Chapter 48

Night has fallen, and the zombies had finally dialed down their aggression.

The city was pitch black yet tranquil.

Closing the blinds of an apartment they had occupied, Jericho sat down beside Esther, who was lighting up a half-melted candle. She found it in one of the cabinets in this household, with dust blanketing its surface. They surrounded a table, sipping carbonated drinks with canned food as their dinner.

The owner of the household wasn't home, allowing Jericho, Jay, and Esther to reside temporarily, while the others occupied the other apartments on the same floor, where they were vacant with no signs of human activity.

They were setting camp for a short break to rejuvenate before advancing to the destination.

As the hot wax trickled down the burning candle, Jay broke the silence.

Then came brief conversations and simple exchanges. Jay and Esther shared a little about their family and life before the apocalypse, while Jericho listened. It was similar to a causal icebreaker, but instead of typical laughter you hear in the background, it would be arbitrary screams of pain that will resonate through the night, indicating the loss of life.

Whether it was awkward or not, Jericho enjoyed the presence of the two adults as he could finally be himself and relax. The seed of hatred that his heartless instructors, and of course, the disgusting adults he had to entertain during missions, had planted from a young age was beginning to uproot.

Jericho preferred to never share about his past, but courtesy of the homey ambiance, he decided to slip some out.

Although assassins were trained the same way, they all had different roles. His role was rather unique, revolving around his conventionally more attractive appearance. He spoke much more fluently than the other kids, making him the perfect candidate for specific jobs.

Though innately socially awkward, he gradually understood more social cues as the organization deployed him for more intimate missions for his exceptional success rate. More often than not, he would play the role of an innocent 'victim', lured into the secure homes of targets with twisted minds before walking out alone, covered in the aftermath of bloodshed.

Whenever disgusting targets finally placed his hands on him, he would naturally slice through their throat as they gurgle out blood in disbelief, completing his missions with lingering hatred.

Until Jay and Esther appeared in his life, he has never encountered any adult who treated him so nicely and patiently without any ill intentions, not on Terra, not on Earth. They were a beacon of hope, a preview of what parental figures could be like if he was born in a loving family.

This sense of security derived from others rather than from himself was a peculiar feeling. It was magical. It was comforting. And he was very grateful for that.

The candle had by then fully dissolved into a pool of wax and Jay decided it was time to leave and head for the centrepiece.

Packing his belonging, Jay gruntled softly. "I'll go announce it to the others. Just clean up a little and sit tight."

Jericho nodded as Jay left the room.

Esther pinched open a plastic bag and tucked it into a garbage can, catching Jericho's interest.

"What's that for?"

"To prevent leakage from staining the trash bin. Come, dump the trash in."

Jericho didn't really understand what she meant, but he still swept his arms across the table and emptied their leftovers into the garbage bag.

"Okay guys, let's go." Jay's voice sounded from across the room.

"Coming!" Jericho answered before clasping his hand around his throat in shock. He sounded like a child on a field trip, which was embarrassing to him, but Jay and Esther didn't seem to notice.

Regrouping after replenishing their energy, Jericho led the way to the centrepiece using information he had forced out from the man with stone skin. The obelisk was located in the more rural area of Palican City, two hours walk away from where Utopia was docked.

Roots and vines burrowed their way out of the earth, latching onto the asphalt roads as if claiming their territory. Under the guidance of the mellow moonlight, they maneuvered through clusters of zombies without being detected.

The number of zombies along the long, treacherous journey gradually decreased as they left the more populated region of Palican City.

Walking along a remote highway, the group of survivors from Utopia lowered their guard as they began to discuss the objective of this journey discreetly. No one fully acknowledged the purpose of visiting this 'centrepiece', but as long as Jericho ensured their safety, they had zero complaints.

Influenced by the peaceful environment, Jericho slowed down his pace to match Jay and Esther's speed.

Fidgetting the rose gold ring on his finger, Jericho mustered up his courage and he murmured. "Thank you for being by my side and taking care of me when I was injured. I appreciate it…"

"What's with the emotional mood?" Exchanging a glance with Esther, Jay laughed in response and rubbed Jericho's golden hair. "You're very welcome! It's what any parents would do!"

'Parents…' Jericho mumbled.

He held the golden ring between his fingers, passing it to Esther in a gentle motion. "Here, it's an enchanted item with decent strengthening attributes. I found it during scouting duty."

