Seeing a Familiar Face

_______________ASH's POV___________________

[System Reset Error. 80% of memories erased. Waking up host]

I woke up from a sting that went through my body and as I opened my eyes, I felt really dizzy and my vision was blurry.

"What happened? Where am I? Who am I?" these were the first question that came into mind as I tried to rub my eyes to see clearly.

Just then, blinding lights started flashing before me sending me into a trance-like state.

Was I hallucinating? What in the world was happening?

Before my questions were answered it stopped and I felt like I was suffocating.

It seemed like there was no air!

Then the suffocation halted and was replaced by a sudden jolt of pain in my head. It felt like my head was about to explode!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! MAKE IT STOP!" I screamed as the pain took control of me. And like a wish being granted, it stopped.

"I see… I remember now…" I realized that I was in the apocalypse now and my name was Ash. I had a brother waiting for me in the next room and we were going to Bridgeport to find my other brother.

"Grimm… his device worked… Where is he?" I pondered

I then grabbed my stuff and slowly opened the door to see if the coast is clear. Seeing that it was, I headed to Grimm's room to see if he was awake. Walking towards his room, I noticed that something was off. It was pretty loud outside for the first day in the apocalypse. Judging by the population here at the edge of the City, there wouldn't be plenty, and if the decay from the main city would get here, they wouldn't reach this place for a week and it's only been a day!

I ignored the thought and headed to Grimm's room. As I was about to open it, I noticed that it was locked…

"Odd… he should be awake by now." I thought

I tried to forcefully open it by pushing and pulling the knob repeatedly. But to my disappointment, it didn't budge.

"*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* Grimm? Are you there?" I asked and waited a couple of seconds for a response. Seeing that there was none, I tried one more time.

"*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* Are you awake yet? Grimm?" I called out.

There was still no response from the other side of the door. Why isn't he answering? He should be awake by now. We have no time to wait. We have to get to Bridgeport by today, otherwise, brother's gonna leave us. I then went back to my room and went to my walk in closet.

This was dad's old place. I found it in one of the blueprints in the secret lab in Japan. There must be a hidden contraption to activate the door to a secret room. I spent 4 hours trying to find dad's hidden chamber. A switch, a lever, nor a button, none of it was found in the place. I opened one of the lockers and found a scratch on the inside of the locker. I then noticed that there were two holes located at the upper right and left corners of the back board of the inner locker. I then tried to lodge my fingers in them and pulled it.

Voila! There was a hidden passage way!

So not everything had a hidden lever or something… Dad was old school after all…

I then slowly descended to the stairs and found a switch to the lights. The small room lit up and equipment, blueprints and other stuff were everywhere. It was a mess! But in the corner of the room, there was a bed. Dad must have spent most of his research down here.

There was a need to improvise and plan for a different strategy. I didn't expect that Grimm wouldn't wake up at the same time as I did. The best thing to do now is to wait for him to wake up and while I'm at it I should start connecting the crystal's system to cultivate it to stone layer. Maybe he'll wake up after a day.

I sat down and focused my will on the crystal. Not a lot of survivors in the apocalypse knew this but if a person had a strong will they will be in sync with their crystal. Though we know that the crystal is a parasite, it was also a computer like system. That's why not everyone in the apocalypse could cultivate fast because most people were traumatized, were suffering from shock or have given up on life. But if a person would train hard and change his perspective, they would grow.

The crystal was a complicated virtual system. Some of the survivors found out about it after 5 years in the previous jump's apocalypse. We were the first ones to discover it. Most people cultivated through training their bodies or by experiencing something traumatizing. But when we found an easy way to cultivate, we focused on it while also training our physical bodies.

The way to cultivate the crystal's system was to focus on the crystals attachment to the body and after a while, your consciousness would be sucked in to the crystal. Once you are in, you will find yourself in a room filled with codes and it was like you were floating. Everything around you was an endless space of darkness with flying sky-blue letters and numbers forming various codes. Once you were in, you will find 8 glowing lights the size of a basketball, and is randomly placed around you. The goal is to connect these lights using your mind or your will. This might seem easy but it's actually quite difficult. The slightest feeling of doubt and fear will allow the connection to fail. And connecting one light to the other would take hours or some days, depending on the will power of the person. The higher your cultivation level is, the harder it becomes.

