The First Dragon God-Chapter 59: Growing Suspicions

Leo and Ves walked out of the residential complex’s elevator, their footsteps echoing against the concrete walls.

The air inside was stale, carrying the faint scent of dust and decay. Even though the zombies corpses on the ground floor has been cleared away, the heavy stench of decay still stubbornly hung in the air.

Leo moved with confidence, steady steps, and strong posture. His clothes seems to hung more snugly on his frame.

His last battle seemed to have helped him a lot and this could be seen by his improved physical appearance, and the way he carried himself.

Beside him, Ves walked with her usual sharp awareness, her gaze flicking to every corner of the building.

Even though they’d secured the building and cleared out all the zombies in it, she could never let her guard down.

She has no idea why but she felt like there was a coil of tension twisted in her gut, and it was a feeling she couldn’t shake off no matter how hard she tried. She felt that they were during the silence before the storm.

On the ground floor, survivors gathered in small clusters. Their murmurs created a low flow of unease but they quieted as Leo stepped forward.

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"All fighters, gather up," he called with a steady voice. "We’re meeting to plan our next move."

The room fell into a hushed silence as capable survivors made their way toward Leo and Ves near the building’s entrance.

Grewishka stood near the back, his towering presence lending a sense of reassurance to those around him. His arms were crossed over his chest, his gaze sharp and calculating.

On the far edge of the group, Ryan stood with a faint smirk on his face, and his eyes flicking between each faces, reading the room with unsettling ease.

Leo cleared his throat.

"We need to clear the surrounding buildings and scavenge for more supplies. Though most of the building apartments have supplies, we have no idea how long they are going to last.

We also have the meat of the mutant boar that can last us maybe a month or two but we still need to stock up on foods that doesn’t easily go bad," he explained, and continued.

"Also, the more secure we make this area, the better our chances of survival. We’ll organize teams to search for food, weapons, and anything else useful."

The gathered survivors nodded, though they felt a little bit uneasy about going out into the world filled with danger, they knew that Leo was right and they have no choice.

Ryan looked at everyone and took a casual step forward, with a relaxed posture.

"It’s a good plan," he said, his voice measured. "But should we be spreading ourselves so thin? A single misstep out there could cost lives."

His words were heavy and the implication hung heavy in the air. His words caused a murmur of agreement to ripple through the crowd.

Leo was initially surprised by Ryan’s words and it got him curious, and interested in him. There was no doubt that there was some truth and reason to Ryan’s words, and no matter how one looks at, there was nothing wrong.

But Leo couldn’t help but feel that there was something more to his words. This was especially with the way Ryan looked at him briefly. If it was before his recent level up, he might had missed it but not now. He saw those looks and it told him that something was up.

He opened his mouth to talk but before he could speak, Grewishka cut in with a neutral time.

"We’ve been lucky so far. But Ryan’s right. Caution is key." Grewishka said.

A few heads nodded in agreement, causing Ves, who was quietly watching from the side to narrow her eyes, with her gaze locking on Ryan.

From what she just saw, he wasn’t outright challenging Leo’s authority by speaking and letting out his thoughts. It could be seen that he really cares about the group but she felt that his words weren’t so kind.

The meeting continued and concluded with the plan going as Leo initially intended. As for Ryan’s words and suggestion, Leo told him to do with the rest of the group as he saw fit—this was after he had taken those that will go with him.

After the meeting, Ves walked to Miguel.

"Do you know anything about Ryan?" she asked. "Where he came from?"

Miguel frowned, crossing his arms. "Not much. I saw him during the chaos of the first two days and when I saw how good he is, I told him to join me."

"I see...," Ves nodded, as she turned to observe Ryan who was standing at the distance.

"I don’t know why but I feel like he’s up to something. He’s up to no good," she said with a solemn voice.

Miguel shrugged, though a crease appeared between his brows.

"I seem to have noticed it too. But maybe you’re reading too much into it. People change in situations like this."

Ves remained silent for a moment, her mind churning with thoughts. "Just… stay alert," she said finally. "We can’t afford to trust the wrong person."

Miguel gave her a nod, but his expression remained thoughtful as he walked away.

.....

An hour later, the teams set out into the crumbling streets, splitting up to cover more ground. Leo led one group with Ves at his side, while Ryan took charge of another.

The streets outside were a labyrinth of ruined buildings and overgrown vegetation. Cracks spiderwebbed across the pavement, and abandoned cars sat rusting in the gloom. The silence was eerie, broken only by the occasional rustle of the wind or distant screech of mutated animals, or zombies.

Leo’s team didn’t have to search long to find their first challenge. It was a group of mutated rats prowling near an overturned bus.

The creatures were tall, almost as tall as a human knee. They were grotesque, their once-normal bodies twisted by the mutations the experienced. Their eyes glowed an unnatural green, and their teeth were jagged, sharp enough to tear through flesh.

Leo’s heart quickened, but not with fear. There was an odd calm that settled over him, a quiet confidence he hadn’t felt before.

"They’re coming," Ves whispered beside him, with a tensed voice.

"I’ve got this," Leo said, stepping forward with confidence and without hesitation.

The rats snarled and lunged as one, but Leo was faster. His movements were fluid, his strikes precise. The first rat fell to a single swing of his blade, its mutated body crumpling in the dirt.

[You have acquired Level 5 Mutant Rat: Tunnel Rat Life Force!]

Leo smiled when he saw the level of the mutant rats.

’Level 5? That’s not even half of that monster’s level,’ he thought, with his mind going back to the mutant ape he fought two days ago.

Leo wasn’t allowed to continuing thinking about the previous battle as another mutant rat lunged from the side, but he sidestepped easily, driving Nightshade into its skull with ease.

His mind barely registered the effort. There was no panic, no second-guessing his actions. He moved through the pack with a grace he hadn’t possessed before, cutting down one rat after another.

The last mutant rat snarled, its eyes glowing with feral rage. Leo met its gaze and lunged forward, his blade slicing clean through its neck. The rat’s body hit the ground with a final, wet thud.

Leo stood over the fallen creatures, his breathing steady. He glanced at his hands, surprised by how calm he felt.

It was… easy.

The thought sent a small shiver down his spine. These creatures would’ve been a serious threat not long ago. He would’ve struggled, panicked. But now? He barely broke a sweat.

He thought again about his fight with the mutant ape and a smiled creased his face.

"I’m stronger," he murmured to himself, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Much stronger."

"Leo," Ves called softly, approaching him. In her eyes one could see how proud she was about Leo’s strength but there was something else in her eyes.

Leo turned to her, waving Nightshade, ans wiping off the blood on it.

"You okay, Ms Ves?" He asked curiously.

"I’m fine." Ves forced a smile. "You’re getting stronger."

"So are you." Leo actually meant what be said and he didn’t say it because he wants to make Ves feel better.

He saw how she moved when she was fighting the mutant rats and he saw just how she has improved.

Ves nodded at Leo’s words, but her thoughts churned beneath the surface. She had fought alongside him. Her strikes had been swift and fierce but… she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was being left behind.

Today, Leo moved with a confidence that hadn’t been there before. His strength was growing by the day, and while Ves was proud of him, that pride was laced with a gnawing sense of inadequacy.

She clenched her fists, her resolve hardening. ’I won’t fall behind. I can’t afford to.’

Ves glanced at Leo once more, her heart swelling with pride—and a fierce determination. She would grow stronger, no matter what it took.