Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

(Bonus Chapter Due to Power Stones, Thank You to all who support my work! Special Thanks to all who have given me reviews. Thank you, your support keeps me going.)

[I still need more class suggestions, comment on chapter 39 to add your suggestions. 2 days remain till I spin the wheel containing all suggestions. As of now, I have received one suggestion: Assassin. If you have other suggestions, please comment them.]

The Humvee rumbled back to life as Shizuka shifted it into gear, the group once again on the move. Outside, the outskirts of the city's desolate streets stretched endlessly, the looming threat of the undead a constant shadow over their journey. The silence was heavy, broken only by the occasional moan of a distant zombie or the crunch of debris under their reinforced tires.

Guldrin, sitting near the rear hatch, reached into his pouch as a cover for his inventory and pulled out one of the glowing red crystals he had collected. The small gem shimmered in the dim light, its surface pulsating faintly as if alive. The group's eyes were drawn to it, curiosity mingling with unease.

"These crystals," Guldrin began, holding the gem up for all to see, "are fragments of what I assume to be the life force or the evolution of the zombies we kill. They seem to contain a concentrated form of energy. If absorbed, they will strengthen us, maybe even push our bodies to the next level of survival. I've seen it happen before, but it comes with risks and is dangerous if done incorrectly. That is just my guess though, I and Shiro have used one but nothing went wrong, so until I see proof, I won't know what could happen."

Saya adjusted her glasses, her analytical mind kicking into gear. "Dangerous how?" she asked, leaning closer to inspect the crystal. "What exactly happens during the absorption process?"

"It's like forcing your body to evolve under extreme stress," Guldrin explained. "The energy doesn't just strengthen you, it rewrites your biology and enhances your capabilities. But if your body isn't ready or if you absorb too much at once, I am guessing it could kill you. That's why I haven't had any of you use one yet. I wanted to wait until I knew more. Till you adjusted to the new life a little and weren't panicking constantly. Shiro and I were the most level-headed about this entire outbreak, and I figured a proper mindset could allow for a peaceful evolution. It was painful, but nothing we couldn't handle. Since everyone seems to be adjusting better now, and Kohta found his own crystal, I think it would be a good idea to let him use one."

Kohta, seated beside him, fished into his own pocket and revealed several red crystals he had picked up earlier. His face was a mix of excitement and hesitation. "So, you're saying... these could make us stronger? Like, give us superhuman abilities or something?"

Guldrin nodded. "Potentially. You'd be faster, stronger, more resistant to the virus, maybe even immune. But don't think it's a guaranteed success, with power comes risk, and we would be fools to think it is without risk."

Kohta's grip tightened on the crystals. "I'll do it," he said suddenly, his voice resolute. "If it means protecting everyone, I'll take the risk."

"Kohta," Rei interjected, her tone cautious. "Are you sure? This isn't something you can just undo."

"I'm sure," Kohta replied. "If I can evolve, I'll be able to cover everyone better. We need every edge we can get. Plus, look at Shiro and Guldrin, they both used it and are now so much stronger, if I can gain a fraction of that, I will be happy."

Guldrin studied him for a moment, then gave a short nod. "Alright. But we'll do this carefully. Start with one crystal, and I'll monitor you. If anything feels wrong, I will restrain you and ensure you don't endanger the group. I have no idea what else to do since once it starts I don't think it can be stopped."

The Humvee slowed as Shizuka found a relatively secure clearing off the road. The group disembarked, forming a tight circle around Kohta. The air was tense, the weight of what they were about to do pressing heavily on them.

Kohta held one of the crystals up, its glow reflecting in his determined eyes. He took a deep breath, then crushed the crystal and put the powder in his mouth. The crystal dissolved instantly, its energy surging into his body.

Kohta's reaction was immediate and violent. His body convulsed, his muscles locking as veins bulged across his arms and neck. A guttural scream tore from his throat as the energy coursed through him, his skin glowing faintly as the transformation took hold. The group could only watch in horror and awe, their weapons ready in case something went horribly wrong.

