Chapter 31: Huh… Me??
After giving his instructions, Rick turned and left.
Watching Rick lead Lori away, with Lori looking back every three steps, Shawn couldn't help but reach out and pat Carl's small head, his gaze shifting in another direction.
An undisguised stare—Shane was under a nearby tree, his hands on his hips, watching Shawn intently. When he saw Shawn gently ruffle Carl's soft hair, he gritted his teeth so hard that the masseter muscles and veins on both sides of his jaw bulged. He looked furious.
Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Shawn smiled.
'You think I can't handle you?'
Admittedly, Shane could be ruthless to anyone, even himself. But as long as Lori and Carl were around, Shane would always have his own fatal weakness. It was precisely because of this character trait that Shane could never be the leader. He couldn't lead the entire team forward; he could only be an indispensable core member, the one who was told what to do.
"Getting impatient, are you? What's the rush? This is just the beginning, isn't it?" Shawn muttered.
Beside him, Carl looked up and asked curiously, "Brother Sh… Shawn, what's the hurry?"
Hearing this, the teasing look on Shawn's face vanished. His ruffling motion turned into a light pat on Carl's head. The little guy yelped, "Ouch," and quickly covered his head.
"I said if we don't go now, it'll be too late!"
"Let's go. I'm taking you to train."
Shawn turned and led Carl toward the fire truck.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Shawn unlocked the passenger door for Carl. The boy carefully climbed up the fire truck's three steps. Only after he was seated and the door was closed with a 'click' did Carl let out a long sigh of relief.
Shawn took in Carl's behavior and shook his head inwardly.
'He's far from ready. The father is a lion; the son shouldn't be too bad. Lori has restricted Carl's growth.'
'If the original Lori hadn't died so early, Carl would have probably been 'kept in a cage' by her indefinitely.'
'How could 'caging' him be the best way for him to grow?'
Helping Carl with his seatbelt, Shawn turned the steering wheel and said, "Let's go!"
-----
Watching the fire truck drive off into the distance, Shane paced back and forth in frustration and kicked the tree trunk hard. His hand, resting on his hip, unconsciously went to his pistol. His little finger tapped the hammer twice, a surge of anger welling up inside him.
"Shane, they're about to start training over there."
Lori came up from behind, her face turned away, not daring to meet Shane's eyes. After saying this, she quickly turned and hurried back toward the camp. Rick was still there.
Shane bit his lower lip and nodded. He watched the receding fire truck and finally backed down. At this point in time, Shane had not yet caused Otis's death for Carl's sake. The demon in his heart had not yet been fully unleashed. The Shane who had not yet shaved his head and turned to the dark side was still Rick's good brother, a core member who thought for the good of the entire camp.
Of course, there was another, more important reason.
—Shane wasn't sure he could take Shawn down, even with a gun in his hand. If he couldn't take him down in one go, what would the consequences be?
Looking at Lori's retreating back, Shane's mind raced. He finally decided to suppress everything for now.
-----
In the fire truck.
Carl's head swayed slightly with the movement of the vehicle. His eyes were full of curiosity and joy as he looked at everything they passed. This was the first time he had ever been so far from the camp without Rick or Lori.
"Where are we going?" Carl's tone held a hint of dependence, mixed with a faintly hidden rebelliousness.
Shawn glanced at him while controlling the steering wheel. "You'll know when we get there. First, put this armor on."
With that, Shawn pulled a set of wooden armor from his backpack and tossed it to Carl. It was a complete set of gear crafted in the system, from the faceplate to the greaves and boots, and it was perfectly sized for Carl.
"Why is it made of wood?" Carl asked curiously, stroking the grain on the armor.
"Wood is tough and light, and the materials are simple and easy to craft. It's very suitable for you," Shawn explained with a straight face. In reality, it was because the current Shawn could only make wood armor sets, but for Carl, it was more than enough.
Half an hour passed in a flash. The fire truck stopped in the eastern town Shawn had visited before. As the roar of the fire truck completely died down, Carl, now clad in wood armor, looked at Shawn, waiting for him to lay out the training plan. He still clearly remembered the instructions his father, Rick, had given him before they left the camp. Carl was at a rebellious age, but his trust and reliance on Rick were unmatched.
...Of course, for now, that had temporarily shifted to Shawn.
"Carl, do you know what the most important thing is for someone who has never killed a walker before?" Shawn thought for a moment and asked. He didn't use the word 'child', because in Carl's view, that might be an insult.
"More accurate shooting?" Carl tilted his head. Before he left, he thought he saw everyone else preparing to practice their marksmanship.
Shawn shook his head. His expectations for Carl were much higher than that. Others could train only their shooting, but not Carl.
"It's evasion and perseverance, Carl."
"In this apocalypse overrun with walkers, we won't always be in a safe place. There will always be times when we need to move through them."
"So you have to be brave enough to face the walkers' ugly faces, to temporarily forget the consequences they might cause, and to do your best to evade them."
"In the face of the eternally hungry and tireless walkers, sufficient physical strength is indispensable."
"So, for those who haven't killed a Walker, the first thing to learn is how to avoid Walkers."
"Ah~~"
Carl's voice sounded a little disappointed.
Shawn chuckled, thinking that this kid was still not satisfied.
Pushing Carl's shoulder, Shawn urged, "Alright, now you get out of the car."
"From our current position, run all the way to the east side of the town, and after reaching the end, run back."
"I won't help you, and you need to safely return to our current location. That's the training content for the first day."
Shawn's voice came, and Carl's body couldn't help but stiffen, much like the wooden armor he was wearing.
He hesitated and turned his head, and upon seeing Shawn's serious expression, tears seemed to well up in his eyes as he spoke in disbelief.
"Brother Shawn, are you saying you want me to cross this street, which is swarming with Walkers, all the way to the end, and then run back???"
Little Carl's face was full of question marks.
Looking at Carl's suddenly changed expression, if Shawn had a camera at that moment, he would definitely take a picture of him.
*****
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