It had been three months since we began living in this fire watchtower, surrounded by forests. The snow was slowly melting, the skies were much clearer, and spring was finally approaching. When we first discovered this place, it was abandoned, with broken walls and shattered windows. Despite its condition, we decided to stay. Over the past months, we had worked together to repair it as best we could and turn it into a home.
Winter had been brutally harsh. Food was scarce, and many surrounding camps had been raided or destroyed. Those who survived often did so by plundering others or taking extreme measures to ensure their survival.
During these months, I had changed significantly. I had grown to six feet two inches tall, finally reaching the maximum height of my body. With a muscular build, I now resembled Agent 47 almost perfectly, the only difference being my younger-looking face. I trained every day, determined to learn everything I could.
I had completed reading the manual Amir gave me. Thankfully, it had been stored on the bike and survived the fire. I memorized the entire manual and mastered its contents, from wildlife identification and first aid to weapons, hunting, tracking, navigation, and bushcraft.
Alongside this, I mastered the martial arts I already knew: jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and judo. I also added two more: boxing and wrestling. These became the complete set of martial arts I focused on over the past months.
In addition, I acquired several books on swordsmanship that explored combat with bladed weapons. I chose to specialize in three techniques: longsword, rapier, and kendo. While I had not fully mastered all three, I had come very close.
Everything I had learned in just three months shocked even me. In secret, I thanked the Angel once again for granting me the ability to learn at an accelerated rate. It was truly the greatest gift I had ever received.
Bullets were becoming extremely rare, rarer than even guns. Many camps had started trading homemade guns and ammunition, but it was expensive. As a result, many survivors relied on melee weapons, which were quieter and more practical. Even those who owned guns used them sparingly, only in emergencies. That's why swordsmanship had become so important to me. I had paid a high price for the books, but it was worth it.
I looked over my shoulder. Clementine was wearing a long deer-fur coat. She had changed significantly over the past few months. She had grown to about five feet two, and her body was slowly developing into that of a beautiful woman, with wider hips, fuller thighs, and a more defined figure. Her chest, however, was still barely growing.
The greatest change, however, was not physical. Her eyes had lost most remnants of childlike innocence. She no longer clung to idealistic or hopeful views of the world; instead, she focused solely on survival and on not being a burden to me. She had begged me to teach her how to defend herself, and I did my best. Now she was ready, willing to defend herself from any attacker, even to kill if necessary. She was becoming hardened, far more confident, and mature.
"Do you want to look more?" Clementine asked with a small smile, puffing out her chest slightly, a blush coloring her face.
I snapped back to my senses. Every day, she grew bolder around me. It was hard to believe that this was the same timid girl who once struggled even to speak to me. Now she was teasing me openly.
"There's nothing to see—your chest is so flat I could land a plane on it," I said, chuckling.
Her face turned red instantly as she punched my chest playfully. "You're so mean, Max," she said, still hitting me lightly.
I pulled her into a tight hug to stop her. She quieted and hugged me back, melting into my embrace. When I slowly let go, she hesitated before releasing me, then folded her arms and pouted like a cute little cat. The only problem was that now she wouldn't speak to me until I went through an apology tour.
"I'm sorry. How about this—when we get to Common Ground, I'll buy you something?" I said with a smile, hoping she would stop pouting. Even though she looked very cute, I wanted her to talk to me.
Her lips twitched upward before she quickly tried to hide it. "Apology accepted," she said, "but you still need to be punished tonight. I won't let you sleep on my chest since you insulted it."
I nodded quickly. "Thank you," I said before she could change her mind.
Ironically, she was always the one who demanded that I sleep while hugging her, making this a punishment she couldn't truly enforce. She realized this a second later and was about to pout again, but I cut in quickly.
"It's time to go to Common Ground. This will be your first time—are you excited?"
She nodded and smiled reluctantly while buttoning her coat. My own gear was already prepared: my sword at my hip, an AR-15 strapped to my back, a Desert Eagle on my belt, and a pocketknife as backup. I also carried a small pouch holding a first-aid kit, a map, and other essentials.
I glanced at Clementine. She carried a dagger, with a 9mm pistol holstered at her hip and a backpack slung over her shoulders.
I had a large backpack, weighing nearly two hundred pounds, mostly filled with fur and meat we had hunted. I planned to trade it at Common Ground.
Common Ground was one of the largest trading markets in the area. People from different communities and camps could trade there without worrying about safety or being mugged.
"Okay. Are you ready?" I asked, checking the time.
She nodded quietly.
We headed down to where our bike was hidden. Even riding, it would take about half an hour to get there, and in that time, anything could happen.
But we were prepared.