Chapter 21: Chapter 21: A Madman
Robert swung a hammer at a person for the first time. The feeling was completely different from knocking on a door. A door is hard and usually doesn't give way easily, but the human body is soft, despite its skeletal structure, creating a totally different impact.
When he struck William with the hammer, William couldn't even dodge. He was already on the brink of passing out, his life nearing its end. Robert's blow only hastened the inevitable.
Robert yelled loudly as he vented all the dissatisfaction, grievances, and pain he had accumulated since the apocalypse upon William. Despite his waning strength, he continued to swing the hammer, hitting William's abdomen, chest, shoulders, and head, mashing a living person into a flattened, bloody mess. It was like a scene from hell.
When he couldn't lift the hammer anymore, Robert started punching William's face with his fists, screaming with each blow, until he finally exhausted his strength. Looking at his 'masterpiece', William's body—or what was left of it—Robert sat down on the ground, crying. William's body was so twisted and deformed, mixed with brain matter and blood, that it was beyond recognition.
Eventually, Robert stood up, intending to find William's daughter Mia, but she was nowhere to be seen. He called her name but received no response. Laughing in a mix of insanity and pain, Robert returned to David's house with William's body.
"Even without you, William was bound to die, just a matter of time. And you think that's worth a whole roast goose? You're thinking too much."
David's words echoed as Robert calmly replied,
"I made his death more painful, and yes, I smashed his head as you said."
David realized at that moment that Robert truly was a ruthless man. He had brutally turned on his old comrade, not only failing to help William in his most painful moments but actually making them worse. David felt a complex mixture of emotions, including a disturbing thrill.
"Okay, since I promised to give you something, I will. Come back in an hour, and I'll give you what you want," David said after a moment's thought.
"Thank you," Robert murmured before walking away, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
Watching Robert's departing figure, David reflected on the state of the world. It had turned people into devils, erasing all their morals and conscience. Robert's pitiful state was evident; he reeked of the emptiness that follows a violent outburst, looking as if he could die at any moment.
What saddened David more was that Robert, who could so brutally kill William and exchange his twisted body for a reward, didn't dare lay a hand on Jones, who undoubtedly had plenty of food. People had become incredibly complex.
David resolved to limit his interactions with others, as he found them too frightening. The catastrophe had destroyed the world, but perhaps even more terrifying than the disaster itself was the venom within people's hearts.
David manifested a roast goose. This was not a rare item for him, as he had received five portions of roast goose in a previous check-in.
He divided the goose into several pieces, sending them out through a teleportation ring without opening his door. The pieces landed on the ground, amidst William's blood and other fluids. David was indifferent; he knew that even if thrown in filth, Robert would eat it like a dog.
For these people, dignity was no longer a concern. David washed his hands and returned to his doorway, resuming his contemplation about the universe, the earth, his life, the existence of the universe, why the sun hadn't exploded, when the earth might recover, when humanity might perish, and how he would spend his future.
About an hour later, Robert returned. He saw the roast goose pieces mingled with the blood and pounced on them like a starved animal, shoving them into his mouth.
"Delicious! Delicious!" Robert cried tears of happiness, "It's still warm!"
In reality, it wasn't warm. Initially, when manifested, it was hot, but an hour in the external environment was enough to cool the goose. However, for Robert, this level of cold was warm. The easy-to-chew, swallowable food was incredibly delicious to him.
He gorged himself at David's door, even though there was a mangled corpse beside him. The scene was nauseating, but he relished every bite.
"William's daughter..." Robert suddenly said between bites, "Do you hate her?"
"What's there to hate about a little girl?" David replied indifferently, "I'm an adult."
"Oh," said Robert, "If you dislike her, I can take care of her for you. But if you feel nothing, then never mind."
Robert chuckled, putting another piece of roast goose into his mouth, and mumbled, "Anyway, I'm going to die soon. If you have anyone else you're unhappy with, let me know before I die, and I'll take care of them for you."
"Yes, I do," David said calmly, sitting at the front door.
"Oh? Who is it?" Robert asked excitedly, "One William really isn't enough for a whole roast goose, as you said. He was going to die anyway."
The irony wasn't lost on David. A roast goose had become more valuable than a human life. But David knew that in the future, this would likely become the norm, and it wouldn't even require a roast goose.
Hearing Robert's question, David said plainly, "You."
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