Chapter 46 - The Prideful Simon
At this moment, Zach, while carrying a gun, could be found facing a group of twenty survivors, seeing him blocking their way toward the base, and together with him were Adam and Eve who were already baring their fangs at them.
"It is you. What was your name again?" Zach took the first move and asked the man who was being surrounded by the other as they really weren't strangers to each other since he was one of the other leaders who rejected his offer a month ago. Seeing him and the situation of his group immediately told him that something must have probably happened back in the city.
"I-It's Simon." The leader of the answered before his attention immediately shifted towards the incoming vehicles that had just gone outside from what he could tell was probably the base that Zach had told them before which has really existed.
"Okay. Simon. What are you doing here while bringing this number of people with you?" Zach asked once again as he looked at the survivors who were with him staring back at him while looking pretty tired and nervous.
"I know that we have a bad start, but we really need help and would like to ask if your offer still stands. Look. After you left with a large number of survivors, the tyrant groups of the city suddenly banded together and started killing the remaining survivors in the area. I don't know what was running on their minds to do such a thing, but I keep hearing them saying that they are progressing." Simon immediately said while looking back at what happened in the city
"And you act like you don't know it?" Zach had already guessed that such a thing would happen sooner or later so he was no longer surprised about it, he was just angry at the fact that they really started killing without any remorse just to level up. Also, he doubted that Simon didn't know such a thing since he might probably killed some while fighting back.
Hearing Zach, Simon was surprised a little since he had also seen the change in his status window. He actually wanted to exchange this information for some supplies or even maybe ask them to accept them but seeing that Zach also knew this fact then he no longer had any cards left to make a bargain.
Not long after, four Humvees stopped just at the back of Zach and a group of Rangers then immediately surrounded them which not only made Simon very nervous but also the survivors who had been with him since they already depleted their resources to flee away from the city to save themselves.
"What happened to the man who has also rejected my offer?" Zach continued to ask them questions since he also needed to know every detail that they knew of and decide later if they were good for the base.
"They are all dead. We were only lucky to have escaped the city and followed the remaining track that your trucks have left on the way." Simon answered while no longer hiding anything since their lives were at stake at the moment.
"Hmmm. So, what do you want?" Zach nodded and then just returned to ask just what Simon and his group of survivors wanted now that they had met again after following their tracks. He could see in their eyes that they were still holding on and clinging to life so he wanted to test how would they behave.
"Look. I regretted rejecting your offer back then. I really am but this is not what's important right now. If we somehow followed your tracks here, those tyrants in the city will probably do the same. Their number was no joke and they killed people like it was nothing. We should also bond with each other to confront them or else, this place might as well be another burial ground." Simon answered.
"What a disappointment, Simon. Up until now, I could still see the pride hidden in your eyes. You can actually just tell me that you want to join the base, why bother saying many things and even leaving a threat of what this place would become. Do you think we need your help dealing with those tyrants? We have three hundred Rangers all armed and trained in the base, if they really come to this place, then it would be their burial ground and not ours." Zach said while looking at Simon with disappointment.
"I have offered you a chance back then, yet you leave without even saying anything. Do you think I will just accept you and your group like it never happened?" Zach followed. Though he didn't mind such action back then, now that they were the ones asking for his help, they didn't even feel ashamed.
"T-Then. What are we going to do for you to accept us?" Simon gritted his teeth as he looked at Zach. He was actually thinking that as long as they saw each other again, Zach would probably accept them knowing that they were kind enough to recruit those many survivors in the city, however, hearing Zach's words right now made him think that he wasn't a young and naïve person like he thought.
"I can tell that you've already used up all your resources. Also, James told me about your rejection of his group saying that they did not meet your requirements. Well, for me right now, you also did not meet my requirements. So, we won't accept you." Zach replied while smiling at Simon after remembering James' story.
"Heh. And who are you to decide that? Let me meet the one who was running your base. I bet he wouldn't reject us knowing that we were a group who had experienced dealing with other people. Hey, you! Call your boss right now." Simon no longer listened to Zach as he looked at the people surrounding them wanting to meet the leader of the base thinking that Zach was probably acting in revenge for what happened back then.
However, the Rangers in the surroundings didn't answer as they continued to point their guns towards Simon and his group. They were even holding themselves not to laugh thinking how foolish he was saying as the leader that he was calling was already in front of him right now.
"It's no use, Simon. You're talking to the boss right now." Zach said while smiling as he looked at Simon who was yelling like a clown.
