Into the Zombie World

Sounds of hooves hitting the road echoed in the serene night as the white crescent moon hung high in the dark sky.

A man and a carabao are travelling on the long and straight National Road with impressive speed. The long road is dimly illuminated by the crescent moon above.

The man and the carabao were Nile and Maximo. They have already travelled quite a distance, and it seems that they did not have any plans on stopping anytime soon.

They were still travelling, using the National Road as a guide to the next Village. This particular road is called the 'Aisle of Ulhi' as it pretty much resembled an elongated aisle.

Starting from the Village of Ulhi until the next Village, which is Hangin, this particular National Road formed a very long straight line. As both sides of the road are mostly green, attributed to the fact that both sides were a sugarcane plantation. The Isle of Ulhi has become a famous site. Bikers often come here to take selfies before the Apocalypse has started.

Maximo has been running for one hour straight without breaking a sweat. Nile did not stop Maximo though as he is not against it.

If Maximo decided to rest or slow down, it was fine for Nile too. They are now at the periphery of the Village of Hangin, anyway. As they are racing for the time before, they have mostly skipped the Hamlets under the Village of Ulhi. Coupled with Maximo's impressive speed, they arrived at the Village of Hangin with little time and no difficulty.

The emergency mission which the System had issued in haste had also been completed successfully when they arrived at the boundary of the Village of Ulhi and Hangin. As Nile is still riding on Maximo's back, he decides to accept the rewards later.

While riding Maximo's back, Nile saw a plain-looking house on the right side of the road. The house was coloured white, so spotting it in the distance was not a concern. The illumination that came from the crescent moon also helped.

As the night was already getting deeper, Nile ultimately decided to take a rest and eat there. He stirred the reign towards the direction of the plain-looking house.

Maximo obliges obediently and after a while, they arrive near the house.

Maximo slowed down his speed slowly and stopped right after they arrived at the front door of the plain-looking house.

The house was plain and bland, having only one colour in its body. If this house is embedded with the church emblem, this will no doubt look more like a chapel than the chapel at the Village of Compud.

Nile scanned the surroundings and did not notice any form of danger. Nile decided to explore the inside of the house first before settling in. Level One° zombies tend to ambush their prey after all.

As Nile came inside, he could not help but marvel because of the sight. With Nile's enhanced vision, he could tell that the inside of the room is quite orderly and clean. It was quiet and as serene as night, coupled with the dim illumination that came from the crescent moon outside, this house looks ominous.

The house was super clean and well-maintained; It was unusual, especially as the world is now experiencing an Apocalypse. Nile even thought that this place might have been barren from the start of the Apocalypse till now. But there is no apparent dust in the simple furniture that decorated the house. It looks like there is really someone who is still maintaining this place. Nile becomes alert as he draws his Katana out from its Saya.

It was acceptable if it was only a zombie who prepared an ambush. But if a human survivor did it, that would be an entirely different matter already.

Zombies or rather the Apocalypse Virus controlling the zombie does not have the capability to scheme, yet. But humans already have that perk way long before even the Apocalypse started. You could say that it was already part of human nature.

Nile did not know why, but he could somehow feel the gloomy aura that surrounds this place. It's as if there is something terrifying that is lurking in the dark.

Electric currents crawled Nile's skin as a shiver ran down his spine.

Although this was a good place to sleep in, Nile did not take the risk and decided to leave. Without knowing anything about this plain house, Nile decided to play it safe.

Nile did not want to meet the owner of this plain house, not until he became much stronger.

The unknown is the most terrifying.

Even though Nile had just had a tremendous increase in his strength earlier, it was still better not to risk his life. They could just search for another house to sleep in, anyway.

Nile hurriedly sheathed his Katana and made his way out. Without any warning, he hops on Maximo's back and shouted a 'hee...yah' to make Maximo move.

Maximo bolted and returned to the National Road.

As the silhouette of Maximo and Nile faded in the dim night, the door of the plain-looking house slowly closed on its own. A hoarse voice of a man sounded within the house along with the door's closing.

"Don't worry darling, we will have another opportunity in the future."

...

After a few minutes of searching, Nile found a small hut. Its wall was made with dried leaves that are tied together. It was really a small hut, as it only had one room. The hut is slanted on one side as one bamboo column has been broken.

Nile gets off Maximo. He decided to stay here for a night. The languish but normal small hut is much better compared to the plain-looking but ominous house earlier.

It was also guaranteed that there is nothing hiding in this small hut. There is only one room, and the hut is also quite shabby. Nile imagined that it would probably take only one push from an adult man to make the shabby hut drop to the ground in shambles.

Nile took a coconut fruit from the Storage Space and cut it in half directly. Maximo who saw this scene widened his eyes in surprise. Maximo had already seen this scene before a couple of times, even so, Maximo could still not help but be surprised every time the almighty god pulled out this stunt. Materializing things out of thin air?

Worship! Worship!

Nile knew that one coconut fruit will not be enough for Maximo. He took another three and cut it in half. With his strength increase, slicing the hard endocarp shell of the coconut fruit in half is no longer a problem. Unlike before, there is little to no obstruction.

Maximo happily waited, and after Nile successfully sliced three coconut fruits in half, Maximo eagerly dug in.

Nile took one slice and ate happily. While eating, Nile also observed Maximo eating. It was only now that he realized that Maximo's appearance had changed a bit.

Maximo is now bulkier. Its front shoulder is packed with muscles. Its skin and horn now have a more apparent metallic shine to it. Nile also noticed that Maximo's neck area now had a bulging carapace in it.

The carapace is situated right under Maximo's ear, all the way to the base of the front shoulder. It was darkish brown. The carapace is on both sides of the carabao's neck. Nile remembered that it was the area where the straw-hat zombie had struck before.

'Maybe that is also one of the factors involving Maximo's evolution?' Nile thought.

Even until now, Maximo was still holding the handle of the sledgehammer tightly. Nile wanted to take it back before, but he discovers that Maximo is unwilling. So Nile ultimately decided to leave it as it is. Maximo seems to have taken a liking to the heavy sledgehammer. Nile already has a better weapon, anyway.

If he took it back, it would just sit in the corner of the storage space doing nothing other than occupying a free space.

Nile only finished three fourths of the meat of the coconut fruit. He wanted to leave no meat behind, but his stomach capacity will not allow it anymore. If he forcefully chooses to eat the remaining one fourth, Nile did not doubt that his stomach might experience an explosion. An explosion is a beautiful art. But if it was his stomach exploding, that was a different matter already.

Maximo had also finished the three coconut fruits, including their hard shells. Maximo saw that Nile still had more left, so he slowly crept towards Nile. Nile pushed the leftover coconut meat towards the carabao. Maximo happily dug in again, after it finished that slice, Maximo moved towards the slice that Nile had already finished eating all the meat, Maximo then proceeded to eat the hard endocarp shell of the fruit happily.

Nile thought that Maximo still did not have his fill just like before, so he took another coconut fruit from the storage space and was just about to cut it in half when Maximo lay down on the ground to sleep.

Maximo saw the new coconut fruit that pops out of thin air, but he ultimately ignored it and closed his eyes.

Nile thought that Maximo was already full, so he stored the coconut fruit again in the storage space. Nile thought that maybe the reason why Maximo ate a lot of coconut fruits earlier was because it can assist in its evolution.

Nile came inside the small hut and lay down in the worn-out bamboo flooring. Nile noticed that the ceiling had many holes in it. The stars, as well as the crescent moon, are visible from his position below.

Nile stared at the white crescent moon above before he drifted to sleep.

"I'll sleep early. Tomorrow, I will need to farm Apocalypse Points again!"