A-Xuan looked at Naethan and said indifferently:

"No, you failed medical school twice and worked as an admission clerk at my hospital. If you had an MD, then maybe I would be more inclined to listen to your reasoning, but you don’t. Do you really think I’m going to follow a mailman, gardener, unemployed man, and God knows who else’s orders when it comes to medicine just because they have a healing ability? I listened to my fellow doctors, and they think the same as I do."

A-Xuan pointed at every healer when he was talking about them. With Naethan around and the way he oppresses doctors, they started to follow his lead.

He’s going to teach them all a lesson. How selfish can they be? They only want to live a good life and who cares if people die. Naethan isn’t a healer, he’s a killer.

Naethan looked at A-Xuan, his face red in humiliation and anger. When they arrived, he told A-Xuan not to say what he previously did at the hospital, and how he failed medical school.

Naethan said he was worried that people would look down on him. Every time anyone would ask what he did before the outbreak, he would say he worked at the hospital.

Since he had bases in medicine, everyone thought that he had an MD.

But right now, A-Xuan said in front of everyone that Naethan failed medical school, not once but twice, and that he was just an admission clerk.

He thought that now that he has a healing ability he would be above him, but for the first time since they’d been here, A-Xuan made him feel like he did before the outbreaks.

I won’t go back to that, never again.

"A-Xu..." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Before he finished his sentence, A-Xuan cut him and looked at Emerys.

He asked point-blank:

"Do you only care about ability users?"

Emerys looked at him intently.

He could see that A-Xuan was giving him the benefit of the doubt. He knows that users act like they’re better, but he didn’t think healers dealt with patients the same way.

Emerys doesn’t think that and if he can save someone he will, no matter who they are.

The condition of entry of his base is not founded on if a person is a user or mundane, it’s based on character.

But if A-Xuan spoke that way, then all mundanes must be thinking that.

"I don’t."

A-Xuan could see that he was telling the truth. He nodded.

"Then do as I say. Put a doctor as the head of the medical department, and let them diagnose every patient before sending a healer or a doctor, to take care of them. Not only will it be more efficient, but mundane will actually believe you when you say you aren’t only concerned about users."

Emerys looked down, thinking. He genuinely didn’t know they felt that way, he always goes on scavenging missions and when he’s at the base he has to deal with a million things.

He thought that the person he put in charge of the medical department was trustworthy and cared about everyone, but he was clearly wrong.

He could see the relief on the doctors’ faces when A-Xuan didn’t fall for Naethan’s sweet talk.

He looked up, meeting A-Xuan’s green eyes.

"You’re now in charge of the medical department. Healers will follow the doctor’s orders and everyone will be treated the same. I didn’t think It needed to be said, but turns out it did."

A-Xuan could tell that Emerys was somehow affected by that. Good, he should be, he knows he runs the whole base, but still.

Naethan looked at Emerys wide-eyed. What the fuck? He had to work so hard to be where he was, and A-Xuan only had to speak once to take it all away.

He looked at Emerys and was about to say something when he ordered:

"You’re all dismissed."

Everyone left at the speed of light. They could see how angry Emerys was, and they were already scared of him, so they would rather not deal with an angry version of him.

Emerys watched everyone leave with anger. He looked at A-Xuan, who was still standing there. A-Xuan approached him and asked:

"When is your next big scavenging mission?"

Emerys narrowed his eyes. Why does he even care? Still, he answered:

"In a couple of weeks, we have to recuperate a stash of weapons, hidden in an abandoned factory."

A-Xuan smiled. It was during that mission that the original died. He ordered:

"I want an empty laboratory that only I can access."

"Why?"

A-Xuan explained:

"I want to work on a cure for the second virus. I also want a new bedroom, and assist tomorrow’s scavenging mission."

After thinking, Emerys nodded and A-Xuan left before he dismissed him.

When A-Xuan exited, he saw every doctor waiting for him at the steps of the building. They all looked at him eagerly, A-Xuan smiled as he walked to them.

"Thank you for talking, A-Xuan."

"You shouldn’t thank me, I should’ve talked a long time ago."

A man in his fifty put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don’t be too hard on yourself son, what matters is that you did the right thing in the end."

A-Xuan smiled, and after he asked them to come one hour early tomorrow morning, he left to get the keys to his new bedroom. There’s no way in hell he’ll share a room with Naethan. On the way, he saw Maddox and smiled happily.

Maddox was on his way to get some supplies when he saw A-Xuan. He was looking down and seemed lost in thought. He walked faster and stopped him since he didn’t seem to have seen him.

When A-Xuan looked up, he could see that he was sad. Maddox was surprised when he hugged him. What’s going on? Even if they are best friends, A-Xuan is only tactile with Naethan, like he’s not good enough.

When he was sure he wasn’t dreaming, he hugged him back. After a while, A-Xuan pulled back and looked away with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, sometimes I think that I wouldn’t be able to live without you."

When A-Xuan realized the importance of what he said, he looked at Maddox and panicked, his cheek reddened. He stammered:

"I-I just meant that you’re my best friend."

Maddox looked at his rosy cheeks, nervous look, and felt beyond stupefied. Is this real? He didn’t show anything on his face and smiled.

"I know, you’re mine too."

A-Xuan smiled, but Maddox could see a trace of disappointment in his eyes. A-Xuan said before leaving:

"I have to go get my keys for my new bedroom before they close."

Maddox looked at his retreating back and then looked down. He could tell that he was running away because he felt like he said too much.

This can’t be real, he can’t have feelings for him. He’s known him forever, but he never showed this type of emotion toward him before.

Maybe it’s the fact that they haven’t seen each other for a while. He’s always on scavenging missions while A-Xuan is in the medical building. Does he finally love me?

He looked up, but A-Xuan was gone. Before having hope, he’ll test him to be certain. Thinking about A-Xuan possibly having feelings for him, he smiled happily.

He’s been in love with him forever, but he only had eyes for Naethan. I’ll test him and if he loves me too, then I’ll make him mine no matter what.

Emerys who had seen the whole scene frowned. He couldn’t understand A-Xuan before he spoke, but now that he does he understand him even less.

So what, he decided to stand up for mundanes just to go against Naethan because he loves Maddox now? I’ll check and if that’s the case, he’s in for a world of pain.

He wasn’t planning on attending tomorrow’s scavenging mission, but now he will. If he only decided to join to flirt with Maddox, he’s dead. He knew he was up to something, he turned around and left irritated.

After taking his keys, A-Xuan entered his new room. There was a bed, a desk, and a bathroom. Perfect. As long as he doesn’t have to share his bathroom, he’s fine.

He used CF to awaken his abilities now. That’s right, the original didn’t have one ability he had three, it’s the reason it took so long.

Plus he has pure abilities, and now with A-Xuan and his system, they’ll be even purer. A-Xuan’s iris changed colors three times. It was first white, blue, and gold until they finally went back to green.

The original had ice, air, and healing ability. If he hadn’t died the moment he did, they would’ve awakened a week later. After putting the body in its optimal condition, A-Xuan smiled.

He’s so excited to be in this world. He can evacuate all his pent-up anger on zombies. Even if he hates worlds with no technology, he doesn’t mind this one.

First, it’s so fun to kill zombies, second, it’s so peaceful since everywhere is empty. Moreover, the original was so powerful, he just didn’t have enough time to show it.

He’s determined to go on every scavenging mission. In the morning he’ll work at the medical department and leave in the afternoon.

Tomorrow they have a scavenging mission, and he’s for sure going. I’ll also give him a chance to get closer to Maddox, he likes him. This world will be so much fun.