Deep-rooted Anger

Reuben's warning was of no use. The shot Undead ended up biting the healthy cop as well. Reuben held little sympathy for them. If they possessed any actual ability, they wouldn't have been so short-sighted.

And if he did want to give some credit, it was the fact that they managed to ignored the Bloodlust produced by the Undead.

'I guess that is a cop for you. Must be used to life and death situations.'

The long melee knife then spun in a 360 motion before his fingers wrapped around the hilt. The pleading man was already becoming aggressive, which didn't go unnoticed by Reuben.

A side step and swift stabbing movement finished it off quickly.

After surveilling the area, there weren't many people roaming around anymore. He was the sole individual left on the street beside the few Undeads and some injured civilians.

As for the others, they were running inside buildings and locking their doors. It made Reuben disappointed. He also wondered if he would be just like those individuals, where he was too terrified to confront the ongoing chaos.

Unexpectedly, the two police officers rapidly became Undead. Moreover, the Undead even raise the gun in hand.

Reuben darted at it, hoping to prevent it from firing off a single round.

'How is this mindless?!' He thought bewildered.

The Future Diary firmly stated their intelligence was below an insect's. And yet, now it dared point a gun at him? He was seriously going to kill it.

Despite what Reuben thought, the Undead didn't pull the trigger. Instead, it tried the same approach the others of its kind were known for doing. This greatly relieved Reuben.

"Friend!!! Please help me!!! This woman has gone insane!!!" Said a heavy set teenager.

Once he dealt with the two Undead policemen and placed their weapons inside his ring, Reuben saw the teenager pressed against a telephone pole and struggling for dare life to hold the Undead woman back.

There was no urgency in Reuben's footsteps as he walked toward them. He did another once over and said, "I need a porter. If you do what I say without complaint, I can help you this once. How about it?"

He could already see the hassle of digging through each Undead just to obtain its Evolution Core. It could be said that this teenager came in handy at just the right time.

"Porter?! What is that?! No, wait! Yes, yes!!! I can agree to anything as long as you save me!" He begged.

"Don't forget what you just said because I don't like traitors," Reuben warned.

In truth, Reuben would have intervened anyways. He still had a target he was required to achieve, and he was also against allowing the Undead numbers to increase. Otherwise, it would be too dangerous for everyone, including him.

With a fist full of hair, he struck her right temple, ceasing her body functions. Blood sprayed on the teenager, and he let out an "Eep" in shock.

"T-thank you, friend. But did you have to kill her? Couldn't you have restrained her before calling the cops?" The teenager asked.

When he saw the blood quantity after wiping it off, the teenager frowned.

"You mean those guys over there?" Reuben injected, jerking his thumb behind him to where two police officers lied dead.

The teenager's breath caught in his throat at the sight. Soon after, he emptied everything in his stomach.

"You... How can you be so heartless, man? Those are people! Wait, a-are you the terrorist everyone just got done talking about?" He could feel his heart sink at the thought.

"It wasn't me who killed them, but the virus. And you also owe me a debt." Reuben informed as his eyes flashed menacingly. The teenager shivered at the look.

"What's your name?" By the sound of Reuben's voice, one could tell he was already annoyed.

"Brian Goldfish," the teenager revealed meekly.

"Okay, Mr. Goldfish..."

"Wait! Ah... could you not call me that. It feels weird and makes me sound old. I'm only seventeen."

"Alright, Brian... you can start repaying off your debt by collecting the spoils," Reuben stated, about to hand him a knife to dissect each Undead.

After all, he was too lazy to do it himself. Sadly, Brian remained still. "Uh..."

"What is it?" The boy was really pushing it.

"I don't know your name and what exactly you mean by collect the spoils," Brian mumbled.

"I was getting to that. Call me, Reuben. Here, take the knife. Each of these Undeads has an Evolution Core located in their heart. I want you to collect them and their remains," Reuben easily explained.

"Wait!!! What?!! You want me to scavenge the dead bodies? I can't! That's disrespectful toward the deceased." What he didn't mention was how grossed out he would feel if he really went through with it.

"Less complaining and more working. Or are you betraying me?"

Having a knife pointed at you was great motivation, as Brian founded out. With self-preservation at the forefront thought of his mind, he stopped arguing and got busy with shaky hands.

Although inwardly, he was cursing himself for leaving his phone at home. He also blamed the woman too when he found nothing on her after patting her down.

'How could you leave your house without your cell as well? You must be looking down on me and did it on purpose.' He thought angrily.

The idea was that maybe he could gain a phone from looting the dead bodies. At least in that way, he could call the cops and escape if Reuben actually appeared to be a murderer.

