Atop a hill, the wind blew strongly, scattering blades of grass.
The sun graced the land with its light, while the forest echoed with life among the trees.
A trench coat and a pair of trousers rested beneath a hat, while a short distance away a humanoid lay upon the grass, bathing in the sunlight.
After a few moments, the humanoid opened his eyes, revealing his vertical pupils.
Seems this is the limit of what I can absorb for today, he thought as he sat up, his eyes taking in the scenery around him.
He was atop a large hill that stood a few miles from the ruins of a city.
From the summit, the city could be seen clearly—its tall buildings now draped in creeping vines.
He remained there a little longer as the sunlight faintly reflected off the neon glow of his half-melted hair, which swayed gently in the wind.
Then he stood up to retrieve his clothes.
I think I'll take a look around the city. Maybe there's something useful there, he thought as he put on his trousers and coat, covering the glowing cracks running across his body.
Soon after, he picked up the hat and placed it on his head. Its shadow fell over his eyes, while his pupils shone intensely beneath it.
Once dressed, he began his descent down the hill toward the city.
As he entered the forest, his presence silenced the woods.
Only the sound of his footsteps over dry leaves broke the silence, while the canopy swallowed the sunlight that had bathed him moments before.
Accepting the silence, Kris sank into his thoughts.
|Kris POV|
It's summer now, so… I guess it's been eight years since the war.
A few months ago, I finally understood the nature of this body.
Since then, I've learned how to absorb the energy the sun releases.
Unfortunately, there's a limit to how much I can absorb, and I can't take in all of its properties.
Ultraviolet is the easiest.
Why?
Is it because it was the first one I noticed…?
Maybe.
Come to think of it…
It's been pretty difficult to find out anything about that Marceline.
It's not like I haven't been actively looking…
But in all this time, I haven't found a single human.
Were they wiped out?
Even though they're adaptable, the creatures the war unleashed are terrifying…
…
I don't want to think about that right now.
|3rd POV|
Finishing his train of thought, he refocused on the path ahead as he pushed aside bushes and avoided low branches.
After some time, the forest began to thin out, allowing the sun to reveal itself once more.
The city was already in sight, its buildings collapsed and its streets shattered.
He walked along the sidewalk, where grass had grown between the cracks and a small pink flower bloomed.
The cars were in slightly better condition than those in the other cities he had visited. If he searched long enough, he might even find one that still worked.
The ruins were noticeably quiet, broken only by the occasional songs of birds that had made their nests among the rubble.
After some time walking through the ruins, he stopped in front of a large building.
It was white, with large pillars at its entrance—one of them collapsed in front of the two great doors.
From farther away, it was possible to see that the roof had been partially destroyed, with no clear sign of what had caused it.
Above the doors, a sign displayed the words:
Public Library.
I wonder if there are still any intact books in there.
Directing his gaze to the fallen pillar, he began to think about how to get inside.
Then he noticed the door was still taller than the fallen pillar, so he quickly climbed onto it.
BLAM!
With a kick from both legs against one of the doors, it crashed to the floor, raising a thick cloud of dust.
And right after that, he propelled himself inside.
|Farther away, a few minutes earlier|
"Dude… are you sure it's this way…?" a young man with glasses asked.
"Definitely. I can almost feel it already," replied a man whose cloak covered half of his face.
"You've been saying that for days. I'm starting to think it's bullshit," said a woman with a frown, a cigarette hanging between her lips.
"This time it's real, alright?!"
"What do you mean this time?! You really have no idea, do you?!"
"Enough."
Their bickering was interrupted by a muscular man who easily stepped between them.
"This time… I felt it too."
After those words, the group fell silent, their expressions turning serious as they pulled weapons from their bags.
"Alright then. Which direction, Mike?" the woman asked, an AK-47 resting over her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the man in the cloak.
"It's more toward the center of the city," he replied, frowning as he looked in that direction.
"But I'm not exactly sure."
"You're really useless, aren't you?"
"Hey, give me a break! His presence is everywhere. It's not my fault, alright?!"
"It's really not his fault, Miss Marie," the boy said as he adjusted his glasses—and the scope of his AUG.
