12 – The Lucky One

“Did you guys hear that?” Cody pointed his flashlight in various directions, but found nothing.

Emily also did the same thing. “Yeah, I can hear it, but don’t know where it’s coming from.”

“How is it, Cody Wolfe?” The voice continued. “Did you enjoy the system I gave you?”

Cody frowned. “If you really gave me this power, then I thank you, Zeno. But can you show yourself?”

“You don’t need to see me until that time comes.” Zeno continued. “Eventually, we will meet. That is, if you can survive until the end, Cody Wolfe.”

Giving up on looking for Zeno, Cody lowered his flashlight. The voice emanated from multiple directions. It would be difficult to find the exact source.

“What is your purpose in giving me that power?” Cody hissed. He felt uncomfortable hearing that voice.

“The thing is, I’ve lived for thousands of years on earth, and I’m bored. I wanted someone my equal to fight me, but people like them don’t exist. Humans are weak creatures, so I feel the need to train them to be my equal.”

A small chuckle escaped Cody’s mouth. “Let me guess. You were the one who made corpses all over the earth rise from their dead to trigger the zombie apocalypse.”

“What?” Emily gasped hard. “This…. This Zeno who started all this? What for?”

“As they say, Zeno did that to ‘train’ his opponents to-be.” Even Cody, who said that, didn’t believe it. “This Zeno chose some people to get the zombie systems.”

“I wouldn’t choose just anyone to get the system.” Zeno continued. “They have to have special qualities because they will be my opponents. I’m impressed with you for not giving up in such a desperate situation.”

Cody’s memory goes back to a few days ago, when he was trapped in a bathroom and almost devoured by zombies.

“How did you find me?” Cody gritted his teeth.

Zeno chuckled. “I can see through the eyes of those zombies Cody Wolfe. You could say you were lucky because I happened to see you through a zombie while it was chasing you.

“Cody…” Emily grimaced, seeing Cody’s tensed facial muscles. Meanwhile, Gwen just stared at that man in silence.

“Were you the one who sent the zombies that surrounded me in that house, Zeno?” Cody’s lips trembled.

“I can’t just leave you alone after getting the system.” Zeno chuckled again. “I didn’t just control the zombies that surrounded the house, Cody Wolfe. Were you not aware that the angle at which they are pursuing you causes you to run in a specific direction?”

Cody choked. “In other words, you are directing me to that car warehouse?”

“Aren’t you wondering why you found system users twice in a row, even though you’ve met no one like them before?” This time, Zeno laughed hard. “I have ways to lead you to where I want you to go. You just don’t realize it.”

Cody’s hands clenched into fists. “Zeno…. You…”

“Your fight with those system users shows you are capable.” Zeno continued. “And you will continue to get challenges by meeting other system users. You will continue to grow. And once you are strong enough, I will come to you, and we will fight.”

“If Zeno is always watching you from the eyes of the zombies...” Emily was silent for a few seconds before she could continue her words. “Then Zeno will know your fighting style and your strategies, Cody. This is unfair.”

Zeno answered. “Don’t worry. I have some subordinates who will make sure you continue to meet other system users. They won’t tell me any information about you. My supervision of you ends here.”

Even though his emotions were bubbling, Cody smirked. This was a way for him to make his brain keep thinking straight. So that he could still ask important questions, instead of shouting full of rage. “Can we trust you, Zeno?”

“Of course. I want to fight someone strong fairly.” Zeno sighed. “I think it’s time for me to end this chat. There are still many things I need to take care of. Don’t die until you become strong. If you can defeat me, then all the zombies in the world will disappear. Bye.”

“Wait!” Cody exclaimed, but Zeno no longer responded. “I haven’t finished talking to you yet!”

Cody tried to get Zeno to talk for several minutes, but he never got a reply.

There are still many questions haunting Cody’s head, such as who exactly is Zeno? Are they wizard, alien, ancient creature, or what? Is it true that Zeno did this just because he was bored? Do they have other intentions?

This all made no sense, and it made Cody’s emotions boil even more. He really needed answers.

“Cody….” Gwen, who had been silent until now, finally spoke to that man. “Are you okay?”

Cody took a deep breath. “Guess I have to keep getting stronger, huh?”

“Does that mean you have to continue killing other system users?” Emily’s voice shook. “Can’t you become strong by just leveling up by eradicating zombies?”

It took a moment for Cody to respond. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I just need to kill zombies to unlock the skills.”

But Cody feels that the skills of his base role as a zombie puppeteer were very limited.

“If Zeno is the one who caused the zombie apocalypse...” Gwen put her shaking hands together. “Is Zeno a god? That event was so big that it caused chaos all over the world, you know? Even the most developed countries have difficulty overcoming the zombie problem. Look, in just a few months, it problem destroyed human civilization. The cities are dead, and there are few people left.”

Emily responded. “Your words make sense…. F*ck…. Against a god? What the….”

Cody burst into laughter, causing his two friends to flinch in surprise.

“Bring it on.” He muttered. “If the only way is to be strong enough to end all this, I will do it. I’ll kill the God if I have to.”

It seems there really is no other way. He had to face that, whether he liked it or not.