Broadcast

Inside a living room.

A woman who wore a gray hoodie jacket with a black lining on its arms slapped the hand that tried touching her cheeks. Her skirt that didn't even reach her knees swayed back and forth when she took a step back and looked around.

Marianne was surrounded by people she knew. Most of them were the regular members of the old gang's crew, while Richard seemed to be the only member who was with the higher-ups.

This whole event was actually her fault.

By some idiotic decision, since she couldn't sleep, she chose to get some fresh air. Though the mall looked pleasing to the eyes, it would become tiring looking at the same thing after a few days. Remember that she has been always helping around the Special Items stall, and has only the break times to have some fun.

She walked around and admired the glowing flowers on the plot of land, on the farm. A few minutes later, Richard appeared in front of him and requested that she come with him for a talk. She knew that Richard doesn't have that good of a reputation within the group. She wanted to refuse but felt some presence a few meters behind her. With no other option, she agreed.

They brought her into a nearby abandoned house, two blocks away from the mall.

As they walk, she couldn't calm her beating heart that raced quickly. She prayed that they would just have some friendly conversation and catch up with each other's stories.

At first, their conversations were okay. Inquiring how things went for them, how's life, etc. Things changed when Richard tried hinting a few times that she should switch sides and betray Jun. She knew that things weren't going to have a good ending and she tried talking Richard out of this.

But nothing worked.

It looked like Richard was hell-bent on becoming someone who he isn't. Someone who rules. He exuded a dark aura that his eyes became filled with something evil like he was too drunk in power.

With no other choice, she inserted her hands inside the hoodie's pockets and took something from her dimensional storage. It was Evo's newest invention, the wireless earphone.

The wireless earphone works like a radio, it can send and receive sound waves. The only downside about this is that it only has a limited range of hundred meters. Anyone further than the hundred-meter range wouldn't receive the transmission.

Evo managed to make it run on energy which is an easy and infinite source. You can charge the gadget with energy by holding it in your palm, and transferring energy to it, just like how you apply energy on essence of powers or crystals to absorb it.

Marianne pinched the earphone and transferred energy to it, activating the item. She doesn't know if the item worked or not, but she could only pray for it.

As she was contemplating what to do next, she heard chuckling in front of her.

Richard was glaring at her as if he has gone mad.

"I tried talking to you, but you won't budge!" Richard pulled a knife that was sheathed from his back, then said, "Maybe if there's a scar on your face you wouldn't act like this, right? No, no... I should leave the face alone. You're stomach or legs should be fine. Don't worry, I'll do it slowly."

Richard approached her while playing with the knife, a broad lecherous grin stuck on his face.

Marianne gulped, then smiled. "You'll regret this. You know that, right?"

"No rooms for regret." Richard smiled. "Unless he can find us, there's no reason to be scared."

Marianne stepped back a few times trying to avoid Richard who was advancing forward. Rough hands suddenly grabbed her arms and stopped her retreat. She turned and saw that it was those members who leaned towards doing morally good.

"You shouldn't do this, you will all die. You know his temper better than me. You guys fought with him."

Marianne lowered her head and begged them to stop. A shed of tear slid down her smooth rosy cheeks.

"We're sorry, but the boss left us for ourselves.", the man said while the other nodded. "He's living the good life while we have to fend for our own. He probably forgot about us."

"You knew the code!" Marianne refuted. "You were supposed to come here!"

"Doesn't matter." Richard watching the scene intervened. "We're free from him now. And you don't have to worry, we'll deal with him next."

Marianne sighed and looked at him as if she was looking at a dead man.

"Unless he finds you, right?" Marianne smiled, then took a deep breath.

Richard became confused by what she said. He watched as something materialized above her head. A megaphone icon appeared and stay afloat on top of her head. Though he doesn't know what the thing can do, knowing what the item can do made him sweat profusely. A freezing chill crawled up his back followed by the goosebumps that spread all over his body.

"Stop her!" Richard shouted, not even knowing what to do and how to do it.

The men holding her were even more confused as to why he would act like that. Everything was under their control. When they noticed the odd icon on top of her head, it was already too late.

Marianne let out a deafening scream that made every person's ear inside that room bleed. Her scream was so loud that some of the glass windows actually broke.

Marianne felt her energy draining at a rapid pace and stopped using the skill. It was the only skill she gained after leveling up from absorbing the crystals, Broadcast. The skill had an obvious flaw since someone can see the megaphone icon when she uses the skill. Though that really didn't discourage her since she never used the skill for fighting the infected.

When the skill stopped, her mouth was immediately blocked by someone. She can hear the muffled cries around her. Some complained about the ringing sound while others just clenched their heads.

Richard stood up from his kneeling position and slapped Marianne.