Chapter 4: Awakening! The First Follower: Yamamoto Hinata!
Arriving at a room.
Akira rummaged through the wardrobe and found some lace panties still unopened.
Yesterday, he had dirtied Hinata's panties by wiping his face on them, so he decided to get a new one for her.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he dodged to the side by reflex.
Boom!
A sharp claw scratched the wardrobe door.
It was a sneaky zombie girl in the room.
She had been hiding in the bathroom, and Akira hadn't noticed. He was almost caught!
The zombie girl looked at Akira angrily… and at the panties in his hand.
— They're just some clothes. You won't need them anyway. Why be so stingy?
Akira opened his hands and shrugged.
— Roar!
The zombie ran at him.
Akira kicked her into the air and struck her with the hammer.
He hit right in the center of the forehead.
The zombie's skull was cracked open. Her legs twitched a few times and then went still.
A black light floated into Akira's body.
> [Level up.]
> [Promoted to level one: Awakened.]
> [The "Follower" module was unlocked.]
In an instant, Akira felt his body go through drastic changes.
His muscles expanded, his strength increased!
With a single punch, he would be able to go through a solid wooden table several centimeters thick!
In addition, his senses became much sharper — he could even hear the footsteps of zombies in the next room!
— This is amazing! — Akira got excited.
This was just the first level of awakening.
He didn't even dare imagine how much stronger he could become in the future!
After calming down, Akira began to study the newly unlocked module: "Follower."
> [The host can sign followers.]
> [The follower must be voluntary. After drinking the host's blood, the contract can be established.]
> [The follower will immediately gain 50% of the host's current strength.]
> [Followers can increase their power by killing zombies, and that growth will also be passed on to the host.]
> [The follower will always be loyal to the host.]
Akira understood.
In short, if someone follows him, he'll give that person a chance to survive — and to become stronger.
In an apocalyptic world full of danger, most people would certainly accept this kind of contract.
> [Current possible number of followers: 1.]
> [With each new level, the number of followers will increase by 1.]
Akira smiled.
Following this logic, with enough followers, could he level up even without fighting?
Things were starting to get interesting...
---
Room 308.
Hinata hung up the phone, her face full of worry.
Her parents were in Kyoto, and their cell phone signal could not be located.
It was truly distressing.
But after all, Kyoto isn't the capital, so it should be less populated than Tokyo — maybe the situation over there was better than in Tokyo city.
— I wonder if Akira-sempai is okay?
— Ah... I'm so useless... I can't help with anything...
For the first time, Hinata wished she had power.
— Haa~... It's so hot...
The weather was stuffy, the room's air conditioner was broken, and she was starting to sweat even with the slightest movement.
The sticky feeling was unbearable for Hinata, who always valued being clean.
— The shower's soundproofing is good... so it's okay to take a bath, right?
Each room had its own bathroom.
Hinata entered, locked the door with her clothes still on, and after making sure the sound wouldn't leak, she began to wash herself courageously.
---
Akira cleaned the entire third floor.
He hunted a total of thirteen zombies.
He filled a large backpack with supplies.
There were all kinds of snacks and vacuum-packed foods, with an expiration date of over a year. Even in summer, they would last for several days.
And this was just what he had gotten from a single floor. There were still three more floors to explore.
Definitely, the girls' lives were more comfortable...
If this had happened in the male dormitory, he probably would've already starved to death...
Akira opened the status panel:
> [Name: Takayama Akira]
[Age: 19]
[Level: Awakened Level 1 (50%)]
[Special Ability: None]
[Followers: 0/1]
After awakening, normal zombies became easy to handle, but the amount of dark energy he received from defeating them had also decreased.
Even after killing more than a dozen, the progress bar had only reached halfway.
— It's not urgent — murmured Akira.
— Most of the zombies are gathered on the first floor. That should be enough for me to level up two more times.
Before anything else, Akira decided to take the supplies back.
He walked up to the door of room 308.
But just as he was about to knock, a muffled exclamation from inside made him stop.
— That's Hinata's voice!
— Did a zombie appear?
Without hesitation, Akira kicked and broke the door open.
The room was empty, but the sound was coming from the shower.
Without thinking twice, he ran straight there.
...
The scene before his eyes left him frozen.
Hinata was completely naked, sitting on the floor of the shower, with tears in her eyes.
