"So...you are still a brute, and brute can speak now?"
"Roarrr!!!"
"Ok,ok,good for brute..."
An impatient growl was Zed's only response from the mad beast before him, known as the Raiden King. To be honest, Zed
don't know how to call her.
Her eyes gleamed with a certain annoyance as she cautiously retreated a few steps, coming to an abrupt halt against the wall at her back.
It was after a nasty battle against a horde of brutes that Zed found himself the master of this new "beast." With her help, he killed all brutes outside and found himself eventually here, inside the building.
The entire skirmish had unfolded like a gladiator match, brutes charging them only to become lifeless carcasses. They'd fought with a fury that had been almost... enjoyable.
For Zed, there was an unsettling delight in their victory.
Coming back to his senses, Zed found that he and the Raiden King were the only ones left standing.
"Right? Since you can understand, how should I call you?"
Zed's ask was poised with a politeness that was uncommon for the time they live. In this wasteland, there was an unwritten rule: any creature that has learned human speech should be treated as an intelligent being, a symbol of evolution. You never knew if the monstrous creature covered in tendrils standing before you might be a powerful fourth-class Devouring-type Awakened.
People got two ways to solve problem in wildness.
Those that couldn't communicate were dealt with swiftly and without mercy. As for those that could, civility was the only way. Both methods were a demonstration of respect. There was no point in seeking unnecessary strife.
All in all, just make your life easier.
Worried that the Raiden King might not understand, Zed gestured repeatedly while mouthing his words, carefully avoiding any threatening cues like pounding his chest or baring his fangs, common intimidations in the animal kingdom.
His actions were a conscious attempt to portray goodwill.
With hopeful eyes, Zed awaited a response from the Raiden King.
A minute passed...
Then two...
Then three...
Finally, she turned around to look at him. It was then that Zed truly saw the entity with whom he'd been fighting alongside.
She bore a physique as agile as a cheetah, clad in golden fabric that covered only the most crucial parts symbolizing her gender. Her body-hugging outfit, golden hair, eyelashes, and sleek, clean legs were a stark contrast to the battle she'd just emerged from.
Her hands were more like golden claws, resembling insect pincers. Rather than weapons, they looked like intricately crafted works of art.
Despite their aesthetic appeal, Zed didn't underestimate their potential for killing. He'd just saw firsthand this woman dismantle hundreds of brutes with those very claws, crushing their necks and shattering their exoskeletons until the remaining scattered in fear.
Well, she was a meld of death and beauty - a creature that gleamed like gold lit by thunder, yet committed acts reminiscent of a demon.
Zed couldn't help but shake his head in silent. He had to say, it was impressively cool.
The woman didn't speak, ignoring Zed's question. Instead, she took a step forward, an aura of intimidation radiating from her. Zed, though slightly fearful, held his ground. He wouldn't back down.
As she close, a glowing golden across her milky eyes reflected in his, and the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest with every breath became more noticeable.
Clearing his throat, Zed stood exactly in his first place.
He'd be fucked up if he backed down now, at least not when this was his newly Spore-Transformed beast he was dealing with.
Come on, who is the beast master.
What a ridiculous joke, he mused.
The creature in question was his Spore-transformed minion. Theoretically, he was a Beast Master bound by a pact. If he took a step back today, he might very well find himself serving this creature tomorrow.
Was such a thing possible?
Absolutely not!
Holding these thoughts, Zed straightened his back, defiance mirrored in his eyes as he stared back.
A flicker of doubt crossed the face of the Raiden King. Following this, much to Zed's surprise, her body seemed to soften. She gradually lowered her head, half-kneeling in a submissive crouch.
"Wait, what are you doing——"
Zed's question was cut short. She rose once again, reverting to her original position. Looking down, he found that she had just tied the laces on his boots. He let out a sigh, shaking his head at her.
"There's no need for that in the future."
No sooner had he spoken than he pointed towards the city, his next question hanging heavy in the air.
"Do you want to go into the city?"
At first, the Raiden King tilted her head in confusion, emitting a scratchy croaking sound. Finally, following Zed's rhythm, she stuttered out a single word.
"Ci-City?"
Hearing this, Zed smiled. It was only the second time he'd heard her speak. He realized that, save for a few simple words, she found it difficult to fully express her intentions and emotions. However, this was hardly a problem. After all, much of his own learning came from imitation at start.
Thus, he nodded seriously and extended an open invitation, "Yes, the city."
"City...city!"
Suddenly, innocence twinkled in the Raiden King's eyes. She extended a golden claw, droplets of blood the size of soybeans rolling off her sharp blade, oblivious to the gruesome scene she presented.
Her excited shouts echoed around them.
Zed want to find a word describe the girl, this scene was more like a gummy candy that had accidentally tumbled from the candy aisle in a supermarket. Sweet, yet no one want to touch again, especially when her true form was revealed to be a monstrous insect.
"City! City!"
Observing the jubilant girl, Zed found himself at a loss for words. His mind wandered to Lucy back in the city. He'd been too engrossed in the thrill of the kill, resembling his state after he'd lost Lucy in the apocalypse. This troubled him before.
'I can't keep being like this extreme. If I die, who will protect Lucy? After all, only I can see her...'
Zed sighed at the thought. He tended to the wounds on his limbs, checking for any severe injuries on his torso.
At that moment, the previously merry Raiden King, who was using corpses to clean her claws, suddenly stood up, alert and looking in a specific direction.
"What's wrong?"
Zed followed her gaze, immediately on high alert. There was an opening in the destroyed building, through which a source of light flickered in the night.
The sounds of engines revving, tires screeching, and guns being loaded echoed in the night. Zed's heart tightened as he pieced together the situation. He quickly ascended to the second floor for a better view, then his face grim.
His gave a intense look back to the scattering of brute corpses on the ground...
'Should I run?'
He felt a pang of disgusting at the thought, but the sight of the Raiden King's claws, gleaming like golden miracles, bolstered his resolve.
"Damn, can I even get a normal selling process at least once... At the very least, a third of the Spores here can be taken, that's about 7,000-10,000 pounds. I've heard keeping an Awakened is quite costly..."
Zed couldn't help but laugh at his own thoughts before.
Being an Awakened meant he couldn't always shy away from problems. More importantly, he felt that through the recent slaughter, some primal essence within him had been stirred, whispering promises of bloodshed and urging him to annihilate them.
After all, blood always seemed to be drawn towards him. If he didn't slay when the opportunity arose, how would the fresh lifeblood feed his blood bank?
"Hehe, I hope you guys already familiar this wildness, people solve problem in two ways...its quite straightforward."
With this in mind, he fired a single shot skyward and, like a shadow, melted into the encroaching night.