Chapter 5: Success
Leon Grant gently pushed open a half-closed wooden door. The room inside looked like a bedroom. A worn-out wooden bed stood in the middle, with tattered bedding on it. The bedding, likely neglected for years, was now dirty and in a poor state. There was also a wardrobe, which Leon opened with a small knife. The clothes inside were in an equally ruined state. Leon reached up and lightly touched them, and the fabric crumbled to dust.
He slowly backed out of the room and turned to open another door. As he did, his heart skipped a beat.
A skeleton lay on the floor, leaning against the wall, just inside the door.
Leon held his breath, gripping his small knife tightly. He glanced at the skeleton, then at the knife in his hand. Feeling uneasy, he slowly retreated. He carefully opened his backpack and pulled out something much bigger.
A bright red fire axe!
This was something Leon had found in the old fire safety box under his apartment building. After taking it home, he sharpened it to ensure it was as effective as possible. He sheathed the small knife and hung it on his belt, then gripped the fire axe tightly as he stepped into the room with the skeleton.
First, he surveyed the layout of the room. It was similar to the other one—another bed, a large wardrobe, and a nightstand next to the bed. The skeleton lay at the foot of the bed, with dark brown stains beneath it.
Could these be the marks left by a decaying body?
Leon cautiously approached the skeleton and poked it with the fire axe. To his surprise, the skull rolled off with the slightest touch.
Leon jumped back, freezing in place for a moment. After some time, he continued to inspect the skeleton. The entire skeleton had a blackish-gray appearance, as if it had been lying there for an unknown amount of time.
Besides the skull, which Leon had knocked off, the ribs were scattered around the floor. Leon carefully examined them, noting several broken pieces of rib. He couldn't find any leg bones, and only one arm was intact—the hand remained, but no other bones from the arm were present.
Was this person disabled?
Suddenly, Leon squinted. A wave of unease washed over him as he noticed something on the bones—bite marks.
He carefully picked up one of the ribs and inspected the marks. They were clear teeth impressions. He was sure of it.
Growing up in a poor family, Leon rarely got the chance to eat meat. Every time his family bought ribs, he and his siblings would devour them greedily. As a result, they often left teeth marks on the bones. The marks on these ribs looked human.
Leon's mind began to race. Could this person have been eaten? How else could the bones have these marks?
A chill ran down his spine.
The thought was terrifying. His family only left bite marks on cooked pork ribs, which were soft enough to chew. But this skeleton—was it cooked? If not, what kind of strength would it take to bite through raw bones?
Leon took a deep breath and decided not to dwell on it any longer. The skeleton had likely been here for far too long. Even if it had been gnawed on, it was probably long gone.
He steadied himself and raised the fire axe, striking the skeleton's bones to break it apart. He knew that there were undead creatures like skeleton soldiers in the world, and it was better to be safe than sorry.
Next, Leon checked the final room. There was nothing unusual here either—just another decrepit bed and no new skeletons.
He moved his backpack to the innermost room and examined the contents. He carefully moved a collapsing couch to the door. The iron door was no longer functional, creaking loudly every time it was touched. If anything dangerous came, he wanted to be ready.
He positioned the wooden couch to block the door. That way, he could react quickly to any potential threat—even if it meant facing danger with some dignity.
Now, Leon had time to inspect his backpack. The bottom of it had been torn open by the rift in space, and he wasn't sure what was left inside.
After opening it and checking, he breathed a sigh of relief. Most of the important supplies were intact, but the tent and some miscellaneous items had fallen out. Some food had also been lost, but the survival kit Alex had given him was in good condition.
Leon took the remaining food out, calculating that with careful rationing, it should last him.
He quickly tidied up the room. The bed and bedding were in such poor condition that they were practically useless. Sleeping on them would be like lying on debris. So, he tossed the bedding into another room, swept the floor, and prepared to sleep on the ground for the next few days.
…
Leaning against his backpack, Leon lay on the floor to rest. Finally, after everything that had happened since the awakening, he could relax his mind a little.
His situation was relatively stable now. At least he had a temporary safehouse. As long as he stayed cautious and nothing unexpected happened, he should be able to survive long enough to return to Earth.
He focused on his mind, feeling a faint signal inside. This was the beacon guiding him back to Earth. It felt distant but tangible. According to the book, when the signal finally felt like it could be shattered, that would be the moment he could return to Earth.
Suddenly, an unusual sensation swept through his body, starting from his head. It grew stronger, and Leon felt like his brain was turning to mush, as if he were tossed into a washing machine. Everything spun around him.
Although the sensation was overwhelming, Leon's heart raced with excitement. This was the awakening!
He was about to gain extraordinary abilities!
He gritted his teeth, clutching the fire axe in his hand, staring fixedly at the door, ready for any sudden danger, making sure not to make a sound and attract unnecessary trouble.
…
Leon's mind slowly cleared, and he shook his head, still a little dizzy. He noticed a metallic taste in his mouth—blood!
He touched his face and found traces of dried blood on his lips and nose. His heart raced. He quickly grabbed some tissue from his supplies. In this world of danger, making noise was the worst thing he could do, and the scent of blood would only attract trouble.
After cleaning his face and sealing the bloody tissues in a bag, Leon checked his body. He felt stronger, lighter, and more alert. His senses were sharper, and his mind felt clearer—he was smarter.
It seemed he had successfully awakened!