Toru...

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[Hoshino's residence, Tokonosu city]

 [East District, 7:00 AM]

The night sky gradually faded into a light blue hue as the sun rose from the east, signaling the arrival of a new day in this undead-infested land.

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The Creaky sound of a door fills the quiet hallway.

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Kazuhiro carefully pushed open the front door of one of the houses in the city's residential district. He had to duck under the door frame because of his tall stature. Once inside, he took a moment to survey the surroundings.

'This will do for now; this house happens to be the largest in the area.' 

His vision takes in the modern decor that adorned the walls and furnishings. It was evident that the former occupants of this dwelling had enjoyed a level of affluence.

'Looking around the place, it is a mess. ' Scattered debris and shattered glass littered the floor.

As he explored the ground floor, he found himself in various rooms. The living room, the dining area, and the kitchen which stood as the largest of the other spaces, though now they lay in disrepair, their former grandeur tainted by the chaos of this world.

Stepping further into the house, Kazuhiro encountered a lone zombie. It stood there, oblivious to its surroundings. He faced the creature, and understood the power the device has given to him.

'Equipping that title has its advantages.' He thought. The title granted him an aura that concealed him from the mindless corpses, rendering him virtually invisible to their senses. No sound, movement, or sight of him could attract their attention as long as he wore the title.

With this newfound advantage, he decided to dispatch the standing zombie swiftly. His sharp, precise finger pierced through its forehead, ending it in an instant.

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Xxxx 

+0 INT received: Swiping Frenzy. 

Xxxx 

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'That skill, it still works.' 

He retrieved the handheld device from his pocket and activated the latest extract function. A faint blue mist emanated from the corpse as he centered the device's camera lens on the body.

As the process concluded, a list of options appeared on the device's screen, including choices like blood, bones, and other materials that composed the being.

'Here is what I gathered when using the function. I used it a couple of times previously to test it, and from what I know, I'm able to dismantle the things that I choose to extract in this world. Once extracted, I'm met with a list of options that I can pick from and store those parts in the inventory. Parts ranging from atoms to the whole package, overly specific is what I can say. It has a search bar at the top to ease your findings.' 

'The odd thing about it was that once extracted, the former object or body is still present; it has not disappeared as I expected it to be. However, I cannot repeat the process on the same target. Fair, that would be an easy way to farm for credits.' 

After weighing his choices, the entity decided to extract the whole package since it had the highest value, providing him with 5 credits. While not a substantial amount, it was the most valuable option among the selections.

Standing up, he left the room and headed upstairs to the second floor. Less of a clutter than the one downstairs. His purpose in coming here was to wash himself from the sticky bits that stuck to his clothes and body.

He entered the first room on the right and discovered a spacious bathroom. Inside, he wasted no time and turned on the bathtub faucet, allowing water to flow into the tub. To prevent any remains from mixing with the water, he made sure to plug the drain.

As he tested the water's temperature, he couldn't help but notice the absence of sensation, even in his sense of touch. Undeterred, the figure stood in a hunched posture and began to remove his clothes, preparing to clean himself.

'I wonder if I can find other clothes that would suit my form in the shop.' Kazuhiro reveals his skinny physique, with ribs evident, bony arms and legs, as well as an extremely thin stomach.

As he settled into the bathtub, the shower head above began to rain down water, washing away the dried blood and remnants that clung to his body.

In a seated position, he stops after a few scrubs and summarises the events that happened so far in his head. The trickling sound of the drops hitting and making contact with his dark skin helps him think of a clear picture of the events.

'Right now, I'm in Japan, my so-called home country. The current date is 2006 July 5th. This answered one of the questions I had in mind: I'm in a parallel universe. This is not the Japan I was born in; it's completely different. Remembering what I read about my identity, leading to the specific date. There is no such outbreak similar to the one here happening in my previous life at that time.' 

'Tokonosu, the city that I'm currently in. It is unheard of. It doesn't exist in my old world. One of the reasons that confirms my theory.' 

It was becoming increasingly clear that this parallel universe had its own set of events and realities that diverged from his previous life.

'I remember seeing in the news on the still functioning display televisions in one of the stores that I came across. The whole world is in a crisis. Cursed with the plague. Beijing, London, Moscow, Rio, the states, and the rest of the world are dealing with the same problem. Some have it under control, while others are less fortunate. What could have caused this? Could it be a disease?' 

'Whatever it is, I can do nothing about it.' Turning the shower head off, he stands up and exits the tub. Fully clean, he heads towards the dirty clothes to wash them, only to find out that they have disappeared and were replaced by new clothes, though different from what he usually wears.

This time, there is an blue polo shirt and grey pants with a card holder strapped to a black belt with the title being supervisor followed by his name.

Wearing the new clothes, it fits him well. 'My clothes changed due to me getting promoted? That means I won't have to waste a dime on the market.' checking himself out, the colors matched well with his dark skin.

"What exactly are you?" A high-pitched, monotone voice sounded behind Kazuhiro, attracting his attention.

