Chapter 18 - UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Hamad is a normal policeman. He patrols the area around the Joy Park when the fall happens.

Since then he has saved survivors of the zombie's apocalypse. A zombie apocalypse. He mused when he sees the dead rise that night.

At least that is what he believed.

Unlike Azief who conclude this as some alien experiments, Hamad believe that what is happening now is because of some virus that turns men into zombie, kind of like the zombie movies.

Hamad is a fan of such stories. Zombie stories. Apocalyptic stories. Along the way he saved a Chinese couple.

The couple both has a bow. They survived the slaughter using their bow. They do not know how to use it, but Hamad had to admit they have the aptitude for it.

There are the first people he saved and that follow him. They are always strength in numbers. His experience in the force only reinforces this idea.

This trio then leveled up until level 10 and changes their classes.

Hamad became a Berserker. The couple becomes an archer. They them met 6 Malay people stuck inside the debris of a falling building.

They luckily survived and survive because they killed Mutated Rat.

The Mutated Rat dropped potions and skills book. The 6 people survived using their own strength, and even managed to dig a tunnel to make a makeshift cave inside the debris.

They live inside the debris waiting the zombie horde too go to other places.

One night the horde of zombies suddenly moved to another part of the Joy Park. It was at that time; they come out of their hidings and stumbled upon Hamad.

Safety in numbers they said and they joined forces. Hamad rank swells. Not long then they also reaches level 10 and change classes.

It is ironic.

That they are at the deeper part of the Joy Park and only a few kilometers away from Azief hiding spot.

The reason why the zombies hordes move is also because they hear the roars of the dying beast.

If they all knew this, they should thank Azief.

They all decided to go to the Capital when they find more survivors, they meet 3 Indian ladies, who were hiding and remain undetected.

They are at the moment the lowest level member of their group. At the third day, as Hamad is the strongest among all of them, they appoint him as a leader.

He has that kind of leadership….though it only shines now after the Fall.

They decided to venture out, Hamad as their vanguard. At dawn they moved out. It was then that Lakshmi discover something.

A gigantic beast corpse. She came to Hamad and report to him. He and the other crew came to the site and look in awe.

'What is that?' she asks.

'I don't know' Hamad said. He discovers that after the fall, he could understand Indian language and even Chinese.

It is more like it was translated in a way he understands. His previous theory about this is a virus might need to be reexamined.

'Maybe it is dangerous…or still alive…or maybe like the others it would rise once again.' the Chinese man said while shuddering. The girl beside him holds his hand.

By now Hamad knows that this couple is engaged. Amber and Roy. That is the way they introduce themselves.

They didn't tell Hamad their Chinese names and Hamad doesn't care. What did people care about names anyway after the fall.

Other than to name the characters it didn't have any use. Hamad before the Fall is very aversive towards Chinese rather than Indians.

In other words he is almost like a racist.

But now?

Race means nothing now in this new torn and shredded world. They don't even know if any semblance of order existed.

It was like the moment the Fall happens, the whole world shut down.

In other part of the world…..many are calling it the end of the world. Some say this is the rapture.

Some say this is God punishments.

Other says these are manmade. Of course Hamad doesn't know this, but as he could survive in this world, others could too.

The word is not yet ending. It just has begun, the long awaited evolution of humanity.

But to Hamad….he believes that this is not that.

Maybe it is another extinction event….and maybe this time…it doesn't seem like humanity could ride it out so easily like last time.

True, humanity was faced by an Ice Age, a gigantic volcanic eruption, smokes that covers the sky and even clouded the whole world for a few years, during the Stone Age, and even survives the tectonic shifting…but the dead rising from the dead to kill the living….that is something new.

As he approached the beast corpse, he looks behind him and sigh.

Hamad even though he is not a high ranking officer, he is a responsible man. He has a loving family in Johor, a grandmother at Lipis, and his relatives in Taiping.

He is a family man…but he married a Temerloh woman. And right now he is wishing to just go home.

