Void Reaper: The Essence Apocalypse

Chapter 60 60: Even if I'm afraid

Leon fell silent for a moment, looking out at the hundred-plus faces turned toward him, people clustered in tight groups, arms crossed protectively over their chests or hands clenched so hard their knuckles had gone white.

In that brief pause, something clicked. He realized that laying down rules and threatening consequences wouldn't be enough if he truly wanted this shelter to survive for more than a few weeks.

He stepped forward, positioning himself so everyone could see him, and spoke louder, calmly, without shouting, but with a firm weight behind every word.

"I know a lot of you are afraid of getting scratched by zombies," he said, scanning the room. "You've seen what happens after a bite. You've seen how it ends. I'm not going to pretend that fear is pointless."

A few people dropped their eyes. Someone swallowed hard.

"But there's one thing you keep forgetting," Leon continued. "Those zombies are slower than a normal human. Slower than you," he said, pointing to the first person near the front. "And you," he added, his gaze moving on.

He paused.

"Now imagine how slow they are to people like me. Like Natalia. Like Marek. Like the rest of the fighters who've already gained Essence from killing enemies."

A flicker of uncertainty passed through several pairs of eyes, something between disbelief and a thought just beginning to form. Because it was true, a truth they all knew somewhere in the back of their minds: zombies were slow, clumsy, predictable. If you were careful, even an ordinary person could kill one. Leon and the other evolvers had proven that more than once.

The real problem had never been the fight itself.

It was fear.

Leon smiled faintly, and that smile sent an unpleasant shiver through a few people in the room.

"So here's my proposal," he said. "I'll hunt the zombies myself. I'll cut off their legs. Their arms. I'll even split their jaws if I have to."

A murmur rippled through the hall.

"All you'll have to do," he added, raising his voice slightly, "is pick up a weapon and finish them. One thrust. One strike. And in return, you'll gain their Essence, and level up."

This time, people began glancing at one another. For some, the offer was almost tempting, especially when they looked at how strong Leon, Natalia, or Marek had become. Somewhere deep inside, they wanted even a fraction of that strength. Until now, they'd just lacked the courage to risk their own lives.

But...

... a minute passed.

Then another.

No one stepped forward.

The hall remained silent, too silent for a proposal that could change every one of their lives.

Because even if Leon's words sounded reasonable, even promising, no one was ready to truly take that risk. A paralyzed zombie was still a zombie. And beyond them were other dangers, monsters, mutated beasts that could appear out of nowhere at any moment, without warning.

For these people, the idea of picking up a weapon and dealing a killing blow, after a lifetime spent in a calm society, surrounded by rules, laws, and adult protection, was like asking them to walk naked into the middle of the street in broad daylight. Theoretically simple. Practically unthinkable for any sane person.

Fear, ancient as humanity itself, kept them rooted in place.

Leon watched them in silence, irritation building inside him. He genuinely couldn't understand why they clung so stubbornly to a world that no longer existed, why they refused to accept that the old mindset was gone for good. In this new, brutal reality, clinging to outdated rules would lead only to disaster, but they preferred not to see it, burying their heads in the sand and hoping someone else would solve everything for them.

Adam stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene with a strange, unreadable expression. He could already tell Leon's plan hadn't worked, and though he'd never admit it out loud, somewhere inside he felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

Marek, on the other hand, looked almost carefree, leaning against the wall as if none of this concerned him. To him, the world was simple: if someone wanted to fight, they fought. If they didn't, that was their problem.

Elena studied the crowd carefully, with understanding. She knew exactly how they felt, she'd been in the same place not long ago, paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. The difference was that, for her, that fear had pushed her forward.

In Natalia's eyes, a brief, cold glint appeared. A feeling of pure distaste rose within her as she looked at the women in the shelter and saw that none of them wanted to take their lives into their own hands. They preferred to be carried by others, even if it meant slowly rotting in place.

The silence dragged on, and Leon felt his introverted nature reassert itself, the entire situation pressing down on him. Finally, he spoke more sharply than he'd intended.

"If you don't want to take control of your own lives," he said coldly, "then you can lie here and hide like trash until the day you die."

