Chapter 40: Pathetic, Solitary Creatures

"Pa…the…tic?"

"Yes! What?"

"...Are you sure you really don't know how to read?"

"I think this guy is messing with us."

It was noisy again; with most of the Wind Mafia surrounding Zero, cheering and screaming like wild dogs. He couldn't really complain, though. After all, he was the main cause of the noise.

Wind Mafia accepted a joint quest from the association, and was now just waiting for the other team who accepted the request. But since the departure time wasn't until an hour before the afternoon, they had a lot of time to waste.

And as soon as Sandie and the others from the Wind Mafia discovered that Zero couldn't read, they decided to put their time there. To their shock, however, it only took 4 hours for Zero to start reading even the more complicated words.

Perhaps even more curious, however, was Zero himself.

As soon as Sandie and the others told him how to read a certain letter or a syllable, it was almost as if something from inside his mind started to surface– he wasn't learning, no… he was just remembering.

"What about this!? Read this!"

"...Worces…ter…shire?"

"!!!"

And as soon as Zero said that, the members of the Wind Mafia team started howling and jumping around like monkeys, even pushing each other to the point that one of the members rolled on the ground…

…landing and hitting the leg of a slayer that just entered the lobby.

"You… okay?"

"Y… yeah, sorry about that," the member of the Wind Mafia quickly stood up, scratching his head as he apologized to the man. He was about to leave and return to the celebration, but before he could do so, the man he hit grabbed his shoulder.

"Hm?"

"Could it be… you guys are from the Wind Mafia team?" The man mentioned.

"...Yes?"

"Ah, that's great!" The man then glanced back, gesturing to the group of people behind him to come near,

"I'm Ryan, leader of the Going Gloomy team," the man stretched his hand, the small scar that adorned his cheek slightly curving as he smiled.

"...Oh," the member of the Wind Mafia, however, only blinked a couple of times, before turning around and screaming,

"Boss! The other team is here!"

And as soon as the Wind Mafia heard those words, they quickly stopped celebrating; their faces turning stoic as all of them slowly made their way to the Going Gloomy, leaving Zero alone at the table.

"..." Zero only glanced as the team started introducing each other, before turning his focus back on the paper in front of him. Their discussions didn't really involve him, he was just going to tag along with the Wind Mafia to collect some stones to have his cloak fixed.

He could probably just leave now since he could probably somewhat read the other requests on the board, but Zero was slowly learning that everything the humans do has a price– they taught him how to read, and Zero would continue to help them with the quest and still get some stones.

The way humans work is so strange, they kill each other for no reason but need a reason to work together.

"...Inventory."

And while Zero was practicing, he once again called out his inventory– the last time he opened it, the only word he could read properly was the Iced Cola. But now… it was almost as if the inventory was a completely different thing altogether.

"Iced… Cola… ab… able to ins…tantly recover a small am… amount of stamina and… mana… scales… with host level? Cooldown… one hour?"

Zero whispered to himself as he was finally able to read the long set of words that appeared on the bottom of the Iced Cola.

Doesn't this mean… he could also read the messages of the Readers of Fate now!?

[Reader of Fate: Jojo Kurdi says, 'You stupid host! Boring ass dumb Host! I want a loner Host not some cringe-ass stupid whore joining groups! I am out!']

[Reader of Fate: Don't Try Me says, 'Brainless Host! Acting like a mindless zombie!]

"..." It took a while for Zero to read the messages that popped out in front of him. But as he progressed, the small light of excitement in his pale eyes slowly disappeared.

The… Readers of Fate… were they saying that the whole time?

"..." No wonder Zeni hates most of them.

[Reader of Fate: Frank, loves the bloodshed and would like to see–]

Zero didn't even bother trying to read the next message that popped out in front of him. Waving his hand and looking away, once again focusing his attention on the Iced Cola.

Instantly recover a small amount of stamina and mana? But throughout his time when he gained consciousness, Zero has never once felt fatigued. He didn't even need to sleep like the humans.

Mana, on the other hand, would prove useful. He remembered Natalia and Zeni mentioning it before– he lost consciousness when he summoned fire… it could basically prevent Zero from fainting and being extinguished in future battles if consumed right.

"Weird…"

Could it be, the Readers of Fate that he read earlier… were different from those that give him gifts?

[Some of the Readers of–]

"Zero! Let's go!"

And before Zero could even start reading the words that popped out in front of him, his inventory automatically closed as Sandie suddenly pulled him away,

"The others already left, what are you still doing here!? I thought you were behind us!"

"..." Zero looked at Sandie's hand which was grabbing his.

The Readers of Fate… they didn't want this. Why?

Were they solitary and lonely creatures?

He… doesn't really understand that. He had only started venturing out alone when the horde proved to be too slow for him, but before that, he relied on the horde to devour. They were weak, and were just able to overwhelm the humans because they were a horde.