Silence took over for a few seconds as Kazuhiro considered this unexpected encounter.

'A child?' The entity thought, looking down at the blonde curly-haired kid who seemed to be 9 or 10 years old. The boy wore round glasses, a white collared shirt with a red tie, and black pants.

"I observed your behavior from a distance; the hidden cameras around have captured your movements. For you to use a strange device and to kill one of the monsters here proves that you are an intelligent being. Even though I'm taking a major risk here coming out. Atleast, I'd die with my curiosity satiated" The boy's voice emitted emptiness, as if he doesn't care what happens to him from now on. Now locking his eyes on the creature's head as he questions the creature one more time. "Now, What. Are. You." 

The room fell silent after he empathized his question, the boy's unyielding gaze still fixed on Kazuhiro's featureless face. The child's tired eyes, encircled by noticeable dark bags, showed signs of fatigue.

"I go by the given name Kazuhiro. I'm a shop attendant that chose to roam these lands" He added, as to show that he too is a human, albeit different.

"I guess, aliens do exist after all." The boy didn't seem entirely surprised by the revelation. He stifled a yawn with a small hand. "Whatever, you are welcome to stay, I'm tired enough to be cautious." With those words, he left the bathroom and disappeared into one of the rooms on the second floor, slamming the door behind him.

Kazu stood there, thinking about what had just occurred.

'Those who are older than him get frightened upon seeing me; for him to be unfazed is truly unheard of by children his age.' Questioning the recent event, he chose to leave the bathroom, ducking under the frame. Only then to find three other doors that lead to separate rooms.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he chose to know more about this world and its inhabitants.

He entered the room that appeared to belong to the kid. It was filled with the belongings of a child. Clutter covered the computer desk, suggesting that the boy spent a lot of time here.

As Kazuhiro inspected the room, he didn't see anyone in here. It seemed that the boy had retreated to one of the other two rooms on the second floor.

Examining the contents on the desk, Kazuhiro found a collection of items that provided some insight into the boy's life. The 4th-grade level books, school tools, and the 2006 elementary science fair silver medal all hinted at a young student's room. He continues to scan the room once again.

Inspecting the pictures and a few certificates around the boy's room, the name Adam Williams is what was written on them. Picking up a picture frame, it showcased Adam along with his classmates with a couple of teachers on both sides for a class photoshoot. Judging by the picture, the kid doesn't seem to be in a joyous mood.

Having thoroughly explored the room, the entity went to the one beside the room and later found himself in an office, a dignified space with tall bookcases lining each side of the room. The desk, the centerpiece of the office, bore a sleek laptop perched upon it while a plush black leather chair stood imposingly behind.

Circling the desk, he faced the laptop screen, checking it's contents, which displayed a quartet of panels offering real-time views of the rooms on the first floor. The realization dawned on it. 'That's how he knew.' Having his curiosity partially fulfilled, he went out, and there was only one room left to explore.

'Gently turning the doorknob and as he goes in, his sight catches the kid lying on a master bed, asleep.

The entity continued its silent exploration of the room. He made his way to the dresser, where a damaged picture frame caught his attention.

The image within depicted what seemed to be a loving family: a father with blond hair and blue eyes, and a mother with black hair in a kimono, and their child.

Setting the frame back down, the entity moved to a mirrored desk. Two items stood out among the makeup utensils, combs, and decor. It picked up one of them, an incense holder adorned with a charming bunny design.

The other was a delicate rose made of pigmented paper, most likely an origami creation.

"Leave it, it's not yours." The familiar monotone catches him holding the item. The creature complies as he sets it down.

Silence enveloped the room once more as the two figures faced each other. It wasn't until half a minute had passed and the kid spoke. "Kazuhiro-San, I have a request to make."

 kazuhiro stood, as he turned his figure to fully face the kid.

"Even though this is unlike me to ask for help, especially from someone of your... stature, but based on the observations i've seen," the boy's eyes briefly lingered on kazuhiro's claws. "Is that your entire being is capable on suriving against them."

"My request is that, I want to find someone, and with your help it would be easy to traverse our way there. " The child's eyes fixed on the kazuhiro's enigmatic visage.

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The device vibrated within his pockets as it dinged to notify its user. Pulling out his device. He looks over the contents.

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Xxxx 

__Mission(s)__ 

● Of mother and son: -Time-dependent- 

Objective(s): 

Help in searching for Toru's mother, Alive! 

Difficulty: ☆☆☆ | Hard 

Reward(s): 

▪︎ 10,000 SC 

▪︎ 20 (INT) 

▪︎ 20 (AP) 

▪︎ A new title 

▪︎ A new ability 

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 Failure: 

▪︎ -1000 SC 

▪︎ A new ability. 

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Do you wish to accept the mission?... 

Yes | No 

Xxxx 

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The kid observed the creature's movement, and may have a gist of what's going on. "Since we'll be together for sometime, you can address me by Toru." He introduced himself although a bit late.

The entity examined the mission notification on its device, considering the task at hand. After a brief moment, it made a decision.

The entity taps on Yes.

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