the journey begins

Jacob walked back to what remained of the small town, trying his best to block out the memories of the past as he rummaged through what was left of it. He found a blue shirt that wasn't stained with blood but was missing a couple of buttons and swiftly put it on. He continued rummaging through the debris before finding an okayish pair of pants.

He couldn't help but notice his increase in strength as he found it easy lifting heavy blocks and logs of wood. His eyes caught a piece of broken glass which he promptly picked up and hovered around himself to get a general view of how he looked. But as he twisted his arm to look at his backview, he ended up applying too much pressure, and the glass shattered without even leaving a scratch.

"-_- well, that's convenient, but who would have thought a day would come when I'd be a lady killer. Like damn, I look good...Now that that's settled, should I just start heading out now? It's not like I've got anything holding me back... I think the capital should be towards the city. Hopefully, I can find a map in this mess."

So he immediately began heading in the direction of what once was the chief's hut, hoping to find a map of some sort. He eventually arrived, but unfortunately, a part of it was already in flames. It would be a miracle if he found anything of use in there.

"Argggh...tsk, what a bother."

He immediately took off his new attire and dove into the flames. He noticed earlier that he had a resistance to fire, so he didn't hesitate to go straight in. He began rummaging the hut amidst the flames, unbothered as they snaked around his naked body.

He looked eerily similar to a painting of the devil in flames; all that was missing was the dragonic wings and the long horns. But even without those, his dark brown skin and devilishly handsome features along with his black hair that had been wreathed in flames at a point gave him the image of the deceiver.

Jacob, occupied with his search and ignorant of how he looked at the moment, suddenly paused as he stumbled on a wooden box that had been generously wrapped in foil. He unceremoniously tore off the foil and broke the box without even appreciating the luxurious lock placed on it.

When Jacob saw the contents fall out of the box, he swiftly grabbed it all without a second thought and rushed out of the building while grinning at himself.

"Fwuuuh~, that was close. Well, would you look at that... lady Luck seems to be smitten by me."

He carefully picked up an old brown paper that appeared to have been scribbled on by a toddler with different-colored markers. He frowned a little and kept changing its orientation until he settled on one that was manageable enough to read.

"Even a ten-year-old could make better maps. Guess not all the leaders are that bright. Alright, what do we have here? It seems I'd have to travel through some old cities, maybe stop by a few settlements. Ugh, it's that far? Well, better hit the road then."

As Jacob was about to begin his journey, his peripheral vision caught sight of something shiny crystals. He looked over and discovered the map wasn't the only thing that was in the box. He picked up three violet crystals along with a folded piece of paper. He first unfolded the paper and read through the contents.

'I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of significant concern within our community. There is a menacing beast that poses a serious threat to the safety and well-being of our residents. Considering the potential dangers associated with this creature, I kindly request your prompt intervention in eliminating the threat. The safety of our community is paramount, and I believe that your expertise and resources are crucial in addressing this issue effectively. The beast appears to be a young female and was last seen near the tunnels by the abandoned mill. Although no casualties have been recorded, the beast was seen dragging an injured man into the tunnels by some of my men. Please let me know if there are any additional details or evidence required to support this request. I appreciate your immediate attention to this urgent matter and look forward to a swift resolution.'

As Jacob finished reading the letter, his face was frozen and expressionless, obviously some facts had been twisted but what could he do; he'd probably already devoured the ones responsible. He could only sigh to himself.

"What a mess, guess they wanted to get rid of both of us at once. Well, whatever, they're dead anyway. It's meaningless to hold any grudges. Now what are these?"

Jacob rolled the three crystal-like stones with his fingers and couldn't help but admire their texture. Ignorant of their function, he decided to just hold onto them for now; he stuffed the stones into his pockets and finally decided to leave.

"I think I'm ready now, alright, let's go."

Within an abandoned city of dilapidated buildings and unsupervised green and wildlife. A man could be seen running from what was a horde of maybe a hundred of what appeared to be zombies.

Surprisingly these zombies weren't slow but rather agile. The man swiftly jumped over a broken-down police car in his way and turned left toward an alley between two apartment buildings with the left being considerably taller than the right.

He found an entrance to the building on the right and went in without hesitating. The man quickly made his way to the roof where he waited for the zombies to reach him while moving slowly to the edge. The few zombie-like creatures that had made their way to him didn't jump on him immediately as one would expect; they kept looking around making strange clicking noises.

By the time half of them had made it to the roof, the man grabbed a rope tightly connecting both buildings, pulled out a knife and slashed it at the end while still holding the rope causing his body to be carried to the other apartment building slamming him through a glass window in the building. At the same time, suddenly an explosion came from the apartment building where the zombie-like creatures were, collapsing the entire building to rubble.

"Hah...hah...hah...hah... Bastards, how'd you like C4... hahahaha."

The man panted and cussed at the zombies while trying to catch his breath; he attempted to stand but he paused as he felt the cold sensation of a hollow metal pressed against the back of his bald head.