Ragnar tore a strip from his shirt and used it to bind his injured ribs, gritting his teeth against the pain.
He looked at the two people before him, and recognition dawned in his eyes. The woman was Li Xi, one of the most beautiful and popular girls in school.
But the man next to her was a stranger, and yet he had shown incredible power. A spear throw like that took tremendous strength and precision.
"I'm glad we made it in time," said the man, his voice smooth and calm.
"Who are you?"Ragnar asked, He wasn't one for beating around the bush.
"You can call me Morningstar," the man said. He looked down at Ragnar's injured side and frowned. "Are you sure you can move around like that? You should get some medical attention."
Ragnar gave a wry smile. "Don't worry, I will be fine after a day, besides, what kind of medical attention will I get in such an environment?" He then turns towards Li Xi and says "Hey Li Xi, can you help me call back those pussies?"
Li Xi who seems to be avoiding Ragnar couldn't help but let out a harrumph, "Why should I do that?"
"Because you have a sonic voice that could be heard far away," Ragnar replied with a sly smile.
"What?" Li Xi gaped at him, her face going red. "You... you can't be serious!"
Morningstar watched the exchange with amusement. It was clear that these two knew each other.
"What do you take me for? A clubhouse speaker?" Li Xi said, her voice wavering slightly. She looked uncertain for the first time since Morningstar had met her.
_Sigh, if I wait for these two it will take minutes before we move._
With a sigh, Morningstar realized that if he waited for these two to finish bickering, it could be a long time before they made any progress. So, he stepped forward and with a light pull, yanked the spear out of the mantis' body letting it fall to the ground lifelessly.
Morningstar then reached down and picked up the glowing rune that had dropped from the mantis. He was about to put it in his pocket when he hesitated. Then, with a shrug, he tossed it to Ragnar.
"There you go," he said, his tone nonchalant.
As soon as Morningstar tossed the rune to Ragnar, he turned on his heel and sprinted off. He moved with startling speed that Ragnar felt like his feet barely touched the ground. Morningstar weaved between the trees and half-collapsed buildings. In the blink of an eye, he was out of sight, leaving behind only a faint blur.
Moments later, he reappeared with a student slung over each shoulder. Without stopping, he darted off again, and before long he was back with two more students. He continued this pattern until he found about 34 students.
"Morningstar, I think we're still missing someone," Li Xi said, frowning as she counted the students gathered before her. "I have a feeling we're not all here yet."
Morningstar let out a grunt. "Ugh, this is going to be a pain," he grumbled, before taking off at a sprint. "You guys can keep moving, after finding the lost sheep I will meet you in the hall" he called over his shoulder.
Ragnar who already absorbed the rune watched him disappear behind the fallen buildings, then turned back to Li Xi. "I guess we move?" he asked.
Li Xi nodded, a slight frown creasing her beautiful brow. She was worried about Morningstar who was venturing alone.
Would he be safe? She hoped so, but the thought of something bad happening to him made her stomach clench in anxiousness, unknowingly the feelings she had for him were growing every second.
It was like a drop of water falling into a bowl. Would the bowl eventually fill to the brim, or would the drops evaporate before they could? In the same way, would Li Xi's concern and complex emotions for Morningstar fade over time, or would it grow until it became all-consuming? Only time will tell.
****
As Morningstar raced through the ruins, he suddenly paused, his brow furrowed in concentration as he heard a faint cry which sounded like someone was in trouble and without hesitation, he changed direction and sprinted towards the source of the sound.
He hoped that whoever was in trouble would be okay. And a small part of him, the part that craved challenge, hoped that the trouble was caused by a powerful mutant.
_At least I pray you're not screaming from a mere low-level zombie but a powerful one._ He thought.
****
Ashley, the eyeglass girl and two others could be seen looking forward with terror on their faces as they slowly stepped backwards.
Before them stood a cat. Its once-graceful body had been transformed into a hulking mass of exposed muscle and sinew, it was like all its fur had been shaved away.