"Oh, so you should keep it then! You don't have to give this to me, it's yours now."

"Please accept it. This is a token of gratitude!" Jericho insisted.

"Well, I suppose." Accepting it modestly, Esther examined its beauty. "This is an amazing present. Thank you, Jericho."

"Hey, what about mine?"

"Yours?" Eyeing Jay, Jericho sneered mischievously. "Enchanted items are very rare to find. You could share it with Esther if you really want one!"

Frowning in defeat, Jay shrugged. "You've got me there. You know I can't bargain with the real boss around here."

As they conversed, the towering obelisk that penetrated through the sky appeared within Jericho's sight.

"Alright! Tighten up, people! We are about to reach our destination!" Jay quickly managed the group, leading them to the human establishment around the obelisk.

In Jericho's vision, the exterior of the centrepiece was smooth and monochrome, nothing particular eye-catching other than its astonishing height. But with every blink of his eye, weird patterns began erecting over the obelisk eerily. When he finally reached the human settlement gathering around the centrepiece, the unsettling sensation had almost completely engulfed him.

Millions of uncanny eyes stared down at him from the foot to the very pinnacle of the obelisk. The positions of the eyes were stationary and did not blink but their dark pupils turned to whichever direction Jericho went.

Like a bird hunted down by predators, he felt as if millions of piercing arrows were locked onto him, threatening to clip off his wings and reap his freedom.

The alphabets and numerical digits meant to present the leaderboard were carved into the glaring eyeballs enveloping the centrepiece. Though only the sections designated for Rank 1 and Rank 2 were illuminated, it marked the beginning of many great talents.

The gripping and judgmental eyes inscribed with the statistics of superhumans eased the unsettling atmosphere, reminding Jericho that this was merely his perception of the centrepiece and not something that would cause harm to him.

'Calm down.' He told himself inwardly.

Suddenly, he felt a soft pat on his shoulder. From the many times his wounds have been tended, he could already identify who they belonged to.

That's right. He was just being paranoid. No one is going to strip away his freedom. He is free. He has kind people accompanying him.

"Esther?" Jericho tilted his head, signaling that he was all ears.

Initially, there was a short moment of silence, but eventually, Esther's hesitant voice followed up.

"Jericho, could you… could you do us a favor?"

Jericho turned around. He saw Esther's dodging eyes and Jay's bitter grin. They bore a despondent sentiment, but he was prepared for anything they threw at him.

No matter how ridiculous the request is, he would gladly help them address it.

Biting her lower lip, Esther said reluctantly as her eyes ran down the leaderboard above. "To be frank, we're not competent enough to climb the leaderboards… I doubt we would be able to receive any points, but…"

"If you somehow have a spare point after healing your hand, could you ask the centrepiece a question for us?" Jay completed their bold request sheepishly, seemingly ashamed they even dared to ask.

"What? Of course I could! I owe you so much! You took care of me while I was unconscious, cleaned my wounds, and treated me like family!" Jericho exclaimed with a genial smile and showcased his willingness. He was genuine about helping these two benevolent parents.

His smile was like a blooming flower, bright enough to light up a room.

But that smile was fake, a worthless imitation. And only he knew that this act was a facade.

He could already sense their request, and he hated it whenever they brought it up.

"We don't know if our children are safe, so could you…"

Jericho blurred the noise in the background, focusing his eyes on the bandage wrapped around his severed hand.

Their children. Everything is about their pathetic children, over and over again.

Why should he give a fuck about any of their existence?

He doesn't know them. He has never met them. They don't even know he exists. Have they done anything for him? Why does he have to care for them? They don't matter to him. They are a nuisance.

Unfortunately, however, these two children correlated with Jay and Esther, and disappointing them was the last thing he would do.

"Jericho, you should take the ring back. You might need it," Esther sighed.

"No, it's fine. I can handle myself. Don't worry, I will do my best!"

Suppressing the bitterness in his tone, Jericho faked his enthusiasm as he sprinted towards the obelisk and leaped.

His small body sank into the jello-like substance of the obelisk while still in a jumping motion. And as his physical body touched solid ground, the environment around him changed.

"Welcome, S—"

"Just get this over with, please. I want to get my reward." Jericho interrupted the entity before him in annoyance.

