Chapter 19 - FIRST APPEARANCE

He appears in front of Hamad, looking down on the man.

'Give that to me' he said coldly. This kind of tone is common for Hamad. This is an ordering tone.

Only his superior uses this kind of tone. But the hooded man words send chills to his bone. It was cold and devoid of emotion.

Hamad is a police officer.

Only a traffic officer, but he knows how to judge people. But hearing the hooded man talk he can't figure out the man emotion.

Is he angry? Or calm?

Azief on the other hand doesn't like police. Not because he did any crime before, but because police is always corrupt.

He doesn't have that favorable impression on the police force.

At least he knows a few policemen who take bribe. It's not like a thousand millions of bribe.

Sometimes it is only 50 ringgit or 60 ringgit but it is still a bribe. Many truck drivers, reckless truck driver, was let go when they pay the fee.

Of course when this is ask towards the police chief there is no such record of this conduct he would say.

The higher up takes millions of dollar bribe, the underling take hundreds of it.

To Azief they are all the same. He doesn't like the police but that doesn't mean he hated them to the bone either.

He just dislikes them when he heard this kind of stories. And Azief also acknowledge that there are still some good people in the force.

After all, not all policemen like that. Many of them have noble intention for joining the force. But the bribery, the corruption….taint the noble profession.

Some people are just greedy and evil.

On the other hand Hamad quickly hand the bead to Azief. He didn't even hesitate. The feeling he felt from Azief was a crushing pressure.

Like Azief is something else. Of course Hamad did not know as you level up, the restriction of the feeble human body will be abandoned.

Azief is evolving, a superior species in front of a primitive homo sapiens.

Even Azief doesn't know this but he notices it. His body is stronger than even a normal human.

Then from behind come a girly voice.

'What's that?' Sofia asks. Azief coldly said

'My loot.'

Azief look at the bead with his eyes….and he doesn't know what to do. He touches it and feels it.

Its solid but it is also a little bit squishy.

Is this a gem? Enchanting items? Or something else? Could it be he has to eat it? If he follows the game rules, if this is not a gem or not enchanting ingredient then it is something he could eat.

The item description did not light up when he touched the bead…could it be because he has to eat it?

He is not sure but he could not just look at it either. He could put it inside the storage but…that might invite other problems.

If this something like a sensor device or something that other beast could smell, then he would be dead by the evening.

Azief could see that the group of people looking at him, wary at him, looking at his conduct.

Sometimes their gaze would look at the shining bead.….Now its awkward.

They must think I know what this is. I come so coolly, so imposing. He mused. He could not break character right now.

For some reason this kind of worries suddenly invade his mind.

Let me try he mused. If it could not be eaten he would just spit it out. He then put it inside his mouth.

Eugh! It was bitter.

But Azief just endures the taste because the bead suddenly melts inside his mouth and then he feels his feet becoming lighter and his body suddenly undergoes another transformation.

His bone break and when Azief was about to scream in pain his body regenerate itself almost a second later.

What is this? he mused.

'You're alright?' Sofia asked from behind as he approached Azief. She is shocked that Azief would just swallow the bead.

Did he know what that bead was? Sofia mused.

Azief just hold up his hand and Sofia stopped approaching him. Lakshmi and Hatta quickly surmise the relationship between the hooded man and the girl with the bow.

The leader is the hooded man, the girl is his support.

Lakshmi on the other hand is looking at the hooded man expression. She did not expect that the hooded man would eat the bead.

They didn't know what the bead was for but….they did not think it was for eating. This man must have been very adept at this new world rules.

Lakshmi understand the rules after days of experimenting. She believes they live in a world of game like element now.

What causes it, why and how…she doesn't know the answer to this question. She could only try to accept what is happening.

She did not play to many video games but it's not like she never heard about it. Levels, skills…this is a game she concluded.

A game layered unto the reality of this world.

Hatta is like Lakshmi observing the hooded man to see that the hooded man face turns a little hard and then suddenly the hooded man smiles.

Azief is smiling because he just got a sweet update from the System

You have eaten the bead of life

Awarded 5 strength

Awarded 5 agility

Immunity against infection from Fanged Giant Cat

He smiles in satisfaction. Just like he thought it is something good. Maybe other beast also has this kind of beast.

He should check back the Badger corpse. At that time he only grabbed what he can see but the bead might be located inside the body.

But then he has to enter back near the elementary school and Azief is not sure if the alien like beast in the elementary school would not burst out from the school and terrorize the area.

Should he take a risk? No! He decided.

Well, immunity and the stat it awarded might be a boost but…..he need to preserve his life first.

He is not sure how strong the alien in the elementary school is. but he is willing to bet it's not weak.

He needs to avoid going there first.

Maybe it would stay only inside the school because it is a part of a quest…or maybe not. Azief would not risk it.

