Chapter Two: Betraying Kindness

After that, I wandered around the camp for three full years.

During those three years, I hid in sewers during the day, in ruined buildings, or elsewhere.

Because there were many people active during the day—nighttime was more suitable for what I had become.

Half my face had completely rotted away. My right eye socket held only a black hole; the left side barely maintained a human appearance.

I wrapped my head with torn cloth strips and wore a mask I'd scavenged from the ruins.

The reflection in the mirror looked like a monster.

No—I was a monster.

...

Tonight the moon was full.

I crouched on the roof of an abandoned supermarket, watching five scavengers from a distance as they searched for supplies on the street.

They were from the camp—Rex's camp.

In three years, that broken camp had developed into the largest survivor base in Texas.

Rex had become a general.

And I had become the legendary "Masked Monster."

I could have gone to take revenge on them, or simply ignored them altogether.

But I did neither...

If I had chosen either path, it would have completely transformed me into a monster.

I didn't want to be a monster.

When I saw two "Crawlers" emerge from the shadows, my hand instinctively gripped the steel rebar.

"Crawlers" were mutated zombies, extremely fast.

Those five scavengers stood no chance against them.

"Back! Get back!"

The lead man raised his shotgun and fired, but the bullets only splattered a few drops of black blood on the "Crawlers."

The creatures' skin had become keratinized—ordinary weapons couldn't penetrate it.

"I'm out of ammo!"

"Me too!"

"We're done for! We're dead!"

The five were backed into a dead end, against a wall, watching helplessly as the two "Crawlers" lunged at them.

I sighed.

And jumped down from the roof.

...

When the "Crawler" was mid-leap, I grabbed one by the back of its neck from behind, lifting it like a chicken and smashing it into the ground.

"Boom—"

The concrete cracked under the impact.

The other "Crawler" turned and lunged at me, opening its fang-filled maw.

I punched it in the face.

My fist went straight through its skull, black brain matter spraying all over me.

I shook off the chunks of flesh from my hand and turned to the stunned Crawler.

It struggled to get up.

I stepped on its head and ground down hard.

"Crack—"

The sound of the skull shattering was especially crisp in the night, the crystal core completely pulverized.

The five scavengers stood frozen, forgetting even to breathe.

I pulled two packs of antibiotics and a bottle of clean water from my pocket, tossing them at their feet.

Then I turned to leave.

"Wait!"

The lead man suddenly called out.

I stopped but didn't turn around.

"Are you... the 'Masked Monster'?"

"You saved us... thank you."

I kept walking, but before he could finish speaking, a gunshot rang out.

"Bang—"

The shotgun pellets hit my back like countless needles piercing flesh.

I stopped.

Slowly turned around.

All five scavengers had raised their guns, pointing them at me, greed written all over their faces.

"General Rex has a bounty on your head—a thousand pounds of grain, two hundred rounds of ammunition, and ten cases of canned food."

The lead man grinned.

"Brothers, we're rich!"

...

I looked at them.

My mind suddenly flashed to three years ago.

Rex shooting out my kneecap.

"You were going to die anyway. Consider it a contribution to the camp."

...

My pupils began to glow red, my body instinctively releasing a wave of pressure.

Rustling sounds came from the surrounding ruins.

Over a hundred zombies crawled out from the darkness, surrounding the five scavengers.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Zombies! So many zombies!"

"Help! Help us!"

The five instantly broke down, dropping their weapons and falling to their knees, wetting themselves in fear.

The lead man looked up at me trembling: "Please... please spare us..."

"We... we had no choice... there's not enough food at the camp... the children are starving..."

"We really... really had no choice... since you saved us! See it through! Help us!"

He shouted as he frantically fired at me, bullets hitting the countless zombies around us.

...

Right now I could kill them all in an instant... but I couldn't fucking do it.

I waved my hand, and the zombies retreated into the darkness.

The five scavengers were stunned, unable to believe they were still alive.

I turned and walked into the ruins.

Behind me, their relieved sobs echoed.

...

I thought that was the end of it.

But the next day, everyone in Hope Fortress was spreading the word: "The Masked Monster can control the horde! He wants to kill us! He could kill us at any time!"

Rex stood on the watchtower, listening to the scavengers' exaggerated report.

"General! That monster is too dangerous! He can control hundreds of zombies! If he launches a horde attack on the camp, we're all finished!"

Rex said nothing.

He just stared at the corpses of those two "Crawlers" the scavengers had brought back.

This wasn't something ordinary zombies could do.

"Interesting."

Rex smiled.

"A conscious monster..."

"And one that never harms people."

He turned to his deputy: "Notify all patrol teams to increase vigilance."

"Also..."

He paused.

"Prepare a trap."

"I want to see for myself what this 'Masked Monster' really is."