However, that was not the case. It made this first failed opportunity to feel like a tight leash was placed around his neck while choking the life out of him.

'Is this guy really not with those terrorists...?' He wondered, secretly upon taking a peek at Reuben, who was making his way to the last five scattered Undead.

'And what's up with those people? Are that ill in the head?' There were many questions he wanted to ask, but he was receiving very little answers.

Like for example, what the heck was an Evolution Core, and why did Reuben need it? Or even better yet, why couldn't the guy do it himself since he was so interested in picking through bodies.

But he couldn't ask those questions in fear that Reuben turned out to be a murderer and became angry with him.

He felt like crying. He was forced to walk on eggshells but still had to endure. Therefore, he vented it out on the Undead before taking out the Evolution Core.

'Man, this is nasty! God, please let the next one have a phone,' he begged.

The next second, he jumped when he saw the corpse become money. In fact, he rubbed his eyes to check and see if he was hallucinating. 'Sweet mother of god, I'm crazy!'

"R-Reuben!!! This dead woman changed into coins! Y-You're, seeing this, right?!"

Because Reuben was occupied, he didn't check back where Brian was pointing. He instead said, "Quit being dramatic and hurry up. What are you going to do if the area gets crowded with Undead? Do you still think you can be saved by then?"

He was being dramatic? How was that dramatic when stuff could morph into money? He was sure he was the only sane one here.

And more importantly, 'What the heck is an Undead?'

Brian had watched and read plenty of cartoons and comics. Thus, he knew a thing or two about strange things. But he was still puzzled.

The cobwebs in his brain chirmed for quite a while before a realization came about. Perhaps if he were to eat these Evolution Cores, he could become like somebody similar to Mightman.

There were numerous stories where the hero in the tale gained extraordinary powers after consuming unnatural things.

And he could see nothing more bizarre than small orbs stuck in the body of crazy people with those same bodies changing into money.

It was like a game summoned into real life. In fact, there might even be drops too.

Furthermore, he read a comic book once where the protagonist was told to level up by eating the hearts of his opponents.

Wasn't the circumstance right now quite as similar to that scenario? He had the sudden sensation of an unstoppable urge manifest and would not be suppressed.

Envisions of bench pressing the world emerged from his thoughts. Glee permeated his being, as well as, drool emanated from his mouth.

The desire became so hard to maintain he was quivering until he reached an equilibrium.

If he became strong, he would never have to go back to enduring 'those times,' some of the worse days of his life.

**Flashback**

A group of middle school students surrounded a short and weak, skinny boy wearing glasses behind the school building.

"Yo, my fists are rusty... you know what I mean? So how about helping your best friend out, me, in getting back in shape? Hahaha!"

The others also gave out a boisterous laugh as well. Of the four people there, two seized hold of the skinny boy while the speaker, the leader of the group, rubbed his fists.

"Clench hard, lame. This is going to hurt worse than your daddy's love taps."

A 13-year-old Brian then showed up and tried stopping the lead bully. "You troublemakers! Cease your actions! Picking on people are for losers."

He felt good with that line, just like the main character in a cartoon. However, the elated feeling was short-lived.

Being a replacement was all it took for him to regret it for life.

"Okay, tubby. We'll let you sub in for him," a hard tap on Brian's stomach was the cold declaration of what was in store for him.

*

14-year-old Brian stopped running around the gym room and took a break while resting his hands on his knees. Suddenly, he was hit with a basketball on the back of the head and in the gym teacher's blind spot.

"Keep running, Pillspery doughboy. You need to show how great your athleticism is in front of the teacher. Don't you want that sparkling good A for once in gym class?"

Brian gritted his teeth and ran more. After some time, the teacher noticed the oddity and Brian's irregular breathing.

"Brian! Cut that out quickly! Are you trying to hospitalize yourself?!"

But it was too late. Brian tipped over and fell unconscious before he got the chance even to quit.

*

"Oh, looky~! This fatso got some hops. C'mere boy," Just outside a school window, a pair of trousers was dipped over and out, hanging onto a string and stick.

It was also just in jumping reach of the 15-year-old Brian without pants. Unfortunately, it was pulled up every time he attempted to grab it as well.

*smooch* *muah* *smack lips*

"C'mere~! You can do it, boy~!" The other boys continued laughing and making kissing sounds as if beckoning a dog.

**Flashback End**

Those memories still burned vividly inside. It was so great, Brian's eyes flickered with immense malice.

'I will be like Mightman! Strong enough to murder each, and every, one of those sons of...'

He then doubled his efforts and began wholeheartedly rummaging the bodies.