Chapter 14: Blood Moon
Night fell. By the campfire, Shawn held a piece of roasted meat, eating it in large mouthfuls. The energy he had expended that day was comparable to when he had fought the walker horde in Atlanta. Only after devouring three large pieces of meat and downing a bowl of soup did he feel a little better.
However, when he finished, he found the others in the camp looking at him with strange expressions.
"What's wrong?" Shawn was a little confused.
"Have you always been able to eat so much?" Amy, sitting next to him, asked in a low voice. The three large pieces of meat Shawn had eaten were almost equivalent to her three-day food supply.
"Looks like we'll have to hunt some bigger game," Merle said, winking at Shawn with a cheeky grin. Daryl said nothing, but after the meal, he silently maintained his crossbow, ensuring his old partner wouldn't fail him tomorrow.
Andrea just ate her food quietly, a knowing smile on her face as she looked at the others. When the 17 'Wood Spikes Traps' were set up, she suddenly felt a sense of security, a different kind of feeling called home. Although their group was down to four or five people after parting ways at the Quarry Camp, for some reason, Andrea felt that this was also good.
After dinner, Shawn was invited to Hershel's house for tea. They talked about the current situation on the farm, and he didn't return to his tent until two hours later.
Lying in his tent, Shawn rested one hand behind his head and swiped at the air above him with the other.
"2 skill points, not too many, not too few. I'll just put them all into 'Strength'."
With two light taps, Shawn felt a warmth spread throughout his body, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.
The core attribute—Strength—didn't just mean his arms were stronger when swinging the club. Shawn felt his entire body had been enhanced. Actions that were impossible before were now easy.
Just like when he had dealt with those three walkers for the Farm. The continuous swings and twists required the coordination of several muscle groups. If he had to sum it up in one word, it would be 'core strength'.
[(Softie) Level 4/10, small increase to Strength and headshot chance (You try your best to avoid hunger).]
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[(Fit) Level 5/10, small increase to Strength and headshot chance (Your body is now very healthy).]
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The next day, Shawn slept until noon before waking up. With a light push, he felt as if he were weightless and sat up easily. This sudden sense of improvement made him feel a little unaccustomed.
Shawn hummed a little tune, cheerfully putting on his shoes and leaving the tent. But before he could greet Andrea and the others, he suddenly froze as if struck by lightning.
"What's wrong?" Andrea walked over and asked with a frown. Since meeting Shawn, this was the first time she had seen such an expression on the barbarian's face. It didn't seem like him at all.
Shawn seemed to turn a deaf ear to Andrea's question. He just tilted his head up at the sky and muttered, "What color do you see in the sky?"
"Blue. What's so strange about that? The weather is nice today," Andrea said, glancing at the sky. The weather was indeed nice, and she had taken the opportunity to wash Shawn's clothes from yesterday and hang them out to dry.
"Is that so…" Shawn forced a smile that was uglier than crying. In his eyes, the entire vast sky wasn't blue…
Walking out of the camp, Shawn had a headache.
"Everything happened so fast after I transmigrated. I completely forgot about '7 Days to Die', '7 Days to Die'… every seven days, you have to kill whether you want to or not. Today is the fucking Blood Moon!"
Shawn looked up again. It was clearly daytime, but there was no sun in the sky. Instead, a blood-red, full moon hung there. Shawn looked directly at the Blood Moon, and he could even clearly see the numerous uneven craters on its surface. The Blood Moon just hung quietly in the sky, making no sound.
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Even for Shawn, it was only when he woke up and saw it that he fully realized what was happening.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Blood Moon should start at midnight, just like in the game. And this is only the first Blood Moon. The scale of the walker attack won't be too large, and their overall strength won't be particularly high…"
Shawn sat on the grass, his hands on his thighs, thinking carefully. He had completely forgotten about the Blood Moon, which was why he was so surprised and caught off guard.
Moreover, the walkers during the Blood Moon should be different from the usual shambling ones.
Even as he sat under the Blood Moon, looking directly at it, he could feel a restlessness stirring within him. It seemed to be agitating not only the walkers but also him, pushing him to his peak condition to face the coming horde.
"I really want to… I really want to smash something with my club." Shawn scratched his thigh, feeling his fingers itch. If someone were to look closely at him at this moment, they would see a hint of red flash in his eyes, much like a barbarian class that had entered a berserk mode.
Coming back to his senses, Shawn stood up. "No, I can't face the Blood Moon in the camp."
He had his own considerations. He didn't know the scale or strength of the first Blood Moon. Facing it rashly in the camp would only endanger the others. Shawn could use antibiotics to suppress the virus, but for others, it was just ordinary medicine that had no effect on a bite.
After some thought, Shawn got the car keys from Andrea. "I'm going out for a bit. Don't save lunch or dinner for me."
With that, Shawn drove straight toward the small town to the east. By the time he arrived, it was around 3:40 PM.
The Blood Moon hanging overhead seemed to be visible from anywhere. The bloody haze in Shawn's vision was becoming more intense, and the Blood Moon in the sky gave off an inexplicably ominous feeling.
Getting out of the car, Shawn touched his chest. "It's not an illusion. Even my heartbeat is faster." The Blood Moon was gradually changing his state. It made the walkers berserk, and it would naturally cause changes in him as well.
Shawn quickened his pace. The town was not small, and that other group couldn't have looted everything clean. He planned to make some final preparations before the Blood Moon arrived.
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11:50 PM.
Shawn sat in the driver's seat, hooking a finger under his collar to adjust it, revealing a layer of rough wooden armor beneath his bulletproof vest.
[Wood Armor Set: 5 Plant Fibers, 5 Wood Planks]
Although crude, it could provide him with a certain degree of protection. On the faceplate of the wood armor set, a slowly burning cigar was embedded. This was the cigar he had obtained from the apocalypse quest a few days ago. It could be placed in an equipment slot to provide him with a '+1 Strength' attribute boost.
In his backpack, he had stocked up on food, medicine, and water. He had found some ammunition, but no firearms, only a single smoke grenade.
Everything was ready, but at this moment, Shawn's state seemed a bit off.