Chapter 262 - Day CMLXII, Part I

- Fuck - just escaped my mouth.

The sun was peaking inside through all the holes, windows, and the door. I picked myself up, then went outside, discarding the barriers.

It was a beautiful, warm morning, with a nice cold breeze gently grazing my skin. All of the people seemed to be still asleep, so I want to use the device, and got myself a few oranges.

I ate them one by one, sitting under a wall, close to still barely burning bonfire. Somebody had to add a bit of firewood to it at some point since it didn't die during the night. I soon discovered who, as Su, the short Asian guy, showed up with a bunch of wood pieces.

- Morning - I said to him.

- Morning - he replied with a moment of hesitance.

He proceeded with his work, and I observed him for a moment, which clearly got him annoyed.

- When do the monsters come? - I asked suddenly.

He stopped and looked at me.

- Tonight - came from the right.

I looked that way, it was Alexandra, tightly wrapped in her sweater.

- They always come a day after the new people. It's rough here. Quick rotation. Are you gonna hunt or hide?

- Hunt.

- Then you better find yourself a good weapon - she said with a smirk on her face.

- I'm the weapon.

She just burst into the lough. Even Su snorted.

- That was cheesy. Way too cheesy for this hour - she said, and left us, heading towards the device.

I just shrugged my shoulders. I really didn't care what they were thinking. It wasn't like I was lying. My body, indeed, was a weapon, and I was going to prove that to them tonight just shredding through all the monsters on my way.

Su finished his work and left us. Alexandra returned with a banana and sat next to me while peeling the skin off.

- I like you, Peter. You seem like a cool guy - she started. - So let me give you a piece of advice, for free this time. Don't fight, just hide. You might be a tough guy, but I've seen tougher die here.

- Tell me about it.

She sighed.

- To join the hunters you need to hunt something, but that is just the first part. You also need to survive through the night. Do you see those buildings and barricades? - she pointed at the structure I was suspecting as the base of Slaven and his men.

- Yes.

- When hunters kill few monsters, they pick crystals and immediately return there to hide, but they won't let you in before you are formally accepted. So you actually need to run from the monsters by yourself. To do that you need to be insanely lucky.

She was completely serious.

- I understand.

- Just find yourself a hideout, and block every entrance with something heavy - she said and started eating the banana.

- I'm still gonna hunt.

She shook her head, and with full mouth said:

- You are stupid. Don't be stupid, Peter.

Then she left me. I sit there thinking of what I should really do. I felt like I don't have much of a choice, but to help them. Partially because of my friends, but also because that was something right to do, so I didn't have an excuse to fight with The Great One was forcing upon me.

It was so damn annoying because I hated him to the very bone.

My thoughts with a bit of time drifted away, and I started considering having a walk around, to find more about this place. I was about to do so, but the newcomers showed up, slowly coming out from different alleys. They had to just wake up and went to get some food.

Shortly after Nori Yuuto, Cloe, and Mayra appeared, clearly targeting the new people. They all had a long conversation around the device, but ultimately the old guard didn't manage to get anything and had to use their own points.

They didn't approach me, which was interesting. I started to wonder if there is some kind of unwritten law, and I was Alexandra's caw to be milked. They also could be simply afraid. I no longer was the wimpy myself from almost three years ago. I definitely bigger in terms of muscle mass, which was showing even through a thick black hoodie, and combat pants.

They all hang around the device for an hour or two. Talking a lot, eating some. Then also Alexandra showed up like she was expecting something to happen. And something indeed happened. A bunch of people came out from the buildings. Few dozens.

The one at the frontline was alone, wearing haphazardly made leather armor, with a solid-looking wooden club fixed to his belt. He had slightly above average height and was rather athletic. The other guys had all kinds of shitty equipment that brought me back to the times when Nacho was my main problem in life.

Some of them came in the company of women. A bunch even more than one. Some had male slaves, humbly following their steps. There was also a tall girl that two guys accompanied.

- Welcome to your graveyard - said Slaven, he was smiling. - Tonight we hunt. I hope our little cowards introduced you to the rules of this place. You can have everything here, but you have to pay for it.

He laughed, and his comrades also did.

- I hope you survive the night. Maybe even you will show enough balls to hunt something. Then we would gladly accept you. See you later! - and he turned around, just like his followers.

They all returned to their little fort.

- So that was Slaven - said Alexandra.

- Cool guy.

- He is an asshole, but he at least has some honor. Thanks to that some of us are actually not dead.

- You mean who?

- All the cowards. There was all kind of things happening here before things started working out.

- I think I can imagine.

She snorted.

- I doubt that.

- Then how about you tell me the story? There is still plenty of time before the night, and who knows, maybe I'll buy you dinner?

She looked at me for a moment, then smiled a bit.

- If you are really planning to die, then I might at least get some food out of you - she said, and came closer, to sit down next to me.

Then her story started.