Chapter 29- Evolution Master (Part 2)
Eventually, the group ended up leaving the entire district and entered a whole new section of the city. One that seemed to have been the most affected by the destruction. So many corpses riddled the streets, and destruction was everywhere. Almost nothing was left intact except for a few places here and there.
Naturally, monsters roamed the area and infested every corner. However, luckily for the group, darkness finally fell upon this ruined city, casting dark shadows upon everything. That darkness, as scary as it felt, gave them a natural camouflage they would've not had if they were moving in the normal light.
So, Rein and the others took advantage of that as they started navigating the streets quietly, sneaking behind groups of monsters to avoid unnecessary fights that could gather more enemies around them. Due to how infested the area was, any fight breaking out here would bring more and more attention, which could be disastrous.
'Follow me.' Rein signaled as he crossed a street filled with Mutated Bees and other animals before he signaled for his companions to come after him. His eyes kept staring around. With how much his senses have improved, he could see a lot clearer in the dark, which helped a lot.
'A flashlight would've made this so much worse.' He sighed as he watched the monsters roam around aimlessly, searching for another target.
As they continued through, they could see how these bestial creatures look when they aren't aggressive or trying to kill them.
'S-So terrifying. They look so much scarier in the dark.' Teo gulped audibly as he
Slowly, the group made its way through until it arrived at its destination.
'It seems to be still completely intact.' Rein thought to himself. 'That's great.'
Their destination was a convenience store tucked in one of the many alleys of the city. It was well hidden, which made it the perfect destination as it could be the safest spot to get what they wanted.
Sneaking to the glass window, Rein peeked inside. It was a mess, naturally. The shelves were broken, and food and other items were thrown everywhere, with some Undead roaming the place.
However, other than that, there wasn't anything that was alarming. So, he signaled for the group as he snuck inside and then…
*Swish* *Swish* *Swish*
He dealt with the Undead swiftly before he called for them.
"Whoa, this place is actually still completely untouched. We are lucky." Teo said.
"Don't raise your voice, monsters could still be around," Rein said. "Collect as many things as you can. Especially food and water, we need them for the future."
Rein knew that in the next few days, starvation and dehydration would be as dangerous as the monsters they fight. Making sure they got enough supplies to survive for a while was key, perhaps even more than getting stronger.
"I'm glad I brought a big bag with me. I should be able to store a lot of stuff in it." Violet said. "Let's separate."
The group then walked to different aisles as they started picking up everything they might need. Since the entire place was a mess, it was hard to find actual food and water around. There were even signs of people pillaging the place before trying to escape.
'Hmmm, they probably thought they were in a survival movie… Their fate doesn't look that good, judging from the blood on these cans.'
Rein thought as he traced the signs of blood with his eyes. He didn't need to imagine the kind of struggle they had to face before dying miserably.
Sighing quietly, he continued picking up all the stuff he found before putting it in Violet's bag.
"Where are the water bottles?" Teo asked.
"Should be at the back," Rein replied from the other side.
Teo nodded and walked to the other side of the store, where he found himself near the large fridges. Walking through the broken glass and mess, he tried to reach for the bottles.
'Hmmm, I hope they're still safe to drink and not poisoned. Which brand should I get?' He asked himself as he stopped there to think. 'This one? No, maybe this one would be better.'
As he was deep into his own dilemma, he didn't notice a silhouette looming over his head slowly.
"Umm, this one tastes better… Tsk, ok, I will pick this one- Hm?" That was when he felt that something was a bit off as he slowly looked up, only for his entire body to freeze.
"A… A…." He tried to make a sound, but he couldn't even scream. His fear froze him completely.
"Hey, Teo, did you find the water?" Rein asked from afar as he continued reading the labels on the cans. However, he received no reply.
"Teo?" Rein frowned as he peeked over the aisle, expecting to see the man deep in his shenanigans.
However, shockingly, he saw something that he didn't expect.
'Shit!' He clenched his teeth as he quickly jumped over the shelves and launched himself into the air.
His sword was summoned at the same time as he slashed with it.
*BANG*
A loud explosion shook the entire convenience store.
"What's happening?!"
"Huh?"
The other two were alerted as they quickly rushed to the area, only to see one thing.
Teo was laying on the ground while Rein's sword pinned a large spider to the wall, skewering it ruthlessly. Dust finally settled as Rein pulled the sword out and then sliced its head off.
[You have killed a Level 7 Mutated Black House Spider.]
"Are you alive, Teo?"
"Y-Yes…" Teo replied as he heaved up and down. "I felt like my life flashed before my eyes… Holy…"
"Teo!"
The two rushed toward him to check his condition.
"I-I'm fine. I didn't get hurt. I was just shocked. Thank you for saving me, Mr X. I really owe you so much."
Rein didn't reply as he looked at the dead spider, his face dark and confused. 'Another one of these, huh? A Black house spider. I've already killed two today. I guess there is quite a population of them.'
However, something felt a bit off about that. This spider, for example, was bigger than the one he killed earlier today. In fact, it was also quite strong.
'A population of these things would be really bad news.' He thought to himself. 'I need to keep this in mind. The last thing I want to deal with is these creepy bastards.'
"Rein? Is everything ok?"
"Hm? Yeah, let's get this over with and leave. I don't think it's a good idea to stay here for long."
"Yeah, you're right… This place is starting to give me the creeps." Violet said with a wary look.
"There are more monsters around here than in any other area. I really hope your parents are safe and sound, Violet." Alex said as he frowned. 'The entire city got completely wiped off the face of the map.'
His worry for Violet's parents only increased the more he saw. He tried to deny it, but the situation didn't look good at all. Nothing seemed to be intact or remotely saveable, and there aren't even any survivors they came across so far.
However, unbeknownst to him, that situation was about to get much… much worse.