SSS+ MONSTER EVOLUTION

Chapter 4: The shelter Home

The cold chill of the morning woke me up. Somehow, I had managed to fall asleep.

The skies were still dark, and the people were still resting. I decided to take a walk and shake the thoughts that I had.

Walking around, I saw Benson. He stood just above the wall fence, staring at the city outside.

He seemed focused, like he was looking at something. No—like he was looking for something.

He saw me down below and waved at me to follow him.

"Wilton. Up so early?" Benson said, with the hint of a smile.

"Yeah. Too many thoughts woke me up."

Benson laughed and chuckled. "Ah, yes. Wilton, do you believe this world will one day return to the way it was?"

I stared at the city Benson was looking at. A broken city. Collapsed buildings and all.

"I don't know. But I would like to believe it's possible."

Maybe Doctor Elana was working on a cure? If I could find her, we could fix our mistakes.

I saw a bunch of men walk towards us.

"Ah. Looks like they're here," Benson said. "Come, I want to show you something."

I was taken to a small building just behind the factory building. Inside was multiple broken equipment and weapons.

Spears, knives, forks, clubs with spikes.

"Guns are hard to find, but this was the best I could do. I don't have enough guns so I can't promise to give any right now, but in the future, I plan for us to have them."

Benson stared at the city. "Near the center of the city is a gun store. The other colonies haven't looted it yet because it's located in the den of a sanguis nest. I plan on taking the prize. It would be a big step in securing the safety of the colony."

Benson looked confident. But I just had to ask. "If the other colonies won't go because of how dangerous it is, then why would you risk doing it? Isn't it a suicide mission?"

Benson chuckled. "You're right to think so, Wilton," he said.

He grabbed me by the shoulders and walked me to a room inside the building. There I saw a bunch of men—the same ones I saw back on top of the wall. They were cleaning and preparing weapons.

We walked towards a man. "Wilton, I want you to meet Isaac. He worked as a construction worker for the tunnels and sewage pipes under the city."

Isaac stood up and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, Wilton."

Benson showed me a map laid on the table. "Isaac here has clear knowledge of the tunnels. He knows which ways to go. We use the tunnels under the city to avoid conflict with any sanguis. Once we get to the shop, we get all the loot and hurry back like nothing happened."

The idea seemed solid. Isaac pointed out on the map.

"See here. I drew a line showing us the locations of many stores in the city and how to use the tunnels to get to them. I worked on those tunnels three years. I know them better than I know the shape of my dick."

They laughed.

"So what do you say, Wilton? Will you join us? A member of the hunter squad I plan to create. Getting these guns will put us a step closer to the other colonies."

I stared at the city. The lab was there. Maybe Doctor Elana left something that could lead to her location. I planned on getting there; being a hunter was a good step. It was too dangerous to go alone.

Wilton shook his head. "I'm in."

Benson slapped Wilton's shoulder. "Good. Good. Let's find you a weapon first."

He showed me a couple of weapons. Most of them handcrafted.

I grabbed the spear. It was most effective in a fight. It had the distance to stab a foe without reaching in too close, and it had the mobility to be thrown as well.

"I think I'll take this."

Benson smiled. "Good."

Benson explained his plans clearly. We were going to go the next day, early in the morning while it was still dark.

Walking back, I bumped into Margery and Lucas—the two who brought me to the shelter.

"Hey. Did you meet up with Benson yet?" Margery asked.

"Yes. We talked. I'll be joining the new hunter squad he's forming."

Lucas grabbed me and turned me around. "Nice. Let's go eat."

Hearing Lucas say this reminded me of how hungry I was. I felt my stomach rumble.

We went to an open tent. There were men and women who served the majority of their food.

The food wasn't anything specific. Boiled grains with beans and some watery soup. But I understood. It probably wasn't easy providing for so many people.

Putting the food in my mouth, I felt a sudden ill. It was like my body was rejecting the food.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale," Margery asked.

I started to feel something move inside me. It was the monster inside of me. I looked around at the people in the tent—men, women, and kids chatting.

"No. No. No. Please. Not here." I begged for it to stop.

Suddenly, it was like it stopped.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked, curious about what was happening.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I rushed away and excused myself. I ran straight for the garbage bins just next to the tent and puked all the food I ate.

It had a bitter taste in my mouth. My body rejected it. I started to feel it move again. I tried my best to restrain it until it finally stopped.

The day ended fast. I found myself in Benson's office, equipped and ready.

I was given a suit as well. It was tailored from a worksuit—gray with red linings on the arms and legs.

There was a logo tailored on it as well. A lion's head with the words "The Colony's Pride" written below it.

"That's going to be my colony's new logo. Once this goes well, things will start to change for the better here, Wilton. I can feel it."

Benson was a very optimistic guy. He had the colony's best interest at heart, but most of all, he had big ambitions he wished to achieve. Creating his own colony, and now his own hunter squad, wanting to compete with the bigger colonies. I certainly admired this ambition of his.

I zipped my jacket on and we were ready to head out.

I took a deep breath in and looked at my right arm. Ever since yesterday, it's like it's been twitching. I felt a certain hunger. I needed to eat. No. It wanted to eat.