The sun had set and the night covered the city like a dark blanket, the team was currently inside their base except for Jared who just arrived at the location.

His body was covered with blood stains as he dragged behind him the huge sack.

He walked into the base through the gate using the security code Ash had previously given them.

After walking in, he went about the place carrying the heavy sack on his back, going from room to room looking for the team.

Thanks to the internal plant underneath the house, the inside of the base was fairly lit up making it easier for them to see.

Jared finally came to the top of the building and walked along the doors by the sides, he soon got to one where he held them talking from inside.

He quietly dropped the sack on the floor and opened the door a little. He walked back from it and took in a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

Suddenly he opened them and immediately sent a kick to the door, making it blow open and releasing a loud sound.

The team's attention for drawn to him the minute he walked in on them.

"You!!" He pointed to Ash. "You almost killed me!!" 

"N- no I didn't," Ash replied with a faint smile on his face.

"You did," he said as he dragged the sack behind him. "I mean, you almost did," he shook his head and reaffirmed his accusations.

"I didn't!" Ash replied again.

"Jared, what's wrong with you? Why are you covered in blood?" David asked after observing him. 

With his left hand still pointed at Ash, he turned his head to answer but didn't get the opportunity as questions came coming in.

"Yeah, who's blood is all that?" Sinon asked.

"Almost as if he stood under the rain of blood," Rika added.

"I-" before he could answer, he was cut off again.

"You are a mess, what happened?" Gareth added his question.

"Wait-" 

"Yeah bro, you stink to top it off," Diva added hers as well.

"Give me a minute to answer, would ya!!" He raised his voice at them.

"From the looks of things, I say you were beaten pretty hard," Ash laughed lightly.

"He was beaten? By who?" Diva asked.

"Not who, what?" Ash answered.

"Hey!! My journey, my story," Jared pointed the crowbar he brought along at Ash.

Shortly after he dropped it on the floor and continued talking.

"I got pounded by one of those third-stage zombies,"

His statement made the team erupt in laughter. They laughed hard at what he said not because they thought he was weak, but because they already knew that no one of them could handle a third-stage zombie.

"Hey, hey!! Laugh all you want, alright?" He tried to stop them but it was futile.

"Seriously, when the one that Ash killed threw you to the windshield of our vehicle, didn't that ring anything in your head?" Sinon said while still laughing.

"It's just out of your league," David added.

"Nah, he was just weak," Diva voiced out.

"Oh yeah, can a weak person do this?" He asked as he dropped the full sack on the table.

Several cores gotten from the chest of zombies rolled on the table in front of all of them.

A few large and small ones rolled towards Ash at the far end as the room went quiet except for the noise of cores hitting each other and the table.

Ash looked at them and shortly after shifted his eyes to him. "How many in total?" Ash asked.

"Twenty-seven," he replied.

"What?" Ash couldn't contain his surprise after hearing that. "Twenty-seven?" 

"Fifteen stages two and twelve stages three," he explained.

"Y- you can't be serious, right?" Diva also asked while the other almost couldn't understand. "You are telling me you killed twenty-seven stage two and higher zombies?!!" 

Her reaction made everyone shocked, they then stared at the cores again.

"He killed that much?" Gareth asked with his eyes widened.

"Now tell me, who's weak?" Jared asked after sitting down on a chair far from them with a smirk on his face.

Ash smiled at the accomplishment of his teammate. He picked up a core and stared at it.

All the cores had a milky color to them as the team picked up and observed each of them.

"Jared, go freshen up and come back, I have something to tell everyone," Ash ordered.

****

A few minutes later, Kover walked into the room holding a basket containing several soft drinks and snacks and handed it over to them one after the other.

They all thanked him and continued paying attention to Ash as he began talking.

"As I said earlier, these are the locations of the current base we will be occupying after expanding in size," 

"We won't be able to fit everyone in a large enough location due to the increasing number of survivors out there,"

"And also because it's not a good idea to do so," 

"How so?" David asked as he opened the can of soft drink.

"In a case where opposing power should discover the hideout, blowing it up and killing every one of us when we lest expect we be the beginning of our worries," Ash explained.

"In simpler terms, we will be wiped out," Gareth added.

"Exactly, so we need to spread out, not just in the land, but also in terms of power, authority, and influence,"

"So you're saying we should or we will have to occupy all these locations? Now I get it," David shook his head slightly.

"However, just three to five leaders won't be enough to effectively manage this," 

He glanced at all of them one after the other before continuing. "Since we will be needing more leading figures, I'm gonna spread y'all out in these locations," 

"I'm sorry, what?" Sinon suddenly asked out of surprise.

"You want to make us leaders?" Gareth added. "I can understand making Jared and Diva leaders but all of us?" 

"Even the small ones?" Jared also asked.

"Listen to me y'all, in the future, we are gonna have to protect a lot of survivors,"

"Not just from this city or country, but also around the world,"

"But that's not enough reason to make all of us leaders, is it?" Sinon asked looking worried.

"No listen, whether or not the world needs leaders, what makes you think we should be or we are qualified?" Gareth paused their questions with his.

"Look at us, we are nothing more than disciples/followers who are still untrained,"

"You guys are simply belittling yourselves. You don't see the potential in you, hence, you think you aren't qualified," Ash responded confidently.

