The skies above the city remained an oppressive slate of grey, blending seamlessly with the buildings that lined the streets. It was hard to tell if it was morning or night because of the jet-black clouds in the sky, and Zimo had stopped caring by now.
Time was a meaningless concept here now for him. What mattered was survival and growth, and right now, Zimo was focused on getting better at moving and using his mana. After watching and feeling Kivu do it, he had managed to get a good feel for it too, and now he was doing things he could never have imagined. He was practicing magic.
It was small, barely larger than his thumb, but its surface shimmered with an otherworldly blue light, like frozen lightning trapped in a tiny fragment of glass. Kivu had brought it to him, dropping it unceremoniously at his feet before stepping back and sitting on her haunches. Her glowing green eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction.
Zimo turned the crystal over in his much larger hands, his pale fingers catching the faint glow. He had managed to snatch it back from Kivu, who seemed to be keeping it not to eat but just to keep it for some reason.
"This is... still impressive," he murmured. He glanced at Kivu. "You never told me... How does it taste?"
The Beast tilted her head, her long ears twitching, before fixing him with a look that was equal parts disdain and amusement.
Zimo smirked. "Not your thing, huh? Figures. I knew it would not be a good thing for me to eat either."
Kivu huffed softly, her tail flicking against the rooftop like an annoyed cat. Even though she looked like a cat, it was very clear to Zimo the more time he spent with her. She was not a cat or a panther. Actually, she was very far from it.
"Fine, I won't eat it," Zimo said, tucking the crystal back into her fur, knowing she would somehow be able to move it with some incredible magical ability. "Not yet, anyway."
He stretched his arms and legs, testing the range of motion. They were newly regenerated, the pale skin still tender and almost translucent. It has been almost three hours since his previous arms were removed. And these ones were so much better than the ones before.
His fingers felt stronger, more dexterous. Two potions, five level-ups, and three gruelling hours of rest had restored him to almost full health, but the memory of his vulnerability lingered. He clenched his fists, feeling the muscles tense and release.
"I'm not letting myself get torn apart again," he muttered. Thinking back to the memory of it all, Zimo couldn't help but feel a chill in his bones. Along with the chill came anger, a need to destroy those people, but he suppressed it. Not yet. He had a tool in his hands. If he just blindly went out there and wielded it, he might hurt himself.
He needed to learn how to use his body and his new abilities. Looking down at his practically naked body, Zimo chuckled. He also needed to get some clothes.
He stood and dropped into a pushup position, his body moving instinctively. The rooftop gravel scraped against his palms, but he ignored the discomfort. Pushups, lunges, shadowboxing, he cycled through them all, testing his strength and speed.
*Shu! Shu! Shu! Shu!*
Punches and Kicks came one after another, each movement sharper, and more controlled than the last.
This body… was pretty impressive. Now that he looked at himself. He was taller and stronger. Levelling up must be making his body better from a genetic level, all the way up to the physical. Even his previously non-athletic body was now well-toned and glorious like some incredible Gladiator Body. It was way too incredible. But he was not really that impressed by it. And now that he realised this, he couldn't help but look forward to seeing his face. Was he more handsome?
When he finally stopped, his breath came in steady bursts. The ache in his muscles was a welcome reminder that he was alive and stronger than before. He straightened, looking at Kivu.
The time was about 8 pm now... The perfect time for a hunt. "I'm hungry," he said, his stomach growling as if to punctuate the statement.
Kivu groaned, her massive frame sagging slightly as she leaned her head down. She gestured with her snout for him to climb onto her back.
Zimo looked at her. Why did it feel like she was the master babysitting some injured Beast? He was not even injured anymore, geez.
Zimo hesitated, then shrugged. "Alright. But no crazy stunts this time. And don't hold me. I'll control myself."
He clambered onto her back, gripping her cold, wiry fur tightly. It was an unnerving sensation, her fur felt almost metallic, like steel threads laced with frost. It was cold. But the more he ran his hands through it, the warmer it felt. This feeling was always so interesting to Zimo. He couldn't help but run his fingers through everything, smirking as he did.
