You Have Two Choices
You had two choices. (1) Decide that if anything big shows up, the warrior deploys. Of course, those five coming from up ahead weren't big game. If I set the Three Sand Claws target to "human," it wouldn't just hit these guys—it'd wipe out everyone in the Orc Building in one go. A total of 45 at once? How many were in the Orc Building again? Around 20? More? One-shot city. Of course, if there were any survivors nearby, it'd keep roaming until it hit 45... and it might even spread to my group if I wasn't careful. Mages are dangerous. Can't handle them recklessly. Anyway, these guys weren't a threat to me. But, hmm. Mages don't look that strong on the outside, do they? In terms of intimidation.
"Hey, check that out. What the hell?"
"Some psycho? Wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Towel around his waist?"
"That staff... looks like something from a movie."
Ah, right. Of course they'd come closer. I immediately dismissed the summon. The moment it crumbled into sand, I heard a startled "Whoa?!" Warrior, Nephkent. Not sure if it'd work, never tried it, but if not, I'd just run over. I placed my hand on the stone coffin. Two portals opened. The overpass, and the shopping street. ...As long as they were my avatars, anyone could use these portals. Made them way more useful. I stepped out onto the shopping street, and there they were—the five guys with shocked faces, plain as day. About 100 meters away. As I walked toward them, they just stared, dumbfounded. I strode forward confidently, spreading my arms wide with spear and shield in hand when I was close enough for my voice to carry, and bellowed,
"Didn't I tell you before? Last warning? You guys are those same bastards from back then, right? Huh? Or not? Yeah, you are."
"D-dog mask!"
"That's the dog-mask freak C-Team ran into!"
"He ain't that big. Just shoot him—"
"You idiot, they said even bullets don't kill him!"
"We don't know if that's true, fuck. How do we know he didn't bullshit them?"
"Shut up for a sec!"
Judging by the vibe, they weren't the ones from before. "Guess you're not the ones who shot at me last time? Doesn't matter. That warning wasn't just for them—it was for all of you. Hey. What the hell are you wandering around for?"
The burly guys hesitated, backing up slowly. I'd been yelling so much while walking that groans started echoing from nearby buildings—"Uuuuhh—" I'd only roughly cleared the streets and first floors, after all. Crash! Zombies shattered the glass on a third-floor window right next to us and came tumbling down. More poured from the opposite side.
"Hey!"
"Fuck, hey! Zombies!"
"Guns up, guns!"
They blazed away—rat-tat-tat! rat-tat-tat! But fuck. You gotta headshot 'em to drop 'em. What's the point of pumping their bodies? Didn't they watch zombie movies? Good dramas too, fuck. Absurd. I thrust my spear—poof—into a sand pile. Stab-stab-stab-stab! I went fucking wild. Zombies lunging at me collapsed in rotten clothes and sand heaps. My surroundings turned into a sea of sand. Like I'd plopped a desert right there in this narrow street. I brushed through it and said,
"Why'd you come crawling? What's the reason?"
"Th-the... reason, huff huff."
They'd all gone pale watching me turn zombies into sand piles right in front of them. Some aimed guns at me, but I pointed my spear at one and warned, "I already warned you last time. Shoot, and you all die. Wanna know what it feels like to turn into sand piles?"
"U-uuuh...!"
They were scared shitless. I glared until one tilted his head defiantly. "Answer me. Why'd you come?"
"We, uh, f-for sure."
"Huh?! Speak up."
"For sure, th-the collection teams... need supplies, so you'd... show up..."
"Ah. Came to grab people?"
The five couldn't answer. No need—they were hunting collection teams, obvious reason. "You guys... ha... whatever. Come with me. You got some 'Daemo' lady or whatever, right? Let's go see her."
I turned and strode onto the side road. They didn't follow. I glanced back, shrugged. "Not coming?"
They eyed each other, stayed put. I thrust out my spear. "Should I turn you all to sand and go, or come along?" After seeing twenty zombies vanish into sand in seconds, they couldn't defy that. They slunk forward, glancing around. Probably burned all their ammo on zombies—that was a big part of it. Their faces said if they had bullets left, they'd have shot me. Whatever. If they shoot, I stab. With them trailing, I headed for the Orc Building. Not sneaking like collection teams. Right down the big main road. Dead center in the lane. Stabbing groaning zombies—"Uuuuhh"—with my spear as they approached.