Maybe …that is the only thing that is on anybody mind right now….to go home, to find a home….to belong…..somewhere….other than this hell.

It is common to see in movies and read in books, that when the world order crumbles, anarchy spreads.

That is true, and probably are realistic portrayal when order is crushed by a group of people.

But this situation is not like that.

The dead rises as mindless killing zombies, a plaque waiting to happen. Does the world fall to anarchy…yes…but of the chaos from what happens from the zombies.

The situation is different.

Why?

Because this time humanity has an enemy to unite against. To unite against these rising dead people, to rise against the beast that is devouring humanity.

If there is one thing Hamad knew it is this. Give an enemy to the people, and the people will unite.

Why does politician like to blame one person when they are involved in a scandal? Because they know how to control the people sentiments.

They have other things to hate and destroy rather than the usual which is to hate each other and kill each other.

So instead of the rule of the jungle…it is a more complicated relationship than that. Hamad was walking to the corpse, his hand hold his fist tighter.

He is afraid. Of course he is afraid. Only crazy people are not afraid. The beast was gigantic….something resembling of saber tooth in the prehistoric age.

He takes a deep breath. Calm down. he mused. 'I can do this' he said. He needs to make sure that the beast is dead first.

He crouched down and picked a pebble. He turns to his group and said.

'Fallback. I need to check whether this beast is alive or not.' The other nodded. He throws the pebble with all his strength to the unmoving beats.

After gaining no response he throws it again with the same results.

'It's dead' he said. The other heaved a sigh of relief. Then as Hamad was about to walk away, in the corner of his eyes he could see something was shining.

He approached the beast corpse.

'Sir Hamad what are you doing?' One of the Chinese spoke.

'We must go!' He urgently said, the woman beside him was nodding; worried looking at the corpse like it could suddenly leap to her.

'Wait a minute' Hamad said. As he tries to find that light once again, he finally realizes there is something that resembles fluorescent light is coming from around the beast stomach.

He then cut a small opening on the beast corpse. It takes him awhile because the beast corpse was very sturdy like steel.

And his effort was rewarded. He found a bead.

'What the hell is this?' He was saying.

As he looks at the bead suddenly he felt his hair stand up. Danger! He mused. Hamad has Danger Perception, one of the skills he got from a skill book.

He was about to back away when suddenly something slammed against him and he could feel an indescribable pressure coming down on him, pain in his rib, as he was thrown backwards far away, sliding his face to the tar street, blood dripping from the lacerations.

He struggles to get up.

What is it? A beast? A new type of zombies? He then realizes that his armour cracked. His steel armour…cracked.

What kind of power is this? Even zombies could do nothing to him when he was equipped by this armour.

Hamad checks the durability of the armour and his durability dropped to 45. One attack and the armour dropped forty five of its durability.

Of course it is a low level armour but still….normal zombies would need at least 5 minutes of attacking him to drop even one durability of this item but…just now one strikes is enough to drop 45 points of durability.

If Hamad did not wear the amour he would have been badly injured. As he looks at his attacker he could see from under the hood, it is a young man.

And Hamad could not help but feel shocked. He wears a black robe with black sash…an all-black attire, like Death.

The only thing his attacker is missing is a scythe. But his attire is like the Assassin Creed uniform, with intricate designs. It's not an armour but his attacker look elegant wearing it.

Behind him Roy and Amber was gasping. They just survive the zombie's apocalypse and now they are being attacked by hooded man.

They also feel fear.

Hamad is the strongest in their ragtag bunch. But his attacker downs him in one strike. They all wanted to aim their weapon to the man but Lakshmi said

'Don't' she whispered.

'Stay your hand, Amber, Roy.' Lakshmi could see that whoever this hooded man he is strong.

He has that air around him. Lakshmi come from a family that practice Silambam. Her brother especially is an expert in Silambam.

She could feel the same air around the hooded man like her brother.

