Chapter 106 Plans Had Changed

"That's… really something," I spoke with my eyes a bit wide open. Reading it over and over made me grin from ear to ear.

From 1 million to mere 10,000 Cronas, I should buy it immediately

[Total Cronas: 8210]

"Ah! I still have some Cronas left," I spoke out before Rhea looked at me for a few moments before speaking,

"Try collecting 10,000 Cronas first. We would move from there onwards. For now, let's get to training." 'Hmmm..' my mood changed as I looked at the serious face of Rhea. Normally she would have that always annoyed attitude or maybe a bit dazzled with a tinge of almighty attitude. But now…

"Not now," I spoke as I looked at her with the same seriousness with which she was looking at me.

Her expression turned a bit confused before she asked with slight irritation in her voice,"what do you mean, not now?"

"It means that I have some work on the outside. I will train after I deal with stuff on the outside," I answered her without any hesitation in my voice.

Apart from clearing the zombies from all around, I still have to find my family. While training with Rhea will make me stronger, faster. If it comes at the cost of my family, I would rather just let the world burn.

"Don't you hav-"

"My family is out there. I need to save them first," I answered as I looked at her and she stopped mid sentence. But her glare, still the same, didn't leave my eyes.

"Then why haven't you already gone to find them? Why stay around cleaning zombies and save a bunch of people who have nothing to do with you? Michael Aroa, aren't your priorities and choices contradicting each other?" She spoke without holding back.

'Normally she wouldn't even consider my life choices or what not…. Something must have happened. Just what is that made her so worked up over all these things? Is it related to that 'hope' thing she murmured before?' I thought as I sighed before answering to her.

"A place called 'Home'..." I began speaking as I finally let out the reasons why I was doing what I was doing,"... Once I will save my family, I will find a new home to settle in… at least that is what was going on in my mind. But then something came to mind… Why not create a home of our own? Where I could bring my family back, where we can live, breathe and roam free."

It looked like she wanted to speak something, but I continued,

"You see, all this time, I was too weak to roam about on my own. I mean, just a C-Grade and I was already on my last leg. There was no way I was going to survive out there in a few weeks or months later, all the more with those absurd demands of the System to upgrade my Level and Genes.

That was the reason I didn't take any risks before. I mean, what's the point of saving one's family if you aren't even strong enough to protect them from the danger out there? In the meantime, since I had nothing to do, I decided to make a home, cause… why not?

I mean, I got the manpower and people following me. I can use them, help them, or whatever you may call, also getting powerful on my own while doing so."

Rhea kept gazing at me for a few moments before she spoke,

"But that was back then. Now you are strong enough to protect them, strong enough to go and find them on your own."

I pondered about her words a little before speaking,"true, but not really. I mean, I am going to search for my family and all, very very soon, but that doesn't mean I am powerful enough to deal with everything.

You see, I already have a general idea of what is going on with this Zombie Apocalypse and stuff, and how the future is going to look like. And looking at things from all the sides, many times over, I have decided to find out ways to visit other places in search of reversing the whole zombification process and stuff. Yup, that's the big plan.

So tell me Rhea, while I am out there dealing with things I have never dealt with in my entire life, where do you think my family is going to be?

There is no way I am going to take them to a place where I can't even guarantee my own survival, forget about others'. And in this place, here, unless I have a place where they can stay safe, I don't think I would just freely venture out into an unknown world for an unknown amount of time, thinking that they are all safe and fine.

I mean, it was fine a little before, when I thought about how people are getting stronger with zombie genes and stuff. You see, I don't trust myself enough, but when it comes to my brother, father and mother? Not even once, I seriously thought that I would die easily in this whole apocalypse. In fact, even now I believe they would be leading a group of their own and dealing with this whole zombie situation in their own way. All I planned to do was to go and pick them up and bring it here.

But…

When I found out what this Cessation Energy might do to people, what it had done to Alfheim? No sh*t, I was scared beyond one could imagine.

If before I was doing it because I had nothing much better to do than to farm Exp and get stronger. Now, I am doing it because it is something I must do. In case something goes wrong, then unlike me, who can deal with most of the stuff alone, they would need all the support they can, especially when I won't be present around them."

Hearing my words, she kept quiet a little as she observed me before sighing and speaking,

"But if that is the case, then why not get strong with me by training as much as you can-"

"Let me make a few things clear, Rhea. If you can let me do that, I will train with you all the time you want," I spoke with a determined face and she kind of just stared at me.

Then I heard a loud sigh coming from her mouth as she finally asked,

"All right. Then tell me the next few steps you have planned. If I want you to train faster, rather than forcing you, I guess it would be much better to make sure all your plans go smoothly… However, I still expect you to spend at least 24 hours in this space, training per day. That shouldn't create any problem for you, should it?"

'24 hours means about 3 hours outside, huh? Sounds okay to me,' I nodded at her before I began explaining to her a few plans of mine.

As I was telling her my plans about what I was going to do, she silently heard each and every word of mine from the very start to the end. After I was done telling her everything, she kept quiet with her eyes closed for sometime before speaking,

"It's not bad really, or more like it has very few flaws. But still it has flaws nonetheless. Let's start by…"

And just like that, another discussion ensued, and she started telling me ways I could increase my efficiency and a few other things in regards to that.

Took us about 2-3 hours of discussion before everything was finally decided and I just looked at her with a baffled look.

"You are quite smart, aren't you?" I muttered as I looked at her while she chuckled with a bit of pride on her face.

"Of course I am. Who do you think you were talking to? I am, after all, your mentor. It is a given, I would be smarter than you," she answered before chuckling a little more and I just smiled before I stood up, yawning a little.

"So, I guess I should get out immediately now. Wasting time will only delay things," I spoke, and she nodded at me, too. Her expression, which was a bit mellow before, now turned serious again.

"See ya later, Rhea," I spoke before vanishing from there as my consciousness returned to normal, in the building where I was.