Saeko's smile was small and knowing.
"Come out, Rei. The grass is cold, but the show is free."
Rei's face burned. She stepped from the shadows anyway.
Tysone didn't stop swinging. The halberd cut the air with a low whistle, steam curling off his skin like smoke. His movements were imposing, as minimal as they were. With the flickering moonlight dancing on his rippling back, the sight made Rei all the more appreciative of the man.
Saeko tilted her head. "Couldn't sleep?"
Rei shook her head. "Too much energy." A side effect of the core, perhaps? It would certainly explain why Tysone was the last one to hit the bed these days.
Saeko glanced at Tysone, then back at Rei. "Then train. Watching won't burn it off."
Tysone finally paused. He planted the halberd in the ground with a resounding thunk and looked over his shoulder.
"Grab a spear, Rei." He said, voice calm and expectant. "Let's see what the core gave you."
Rei picked up the practice spear leaning against the wall. Her hands felt steadier now. The spear lighter, which was normal given her enhanced strength.
Saeko stepped aside, giving them space.
Tysone faced her, shirtless, sweat shining under the moon. Rei furrowed her brow as she took position. Evolution was likely to give someone a certain high and baseless confidence that they would've never been capable of having pre-awakening, and she couldn't just let herself run rampant because of it.
Naturally, that very same confidence was shattered in front of a much bigger mountain. Tysone was on a higher stage than herself, and her body was quick to remember.
"Attack me, Rei." Tysone said, quietly.
Rei took a deep breath, tightened her hold on the spear, and lunged. The tip of the shaft arced down toward Tysone with the precision of a deadly bird of prey.
Tysone, much to her shock, didn't use his halberd to intercept, but his bare fist.
CLANG!
His wrist lazily swatted away the spear.
The spear, obviously not a high quality product, nearly snapped on impact. The fact that she somehow managed not to fly away along with the force of impact was a testament to her strength.
Rei looked at Tysone's wrist. As solid as ever.
That one single collision had shown her everything she needed to know about their difference in skill and power.
It wasn't like sparring with Saeko, whose technique was leagues above everyone. A speed that was almost lightning itself striking from above.
That wasn't to say that Tysone wasn't skilled himself, for he was a beast. But his raw strength surpassed any finesse he might've learned.
Still, Rei didn't stand idly. She poured all of herself into every attack. A slash that was easily avoided. A stab that was parried by the blade of his halberd. Her spear became a blur of motion, the tip stabbing into his gut and striking his neck, both blocked effortlessly.
Rei gritted her teeth. It felt like she was up against a brick wall. Every motion she made, Tysone saw through with a nonchalance that annoyed her.
That feeling of being helpless intensified as, suddenly, Tysone decided to attack. A lazy swing with the blunt shaft of his weapon that hit her in the sternum and knocked the wind out of her. She found herself falling backwards.
Rolling backwards, she distanced herself and gasped for breath. Tysone followed her lazily, his movements carefree.
"Is that the only thing you're gonna show me, Rei?"
She gritted her teeth before her eyes snapped wide open. She immediately leaped out of the way, just in time as Tysone's halberd came swinging down with enough force to shatter the concrete flooring, leaving behind a visible fissure, sending up chunks and splinters.
"If I were a zombie right now, I wouldn't have missed. If I had aimed to kill, I would've decapitated you, Rei."
Rei barely managed to register his words.
He launched into a sequence of attacks once again, and she used all of her enhanced speed and reaction time to dodge and evade the incoming blunt end of it, only to realize that even the air pressure produced by his swings was capable of disrupting her rhythm. She leaped backward.
She narrowed her eyes in concentration. Then...
Leaped.
A desperate, bold attempt at attacking was rewarded. However—
"What—AH!" She yelped, immediately hopping backwards a step, just in time to dodge a side sweep. She staggered from the massive force behind it. The air pressure made her hair fly around in a chaotic mess. "Ahhh, damn it!"