The air of a strong man. Sita and Rani come closer to Lakshmi. The three of them is friend. They were having only a drink near the park that day when the Fall happen.

Following Lakshmi they hide and run. Before Hamad saved them, Lakshmi saved them first. Now seeing that Hamad is easily attacked, Sita and Rani came closer to Lakshmi like before.

The 6 Malay man was about to ready their stance but they decided to listen to Lakshmi. They tch and they keep their hand from their weapons.

But truth is, they also feel an indescribable aura from the hooded man. One of them was trembling.

Hatta the leader of this 6 man group feel it deep in his heart.

What Azief could not have expected is that as his level climbed up, his body becomes stronger and breaking past the constraints of normal human.

Human with their evolutionary instinct, could clearly feel this pressure emanating from a superior human.

What it means is, with Azief level, people who did not level up will feel the same pressure they are feeling now.

Lakshmi group feel it the most since they are the weakest in the group. Azief is the predator and they are the prey.

Their instinct is telling them, teaching them….that this hooded man is dangerous. The man could be seen gritting his teeth in anger.

Hatta has Eagle Eye after he kills a mutated bird. His scimitar ….he wanted to grip it but he fear that he might provoke the hooded man.

Azief could see far away because of his level and his body is transforming. But Hatta also gain that same ability thanks to a skill book.

He has Danger Perception, Eagle Eye, and Slicing Wind. He also has heal. Of his group he has the most skill.

After they met Hamad they join Hamad group because Hamad is stronger, his levels are higher, and he has many more skills than him.

If not Hatta would go it alone with his 5 friend.

Then the hooded man clenched his fist and look at their direction and Hatta feel pressure bearing down on him….his heart trembles and his hand is shaking.

One glance and he is almost defeated Hatta angrily mused but now he is convince of Lakshmi warning. He looks at Lakshmi direction and nodded. Laksmi also nodded.

This man is too dangerous.

The Hooded man robe fluttered by the wind, an unrestrained air around him, emanating a deadly aura.

Their hair stands up. Then suddenly the man yelled, his voice thundering shaking the very core of being of the group.

'WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU STEALING MY LOOT!'

Hamad could feel fear seeped into his heart. His heart trembles, his hand shaking, sweat formed on his back.

Never had he felt such fear…so small.

Clearly the man is younger than him….but his power is stronger than him….His level is higher Hamad believes.

But how could that be? Hamad even have a group to consistently rise up their level.

Is he not afraid that zombies would hear his screaming and come here? By now, Azief power has a reached a level where he is not afraid even a hundred zombies.

He could heal himself and fighting slow moving target is not something that he fears. If there is one thing he fears is that a beast would appear out of nowhere.

Not one person came out to help him Hamad bitterly sighed. Well, he could understand why they didn't help him.

Maybe this hooded man is Hamad enemies, and they all didn't want to get caught up in his own personal conflict. But Hamad did not know who this person is.

This man attacked him without provocation. And another reason is maybe because the group behind him could feel the same pressure he is feeling.

He could see Lakshmi and her two friends are having difficulty breathing.

At first his mind puzzles why the man suddenly attacked him. But now he understands.

The bead he is holding is the man possession. Which mean…..wait! As he realized something.

He looks at the gigantic beats corpse and look at the hooded man. This means he is the one that kills it!

Oh my god! What I have gotten myself into! If this man could kill a beast like that, his power level must be off the chart!

The crowd behind Hamad also takes a deep breath understanding what the hooded man means.

He killed the beast, so whatever loot that came out of the beast is his. But law of possession hardly matters in this new world. Strength is the new law. And Azief has a lot of it.

Then suddenly from behind the man Hamad could see a woman with a bow running towards the hooded man.

She looks shocked seeing us Hamad mused. She looks at Hamad hand and he could see that the woman also see the bead.

Is she his allies? It looks like it. She stopped moving and takes a few distance from the hooded man.

Then the Hooded Man moved.

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