Meeting (2)

Another man raised his hand; he was in his twenties, thin, and wore black pants and a black sweater with the hood covering his head. Shyly, his eyes peered out as his soft voice spoke.

"Hello everyone, I am Eric. I also want to thank Lady Ethereal because, without you, my friends and I would be dead now, our corpses turning into zombies. You saved us at school and even transformed us into who we are now. We wouldn't be ungrateful, and we comply with everything you said, as long as it is not harmful."

The young man was met with applause, and a rare smile graced Ethereal's lips as she nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, I didn't save you guys for nothing. Anyway, what you're going to do isn't very tough. It's optional, and those interested can register their names to be divided into hunting groups. Each group will go hunting week by week. Since I've called it optional, some might choose to laze around and still benefit from others' hard work, which isn't fair. So, we'll do it this way. Those who join the hunting will be rewarded with extra points, which they can use to buy items not made public, such as soul cores."

She sighed lightly. "You'll understand the use and meaning of soul cores later. All I can say now is that they are very valuable and will be useful when we reach the city." 

She snapped her fingers, seemingly remembering something. "Oh, and that reminds me."

She swept her gaze around the hall. "We will depart in a month for a city called Takwa, where evacuated civilians will be settled. If you can't bear to leave your loved ones, you can stay there with them. You will be provided for fairly."

"For those of us who wish to increase our power, to protect our homes, such that even if the sky tears, your loved ones or you yourself wouldn't be affected, you can join one of the academies."

"Academies are similar to colleges, and the only way to get in is by being an Awakened. Being part of an academy offers various benefits like upgraded citizenship and vast knowledge about the nightmares we are facing and will still continue to face. A peerless advice, sometimes the safest place is the most dangerous. It was the illusion that will make you believe it is all fine."

"There are five major academies in the Capital city. The first is Fallen Wind Academy, which belongs to my clan. We also have Fallen Rain Academy, House of Devils Academy, White Veil Academy for females only, and Lagoon Academy. Each academy is associated with a clan, and their benefits vary. You can find more information about them once we reach Takwa and apply for one directly through the internet."

"That's all I have to say. If you want to join the hunting group, submit your names to Tyler. We need a minimum of 100 participants, or else, you'll all be assigned to the hunting."

"Thanks for your presence."

Then she stood up and gracefully walked out, followed by Metis and Ruby.

Tyler cleared his throat and faced the Awakened. "Registration starts in an hour and ends by 6:30 this evening."

After that, he followed the ladies.

The Awakened also left one after the other, and Reckless and Rhea walked to their apartment side by side.

"What do you think of what she said? Are you going to join?" Rhea curiously asked.

"Actually, we don't really have a choice, do we?" Reckless calmly said, his hand in his pocket.

"What do you mean?" Rhea was confused.

"She said a lot. Do you think her main purpose was only to tell us to hunt?"

"Isn't that the case?"

Reckless shook his head. "No, that's not it. The main point is which clan are you going to join. Do you think she saved us for nothing? She also hinted that the most dangerous place is the safest place. Takwa may house many civilians, but can they protect them all? The government holds the power, and we only see and hear what they allow us to. Even though we know they are feeding us a narrative, we can only dance to their tune."

Rhea nodded, even though she only understood a bit of what he had said and Reckless sighed and said. "You should inform me when you're going to register. I'm going to take a nap."

"Sure," nodded Rhea as she went to her room.

In truth, Reckless wasn't planning to take a nap but to check his status window. He hadn't been able to check it lately because he was trying to forget the nightmare he had gone through. It was still a bit unacceptable that he had gone from a normal and carefree guy to a future he wasn't certain of.

He grabbed a cup of water from the table, downed it with a large gulp, and placed it back. Then, he walked to the full-length mirror on the opposite wall.

Staring at his reflection, he realized how much he had changed. He was no longer the bag of bones he had been at the start.

The person in the mirror was about 1.8m tall with a lean figure and fair skin. Long blue hair with bangs almost covering his eyes, and piercing blue eyes. His face wasn't bad, with sharp eyebrows, a straight nose, and thin lips. He could be considered somewhat handsome now, and he didn't care that much about his appearance anymore, as long as he wasn't unattractive.

He jumped onto the bed and summoned his status window. The familiar pale green holographic image appeared in front of him.

[Name: Reckless

Health Points: 170

Status: Youngling {Level 1 - 30}

Level: 24

Agility: 150

Weapons: Heavenly Armor, Feather of Truth, Unbroken Dagger, Toothless Bow

Core Storage: None

Skills: Endless Manipulation (Unlearned)

Retainer: King Zombie

Strength: 270

Stamina: 160

Mana: 220

Points: 265

Appearance: B

Title: Zombie Slayer

Charm: 20]