Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night

Chapter 172: Strange Visitors

Though Zane had lost a significant amount of his undead horde in the battle with the juggernaut, those who had survived had undergone a trial by fire. The party xp gained from the battle and the one that proceeded it was enough to level up the Undead, who remained to level three.

Which while still Tier I undead allowed them to have greater power, and more importantly, deal more undead to those undead hostiles which belonged to the Horde kings. Zane sat in the dining hall of the bunker while reflecting on the increase in strength that his forces had.

From the moment he returned to his home, Maya had climbed into his lap while eating chips and jerky. She did not say a word, and Zane believed the girl simply was not capable of speaking. As was a sentiment shared by the others who knew her.

When Zane saw how uncomfortable Angelica looked, after spending the day baby sitting the young girl, he couldn't help but compliment her.

"You did good today, Angelica. I just wanted to thank you for your support."

Normally Angelica would get flustered at Zane's compliments, but she could not do so this time around. Why was this the case? Because Maya was giving her the stink eye, using her blood red irises to pierce through Angelica's very soul with her haunting gaze.

All the while, an audible crunching sound could be heard throughout the room by those who inhabited it. The odd stare, along with the sound of snacking on chips, was enough to make Angelica deeply uncomfortable. Because of this, she averted her gaze from Maya and Zane, instead looking away as she spoke with an anxious tone in her voice.

"No thanks are needed… I'm just doing what I can. After all, I'm not capable of fighting like you and the others are. I guess that means that caring for… Maya falls to me while you are all away."

When Angelica said this last part, there appeared to be a deep state of distress on her face, almost as if she was cursing herself for being so useless on the battlefield. Perhaps if she could actually stomach the will to kill, then maybe she would be rotating with the other girls, reducing the burden of caring for this troublesome and eerie child.

Zane naturally noticed Angelica's discomfort and sighed heavily while patting Maya's head. Though he wouldn't say he had grown particularly close to the mysterious young girl, he had grown accustomed to her presence.

When Zane began to pet the girl's mismatched hair, she looked up at Zane with a curious expression on her face, before silently nodding her head, almost as if she approved of her actions. Other than that, however, there was no other form of expression that could be found.

As Angelica watched the two stoic individuals interact, she felt like laughing at the sight of it, but could not do so. As the oppressive aura which she felt emanating from Maya caused Angelica to be nothing but sheepish.

While this awkward scene was playing out, Elena and Olivia rushed into the room. The tone in their voice was rather serious as they told Zane about what was happening above the ground in the settlement of Gravestone.

"Zane… There are some guys outside the walls… They won't identify themselves, but they say… They say…."

Zane was curious about what Elena had said, and the way they were acting. Because of this, he demanded the woman spit out her thought, and not be so hesitant.

"They said what Elena?"

Elena took a deep breath before saying the second part that she had trouble expressing until now.

"They say they are looking for the governor… You know the guy we took this bunker from?"

When Zane heard this, he grabbed hold of Maya and handed her over to Angelica. He then stood up from his seat with a stern expression on his face, saying something or another, before walking in the direction of the bunker's entrance.

"Then it would be rude of me to keep them waiting…"

Neither Elean nor Olivia understood why Zane's expression had shifted to one that oozed hostility. But they were quick to follow after the man. After all, they wanted to be by his side in case the situation escalated to violence.

As for Angelica, Lily, and Madison, they stayed in the bunker. Only Angelica was aware of these mysterious strangers who had suddenly showed up to Gravestone looking for the deceased Governor.

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Outside the gates of Gravestone were a small group of men, no more than six, meaning they were a single party. These men were not dressed in the normal pre-apocalyptic fashion. Rather, they were wearing some formidable equipment.

The moment Zane gazed upon them, he would recognize this as gear crafted by the Grimforge, and relatively high level gear at that. Despite the fact that these men were equipped with fantastical equipment straight out of an RPG, their serious demeanor and disciplined ranks signified that they were likely ex-military.

And when they spoke among themselves they seemed discontent with the idea that a small settlement of survivors had popped up outside the Governor's mansion. With one of them, expressing the potential ramifications this could have on their goal.

"You don't think that Frank is dead, and that a bunch of outlaws have settled in the bunker, do you?"

The man at the front of the group, who wore a set of shiny plate armor was evidently the leader as he spoke his thoughts on the matter, having previously been silent during the squabbles between his men as they awaited to be greeted by the former Governor of Nevada.

"It's possible. His bunker wasn't nearly as fortified as one of ours. If some outlaws did make their way inside, then that would explain why we lost contact with him… But let's wait and see how they react first. After all, if Frank's private bunker was conquered by outlaws, then it means we will have no choice but to turn fight our way into it…"

The soldiers nodded their heads in agreement with their commander's words. Entirely unaware that Zane had secretly appeared nearby, and had listened to their conversation. Whether he intended to negotiate with these strangers or ambush them was something that only Zane knew.