Chapter 8: FUCK FUCK FUCK
"If you run into any trouble at the farm, come find us at the CDC anytime." Rick said earnestly, extending his hand to shake Shawn's.
"You too." Shawn replied with a knowing smile.
If things went as expected, he'd be the one cleaning up their mess later. The current Rick still needed to go through more experiences, and everyone following him still needed to grow. Shawn didn't want to interfere.
After a few brief words, the vehicles left one after another, leaving only a cloud of dust hanging in the air.
Shawn turned and got back into Andrea's car, sitting in the passenger seat. He gave the Dixon brothers a thumbs-up, and just like that, the five of them in their three vehicles began their journey south.
The sky gradually darkened. The two motorcycles in the lead were the first to stop their roaring engines.
"It's too dark. I can't see anything except where the headlights are pointing. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to keep going," Daryl immediately came to the car to discuss it with Shawn.
Shawn looked around. "You and Merle get in the car and rest. Everyone should keep their windows closed tonight and don't get out. We'll continue when it's light out."
'Thump—'
The engine was cut, and the car door slid shut. The heavy door brought a sense of security and warmth.
Shawn pretended to pull some food from his bag, but in reality, he was taking it from his system inventory.
It was some canned goods, crackers, and bottled water—supplies he had grabbed from the department store while still in Atlanta and had kept in his system inventory ever since.
While it wasn't a gourmet meal, being able to eat one's fill was already a luxury in the apocalypse, and everyone was content.
Unlike Merle and Daryl, who wolfed down their food, Andrea and Amy ate cautiously, each bite inflicting about 20% damage on a single small cracker.
"So, what's our plan now?" Andrea couldn't help but ask.
Hearing her voice, everyone looked up. Merle just let out a "tch" at Andrea's worry but said nothing.
Shawn shrugged. "Like I said, the farmer is a good man. He'll definitely let us stay near the farm. They have enough food, water, medical supplies, and even guns. We can help each other out there."
Shawn ate the last bite from his can. The high-oil, high-sugar food brought a wave of warmth through his body.
Of course, Shawn had no intention of settling down just like that. It was only a matter of time before the Farm was overrun.
Never mind other humans; the farm couldn't even withstand a horde of brainless walkers.
This was just a temporary stop, a place safer than the quarry camp. Shawn would use this opportunity to scavenge for food and weapons nearby, and kill walkers to level up.
He had already realized during the team fight at the quarry that swinging the heavy club consumed a lot of stamina, which meant he needed to eat more food.
Furthermore, a higher level provided more room for error. Not every time would he be as lucky as he was in Atlanta. If he were surrounded by a horde of walkers on open ground, even if he wasn't infected, he would be eaten piece by piece.
Besides that, there were many powerful survivor factions with far more people and stronger firepower… none of which the current Shawn could face. That's why he wanted to take things slow. There was a long road ahead, and impatient people often died the fastest.
"Get some sleep. We'll be at the Farm tomorrow. That will be our home for a while. Everything will be okay."
He gently reassured Andrea and Amy, but Shawn's words were also meant for Daryl and Merle.
They were real people with their own thoughts; he couldn't treat them like simple game or story characters. Just as Rick painted a grand picture for his team, Shawn naturally had to sketch out a visible future for his own.
The will to survive. On some level, that was far more important than food. Compared to the sudden bond of saving a life, Shawn preferred to build their trust in him bit by bit.
Inside the car, the breathing gradually evened out.
Shawn opened the skill interface of the 7 Days to Die system. A single skill point sat there forlornly at the top.
'My basic Strength attribute is already at level 3. The second stage of 'Skull Crusher' is also unlocked.'
Shawn put the skill point into Skull Crusher level 2.
[Mauler: Level 2/5]
[You are now a Mauler, but don't get too cocky yet.
Sledgehammers deal an additional 20% melee damage and 40% block damage.
Power attacks have a 30% chance to knock down targets. Light attack stamina consumption reduced by 15%, power attack stamina consumption reduced by 30%.
4x increased loot chance for 'Get Hammered' magazines. This bonus disappears when all magazines are read.
4x increased loot chance for Sledgehammers and Sledgehammer parts.]
(Image Here)
The feeling of control in his palm put Shawn at ease. He glanced around, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, at the crack of dawn.
"FUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK!" A furious roar filled the air.
What happened?
Shawn frowned and opened his eyes. Looking through the passenger-side windshield, he saw Merle standing under a tree not far away, frantically kicking the trunk with the toe of his leather boot. The poor little tree trembled, and a few leaves fell from above, landing right on Merle's somewhat bald head, making him even more furious.
"What's wrong?" Shawn walked over and asked.
Amy came closer and explained in a low voice. "Merle got up to take a piss this morning, and the motorcycles that were parked under that tree were gone."
Shawn's heart skipped a beat. He looked over and saw that Daryl had already loaded his crossbow and was silently preparing to go find trouble.
Shawn slapped his own forehead. The motorcycles were those two brothers' lifelines…
But to have the bikes stolen right from under their noses, a surge of anger rose in Shawn's heart as well. He walked over and stopped Daryl, looking from him to Merle.
"I know you're angry, but we can't change our plan."
"We don't need your help. You take Andrea and Amy to the Farm first. My brother and I will go find our bikes." Daryl's face was dark, his long hair almost covering his eyes, but it couldn't hide the fire raging within him.
Damn it, this was going too far!
"You know that's not what I mean," Shawn said, unmoved. "We can already see the fields from here, which means we're not far from the Farm. Let's go there first. Maybe the owner knows what happened. At the very least, we can get settled, and then search bit by bit. If we really can't find them, I'll help you find two new motorcycles. If the people who took them are operating in this area, we'll run into them sooner or later."
Daryl and Merle were both tough guys, but letting them wander the woods day and night like two walkers… Shawn was genuinely worried something would happen.