Some people would say only with great risk come great rewards.

Well, the main protagonist will always said it before embarking in a high risk fight and they would win.

But he is not the main protagonist. He is not the hero. He is not even sure if there is a hero in this new world.

If he said the same line and take risk, he would be dead. Most of the time when you take a risk, you failed.

That is why they called it a risk.

It just gives you a little hope, thinking you could do this, only to realize that you are in over your head.

Azief is not stupid. He would rather lose some fortune rather than loses his life.

Azief then approached and crouched down at the corpse. Then he searched around the beast corpse for anything else he might have missed ignoring the crowd in front of him.

By now, Azief has determined the group level of power. With Sofia behind him, they could hold down their own against this group if they turn hostile.

Since they are awed by his performance and after ascertaining that Hamad is the strongest among the group, Azief held no wariness and now is scouring the area he left before.

'Azi-' Sofia was about to ask what he was doing when suddenly she is being shushed by Azief.

'Shh!' Azief said

'My name is Lord Shadow.' He declared so that Sofia could stop talking. This girl couldn't take a hint! He angrily thinks.

Then a bar appears on his head announcing his name to the crowd.

'Lord Shadow' one of them said.

Hatta on the other hand just realize something. So he didn't need to name the character the same name as his name.

Thinking about it…name is nothing but names.

Maybe the purpose of naming a new character is shedding the old you and living in this new world.

Hatta was thinking about this intently.

After all, this new world is more exciting. Hatta was a nobody, a bully and a troublemaker. He always hang out with the bad crowds, even almost joins a triad.

Why did he do all this? Because he is bored. What could life offer him? He is selfish, impulsive and rash.

The routine life suffocates him, the order stifles him, only the chaos give him a peace of mind, only the chaos give him something that resembles a life he wanted.

He revels in it…on the lawlessness…yet Malaysia still has order. The only reason he didn't break any laws…is because he is weak.

Give power to him…..and you would get a tyrant. So he wears a mask. He doesn't believe in orders, in rules, he hated that people have to follow a certain rules to succeed.

Why couldn't you lie if you could be successful doing it? Why won't you oppress everyone if you have the power?

He is warped, twisted...was it because of his upbringing? He doesn't know.

He once asks himself this question.

But the Fall give him a new excitement. A rush. A new world order.

But when he had to name his character as Hamad tells him, he unconsciously choses Hatta, his old name.

Thinking about it whatever or whoever constructed or changing this world, must have decided to give the option to name yourself…so that you could choose what you could be in this world.

And Azief embodied that choice.

At least that is what Hatta thought. Azief on the other hand is still looking at the corpse. He almost whistles in joy.

Enjoy the little things. Zombieland. He still remembers that quote.

The world might be ending, his family might have already been eaten, or worse turns to zombies, order has crumbles, and million has die….but well…..enjoy the little things.

He just got a boost on his strength and agility. Even before he could run as fast as a car. Now…..who knows? He might even be half as fast then Flash.

Hamad is standing up now. He looks at his group and they all stand still. They do not dare move.

The girl beside Lord Shadows as Hamad decided to call the hooded man is helping Lord Shadow searching.

'Ouch.' As the sound of steel clashing could be heard.

'This beast skin is hard.'

Lord Shadows only nodded.

'Hmm' he said.

He said it slow but everyone could feel his displease. Then he makes a piercing pose with his hand and then using only his bare hand he pierces the beast and blood spurted out.

'Hey! Don't you fear getting infected?' the girl said.

'I have immunity' he said.

Hearing this, Hamad group all gasped. Immunity! They don't think anyone could have immunity against the monsters.

Of course this is a misunderstanding on their parts. Azief does have immunity but against the fanged Giant cat.

Not the zombies.

But even if he did not have immunity against the zombies, as long as the zombies did not exceed his level his armour would protect him.

Not to mention his agility is off the charts. The zombie could not even chase him if he decided to flee.

But to the group when he said he had immunity that means he is not only immune against the giant beast but also to other zombies.

Well, it is understandable why they would misunderstand. After all the giant beast is surely more dangerous than normal regular zombies.

If he has immunity against such beast then he should by transitive property also have immunity against the weaker zombies.

'See if there is anything inside' he said. Sofia look and see nothing. There is a black bile. Azief also looked at it and it emitted a black miasma.

'What is this?' he mused. He grabbed it and ripped it out from the beast corpse.

Then a voice ring out in his ears

YOU HAVE REMOVED THE POISON IN THE BEAST BODY. THE MEAT IS NOW SAFE TO BE EATEN. EATING A BEAST MEAT WILL INCREASE YOUR STATS DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF THE BEAST.

Oh? This is smoothing new! So I could eat the beast meat? And it even increases my stats. But by how much?

Azief didn't think it would rise it up very much but still it is an improvement and this bile. It still glowed.

