Astral Hoarder: Embrace of Malevolence

A familiar voice answered, dripping with fake camaraderie. "Zimo, my man! Glad to hear you're alive. It's Jacques."

Zimo's jaw tightened. Jacques. Of course, it had to be him. He wasn't sure what he hated more, the smug tone or the fact that Jacques had the gall to call him after everything. 

Zimo could only guess what his intentions were. After thoroughly terrorising him for years, and then stingily barring him from food that he deserved as an employee of the company, he got fired and forced to run outside in the black oil.

"What do you want?" Zimo asked, his voice sharp. His intent was clear. Make it quick. Don't waste my fucking time. Zimo knew he had the leverage here. And he was going to use it. 

Jacques chuckled, a sound that made Zimo's fingers curl around the phone cord. "Look, I'm calling to extend an olive branch, okay? We've had our differences, sure, but now's not the time to hold grudges. We're all in this together, right?"

What the fuck was this fucker saying? Not the time to hold grudges? Who says? Whose grudge had landed Zimo out there in danger? 

Zimo barked a bitter laugh. "Together? You stingily barred me from getting any food. Remember that? Why didn't we fast together? You left me out there to die. Remember that? Why weren't we together back then, running through the zombies?"

Jacques hesitated but quickly recovered. "Come on, Zimo. That's not fair. You're a survivor, always have been. We knew you'd make it. Anyway, here's the deal: the food situation at the office isn't looking great. We thought, since you've got your hands on that café, maybe you could share the wealth a little. Help the team out."

Hehe... this guy was something special for certain After all, he was not going to make something else happen. He was just someone who used others to do the work for him. It seemed things had not changed. Even now he was not doing the same thing and he was working toward that kind of thing. Help the team out… and when did the team help him?

Zimo's grip on the phone tightened. His free hand balled into a fist. "You mean the same 'team' that fired me a few minutes ago? Fuck you, Jacques."

A softer voice chimed in the background, cutting through the static on the line. "Just bring the food yourself, Zimo. It's the least you can do after the things you did."

Maya. That voice was unmistakable. Sweet and venomous, just like the person it belonged to. She always knew how to twist the knife.

Zimo felt his blood boil. He used to like that girl. He used to have some fantasies about her, imagining himself and her in some situations.

Going on dates, having romantic relations, getting some food together, buying a place together, having kids, getting married… Growing old. He had imagined it all at one point. And then when it came down to it, after a few weeks, she had shown her true personality, moving to become someone who had become the pet of the system instead of staying original.

"Maya," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You think I'm stupid enough to walk into a trap? Spare me the theatrics. And the fact that you want me to go out there again… After you and Rob orchestrated that whole thing. You… You all are just…"

"She's right," Jacques interjected. "Think about it, Zimo. If you help us, we could make it worth your while. Hell, maybe Rob could even reinstate you. Don't you want to come back? Think about it you're just one man. If you had the support of a group, a hardworking, group that had something good going in the phase of togetherness. It would be the best thing would it not?"

A hardworking group? Well, maybe if he had not said that, then things would have made more sense. But now that he said it, it was just funny. And why would he get a job? There might not be such a thing as a society from now on.

Zimo's laugh was cold and humourless. "Reinstate me? That's rich. Let me tell you something, Jacques. I'm not your errand boy anymore. I'm not risking my neck to feed a bunch of cowards who couldn't even bother to save me when it mattered. Fuck the company. Fuck all of you. I'll take care of myself. You better do the same otherwise who knows when your lower employees will start turning on you that executive fuckers."

Jacques's tone shifted, becoming more insistent. "Be reasonable, Zimo. We need—"

Click.

— In the Webstorm Technologies Building —

Jacque and all the other executives stood there, looking at the phone that was buzzing with the dead tone with odd looks on their faces. They had just gotten hung up on by this brat, hadn't they?

This piece of trash had genuinely hung up on them? How dare he?

"Zimo!!!" screamed Maya after digesting all the humiliation she had just received. She had been asked to say something just because of the connection she and Zimo had. Back then she had bragged about how she and Zimo had a past, and how if she said something Zimo would finally relent. But she was so wrong.

It seemed that her pull on him was not as huge as she thought. Zimo thought of her as a piece of scum on the floor. Otherwise, why would he disrespect her the way he did?

Jacques on the other hand, had veins showing on his face. He was thoroughly disgusted at that moment, and he could not get the words Zimo had said out of his head. How dare this guy who had basically gotten a degree in getting stepped on in all this time, finally step out and then dare to insult him and the executives?

But even more than the frustration that was going through his body, there was something else. It was fear. Fear that Zimo's words might come though. After all, he was not an idiot and he knew that it was possible. He knew that the world might have gone to shit as he said.

And now, he couldn't help but turn to the Executives, smiling sheepishly as he said, "Zimo is an idiot, sirs. We don't have to think about—"

"Shut up! Rectify the situation," the CEO said, walking out of there followed by the disappointed executives.

"Sir, how do we?"

"If that idiot as you call him could do it, why could we not get some people to do it from our side? That coffee shop is not the only shop in the surroundings. We will set up some teams and have people bring things back to us," Rob said so naturally that it was pretty funny to see.

"Sir what if they act like Zimo and don't come back?" Jacques said. After all, he knew that nobody liked working for a lazy boss. And if the world was going to shit... Then nothing else mattered than taking care of themselves. If they madeit there, they might just stay and when they did, they would barricade themselves in there, and wait it out, claiming the food all for themselves. 

"They better come back! Otherwise, I will kill them myself!" said Rob the Manager, his eyes looking around at everyone at the scene with anger. Jacques looked at his uncle with a dead-eyed look. What an idiot. His uncle was just a little bit handsome, but he was an idiot. He had to rely on himself.

— Meanwhile in the Corner Coffee Shop, a few seconds ago —

Zimo heard Jacques start saying those words and he immediately felt like he was getting infected with something, thus causing him to slam the receiver down with a force that made the base rattle. For a moment, he stood there, breathing heavily, staring at the phone like it might come back to life. Then a slow smile spread across his face.

Slamming the phone down felt so good. Especially since he was slamming it down on that prick. Heck, he felt like he had just had some kind of Catharsis, even. He should do it more often. 

Should he wait until they called him again? He was sure they would.

Zimo chuckled, shaking his head. "Idiots," he muttered, turning back to the table where his makeshift meal awaited. He grabbed the last of the food, chewing thoughtfully as his mind raced. Oh... the taste was back... Maybe there was something about the fact tha his emotional state was better now. 

The café was his now. It wasn't much, but it was something. Here he could have a small pocket of order in the chaos outside. He moved to the front windows, peering through the glass at the somewhat empty street beyond. 

The world felt alien, the silence oppressive. But here, in this little corner of hell, he could breathe. And then when he finally saw something moving, flashing by he became worried.

What the hell was that?

Zimo turned to look into the distance, and when he did, he saw what was going on. There was something there. It looked like a cat. No… Zimo had never seen a cat like that. That big? It was a cat that was as tall as a person even while standing on its four legs. Imagine if it was on other blogs. That would make it even bigger than before would it not?

Zimo looked at it for a long time as it moved through the zombies, Biting their heads off while they ran away. Oh my god. What would he do if he ever came across something like that? And then in the next moment, Zimo saw something else. It was it.

It turned to look at him, and then Zimo felt his breath hold still. Like that, a moment passed by, and then two, and then three… And then in the next moment, when it sneered and looked away, pouncing out of his view, Zimo felt his heart continue to beat as he almost fell.

Oh my god… That was terrifying! How had he survived that thing? Zimo was sure that if that thing wanted to it could slap the windows and then everything would be destroyed. He would die very soon. Zimo knew it so well, and yet…

He was glad that thing was gone. ZImo had told himself before how he wanted to tame one of those things, to bring them to his side somehow. But it seemed he would have to let go of the idea, at least for that one over there.

Sighing as he looked outside a bit more, Zimo closed the blinds. It was time to take a moment and then leave it to himself. Well, since this was his kingdom from now on, Zimo would then make sure to make his effort and time go into here. He would do exactly that.

He began taking inventory, pacing through the café like a king surveying his kingdom. Most of the baked goods were okay, and the canned drinks and sealed snacks were still good. The coffee machine, remarkably, still worked, though the power might not last. He could make this place livable. Hell, maybe even defendable. It was just about saving the food for as long as possible and closing up those windows that were glaringly real things that were looking like that.

And about this food. It was going to go bad within a week. How could he store it? How could he deal with it? Zimo even thought about freezing it and grinding it to dust to make storage for the long term very easy. But he also thought about something else. How the hell would he carry it out if he ever left? Even more importantly… How the hell was he going to be okay eating dust for the rest of his life?

As ZImo thought about all this, something strange happened. A faint glow caught his attention, shimmering in the air like a mirage. He froze, his instincts screaming at him to run, but curiosity anchored him in place.

The glow solidified, forming a rectangular panel that floated in front of him. Words appeared on its surface, sharp and clear, as if typed by an invisible hand:

|————————————

| Message |

—————

[Zimo Banks], the world as you knew it has been irrevocably shattered. The universe itself has undergone a metamorphosis, leaving you to navigate this uncharted reality.

Remember, the Beasts are neither friend nor foe; their power can be harnessed to elevate your own. Seek out every advantage, for only by ascending to the pinnacle of existence can you hope to forge a new life amidst the ashes of the old.

Tame Yourself to Survive. Tame the World to Obey you. Tame the Universe to Live Forever.

Your First Task: [Access] the System!

————————————|

Zimo stared at this panel for the longest time, and as he did, he felt something within himself break even more, this time based on how incredulous this entire situation was for him. "... What the…?"