Chapter21: V

Leo is gone! When Tom and the others saw Jack return, they hurriedly told him the news.

"What?" Jack was surprised. "Why?"

"We didn't tell you something," May added. "I strongly suspect Leo has feelings for you... and not the kind of feelings you'd expect."

"Ah?" Jack froze.

"We talked about his past before," Tom continued. "His parents divorced, and his father used to beat him, so he developed certain tendencies..."

"So, why me?" Jack asked, confused.

"It has to do with human nature," Lily interjected. "Actually, when I got a little closer to you, I could already feel his hostility toward me."

"No way." Jack looked helpless and embarrassed. "I really thought of him as a friend." He sighed deeply. After walking for a while, Leo had left no clue about where he was headed, so they had no choice but to give up.

Suddenly, the door opened, and an alien monster walked in. The others, upon seeing it, immediately raised their guns, ready to fire. The creature quickly stood up straight, raised its hands, and said, "Relax, relax, easy easy!"

"Wait a second!" John glanced at the creature and noticed it was somewhat different from the one in the pictures. "It seems to be missing a lot of features. Did you guys notice that?"

"It doesn't have the neck ring, and it can stand?" Jack said.

"I want food!" the little creature said. "I've been looking for something to eat for a long time."

Tom took out some jerky and biscuits from his bag and handed it a bottle of water.

The little creature grabbed the biscuits and started gobbling them down. That's when Jack and the others had a chance to study it more closely. It did indeed have four eyes, with two on the sides, covering almost a 300-degree field of view. Its appearance seemed to match the species they had seen before; its fingers were agile, with retractable claws, resembling those of a cat or tiger. It had a spine that protruded like bone spurs on its back, a medium-length tail, and its legs were unlike a human's. It couldn't stand fully upright, but its thighs were strong, making it likely much more agile and capable of jumping higher than humans. There were scratches on its arms from sharp objects, and the blood that leaked out was dark blue.

"Are you alone?" May asked, slightly confused, then changed the question. "Where are you from?"

"Yes, no companions. You can call me V," the little creature said nonchalantly, without fear. "I've been following you all the way here. When I first arrived, I was small, so my memory is a bit unclear, which is why I don't have much information to offer." It smiled.

The group chuckled, unsure why this little creature had been following them, and also confused about why it was so interested in them.

"I just arrived in this world, and I hope to find a group of kind people to live with," V said.

"I've seen a much larger version of your kind," Jack said.

"We reproduce asexually, so we don't have the concept of 'relationships.' Our life starts inside an egg made of a black substance. However, we do have the concept of groups. As we grow, each individual chooses a faction, and then serves and fights for that group."

"So, why choose us?" Jack asked.

"You seem brave and fearless, kind and pure, not quick to kill. These are the qualities of the longest-lasting organizations in a civilized age." V smiled, its deep blue veins turning light red as it relaxed. It clearly had a physiology entirely different from humans.

"To be honest, we still have big differences," Bob said. "We can't necessarily accept your existence, and in an apocalypse, no one can really be trusted."

"I can sign a pact from my species with you," V said seriously. "I can smear the forehead of someone in your group with my blood, and then I will live and die with that person." Saying this, V drew deep blue blood from the fin on its back and reached out to smear Jack's forehead.

Jack felt a little scared and took a step back, but he was still touched by the blood.

"You can choke this brother," V said.

Upon hearing this, Bob stepped forward, grabbed Jack by the neck, and lifted him up. Jack's face turned bright red, and he started struggling.

A few seconds later, V began to react similarly, purple blood flowing from its body, and it started losing its balance.

Bob quickly set Jack down, and V's reactions slowly calmed down.

"How about trying it on Lily? That way you can protect her," Jack suggested.

"This ability can only be used once in a lifetime. You should have told me earlier," V declined, then added, "I need companions, just as you need me. My species has already arrived on this land. You don't fully understand them, and there are complex ties between humans and my species. After some genetic combinations, zombies were even created. If we cooperate, we might have a better chance of surviving."

V's words carried sincerity and realism. Indeed, humans and extraterrestrial beings might need to coexist, as the threat of zombies was still unpredictable.

"Can we touch you?" Tom asked, intrigued by the species.

"Of course," V smiled. "In my normal state, my skin is quite soft, only becoming tough during battle. We are, after all, a warrior species." It then asked, "Do you have a person who survived being infected with the zombie virus?"

"He left," Jack replied.

"What? Why? Our team really needs him," V said, sounding a little disappointed.

"This involves emotional issues. You might not understand," May said with a smile.

"Alright, I suggest we find him as soon as possible. Only then can we live better in this world," V urged, thinking from the perspective of the group.