Chapter 7: A Different Breed Of Monsters

[Regional Chat (#058-34)

BudgetBatman: "Hey guys, I think something’s wrong with the food?!.....the water too!"

SlimShadi: "Internet is down; I can’t even reach my loved ones!. Anyone have some Origin Crystals to spare?..... I think it can be done through this system.."

LagLord69: "This is getting more horrifying. What exactly is this Origin System ?"

BaldSaint: "@SlimShadi You know how hard it is to get those?. You better try calling them out through this channel; at least this one’s free. @Peter Parker43 did the same."

CryMorePls: "You all complain too much. You should be rejoicing as this goddam world is finally coming to an end. "

TrustWorthyGuy: "Dm me if you need help."

ChillDude: "@BudgetBatman keep up, man. And is that truly your biggest concern at the moment?. Who cares about food or water? I am currently hiding on top of a tree, and these fuckers are starting to form a pile to climb up to me. But it’s whatever."

AllSeeingEyes: "@LagLord69, I’ve been wondering the same thing. Maybe some type of advanced alien tech?"

CelestialGoddess92: "Anyone check out that origin store yet? What’s with the countdown on the daily special?. Who can even afford that ?"

Orion Blackridge: "Feast for ages? So they mean Zombies will be feasting on us for ages. Freaking Zombies?!"

SlimShadi: "@BaldSaint They are in a different region from mine, mate."

LagLord69: "@AllSeeingEyes, It’s definitely possible, since this isn’t even feeling very real at the moment. Then why not aliens ?"

BudgetBatman: "@CelestialGoddess92, It says I don’t have any Origin crystal, but seeing how the food is going bad, and the water too. I guess I’d better muster up the courage to take action."

SweetLikeLemon: "@Orion Blackridge seems so, but check, there’s a timer on the events section as well, so I guess that’s when this ends?. Also, I killed one Zombie and got a crystal, Lucky me. He was my boyfriend, but he’s been cheating on me with my best friend. So it’s cool."

Liora Ashen: "I have five crystals now."

AllSeeingEyes: "@SweetLikeLemon, You really killed one ?. I thought your class was only low-grade."

CelestialGoddess92: "@BudgetBatman. Likewise. Guess I have to kill some zombies."

ShyButterfly: "@AllSeeingEyes I killed a lot."

OneInchRod: "@Liora Ashen I call Cap. Are you some bigshot? You are not even on any of the leaderboards. Killed five ?. BS."

AllSeeingEyes: "@Liora Ashen, how many zombies did you kill to get five crystals?"

Liora Ashen: "@AllSeeingEyes a lot."

OneInchRod: "@Liora Ashen, stop the cap."

BudgetBatman: "@RockHard69, I still haven’t heard from you. I sent my address in the chat some while back."

OneInchRod: "@ShyButterfly, STFU and stop lying, you attention-seeking whore."

RockHard69: "@BudgetBatman, aren’t you a dude? I only save chicks, pal."

TrustWorthyGuy: "@BudgetBatman Check your Dm i sent you a message."]

The chats were running through the interface one after another.

Damon was already beginning to make out some more outspoken individuals in this regional chat, as well as their unique personalities.

But that isn’t what’s important at the moment— he needed all the information he could get.

After watching the chats go by for a couple of minutes as Harvey and Mildred waited patiently, Damon learned several things, some of which he had already derived from Harvey, and others he confirmed through browsing the Origin System that seemed to make navigation of its functions an intuitive ease.

Some things he learned were particularly concerning.

The first thing Damon came to understand was that the regional chat was a channel for everyone who survived the integration in the same district of a state to chat and share their thoughts free of charge, with some long cool-down time between the number of messages they can send out as well as allowed sessions; this at least gives a semblance of decorum to the disorderly bustle of troubled denizens in the region.

There are other districts, of course, and they also have their own chat channels where communication is also free but regulated similarly.

In addition to this, there was a group chat function in the chat channel section, where one could create and invite a set number of individuals to share a group conversation for a set amount of crystal coins.

There was a direct private chat option as well, where you could directly message someone as long as you had their ID. This one is cost-free and isn’t regulated. There were some blurred out sections as well, and some even had timers on them.

The more expensive options are the State, National, and Global channel chats. Unlike the regional chat, the state, national, and global chats require a steep fee in crystal coin to leave a message, something almost no one would be able to afford at this point.

What was interesting to Damon was that, regardless of the steep cost, there were still a few individuals sending messages in these channels once in a while, their demeanor mostly lacking the troubled urgency individuals on his regional chat were beset by. Considering the effort involved in earning even a single origin crystal, Damon could only come to one conclusion—These individuals must be quite strong.

Aside from some messages from these individuals on the state and global chats, there were also a couple of messages from those representing governmental bodies like the military, trying to encourage some semblance of order and calm the troubled masses of their state, country, or region.

Directions to safe zones were being given out, as well as tips to counterattack this new threat were being highlighted in real time. Those who can’t make it to any of these safe zones are advised to bunker down and be patient, with promises that their military would begin to assemble forces to actively engage the new threat.

Damon was impressed by how quickly these countries had gone into action to help as best as they could when it was quite likely that even in their circles, more than a few would have transformed into the creature now popularly regarded on these forums as zombies.

That rescue was coming to anyone was hard to believe, but for some wrestling with real hopelessness, such a promise can serve as a type of much needed solace.

Suffice to say, one could only access the chat channel of the region, state, and country they belonged to. The Global channel, on the other hand, can be accessed by everyone, making the cost in Origin Crystals to leave a single message all the more expensive as compared to the other channels.

It was a lot to digest, and Harvey would occasionally shed some light on areas that were still unclear to Damon, showing just how efficient he was with information gathering.

Finally, for the part that most concerned Damon: the new currency of this world—Origin Crystals. An immaterial currency that can be used to purchase items from the origin store, or used to directly improve one’s constitution.

Damon learned that when these mutated humans are killed through the only means currently possible, which was having their brains destroyed— there is a slim chance that the individual who does the killing would gain an origin crystal.

Details of which were still unclear to even Harvey.

However, the shocking part was the repeated commentary being drowned out in the chat channels that Harvey as well as cautious others had picked up on—

Apparently, when someone kills another in possession of these Origin Crystals, the murderer assumes ownership of said crystals.

The question that now boggles Damon’s mind is—

How was this discovery made?

The answer was clear. And the reality was chilling, as it hasn’t even been that long since the Trials began.

And already, a different breed of monsters were being born.