A few hours ago…
Alaric and others rushed to remove the barrier when they heard Neha knocking. She and Min rushed in, slamming the door shut behind them.
"Wait—what are you doing?" Alaric asked, grabbing Neha by her arm. "Blaze hasn't returned! Don't close the door yet!"
Min and Neha stopped what they were doing and looked at one another. Only the two knew what had happened to Blaze, but only Neha knew why she did what she did.
Min couldn't swallow that someone could read the minds of those around them. He wanted Neha to prove it, but Neha said she could only use the power once a day. Hence, Min was unsure whether Neha was lying.
However, Neha helped him. That was undeniable.
"Just this once," Min whispered. "I'll trust you just this once. But you better prove to me that you can read minds or I'll tell everyone the truth."
Neha nodded and turned to face Alaric with tears in her eyes. Min saw her performance and was stunned. She was so cold-hearted when she kicked Blaze, and now she was crying over it?
She's… dangerous.
That was the only thought in Min's head.
As for Neha, she did lie about reading minds, but it was easier than revealing her actual ability.
Let's deal with them first.
Neha thought as she kept crying. It wasn't a secret she had a crush on Blaze, and now everyone was seeing her cry like a baby at his mention. No one had to ask what had happened. Her tears told the entire story.
"I-I'm sorry professor," she sobbed, falling to her knees. "It is all my fault… Blaze… he sacrificed himself to protect me."
Everyone knew Blaze was dead, still, the news hit them like a ton of bricks. Not because he was dead, but by the news of his sacrifice. Everyone who knew Blaze knew he was a self-centered guy. For him to sacrifice himself meant one thing.
"He must have liked her, too," someone mumbled.
"Yes… I don't think there's any other reason for him to do something like this," Another guy said.
"Poor Neha… she got the confession she was waiting for in the worst way possible. No wonder she's a crying mess."
While the boys commented on her love story, the girls surrounded her for comfort. Only when Alaric fell to his knees that the students realize he had lost his son.
The boys rushed to comfort the professor, but Min didn't dare move. His eyes were fixed on Neha's, who was glaring back at him.
Why did you lie?
The answer was simple. Neha wanted sympathy and support. Now that everyone was on her side, even if Min told the truth that she kicked Blaze to his death, no one would believe him.
Min understood what her glare meant. I was a warning. He would meet the same end as Blaze if he dared to cross her.
Neha kept staring at him as Min's hands lay still by his side. A silent sign of surrender.
The Neha before him wasn't the same as before.
She had changed.
She… had evolved.
***
Back in the present…
Blaze gritted his teeth in frustration as the familiar screen flashed before him.
[Task failed.]
[Progress will be reset.]
[Steps: 0/1,000]
Fucking hell!
"Roar!"
This wasn't how Blaze had foreseen the start of his new life.
He was the smartest zombie in the entire world, probably, yet he struggled to even walk a thousand steps without falling over. Last night he had been laughing at the clumsiness of the zombies, and now he had become even clumsier than them.
I can't believe I screwed up this badly.
Blaze thought, staring at his knees. The joints were uneven, making one of his legs virtually longer than the other. That's why he was having trouble walking.
At first, he used a stick for support. Only to realize the system thing didn't register those steps. He had to walk himself, with no support. Only then the system would register those steps.
Here we go again.
Despite his frustration, Blaze had no choice but to walk. He wanted to get his agility back before sunset. He had a feeling the zombies get stronger at night, and his wobbly steps would only land him in more trouble if that happened.
As he began walking, his mind went back to before.
Is this some kind of game for you?
[Yes.]
That was the last time the system or the one behind it replied to Blaze. He kept wondering about it since then. At times, it felt like someone was watching him.
A god?
Blaze scoffed. It was an absurd thought. Yet when he looked at the sun and remembered everything that had happened afterward, he wondered if it was as absurd as he thought.
Lost in his thoughts, he kept walking until a notification flashed before his eyes.
[Task completed!]
[Subject's agility has been boosted.]
So soon?
"Grr?"
It wasn't until he looked up that he realized the sun was about to set. Lost in his thoughts, he had been walking for hours.
However, his happiness didn't last long.
A strange feeling hit him. It was strange because he did not know he could still feel anything. Something was hurting him. His chest… was hurting, but then the feeling spread to the rest of his body.
What… is this…?
Before Blaze knew it, he went wild, scratching his body. No matter what he did, the feeling only got worse. His body wanted something. Suddenly, it hit him.
He was hungry.
As if confirming his theory, a notification appeared before him.
[Hunger Level: 90%]
[Note: Reaching 100% will trigger Frenzy.]
This is ridiculous…
He didn't even have a functioning stomach. How the heck was he feeling hungry? Hell, even if he ate someone or something, how would it quell his hunger when his stomach was basically mashed potatoes?
While he struggled to find logic, he smelled something… delicious.
Someone was nearby.
It wasn't just their smell. He could even hear their heartbeat, guiding him towards the prey.
[Hunger Level: 91%]
His eyes turned red.
He wanted to feed.