Erza's family is having dinner.
"Mum, your Beef Rendang is the best!"
A young man in his late 20's scooped up a big spoon of the dish.
"Slow down Erza, there's plenty more where that came from."
A little tear welled up when he took a bite.
How long has it been since he tasted his mother's cooking?
Ten years.
Ten freaking years!
The family tried to maintain a hearty atmosphere like how it was before the apocalypse, but they are obviously disturbed.
'Eyes are windows to the soul.'
Erza noticed from their eyes that they were less cheerful than before.
After washing the dishes, they gathered in the entertainment room as Erza requested.
"Are you going to show us more videos on how to kill monsters? Or brief us what's going to happen next?"
With a slight tone of annoyance, Erza's dad asked him.
Erza shook his head.
"We're just going to play some games, that's all."
They looked at each other in confusion.
Erza told them that they should enjoy the little moments they have together.
Sticking together as a family is important, but interactions and having fun together are what make a family stay longer together.
"Mum, Dad, remember the board game that you used to play with us?"
Erza took out a familiar turn-based game.
"Monopalli!"
Bucky said it aloud with a chuckle.
Awkwardly but slowly, they played games together.
…
"I want you guys to have these."
On a green pool table, fifteen shiny pearls are displayed.
"So many!"
"…five…seven…fifteen! Big bro, you killed fifteen Infected today?"
"Twenty-four actually. I already ate nine Evolution Nectars today."
All four of them were speechless.
How brave or crazy you must be to kill twenty-four of those horrendous monsters?
"Take three pieces each."
He placed them on their right palms equally.
Hesitation could be seen in their faces.
Erza didn't force them to take them now, and he said he will continue doing his best for the family's safety.
"I'll turn myself in for the night. Wake me up if you guys need anything, okay?"
He left the entertainment room.
…
The next morning, he woke up at his usual 5.00 am schedule and starts working out.
Then around 6.00 am, he woke his family members up.
Dark circles could be seen under their eyes.
Erza understood what they are going through.
He saw a list of names of relatives and friends on the desks of their bedroom.
A few names have been crossed out or labeled 'GONE'.
"Let's go, guys! Push through! Push through!"
The workout session was more intense than yesterday's workout.
"Come on guys, you can do it!"
Coupled with their sore bodies from yesterday's workout, tension heightens.
Then someone broke out.
"Why are we even doing this!!"
With a flushed face and a dark expression, he lashed out to Erza.
"Everybody that we know are probably dead, so what's the use of all this training!"
Feera was always the most outspoken one in the family.
The others were just better at holding it in.
While lying down on the gym room's mat, Mrs. Numee starts to cry.
More sobbing could be heard.
Erza knew that the apocalypse had taken a toll from their confidence.
Besides physical strength, mental strength is also a type of strength.
More so in a world filled with death and loneliness.
He crouched down to the floor and slowly lay together with them.
"You know, every day in the ten-year-long prophetic dream, I prayed to God that I could be killed and join the rest of my family in heaven."
Erza starts speaking when their crying died down.
He was a coward.
He tried killing himself, but he just didn't have the courage to pull through.
"But the reason I also lived on was because of you guys."
Every night before sleeping, he mentally replayed the happy memories in his mind like a broken cassette tape.
Because of that, he would wake up the next day more determined.
If he gave up on life, what would his parents would've said?
He would just be repaying his parents' effort of giving birth to him and raised him with ungratefulness!
"Although I can't control the doomsday from happening, I know that I will use every single knowledge and energy in my body to make sure you guys are safe."
His heartfelt confession brought another wave of tears to their eyes.
Not tears of sadness, but tears that emanated from love.
They were thinking 'while we are here lying down crying like spoiled babies, Erza risked his very own life to protect us.'
"Son!"
Mr. Zayf stood up.
"I'm very proud of you. I've raised a fine young man."
He took out the Evolution Nectars that Erza gave him yesterday and tossed them into his mouth!
Warm sensation dispersed throughout his body.
The other saw him do it and copied it.
"Oh? My leg feels better now!"
"Yes! Honey, the pain on both my feet are less painful!"
"This is sick! I feel like I could jump two meters high!"
Slowly, their fatigue and soreness washed away.
The grey roots of Erza's parents' hair also start to visibly darken.
Erza smiled at his family's renewed condition.
From now on, nothing will stop this invincible family!
