Chapter 18: Survival of the Strongest
On the other side of the city, where faint sunlight filtered through the dust and rubble, the group of survivors advanced in heavy silence. The air was saturated with the smell of fear and dirt, and each step stirred a cloud of dust that clung to dirty clothes and tired faces.
A middle-aged man stepped forward, his clothes torn and his eyes bearing traces of suffering. "Sir... if I may?" he called with a hoarse voice.
Aiden turned slowly, his piercing eyes meeting the man's gaze. [Secrets Revealer] didn't show any threat, only fear and curiosity. Perhaps the answer will earn me more trust... or at least stop their annoying questions. He thought, then replied: "Say what you want."
"Who are you really?" asked the man, the question echoing in everyone's minds. "Why do you suddenly appear in this hell to save people you don't know?"
Aiden was silent for a moment. [Interesting... the question repeats. Perhaps I should give an answer that raises more questions rather than ending them.] Then he answered in an unmelodious tone: "I'm just a traveler on the wrong path, at the wrong time."
This wasn't enough to satisfy their curiosity. A young girl with golden hair tangled with dust took a step forward. "You saved us from certain death, but you accompany salvation with mystery and threat. Don't we have the right to know the identity of who we follow?"
[Human curiosity... boring and predictable.] Aiden thought as he watched the others showing agreement: "Yes, it makes sense to know your name at least!" "Why all this mystery?" "We're scared and don't know what awaits us!"
Aiden looked at the anxious faces around him. [Perhaps it's time for a practical lesson in the rules of the new world.] Then he said in a quiet but firm voice: "Names are illusions, and promises are lies. In this new world, there are only the strong and the weak, the living and the dead."
A tall man with an appearance suggesting confidence stepped forward, likely a leader or an important figure before the catastrophe. "Listen, young man," he said, attempting a paternal tone, "I see you're young, but you possess extraordinary strength. Perhaps we can cooperate; I have experience leading groups—"
[Challenge... boring. Needs a quick and decisive response.] Before he could finish his sentence, Aiden's hand moved with lightning speed. He grabbed the man's wrist and squeezed it hard until the sound of breaking bones was heard.
"Ahh!" the man screamed from the intense pain.
[Pain teaches better than words.] Aiden thought while cries of panic erupted from the group. He looked at the man staggering on his knees, his eyes tearing from the pain. [But the lesson needs a proper conclusion.] Then with one swift kick, the man flew dozens of meters to collide with a crumbling wall.
Absolute silence fell upon the group, broken only by the moaning of the distant man. [Time for clarification.] Aiden spoke clearly: "The world you knew has ended. The old rules are dead. Whoever wants to stay with me must accept that survival is the only goal, not curiosity or knowledge."
[Let's see who stays... and who flees.] He thought as he watched a group of survivors withdraw in fear, while others remained in clear confusion. [Interesting...] A blue screen appeared before him:
[Ding! For killing a being. You obtained one fate point!]
[So... killing gives me fate points too. It's not about saving lives, but about changing the course of destinies themselves. This opens infinite possibilities.] While watching the survivors split into small groups, a faint smile formed on his lips. [Each group will form a new destiny that I can intervene in later. More opportunities for more points.]
"The road is long, and night approaches," he said loudly to those remaining with him. "Whoever follows me must do so willingly, or meet their death alone."
And he walked ahead of them, while the remaining group followed in silence, frightened but grateful to be alive, caught between the terror of unknown death and the terror of the power that saves them.
---
As they walked, Aiden's mind worked quickly. [When I saved that man the first time, I got a fate point. And when I killed him, I got another point. The system doesn't care about good or evil, but about changing the course of destinies. This means I can collect points in different ways.]
He looked behind him at the splintered groups moving away. [Each group will form a new destiny. Perhaps I'll return later to see how their affairs evolve. They might be additional sources of fate points.]
He smiled slyly. [Fate points await me everywhere. I just need to know how to change destinies. Maybe I can even direct their destinies in directions that serve my goals.]
Then he turned to the group remaining with him. [These... might be useful. But they must learn absolute obedience.] "Don't worry," he said in a calm but firm voice. "As long as you're with me, I will protect you. But remember: in this new world, survival is for the strongest, and the weak become just fate points for others."
No one understood what these fate points were, but they understood the meaning of these words.
They walked in silence, each immersed in their thoughts, while Aiden planned how to collect more fate points from the splintered groups later. [Maybe I can even direct them toward dangers... then save them or abandon them according to what serves my interest. The system doesn't differentiate between saving and killing... what matters is change.]