A wood cultivator starts off with 8 lights and once they reach the next layer of cultivation, the number of lights to connect would double. So from a wood cultivator which has 8 lights to connect, a stone cultivator needs to connect 16 lights to be in the iron layer of cultivation! For now, I have to connect 8 lights in order to be in the stone layer.

To focus, I needed to release fear, doubt, and worry, and focus on my will power to survive as the source for the connection. And after a day, I was able to reach the Stone Layer. I could now summon a weapon! Heat was now being generated in my body as I tried to summon my weapon. Before I knew it, a pair of giant gauntlets appeared on both my arms and they didn't seem heavy at all. I was astounded by it!

It was exhausting but I had to continue. Cultivating to the next layer was now a priority since Grimm was still asleep. I started connecting the first 3 lights which took me 4 days to connect. While I was half-way in my connection to the 4th light…

*BAAAANG!*

A loud sound came from upstairs forcefully bringing me back to reality. I then rushed towards my bedroom upstairs and slowly opened the door to see what was happening. There I saw a woman around her 20s tiptoeing in our living room. She was very pale and was thin. Her clothes were very dirty and all ripped. She went to the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets and drawers. Food was probably something she was looking for. After a while she then started heading for Grimm's door and started jiggling the knob hard. After a while, she gave up and went to the living room.

When I confirmed that she was a wood cultivator and that she was harmless, I decided to head down to resume my cultivation. I then tried to estimate the time it would take for me to reach the Iron layer. Since the apocalypse seemed to have eternal darkness because of the cloud of dust from the comet that was now covering the earth, it was only rare to have sunlight in a week. Knowing this, it would be best to have a digital watch to monitor the days you've spent, otherwise, it would seem like you'd have an endless night time. I checked my watch for the date.

To my horror, it gave the information that shocked me.

"June 10! It's June 10?! How can it be June 10?! Shouldn't it be the 4th of June?!" I then checked another watch in my spatial ring. And to my dismay, it was had the same date.

"June 10th… No way…" reality hit me hard like a wall

I woke up a week after the apocalypse started!

"How did it happen? Why did I wake up so late?" I thought long and hard about what caused it. Then I figured it out.

The memory retainer!

The system must have had a hard time erasing our memories because of the memory retainer. This must be the reason why we woke up late. That means Grimm is in such a state as well! Then I should really wait for him. There's no point in me panicking over this. Grimm can hold his own. For now, I should focus on cultivating to the iron layer.

I used anger as the fuel to cultivate faster. After 3 days of intense cultivating I was now on my way to connecting towards my 11th light. Only 6 more to go before I reach the Iron Layer.

*GRAAAAAAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAAH!!! NOOOOOO!! KAAAAAAA–*

I was forcefully brought to reality again as I heard a loud growl followed by a painful scream that suddenly stopped. Without any hesitation I ran towards my upper room and peeked at the door.

A RENEGADE!

There was a renegade and it seems like the girl who stayed in this place forgot to lock the door. She was now being eaten by the large thing. How can there be a 2nd grade decay? It's only been 2 weeks since the apocalypse began. Grimm is in trouble, but as long as he doesn't wake up yet and this monster leaves, he'll be fine.

I can't stay here. In my current level, I can't beat that thing. I then slowly headed back to the secret room to cultivate, but just before I could focus on cultivating…

"Ash! You there Ash?!"

A voice called out to me and I opened my eyes in panic…

"Oh no…. Grimm…"

I then stood up and ran for the room upstairs while trying not to be too loud. I took a peak and saw that he was now standing behind the Renegade. He then summoned something from his spatial ring.

A GUN?!