"Big bro, can I kill the Infected with you?"
An unexpected voice sounded.
…
"Erza! Take care of your brother! Don't let him-"
The nagging of a caring mother is endless, but with good intention.
"Mum, big bro is with me! Push comes to shove, I'll sacrifice him first haha!"
Feera, the second child of the family, is brave and loyal, although he could be very direct sometimes.
"Dear, our boys are grown up. Besides, Erza knows what he's doing! They'll be back safe and sound before we know it."
Mr. Zayf had to hold back his wife a little bit.
With a wink, he made a subtle shoo-ing gesture to signal his sons to go out from the suite.
…
Click!
Before going out of the suite, Erza made sure his brother is armed from top to bottom.
No gaps were seen on his body at all.
'Oh man, big bro really went all out of the gear. I could tell these are top quality just by the feel.'
Although he was fully covered, it didn't feel stuffy or heavy.
Both the equipment quality and Evolution Nectars' boost played crucial roles.
"Remember, in any situation, stay calm."
Feera nodded.
From the remote controller's screen, they saw three Infected.
Erza pointed and guides his younger brother the strategy.
'Scout, Kill, Harvest!'
Erza made sure Feera committed the mantra to memory.
As he activated the portable alarm and distracted the Infected, he killed two infected.
He then handed the crossbow to Feera.
'Your turn.'
He whispered.
Holding the black, heavy crossbow, he aimed the laser pointer to the Infected's head.
The laser pointer was an extra accessory Erza fitted for Feera's first time.
At his level, he could shoot with both eyes closed.
The Infected is still roaring and howling at the end of the corridor.
It's been more than 10 seconds, but no crossbow bolts have penetrated the Infected's skull.
Erza could hear the sound of a fast heartbeat from Feera.
'Am I really killing a zombie?'
'B-but, what if this disease has a cure? Then wouldn't I'd have murdered a person?'
His conscience is in utter chaos.
Then a warm hand patted his back.
Feera looked at his older brother, and he could feel what he was trying to say.
'Go slow, little bro. Take your time.'
Feera nodded.
He took a full minute to calm himself down and steadied his stance.
"Huff…"
Siu!
Feera pulled the trigger and a crossbow bolt punctured through the Infected's brain.
Thud!
Another lifeless corpse kissed the floor.
"Holy sh*t, I did it!"
Erza gave him a thumbs up.
"Now we wait for a few moments. If the Infected is still moving, or more Infected approaches, we could take the next action."
Sometimes the bullet or arrow would miss the vital part of the brain, and the Infected could still move.
You would need to shoot them again, or do the 'Double Tap.'
…
"Can you do this?"
Erza stood beside a frozen Feera.
"Huff, huff- I, I think I can."
Splat!
A sharp butcher knife dug into a corpse's back.
Sounds of blood and organs squelching could be heard.
The stench, however, was worse.
Crack!
Feera split open the dead Infected's spinal cord.
A sweet-smelling, shiny pink pearl appeared.
"Hukk!"
Feera couldn't stand it anymore.
He hurled everything he had this morning.
Erza gave him a wry smile.
'I guess us brothers are really similar.'
He also vomited the first time he tore open an Infected's corpse for Evolution Nectars.
After a few more minutes of rest, they soldiered on to the next floor.
They killed nine before lunch, and eleven by dinner time.
Floor 16, 15, and 14 are cleared.
There were more Infected on the lower levels as the number of rooms increased.
…
As they had already come back to the suite once at noon for lunch, their parents were relieved nothing happened.
They could see that their second son, Feera exuded a little trace of confidence.
After dinner, they did their usual routine.
Enjoying games and movies after a long day is the best.
Then they distributed nineteen Evolution Nectars to four people.
"Mum, Dad, Bucky, I gave seven beads to Feera and four for each of you guys because he helped me hunt today. Also, he would need to awaken his hidden potential to help me kill more Infected tomorrow."
They nodded and agreed.
Gulp.
The taste of the pink pearls never disappoints.
It's like a candy that you could never get tired of.
Once the energy settled in, they felt more powerful.
Even a few of their health concerns are healed.
"Little bro, how do you feel?"
All eyes were on Feera.
To identify one's power, one must breathe in deep and focus.
Instinctively, the body would recognize that there is a new force or a new power that they could control.
Feera opened his eyes after exhaling a deep breath.
"I got it!"