"I'm making you leaders not because I think you are ready or not. It's simply because I want you to experience life,"

"I want you to go out there and make mistakes, go out there and lead, go out there and train yourself to be better," 

"Yes I know that you are inexperienced and you need someone to guide you through it all, but don't forget I'm also like you. I have zero experience, I've never done this before,"

"And yet it seems like you have," Jared replied. "You may not look it but it feels like you're some sort of old world leader,"

"Yeah, I've noticed it too," Gareth added.

"Listen, I know this is a lot to dump on you, you all are currently not ready for the task. However I didn't say we are doing it immediately,"

"So when is it?" Diva asked.

"Few months," Ash replied.

"It's still a long way, we just have to train to fit the roles not complain, she stood up and stretched her body.

"You are accepting this easily?" Sinon asked while looking at her from where she sat.

"We don't have a choice," she replied after cracking several joints in her body. "I mean, you said it yourself, that you'll like to know the reason Ash chose us," she turned to Gareth and reminded him of his words.

Seeing the point in what she said, the teammates all kept quiet. Sure, it wasn't an easy decision but it is one they'll have to make.

'If I had met them during the apocalypse when they were already leading figures whose powers rivaled each other, it would have been near impossible to unite them.' Ash pondered in his thoughts.

'It is without a doubt, a large pill to swallow, but they will have to manage it.'

"No one has forced you guys to make any decision you don't want, you simply concluded without first giving it serious thought,"

"A-are you saying we can choose to decline it if we want?" David asked excitedly.

"Yes, you can. Why not?" Ash replied. "You have that choice,"

This statement gave them a bit of relief. At least they can thoroughly think about it before turning it down or not,"

"But in the meantime, we will have to train and grow," Ash placed his hand on the table as he created an opportunity for them to join hands.

"That one I'm in for," David replied as he placed his hand on Ash's.

"I'm in too," Rika also placed her hand on top of theirs."

"Same," Sinon followed suit.

"It's for our benefit in the end," Gareth placed his hand too.

"If Ash says he knows what he's doing, then he might know what he's doing," Kover added his hand too. 

"Anything to get stronger," Diva voiced out before adding hers.

"Alright team, let's do this together," Jared was about to add his hand when it caught on fire.

"Woah woah, bro!!" 

"Your hand is on fire," 

The team quickly kept their distance from him as his hands lit up in flames.

"Oh sorry, still trying to control it," he apologize and then tried to extinguish it.

"Control?" Diva asked.

"Yeah, while the third-stage zombies were pounding me, I suddenly burnt it down while trying to block his attack," he explained.

"So when I got up, with pains all over my body, its core was the only remaining thing left of it,"

"So you have also awakened powers?" Gareth asked as he observed his hand.

"So you used your newly found powers to defeat the rest?" Ash asked. 

"Yes," 

Though the team received the news altogether, Ash was the only one who was calm about it. He had a little smile at the edge of his lips.

'It was the right idea to send him out there to hunt for cores, now he's back with a lot of them and he's stronger than before.' 

'He even awakened his ability, giving him an extra boost to his powers.'

'I can sense his energy.' Ash saw a faint aura around him as he concentrated. 'He is a lot stronger now, even more than Diva.'

'This will be a wake-up call to the team.'

"So you're now stronger?" Sinon asked.

"I think," he answered. "When I fought the third-stage zombies before it almost killed me, I noticed the increase in my speed and agility,"

"I was able to dash around it and evade his attacks a lot faster. It felt like I could see the zombie in slow motion,"

'That is exactly how it was for me.' Diva thought.

"If you were moving so fast, how then did it almost kill you?" David asked.

"Well you see..." as he thought of an explanation, he remembered something. "Oh, that reminds me! I needed something to damage the monster with more easily than with the crowbars you gave me," he turned to Ash while still explaining.

"So I found some matchet just lying on the floor and used it,"

He soon. Got everyone's attention except for Diva and Rika who kept thinking to themselves.

"So I used speed to cut off one of its legs before playing around for a bit," Jared joyfully explained.

"Then I went for its head but missed and took out its eyes instead.

"Woah, for real?" Gareth asked as he focused more.

"Yeah bro, I then ran around it for a while, enjoying the speed my leg could produce. It was so thrilling," he demonstrated while still explaining.

"Look at them, looking like children gather around a storyteller," Ash said as he sat next to Diva.

"It's nice," she muttered.

"I can tell you weren't expecting this," 

"I wasn't expecting this much progress in him. I always thought there will be a little gap between us, either from him or from me,"

"One that we can easily catch up to," she lowered her head as she explained.

"But this new level he has achieved, this new gap, it's so wide, I fear I may not be able to catch up,"

"So, you are giving up?" Ash asked her.

"No, I'm not. I won't ever give up on growing stronger. It might not be soon, but I'll pass him," 

"Good, keep practicing, it will pay," Ash said before standing up and walking around.

"Right," she murmured loud enough for him to hear.

"So, that's how I killed two more after awakening before the rest-"

"Alright guys, can I get your attention back," Ash called to them as he interrupted Jared's story. "Sorry Jared, you can continue your story later,"

"No, it's ok," 

"Anyway, for the second aspect of our round table discussion," Ash announced before presenting something to them.

"The core!!"