Kohta's eyes snapped open, now glowing faintly red, but the glow didn't last; the only evidence was a faint red hue in his pupils. His breathing was ragged, but he pushed himself to his feet, his movements more fluid and deliberate than before. He clenched his fists, testing his newfound strength. His once overweight body was slimming down and his muscles had gained some tone to them.

"I feel... incredible," he said, his voice filled with wonder. "Stronger, faster... it's like I can feel everything around me."

Guldrin stepped forward, inspecting him closely. "Good. But don't push yourself yet. Your body is still adjusting. Try moving slowly, see how much control you have."

Kohta nodded, taking a few tentative steps before breaking into a sprint. He moved with inhuman speed, covering the clearing in seconds before skidding to a halt. His eyes widened in astonishment as he tested his reflexes, striking a nearby tree and splintering the bark with ease.

'I just said don't move too quickly…' Guldrin shook his head with a small smile, lit a cigar, and watched while thinking, 'If everyone can evolve, we will have a much better chance to survive.'

"This is amazing!" Kohta exclaimed, his excitement palpable.

The group shared a mix of relief and unease. While Kohta's transformation was a success, the risks were now glaringly evident. If anyone else found out about this and consumed them, any of them could end up being the prey like the zombies they fought so hard to escape. Especially if an enemy found this out, they would have super-powered villains to deal with along with the zombies.

Before they could dwell on it further, a low growl echoed from the treeline. The group turned, weapons raised, as a new horde emerged from the shadows. Among them were several glowing zombies, their eyes burning with a fierce, otherworldly light.

Guldrin gripped his combat knife, his expression grim. "Perfect timing," he muttered. "Kohta, think you're ready to put those upgrades to the test?"

Kohta smirked, raising his rifle. "Let's find out."

The battle erupted in a blur of gunfire, blades, and blood. Kohta's enhanced reflexes allowed him to pick off zombies with deadly precision, his bullets finding their marks with unerring accuracy. Saeko moved like a shadow, her newly acquired katana slicing through undead flesh with surgical precision. Guldrin led the charge, his combat knife a blur as he tore through the horde, every strike precise and lethal.

The glowing zombies proved to be formidable opponents, their speed and strength far surpassing their lesser counterparts. One lunged at Guldrin, its claws swiping inches from his face, but he sidestepped smoothly, plunging his knife into its skull and wrenching it free in a spray of dark blood.

Another glowing zombie closed in on Rei, its movements unnervingly fast. Kohta reacted instantly, firing a shot that blew the creature's head apart. "Stay close!" he called out, his voice steady despite the chaos. Shiro had finally gotten a chance to try out her mana threads, and man did they work; it was like butter as the threads sliced through the zombies with ease, just picturing that being used on a human was terrifying.

The fight was brutal and relentless, the air thick with the stench of decay and the sound of snarls and gunfire. When the last zombie fell, the group stood panting and bloodied, their weapons dripping with gore. The clearing was littered with corpses, the ground stained dark with blood.

Kohta crouched to retrieve another crystal, his glowing eyes scanning the area for any remaining threats. "This power... it's worth the risk," he said, his voice resolute. "We can survive with these."

Guldrin nodded, his expression weary but determined. "Maybe. But we can't get reckless. One wrong move, and this power will destroy us just as easily as it destroys them. We need to keep this information to ourselves, it is inevitable that someone else will learn it, but let's keep this edge as long as we can. Collect the crystals from the glowing ones and let's let everyone else use them and evolve as well… We need all the edge we can get to survive. Rei, Saya, Saeko, and Shizuka, it is your choice if you want to use them, but I highly suggest you do." Kohta didn't seem to mind the blood and gore as he retrieved the crystals and headed back to the Humvee with 4 more crystals in hand. 20 zombies and 4 were glowing, it seemed apparent that the zombies were evolving over time, and soon the glowing ones were going to be the only ones present.

The group regrouped and loaded back into the Humvee, their resolve stronger than ever. The journey to Saya's estate loomed ahead, and with it, the promise of even greater challenges. But now, they had a weapon the undead could not match: evolution.