By the time she finally regained her bearings, Tysone's halberd was an inch away from her head. An executioner's axe. The sight sent a chill down her spine.
Then, its weight disappeared and he twirled the deadly pole arm around like a baton in his hand. A monstrous dexterity.
He finally offered a smile. "Sorry, got carried away a little."
She blinked in stupor. "You call that 'being carried away'?"
Rei wondered just how much did the guy still have up his sleeves, then. Considering how carefree and relaxed he was, she had to deduce that what he had just exhibited was less of a fraction of what he could do, rather than him showing off. It was sobering, in a way. That a human could be so powerful, and exciting also, because it meant there was room to grow.
"I'll train harder." Rei said, accepting Tysone's hand and dusting herself off, a slight smile on her lips.
"That's a good mindset. Not slacking off despite the immediate power-up of cores. We'll take the whole world by storm." Tysone said, popping his joints and leaning the heavy halberd against the fence. "Trust me."
"We will..." Rei nodded. Then, a more reserved, timid look spread across her face, her face looking down. "C-Could you teach me, sometime?"
"I'd be glad to, but I'm nowhere as good or skilled a teacher as Saeko here." Tysone glanced over his shoulder. "However, you're more than welcome to tag along our training sessions."
Rei could only nod.
...
The next day saw Tysone and Kohta repairing the truck. The latter, as always, was explaining in excruciating detail the functions and mechanics of various weapon parts he had scrounged. "So, by attaching this to the underside of the chassis, we can deploy a retractable steel spike array. Perfect for clearing a path through the undead. It's inspired by this one game, Graveyard Shift 7, you see, the protagonist, 'Corpse-Kicker Carl', he had—"
"Kohta."
"Yes, my liege?"
"Focus."
"Right, right." Kohta immediately refocused.
Tysone smirked, grabbing a new part from the pile of scrap. "We need more supplies. Specifically, better tools. And more scrap metal." He said, tightening a bolt with a wrench. The mundane task felt almost relaxing. "The next run will be to the industrial district. Heavier infrastructure, more warehouses. Likely more evolved, too."
Kohta's eyes widened, pushing his glasses up. "A high-risk, high-reward scenario! I like it! The king of destruction shall feast upon a bountiful buffet of carnage!"
"Just make sure the truck doesn't fall apart on us." Tysone grunted, applying more torque.
"Leave it to me! With these modifications, she'll be a veritable fortress on wheels!"
"Well, I hope so." Tysone replied, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Because the ones we have now aren't nearly enough. We're going to need something that can handle bigger threats."
"Hm-hm. Steel spikes. A mounted turret. Maybe a flamethrower."
Kohta's lips curled into a maniacal grin, and he had to suppress an equally maniacal laugh. Truly befitting the future king of destruction.
Tysone chuckled. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves."
And then they continued working on their beloved baby truck.
It was during this conversation that Saya walked up to them.
"Tysone." She said, her tone clipped and serious.
Tysone looked up from the engine. "Saya. What's up?"
"I've been analyzing the data from the last few cores. And the ones we have left." She began, holding up a tablet displaying complex charts and graphs. Honestly, Tysone didn't even try to understand it all. "The energy signature from Rank 1 cores is relatively uniform. But the fire zombie's was... different. Not just stronger, but fundamentally distinct. It's like comparing a radio wave to a laser."
Kohta peered at the screen. "Whoa... so different types of zombies have different types of powers?"
"Precisely, Kohta. Your capacity for astute observation continues to surprise me." Saya replied dryly. "And it stands to reason that the cores they possess would bestow similar, themed abilities. A fire-based core should grant fire-based powers, though the degree of potency depends on the wielder, or so I assume. Now, what would a core from a zombie with super-dense muscle grant? Or one that's unnaturally fast?"
Author's Note: [ chapters will be coming out every other week from now on till further notice ]
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.