As the energy from the man's attack dissipated, Morningstar who held his breath could finally take a breath, his shock was replaced by a sense of wonder.
He had just witnessed the use of a technique that could only be described as godlike in its power.
The technique's name echoed in his mind like a reminder of the devastation that had just been wrought.
"Sunder the Heavens..." He mutters in awe.
It was a name that would forever be burned into his memory.
Thinking about the figure that had just performed such a feat, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the future where he would be able to wield such power and kill thousands of beasts.
He took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions and focus on the task at hand.
_I'm currently weak and need to focus on the present._ He thought inwardly as he forcefully calmed his emotions.
Slowly, he began to study the various techniques that he saw, delving into the details and committing them to memory. The more he looked at them, the more astounded he became. Some were more intricate and powerful than the last making him not being even able to understand it and he found himself in a state of awe and wonder.
Eventually, he reached a point where he couldn't contain his emotions any longer.
"Damn, this... is... awesome!" He let out in excitement, making Li Xi nearly jump out of her skin, her nerves already on edge from the tense situation and sleepless night, even though she is strong she hasn't reached a point where she won't need sleep. She whirled around, expecting to see some sort of danger, only to find Morningstar staring blankly at the sky with a huge grin plaster on his face. His faint red and gold eyes shone brightly from the excitement.
"What is it, Morningstar? You scared me half to death!" she exclaimed, her heart still pounding in her chest.
"Sorry, Li Xi! I didn't mean to startle you," Morningstar said, his expression sheepish. "It's just what men do to show how excited they currently are."
Li Xi scoffed, "I do have a stepbrother and definitely know not all men behave like this, anyway mind sharing?"
Morningstar hesitated, as if he wasn't sure how to put his thoughts into words, just when he wanted to talk.
[Don't even think of telling her about your secret or she might use it against you in the future. I'm warning you don't trust anyone.] Abyssal suddenly warned him out of the blues.
"I... Sigh, just forget it. It's a personal thought." Morningstar said after organizing his emotions.
"Why? You don't trust me? Come on just share with me, aren't we friends?" Li Xi said while looking at him with puppy eyes.
"I appreciate that, Li Xi, but, it's really nothing," he said calmly with a slight frown.
_This girl is getting damn comfortable with me to the point of thinking we are friends?_
Li Xi's voice was softer than before, carrying a hint of disappointment in her tone, not knowing what Morningstar was thinking. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it. It's your choice of course."
_Why couldn't he confide in her? Was there something about her that made him feel like he couldn't share his thoughts?_ Li Xi thought.
Morningstar saw the change in her expression but didn't reveal any emotions or to be exact, he felt it but not that much.
Without a choice, Morningstar broke the silence, his voice sounding a bit cold. "We should keep moving."
Li Xi nodded as they both rose to their feet and headed out of the clearing. The silence that had fallen between them was awkward and uncomfortable, and neither of them knew how to break it. As they walked, neither of them spoke.
While walking along the path, they kept their eyes peeled for danger, knowing that the school could be filled with any number of threats.
As if on cue, both Morningstar and Li Xi spotted a group of about 36 students huddled together and being led towards a building on the other side of the campus. The students were all dirty and dishevelled, their clothes torn and their hair matted, but they were alive. A few of them were limping, and others looked close to collapsing, three boys around the age of 18 or 19 could be seen standing behind, the left and right sides of the students, clearly, it shows they were guarding them from any attack..
"That must be some of the students who are alive," Li Xi whispered, finally breaking the silence. "Do you think we should go and meet them?"
Morningstar nodded. "I think we should. After all, we need to work together in order for more of us to survive right?"
****
Leading the students was Ragnar Gustave, his imposing frame towering over those around him, something rare among his age mates. His brown eyes were calm as he surveyed the area for any sign of danger.
His blond hair was matted with sweat. His body was muscular and powerful, probably from the gym and being the captain of the school basketball team.
His clothes were a bit worse for wear, ripped and stained with blood and dirt. In his hand, he held a hammer, heavy and solid, its iron head the size of a cow's head.
After being transported to this strange and dangerous place, Ragnar encountered a bull that was wounded and near death. Despite its weakened state, it still presented a challenge, and Ragnar had to muster all of his courage to fight it, as a COD fanatic who loves war why wouldn't he?