Kivu snorted, her body coiling like a spring before she launched into the air.
The rush of wind tore at Zimo's hair and clothes as Kivu bounded across rooftops, her powerful legs propelling them through the air with ease. He couldn't help but laugh, a raw, unrestrained sound that surprised even him.
For a moment, the weight of the world fell away, replaced by the sheer exhilaration of speed and flight. None of this was possible without this Beast that was beside him.
"You're incredible, Kivu!" he shouted, his voice carried away by the wind as he rode the Black Beast.
The Beast growled softly as Zimo hugged her, and Zimo chuckled yet again, possibly her version of a pleased chuckle. He was interested to see just what would happen with her. Zimo knew where they were, and he directed her, pointing the way for her to move in and when she began going in that direction, he smirked. He didn't even need to say anything, and she understood. Having a Beast was way too awesome.
Their destination came into view: an old convenience store that Zimo knew all too well. After all, he had been here so many times before, going on late-night runs to this place to get himself some food to survive the night. The company's snacks were bad and overpriced. Definitely not worth it.
Looking at the place as Zimo came to a stop, he narrowed his eyes. The windows were shattered, and debris cluttered the entrance, probably from the movements of those idiots, but Zimo's sharp eyes caught the faint glimmer of supplies within. So they had not taken things away after all…
Wait... how? Did they not manage to get the Zombies away from the place in all that time? They had used his limbs as bait to drag the Zombies away, and yet it had not worked out? SO his limbs were ripped off his body for nothing?!
Zimo gritted his teeth, unwilling to even consider the waste. His limbs were not for this. They were for their entertainment.
Kivu slowed as they approached, leaping gracefully to the ground and padding toward the store. Zimo slid off her back, landing lightly on his feet. His very manly, but pale, feet.
"Alright," he said, brushing himself off. "Let's see what we've got."
The inside of the store was a wreck, probably from the Beasts, Deadspawns and maybe anyone else who had been here after the Deadspawns came in. Shelves were overturned, but other than some broken items that were in fragile packaging, everything else was pretty much intact, and things were fresh.
Zimo thought a bit more and figured he should possibly get a weapon. AFter al he had been unable to find one. IN all that time, he had never been able to find one and it was way too funny or him to see something like that. However there was also a asnpect of this he found pretty interesting to see. Since there was something about this that was going to see him look at the time and the place, he was not going to let things get out of hand.
ZImo remembered how things had gone a bit of time before as he lay on Zimo's body on the roof of the parking place. He had been searching for things, trying to understand if there was anything else worth buying. Back then he had found a few things, but most of them he could not buy with his own money. ANd this time it was the same too.
|————————————
| Universal Tamer System | Stats | Skills | Beasts | Missions || Store ||
—————
BC (Beast Coins): 110BC
Market
—————>
1. [Potions]
2. [Tools and Items]
3. [Food, Supplies, and Amenities]
4. [Beast Eggs]
<—————
>> [Item Storage]
————————————|
ZImo moved to the Tools and Items Menu and saw how it looked. And there were all sorts of items in there that were items of interest.
He saw all sorts of items in there... Charms, Scrolls, Amulets, Capture Tools, all sorts of things, that he might never even have thought of their existence. But he was not interested in them. No, he was more interested in the things other than that.
Combat Items!
|————————————
| Combat Items |
—————
BC (Beast Coins): 110BC
Combat Items List
—————>
1. [Swords and Blades]
2. [Axes]
3. [Maces and Hammers]
4. [Spears and Polearms]
5. [Daggers and Knives]
6. [Bows and CrossBows]
7. [Thrown Weapons]
8. [Magical Wepaons]
9. [Exotic Wepaons]
10. [Siege Wepaons]
11. [Swords/Blades]
12. [Shields]
13. [Armour]
<—————
————————————|
ZImo took a moment and then decided. Having seen Kivu's fighting style, he knew what path he wanted to go. He picked [Daggers and Knives], and when the next page appeared in front of him, he couldn't help but smirk.
