Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night

Chapter 158: A Grim Proposal

Zane slept well into the following afternoon. He and the others had achieved a major victory during the previous night. And had dealt the first significant blow to the Undead since they first appeared in the world nearly four months prior.

For the first time since the apocalypse had begun, humanity had retaken one of its many lost cities. If the other survivors across the world knew of this feat, it might be a rallying cry. But contact was limited to outsiders. To this day, the trade networks set up by Zane and the wandering caravans were mostly from Gravestone to New Reno. Which was a distance of roughly thirty miles.

Because of this, only the denizens of Gravestone knew about their victory, but they were not celebrating. Rather, they were mourning their losses. In the battle, they had lost three awakened survivors from the second strike team, including the one decapitated by Eliza personally.

Other than that, they also lost another half a dozen sentries. The losses were significant for such a small population of only fifty or so people, and because of this, after the funerals were held the following day, Zane gathered the townsfolk. He wanted to pose an idea to them all, one that until now he had left alone.

Once the denizens of Gravestone were gathered together within the governor's mansion, Zane made sure they were comfortable. Rations were served along with freshly made coffee. It was only after everyone felt at ease did Zane finally call their attention with a clink of his coffee mug.

"I'd like to gather all of your attention if you can. I know our losses were significant this time. After all few of us expected to suddenly come under attack by the city's local horde. No doubt our town's strength has been severely depleted as a result of this recent attack.

There are fewer of us now than there have ever been. Despite this, the local Horde has been defeated and the ruins of Carson City belong to us now. But… With our current strength, we do not have the means to hold it. It is with this in mind that I have come up with a solution. However, it is one that I decided to leave up to a vote.

Now don't expect us to normally gather together and vote on important issues, but this matter concerns the wellbeing of you all. And I wanted your opinions because of this. I have decided to distribute blood crystals to all of the residents of Gravestone. Now, before you freak out and reject my offer, hear me out.

We are the only community of survivors in this wasteland that we know of who has a proper healer. Not only can Angelica heal any wound or affliction you come across, she can even cure the undead virus itself.

With this great power, she can cure you of the infection you might incur if you consume a blood crystal. And she can do it over and over again until you awaken. No matter how many times it takes. Right now we are downed three awakened survivors, which is a far more significant blow than many of you realize.

But if our town comprised of 40 awakened survivors, we would be able to effectively defend ourselves from further potential threats. As well as expand our territory. I want you all to think about this carefully.

I know the process of awakening is painful and often deadly. And while I can't cure the pain which will ail you every time you consume a blood crystal, Angelica can ensure that those who become infected are cured before they turn.

So I will conclude this speech with one final message. In this world, the only thing that can guarantee your own survival is strength. Not only strength in numbers, but individual strength as well. Those who died last night perished because they were lacking in strength. And if you want to survive in this cruel new world, you must become strong enough to do so!

With that said, I will leave you all to debate the issue."

After saying this, Zane walked off while the room immediately exploded into a topic of debate. He did not want to be present for this, nor did he want to force the people of Gravestone to awaken like he had done to others in the past.

The reason was simple: these were people who he needed to work with to survive long term. And if he compelled them by force to awaken, they may resent him for it, making the odds of betrayal significantly higher than they would be otherwise.

---

While the townsfolk of Gravestone debated Zane's proposal, Zane himself was leaning on the edge of the mansion's balcony, smoking a cigarette as he contemplated his newfound abilities. Olivia noticed the expression on his face and was quick to ask Zane about what had happened the previous night.

"So… Did anything special happen after you consumed Eliza's blood crystal?"

This question caught Zane off guard, causing him to look at Olivia with a curious expression. He did not know how this woman had figured it out, but since she already suspected this was the case, he was quick to announce it to her. After all, he had a close bond with his former homeroom teacher, and neither of them liked hiding things from one another.

"I'm surprised you figured it out. Yeah, something happened. I don't know for sure if this is the case for every Horde King's blood crystal, but I gained a new skill…"

Olivia was already a smart cookie when she was a high school teacher, but with her increased intelligence stat, she could immediately guess the ramifications that such a thing would have on the human condition going forward.

"So… That means we are going to have to be very weary about teaming up with other survivors in the future, especially for battles against Horde Kings…"

Zane exhaled a large plume of smoke before speaking his thoughts on the matter. He was obviously just as grim as Olivia was regarding the subject. But he also understood the reality of how powerful Horde Kings were.

"Unfortunately… I don't think we will have a choice. Even if the five of us were level 25, and fully kitted out. I think we would have had a hard time dealing with Eliza. Hell, the only reason we won that fight was because of luck, and the fact that Eliza just so happened to be quick to anger, and a bit foolish. But we can't expect the same from those we will encounter in the future.

Besides… Eliza was a Tier I Horde King, and already she was so difficult to deal with. Even with more than ten awakened, and we already dealing with the majority of her horde over the past few months.

Can you imagine fighting a Horde King at the same level, but with their entire horde intact? Including Stalkers, abominations, and all the other monsters we have fought so far? It would be a disaster for us.

The only reason we won this time was because the undead severely underestimated our capabilities. But somehow I doubt such a thing will happen again. If anything, the other Horde Kings should be aware of Eliza's death by now. And they will be far more wary of us going forward.

Awakening the residents of gravestone, and investing in their development, is honestly our best bet for long-term survival… Besides, with Angelica around we can always know if they intend to betray us or not…"

Surprisingly, Olivia agreed with Zane's sentiment, and she pondered upon his words for a few moments in silence before finally changing the subject to something more uplifting. She was quick to ask about Zane's new skill, which he discussed in length, explaining what he knew about it so far.

To say that Zane's new ability was shocking was an understatement. However, it also made Olivia feel uneasy. For some time now, she and the other girls had a bad feeling about Zane's previous skill. Every time he advanced it, he started to become less and less human.

While he was developing emotionally and regaining a sense of his metaphorical humanity, his physical form was simultaneously shifting into something else. Something terrifying. With this new skill, it was almost as if Zane's development wasn't random. A physical skill that changed his body into becoming closer to that of an undead, and a skill that allowed him to command and control the undead.

It was almost as if the system was intelligent, and was guiding Zane to become another Horde King, or at least such were Olivia's thoughts on the matter. Regardless… She did not openly speak of these worries.

There was little evidence to support her hypothesis, and since she could not confirm whether or not her theory was true, she chose to remain quiet for the time being, and instead congratulated Zane for once more for expanding his power.