Chapter 7: The Cannibal

Blood dripped from the chef's apron, splashing onto the cold floor with a wet thud. He stood, tightening his grip on a zombie's neck, a predatory grin on his face as if preparing to slaughter a wild animal. Todd, held tightly by the neck for an extended period, seemed lifeless, his face devoid of expression as his hand hung limply.

At that moment, the system panel displayed a notification: Chains had gained a skill called 'the metal skeleton'. The chef also saw this message, but it was too late to act before Todd regained consciousness. Todd, unfazed, spoke calmly, "Don't bother waking me with that slap." With seemingly little effort, he twisted the chef's strangling hand, inadvertently breaking it. However, the arm healed immediately due to the passive skill of the regional zombie, 'apex healing'.

Sensing trouble, the chef stepped back to observe Todd's newfound strength. From a distance, he launched another attack using his skill, 'demonic cutting', unleashing invisible slashes that seemed to cut Todd's flesh but left his skeleton unharmed. Dazed, the chef didn't realize Todd was already upon him. Todd seized the chef's head and smashed it into the floor, relentlessly delivering punches aimed at breaking his skull.

Despite his struggles, the chef couldn't dislodge Todd, feeling as if a heavy rock were pinning him down. Todd noticed a knife aimed at his face and deftly caught it with his teeth, now metallic in color. The defeated chef muttered, "Having slain animals all my life, little did I know I would die in the arms of an animal like you."

Using telekinesis, Todd summoned the remaining chains he had consumed and delivered a powerful punch to the chef's face, shattering his skull. As Todd absorbed the energy released, he dragged the chef's body into his ruined house, setting it on the table and consuming it like a wild animal.

On the rooftop of a particular skyscraper, a woman in a sleek black suit observed the unfolding battle below. With a katana strapped to her side, she watched the conflict with an air of detached interest. "Nothing can be done about this," she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible over the chaos below. "These demon god worshippers are going to be slaughtered."

After devouring the chef's body, leaving not a single piece of him behind, Chains felt a surge of power coursing through him. Despite this newfound strength, he knew he had to honor his parents' memory. He entered a meditative state, seeking out the remnants of their life force, now twisted into demonic energy within him.

As he reflected on the lives he'd taken for survival, a wave of guilt washed over him. "How am I any different from the chef?" he questioned himself, grappling with the moral complexities of his existence. "Who am I to judge someone?" Despite these doubts, he knew he had to carry on.

With determination, Chains directed the demonic energy of his parents into his right hand, channeling their essence into a focused force. With excruciating pain, he forcibly peeled away his right hand, leaving only the iron skeleton behind. He then sought out a suitable burial ground, digging a grave with his remaining hand and tenderly laying his parents to rest.

Using cement to symbolize the grave of his parents, Chains took a moment to rest beside their final resting place, gazing up at the sky above. In the midst of his reverie, a glint caught his eye, and before he could react, an arrow pierced through his chest.

The arrow burned with a searing pain, disrupting his demonic energy and slowing his healing rate. Chains turned his gaze toward the source of the attack, spotting the woman in the black suit readying another set of arrows. With a surge of rage, he charged toward her, his steps leaving destruction in their wake as he ascended the skyscraper with primal determination.

With unbridled fury fueling his every stride, Chains sprinted towards the skyscraper like a beast unleashed from its chains. Each step pounded the ground with thunderous force, sending shockwaves rippling through the concrete below. His movements were primal, fueled by raw determination and an unyielding desire for vengeance.

As he neared the towering structure, Chains didn't slow his pace; instead, he leaped towards the building with a primal roar, his muscles coiling like a spring ready to unleash its pent-up energy. With a mighty leap, he soared through the air, propelled by a mixture of rage and adrenaline.

Upon landing, his impact shook the very foundations of the skyscraper, causing windows to shatter and debris to rain down upon the streets below. Undeterred, Chains pressed forward, his path marked by destruction as he tore through obstacles with reckless abandon.

With each floor he ascended, Chains' fury only intensified, his determination unwavering despite the odds stacked against him. He climbed through the shattered glass and twisted metal like a force of nature, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake. As he reached the upper levels of the skyscraper, Chains summoned his chains with telekinetic power, the metallic links swirling around him like a storm ready to unleash its fury. With his eyes locked on his target above, he prepared to confront his assailant head-on, ready to unleash the full extent of his newfound power in a battle to the death.