"If even Mr. Robert felt it, then it only proves that the Wanderer must be quite powerful."
"You're the only one who appreciates me around here, Rick!" Mike exclaimed tearfully while checking that his Deagle was loaded, his knife resting at his side.
"That is certainly the case," Robert agreed as he strapped on the bandolier of his SPAS.
"We'll have to approach carefully."
BLAM!
The sudden sound put the group on alert, their expressions turning serious once again.
"Well, that answers where he is," Robert said as he began walking toward the source of the noise.
"Move out."
"Yes!" ×3
|Back in the library|
After jumping inside, Kris began walking toward the tall bookshelves, brushing the dust away.
Good thing I don't need to breathe.
The silent library was completely abandoned, covered in layers of dust. Its only source of light was the large hole in the roof.
The area beneath the opening had been completely ruined by years of exposure to the weather.
Walking through the library, his attention was drawn to the genre signs.
He passed by each of them:
Fiction
Romance
History
Until he stopped at a specific one:
Science
Perfect. This section is still standing.
Entering the section, his fingers slid across the thick covers of the books, brushing away the dust as he searched for the ones that caught his attention.
After a while, he began stacking a pile on the floor, many of them sharing similar titles:
Science for Dummies
Chemical Theories
After deciding the pile was large enough, he returned to it—only to suddenly stop, deadpan.
…And now? How am I supposed to carry all this?
He had gotten a little carried away and hadn't considered that he had nothing to carry them with.
But while he was thinking about what to do, he felt something.
Someone's here.
PAH!
Before he could activate his infrared vision, something struck his shoulder and he immediately ducked behind the shelves.
PAH! PAH! PAH!
The shots continued as he ran, sending papers and dust flying through the air.
Spotting a table, he quickly kicked it over and vaulted across it, using it as cover.
Activating his infrared vision, he saw four familiar silhouettes spread throughout the library, moving to surround him.
Humans?! And this is how I'm greeted in my first encounter with them?!
|Kris POV|
Alright… one on the upper floor—probably the one who shot me.
One sneaking around… and two near the exit.
Judging by their silhouettes, the one upstairs probably doesn't have much close-quarters combat ability—and his position is the most troublesome.
The one sneaking around must have good skills, but not much physical strength.
The two by the door… a woman, and someone strong.
Still… I'll try to convince them first.
"Hey, listen—I don't want to fight, alright?"
Right after that, he crouched and dashed toward the back of a bookshelf.
When they heard him, they paused for a moment.
"The last time we heard that, we almost died," the woman laughed.
"Well… I promise I just want to grab a few books and leave."
The group fell silent for a few moments.
"Looks like you didn't understand."
Hm?
"Your head… is worth a lot."
Shit.
What do you mean my head is worth a lot? Who the hell did I piss off?
Whatever. They clearly want a fight.
…
I need those books. I don't know if I'll find others in perfect condition.
I could try to run, but I'd have to abandon my clothes… and one of them is blocking the exit.
…
Damn it.
So that's it.
Kill or be killed.
|3rd POV|
Above, on the upper floor, Rick had already taken position to gain the advantage over the monster.
As soon as he noticed movement, he quickly fired.
However, it was only a trench coat.
Realizing it had been a decoy, he rushed forward to get a clearer view.
But he found nothing but a few pieces of clothing.
Kris had already slipped back into his original form and was moving toward the one who had been sneaking around.
Because he had slipped deeper into the inner section of the library, he was now outside Rick's field of vision.
Sensing something behind him, Mike quickly raised his weapon.
Seeing nothing, he began scanning the shelves.
Crack!
But the moment he turned, an impact struck his jaw, dislocating it instantly.
Reforming the rest of his body, Kris pulled his fist back before taking Mike's Deagle.
Hearing the thud of Mike hitting the ground, Rick and Marie quickly moved to surround the section.
But at the sound of a gunshot, Rick was struck in the shoulder.
When she reached the corridor, Marie caught sight of him at the corner and unleashed a barrage of shots.
But already aware of her position, Kris quickly turned the corner, avoiding the bullets.
Marie quickly retreated the way she had come, trying to follow him without losing her cover.
"S-shit…"
Rick, briefly regaining his composure, returned to his position.