What the hell is he doing?! Does he plan on fighting that thing with that gun?! He knows he can't hurt this thing with normal bullets. Did his memory retainer fail? No, it couldn't have. He could still summon from his spatial ring meaning the device worked for him too. I then saw a glimpse of his face. He was angry.

Did he think that I'm the one who's been eaten?!

I couldn't take it anymore. I opened the door wide enough and then rushed to cover his mouth. I forcefully dragged him in the room and shut the door. He was now facing me with a shocked expression as I was covering his mouth and was signaling him to stay quiet.

Without thinking much, I led him to the secret room while he kept complaining and kept asking some questions. Man? Was he always this talkative? He wasn't really. He's probably confused or scared.

"Why is there a renegade this early in the apocalypse? And what do you mean 'days ago'? How long was days ago?" he asked in an angry tone.

Why in the world is he mad at me? It's not my fault that the renegade was here.

"I don't know brother… And as for how long 'days ago' is… that was 3 days ago." I replied as calm as I could

"3 days?! I was asleep for 3 days?!" he exclaimed

Not good… He's beginning to panic. I then held his hand to try and calm him down. The news of him waking up after 2 weeks won't do him any good either. I have to break it to him as gentle as possible.

"Grimm, don't be surprised about this." I said in the most comforting way I could.

"About what?" he asked

I then thought about it carefully as to how to break it to him gently, but there was no easy way in this. I had to tell him.

"You've been asleep for 2 weeks now…" I said softly.

"What?" he tried to confirm again

Man! It's already hard enough! Can't he get it in his head?

"You heard me… 2 weeks… You've been asleep for 2 weeks because the crystal's system had a hard time erasing your memories. Your memory retainer was slowing the process down. I woke up 1 week after it started as well." I calmly explained

"And you just left me in that room?!" he yelled.

"Hey! Your door was locked! And if I tried to break it, the zombies that were surrounding the house would force their way in!" I angrily yelled back.

Without me noticing, I accidentally summoned my weapons which startled Grimm. He was now slowly backing away.

"Y-You… You're already at the Iron Layer?" He stuttered

"Stone Layer… 6 more lights to connect before I reach the Iron Layer. I mean, what was I supposed to do while you were asleep?" I said

"I see… You made the right choice. I'm sorry for yelling at you." he apologized.

"I'm sorry too…" I replied.

There was a long silence after that…

"What are we going to do now?" I asked while looking at the floor

"Well, we can't get out while that thing is in there. Renegades tend to go in packs. So there shouldn't be just one. To beat that thing, we need to be at least become an Iron Cultivator. So for now, let's stay here and work on our cultivation." He answered

He was right. There was no other way out of this. Paradox could only wait for us then. It might take time, but I believe that he will definitely not leave without us.

We both sat down at different corners of the room in order for us not to disturb each other while cultivating. I entered the crystal's system through my consciousness and started working on the next light. After a week of cultivation, I finally reached the Iron Layer, and surprisingly, Grimm did too. He must've used his rage to fuel his cultivation in an intense speed. He was very competitive as well, making it easier for him to cultivate faster.

After a while of getting used to our new body, we planned our escape towards our ride. We both agreed on the plan to kill the renegades in the upper room and head for the G55. Our bodies were now slowly heating up as we summoned our weapons. Grimm had a giant scythe that was twice his size, not only that, since we were now in the iron layer, our strength was 5 times the strength of a body-builder. This allowed us to move faster, attack harder, and wield our weapons as if they were Popsicle sticks. We even had manifestation of elements! Sweet!

We were now excited to use our weapons. Standing at the door, he gave me a nod signaling me to open it. There were 6 Renegades standing inside the crowded living room trying to have a piece of what was left from the woman's corpse. This made it easier for my brother to slice them in one swing.

*WHOOOOOOOSH!*

The sound of a sharp blade was heard piercing the wind as it was swung towards the pack of 2nd grade decay. But to our surprise, the last zombie successfully evaded the attack.

