Chapter 25: A Small Alley Feast (2)

[Reader of Fate: The Enigma, sent a moving image that says 'Finally! Yesss!']

[Reader of Fate: Craze The Third, also sent a moving image that says 'Finally!]

[Reader of Fate: Synergy, tells Zero not to hold back.]

[Reader of Fate: Everything System Infinity, says 'Thank you for the chapter'.]

[...]

And with the Readers of Fate suddenly becoming quiet, Zero was once again able to focus on the situation-at-hand... or more precisely, the situation-at-jaw.

The gang leader's flesh seemed to be even tougher than that of the werewolf he ate last time; but judging by the hints of blood that started to flow into his mouth, although the werewolf was still tastier, this gang leader shouldn't be that far away in terms of scrumptiousness.

"T… this fucker!" The gang leader quickly removed the knife hanging on his waist and stabbed it into Zero's chest. He was about to push him away, but contrary to his expectations, Zero's grip didn't weaken– instead, it even got tighter as his arms started to wrap around the gang leader's torso, locking both of them together completely.

"W… what are you guys still looking at!? Do something!" The gang leader roared as he pulled the knife from Zero's chest and once again plunged it in… but once again, nothing.

The gang member that was holding a gun frenziedly fired his gun in panic; but still, he managed to hit Zero in the back several times before his clip ran out. Sadly for the other members that were near Zero, they too were hit. But since they could still groan in pain, they might just survive this situation yet. And now, with the gun's clip completely emptied, everyone thought it was over. That is…

…until Zero completely ripped off their leader's throat…

…and swallowed it.

[Skill: Hardened Flesh Lv. 3… Failed to Absorb!]

Zero was about to take another bite, but before he could do so, some of the gang members started screaming… and running away from the alley.

[Reader of Fate: The Dude, tells Zero to leave no witnesses.]

"!!!" Zero instinctively took a bite of the nearest person that tried to run away… but when he realized he didn't really taste like anything; and would even compare the flavor to dust, he just pushed the man into the wall, completely knocking him unconscious.

Some of the members started pushing each other to the ground– leaving them open for Zero to plunge his sharp claws straight through their stomachs. He didn't really want to eat them, so ridding them of their lives was of no problem to him since he wouldn't really get anything from them.

Most were able to escape, as Zero didn't really care much for them– he did, however, care for two– the remaining slayers.

"..." His eyes then very slowly turned towards the two other slayers in the gang– and unluckily for them…

…they were at the very end of the alley.

"S… shit, they left us."

"We… we can handle him!"

"Didn't you just see him kill Mike!?"

"Kh…" A smile then very slowly crawled on Zero's face as the two started to panic; there were still some escaping and moving past him, but Zero just let them go as his eyes remained on the two. And very soon, he revealed his teeth that were filled with nothing but blood.

And so, finally– after what seemed like a very long time, he was allowed to feast.

…and feast he did.

[Skill: Summon Ice Lv. 1, Gained!]

[Unique Skill: Invisibility Lv. 1… Failed to Absorb!]

[Host level, Up!]

[Automatically adding points to Intelligence.]

[The Host has now reached the Current Limit of its Intelligence!]

"Hm…" Zero then let out a small groan as he wiped his mouth with his arm. Shaking his head repeatedly before looking at the buffet he had for himself.

The leader of the gang, being the tastiest amongst the lot barely had any more flesh in him, the other two weren't as scrumptious, and so only their organs were transferred to his stomach. As for the normal humans, well– they were just there, dead; parts of their bodies missing as they met Zero's claws.

"I… should go," Zero then muttered as he got up,

"Thank you… for the meal," he then whispered, imitating some of the members of the Wind Mafia whenever they finished their food.

Zero was about to step out of the alley, but before he could do so… he heard something moving on the side– a very familiar sound that he could mistake for no other. After all…

…it was the sound of his kin.

"..." Zero then walked to search for the noise, until finally, he saw someone moving erratically on the ground– it was the non-slayer he threw on the wall earlier because he didn't have any taste.

"Hello?" He tilted his head to the side as he watched… the man slowly turning into a zombie; his eyes, ever so slightly turning pale and red at the same time. And very soon, it started to growl.

[Some of the Readers of Fate are proud of Zero.]

[Some of the Readers of Fate are commenting on how fast he grows. He's a daddy now.]

"..." Zero watched as the newborn zombie struggled to stand up. Was this… how he was also born?

Alone? Surrounded by the dead that were not lucky enough to walk again? Luck? Could he consider this lucky?

"Hello?" Zero once again whispered, but the newborn did not even give him a response as it just once again started shaking– no, vibrating its head; enough for his teeth to chatter in the air.

It… was not capable of talking? Zero thought it would be somewhat like him since… Well, it came from him. But it was just like any other zombie outside.

It was somewhat… interesting.

The newborn zombie then quickly turned its eyes towards Zero as he slowly approached it. And just for a glimpse of a moment, the two met eyes. But it was just a moment, however, as very soon… the zombie turned its head toward the corpses.

But before it could even utter another growl…

…Zero suddenly sliced its neck with his sharp claws, completely beheading it.

[...]

He then watched as the zombie's head started rolling on the ground. It was still moving, using its jaw to seemingly reach for the nearest body it could feed on. But before it could even do anything, Zero picked it up by its hair… and jammed his fingers into its eyes.

And very soon, the newborn's head completely stopped moving.

"...I don't like sharing," Zero then muttered as he looked at the now unmoving zombie. He was about to throw it away, but chose not to as his eyes once again landed on the massacre he committed.

"..." He then turned his gaze back to the zombie's head… before also proceeding to pick up its body.

"I…

…I found the ghoul."