Chapter 10 - Getting Drunk

The second day comes, Zach and Zoey wake up normally as they face the new day with smiles on their faces. As Hannah and the children were still asleep, the twins took the time to do their daily exercises leaving Adam and Eve to look after the place. 

Not long after Zach and Zoey left, Hannah woke up from her slumber. She first checked the children before getting out of the tent and was bathed with the beautiful and warm grace of the sun. It was one of the most peaceful sleeps she ever had for a while before she subconsciously looked at the tent next to theirs. 

Remembering something last night, Hannah immediately blushed before she looked at her pants and there she saw a trace of something so she quickly and embarrassedly headed to clean herself and change into something new before someone took notice of it. 

After that, Hannah was hesitating whether to wake Zach and Zoey up so she decided to take a look at the place and see if she could find something. However, even after the children woke up, there was still no sign of the twins so she took up the courage to wake them but stopped midway after seeing them running on their way back from the distance. 

"Good morning, Zach. Zoey. I was about to wake you two up but it looks like you weren't in the tent in the first place." Hannah greeted while looking at the twins, but it was only a couple of seconds later did she started blushing as she kept on thinking about what she had heard last night. Retracting her gaze, she then heard the two greeting her. 

"Sorry for not telling you last night that we will be away for some time every morning to exercise. Are you hungry? Let us prepare breakfast so we can start the day full of energy." Zach replied with a smile as she greeted Hannah before looking at the children who were staring at him. 

Right after that, Zoey and Hannah started preparing the ingredients as they helped Zach in the kitchen. Truth be told, Zoey was still surprised to see Zach cooking and now it was Hannah who felt amazed since he really was a good cook. Little did they know that it was a skill that Zach had learned in the past after living alone for so many years. 

It took an hour before everything was ready as they could now be found eating together with full and sweet smiles on their faces after the children started to feel at home as their shyness towards Zach and Zoey slowly faded. 

"Right. I almost forgot. Hannah. After the next calamity, you will start doing exercise with us every morning." Zach suddenly said while eating. In fact, he actually planned on immediately urging her to join them but thinking that she was still not in good condition to do so, he decided to delay it after the next calamity. 

Hannah was surprised by the sudden words Zach as she really wasn't an athletic type of person but considering that she was living with them with free supplies, she felt like she had no right to refuse so she nodded in confirmation. 

Zach could feel that Hannah was just forced to comply, but he didn't talk about it since it was also for her good. He was also thinking of having her learn to handle guns, however, he didn't say so at the moment since they were in the presence of the seven children. 

Upon having their fill, Zoey took the children to take a bath and asked them if they could help her clean the plates which they excitedly followed leaving Zach and Hannah who were now heading toward the place where they were practicing their shooting skills. 

Standing inside the floor of a house with its walls in the living room gone, a table could be found in it and different kinds of guns could be found on display. Hannah felt mixed emotions after having some time alone with Zach but after seeing where they had gone to, all her feelings turned to surprise. 

"This is the place where we practice our gun skills but sadly Zoey was starting to stop after finding herself fond of playing with bolo knife instead." Zach said before moving the guns and taking a handgun and a silencer among the rest. 

"Try and see whether there's something that you like. Don't worry, we are far enough that the children will not hear the gunshots." Zach followed before handing the gun to her which she hesitatingly took. 

"W-Why?" Hannah could not help but ask because aside from it being her first time holding a gun, and so she was wondering why she needed to learn. She then just looks at Zoey just to see him having a faint smile on his face while looking at her which makes her a little lost for a second. 

"For self-defense, of course. Just like I told you last night, we don't know what the world will become. It's better to be prepared than doing nothing at all." Zach replied as he took a gun out and looked at the practice target in the distance before pulling the trigger. 

...…Tang...…. 

The can at the distance was shot and fell to the ground. Hannah feels amazed by how precise Zach's skill was since it was too far away and hard to see and yet he still hit it. She then just looked at him with feelings of respect and not before long, she found herself being taught all the way until noon. 

After eating lunch, Zoey and Hannah started talking with each other after the two felt the connection that they would be best of friends while they looked after the children. On the other hand, Zach took the time to leave and continue cleaning the area around their place together with Adam and Eve. 

On a particular rundown house in the area, Zach could be found looking at the place because somehow, he felt like he realized something. One week ago, he knew for sure that this house was marked orange but somehow it turned yellow right now. He didn't know how it happened, but he felt like it had something to do with his growing stats. 

