Downstairs the others didn't know how to react, each of them having approximatively the same opinion as Sarah but they didn't want to voice it out afraid from Chris as he had this aura around him that made them both afraid and also safer when near him making them feel awkward as to what to do.

The awkward silence in the hotel hall made the mood around them heavy as none of them dared to talk or just didn't know what to say, Sarah after looking at everyone sighed thanking John for his help, and then went upstairs, the others followed just after her, head down, lost in their thought.

" Ahahaha this guy deserved it, what did he think he is a badass just because he could fight several enemies"

Edward's loud voice rang in the stairs leading to the second floor, making everyone look at him thinking what does he plan again by bringing the topic since they all agreed tactfully to not talk of it.

" Edward you better shut your huge mouth!, or I swear I will let my Snake's eat you alive "

Lisa's who was a few feet in front of him said her voice filled with hatred as she shuddered of rage, turning her head looking at him in the eyes, everyone could feel her anger, but the man seemed to not have heard her threat and he seemed to enjoy her reaction, as he shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly as he passed her, advancing in the stairs and with his physique and huge shield on his hand, made everyone in front of him to be squeezed against the wall.

" Fuck you, Edward!! "

Lisa who got pushed looked at him and shouted as those words came from deep within her, with several other words shouting from her eyes but after seeing Eillen's son, she refrained from continuing her curses, and advanced.

The others didn't mind Edward's behavior as they just let him go, he was a good comrade they could count on when fighting but apart from it, his attitude made everyone in the group want to punch him in the face as long he didn't go too far they all decided to not pursue the matter.

Fred looking at the spectacle didn't know what to do, his two friends seemed to become more and more violent lately, or just that he couldn't adapt to their change who knows?.

Even himself had a hard time adapting to the scene of limbs and organs after each of their fights it was just that he didn't show it in front of the others and most of them were the same and during the night they would wake up at the slightest sounds, it was already incredible that none of them started to crack because of the pressure of death during their fight and Chris way of fighting to take most of the dangerous opponent was one of the things that helped them to stay calm when fighting.

And although he knows them well, the altercation between their group and the survivors just before, made him rethink how would things have turned if the soldiers didn't appear in time to stop them, he quickly shook his head not wanting to found out the answer.

As they arrived at the second floor, everyone went to their room, they were more exhausted from the dispute between Chris and Sarah than their fight with the evolved beasts, the women most of them took two-room close to each other as they took beds from other rooms as most of the rooms had only one, like that they could stay close to each other and felt safer at the same time, while Philip stayed with his Wife and Son in another room and the guys except for Chris who was sleeping with Lisa the rest choose their room.

********

As Lisa entered their room she closed it behind her loudly and went to the bedroom seeing Chris lying on the bed, looking at the sailing aimlessly.

" So are you calm now ", she asked him with a neutral tone, with a slightly worried voice as she noticed that he seemed, she knows him too well, he likes to be alone to not have to deal with people like Sarah.

And the fact that he wasn't able to be alone those days not counting when he left they got separated during the beasts' horde attack made it harder to have time for himself and just lay lazily on a bench just he does always after classes, looking at the sky lost in his thought.

Lisa herself as she remembered that smiled without her knowing it was like that they first met each of them sitting on a side of the bench while she was with Fred and just like that they started to talk to him at first he seemed not wanting but he slowly talked as he and Fred were two nerds.

This is why Sarah who seemed to be able to be friends with everyone was the one he felt less like to befriend easily since in the first place he didn't like people or rather didn't like to talk with them as he felt they lived in two different worlds when he talked with other, and apart from when not fighting they rarely talked to each other today was an exception.

but here it was just Chris who don't know how to deal with the type of people like Sarah, having only two friends her and Fred it was already great that it's only Sarah who got on his nerves and not Edward first.

as she started to take off her clothes to wash her bloodstained body and change her clothes at the same time, showing a perfect curved body with a plump firm ass and breast, but the only guy next to her was lost in his mind and didn't notice the beautiful sight just near him.