The Store did say that there was everything he might ever want to have, but still... There was just something wrong with this. It was way too many options. What the hell was going on? He sorted the items based on their price and then observed the first few.
|————————————
| Knives and Daggers |
—————
BC (Beast Coins): 110BC
List Sorted on: [Price (low to high)]
—————>
1. [Shadowfang Knife]
2. [Stormcaller Dagger]
3. [Nightshade Dagger]
4. [Sunfire Knife]
5. [Dragon's tooth Dagger]
6. [Vernomstrike Knife]
7. [Frostbite Knife]
8. [Bloodmoon Dagger]
...
<—————
————————————|
Well then, let's see the Shadowfang Knife...
|————————————
| Potion of Regeneration(Grade 1) |
—————
Grade: Grade 1
Type: Knife and Dagger (Combat Item)
Description: A sleek, Black knife that absorbs light with its dark exterior. It is perfect for stealth.
Price: 300 BC
[Buy!]
————————————|
Well... yeah no, he was not going to buy that. At least not yet. But he understood now. There was a concept called Grade but at that moment, all he could see were items of only a certain grade. Grade 1. Maybe it was based on his level. He needed to get stronger.
And it was unfortunate but this was the cheapest one too. Zimo had later looked at the other items, especially the Magical Items, but those were way too intense, and the cheapest of them was 5,000 BC. ZImo would have to make more BC in this next time... Which meant that his relations with other humans were going to be pretty pivotal for his development.
SO at that moment, ZImo had no clothes and no weapons. Luckily, this convenience store was the perfect place to find both of those things.
As he rummaged through the remains, he found a pair of tattered pants in a pile of discarded clothing. He shook them out and pulled them on, grateful for the extra layer of protection from the elements, not that he could feel the cold anyway. IN the next moment when he found a hoodie, he became pretty excited about this store, especially because of the fact that it was a variety store that provided almost everything.
The moment of peace didn't last though... A low growl echoed from the back of the store, followed by the shuffling sound of something moving.
Zimo turned, his eyes narrowing. A Deadspawn lurched into view, its grotesque form illuminated by the faint light filtering through the broken windows.
"Damn it," Zimo muttered. But then he remembered... He was not alone anymore. ANd he was not weak either. What did he have to worry about?
The Deadspawn did not let him have too much time to think. It simply charged, its movements erratic but fast. Zimo reacted instinctively, kicking out with a speed that surprised even him. His foot connected with the Deadspawn's chest, sending it sprawling as the sound of a *Crrck* came out to the thing.
Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed a knife from a nearby counter and lunged. The blade sank into the creature's neck, and with a sharp twist, he severed its head, letting the blood splurt out onto the floor and onto the knife.
The Deadspawn collapsed, its body twitching before going still. Zimo watched it die with a weird look on his face. He remembered that the last time he killed one of these he had received a reward. But this time there was nothing. How unfortunate. and then it dawned on him
That was so easy… And he hadn't even broken a sweat. He was stronger now. Zimo stared at the knife in his hand, then at the corpse. A slow grin spread across his face. Then, turning his head to Kivu, he smiled.
Kivu watched him from across the store, her green eyes gleaming with approval—or was it amusement? She didn't intervene as another Deadspawn stumbled forward, her focus fixed on Zimo. It seemed Zimo's fight with this one Deadspawn was pretty loud, and it had forced them to come forward to see what was going on.
This time, he didn't hesitate. He darted forward, his enhanced speed making him a blur of motion, his black hair blending in with the darkness as his eyes gleamed with a hunger for experience and strength.
The creature barely had time to react before Zimo's blade sliced through its throat, making its head pop off into the air and then onto the ground. ZImo stared at this Beast that was on the floor narrowing his eyes. The slice was not clean this time. He needed to optimise that.
As the Deadspawn's head fell, Zimo turned to the flood that was coming towards him and Kivu. Well then. He was many times stronger and faster than them. Now it was time to make it all count.