"Get to the car! I'll handle this!" Grimm urged

I was hesitant but I obediently followed his order. He was the second in command when Paradox was not around. I rushed towards the back door and punched it with my gauntlet sending the door flying. The zombies that were pounding on that door were blown away as well. I hurriedly opened the door and got in the vehicle. As I was now calming myself, I heard a roar from the distance. The renegade that Grimm was fighting must have called for the rest of its pack. The gauntlets were now unsummoned as I was now frantically trying to turn the vehicle on. As it revved up, a thud came from the roof.

"DRIVE!" Grimm commanded

Without thinking about it, I floored the accelerator and started heading for the highway. The road was mostly blocked by zombies but the G55 was a very sturdy vehicle that's why we chose this. I drove as fast as I could while brother was defending from the room. He started blasting some fast-paced zombies with his flames.

Show-off!

*ROOOOOOOOAR!*

Suddenly a pack of angry renegades were now chasing after us. We were now in a very large road and there was plenty of room. The renegades soon caught up to us and started bumping the vehicle. One of the renegades tried to jump and grab Grimm, but his instincts took over and he was able to duck before the zombie got to him.

"DRIVE FASTER!" he exclaimed

"I'M TRYING!" I yelled

It's really hard to speed up when a bunch of bulky looking zombies kept on bumping the vehicle you know! Geez!

But even so, I still out maneuvered them and was able to widen the gap.

We were now 50m away from the renegades but there were still no signs of these monsters slowing down.

"Keep driving…" he said calmly

"What are you planning to do?" I asked

Just then, he jumped of the roof of the G55 and landed behind me. When I saw this, I immediately hit the brakes.

*EEEEEEERRRRRK!*

"What are you doing?! Get in! You're going to get yourself killed!" I commanded

But before I could hear his reply, he then made a huge leap towards the pack of zombies and he… disappeared…

Where did he go?

Suddenly, a puff of flames came 30m above the pack of rampaging renegades and a figure was now diving towards them.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

It was Grimm! He teleported?! What mastery! And to think that he just got his powers today!

He slammed at the monsters and a large wave of flames incinerated them leaving no trace that there were a pack of renegades there. What was left was a large hole on the ground and part of it was still burning.

Grimm was now heading towards me.

"Let's go…" he said as he entered the car.

Why is he acting all cold now?

When I turned to look at him, I saw that he already passed out. The fight must have taken a huge toll on him. This guy… He always fights to protect even if it costs him his life. When I thought about how he died in the previous jump, I was now crying…

Grimm…

After a long drive, we were now nearing Bridgeport. As we were about to cross the border, the road seemed to be blocked and there were two men guarding the entrance to the City.

"Stop!" one of the men ordered.

He then ordered us to step out of the vehicle.

There was no way in this world that we were getting out of this vehicle. The two men started pointing their guns at us. This…

I wanted to shoot them right now, but Grimm told us to just comply. We both got out of the vehicles and raised our hands up. They then began to search us. The man who was searching me was slowly making his way to the wrong parts. I felt violated so I kicked him in the nuts and took his gun and shot him. I then pointed it to the other guy and shot him as well. Grimm was now face-palming himself.

"What? He was practically begging for it." I told him

"They were just teenagers!" He said

"So? Not like it matters in the apocalypse." I rebutted

*BANG!*

Just then a gunshot rang through the air. We both looked at the direction where it was coming from. There we saw a bunch of other teenagers pointing their guns at us. We couldn't see them very well since it was very dark.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" A man in the middle of the crowd of teenagers said

His voice sounded so familiar. He was clearly staring at us, looking back and forth between me and Grimm. When he saw the bodies of his comrades on the ground, he started to tremble in anger.

"You… You will pay for this!" He yelled.

Just then the light from the lamp post illuminated his face and we saw a familiar face. And we remembered him…

"Great… it had to be him…" Grimm said

The words won't come out of my mouth as anger was now swelling inside me. But soon I was able to say the name of the person in front of us.

"Crown…"

________________END OF CHAPTER______________________