"Of course. Step in, please." The entity answered unhurriedly as it summoned a wispy portal with efficiency.

Sighing dejectedly, Jericho raised his legs and stepped into the portal before it could even project the world within its translucent interface.

"Congratulations. The testing is over. You have been assigned a ranking."

"Show me."

"Please wait patiently for the outcome."

"Sure…" Jericho heaved a heavy breath to sort his thoughts.

There was a very strange emotion strangling his heart, triggering this obnoxious response.

His mind raced through all the existing emotions he knew of, simulating them to figure out what he was experiencing.

Was it anger? No, anger is too extreme.

Was it frustration? No, frustration is too vague.

Was it… was it jealously? That's impossible, why would he be jealous of ordinary children? They were weaker than him in every aspect imaginable!

Before Jericho could answer his own question, the protruded pockets on the white walls blared their neon lights to hype the mood.

"Congratulations once again, you have secured a phenomenal placing!" The translucent entity emitted a discharge of bright colours, but Jericho was in no mood for celebration.

"Please select a nickname—"

"I would like to exchange my points, right now," Jericho interjected again, unravelling the bandage around his wound before taking out his severed hand from his backpack, which was also brought into this dimension. "I need my hands reattached."

"Understood. Please wait a moment for the evaluation."

The floating entity replied patiently as though it lacked the receptors for any emotion. After 5 seconds of silence, the drifting particles that composed its body flickered.

"You currently have 2 points. Would you—"

"I'm sorry. 2 points?" Jericho gasped in shock.

"Yes. You have obtained 2 points from achieving second placing in the Rank 2 Category."

Jericho remained quiet. He thought that he would attain the top spot with flying colors, but it seemed another prodigy had an edge over him. Though utterly surprised by this result, he composed himself and moved on.

"How much would it take to recover my hand?"

Manipulating the particles in its body, the entity concocted a detailed, 3D diagram of Jericho's severed hand.

"The item is in prestige condition and the duration from the time of injury is relatively short. As a result, the reattachment of your hand will only cost 1 point. Would you like to exchange?"

"Yes," Jericho confirmed resolutely.

"Your wish is our command. Your hand will restore once you exit." The entity said flatly. It undulated in place, waiting for Jericho to make his next move.

Tapping his feet in distress, Jericho was deep in contemplation.

He knew one point was more than enough to look into the well-being of several people, no matter where they were in the world.

But he was so hesitant about it.

"I would like to verify the safety of two people."

"Understood. What are their names?"

Jericho sighed. From all the long conversations he has had with Jay and Esther, he knew both of their children's nicknames and full names already.

What did they call them again?

PQ and PJ?

"What are their names?" Receiving no response, the entity repeated itself robotically.

Jericho clasped his palms over his face, his mind muddled and conflicted.

****

After witnessing such an eyeopener, the group of survivors they had brought along was in disarray.

Jay and Esther had by then finished their evaluation and were now organizing them, teaching them the basics of the new world they were living in.

In the corner of their eye, they saw a young boy with small stature sauntering towards them, a bright smile hanging from ear to ear. Folding his arms before his chest, Jay and Esther had a direct view of Jericho's recovered hands, as good as new.

"Jericho, you're back!" Esther ran up and immediately embraced Jericho. "I'm sorry for requesting such a demand. It's okay if you didn't have enough points to spare… I…"

"There's— There's no need to apologize!" Jericho stuttered frantically at Esther's reaction. "My hand only needed one point to recover! Your children are safe! PQ and PJ are still alive, so you don't need to worry any longer! It's time for you to be happy again!"

Jericho felt the warm tears of Esther pouring down onto his shoulders. Jay released a long sigh of relief on the side, sniffling as he broke into a smile of alleviation. Easing his tense arms, Jericho accepted Esther's embrace and hugged her back.

This was his first time willingly embracing a person in his entire life. It was a special moment, and he was grateful to experience such a beautiful form of endearment.

But despite how amazing it was to see them smiling, Jericho didn't feel proud at all.

He lied.

He didn't know whether their children were alive or not.

At the end of the day, he didn't care.

He would never exchange his points for someone he has never met.

If they were still alive, good for them!

If they weren't, so be it.

Happy to have alleviated their burden of worry, Jericho smiled wholeheartedly.

Now, he could finally relish their love peacefully without the constant reminder of their children.