Chapter 170: CH 170: What power?

Words : 1123 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

Chapter 170: CH 170: What power?As Chris stood there, he felt a strange connection to the beasts, as if a hidden language had been unlocked in his mind. The growls and snarls that had once been menacing now conveyed meaning, and he understood that the beasts were conversing with him. His earlier shout, intended to warn the people inside the mall to escape, had somehow turned into the beasts’ language, and he realized that he had inadvertently ordered them to stop. The words "Stop, don’t move any closer" had tumbled out of his mind and into the beasts’ comprehension, and they had obeyed without hesitation. The beasts’ sudden stillness was a testament to Chris’s unspoken command, and he began to grasp the extent of his newfound abilities. As the realization dawned on him, Chris felt a strange sensation coursing through his body. The invisible restraints that had held him suspended in mid-air seemed to dissipate, and he felt his limbs relax, returning to their normal state. His muscles flexed, and he took a tentative step forward, surprised to find that he could move again. The beasts watched him with an unnerving intensity, their eyes fixed on him as if awaiting further instructions. Meanwhile, as Chris took a step forward, his body poised to launch into a sprint towards the nearest beast. His aim was to slay the nearest beast with his sword, since moments ago they were trying to attack the mall. Seeing them unmoving now meant he could deal with them easily. However, as he moved, he could suddenly feel an unseen force slam into him, freezing him in place once again. His muscles locked, refusing to budge, and he stared at the beasts in frustration. "What the heck is going on?!" He said, as he couldn’t understand what was happening. At that moment, he had decided to relax his mind, thinking of what he had thought the last time he had been unrestrained on his movements. His only thought at that time was that the beasts before him won’t attack, and if they won’t, he has no reason to attack them. "I think I understand what’s happening now," Chris said, a glimmer of realization dawning on his face. He tried to lunge forward again, and surprisingly, his stubbornly still body had started moving again. The invisible restraint freeing him as if it was never there before. At that moment, the pattern had became clear to Chris: whenever he thought about attacking the beasts, his body would lock up, preventing him from moving or acting. It wasn’t just about the two beast directly in front of him; the restriction applied to all of them. The moment his mind harbored a thought of harming the creatures, his body would freeze, as if bound by some unseen force. Chris’s brow furrowed in confusion, and all he could manage to say was, "Strange." With a newfound understanding of the rules governing his actions, Chris focused his thoughts on a different command. "Step away from the mall," he instructed the beasts, his mind clear of any violent intentions. "Don’t harm anyone inside." The beasts responded instantly, their bodies relaxing as they backed away from the mall, their eyes fixed on Chris with an unnerving intensity. The sound of their retreating steps echoed through the desolate ground as they left Even the beasts that had been battering themselves against the mall’s glass had immediately stopped their assault, as they turned away, joining the others in their departure. The sound of banging glass ceased, replaced by the distant rumble of the beasts’ growl as they disappeared into the unknown. Inside the mall, a collective gaze followed the sudden departure of their would-be attackers, confusion etched on every face. "What just happened?" someone whispered, eyes darting between the retreating beasts and Chris. The question hung in the air, unanswered, as the people inside struggled to make sense of the sudden turn of events. Chris, too, was perplexed, his expression a mixture of surprise and curiosity. He had spoken, and the beasts had obeyed; it was as simple, and as inexplicable, as that. As the last of the beasts vanished from sight, Chris stepped back into the mall, his presence drawing all eyes to him. The three teenagers, still shaken, stared at him with a mix of awe and trepidation. "What did you do?" Gab asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Chris’s gaze swept the room, meeting the expectant faces. "You don’t have to panic anymore," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "The beasts won’t be attacking us." The words offered some comfort, but the underlying question remained unanswered: how had Chris managed to command the beasts to leave? With a quiet nod, Chris excused himself from the crowd and stepped into one of the empty rooms scattered throughout the mall. The sudden silence enveloped him like a shroud, a welcome respite from the cacophony of worried whispers and frightened murmurs. He sank into an empty chair, the soft creak of the leather a soothing sound in the stillness. As he sat, the weight of his recent discovery began to bear down on him, and he felt his energy seeping away, like sand slipping through an hourglass. His eyelids grew heavy, and before he could process what was happening, Chris’s head nodded forward, his chin dipping towards his chest. The world around him melted away, and he was consumed by a deep, dreamless sleep. Hours passed, the sun arching across the sky outside, casting the room in a warm, golden light. When Chris finally stirred, the room was bathed in a softer, more muted tone, the shadows cast by the setting sun stretching across the floor. He rubbed his eyes, disoriented, and realized with a start that he had slept for a significant portion of the day. As he stood up, stretching his stiff muscles, he was met with an unsettling silence. The beasts, it seemed, had not returned, they had indeed obeyed his instructions not to come closer to the mall. It wasn’t until the evening, when Howard’s announcement flickered on the mall’s screens, that Chris began to understand the implications of what had happened. The explanation could be heard from the middle aged man on the screen, detailing the emergence of individuals with unique abilities related to the beasts. And then, Chris heard the details about a specific group of people having some specific powers having to with beasts. And then, they had mentioned one having to do with what he had. And that was the ability to understand and communicate with beasts. A mixture of emotions swirled within him, a blend of wonder, trepidation, and curiosity about what this new reality might hold.

Chapter 170: CH 170: What power?

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