"Who? You? Do you think you are capable of leading this place? You're just a boy who still wasn't over 20 yet. Do you think if as a fo---" Simon already lost it upon hearing Zach's words however, before he could finish his sentence, a couple of gunshots were fired, and there it was, a hole on his forehead could be found before his body fell to the ground.
"You're too noisy." Zach said as he looked at Simon's dead body.
"Now. What should I do to all of you.?" Zach followed as he looked at the survivors who were with him.
"P-Please, spare me."
"Spare us."
"Don't kill us!"
"I'm begging you. Please, spare us."
All of them started pleading for their lives while they were on their knees upon seeing how indifferent Zach was. Up until now, they were doing what Simon had been telling them but seeing that he was dead, there was no longer a need to stay quiet fearing that they would be next.
"Do you all know what offer I gave to your leader Simon back then?" Zach then just asked while looking at them begging for their lives. He guessed that these people probably didn't know about it since they looked too ignorant while he was having a conversation with Simon.
The survivors looked at Zach as they shook their heads. In fact, they don't know what happened to the meeting of the leaders of different groups back then as they were only doing what they were told and were completely clueless about almost everything.
"So, that's how it is. Simon probably didn't tell you to preserve his position. What a selfish bastard. Well, it doesn't matter now. Follow us back to the base as I am more interested in hearing your stories." Zach said before immediately telling the Rangers to patch them up and bring them back to base.
With that, the survivors then were interviewed to check their identities and to know what they had done up until now before giving them food and shelter to rest for the day as they waited for new instructions that they would receive the next day.
Zach, however, headed back to the place he was before as he continued his halted exercise seeing him now doing push-ups with Adam and Eve lurking around the area. Though he was exercising, his mind was actually occupied by the news that Simon had brought as it really was something that needed attention.
"The time is getting near. Let's just focus on what's important right now." Zach, after thinking it through, thought that the next phase that the notification had said was more important at the moment since they didn't know what would come or happen after that.
"8 days left, huh. I should call back all the Rangers outside and have them all rested so they would be prepared for the incoming next phase." Zach said before finally finishing his daily routine after hearing the notification sound.
"Status Recovery." Zach then immediately used one of the rewards of the mission before calling Adam and Eve telling them that it was now time to head back. Looking at his status window for a while, he then just closed them afterward as he just wanted to take a peek at how many free attributable stat points he had right now and thought of spending them again later.
Following that, Zach then just walked back to the base together with Adam and Eve while they appreciated the peacefulness of the surroundings. He then just hoped that it would continue to be that way as he already had enough of dealing with calamities and the fact that Jenny would probably deliver soon enough.
Night then came, and everyone was peacefully living in the base as they started to forget about everything that happened, however, some of them were also talking about the next phase that the system had said which they had different theories that became a hot topic to argue on since some believe that it would bring benefits while some believe that it would bring the same or worse than the calamities.
Meanwhile, Zach could be found in the living room of his house as he stares at his status window after using a number of his free attributable stat points to the arrangement that he deemed reasonable.
[Name: Zach Anderson
Tier: 1
Level: 0 (Progress: 43 %)
Class: None
Age: 19 (Lifespan:150 years)
Strength: 200
Agility: 70
Vitality: 70
Endurance: 70
Stamina: 70
Spirit: 150
Free Attributable Stat Points: 64
Active Skills (0/5): None
Passive Skills (0/5): None
Pet/s: None
System Inventory (∞): Glock 7 Pistol, Boat, Humvee, Katana.
Survival Inventory (1/10): Evolution Coin
Evolution Store
Evolution Coins: ∞]
Other than that, Zach has also tidied up his messy inventory as he has already given them all to his family since he no longer needs to stack them knowing that he could just buy them when he needed after all, he has Evolution Coins that could not be depleted. He, however, didn't take out the useful rewards given by the system especially the boat and the Humvee.
"I wonder how strong I am now?" Zach said thinking that he really hadn't tested his strength to its fullest as he felt like it was still convenient to use weapons while dealing with other people, however, he felt like he could punch a person to death if he did it right now in spite them also being a Tier 1 like him. However, it was all still a theory since he needed to test it to see if it was really the case.
Following that, Zach then just stayed for a little while before finally finishing everything. After this, he talked to the Rangers stationed at the watchtowers wanting to see if everything was okay, and after hearing that nothing was peculiar was the time he headed straight to his room and slept with Jenny in his arms.