He looks at the bile of the beast.

Then could the Badger and the other beast and monster he encountered also have something that stores the poison inside their body?

If he was a doctor he would research this. They could even make an antidote. And Azief feels excited then his excitement is quickly doused down by his own logic.

But he is not a doctor so he does not know. What a waste of time thinking about it?! he mused.

If the bead gives him boost in his stats and its body gives additional boost, then wouldn't this bile also give him something?

its poisonous so…...then maybe it could be made as a liquid to slather the weapon creating a poisoned sword or a poisoned arrows.

Heh he smiles.

This is a good fortune. Then after looking at a glance there is nothing else Azief look at his surroundings.

Gold coins littered the streets. This is not mine he mused. Then this must be the dozen people work.

'Hmm' he nodded.

He doesn't know what the function of the gold and this currency is but it must have something useful too.

Even when Azief wanted to check his gold he couldn't check it. The windows did not appear.

Could it be…..that he has to unlock it first? Hmm…maybe that its. Then he looks at Sofia and said

'Store this thing inside your rings'

'What! this beast!?' she said perplexed

'Yes.'

'What are you planning to do with it?' Sofia asked.

'Eat it' he said and the group gasped. Eat the beast!? Azief did not explain more.

'Can you-'

'Just do your job would you?' Azief said.

'Hmph' she snorted

'Fine.' And Sofia stores it inside her storage rings.

Then Azief grab the gold that is scattered on the streets. Since gold only occupies one space, the currency only occupies three spaces no matter how much the quantity.

There is three currency of this system.

Gold, silver, copper. Hamad seeing that Lord Shadow ignores him and stealing right under their noses wanted to yell but he fears the repercussion.

Hatta is holding tightly at his scimitar but he couldn't move. Lakshmi just look calmly. She understands.

The strong rules.

This new world rules is simple. If Azief was weaker than them before he would not dare to appear so overbearing and only could look in frustration and curse his luck as his bead is taken by this twelve people.

But he is strong and so, the situation is reversed.

Even though Azief is leisurely taking all the gold coins and storing it inside his storage ring no one said a word.

They didn't dare to go either. Hamad tell them to stay.

Hamad is thinking to ask this person to join them. He would even give the title leader if the hooded man would join them.

It would be safer if they could go to the capital with the hooded man.

After Sofia finished storing the beast meat which takes only took one spot in her storage rings she help Azief with looting the gold.

Then after five minutes they finished looting the area.

Azief, Sofia realizes did not come closer to the area around the elementary schools like something was there.

This act of him is also noticed by Hatta and Laksmi. Lord Shadow stooped from nearing the area.

They recognize that this must mean something is near the elementary school.

Then as he finished Lord Shadow looked at the group and said.

'Thank you.' Saying these two words ...he walked away. With just these two words, he unceremoniously just wanted to walk away.

He didn't even care about them, nor did he make any acquaintance or trying to say anything.

He did not try to explain anything…he just did what he needs to do and now it's done…he is focused on his mission.

To Azief what matters now….is for him to go to his village, determine the safety of his family and the challenge the beast at the elementary school.

he doesn't have time to baby sit these dozens people.

It might be cruel, but letting them slow him down would be cruel to his family. He has already delayed enough from going to the village.

One might wonder how could he talk about the safety of his family like it was an objective, like a mission…..but that is the only way he could stop…..thinking about the terrible things that could happen to his family.

He will handle when it happens.

If there is grief to be had…..it will be when grief is deserved. He would not grief because of his assumption.

He will not cry or mourn until there is something to cry and mourn over.

Even though his mind is telling him….that for his parent to survive is impossible…even though his mind has think of this scenarios hundreds of times, replaying all the possibilities….his heart yearns to believe.

Sofia, behind him is nodding with Azief decision to disperse from this place.

If they wanted they could join this group and their lives would be safer…but that is not the reason she follows him.

Azief has told her that he wanted to go to his village and search for his family. The same could be said for Sofia who wanted to see her mother.

Sofia herself is anxious about the safety of her mother. Her village is farther way from Azief….but either way she needs to pass through Azief village first.

When that time come, she has to separate himself with Azief. Before that time come she needs to strengthen herself up.

Like Azief her heart yearns to believe that her mother….is alive and well. Sofia was following Azief back as they walk to the streets fill with destroyed cars.

Azief has got what he wanted…..now he is walking home.

Then Hamad said looking at Lord Shadow walking away without even sparing them a glance.

'Wait Lord Shadow!'

Azief look at the man and the man stopped, fear crept into his heart. But he steels himself. And he ask Lord Shadow

'Would you join our group?' his request ringed out in the empty streets, the wind blows Lord Shadow robe as he stand there.

For a while his mouth was about to move…and then he smiles a mysterious smile.

And the crowd waits for his answer.

***********************