered it to Chloe.

“He stopped being a person a long time ago,” Ren said. “Eat. We need the calories.”

Chloe looked at the chips. Then at Ren’s bloody face.

She took the bag.

“Okay,” she said softly.

Ren looked around the store. It had metal shutters. It had food for months. It had a basement.

“This is it,” Ren said. “This is our base.”

He walked to the window. He looked out at the burning city.

He was Level 6. He had a base. He had a follower.

But he was still hungry.

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