Chapter 24: Practice
Hayden had been dining at a three-star restaurant. Sylas knew where it was located. The place was a bit remote, requiring a drive to get there. Without delay, Sylas planned to head out immediately. But before leaving, he needed to take care of Clarissa.
Sylas called Clarissa over and, smiling, shared the Firearm Proficiency and Sharpshooter Mastery skills with her. Clarissa momentarily fell into a daze as she absorbed the knowledge from these skills. After a while, she snapped out of it.
Although Clarissa didn't benefit as much from these skills as Sylas did, they still significantly improved her shooting abilities. With these skills, Clarissa could now handle a gun with ease.
"I've learned how to shoot," Clarissa said in astonishment.
"Yes, you've learned how to shoot. I'll give you a handgun and some ammunition so you can get familiar with it. Then, I'll take you outside to practice shooting," Sylas said, handing her a handgun and two fully loaded magazines.
Clarissa was excited to receive the handgun. With it, she felt she had the means to protect herself. She wouldn't have to feel so scared and worried when alone at home waiting for Sylas.
"Let's go. I'll take you outside to fire some shots and help you get the hang of shooting. Here's a helmet—put it on and stay safe."
Sylas helped Clarissa put on the helmet. They walked to the villa's entrance, where Sylas retrieved the motorcycle from his dimensional space. He took Clarissa on the motorcycle and rode out of the neighborhood.
Firing a gun within the neighborhood risked exposing their location, so Sylas opted to take Clarissa outside for practice.
"Don't get off the bike; just stay seated and shoot from here. See the zombies on the street? Aim for their heads and shoot," Sylas instructed as he stopped the bike and spoke to Clarissa behind him.
Staying on the motorcycle was also for Clarissa's safety. In case of any emergency, Sylas could quickly escape with her. Clarissa agreed, opened the handgun's safety, aimed at a zombie, and fired a shot. The first shot missed, mainly because she underestimated the gun's recoil.
The second shot was much better, hitting the zombie's body, though not the head. After a few more shots, Clarissa became more proficient, managing to headshot a zombie from thirty meters away.
"That's enough. Let's go back. We don't have many bullets, so we shouldn't waste them," Sylas said, satisfied with Clarissa's progress. Given their limited ammunition, further practice was unnecessary.
After dropping Clarissa back home, Sylas set out again, this time to rescue Hayden. The thought of Hayden becoming his slave excited him, especially considering her attractive figure. Sylas was eager to see if Hayden lived up to her reputation.
The journey was fraught with obstacles—ruins, abandoned cars, and zombies—posing significant challenges. Sylas had to alter his route multiple times to avoid trouble. What should have been a half-hour trip took an hour and a half.
Finally, Sylas saw the restaurant. He took out his phone and sent a message to Hayden.
He didn't call because he was worried that Hayden might be in danger. If he called, it could make things worse for her. So, Sylas chose to send a text message instead.
The reply came quickly. Hayden knew her general location; she had escaped through the restaurant's back door, entered an alley, and hid in a house. Afraid to go outside, she didn't know the exact address.
Sylas frowned; this was indeed troublesome. Hayden was nearby, but he couldn't locate her.
"Do you have a lighter at home? Burn something so I can see the smoke," Sylas suggested in a message to Hayden.
Hayden replied, "Got it. I'll do that."
Sylas waited in place for Hayden's signal. Soon, a column of smoke rose from a nearby location. Sylas smiled, recognizing it as Hayden's signal.
Hayden had hidden in the house and started a small fire in a basin, burning some wood and other bits and pieces. Black smoke billowed out, causing her some discomfort.
"There's smoke. It must be from a survivor. Should we go check it out?" one of three men in a nearby house said, noticing Hayden's signal.
"Let's go see what's going on. We don't want a fire spreading to our place," another man replied.
Randall, the leader, spoke up. He was a boss who used to have a group of henchmen. After the apocalypse, most of his men died, and now only two remained with him. Seeing the smoke, Randall was concerned it might pose a threat to his safety, so he decided to check it out with his two men.
"Is anyone there? Open the door," Randall called out as he approached the house and knocked.
Inside, Hayden heard the knock and was immediately excited, thinking Sylas had come to rescue her. She happily opened the door without hesitation.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone