Inside an open area inside a car shop, Nile and his two pets were eating their lunch.

Nile with his spicy sausage and rice, Croco with his favorite innards, and Maximo with a bunch of Coconut under him.

The coconut that Maximo is eating right now was a variant of the coconut Nile usually gives him. This time, instead of the usual greenish or greenish-brown in color, the coconut's surface now had a greenish orange in color.

In fact, the name of the coconut according to the System's description is,

Orange/Coconut?: A mutation between coconut and an orange. What does it taste like? Of course, it tastes like coconut. And orange?

Nile's purpose for changing Maximo's diet was because the carabao himself requested it.

With the earrings of loyalty's telepathic ability, he requested to Nile like this, "Eat… Hard… Long…"

After browsing through the list of items inside the System Store, it was the Orange/Coconut? that best fits the carabao's request.

Yes, the orange/coconut? fruit is elongated like an eggplant, with a greenish orange in color. Its shell is hard and metallic in nature, it is even harder than the endocarp of the mutated coconut they've eaten from before.

However, what Nile didn't understand is that Maximo seemed not too happy with his choice.

"What are you sulking about? Isn't that what you requested?" Nile said while a piece of sausage was in his mouth.

"No? You said you wanted to eat hard and long, right? I even choose a coconut as it's your favorite. Alright, don't be picky, I'll eat that if you don't want it." Nile's threat seems to be effective as Maximo immediately turned around and used his sledgehammer to open up a coconut.

'I want to eat more hard coconuts. More, MORE, not 'long' coconut.' If Maximo could speak openly, he would surely say that. Alas, he could do nothing other than to accept what is served to him.

Tasting the orange/coconut fruit, Maximo bulges his eyes in surprise.

This tastes like heaven. The sweetness of a coconut and the sour taste of an orange getting combined.

'Arghh what a bliss.'

Instantly, Maximo stared warily at Nile and Croco. He eyed them back to back as his sledgehammer tail reached towards the orange/coconut? bunch. After the sledgehammer's head hooked the bunch, Maximo slowly backed away towards a corner, his eyes never left Nile and Croco. It's as if he's afraid that the two might snatch the orange/coconut? fruit away if he's not on guard.

Croco stared at Maximo smugly while chewing a long intestine inside his jaw. It's as if he's saying, 'Don't be a bother to Master, look at me, I'm not picky with my food. Innards are life.'

He keeps on pouring innards inside his jaw even before he could swallow the first batch that he just poured.

While smugly staring at Maximo, he was suddenly dumbfounded as he could no longer feel the soft and jelly-like texture of the innards inside his jaw. In panic, he hurriedly searches around, only to know that he had already finished his innards rations this time.

Instantly, he turned towards Nile and made a low 'grrr' to attract his attention. Donning the 'cutest' look he could make, he stared at Nile, asking for another batch of innards.

A 'hmmpp' then echoed in Croco's ears as Maximo stared at him strangely.

Croco thickened his face and did not budge, still looking at Nile with that 'cute' face of his.

Shaking his head, Nile smiled and gave in to the crocodile's request.

After Croco left with his favorite innards, Nile glanced at the System Interface inside him.

He muttered, 'logs' inside his mind, and the logs screen appeared inside his head.

[

-Distributed 5 Level Points to Will.

Will:20.00

Level Points: -5

-Distributed 5 Level Points to Constitution.

Constitution:20.00

Level Points: -5

-You Killed a Level Two° Zombie.

Apocalypse Virus: +20

Will & Constitution: +1.0

-Your Pets Killed a Half-Step Level Two° Zombie(Interrupted).

Apocalypse Virus: +10

Will & Constitution: +0.5

-Food and Beverages:

Apocalypse Points: -13

]

'This new function that I discovered is pretty helpful in tracking my activity.' Nile thought as he read the text's that formed inside his head.

'So a Level Two° zombie gives me 20 Apocalypse Points and an increment of 1.0 on my stats? That's generous, but also stingy.'

Unlike Level One° zombies, Level Two° zombies are still hard to come by at this kind of place. Unless he goes to a more bigger area, like the city or somewhere near that, he would have a problem leveling to three even if he finished all the Level Two° zombies here.

'After I clear all the Level Two° zombies here, I must really go back on my tracks and go towards the city, huh. Well, that's the plan from the start. Start from small, one at a time.' Nile thought.

'Hmm. This half-step zombie had given me half of the stats increase of a level two? Is it because we interrupted it? I see. I see.'

'If I want a safer route, then I should search for those Level One° zombie's intending to level up. I recalled they only knew how to evade and doesn't attack, like the one Max and Croc killed.'

'Hmm still not sure though, but I'll just believe that it is the case for now.'

'But if I take that safer route, I will stagnate and it will take a longer time for me to reach level three.'

'I keep having this feeling that something terrible is about to happen. It's better to get strong fast. Alright, I'll kill any zombie that I see. Of course, only if I guarantee my safety.'

No one interrupted his thoughts, so he continued. 'In total, I now have 21.5 in Will and Constitution. If I could, I really want to ditch this 'Will'. It doesn't add to my strength and doesn't make me a genius as well, sigh.'

'Well, I can't do anything about it, less I wanted my body to get deformed due to the lack of 'Will'.'

Balance. We need balance.

'I now have a total of 986 Apocalypse Points. I don't need any other weapon, for now, the Weapon of Change is already good enough. Hmmm, should I sell the Katana and the Kriegsmesser? Not for now, maybe I could use them to throw at my enemy? Alright, let's do that.'

"Max, Croc, finish your food already, we'll set sail in a minute."

"Time to find those 'One Zombies!'"

_________