Chapter 14: Mysterious Kofi

As Ashley and the girls stood there in shock, their eyes were drawn to a figure standing in a different building across the street. 

The figure of a young African male, dressed in a tattered school uniform, could be seen in the shadows. His face was framed by a lush afro cut, and his piercing grey eyes held a look of confidence and strength. He looks barely eighteen, but he carried himself with the poise of someone much older.

Ashley could feel an air of mystery about him. 

"Who is he?" the girl with glasses asked, her voice filled with awe. She had given up all hope of surviving, and even now she was afraid to even imagine what would have happened next if this stranger hadn't shown up. 

"I don't know," Ashley replied, "But I do know if he takes up with him we might survive."

"But what if he's not here to help us but just a passerby?" the girl with glasses asked, her voice tinged with fear.

"I know it's a risk," Ashley said, "But if we stay here, we're as good as dead. At least if we go with him, there's a chance to live longer."

"But what if there are more zombies on the lower floors? How are we going to meet him?" one of the girls asked with worry on her face.

"Don't worry," Ashley said, a sly grin spreading across her face, it was like she had forgotten about the death experience a moment ago. "I have a plan."

She moved to the window and leaned out, yelling at the top of her lungs. "HELP! HELLO! WE'RE TRAPPED UP HERE!"

The girls held their breath, waiting for the mysterious kid's reaction.

****

Kofi Idris couldn't help but listen attentively to the yell of the girl from the other building.

*HELP! HELLO! WE'RE TRAPPED UP HERE!*

"Huh? What do they take me for? A hero saving the day? Oh well, I have to go to the other building anyway I pray no one touches those runes or else." 

Without wasting time, Kofi's hand landed on the bow, and he pressed the rune that was carved into its surface. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, the bow began to glow with a faint white light, before slowly morphing into the shape of a sword, its blade glowing with an otherworldly light. 

"Damm, this is the bow second form? Let me check it's information." While moving down the building at a leisurely pace, Kofi wasn't bothered about a zombie sneak attacking him since he had already killed them all.

[Kofi Idris]

Strength: 30.4

Speed: 23

Stamina: 29

Perception: 34

Endurance: 18

Weapon: Stage 5 Transformation Bow: (Current stage, Stage 2) Upon absorbing enough soul energy, the bow can transform into a blade capable of harnessing powerful elemental magic. Absorb more souls for the bow to unlock its third form

Eagle Eyes - LVL 1: This skill enhances the user's eyesight, allowing them to see objects as small as a human infant from up to one kilometre away. It also improves their perception of movement and color, making it easier to track fast-moving targets or recognize subtle differences in shade and hue but it consumes a lot of mana.

Penetration - LVL 1: This skill allows the user to strike through any physical or magical defense. The force of the blow is unrivaled, and it cannot be blocked or resisted by any means. If the user can reach demigod level, it is capable of cutting through anything in heaven or earth.

Kofi couldn't help but remember how his eyes widened as he read the inscription. The implications of this skill were staggering. With it, he could bypass any defense and strike directly at the heart of his enemy. 

_Unfortunately, I haven't yet mastered this skill, and it consumes a lot of my mana._

Kofi sighed, frustrated by his limitations. He knew he had a long way to go before he could wield the bow's full power. 

As Kofi stepped out of the building, a strange bird swooped down from the sky. It was unlike any bird he had ever seen, its body twisted and mutated even its feathers looked matted with grime. Its eyes glowed a ghostly red, and its talons were outstretched, ready to strike Kofi. With a terrifying screech, 

 Kofi raised his transformed bow which was now a sword, to meet it. He swung the blade with all his might, and the force of the blow cleaved the bird in two, leaving it in pieces on the ground.

While Kofi was feeling smug about his victory, a red aura began to seep out of the dead bird's body and was absorbed by the sword. 

_Soul Essence._ He thought and headed to pick up the rune that dropped from killing the bird.

Just then, he heard the sound of dozens of wings flapping and turned to see a flock of birds, all exactly like the one he had just killed, flying towards him. 

