Chapter 41: 41. The culprit
False alarm, it was just a big squirrel that was killed easily by Laurence who shot it from afar.
"Well, this night was a let down, seems like the our hunch wasn't right." Chapman said while stretching.
"It could be that they knew." Johnny shrugged.
"That's also possible but we made sure to say it quietly. Normal people won't be able to hear us." Chapman said.
"Yeah, and we know that the person has levelled up before just like us. They might have even gone to Heaven's tower." Laurence said and the others fell into deep thought.
"You guys should get a good sleep. I'll be on night watch today. We'll ask around tomorrow." Laurence said as he walked away.
...
The next day went almost the same with them not finding any high level creatures. Dexter managed to reach level 9 and they came back exhausted.
"Let's not do this for so long." Chapman voiced his problem.
"You should be saying that we should eat something before we go to the forest." Dexter turned around and said with a pale face.
"You guys can sleep after you eat." Laurence said, dissapointed at his personally trained men are also weak because of they didn't eat.
They're soldiers!
After getting to the camp, they ate and then relaxed in the canteen.
"He gotta go with one of us?" Johnny asked calmly as he stared at the lady who wore glasses standing right in front of their table with the tired looking Freddy beside her.
"Dexter would do it?" Chapman said immediately.
"What about you?" Dexter asked back.
"I've got a schedule tomorrow night." He smirked.
Ultimately Dexter agreed to be the escort since he wanted this case of killing to come to an end.
Why the hell would you be killing your fellow humans?
The zombies can do that for them?
...
"When can you take me to hunt?" Lily asked as she looked up to Dexter who had wide eyes.
"When you land a hit on me, I promise to take you." Dexter smirked as he knew that it would be impossible.
"Not fair. You are way stronger than me. Take me pleaseee." She begged while holding onto his leg.
To his surprise, he felt something tap him at his back and he turned to see her fist on his waist.
"Hehehehehe. I got you." Lily laughed like an evil cartoon character.
'Damn. I was distracted by cuteness.' Dexter facepalmed.
"Okay, how about another day? I'll choose a day from tomorrow." Dexter said and she agreed.
...
Soon, night fell and Rina was glad as many of the recruits showed bravery in the field today.
"One of them even got a flame skill just like Zain." Rina said joyfully.
"Almost all of them have totems now. I think, as a team, they would stand a chance against a titan." Zain said with confidence but Dexter and Leo just curved their lips downwards and looked at each other.
Then they looked at Zain.
"The titans, I suspect, most should be above level 20." Leo said.
"Even if all the people who have levelled up goes to fight one, we won't stand a chance. We need them to be level 10 to 15 before we stand a chance." Dexter said, making Zain smile bitterly.
"Don't worry. With our teaching skills, they would be there in no time." Rina said with a pretty smile as she held Zain by the shoulder.
...
*Midnight*
Dexter walked out of the room to see Freddy waiting at the entrance of the camp, then Dexter walked towards him.
"Where are the others?" Dexter asked upon reaching the entrance.
"No one but me agreed to go." Freddy sighed.
"Good evening Dexter."
"Is that thunder man?"
"Yes. Good evening sir!"
"HI, thunder man."
The soldiers all greeted him and this was the second time he was hearing the words 'Thunder man'. He really hoped he wasn't being called that.
"Let's just go quickly." Dexter said and Freddy followed behind him.
As they went towards the wood pickup area, a few zombies approached them from the sides.
However, as the zombies got close, three thin black vines with sharp blades at their tips shot out of Dexter's bracelet and ripped, and destroyed them.
Freddy looked shocked at it and then he looked down with a sad face.
Freddy allowed Dexter to walk forward in front of him.
When they got to the said wood pickup point, Dexter walked ahead to see if there was any suspicious activity.
"Looks like there's no–"
*THWACK!!*
"Ah!" Dexter grunted in pain as he felt as if a blade just tore his back. And it stung.
He turned back and his eyes widened in shock to see Freddy in front of him with a bloodied whip.
The whip had tiny spikes protruding from it and Dexter's blood dripped from it.
"What?" Dexter was confused. "You're the one killing people?"
He furrowed his brows while Freddy suddenly began to laugh hysterically.
"I can't believe I fooled you all. You guys didn't even suspect me, hahaha!"
This Freddy and the normal Freddy were so different. Dexter remembered the normal one who cares for the injured, bandaging them up, helping people in need.
This one. This one was crazy, he was... like he was possessed.
"Why?" Dexter mumbled.
"Why." Freddy cracked his whip and then moved closer to strike Dexter with a quick hand.
But Dexter bent downwards and it missed him. Freddy then stopped and began to talk while walking around Dexter.
"When the tiran impact first started, my house was attacked by a beast. The love of my life, Gia, was badly injured. The monster was chased by another and My wife died in my arms. It hadn't even been two days since we married." Freddy smirked.
He then turned to Dexter before waving his arm, striking his whip forward with all the strength he had and Dexter who was distracted almost had his face cut but managed to dodge at the last second.
"I was hurt!"
"I was in pain!"
He continued to attack Dexter while shouting.
Dexter just focused on listening as he dodged again and again.
"She was in so much pain. So, so I had to kill her." He struck his whip downwards and the ground cracked as it collided.
"Then it came, I was rewarded by the tiran. And I killed that beast. And now, I've decided to share my pain with the world. You're too smart for your own good, I need to eliminate you."