- " I think so, did I went too far with her? "

Chris asked with a tired voice, he didn't look at Lisa and seemed to not have felt her angered mood or that he was just too lazy to ask, he had his own thing to take care of first, even if he could hear her taking her clothes.

He wasn't in the mood anymore although he glanced at her body raising slightly his head, his lower body reacted instinctively at the sigh in front of him making him swallow his saliva, as his gaze swept across Lisa gorgeous curves, but he leaned back his head just after heavily on the soft bed, sighing heavily like if he has lost all the strength in his body.

He preferred to take out the Energy cores and use them to quickly raise his Stage he could feel the pressure the beasts were starting to put on him for beasts below his level was the max he could do and if one beast at the same level as him appear then he would be in a dire situation.

Today's fight in the Suburbs made him grasp his limits, his swordplay slowly becoming better compared to the others who had long swords or shields.

looking at his status panel it seemed to have changed, with his Talent awakened and his Leader path half the way completed, but when he saw how many energy Points he had about more than ten thousand, he was speechless with this much he could reach level 10 next time they go hunting and killing one level 7 evolved beasts would be enough for him.

He had about twenty levels 8 core in his backpack, as he gave the low-level cores to the others in exchange for the high-level one as so far they didn't find a use for them.

With so much he could at least reach the medium Stage 3, still not sure how much his bloodline needed precisely but he could guess, but fourteen or more Energy cores were enough to reach High Stage Two.

And using a core of a beast of a higher level, making the cost less big just like he just needed One energy core from a level two beasts to reach Low stage 1.

As he sat to the corner of the bed to absorb them, his bloodline energies coursed through his body before concentrating on his palms, as it sensed the Cores like a starved man started to gather its energy mixed with Chris own energy that his body absorbed from the surrounding energy creating a strange mixture that Chris with his low understanding of Energy manipulation and his bloodline could grasp what was happening and only try to sense what was happening.

He started to absorb it, this time he could saw the difference before he could only instinctively left his bloodline to do the work of absorbing the cores, but now he felt that he could slightly control it just like with his bloodline pressure but this time the feeling was different as he didn't feel the feeling to have full control over this energy, like a mountain pressing on his body and brain making it difficult to stay concentrate during the process.

But as he tried to absorb the core himself, taking control of his bloodline energy closing his eyes to visualize the energy coursing his body going to his palms and then enveloping the cores, he tried to repeat the process of his energy mixing with the core energy as it entered the cores, and try to make them melt, but he was only met with a harsh pain on his palms as the Energy inside the cores exploded after he loses concentration as his energy entered the core and he was surprised from what he felt, as he snapped for a second, but it was all it takes for all the process to fail.

gritting his teeth as small fragments of energy cores, pierced his arms and palms.

Lisa saw his state and just what happened stepped back frightened to receive some of the fragments on her, she didn't know whether to laugh or curse at him, as the man in front of her was smiling while ha had some piece of Cores on his arms like if it was nothing, she started to worry if he wasn't started to become crazy.

" Don't think too much about it, we just need to survive in this world, the rest we will think how to deal with them when it comes..... No, it's not the more important!! what the fuck just happened since when we can fail from absorbing the Cores ? ", She snapped from her support shaking her head as her mind was still on the matter of Sarah and asked in a half surprise and half afraid tone of voice, she wanted to come close to him but stopped waiting for his answer.

" Hum, what did you say... Ahhh it's just that I tried something new when absorbing the cores ..."

As I snapped from my shock opening my eyes I looked at Lisa looking at me completely naked.

" what do you mean by that explain in detail those cores just exploded like some small bombs ", Seeing that this guy was looking at her body as he things down there was poking from his pant, making her want to slap him in the face, his arms were pierced by pieces of cores and him he was excited from looking at her.