It looked at the girls with its red eyes which made them tremble.
At its feet lay the body of one of the girls, her eyes open in a frozen look of terror. Her stomach seems to have been sliced open exposing the intestines and blood flowing out.
The other two girls were inching backwards, their faces pale with fear as the smell of blood drifted into their noses.
The mutated cat which seemed to be toying with them let out a low growl which made the girls freeze in place with their hearts pounding in their chests.
Ashley couldn't help but feel unlucky. Looking at her friend who died terribly pained her. For the first time, she wishes she had Kofi's type of inhuman power, maybe she could have changed her faith.
After Kofi promised to hold back the zombies, they escaped but things took an unexpected turn when they met this cat which looks to be waiting for them right here.
The cat caught their friend and in their presence, they could only watch in horror as the cat toyed with their friend, killing her in a slow and painful way.
Her screams were etched into their minds, the sound of her suffering sent shivers down their spines.
The girl with glasses spoke up, her voice quivering. "I guess this is it for us," she said with a sad smile on her face. "I never thought I'd die like this, so young and in the hand of a cat." Her eyes filled with tears.
None of them wanted to die like this, but they felt helpless.
Just then, the cat wanted to make a move on them but suddenly halted and snapped its head towards one of the broken buildings and let out a growl filled with threat, it was like it felt danger coming from that side.
"Hahaha, I was right! Now this cat might be a worthy challenger!" A voice said and suddenly something dashed out from the building in a blur and arrived before the cat.
Clank!
A spear met the cat's claws with a resounding clang, the force of the impact causing the blur to skid to a stop which made it clear for the girls to see who it was and it turned out to be Morningstar. Meanwhile, the cat hissed, its claws digging into the ground as it struggled to regain its balance.
"Impressive!" Morningstar shouted as the cat regained its footing. "To be able to withstand that attack shows you're quite strong. Now, let's try again."
The cat growled in response, its red eyes narrowed as it crouched low to the ground. Then, with a burst of speed, it pounced at Morningstar.
Morningstar didn't back down but met the cat's attack head-on, his spear moving in a blur as it clashed with the cat's claws. It was a furious battle, the two combatants moving so fast that they were little more than blurs of movement.
Thanks to the memories he had absorbed, Morningstar was getting more and more proficient in his movements, his skills improving with every clash of his spear against the cat's claws. He was not winning, but he was not losing either. It was a fierce and brutal dance between the two combatants who were locked in a deadly game of skill and power.
Amidst the battle, Morningstar was also trying to feel for the changes within his body, he knew he couldn't miss the moment QI energy showed signs in his body. With every beat of his heart, he could feel a faint flow of energy in his body but no matter how hard he tried to control it he couldn't.
Suddenly, a zombie emerged from the shadows, its decayed flesh rotting and stinking and without hesitation, It joined the fray, teaming up with the mutated cat to corner Morningstar.
But just as it seemed that Morningstar was in trouble, Abyssal's voice rang in his head. [Be careful, Morningstar!] it said. [That zombie has a dark aura around it like it's in a berserk state, or worse of all might be corroded by the dark energy. Retreat!]
But Morningstar was not one to give up so easily. "I can't retreat!" he shouted back, his voice filled with determination. "If I give up now, I'll always be running away. I have to win this! I have to get stronger!"
As the zombie and the cat closed in, Morningstar dodged the first punch, sliding between the two creatures. He quickly turned around, bringing his spear up in a defensive stance.
The zombie roared, its breath hot and fetid as it lunged at Morningstar again.
"Hey, girls!" Morningstar barked at the girls. "Don't you have legs?! Now for god damn fuck'in sake run!"
His harsh words were enough to jolt the girls out of their fear-induced stupor.
They turned and fled, their feet pounding against the ground as they raced away from the danger.
The zombie and the cat were still focused on Morningstar, their claws and fists bared as they rushed at him.
Morningstar stood his ground, his stance unwavering as he prepared to face the creatures head-on.
"Now let's dance."