Chapter 18 - Guilty and Cruelty

"So fierce. Where did you get these dogs, Zach? Wait. Are they really dogs?" Max said while looking at Adam and Eve who were beside Zach looking at him. He was still surprised after seeing them helping him fight against those two men before that he couldn't help but wonder if they were really dogs. 

"Cut. It's not like you didn't know the changes happening in your body. It does not only apply to us but these dogs have also experienced the same." Zach replied and he was sure about it. He was just very glad that he decided to take them in before as they really become quite dependable in many things. 

"You're right, man. I was also surprised when I discovered such a thing. Zach, just what is really going on in this world? It feels like we were inside a novel or something." Max said while looking at his hands. He then just looked at Adam and Eve wanting to pet them but they brutally ignored him. 

"By the way, are Jake and the others alive?" Zach then changed the topic as he was curious about the situation of his other friends after thinking that since Max was here, then others could be also around. 

"T-That. They are dead." Max replied with great sadness and fury seeing him clenching his fist. He then just looked at Zach before he started talking about their story up until now with mixed feelings as he could still remember everything as if it happened just yesterday.

 Max has said that from the very start, just like everyone else, they also run for their lives wanting to escape the calamity but they weren't that fortunate as only he and Jake were lucky to survive with some small injuries. Everything was too shocking so after recuperating and hearing about the university having become an evacuation site, the two followed everyone and got back. 

Everything seemed fine as they stayed in the university with free food and supplies to live but as time passed by, more and more people came in resulting in the share of their food decreasing. At first, no one complained until some guys started voicing it out. People became very desperate and so riots happened however as the police were in charge, they immediately calmed down after being pointed with guns. 

Everyone was afraid so they remained silent, but such a thing did not last long as there was no longer enough food and since they could not take on the police who started living in luxury two weeks ago within their quarters and no longer distributing food to them, everyone started leaving the place wanting to find food and from then on, the people started getting independent. 

Max and Jake could no longer put their lives in the hands and the mercy of the police, so they also ventured outside the university wanting to find food. Everything was fine during the following days until something happened, they were caught having food by other people who were very hungry and desperate. No matter how they reasoned that it was theirs, they wouldn't just listen before a dispute happened, they fought back and that was when Jake fell as he defended the food with his life and was beaten to death. 

Hearing Max's story, Zach couldn't help but feel shocked and furious. Shocked because he couldn't believe that people started killing if it meant for survival and furious because the police really had the guts to turn their backs on the people. Though he could understand that they were also humans that have needs, what they did was just too selfish given what kind of profession they have. 

"H-How many were there in their quarters? How many guns do they have?" Zach asked coldly while looking at Max. The world has widened his mind again from hearing how sick this world has become, and he started feeling guilty for doing nothing even though he has the ability to provide food for everyone. 

Max looked at Zach upon hearing his question before telling him everything he knew thinking that he was just curious about this place however, what he didn't think was to see Zach suddenly pulling out a gun from his back and giving it to him. 

"Do you know how to use a gun? I plan to take them on tonight." Zach said as he looked at Max seriously. He was sure of it now, he wanted to save the people here. What he was about to do might be very stupid in everyone's eyes as he also felt that he really was but that was the case if he was reading a story about it unlike now when he was experiencing it himself. 

"A-Are joking right, Zach?" Max couldn't help but ask with a smile on his face but it started fading when he saw Zach looking at him seriously which he couldn't help but gulp a mouthful of his precious saliva seeing that he was not joking about it. 

"Eat for now. Let's talk about it later." Zach answered before taking out another chocolate by acting like it came from his pocket. He has thought about the pros and cons of saving these people and he believes that the pros exceed the cons after taking all the considerations. 

The world after the end of these calamities would be very foreign to them. Zach doesn't know what kind of danger it has but one thing is for sure and that is it was not a paradise. Though peacefully living alone with his family is good, the manpower they have is too little as he is always the one who always does the hard jobs so he thought that taking these people with him will immediately solve such problems. 

Zach knew the limitations of his ability given the kind of house he had given for his family. He thought that by saving these people, he might meet professionals like engineers or something that would greatly help in rebuilding society. In fact, their presence alone would greatly help in every labor job in his plans. 

