Chapter 28: Return
Along the way, Sylas encountered a few more zombies, each of which he swiftly decapitated with a single strike. With his current strength, handling a few zombies was a simple task. Even without using firearms, he could easily kill them with his katana.
Sylas quickly led Hayden out of the alley. Once outside, they faced even more zombies. As soon as Hayden appeared, all the zombies rushed towards her.
Sylas immediately released his motorcycle and mounted it. "Don't just stand there, get on the bike!" Sylas shouted to Hayden.
Snapping out of her daze, Hayden quickly climbed onto the back seat of the motorcycle.
"Hold on tight. I'm about to speed up," Sylas instructed.
Obediently, Hayden clung tightly to Sylas, fearing he might leave her behind. Sylas revved the engine and sped away. Luckily, Hayden held on firmly; otherwise, the sudden acceleration would have thrown her off.
There were many zombies around, but fortunately, the motorcycle was fast enough to leave them behind. Seeing the zombies fade into the distance, both Sylas and Hayden breathed a sigh of relief. Sylas wasn't worried about his own safety, but if the zombies caught Hayden, she would be doomed.
"Don't relax yet. The road is still dangerous," Sylas cautioned Hayden.
Without saying a word, Hayden tightened her grip on Sylas even more.
Fortunately, despite a few incidents along the way, they managed to bring Hayden back to the neighborhood without significant trouble. This time, Sylas didn't stop at the entrance; he rode the motorcycle directly into the neighborhood with Hayden.
However, Sylas didn't head straight to the villa. He needed to drop off Hayden at a safe location first, then return to the villa. This location was one that Sylas had prepared in advance.
Sylas drove Hayden straight into an open security room, closing the door behind them as soon as they entered. Just as they entered, zombies, alerted by the noise, rushed over but were blocked by the security room's door. Everything was going according to Sylas's plan.
Calmly, Sylas and Hayden dismounted the motorcycle, and Sylas stored it away. There was a back door in the security room, and Sylas led Hayden out through it. They encountered zombies along the way, but with Sylas there, Hayden felt much more at ease and was not as terrified as before.
Sylas drew his katana and effortlessly decapitated the zombies one by one. He also kept an eye on the Fire Control skill. Despite killing numerous zombies, the skill showed no signs of leveling up. It became clear that killing zombies did not contribute to upgrading this ability.
Eventually, Sylas safely brought Hayden back to Clarissa's villa. Since the area had been previously cleared of zombies by Sylas, there were only a few left, making it easier to return safely.
"Hayden!"
"Clarissa!"
The moment Hayden and Clarissa saw each other, they hugged tightly and began to cry. Sylas watched with amusement but didn't interrupt. After all, in the apocalypse, reuniting with a friend was indeed a rare and fortunate event.
"I think Hayden should take a shower first. Whatever you need to talk about can wait until she's cleaned up," Sylas suggested with a smile.
Clarissa hadn't reacted yet, but Hayden quickly released her embrace, her face full of embarrassment. She hadn't bathed in a long time and was worried that her body odor might affect Clarissa.
"I'll take you to shower," Clarissa said softly.
"Alright, thank you, Clarissa," Hayden said gratefully.
"There's no need to be polite between us; we're good friends," Clarissa replied with a smile.
"You two stay safe. I'm going out for a bit," Sylas said to them.
With Clarissa's agreement, Sylas headed out again. He needed to understand how to use the Fire Control ability and how to upgrade it.
Once outside, Sylas took out his motorcycle and rode away. Although the motorcycle was noisy, it was a far better option than walking. Besides, since the zombies wouldn't harm Sylas, he felt no hesitation in using it.
After covering some distance, Sylas stopped the motorcycle in front of a group of zombies and stored it away. He surveyed the area and entered the second floor of a house. Standing by the window, Sylas began to channel his Fire Control ability, forming a fireball in his hand.
This fireball could be charged; the longer the charge, the greater the power, though there was a limit. For his first attempt, Sylas didn't charge it to the maximum, only holding it for three seconds before releasing it.
The fireball shot out like a rocket, hitting the building opposite. With a loud explosion, it blasted a large hole in the wall of the building.
"What incredible destructive power!" Sylas marveled.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone