« Shit! »
Victor launched himself in the opposite direction, propelling his body as fast as it could possibly go.
He covered hundreds of meters within mere seconds, weaving between collapsed buildings and abandoned vehicles.
But the rumbling grew louder, closer—shaking the ground beneath his feet.
He could almost smell the thing moving behind him.
And the worst part of it all was the darkness.
He couldn't see where the creature's territory ended.
He could be one meter away from safety… or tens of kilometers.
It was suffocating.
Several seconds passed. Victor could now feel gusts of wind generated by the creature's movement.
It was only meters away from him.
Victor had no choice left.
He had to turn around now and face it.
If he let this enemy strike first, he wouldn't survive—especially not with his back turned.
So that's what he did.
Using the wall of what once might have been a convenience shop as leverage, he pushed off and threw himself toward the creature's moss-covered, skeletal leg, aiming to strike with all his strength.
It was desperate, especially since strength was now his weakest stat.
But what else could he do?
Unsurprisingly, the blow didn't even make the skeletal giant flinch.
It had stopped moving and simply stared at Victor through its empty eye sockets.
Victor didn't stop.
He continued hammering against the massive body, but even after a dozen strikes, not a single mark appeared.
Discouragement set in.
Realizing combat was no longer an option, Victor turned, intending to flee as fast as possible.
But he didn't make it ten meters.
Something clamped around him like a vice, halting him instantly.
The creature's green phalange-like fingers wrapped around his body, imprisoning him without any possibility of resistance.
Victor tried to struggle, but he quickly understood how pointless it was.
The strength of this thing existed on an entirely different scale.
He was only still alive because it allowed him to be.
He was completely at its mercy.
Victor could only accept his death.
He would die the same way he had lived.
Alone.
Or so he thought.
A layer of skin began forming around the creature's empty eye sockets, followed by two pupil-less, entirely green eyeballs.
They remained fixed on Victor, who held his breath without realizing it.
The creature was observing him—studying him.
Moments later, the newly formed skin began to rot, decaying rapidly until it peeled off and fell to the ground with a vile, wet sound.
The grip around Victor loosened slightly before the creature gently set him back down.
Victor didn't know how to react.
Why had it spared him?
Was it toying with its prey?
Was it simply in a good mood?
Or was there a deeper reason?
A deep, rough voice resonated through the impenetrable darkness of the night.
It was so low and so powerful that it made the surrounding structures tremble.
« We are parasites. We are similar. We complete each other. We recognize one another. We are destined. »
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once, but Victor knew exactly who—or what—it belonged to.
As for the meaning of those words…
He suspected this had something to do with Beelzebub. Like so many other things.
What the hell was happening?
Why were so many strange things happening to him in a world already bizarre on its own?
Victor had no idea, and the confusion gnawed at him.
« What do you mean? Are you related to Beelzebub? »
He honestly didn't expect an answer, but he still hoped.
The cavernous voice spoke again.
« I know that name. It is a memory I cannot access. The information is sealed. I have no answer to give you. »
Disappointment washed over Victor.
He had hoped this entity—whatever it was—could bring him clarity, but it only created more questions.
« Then I'm leaving. Farewell. »
He didn't have time to linger, and there was no guarantee the giant would stay merciful forever.
But just as he began to move away, the moss-covered skeleton stopped him.
« Wait. I wish to follow you. Our existences are linked. But you are too weak. I am restrained. »
It was a tempting option, although Victor was certain that sooner or later, he would surpass this creature.
Or die trying.
And besides, traveling with something so conspicuous would only cause more problems than solutions.
Still, he decided to listen.
« Become stronger. Bring me food. I will join you. We will become one. »
Seeing Victor's lack of reaction, the creature continued.
« I am a worm. I can dwell within your body. But you are too weak. The process would kill you. »
This was extremely suspicious.
Even if Victor became strong enough to survive the so-called process, it would mean letting a foreign entity merge with his body.
No matter how one looked at it, this seemed like the setup for disaster.
But the more important question…
« And how would that benefit me? »
As always, Victor only cared about what he got from a situation.
If the benefits outweighed the risks, he would gladly take the gamble.
After all, life is nothing but a balance of risk and reward.
Training your body in sports—risking injury for strength.
Breaking the law for wealth or reputation—risking prison or death.
Marrying someone—risking losing half of what you own.
Raising children—risking being abandoned by them in the end.
Every action in life can be reduced to this ratio of gains and losses.
So if the risk was worth the reward…
« I am useful. I am a weapon. I am an armor. I am an ally. I am loyal. I am powerful. »
It paused.
« I complete you. »
Victor frowned.
The words were tempting—very tempting.
But that was the problem.
They were only words.
Victor wanted proof.
Even so, that final claim was enough to convince him—at least partially.
He really wanted to know what it meant by completing him.
This was surely tied to its claim that their existences were linked—and the reason why he had been spared.
All of this confused him as much as it fascinated him.
Victor nodded, signaling his agreement.
In the end, if he wanted to go back on his word, nothing could stop him.
Words hold no power.
They are nothing but vibrations made by vocal cords.
Actions are the only things that hold meaning.
Everything else is dust.
*
Victor left the moss colossus behind, heading north toward his sister's small apartment.
He didn't really have a reason to go there.
But where else was he supposed to go?
It was the only familiar place besides the school.
Ideally, he wanted to find some kind of human base or survivor group, but he had no idea where to look.
There was also the possibility that none existed in this city.
Lost in thought, also considering the colossus' proposal, Victor weaved through the empty streets and crumbling buildings, killing a few Fallen along the way.
After several long minutes of running, the residential blocks came into view.
The buildings were simple—tall concrete rectangles rising six floors high, their decaying facades marked only by rows of windows.
They were the cheapest housing the city had to offer.
But for Victor, who had spent most of his life rotting in a damp, dark basement, these apartments might as well have been a luxury hotel suite.
He arrived at his building, unlocked the entrance with his key-card, and climbed the stairs slowly, alert to the slightest sound.
The moment he reached the fifth floor, faint murmurs and whispers reached his ears.
There were other humans.