— You...
Akira's voice came out hoarse.
— I just wanted to take a bath... but I slipped and fell...
Hinata replied with sadness.
Akira averted his eyes with effort.
— Can you still get up?
— N-no...
She had tried a moment ago, but the pain was so intense that she almost fainted.
Akira grabbed a towel, carefully wrapped it around her body, and lifted her by the waist.
Carrying her out of the bathroom, he placed her on the dorm bed.
Seeing Hinata writhing in pain, he frowned.
If it was just a bruise that caused swelling, a few days of rest would be enough. But if the coccyx had suffered a fracture, the situation could get complicated.
And there was no way to take an X-ray there...
— Sempai... you better leave me here.
— I'll only get in the way...
Hinata said softly.
Now the world was infested with man-eating monsters, and any carelessness could be fatal.
She didn't want to be a burden to Akira.
— I have a way to treat your injury... and even make you stronger — he said, after thinking for a few seconds.
— Really?
Hinata's eyes sparkled with hope.
— But there's a price...
— If it's to help you, sempai... I'll accept any price!
— Great.
Akira took a small carving knife and made a cut on the palm of his hand.
The blood began to drip.
He then extended his bloody hand in front of her.
— Drink.
Hinata didn't know the reason.
Could Akira's blood also heal wounds?
Although she was a little confused, she obeyed and stuck out her tongue, gently licking the blood from his palm.
Boom!
It was as if an explosion had occurred in her mind.
A warm current ran through her body, the pain disappeared completely, and she was filled with an intense and inexhaustible strength.
— Amazing!
— Sempai, I don't feel any pain anymore!
Hinata jumped excitedly.
As a result... the bath towel suddenly slipped.
The atmosphere immediately became embarrassing.
Hinata lowered her head, her face completely flushed.
— Ahem... get dressed first.
Akira turned and was about to leave.
But he was stopped by Hinata.
Her eyes were intense. Besides gratitude, there was also admiration... and a slight dependence.
— Sempai, let's continue what we started this morning.
— ...Huh?!
Akira looked at her with surprise for a brief moment — but his eyes soon became intense, piercing. He did not answer with words. He just stared at her silently, as if studying every nuance of her flushed expression, the way she looked away, embarrassed but determined to sustain her own boldness.
Hinata was sitting at the edge of the bed, with her legs folded and her arms hugging her own naked body, the towel had slipped a little while ago. Her blushing face tried to hide the fire that shone in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Akira was already walking towards her.
— Do you have any idea what you're asking, Hinata? — his voice was low, firm, with a hoarse tension that made her heart race.
She hesitated for a second, then nodded slowly, her eyes lowered.
— I… I want you, sempai… even if I'm embarrassed…
Akira knelt in front of her, gently lifting her chin with two fingers, forcing her to look at him.
— You don't need to pretend courage with me — he murmured, with a half smile. — But since you're teasing me… don't think I'll be gentle all the time.
Hinata's eyes widened for a moment, but she bit her lower lip, trying to hide a nervous smile. She was embarrassed, but the excitement shone in her gaze.
Akira gently pushed her back, making her lie down on the bed. He watched her for a moment, from above, like a patient predator. With firm movements, he took off his own shirt, revealing his defined torso, and the way her eyes followed him, enchanted and unsure, amused him.
— Stay very still. Let me take care of everything.
Hinata closed her eyes for a moment, her chest rising and falling in a trembling breath. When his lips touched her neck, descending along the collarbone in slow kisses, she let out a broken sigh. Her hands grabbed the sheets tightly, and her body reacted to each touch from him as if it were learning its own desire.
— A-Akira…
— Shh… — he murmured in her ear. — Just feel.
His hands explored her body firmly, but without hurry. Each gesture made Hinata flinch slightly, and at the same time want more. She felt completely dominated, but safe — as if she were exactly where she wanted to be.
In that silent room, amid a world in ruins, Akira and Hinata surrendered to each other. She, shy and vulnerable, but bold in her desire. He, intense and sure, leading every moment as if it were the last chance to feel something real.
...
Bang bang bang!
In a room on the second floor.
A blonde girl hid under the table.
Upon hearing the noises upstairs, she couldn't contain her fear.
— Are the zombies upstairs having a party?
— It looks like the ceiling is going to collapse!
— Uuugh! How scary!
...