But Kris had already disappeared from sight again, leaving him uneasy.
Next time the shot might hit an organ… I need to be careful.
Back among the shelves, Marie had abandoned the chase through the aisles and was holding position at a corner.
Robert, who had heard the commotion, moved between the shelves to assist.
Noticing the movement, Kris reshaped himself and headed toward the stairs, keeping the Deagle with him.
Still holding his position, Rick was sweating buckets.
There's no way he could move that fast without me seeing him from here… What's your trick, huh?
As the thought crossed his mind, trembling words slipped from his mouth.
"Where are you, huh? Show yourself, you bastard."
Thud.
The sudden sound from the stairway made him snap his weapon toward the sound, breathing heavily.
A book lay on the floor.
"Ah—shit… scared the hell out of me."
His nervousness was abruptly cut short by a shot to the back of the head, leaving a clean hole where it struck.
On the floor below, Robert and Marie froze at the sound, both thinking the same thing:
From the upper floor…? How did he get up there?
Robert ran down the corridor toward the stairs.
PAH! PAH!
However, when he reached the corner, he was met with gunfire—one of the shots striking the lower part of his abdomen.
"Shit!"
Marie was already on the move as well, taking a path outside the upper floor's line of sight.
Alright… the sniper and the flanker are down. That leaves the crazy one and the big guy.
I could stay up here and just shoot them, since I know where both of them are. But that would take too long.
Glancing behind him and seeing the shelves of the upper floor, he ran into the maze of bookcases.
While he prepared himself, Robert and Marie were still on the lower floor, hidden behind cover.
Marie was a little nervous. Mike was unconscious, and the enemy now controlled the upper floor.
On top of that, she didn't know the situation of Rick—or even Robert.
Robert was racking his brain.
How did he know I was going to show up there?
Does he have some kind of sensory ability? That might explain how he took the second floor right after I left the stairs.
But what about his speed…? How did he get there so fast? I didn't even notice him passing. I didn't hear Marie or Rick shooting either.
Damn it… this is out of control. I wasn't expecting something like this.
Then he cautiously leaned around the corner, trying to detect the monster.
But he saw nothing.
What? Did he abandon the advantage? Is he hiding?
His train of thought was interrupted when he spotted Marie farther down, peeking from around a corner.
"Psst."
Getting her attention, the woman turned in his direction with her weapon raised, but lowered it once she saw it was him.
The two then repositioned themselves outside the second floor's line of sight.
"Where's Mike? What's the situation?"
Hearing the question, she scoffed with a frown.
"Mike's unconscious. And if Rick hasn't called out… he's probably already gone."
"Fuck…" he muttered, running a hand over his face.
"Alright. We've got two options."
With her attention caught, Marie focused on his next words.
"First: we get out of here. Maybe we grab Mike and leave Rick behind. We've completely lost the advantage, and the enemy might have movement and sensory abilities."
Marie scoffed at that option.
"And second: we find a way to reach the second floor… and kill that bastard."
Then, with a savage smile and a bead of sweat running down her temple, she answered:
"You already know the answer."
Hearing that, Robert gave a nervous smile as he readied his SPAS.
"Fuck… this is suicide, damn it. Screw it—let's finish this bastard."
After checking the corner once more, the two of them began running toward the stairs.
As they climbed the stairs, still aiming their weapons toward advantageous positions, they hesitated for a moment when they saw Rick's body.
His AUG was gone, with only the Deagle lying near his body.
"He's got an automatic now," Robert murmured to Marie, who simply nodded in silence.
Moments later, they positioned themselves at the corners, preparing for a confrontation.
They exchanged glances and gave each other a nod before stepping into the maze of shelves.
As they moved, they knew the enemy probably already knew their positions and wouldn't reveal his own so easily, forcing them to change their approach.
"Heh. The so-called Wanderer—the creature they say is the most dangerous thing around here… hiding like a rat."
Marie let out a short laugh while Robert remained ready for any movement.
"You know, they say you're a creature that can kill just by its presence. That if the forest falls silent, you should run immediately."
"But to me… you just look like a coward."
Hidden among the shelves, Kris had paused his attack to listen.
