Chapter 15: The Candy Store

The roof was hot. The gravel dug into Ren’s back.

He lay there for a minute. He watched the zombies below.

Without the Controller, they were stupid again. They wandered off. They chased rats. They fought over the dead body of the Controller.

“It’s clearing up,” Ren said. He sat up.

Chloe was sitting next to him. She was pale.

“You jumped,” she said again. “You actually jumped.”

“I calculated it,” Ren lied. He just knew he was strong enough.

He pointed to the building next door. It was a single-story brick building. The sign on the front was smashed, but it used to say “Mike’s Guns & Ammo.”

“That’s the target,” Ren said. “The scavengers were loading the van from the back. That means the front is locked down.”

“How do we get in?” Chloe asked. “The street is still full of… them.”

Ren looked at the gap between the buildings. It was about four meters.

“We jump,” Ren said.

Chloe looked at the gap. Then at the zombies three stories down.

“I can’t jump that,” she said. “I’m Level 2.”

Ren stood up. He dusted off his pants.

“I know,” Ren said. “I’ll throw you.”

“What?!”

Ren didn’t argue. He grabbed her waist. She weighed nothing to him now. Strength 15 made her feel like a backpack.

“Relax,” Ren said. “Aim for the AC unit.”

He stepped back. He ran.

He threw her.

Chloe screamed. She sailed through the air.

She landed on the gun shop roof. She rolled. She hit the AC unit.

“Ow!” she yelled. “You jerk!”

Ren laughed.

[Skill: Jump]

Ren launched himself. He cleared the gap easily. He landed next to her.

“Quiet,” Ren whispered. “We’re on a tin roof.”

He walked to the roof access door. It was locked.

Ren grabbed the handle. He twisted. Metal groaned.

Snap.

The lock broke.

Ren opened the door. Darkness.

The smell hit him instantly. Gun oil. Cold steel. And old blood.

“Stay close,” Ren said. “Night Vision on.”

They went down the stairs.

The gun shop was a mess. Display cases were smashed. Rifles were scattered on the floor. The scavengers had taken a lot, but they missed even more.

Ren used Heat Sensing.

The room was blue. Cold.

But in the corners, there were faint heat signatures.

Rats? No. Too big.

“Don’t touch anything yet,” Ren whispered.

He scanned the ceiling.

There were vents. Large industrial vents.

Something was dripping from one of them.

Drip. Drip.

Ren walked over. He touched the liquid on the floor. It was sticky. Clear.

Saliva.

“Up,” Ren hissed.

He looked up just as the vent cover fell off.

CLANG.

Something dropped from the ceiling.

It was long. Skinny. It had four arms and no eyes. Its skin was like wet rubber. It had a mouth full of needle teeth.

[Mutated Stalker (Lvl 6)]

[Status: Hunting]

[Ability: Camouflage]

It hissed. It blended into the shadows perfectly. If Ren didn’t have Night Vision, he wouldn’t have seen it.

“Chloe, back!” Ren yelled.

The Stalker lunged. It didn’t aim for Ren. It aimed for the weaker prey.

It shot a tongue out. It wrapped around Chloe’s leg.

“Ren!” she screamed.

She was dragged across the floor.

Ren chased them.

“Let her go!”

He activated Dash.

He closed the distance. He swung his fire axe.

The Stalker was fast. It dodged the axe. It climbed the wall like a spider. It pulled Chloe up with it.

She was dangling five feet in the air.

“Shoot it!” Ren yelled.

Chloe fumbled for her pistol. She dropped it.

The Stalker opened its mouth to bite her leg.

Ren didn’t have a shot. He would hit Chloe.

He remembered his new skill.

[Skill Activated: Psionic Scream]

Ren opened his mouth. He didn’t scream a word. He pushed his will out.

BOOM.

A psychic shockwave hit the room.

The air vibrated. Dust fell from the rafters.

The Stalker shrieked. It let go of Chloe. It fell to the floor, clutching its head with all four arms.

Chloe fell too. She landed hard.

Ren was on the creature instantly.

It was stunned. It couldn’t move.

Ren raised his axe.

“Smile,” Ren said.

Chop.

He took the head off.

[Target Neutralized: Mutated Stalker (Lvl 6)]

[Experience Gained: 200]

Ren stood over the body. His head hurt. The Scream took a lot of mana.

[Mana: 5/20]

“Use sparingly,” Ren noted.

He looked at Chloe. She was rubbing her ankle.

“You okay?”

“You… you yelled at it,” she said. “And it fell down.”

“New trick,” Ren said. “From the brain I ate.”

Chloe looked at the dead Stalker. “It’s ugly.”

“It’s fast,” Ren corrected. “Check the tongue.”

He cut the tongue out. It was long and stretchy.

He ate it.

It tasted like rubber bands and mint.

Gulp.

[Gluttony Activated.]

[Consumed: Stalker Tongue.]

[Dexterity +2]

[New Passive: Wall Run (Short Duration)]

“Wall run,” Ren tested his legs. He felt lighter. “Cool.”

He helped Chloe up.

“Now,” Ren said. “Let’s go shopping.”

They searched the store properly.

Ren found the heavy weapons cage in the back. The scavengers hadn’t breached it.

He ripped the gate off.

Inside, there were rows of black rifles.

Ren grabbed a shotgun. A Benelli M4. Semi-automatic.

“For close encounters,” Ren said. He strapped it to his back.

He found a sniper rifle. A Remington 700. Black stock. Heavy scope.

He handed it to Chloe.

“You have good eyes,” Ren said. “You saw the Controller first. This is for you.”

Chloe took the rifle. It was heavy. She held it awkwardly.

“I don’t know how to snipe,” she said.

“It has a scope,” Ren said. “Point and click. Stay far away. Don’t get eaten.”

He also found grenades. Flashbangs. And one box of C4 explosives.

“We take it all,” Ren said. “Fill the bags.”

They loaded up. Ammo. Pistols. Cleaning kits.

Ren went into the manager’s office. He was looking for keys or maps.

He found a radio on the desk. A military-grade HAM radio.

It was buzzing with static.

Ren turned the dial.

Bzzt… anyone… bzzt… Sector 4…

He tuned it.

“This is Colonel Briggs. Calling all survivors. Safe Zone established at the Stadium. I repeat. The Stadium is secure.”

Ren froze.

The Stadium. It was on the other side of the city. Past the downtown area. Past the Dragon.

“Evacuation helicopters arrive in 48 hours. If you can hear this, get to the Stadium.”

The message looped.

Ren looked at the map on the wall.

Zone 3: The Stadium.

It was miles away. Through the worst infested zones.

Chloe walked in. She had the sniper rifle on her back.

“What is it?” she asked.

“A radio,” Ren said. “The military is at the Stadium.”

“We can go there!” Chloe smiled. “We can get rescued!”

Ren looked at the radio. Then at his hands.

“Rescued,” Ren repeated.

He thought about the System. He thought about his levels.

If he went to the military, they would take his weapons. They would put him in a camp. They would treat him like a refugee.

Or worse. They would see his violet eyes. They would see him eat a zombie. They would put him in a lab.

“Ren?” Chloe asked. The smile faded.

“We go to the Stadium,” Ren said. “But not for rescue.”

“Then why?”

Ren grabbed the radio. He crushed it.

Crunch.

Plastic and wires fell to the desk.

“Because there will be strong monsters there,” Ren said. “And I’m still hungry.”

He walked out of the office.

“Grab the C4,” Ren said. “We’re going to make an exit.”

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