" Ahh sorry it's not what you think it was already starting to stand before I start to absorb my cores, Ouch can you help me I can't take them out it hurt " Seeing where she was looking and looking down he shook his head trying to explain himself but the pain on his arms made him grit his teeth as he asked for her help.

Lisa could only shake her head as she came near him her face blushing from behind naked as her sense came back to her now that she wasn't excited herself anymore the situation made her a little awkward but she tried to not let it show on her face or else these guys would try to use it.

Five minutes later Chris was panting heavily as the last Piece cores were taken out from his left arms, looking at Sarah.

'Does she want to kill me taking them out so forcefully ', he thought but seeing her worried face as she cleaned his bleeding arms but he could feel his wounds healing quickly.

He shook his head as he once again looked at her body, being so close he was excited once more as he looked at her lips coming closer to her his right hand touching her cheek, as she looked back at him warily but didn't stop him from doing so.

the breath of the two of them getting heavier as they came closer and seeing her close her eyes, he didn't pry himself kissing her before taking his tongue on her mouth before searching her tongue.

taking her in his arms as he placed her on the bed...

" Ahhh, stoop! there are still some pieces of cores on the bed "

Lisa quickly broke their kiss as she was starting to lose herself in the kiss but feeling something hurt her back she stood up as she touched her back and looked at the bed.

Chris Surprised looked at her as he saw her breasts jiggle in front of him, not sure if she faked but looked at the sheet and seeing indeed something shining under the sunlight on the white sheet and touching and feeling the small pieces made him breathe deeply as he now understood that if those cores had exploded with more power it wouldn't have been his arms that would have been hurt.

" Sorry I will clean it and then explain what I just did when absorbing the cores "

He knows that the mood was broken and seeing her looking at him angrily like if he did it on purpose he could only shake his head with regret, the reason that created their passion was the culprit that broke it within a few seconds after it committed its crime but then he saw a prompt appear in front of him.

Congratulation on having found the basics of a wielder, controlling its bloodline energy.

Path { Energy Mixture }.

Name: Chris Specie: Human Talent: War Growth Bloodline: Warlord - stage 3/10 [Low]

Path: [ leader - 50% ]

[ Energy Mixture - 0/2000] ( Road Only understandable for Wielder, and may cause an irreversible effect to those walking this path)

Energy point: 16125 Level 8 - [ 0/8000] Abilities: Natural Regeneration, Mind Fortitude Trax: 1000

I wasn't sure if it was worth the risk this new road that appeared after I exploded an energy core and now the system gave me a Path, I would rather prefer first upgrade my level before the end of the day, tomorrow I would reach level ten and those beasts man we met were so strong being only level nine and we barely survived it was only two of them and almost all the strength of our groups had to work together to finish a single one and I don't want to know what would happen if more pop out like the evolved beasts.

Shaking my head as I focused on allocating my energy points on my level as I saw my level Change for Level 9, energy coursing my body but it quickly disappeared as it got absorbed by my body and at the same time my Energy perception becoming more accurate as I could now slightly differentiate my energy and Lisa energy who was surrounding her red energy all around her.

I decided to postpone My Bloodline upgrade for now as I felt my body heavier after having failed to absorb those cores MY energy in my body coursing in my blood vessels like a tide and didn't want to calm down I didn't feel any pain so it should be Ok.

" OK then from where should I start......", But as I came to my sense, I saw Lisa looking at me like if she wanted to eat me alive, knowing that I was lost in my world again I coughed as Undressed two trying to ease the tension around, she seems to get angry easily those days.

Lisa just harrumphed and sat down once more, this time her shyness from being naked in front of him gone or that she just forgot she was naked.

*********************

Thirty or forty minutes later everyone was once again downstairs preparing to go to the military area.

Chris and Lisa being the last to appear at the hall entrance, he came to Sarah who was talking with Alex and Louise of Clement group's, the other noticing him, left going outside waiting for them.