"Damn it!" Kofi swore under his breath. "I had no idea killing one would attract dozens more!" He picked up the rune and started sprinting towards the girl's hostel. The birds were steadily closing on him, their shrill cries filling the air. He pumped his legs as hard as he could, thankfully, he already had good speed runes, with that he managed to enter the hostel and without stopping, Kofi pressed the rune carved on the sword handle which quickly transformed it back into a bow. He then pulled on the empty string and something fascinating happened. A swirling mass of energy began to coalesce at the string of the bow. It was as if the bow itself was creating the arrow out of thin air, as long as he continued to pull back on the string. 

_I can't draw it back any further,_ Kofi thought, as he felt his energy draining. He gritted his teeth and let go of the string, releasing the spirit arrow into the midst of the flock. Without stopping he yelled, "Explode!" And the arrow flashed with a brilliant light, then exploded with a deafening boom. The sight of feathers and blood raining down from the sky, and half of the flock lay dead, while the others were too injured to fly was enough to leave him in a daze. He saw a lot of red energy coming out of the dead birds and heading into his bow.

_From today, this bow is my favourite!_ He thought while heading out to pick all the runes that dropped, he didn't feel afraid since half of the birds were dead while the others were too weak to pose any threat to him.

****

As Kofi's dramatic display unfolded, the girls inside the hostel watched with their mouths agape. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. It felt straight out of a fantasy novel which left them in awe of his skill and more than a little impressed.

"That was amazing!" one of the girls finally managed to say.

"I've never seen anything like it," Ashley added.

"It's like something out of a fantasy novel," the girl with glasses agreed, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I half expected a big eagle to come swooping down or something." She laughed nervously, after all, she was still in shock from what they had just seen.

"At least it's over now," another girl said, her voice trembling. "We can finally relax."

"Relax? Are you kidding me?" a third girl scoffed. "This isn't some game where you can just hit pause and walk away. We're in this for the long run Anna, so get used to it. Didn't you hear what that voice said to us?" She crossed her arms, looking around at the others in silence.

"Hey, girls," Kofi's teenage voice broke the silence, causing the girls to subconsciously jump. They turned to find him standing right outside the door with a smirk on his face. "I heard you needed some help."

They couldn't help but gape at him in shock. "How did you get so close without us hearing you?" one of the girls demanded.

Kofi didn't answer, rather he shrugged. "So, do you still need the help or what?" he asked, his gaze traveling from one girl to the next.

The girls exchanged glances, still a bit rattled by his sudden appearance. Finally, the girl with glasses spoke up.

"Yes, please," she said, her voice still shaky. "We're really in need of it."

Kofi nodded a serious expression on his face.

"Follow me," he said, turning to lead them out of the hostel. "I know a place where you'll be safe. There are other people there who can help protect you and others. Plus you'll be much safer over there. But don't forget you need to get strong too. Otherwise... I don't dare say it." His voice was stern, something unusual for his age, the girls watched him picking one rune which dropped from one of the zombies in the room.

Kofi led them out of the hostel, He cleared a path for the girls with his blade and once in a while runes dropped. It was a dangerous journey, and they had to duck and dodge around the zombies and mutants that were roaming the school premises. But just as they were about to reach the hall location, a zombie appeared and blocked their path. 

Unlike the others they had seen, this zombie's eyes glowed blood-red in color and its claws were sharp and long like metal daggers. Its height was two to three times taller than the others and its skin was covered in a thick, oily substance which smelled awful. Suddenly, It let out a low growl, its gaze fixed on the people in front.

The girls felt paralyzed with fear and they could even feel their hearts racing with their legs feeling like jelly. They could feel the monster's chilling gaze boring into them, its red eyes filled with hunger and bloodlust. They wanted to run, but their feet were rooted to the ground as if frozen in place.

Kofi, however, tried to forcefully remain calm. 

He took a deep breath, his sight never leaving the monster for even a second. "Girls, you know the way to the hall, now rush on for the other places zombies have been wiped out so there shouldn't be danger close by. I will hold this motherfucker back for as long as I can," he said, his voice strong and steady.

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