"Maybe the danger level will slowly change as my strength rises up?" Zach couldn't help but think that it was possible because, to him, it would not be logical to think that he would still be harmed by falling wood or debris when his strength was already capable of breaking a tree itself. 

Leaving it as an assumption, for now, Zach then continues working. Though the place was safe, it was no longer fit to live in so he demolished the house and scrapped everything that he could like metal bars, pieces of wood, etc. If it was before, it would have been a completely impossible task to do alone but with his current strength, such work was doable if he put everything to it. 

Following that, time flew by as the sun was replaced by the beautiful moon. Zach and the others have a nice dinner together before heading inside their separate tent so they can rest for the day in order to have the strength to survive tomorrow. 

The day after that was completely satisfying. The children were now filled with energy after having rested and eaten enough. One thing is for sure and that is the changes that happened in their body must be one of the reasons they recover so fast. 

On the other hand, Hannah has finally accepted the way things are now as she practiced her shooting skills for the past few days under Zach's guidance but disappointingly enough, it looked like she was not talented in that area however, she still continued doing her best for some reason, unlike Zoey who has fully stopped practicing. 

Meanwhile, Zach was very proud of himself after he had finished what he started seeing that there were now only a low number of houses still standing in the surroundings after he had destroyed the rest. One must know that these standing houses were no longer intact and just had some of their still usable rooms after Zach thought that they might need them later on. 

Everything seemed to be fine but right now, the group could be together outside their tents waiting as they kept on looking at the blue screen in front of them as it was now time again for the next calamity to happen. Zach and Zoey were fine, but Hannah and the seven children still had trauma seeing them very nervous while holding each other. 

"Hannah. Everything will be fine." Zach reassured as he looked at Hannah looking after the children which the latter looked at him with relief and as if his words had magic, he saw Hannah easing a little bit. He then just looked at the countdown getting ready to face the calamity. 

[00:00:10]

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[00:00:08]

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[00:00:06]

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[00:00:03]

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[00:00:00] 

[Preparation time has ended.] 

[Commencing World Cleansing Procedure 2-3: Earthquake Calamity.] 

After the message, the ground then started shaking making the children cry in fear as Hannah and Zoey held them down waiting for everything to end. Zach, on the other hand, activated the power of the system as he looked at the place which made him sigh in relief seeing that their place was safe and that was when he thought that the danger level really would change with the enhancement of their stats. 

[World Cleansing Procedure 2-3: Earthquake Calamity is over.] 

[The next calamity will commence next week.] 

Holding each other for three minutes, Zach, Zoey, and Hannah together with the seven children and their dogs Adam and Eve survived another calamity. Following that, the girls started coaxing the children, and only after everyone calmed down did they start organizing the place as some of their things were scattered everywhere. 

It took them right before sundown to settle everything as they ate dinner with lingering mixed emotions, especially the children. As they were still in a little bit of trauma, Hannah took some time to take them to bed before joining Zach and Zoey outside for a drink. 

"Now. Everything will come to light when the next calamity happens if my assumptions are correct but for now, let us celebrate the fact that we yet survive another calamity." Zach said before holding a bottle of beer as he looked at Zoey and Hannah. Since they had a week again to prepare, having a day to enjoy was something they could spare. 

Zach, however, was already almost 100 % sure as it was only now did he noticed the change in the message. He did not notice it before because he was too focused on looking after Zoey but now, he noticed it. It should have been 'The next Earthquake Calamity will commence next week but now it has changed into 'The next calamity will commence next week. Just from that, he knew that the next one would be different. 

The night was very long as the three finished quite a few bottles of beer already. Zoey had long lost the battle and was now sleeping peacefully back in the tent leaving Zach and Hannah alone still drinking together seeing them sitting side by side while looking at the star in the sky. 

"Zach. If I may ask, are you doing something immoral with Zoey? I seem to hear moans every night in your tent or maybe I am just hearing things." Hannah no longer cared what she was talking about as her embarrassment had long disappeared after already drinking a few bottles. She then just looked Zach in the eye without retracting her gaze wanting to face him head-on and show that she was the older ones around. 

Meanwhile, Zach looked at Hannah without any noticeable reaction before gulping down the remaining beer inside the bottle. After that, he put it down on the ground as he attacked Hannah by printing his lips against hers. He didn't know if he wanted to do it but the alcohol must have hit him already seeing that he could no longer control his actions. 

On the other hand, Hannah's eyes widened before slowly closing them down. After that, she let go of the bottle of beer in her hands before wrapping them around Zach's neck as she started reciprocating his advances. Controlled by their lust and drunkenness, both of them stayed outside for a while before entering the tent together.