The unknown instilled fear in Kiyo; the system itself couldn't explain anything, daring not to say anything, as if some existence capable of endangering the enigmatic and apparently all-powerful system lurked behind it.
Kiyo is driven to explore the unknown as he grows stronger, leaving him with little option but to gradually discover the truth behind it.
There is no other option, is there? All he could do was accelerate his path to power, the power that no one could ever acquire. He is determined, not for raw power itself, but to obtain the capability to stop this approaching disaster.
Additionally, Kiyo observed that the power ranking shown by the system prompt screen seemed very different from the power ranking he was accustomed to. He chose to suppress his curiosity for the time being as Yuno walked up to him, even though he wanted to ask the system about it.
"Kiyo! Hey, you've been spacing out for a while now." His eyes lit up with panic and anxiety, "There seems to be something banging against the metal gate outside!" He exclaimed as his body shivered slightly.
Kiyo was startled out of his daydream when he pulled out the blade in his pants, feeling as though an electric charge was running through his body.
Approaching the metal door in his front yard, he felt a twinge of fury and fighting spirit. The hammering seemed to be becoming louder by the minute; growls and faint roars could be heard directly behind his mini fortress's towering iron wall.
He assumed a combat stance and motioned for Yuno to carefully open the imposing iron gate, ready to dispatch any threat that could arise from beyond the ominous-looking wall.
A bloody and gory-looking arm reached out of the small gap between the iron door, the creature tried to assault them, and as it did, a claw as dark as the night and slightly reddish, as though drenched in blood, emerged from the little opening between the iron door, appearing bloody and horrible.
Kiyo dashed in and swiftly severed the beast's arm, leaving his dark-hued sword dripping with blood and shines with metallic luster.
Before long, the creature's entire body materialized in front of the two. Kiyo chopped off its head in an instant and motioned for Yuno to hurry up and shut the iron door.
Fear overwhelmed Yuno's mind as this new experience that seemed to be bringing disaster to everyone started to get closer. There was a pause before he recovered and shut the iron door as his body shook. letting another one swiftly get close to the unprepared and off-guard Kiyo.
Fortunately, fifteen years of experience in the apocalyptic world, along with his newfound strength given by the system enhanced Kiyo's senses and reflexes. He swiftly spun around and smashed the head of the approaching zombie with bare-hands
Yuno watches in shock as Kiyo crushes the creature's head with his own hands. His mind was filled with curiosity once more, but he dared not question anything since he knew that Kiyo was likely the only member of his family still alive and the one person he could depend on to survive.
Kiyo, meanwhile, was bursting with delight at the strength he demonstrated. It simply piqued his interest in the system more.
A sound akin to a notice pierced his consciousness before he could question the system about his newly discovered strength.
[ Ding! Congratulations to the Host for killing a Zombie 2x
The host is rewarded with Vilume 2x.
Ding! Congratulations to the Host for gaining the qualification to turn Resident Yuno into his subordinate.
Would you like to turn Resident Yuno into a subordinate inside your domain?
Yes / No ]
Kiyo quickly chose Yes, ' System, are there any conditions to turn someone into a subordinate?' He questioned silently.
[ Ding! Congratulations to the Host for gaining your first subordinate. The following rewards are given as a newbie gift to the Host:
1 str
10 Vilume
1 Evolution Vial/s (Exclusive for subordinate's usage)
A Resident must fully trust and rely on the Host to successfully turn into a Subordinate ]
His gaze landed on Yuno; the two stared at each other for a while, a hint of respect and trust appeared on Yuno's eyes as it was noticed by him.
He gestured for Yuno to come inside before going inside himself. Curious about what his beloved cousin would show off this time, Yuno hastily followed him.
He motioned for Yuno to take a seat across from him as he settled into one of the coaches.
Curiosity filled Yuno's mind once again as Kiyo pulled out a bottle of green slimy vial out of his back, as if it appeared out-of-nowhere.
'System, how do I use this Evolution Vial?' Kiyo silently asked the system for confirmation as he wouldn't want to risk endangering the life of his loved one. It's not that he doesn't trust the system, any of us would be cautious about everything after surviving in the apocalyptic world for fifteen years, right?
[ Ding! The Host must instruct the chosen Subordinate to drink the Vial directly, a painful sensation would rush in the body of the Subordinate as his body would undergo a reformation.]
Reaching out to hand Yuno the vial, he stated, "Drink this if you want to live in this fucked up situation our planet turned into. Power is something vital for it, and this will give you that."
"Everything is up to you, everything comes with a choice, a decision we must make, and the consequences are our own responsibilities," he comforted, seeing the reluctance in his eyes.
Yuno let go of every hesitation in his thoughts. He closed his eyes, then opened the vial and gulped down the slimy contents. To his amazement, aside from the tongue's distinct texture, there was no flavor like he would have expected.
Before he could speak, a painful expression appeared on his face. It was as if his insides were being messed up by some unknown force, his bones could be heard cracking, and blood appeared in his eyes.
In an attempt to dull the anguish he was experiencing, he grasped the table in front of him. The next instant, he felt a portion of the table he was hanging onto collapse like sand, and he was startled at his own power. Specifically, the power his dear cousin granted him.
Soon, the pain subsided, his gaze landing on the person across him. His eyes shone with glimmer, as if staring at a mighty being akin to gods in mythologies. The one who gave him the strength he had recently discovered, the power that would let him survive this post-apocalyptic world.
In return, Kiyo only revealed a faint smile at him. He wanted to ask what and where this power came from, but decided against it. He chose to be silent and not ask what he shouldn't. The only important thing to him now is to survive and perhaps rescue some of them family and friends if any did survive.
…
In a small backyard in the center of the West Sun City, behind the towering iron walls.
Kiyo punched a huge rock, measuring up to 1.3 meters high.
The punch devastated the surface of the rock before it exploded from the inside. Kiyo was surprised as this strength could only be displayed by Stage 2 awakeners in his previous life. It made him grow curious about the power ranking the system displayed.
Motioning Yuno to do the same to a thick tree in the distance, he let go of his curiosity at the moment.
"Boom!" A loud bang resounded inside the small fortress as the tree was left with a brutal hole in its center. Although not strong enough to make it implode, such strength still surprised both Kiyo and Yuno himself.
As Yuno was celebrating his newfound strength with joy, Kiyo estimated that such power could only be seen on stage 1 awakeners.
'Stage 1 awakeners should only appear 5 days after the apocalypse descended…' He thought to himself.