His gaze went icy, stripped of emotion. He turned away, clearly ready to leave and end this farce, when a quiet, trembling voice sounded behind him.

"I'll go with you."

Leon froze and glanced over his shoulder.

A young, pretty girl stepped out of the crowd, pale, fists clenched tight. Beside her, an older girl spun toward her in horror.

"Calista, have you lost your mind?!"

The girl shook her head softly, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"Karolina…" She swallowed. "Karolina turned into a zombie. And she tore Aurelia apart. I…I'm scared. I'm terrified."

The older girl tried to interrupt her, to convince her, almost to beg, but Calista looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"How long am I supposed to sit here?" she burst out. "How long am I supposed to cry in your arms and wait for someone to come save us? No one is coming!"

Her voice broke as she spoke about everything the others were afraid to say aloud: the fear of night, of the sounds beyond the walls, of every groan and rustle; the thought that tomorrow might be worse than today; the fear of dying like an animal, without even understanding why.

"This world has changed," she whispered at last, wiping her tears. "And if, with his help," she added, pointing a shaking hand at Leon, "I have even a chance to become stronger… I'll try. Even if I'm afraid."

The crowd stared at her in stunned silence as she, shaking, face soaked with tears, stepped away from the group and walked toward Leon.

Elena smiled faintly. She felt exactly the same way, and she knew that this step, this moment of fear and decision, was what had made her stronger, too. In Natalia's eyes, something like approval appeared.

The older girl looked at Calista once more, clenched her teeth, and then followed her.

"In that case," she said suddenly, "I'm going too."

"What?!" Calista spun around, shocked.

The older girl pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You've always been hopeless," she muttered. "And if I leave you alone, you'll definitely get yourself killed. I'm not letting you go by yourself."

Calista broke down again, sobbing harder, but after a moment she nodded, pressing herself against her.

For a brief moment, silence returned to the hall as everyone stared at the two girls who had stepped out of line. Then a young man with glasses jumped to his feet.

"I'll go too!" he shouted, looking at Leon. "I want to kill zombies too!"

Right after him, another man, maybe only a little older, sprang up.

"I want to level up!" he said. "Let me come with you!"

Then another girl stood, a student with a sweet, freckled face. She clenched her teeth and said quietly but clearly,

"I'll go with you."

Her body trembled with fear, her hands shaking, but she still took a step forward. Because sometimes courage wasn't the absence of fear, it was the decision to move on despite it.

Leon focused on the five now standing a few steps in front of him, clearly separated from the rest of the crowd.

Closest were the two girls. The younger one, Calista, was small, almost delicate, with narrow shoulders and a slight frame. Her hands clutched the fabric of the older girl's clothes, her face buried against her chest as if trying to hide from reality, even as tears continued to stream down her cheeks and drip onto the floor. She was shaking from shoulders to knees, and yet she stood her ground, not taking a single step back.

The older girl held her firmly, confidently, like someone who had learned over the past few days that letting go even for a moment would make everything fall apart. She was clearly more solidly built, with wider hips and a full chest that now served as Calista's last safe harbor. Her face was tense and frightened, but determined as she looked down at the girl in her arms.

Beside them stood the boy with glasses, slender, slightly hunched, hands nervously clasped in front of him. He looked like someone who'd spent his whole life staying on the sidelines, watching the world from behind thick lenses, and had suddenly found himself on the front line.

Farther along was the second boy, maybe around twenty, with slightly longer hair brushing his neck. His face was still young but already tired, jaw clenched tight. He looked like someone who had always avoided confrontation.

Last was the freckled girl, standing a little apart, arms hanging stiffly at her sides as if she were afraid to move them. Her face was pale, the freckles on her nose and cheeks standing out starkly. In her eyes was pure, primal fear, yet also a stubbornness that kept her from retreating, even as her legs trembled.

Leon shifted his gaze back to the crowd behind them, instinctively counting any silhouettes that might still step forward.

No one moved. The silence grew heavy, uncomfortable.

Only five… the thought crossed his mind.

For now, it would have to be enough.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips as he looked back at the five who had found the courage to step out of line. Because sometimes, all people really needed was a single step, a single decision made in fear, to do something they would never have imagined under normal circumstances.