Of course, Zach also knew the downside of taking them however, as long as they don't cross the line and don't poke their nose into his secrets, everything will be fine. He just hoped that they wouldn't do stupid things since he was no longer foreign to ending a human life. 

Time passed by and the world then became dark. The people who were staying at the university started getting inside a safe place to rest while enduring the extreme hunger and cold that they felt. There's no light whatsoever in this place aside from one of the buildings which was bustling with noise. 

"This world has really turned shit. Don't you think? Hahahaha. I never thought once in my life that I would be living like this." One of the men inside said while having a very wide smile on his face while looking at the woman who was kneeling on all fours on the floor as he fucks her from behind. 

"You're right. I feel like I'm more suited to live in this world. A world where law and order are no longer present." Another man said while smoking in one hand while his other hand holding on to a woman's head seeing her giving him a blowjob. 

"Hehehe. Little girl. No one will be able to save you here. Just be obedient, okay? Who knows I'll be giving you food if you satisfy me tonight." A man with a big belly said while looking at a woman who was in the corner of the room. 

 There were other men inside living a life of debauchery as the room was completely filled with moans and whimpers. Looking closely, all the faces of the women inside have traces of tears running down their cheeks as they were being molested by the men. Everything seemed to be fine inside before a knock came out of the room. 

"Who's that!?" One of the men asked while looking at the room while he continues fucking the woman in front of him. 

Hearing no response, everyone inside the room looked at each other before they ordered the man with a big belly who was just about to start his advances on the woman in the corner to see who it was. 

"Do you think it's her?" One of the men asked while looking at the door. 

"I doubt it. It has been already two weeks and she is still not back. Who knows if she was still alive or not. Haha." The man who was smoking replied but there was still a trace of nervousness inside his heart. 

"Who cared if she was back? We can just threaten and then do what we want to her. Now that I think about it, that bitch is always acting so high and mighty just because she was higher ranking than us. Wait until I take a hold of that bitch, I will savor every part of her body. Hahahaha." The man who was fucking a girl on the floor said arrogantly while thinking about their superior who was out for a while. 

Meanwhile, the fat man who was ordered to open and see who it was had already got out of the door. He frowns upon seeing nothing but after looking at the end of the ending, there he sees a young woman signing him to come while acting seductively. Blinded by his greed and lust, he then moves to where the woman is with a smile on his face. 

"Hehehe. Do you want food? You know the price right?" The fat man said before finally arriving at her place but never once he thought that there were two other men with her. He was surprised before frowning, he was about to ask something but he saw one of the men point a gun at him and before he could react, his body had already fallen on the ground. 

"Kiy---" The woman was about to scream upon seeing the dead body of the fat man but stopped after her mouth was forcefully closed off. She then looked at the man who did it and was surprised to see that he wasn't affected and did not have any reaction to what he just did. 

"S-Shit. Zach, you just killed somebody." Max immediately said while holding the gun in his hand tight as he witnessed everything. He couldn't help but feel nervous and at the same time surprised thinking if Zach was really the friend he had two months ago as it was the first time he saw him so scary. 

"That's one down. There are seven left to go. Woman, you can now go and tell everybody to wait for me." Zach said as he looked at the woman who they had convinced to act in their plan on taking out one of the people inside. They have planned and talked it out to the people living in this place and they supported it especially those people who their child have become victims. 

Hearing Zach, the woman then immediately leaves and runs back to where the people are gathering. She and everyone else were surprised and grateful after meeting Zach as he didn't even hesitate to share the food that he had with them. Though they were not optimistic when he said that he had the ability to provide them food in exchange for their loyalty to him, they still thought that there was no harm in believing it since they were already at their limit. 

"Max. If you can't take it, you can follow the woman back. I can take this from here." Zach said while leaning on the wall. He was just waiting for another police to come out to see the situation knowing that this fat man hadn't returned back for some time now. He knew that he could not just barge in since he knew these police were more skilled than him so he planned on taking them out one by one. 

Hearing Zach, Max could not help but gulp seeing the look in his eyes that was telling him that it was not his first time killing a person. He then just holds the gun in his hand tightly before steeling his resolve that he has to do it after hearing the noises coming inside the building. 

Seeing this, Zach just smiled faintly before leaving the place to Max as he planned on moving to the back so he could see the situation inside and if an opportunity arose, he wouldn't hesitate to take them all while they were still focused on what they were doing.