If Zero has learned something from his time as a zombie– it was that solitary creatures die alone, drowning in their own blood as the horde feasts on their pathetic and useless corpses.

"..." But then again, if it was Natalia Woods, then the horde would stand no chance. So in the end…

…strength is the only thing that matters. And he didn't have that yet.

He had to rely on the horde. The only difference is– the horde he is with now, as soon as they become too slow…

…he has the choice to devour them.

"Is everyone here!?"

Zero didn't even notice they were already in front of the gates.

"I… I got him!" Sandie then quickly let go of Zero's hand as she tried to recover her breaths, "L… let's go."

"What took you guys so long?" Gab rolled her eyes as soon as she saw Zero and Sandie, "Don't tell me… you guys actually–"

"Stop talking, let's go," and before the group of girls could start bickering again, Anna waved her hand, gesturing to them to follow the rest of the teams that had already left the Safe Zone, "They're leaving us behind."

"R… roger that," Sandie raised her thumb before following Anna, but not before glancing at Zero to make sure he was following them now. But before the group could fully pass through the tunnel gates, a scream could be heard coming from behind them.

"Robert! Wait!"

"Dr. Rogers, is that really you!?"

"..." Zero glanced back at the mention of the name, only to see a group of people wearing some sort of… white cloak running towards them.

"Alice, is it true Alice is dead!? How are you alive!?"

"The research, Dr. Rogers! We need you to continue the resea–"

Zero, however, didn't really bother any further as he just continued to follow Sandie and the others. The gate, closing behind them before the group of white cloaks could even approach the gates.

"...That was weird," Sandie slowed her pace to walk beside Zero, "Never seen them out in their lab."

"...Them?"

"The scientists," Sandie shrugged her shoulders, "But don't mind them, they're a little… eccentric."

They told us the scientists would be the ones to save the world…" Anna chimed in as she let out a loud scoff,

"...But we're the ones out here risking our lives."

***

Zero has never ventured this far out before. After almost an entire day of walking, the Wind Mafia and Going Gloomy decided that it was time to rest– moving any further without the sun as their guide was suicide, they said.

They've already set up their camps, with their tents littering some parts of the forest– but even then, the air was quiet and somber.

There were about 50 humans around Zero in total, with most belonging to the Going Gloomy team…

…if he devoured some of the people from Going Gloomy, would they notice?

"...You're not going to eat?"

"..."

And while Zero was surveying the group of humans like a hawk, Sandie approached him, joining him at the tree he was resting his back on.

"I got you veggie soup," Sandie then said as she handed a bowl to Zero before sitting on the ground beside him.

"...Thank you," Zero nodded; only tasting the soup once before placing it to the side.

The humans… devour this nasty thing?

"..."

"..."

"I'm really glad you're here, Zero," Sandie also placed her bowl to her side as she leaned closer to Zero, "I… I thought after the other night, I wouldn't get to see you again."

"..."

"I… wasn't trying to make it awkward between us, you know. If anything… I truly do want to be your friend."

"...Friend?"

"Hm," Sandie nodded as her eyes trailed towards Anna and the others, who were looking at her and… gesturing some obscenities with their hands,

"A… Anna and the others, we've known each other for a long time. As much as people have known each other in the apocalypse, that is. When… when all of this started, I actually thought I wasn't going to survive, even when I got lucky and popped a Power Buble. God… it feels like forever now."

"..." Zero just listened to Sandie's story; subtly tilting the bowl of soup and spilling them as he did so.

"I thought I was over it, you know. When I met Anna and the others, I thought I was finally over the fear of dying… but then the incident with the werewolves came. When my leg got fucked I thought that was it, I'm dead…

…But then there you are, with your stupid cloak," Sandie let out a small chuckle as a tear slowly trailed on her cheek, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you didn't just save me, Zero… you gave me hope…

…and it would really really make me happy to become your friend."

A friend.

Zero doesn't really understand what that means. Wasn't it enough just to be in the horde?

"Well…" Sandie then stood up, patting her hands off the dirt, "...you don't have to answer like, right now."

"..."

"We'll have a very long time to build a relationship ahead of us. There's no need to–"

And before Sandie could finish her words, Zero watched as she suddenly leaned back; her head, now pinned on the tree by an arrow that went right through her eye.

"H… ah…" Sandie seemed to want to say something to Zero; but alas, only a whisper came out of her mouth as the color in her remaining eye faded away.

"Sandie!"

Zero then quickly looked towards Anna and the others as they screamed… only for him to see a blade penetrate through Gab's chest.

And the person who did it… belonged to the Going Gloomy team.

"..." Zero could somewhat understand it now– why some choose to become solitary.

These humans…

…they do nothing but kill each other. Sandie has done nothing to them, and yet here she lies lifeless.

They're not a horde.

They are just… pathetic.