So that's why I never found any humans… they were avoiding me.
A moment later he deadpanned, remembering his appearance.
Well… I can't really blame them.
Having an idea, he answered her with sarcasm.
"That's funny coming from you. You're the ones who came at me four against one."
Hearing his voice, Marie shifted into firing position while Robert began circling to flank him.
"Besides… now it's only two of you, right?"
Heh.
"What a waste."
That ignited something deep inside Marie. She opened fire wildly toward the voice, shouting as paper and dust burst into the air.
She only stopped after hearing the sound of a weapon hitting the floor.
Robert, who had reached the corridor where the voice had come from, saw only the AUG lying on the ground.
"What…?"
|A few minutes earlier|
Mike had finally woken up, feeling an immense pain in his jaw.
"F-fhuck…"
As he got up, he noticed the position of his jaw and forced it back into place with a grotesque crack, letting out a groan of pain.
"Shit… how long was I out?"
Looking for his weapon, he noticed it was gone.
"What the hell happened…?"
But his confusion was interrupted by the sound of gunfire from the second floor.
"Rick…? They still haven't killed that bastard? Damn it."
Now with only his knife in hand, he ran back toward the entrance.
Climbing the stairs, his face twisted in anger as he saw Rick lying on the ground, and he rushed over to check on him.
"Fuck, fuck… What the hell happened here?"
However, when he noticed his Deagle lying near the body—along with the bullet hole in Rick's head—he went pale, running a hand through his hair.
"A-ah, shit."
I don't have time to think about this. Marie and Robert might still be fighting that thing.
He grabbed his Deagle and stepped into the maze of shelves.
|Back to the confrontation|
Marie remained there for a moment longer, still aiming her weapon at the place where she had fired.
Did I kill him?
But as she questioned herself, a sound behind her drew her attention.
Before she could even turn around, her throat was pierced by a long combat knife.
"Argh."
She groaned, tasting iron in her mouth as blood began to spill from her lips.
In a desperate attempt, she raised her weapon with one arm and fired, the recoil slamming into her shoulder.
Kris simply stepped out of the line of fire while forcing the knife deeper, tearing it from her throat down to her chest.
Hearing the gunshots, Robert quickly rushed back toward the corridor they had been in.
Before Marie's body could hit the floor, Kris grabbed her, using her body as a shield.
When Robert reached the corner, he raised his weapon—but hesitated when he saw the monster shielding itself behind her.
That single moment of hesitation cost him dearly.
Grabbing the AK-47, Kris unleashed a burst of gunfire in his direction, one shot striking his chest and another his stomach.
Feeling a sharp stab of pain, he lost all hesitation and emptied the SPAS toward them both, tearing through Marie's body in the process.
Kris had already prepared several books and hurled them toward him, scattering paper all across the corridor.
He hadn't avoided every shot, however. He felt the impact of several pellets piercing into his chest.
CLICK. CLICK.
Robert stopped only when he heard the weapon run empty—but as he glanced down at it, a knife was hurled through the storm of paper, piercing his neck.
"Ghr… ghr…"
Robert choked as he gagged on his own blood before collapsing onto his back with a heavy thud.
"Aah…"
Kris exhaled, then looked down at his chest.
The bullet holes were still there, a faint greenish liquid slowly leaking out.
However, he felt no pain—nor the pellets that should have been lodged inside him.
Did this body… absorb them?
He didn't have much time to think before he had to reshape his body, dodging several shots.
Mike had finally arrived—only to find his companions dead.
"Fuck! I'm going to kill you, you bastard!"
Kris was already at the end of the corridor.
Deagles usually carry seven rounds. I've already used two, and he just fired three… which means…
The flanker was already advancing down the corridor with his weapon in hand.
Noticing a sudden movement, he fired.
After the shots echoed through the corridor, Kris stepped from his hiding place, knife in hand.
Seeing him, Mike pulled the trigger.
CLICK. CLICK.
"Shit."
Mike quickly holstered his pistol and drew his knife.
In the darkness of the library, the metallic smell of blood and gunpowder hung heavy in the corridor. Paper scraps drifted slowly through the air, dust floating in the gloom as the two faced each other.
Both in their fighting stances.