The Humvee rumbled back onto the road, its passengers silent save for the hum of the engine and the occasional distant growl of the undead. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the implications of their recent discovery weighing heavily. Guldrin sat by the rear hatch, his fingers idly tapping the hilt of his combat knife. Shiro leaned against his shoulder, her delicate features betraying the exhaustion that came with constant survival.

Kohta, still marveling at his newfound strength, kept flexing his fingers and occasionally tapping his legs against the Humvee's floor as if testing his enhanced reflexes. Saya was engrossed in her notebook, scribbling notes and diagrams as her analytical mind worked overtime to understand the crystals' effects.

Rei glanced out the window, her brow furrowed in thought. "If the glowing ones are becoming more common," she began, breaking the silence, "then we're running out of time before these things fully evolve. What if... what if they evolve faster than we can keep up?"

"Then we'll evolve faster," Saeko replied from her seat near the front, her tone calm but resolute. She cradled her mother's katana which was passed to her when her mother died, her gaze distant, as if she were already planning their next moves. "Strength is our only option." She couldn't hide the enjoyment she felt at this moment, the bloodthirsty grin ever prominent on her face.

Shizuka, her hands steady on the wheel, glanced in the rearview mirror. "And if the crystals don't work for everyone?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically serious.

"They'll work, if not, then we find other ways to strengthen them. Or… They die? Survival of the fittest, in this new world… If the world can't evolve, I hate to say it, but I think the world will overrun them. The weak will be consumed, the strong will advance. But knowing human ingenuity, it won't be long till someone experiments with these crystals and finds a way to allow everyone to evolve, maybe not as much as those originally compatible but at least enough to survive." Guldrin commented and Shizuka seemed to be listening intently as if making mental notes.

Guldrin's gaze settled on the crystals in his hand, their faint glow almost hypnotic. He glanced at each of the women in turn, gauging their readiness. They had proven themselves time and again, not just in combat, but in their will to survive. If anyone could handle the risk, it was them. They had to if they wanted to survive, they knew it, he knew it, and soon the world would know it.

"We'll start now," he decided. "One crystal each. Shizuka, you're up first."

Shizuka blinked, her usually bubbly demeanor replaced by an uncharacteristic seriousness. She slowed the Humvee to a crawl and steered it onto a stretch of clear road. "Alright," she said, exhaling deeply. "But someone needs to take the wheel. I can't... drive and evolve."

"I've got it," Guldrin offered, moving to the driver's seat as Shizuka slid out. She handed him the keys, and he quickly adjusted the seat, his slightly smaller frame barely fitting the oversized steering wheel. Starting the engine, he pushed the clutch in and shifted it into gear, the slight roar of the engine making him feel giddy.

Shizuka had taken the crystal from Guldrin, holding it in her palm as if it were a fragile piece of glass. She looked at the group, her usual carefree smile faintly returning. "Well, here goes nothing!"

The moment she crushed the crystal and dropped the powder onto her tongue, it resulted in her body tensing. She leaned back against the Humvee's interior wall, her face contorting in discomfort as the typical red energy coursed through her. Saya and Rei instinctively moved closer, ready to assist if something went wrong.

Shizuka's body glowed faintly, her skin shimmering with an almost ethereal light. Her breathing quickened, and she clenched her fists, her knuckles whitening. Guldrin kept one eye on the road and the other on the rearview mirror, his foot steady on the pedal.

"Deep breaths," Shiro coaxed her as she spoke softly, placing a reassuring hand on Shizuka's shoulder. "Let it flow through you. Don't resist."

Moments later, Shizuka's glow subsided, and her breathing steadied. She opened her eyes, blinking a few times as if adjusting to a new reality. "Oh... wow," she murmured, flexing her fingers. "I feel... tingly."

"How do you feel otherwise?" Guldrin asked, his tone sharp with concern.

Shizuka tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "Strong. Faster. Like my reflexes are sharper. And my mind feels... clearer." Looking at her, you could see a clear vertical pupil in her eyes, it appeared she had taken on a feline mutation as Shiro had.

"Good," Guldrin said, his grip on the wheel relaxing slightly. "Then take the driver's seat again. We'll keep moving while the others try theirs." He slowed to a stop, pulled the E-brake, and placed the shifter into neutral as they traded seats.

