Chapter 19: The Objective
Numerous teams, composed of two or more individuals, scattered in diverging directions, each group marching forward unaware of what the future held in store for them.
Aiden watched them go, his eyes glinting with an obscure light, as if he were gazing upon a collection of living, moving treasures.
He smiled faintly, muttering to himself:
[*I've memorized all their directions!*]A wider smile then spread across his face as he added, [*We will meet again soon!*]
"Come, we continue!" he declared in a firm voice before striding off with confident steps.
Those who wished to follow him did so, while those who preferred to go their own way departed.
In the end, a group of twenty people, accompanied by a number of pets, had formed and decided to remain with Aiden.
Most of this group were teenagers, alongside three women and four men.
But Aiden paid the numbers no mind. He didn't care about their ages or their genders; all that mattered was that they had chosen to walk behind him and surrender to his leadership.
The group continued their march on the city's outskirts, wary of approaching the area where the terrifying pack of "Earth Wolves" had been sighted.
The hours passed in relative quiet, with Aiden managing to save a significant number of living beings, earning precious Fate Points in the process.
Yet, he often arrived too late, finding a creature breathing its last. Even using his "[Heal]" skill changed nothing.
Each time he lost such a precious opportunity, he lamented his luck.
His mind was constantly occupied, searching for a faster, more efficient method to gather as many points as possible.
But his internal monologue was abruptly cut off.
"E-excuse me!"
The voice belonged to one of the three women who had chosen to follow him from the beginning.
A woman with a slender figure and fair skin, her long black hair cascading freely over her shoulders.
Her eyes were fixed on Aiden's back with a hesitant gaze, tinged with anxiety and fear.
She quickened her pace until she was beside him at the front, meticulously matching her stride to his.
Her pale lips moved slowly, her voice stammering:
"M-Master..."
Aiden glanced at her only briefly before returning his gaze to the road ahead.
But she did not take his disregard as an insult, instead repeating her words in a more tremulous voice:
"M-Master!I want... to ask you something!"
This time, Aiden looked at her calmly, though his features carried clear annoyance.
[*My god... Women are so troublesome!*] he thought, irritated, before saying in a loud, booming voice:
"What is it!"
His voice was so forceful that everyone turned to look at him, pricking up their ears to listen.
After all, Aiden did not speak often.
Since the moment he killed that man before their eyes, they had heard very few words from him; he was always immersed in his own mysterious thoughts.
Even when he rescued survivors, he wasn't the one to directly extend a helping hand. Instead, he would send members of his group to bring them to him if they needed healing.
Yet, endless questions about what Aiden was truly doing began to arise among them.
At first, some thought he was a master of some form of magic or hidden power, but they soon began to realize, as time passed and they witnessed events with their own eyes, that he was not an ordinary human at all.
One incident that stuck in their minds was when Aiden discovered children buried beneath the rubble of a massive residential building.
No one else could hear their faint cries, but Aiden picked them up from a distance.
When he sent a group to investigate, they indeed found the children there, but were unable to rescue them.
Then, Aiden stepped forward himself. He grabbed a section of the collapsed structure weighing several tons and lifted it with utter simplicity, as if it were a light piece of wood.
The onlookers froze in place, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Even the strongest man recorded in the Guinness World Records had not lifted more than half a ton at his maximum,while Aiden lifted several tons as if they were nothing.
Everyone was certain they were following a being who was not an ordinary human, but something closer to the "superhumans" they were used to hearing about or seeing on screen.
Many wanted to step forward and ask him the secret of his strength, but they held themselves back, understanding that if Aiden wished to keep it hidden, he wouldn't answer them.
So, they contented themselves with feeling grateful for their decision to join him, and pity for those who had left to go on alone.
They looked ahead at the man leading them: a tall body, broad shoulders, hair black and glossy like a black hole. He wore a simple black shirt and sky-blue trousers he'd found in one of the demolished houses.
His hands were in his pockets, his steps steady and unshaken, showing no sign of fatigue despite hours of walking.
The woman beside him finally mustered her courage and said:
"M-Master...I want to ask you. Where are we going? And what is our objective?"
Aiden stopped abruptly, causing the entire group to halt behind him. Even the pet animals sat down as if sensing the gravity of the moment.
He slowly turned his head, his deep, dark eyes reflecting the sunlight filtering through the ruins.
He first looked at the woman,then at all the faces filled with anticipation, curiosity, and fear.
"The objective?" he repeated the word in his resonant voice.
"The objective is survival.To become stronger. To cease being prey in this world that has become a jungle."
He paused for a moment, then pointed with his hand toward the horizon, where towering buildings, less devastated than others, were visible.
"As for where we are going...there. In that area, something awaits us."
At this, another woman from the trio stepped forward, her disheveled hair falling over her pale face, and said nervously:
"But...that area is dangerous. We've heard terrifying sounds coming from there."
A cold, challenging smile touched Aiden's lips.
"Precisely...we are going because it is dangerous. Danger means opportunity."
"Opportunity?!"
Some members of the group repeated the word in their minds in astonishment,before one of them dared to raise his hand and ask:
"What kind of opportunity?"
Aiden's smile widened as he stared at the invisible screens before him:
[Fate Points: 500]
[Ding! Skill created: Achievement Thief. Skill cost: 250 points]
[Acquire skill?]
[Yes!] [No!]