[Corrupt human killed! Exp +500]
[Total Exp: 560/1200]
'Damn, killing humans gives more exp? What's wrong with this sick artifact? Does it wants me to become a serial killer?' Zaen thought as the notification flashed above him.
He thought he'd feel weirded out after killing a living and breathing human. But he didn't. He didn't feel even an ounce of remorse for killing Chris. In fact, he felt the same like he did after killing the ghouls and it scared him that he might be emotionally dead. He shook the thoughts out of his head and started planning his next move. After all, couldn't just stay there after killing an officer.
He had planned to kill all of the ghouls during the night but it didn't seem he'll be able to carry on without his mask as there might be more officers patrolling the area. Either way, he needed to take of something first and foremost.
"Now, what should I do with you?" Zaen mumbled, squatting next to an unconscious Miranda.
He didn't want to sound like a creep, but she looked even more beautiful in her slumber than she did when she was up and running. Her presence made even the small and cramped alleyway, lit up like the stars above. Zaen didn't know why he felt so drawn to this woman, a woman he didn't even know existed a few hours ago.
'Alright dude, you just killed an officer. Control your hormones before you get charged with sexual assault as well.' Zaen smiled and began looking around to alley to see if there were any cameras around.
Thankfully there weren't many cameras around and the ones that were there had already been taken care of by Mr Nishimiya. At least that's what he assumed.
He didn't want to leave any evidence behind him that could out him to the force. And since there weren't any working surveillance devices around him, he was fairly sure that his identity was safe. He then returned to the place where everyone was lying either dead or unconscious.
Had Miranda been like Marcus even a bit, he'd have left her there without a second thought. But after the way she called her superior out and attacked her made Zaen feel like not everyone was hopeless within the special force. Either way, he had to do something about her. He couldn't leave her just like that.
"Should I take her with me?"
He might not have sounded so innocent, but his intention was just to keep her safe. Nothing else.
He thought about taking her with him, not as the masked knight, but Zaen, the streamer. After all, she knew him and would feel better around someone she knew rather than a mysterious masked man. If she asked how did he found her, he'll just tell her he found her unconscious in an alleyway and decided to help out.
But then there were a couple of issues with this plan. First, what was he doing out in a suspicious so late, that too all by himself? He could've told her he was walking as he had told her before, but who the hell walks for more than three hours? She'd put two and two together and bust him out within seconds of walking up.
But even if she believed him, he had another problem to deal with. If he saw her there why didn't he inform the concerned authorities as there were other unconscious officers as well as 2 dead officers? Anyone in their right minds would immediately report their findings to the police before calling the ambulance if they were to stumble upon a crime scene. After all, they were trained to deal with these situations in the middle school itself.
'Nope. Removing her from the scene is too risky.'
After pondering for a while, he decided to not take her with him, which again raised another issue. Because there were two more Impounders in the vicinity, although they were unconscious for now, there was no guarantee how they'll react after discovering their dead leader. In their confused state, they might even harm her and Zaen wasn't going to let that happen.
He also thought about killing the two, well the rewards for killing humans was kinda good, however, he wasn't going to kill them. Not because he couldn't or that they hadn't seen anything happen but because doing so would've raised another question: why did the killer leave Miranda alive when he killed everyone else? Would any killer make the mistake of leaving a witness alive?
If nothing else, the special force would start suspecting her to be involved with the murderer, that is, him. And after witnessing the kind of crazies that worked for special force, Zaen wasn't too sure about putting Miranda in more trouble. God knows what they'll do to her.
At last, he decided to wait and see what'll happen from afar. If Miranda would be in any danger, he'll make sure she got out of there but he wouldn't interfere in their business otherwise. He also decided to wait since there was no way, he'd be able to complete the daily quest before sunrise. The ghouls were scattered all over the city and he wouldn't be able to even make it to the nearest location before sunrise. No matter how fast he ran.
Thus he decided to continue the daily quest after sunset. That way he'd have more time to finish the quest as well as carry on with his daily life. For now, he needed to find a place to observe them from afar. A place he found without much trouble. An abandoned building in front of the alleyway.
That was it. Zaen climbed the building stored his gears in the inventory before wearing a fresh set of clothes that he had kept inside the inventory for emergencies. He then waited for the special force to show up. Which they did after an hour when one of the unconscious Impounders woke up and called in for backup.
There were at least four patrol cars and three ambulances in the convoy. Soon after their arrival, the street below Zaen was now flooded with people who had followed the sirens like moths to a flame. The reporters from different channels were also on the spot asking the officers questions related to what happened there.
A question to which they had one response, "We're still investigating right now and don't have much information to share at the moment. As soon as we find something worth mentioning to the citizens, we will do so. That's all."
Zaen waited a while before joining the crowd below as they made his escape easier. Not long after, he saw Miranda being put inside an ambulance as well. After making sure everything was fine and Miranda was taken care of he left for his home.