Chapter 8: Instincts and Hunger

Time to devour…

…or so the Zombie thought.

Ever since he ate the two guards near the so-called Safe Zone, there haven't been any humans coming out of the gates for a long time now– the moon had already settled twice. He… was already starting to get hungry.

It didn't help that the Readers of Fate keep on spamming words that he did not understand in front of him. But lately, he seemed to be learning how to just ignore them– they disappear anyway after a few steps.

There was another change that was going on ever since he ate the two guards. He… started seeing things that aren't there. Each time he closed his eyes, he would see something else– he could see himself surrounded by humans.

And instead of eating them… he was talking to them casually.

…perhaps a memory? A memory of what he once was as a human?

But alas, each time he opens his eyes, his hands which were rotting away once again welcome him home. And in this home…

…he was now alone.

[The Readers of Fate beg to disagree.]

"..." The Zombie only squinted his pale blue eyes, shaking his head before starting to walk through the empty streets.

Empty. Perhaps that was the best way to describe it now. Ever since the Giant Hornet group tried to hunt him, the Zombie has yet to see a single zombie walking around the streets. He… was probably the last one.

"This… is not good."

The Zombie also found himself speaking a lot lately; almost to the point that he almost sounded exactly like a human– the hoarseness in his voice, now replaced by a deep timbre.

"There's… no one to eat," the Zombie then whispered as he once again turned his eyes all over the empty streets. He could probably solve his dilemma if he entered the city, but there was this sort of voice inside his head that was telling him not to.

That as soon as he enters the city, he would be extinguished like the rest of his kind. He could probably try to wrap himself up, but… he could never hide the stench that was being emitted from his body.

He also started to notice it... the stench. It helped him blend with the other zombies, but now that they were gone, he could not help but feel a little vulnerable.

"Not good."

The Zombie then once again let out a whisper as he felt a small tremble coming from his stomach. If this goes on, he would probably be extinguished all on his own even without the slayers' help.

But still, the Zombie could not really do anything about it. No matter how long he tried to wait, no one was coming out. The only thing he could really do was walk, not so aimlessly, of course; as he now finds himself once again looking at the view he had seen the night he met the Giant Hornet group.

The dark empty horizon that blended with the sky… except now, it was not so empty after all.

With the sun shining upon it, the Zombie could see everything. There was nothing, but at the same time, everything.

Trees, the ground, the grass… the flat, paved, and shaved road that had traces of humans walking across it.

Empty, but seemingly teeming with life.

And of course, as an undead– life attracted the Zombie as his feet started to move on their own. If he was going to feed, he was sure that it would be out there.

"..." Still, the Zombie looked back at the ruined streets as he walked towards the horizon. This was the only home he had ever known, it felt weird, but something inside him didn't really want to leave.

…Sentiment? Was that the word he was trying to find? There were all these new words that were starting to enter his mind. He doesn't know what they mean, initially. But as he finds a situation fitting, the words will just pop out.

But alas, even this so-called sentiment was nothing compared to his instincts that were trying to tell him to feast.

And so, the Zombie began to walk towards the horizon; deeper and deeper. From a forest of death and ruin, now he was surrounded by life. As the buildings were replaced by trees just as tall.

Everywhere the Zombie looked, there was life…

…and yet there was nothing to eat.

Yet he walked. And walked… and walked…

…until he found he heard a sound.

"..." The Zombie rushed through the woods as the rustles grew stronger; his nostrils also started to move as the scent of blood entered his ears. He was excited, of course– this would be his first meal after days. But perhaps his newfound excitement would also be the source of his demise.

There truly was a human, of course. He would recognize the scent of their blood from a mile away… but she was already being eaten and devoured.

"..." The Zombie tried to back away, but a very light snap whispered in the air as he did so– and that light snap was all that was needed for the ones that were eating the human to turn their heads towards the Zombie.

Their elongated noses, sharp teeth, and triangular ears that protruded on the top of their head. They somewhat resembled a human to an extent, but the abundant hair that covered most of their body was something that the Zombie had not seen before.

This was the first time– the first time that the Zombie was seeing a monster that was not of his kind.

And for the first time, he found himself to be the prey.

But instincts, you see; they have a very weird way of doing things that would sometimes, very rarely, bring forth danger to those who hold them.

Take a deer, for instance, one that stops in front of a car instead of running away. A small animal, barking at a creature much bigger than it.

And that's exactly what was happening with the Zombie now.

Instead of running away, a smile appeared on his rotting face; in his mind, a single thought–

–What would these human-like beasts taste like?