" Sarah I went too far, I'm sorry about that ", Chris leaning his head a little down as he scratched the back of his head by reflex when he felt nervous when talking to someone.

Sarah hearing his apology and seeing that he was sorry, sighed, she didn't know what to say, seeing his behavior who didn't match his stature made it a little comical making her giggle shyly.

" It's ok we are all tense after fighting since the morning," she said with an awkward smile looking at him in the eyes but turned her head just after she wasn't used to staring people in the eye and even more with Chris intimidating aura made her unconsciously more nervous.

Lisa standing next to them seeing how they acted shook her head they were adults but their way of acting suggested something else at least Sarah should have been more mature but she was the one who reacted the most strangely making her take her distance from both of them as the mood around them was too cringe for her.

they came out just after her, the mood around them was much lighter making the other sigh unconsciously, maybe apart from Edward, Claire and John most of the people felt relieved.

" did you know that this watch is like a phone as long we gave it enough Energy core..."

Just as they were about to go, Stella and the other girls came close to Sarah as they started talking about the feature of the silver watch.

during the thirty-minute of rest, apart from cleaning themself and changing clothing, they started to communicate with it, and surprisingly just like those being said it responds with a mechanical male voicelike those of the Ai in the science fiction movies.

" Yeah I know it's amazing, it's said that it can help us to find different things but each use require at least a level five Energy core it's a complete scam!!, did you forget that not so long we were just at level four it wasn't for this Quest given by the System with might only be level Seven instead of level Nine we are now"

Fred who was listening to the girls' talk interrupted them and the way he was talking like if someone owed him money, and seeing their reaction Fred understood he was too excited.

But when he heard them talking so good about the Silver watch and this insolent Ai who was so monotonous and boring that each question was only answered by, 'YEs....No', and few simple phrases make him want to remind them that those Energies core weren't easy to get a few days ago, making him think what's the use of it if it's just for exchange item can't the system in their head do it like in those novels he had read, but he was akin to be disappointed.

But he still kept asking questions in their way to the military area, and everyone also did the same while talking between each other, and some people who saw the being so cheerful most who were elderly around forty and fifty year old who survived during their escape could only shake their head thinking that those people will soon understand in what kind of world they were.

Goerge and his two friends heard him brag about being at level nine rolled their eyes at him, they were already level 8 and could catch up with him at any time, but today fight was intense if it wasn't because the three of them were coordinate when fighting together, they wouldn't have just wounds on their back, arms and shoulders, they would have been crushed by the weight of those beasts most of them being one head taller than them.

the group of people started to go further up in the road in the west district, they could see that other people were also going the same place as them and they were among one of the last group to go as most of those still behind seemed to be people like them who regrouped each other and the fact that they had several wounds on them with some still not healed proved again how much Sarah help was huge in their group.

this time they didn't make the same errors and decided to let Sky and Lisa's snake behind them they weren't too far anyway, and they could sense the overall state of their beasts through the link they shared.

But the two beasts didn't mind it that much, as they were forbidden to eat humans and they instead started to rest in the sunshine as they know that they would again fight and it would be them who will need to take most of the attack their body could heal faster than human but without rest they would collapse after two or three battle.

Sky's was more intelligent than Lisa Snake's, so he knew how to be safe during their fight but Lisa's snake could only work with his master to not disturb the other when fighting otherwise he would have crushed them if he fought near them instead of protecting Sarah and Emily and go help Lisa when she needed him.

His huge body made it hard for him to fight in those narrow streets, which makes it hard for him to use his strength at 100% after killing this level Nine rat-man it didn't level up but instead, his scales seemed more studying and flexible as it didn't hinder his movement at all and make it easier for him to slide on the sturdy roads.

after walking for about 5 minutes at a leisure pace they finally arrived were was the military camp, tent each side of the road as the surrounding buildings were occupied by the family of the soldiers and further up following the road, there was numerous big and small villa showing again that it was a district for wealthy people and it was surprising than in this kind of city there was so much space for house and small villa.

but now most of these people are either dead or absent from their house and the military requisitioned some of the villas to store their inventory and other necessities they gathered in their way.