After killing it, a hammer dropped from the bull, its weight and heft perfectly suited to his hands. From there, he began to battle the zombies and mutants that roamed the school premises and saving some students, he suddenly found a sense of purpose and freedom in the chaos.
He felt liberated from the rules and expectations of society, able to be his true self in this strange place.
The freedom of using his fist rather than democracy talk to solve issues...
As Ragnar led the group of students who were silent, their footsteps falling in time with his own. They felt something reassuring about being near such a powerful figure which gives them a sense of safety.
Suddenly, a praying mantis emerged from the rubble of a half-collapsed building, scuttling towards them at a terrifying speed. In a split second, it reached the boy who was protecting the left flank, racing past him towards one of the male students.
The boy's eyes widened in terror as he saw the mantis coming towards himself, its sharp mandibles clicking hungrily. He did something out of everyone's expectations, he hastily grabbed one of the girls and shoved her forward just in time for the praying mantis's sharp mandibles to slice off her head. Even in death, she was still confused as to why her boyfriend whom she trusted would betray her all of a sudden.
The other students scattered as they fled in every direction in a blind panic. Even those limping totally forgot of their injuries and sped off like Usain Bolt.
Ragnar gaze fixed on the mantis after seeing the chaos.
Without wasting time he dashes towards it before it kills others.
With an angry roar, he charged at it while lifting his massive hammer and smashing down on the mantis.
Unexpectedly the mantis dodged nimbly, its long limbs carrying it out of the way of the hammer just in time. But it didn't retreat instead, it lunged at Ragnar with its pincers reaching for Ragnar's throat. Ragnar acted on instinct, dropping his heavy hammer and twisting out of the way just in time. The mantis' pincers snapped shut on empty air.
He rolled to his feet, panting and bleeding from a shallow gash on his shoulder but that didn't make him feel afraid, instead, he felt his blood boil for some unknown reason and the intent to battle this mantis to death rushed into his head. Without further Ado, he took his hammer and this time, he feinted to the right, and when the mantis went to dodge, he swung the hammer around and struck it on its flank. The insect let out a screech, and its exoskeleton cracked from the force of the blow which sent it sliding sideward, with an angry screech it retaliated with lightning speed, lashing out with its forelegs.
Ragnar swings his hammer towards the sharp-looking legs of the mantis and blocks it, sending the Mantis sliding backwards due to his immense strength.
Screech!
Feeling its joint a bit dislocated, the mantis let out a cry and made a mad dash towards Ragnar who felt frightened by the sudden change in the Mantis' action.
Using that opportunity, the Mantis successfully slash him across his chest sending waves of pain into his body and causing blood to drop.
With the light injuries he already accumulated during the two days he spent in this place trying to save most students and the blood he loses currently, Ragnar could feel his body growing weak as he felt lightheaded. He gritted his teeth and summoned all his strength, swinging his hammer with all his might towards the Mantis which was about to strike again. The blow caught the mantis off-guard, and it went flying, crashing into a nearby wall.
"Huff, Damn! This daddy here must take you to hell with him!" Ragnar yelled at the mantis which was slowly rising to its feet, shaking off the cobwebs of the blow Ragnar delivered to it. With a low growl, it turned to face Ragnar, who currently was barely standing due to the loss of blood.
The mantis' instincts told it that this was its chance to strike the useless prey.
But before it could move it instinctively felt danger and before it could think of ways to counter it.
"AHHH!"
It felt a wave of sound wash over it, a high-pitched scream that left it reeling in pain. Its senses were in disarray, and it couldn't focus. In that moment of weakness, a spear appeared from nowhere, piercing its body and pinning it to the wall which it just left.
The emotions, the Mantis will be feeling currently might be of one who was wronged twice in its life, was it by force to stick to that wall?
It thrashed and screeched, but it couldn't free itself from the spear.
_What the hell?! So easily?_ Ragnar felt alarmed as he watched the mantis struggle weaken bit by bit before it died and a rune dropped from its body.
"It appears with our tricks it won't be hard killing some pesky mutants."
A male voice whistled from a distance pushing Ragnar to look over, he saw a fair-skinned youth with striking eyes walking over, beside him was a curvaceous blonde-haired hair, sexy lady.
"This is how to live life in such an unpleasant world." Ragnar let out.
(θ‿θ)