Orc Building rooftop. Someone up there watching? I'd be real visible.
* * *
I strode right through the door. Two guards, but idiots. They panicked, clumsily trying to block me. Standing before them, I said lowly,
"Never heard there's a god who wears a dog mask?"
"...N-no entry without permission."
"Horus's Lion."
Horus's Lion
I whispered it low. Sand rushed to my side, forming lion armor on my shoulder and heel. +2 each now—armor was getting decent. Growl! The two sentries screamed, fleeing the other way and tumbling over each other.
"U-uuwaa!"
"Uwaaaak!"
The five behind me screamed too. "How's the stone lion look up close? Way bigger than on your phone, right?" Not sure if this was true size, but fuck, it was huge. First sight hits with overwhelming presence. King of beasts vibe radiating from its look. I stroked its mane once. Grabbed the door and flung it open.
Right then, from inside—a door with a karaoke sign? Some auntie stepped out. With heavily armed men and women. Auntie looked early 50s. The armed ones... wait, one by one... 15 women, only 2 men. Weren't there like 20 total? Wait, no. More women pouring out from the nail salon sign next door—another 20 or so. All women. But their faces... super tense? Men were burly. ...Whatever. No clue their relationships yet.
"Who's this Daemo?"
"Me."
Figures. The 50s auntie said it. They crowded forward, blocking me. Distance—about 5 meters. Guess this spacing for talking.
"...On the first floor, huh? Thought with all I'd heard about Daemo, you'd be up top."
"Elevator's busted. You know how hard it is climbing up and down?"
"Ah. Makes sense."
So every building's first floor was royal now. Auntie said, "You're the one who stole all our collection teams, right? Heard about some weirdo in a dog mask from my underlings."
"Yeah, that was me. And I remember warning you back then. If you come looking after I take them, I'll kill you all. But today I ran into your goons out there. Said they were hunting collection teams. On your orders."
"Of course. Gotta find them. They're precious to me—what if some nutjob calling himself a god sweet-talks them into running off? I'd worry."
"Oh, really?"
Whistle! The lion padded over. Whoa-waaak! Kyaaak! The people behind scattered. Even Daemo auntie nearly backed up. Eyes bulging at the lion, eyelids twitching.
"My lion seems to think I'm a god. Hey, lion. Disappear now."
The lion crumbled into a sand pile. The grains rolled across the floor and vanished. Everyone who'd seen it—women collapsing to their knees. I said, "...Hey, Daemo. You got two choices."
Daemo still stared at the spot. Pissed herself standing? I snapped my fingers.
Snap! Snap!
"Hey. Look at me."
Daemo looked. Sweat beading on her forehead already.
"You got two choices. One: Rush me and all die. Two: Survive this zombie apocalypse on your own."
The dog mask's nose nearly touched her. Close. "Please pick the first. I don't wanna leave you alive and deal with hassle. Killing you all here would be easier for me."
Auntie's arm trembled. Sweat drop trailed down her cheek. I said, "I'm a god. Very generous. Already forgave you once for disrespecting me and shooting. Warned you. Yet you called me a lunatic to my face. Still giving you two choices. How generous, right? Choose. First or second."
Auntie froze. I froze too. Cold air flowed between us. Didn't matter to me—this was an avatar, my real body chilling in the coffin. But auntie? Could she stand like that 10, 20 minutes? Jackal mask here—no blinking, no expression. 1 minute. 2. 3. Around then, auntie trembled her fist and said,
"...Take good care of our collection teams."
She stepped back. Legs shaking. I laughed. Mask hid it, of course. "Plus, you made me come all this way, so two more choices. Could've been a nice talk if you'd behaved, but your goons? Arrogant fucks. And you too, Daemo. So, two choices."
"...I already chose. Go home."
"Shut it, auntie."
Vein popped on Daemo's forehead. Magic words. "Auntie, shut it"—combo packs a punch.
"Women in the back. If you're uncomfortable here or with these people, follow me. Men excluded. You've gotten too used to bullying folks. No good."
"This dog bastard...!"
Daemo's face twisted demonic. Ah, yeah. That must be the face collection teams saw daily.