Chatting on the way they could see a crowd gathering in from of them, filling all the space of the road, a group of soldiers making a barrage to stop people to advance further.

" Stop advancing there is no need for that the general will come to announce something important!!", A soldier who seemed to be in his early twenty shouted but no one listened to him and some keep pushing the other in front of them.

" Seriously we came for that, if it's like that it's better we go hunting, the sun is still high in the sky we can get a few energy points and energies core "

John who normally stays quiet saying the disorder with the group of people trying to advance and the soldiers trying to stop them without using their gun makes things difficult and this pseudo general hasn't still appeared.

He wasn't sure why but he felt that after reaching Low Stage three something was starting to change with his body and he needed

" Why aren't your superiors come out yet, I need to discuss with him about important matters..."

" What do you mean you can't get help from the other garrison, the city is........"

One could quickly guess those that at least endured the hardship during the last week and those that stayed at home not dare go out.

But once they noticed that this area was completely safe after the army scouting all the alleys and street killing any beasts they encountered as during their arrival gunshot could be heard from time to time as beasts howls were heard just after before quitting down completely.

No one replied but they indeed had the same thought has even if most of them came from the suburbs.

There was still a vast majority of people who were hiding in their apartment, and after noticing the appearance of the army, started to come out asking what was the government doing to help the civilians, some rich men tried to use their ancient status as a businessman who had some connection with some higher up in the government, to get some benefits from the army as they noticed that now money mean nothing it had been only a week but they could feel the change in the city.

From their apartment they could see people coming out of their home trying to get some food from the few convenience store only to get killed by birds of human size or giant dogs, rats, cats, and some animals from the zoo a few kilometers away of this district, even now the insects are as big as a human fist with some being as tall as a human.

Suddenly everyone saw a man walking on the small stage as his gaze swept across the crowd of people, the general or if he was a general was an old man in his late forty from his tired face and white and black hair although he seemed to be in his mid forty with his muscular physique, wearing official ceremonial clothing, but this same clothing was stained in blood, showing that even a general had a hard time to protect his life.

he was surrounded by four bodyguards that had the same medieval leather armor with claw marks all over but compared to those of the soldiers who were now almost trash after sustaining numerous attacks their were still ok and could save them as long they could withstand the strength behind the attack.

Their gaze sweeping the people who were just cursing the general a few seconds ago, and those people quickly hid among the crowds, not daring to shout anymore not even met their gaze.

" Everyone calms down, I will now explain the situation right now in the city and the new rules in this settlement that we are organizing, first we will be recruiting soldiers anyone who had fought at least once the evolved beasts would be taken after a few background check, for the normal civilians who can't fight, each of you would have to come to be registered depending on your previous work and will be assigned a job to get a meal in this Kind of era it is time to work together and make sure that we survive I Count on you as we face this Era Together"

The old general said each of his world being understood as few people wanted to fight some people who had fought already were deciding whether or not to enlist themself, The last part of the general were heard by several people and some of the old generations among the survivor who survived the massacre of the suburbs were starting to cry as they understood that by now things would only get harder and their time was counted and could only look at their Grandson and on with helplessness.

" General next time you should delegate these kinds of things to me, we have to many things to do to waste our time like this and besides we have received new of the East district from one of our scout that was able to come back alive, he is right now being taken care of in the emergency tent "

a man that seemed to be in his late thirty with glasses, with an average height of 160 cm said as he came close to the military.

The old man eyebrows furrowed hearing the report and nodded before leaving just after he just came here to support a little the people still alive to make them feel that there is still some higher up alive since during their way here he could sense that things would go out of control quickly if they don't take care of them quickly and he could only do this much with the little amount of trained soldier who survived until now.