Gritting his teeth, Mike remembered a few words Robert once told him.
Never give in to anger. The moment you lose your composure, you lose the fight.
Knowing that, he forced his rage into the hand gripping his knife, squeezing the handle until a vein bulged along his arm.
He's stronger than me… and apparently he can reshape his body. But judging by his stance, he's not very experienced in knife fighting.
Sweat ran down Mike's face as his wide eyes studied Kris.
"I can win."
Kris simply stared at him with his vertical pupils—just as calm as he had been at the beginning of the fight.
…
Suddenly, both of them lunged at each other.
Mike tried to drive his knife into Kris's neck, but the strike was caught on the serrated edge of Kris's blade. A moment later, Kris returned the exchange with a kick to his chest.
Shifting his body to absorb the impact, Mike feinted a punch.
Kris moved to block—
but was caught off guard as the blade slid across his abdomen.
The two separated again, creating distance as they studied each other.
"Even with the advantage of that body, you're losing to a human. How embarrassing."
Mike taunted, trying to destabilize him.
Only for Kris to suddenly advance, catching Mike off guard.
He slashed toward his neck, but Mike ducked under the strike.
Taking the opportunity, he lunged forward, driving the blade into Kris's neck.
"Ghr…"
The sound made him lower his guard, thinking he had won—however…
BLAM
Kris's knee slammed into his nose, shattering it on impact and sending him crashing to the ground.
Disoriented by the sudden blow, Mike pushed himself back to his feet, blood spraying from his nose as he raised his stance again.
Only then did he realize his knife had melted.
What the fu—
In the middle of his confusion, Kris surged forward again, this time delivering a precise slash toward Mike's armpit.
The blade tore through flesh and muscle, ripping the arm free in a spray of blood.
"AARGH!"
A wave of pain surged through him, and Mike collapsed to the ground, clutching the place where his arm used to be.
When he looked up, the hatred in his eyes faded—replaced by a primitive fear.
Kris stood before him. The dim glow from his body painted the shelves in pale green, while the darkness was broken only by the light of his eyes.
His slit pupils remained steady as he looked down at Mike.
"A-ah…"
His panicked babbling echoed through the silent library, mixing with the sound of blood dripping onto the floor among the scattered papers.
Step by step, Kris approached in silence, the blade of his knife faintly reflecting the eerie light of his own body.
Trembling and drenched in sweat, Mike was completely helpless, scrambling backward across the floor as he tried to get away from the creature standing before him.
The only thing he could do in that moment…
was stand up and run.
Kris did not chase him. He simply stood there, frowning slightly as he watched the blood slowly evaporate from his hands.
|Kris POV|
I killed people…
They wanted to kill me, but they were still human… just like I once was…
…
I wish I could have avoided this, but there was nothing else to be done.
That was their choice… just as it was mine.
Sigh.
|3rd POV|
With tired eyes, he made his way back toward the entrance.
Along the way, he passed by the bodies—the bodies of lives he had taken… and who had tried to take his.
When he reached the entrance, he noticed the hunters' bags, remembering why he had come there in the first place.
Ah, right… the books.
He picked up one of the bags, filling it with books before going back to retrieve his clothes.
Damn it… they ruined my coat.
By the time he finally left the library, the sun was already touching the horizon, giving way to the moon.
|Outside the city, deep within the forest|
Mike had finally stopped running, tearing a piece from his clothes to stanch the bleeding from his arm as he rested on the ground, breathing heavily.
"Fuck…"
"Wow, that's amazing, Mr. Mike!"
"Hm. That's the bare minimum, you useless idiot."
"You're agile, kid. Use that to your advantage."
He brought his remaining hand to his face, tears running down his cheeks.
"Fuck…"
"It seems you're wounded, boy…"
Hearing the deep voice suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he drew his weapon toward the source of the voice.
I didn't even feel him coming…
"Put the gun away, boy."
From the shadows, a lion-headed figure emerged.
"I only wish to make you a proposal."
────────
Author's Notes:
Thank you for reading!
This was my first time writing such a long chapter—especially a fight scene—but I hope you enjoyed it.
Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions. Your feedback helps me improve the story!
Have a great day!
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