Cayden did not want to say any more words and calmly analyzed the situation. He vaguely guessed his stolen ability comes with great restriction.

But he did not expect this.

Was time traveling really that big of a deal? Cayden remembered the forest they went through, the coffee shop they stop by.

Those people left Pete and him to die. Cayden swallowed the vile taste present in his mouth. He can swear he can hear the Dark Tower laughing at him right now.

'This is the price for wishing something that wasn't supposed to be yours.' Cayden can imagine it sneering at him.

'We'll make your trial harder and more challenging than before.'

'Look, can your grudge let you help those challengers who just fed you to the zombies?'

'Let's see how will you handle it now.'

Cayden suddenly laugh.

Pete looked over at him with concern. His eyes saying, does he finally lose his mind? Cayden patted Pete and went straight out.

He hasn't gone crazy, that's for sure. This elimination game, he will make it simple and easy. He won't let those guys escape from the pain of being eaten alive.

Unlike the previous experience, Cayden led the way directly to the cafe. They did not take the detour to the forest, the scene in the streets was the same.

No cars, no pets, no humans. No signs of life. The city is as eerie as the inhabitable island. When they saw the coffee shop in the distance, Cayden immediately pull Pete into the side. Hiding behind the dump trash.

"What are we doing? Are they zombies here?" Pete's eyes shone as he asked this question.

"Yes. But we'll deal with them later." Cayden remove the machete in his waist along with the knives. He stuffed them all inside his bag, before handing it over to Pete.

"What should I do with this?" Cayden shove Pete's chest with binoculars.

"There's zombies inside your shop?"

"No. Douchebags are in there. Listen, Pete, I need you to stay here until morning. I will go inside and draw these people out into our apartment -"

Pete cut him off. "You want to let them take you as hostage?"

“Yeah. Got a problem?” Cayden answered indifferently. Deliberately ignored Pete’s hanging mouth.

Cayden glance at the coffee shop. In the front, there are figures moving in the dark. Cayden started counting heads. Eleven people, he concludes. Cayden is sure Missy is with them inside. Whether she was a hostage or not, Cayden really doesn’t want to save her.

“Look, Pete, just stay here and put surveillance on what happened inside. I’m sure those guys will steal our stuff the moment they struck me unconscious. They will be curious where I was hiding and when I tell them where and they left me alone inside. I’m gonna need you to march in and kill all the zombies storming inside to eat me, you understand?”

Pete made a horrified confused expression but Cayden did not give him a chance to ask any more questions. Detouring back to where they came from, Cayden briskly retrace their steps to the forest’ exit.

He hid behind the trees, listened carefully for any signs of someone other than zombies present in the area. When he was sent back 8 hours ago because of his ability, he started thinking. The city at this time is too dark to see anyone. How could those thugs saw them approaching? Missy is treated roughly, but how can she meet him clean and fresh, it was as if…. They are expecting him to come…

Did those guys see them while they were still in the forest? If they force Missy to clean herself and wear fresh clothes, that would explain the grape scent.

Cayden abide his time. But heard nothing. He scratched his head and sighed. He probably think too much.

He was about to stand up when his ears caught movements. He immediately ducked behind the tree.

There was a sharp snap of a twig and then footsteps. As seconds pass by, the sound grew eerily closer and louder. No doubt, there are at least twelve people traveling in group.

They're here? In the forest?!

Cayden tried to calm his beating heart. Convincing himself to think rationally. Don't get emotional. Or it will be a free one way ticket to Caven of Titan's hole.

"Come on, move!" Someone groan in pain after something hit that person. That loud thud… Cayden recognized it.

A gun.

"Nate, are we going to die?" A soft trembling voice of a teenager rang out in the forest.

"No talking!" That hoarse young voice… Cayden could not mistake the voice of the man who made him bleed into the cafe's floor. Who open the double front doors and let those zombies feed on them.

Cayden gritted his teeth. He gave away everything to Pete just now. Not possessing a knife and ran straight to that crazed youth is equal to insanity.

He had to wait.

"Please, young man, where are you taking us?"

"Den."

Cayden navigate in the darkness, passing from trees to trees in order to be not seen. Cayden always wondered why there were no zombies in the city…. Yet. He's about to find out why.

As he followed the group, Cayden found out there are 2 people in charge, with hard trained skills and illegal acquisitions of shot gun in their hands.

They threaten, beaten and shouted ill curses to the nine victims. It does not take one to realize what exactly is going on.

These people are about to be fed to the zombies.

A crisp sound repeated words inside his head.

[Fourth, meet and aid the other challengers to cross the city. For every successful aided challenger, points will be added. For every one hundred successful kill of unrecognized humans, points will be added.]

[Fifth, a total of twenty challengers are within the vicinity of Buble City. Within ten days, you must aid all twenty challengers on your journey towards The Dark Tower. Not one killed by you.]

These nine people that are about to be eaten flesh and bones are challengers. That must mean those eleven people under the thugs influence aren't actually obvious.