Shizuka slid back into the driver's seat with newfound grace, her movements clearly feline in nature. The Humvee picked up speed as she settled in, her hands steady on the wheel. Guldrin handed the next crystal to Rei.

Rei stared at the gem, her face a mixture of apprehension and determination. "Let's get this over with," she muttered, crushing the crystal and swallowing its powder. The reaction was immediate, her body convulsed slightly, and she gritted her teeth, gripping the seat for support.

Having heard how Guldrin talked Kohta and Shizuka through it before, Saya placed a hand on Rei's arm, her voice calm and steady. "You're okay. Focus on breathing."

The glow around Rei intensified briefly before fading. When she opened her eyes, they shone with a faint golden hue that quickly dimmed. She stood, testing her balance and strength, before gripping her spear. With a quick thrust, she attempted to pierce the bottom of the Humvee, but Guldrin caught the spear, "No, we don't damage our vehicle to test your improvements. This Humvee is our life-line, you don't damage it, there will be plenty of zombies later to test yourself on."

"Impressive," Saeko remarked, her lips curving into a small smile. She watched Guldrin struggle slightly to hold the shaft of the spear, Rei's improvements were clearly visible.

Rei tilted her head and smirked, her confidence visibly bolstered. "Your turn, Saya."

Saya adjusted her glasses, her analytical mind warring with her apprehension. "If this kills me," she said, taking the crystal from Guldrin, "I'm haunting all of you." Guldrin laughed, but the idea of having an angry Saya haunting him made him shiver, "Let's pray that doesn't happen."

She crushed the gem and ingested the powder, her face immediately twisting in discomfort. Her body trembled as the energy surged through her, and for a moment, her glasses slipped down her nose. Saeko reached out to steady her, but Saya waved her off, her determination evident.

When the glow subsided, Saya straightened, adjusting her glasses with a shaky hand. "Interesting," she said, her voice tinged with awe. "I feel... like my thoughts are sharper. Faster. And my body... it's responding in ways I didn't expect." Her pink hair had gained a fiery hue, as if embers from a lit fire.

"Not bad, Saya," Guldrin said with a grin. "You're up, Saeko."

Saeko didn't hesitate. She accepted the crystal with calm resolve, her fingers curling around it as if it were an extension of her will. Crushing the gem, she inhaled the powder instead of swallowing it, her expression unchanging even as her body tensed. "That is one way to do it, I guess," Guldrin spoke, confused as to why she didn't follow what everyone else did.

Her glow was brighter than the others, almost blinding in the confined space of the Humvee. Saeko's grip tightened on her katana, the weapon humming faintly as if resonating with her transformation. When the light faded, her movements were more fluid than ever, her presence commanding. A dark smokey aura traveled from her katana swirling around her body, her muscles toned up, and she gained a distinctly dangerous feeling.

"Saeko?" Rei asked cautiously.

Saeko unsheathed her katana, examining its blade with a new intensity. "I feel... perfect, as if I was meant to be like this," she said simply, her voice steady. She swung the blade once, the air whistling with the force of her strike. "I wanted to inhale it, I know it was dangerous, but my thoughts were, if I accidentally crushed the crystal by cutting it or it being shot, what would happen if it were inhaled? It looks like it works the same way and shouldn't cause any negative effects." Guldrin nodded at her words, while dangerous, it was still a good thing to learn as he could see it happening.

The group exchanged glances, their unease tempered by growing hope. They were evolving, adapting to the nightmare around them. For the first time since the outbreak, the scales seemed to tip slightly in their favor.

As Shizuka drove them toward Saya's estate, the group began discussing strategies. Kohta and Saeko debated combat formations, while Saya and Rei analyzed the crystals' potential applications. Guldrin allowed Shiro to rest on his shoulder and remained quiet, his mind racing with possibilities of dangers. They were stronger now, but the world was still changing, and they had no idea what new horrors awaited them.

The Humvee rumbled on, its passengers united by newfound power and an unyielding resolve. They would face whatever came next, not just as survivors, but as something more. Evolution had begun, and there was no turning back, either progress or be consumed by the world, there was no in-between.

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)