Chapter 169 An Old Friend
Anthony watched the dust settle as the infantry vehicle disappeared, feeling a bit empty with a bag of two thousand Magic Crystals in hand.
The guy who made him an Evolving person and gave him a base was gone. William and his team had left the city.
"Stop staring. How's Marcus doing?" Donovan asked, patting Anthony on the shoulder.
"Marcus wanted to go with William, but William told him to stay and help us build the base," Anthony replied.
"William's worried we're too weak. Marcus is a great shot and will be a big help, especially since we need to sort out the food situation soon," Donovan said.
"I just don't get why William and his team had to leave. With them here, we could have thousands of Evolving persons in no time. This whole area, even the city, would be ours," Anthony said.
Donovan shook his head. He encouraged, "Don't overthink it. Maybe we'll see him again someday."
They stood on the city wall, watching people reinforce the newly repaired gate. Anthony clutched the note William had secretly given him before leaving.
The roar of the infantry vehicle drew the attention of many zombies on both sides of the road. They reached out with withered hands, but the sturdy vehicle smashed them to pieces.
"Captain Wright, this vehicle guzzles gas like crazy!" Jack said, grimacing. At this rate, it would be scrap metal in a few hours.
William leaned against the side of the vehicle, saying nonchalantly, "If it runs out of gas, just ditch it. It's not that useful."
The others felt safe inside, even if it wasn't comfortable.
"Captain Wright, where are we going now?" Jack asked, curious.
William hadn't revealed their final destination before. With so many people at the base, no one asked too many questions. Now that they were all in the vehicle, Jack felt free to ask.
"Accraville City, Cloud Peak Manor," William replied.
"A big city, but we're leaving the state," Jack sighed.
No one had expected their destination to be the capital of the neighboring state, nearly a thousand miles away.
"Why are we heading there?" Natalie asked, sitting next to William. The vehicle's shaking made her occasionally brush against him, and though she usually spoke her mind, she blushed a bit.
"Because we can develop safely there for at least two years," William replied.
After all they'd been through, trust had grown among them, so he started sharing more.
"But it seems like we're going the wrong way," Michelle said, tapping a map.
William nodded in agreement. He replied, "Yeah, we need to make a stop here first."
"Redwood County?" Michelle asked.
"Yep, to find someone," William said, then looked at everyone. "Anyone else have someone they want to find? If it's convenient, we can go together."
Candice shook her head. She didn't know where her parents were, and her other relatives were abroad. Lucy's parents were also teaching at a university overseas. David had no close relatives; his assistants' families were either dead or mutated, which is why they followed him. Michelle had no attachments either.
Only Jack and Natalie had relatives in the country, but their hometowns were far apart, making it almost impossible to return now.
"Captain Wright, don't worry about my parents. They're tough. We'll go back when we get a chance. They're definitely doing fine," Jack said casually.
Natalie sighed. She added, "My parents aren't in good health. They probably didn't survive the mutation wave. Chances of them being alive are slim."
Everyone knew she still wanted to go back and see, but her hometown was in the opposite direction and too far away.
Candice squeezed Natalie's hand, trying to comfort her.
By evening, the vehicle ran out of gas. They hoped to find a gas station, but the ones they found were either blown up or drained.
They had to abandon the vehicle that had taken them over 400 kilometers and continue on foot.
By midnight, they arrived at Redwood County. It was a small place, so small you could see the whole town from a high slope. It looked like it had just been through a massive fire, with more than half the streets burned down and some places still smoldering.
Looking through the binoculars at Redwood County, Jack exclaimed, "This is a base!"
"Look at those orderly walls and watchtowers! There are quite a few people inside," he added.
Setting up a base so well in less than twenty days was impressive.
"Humans adapt to the apocalypse faster than we thought," Jack sighed.
"But not as fast as you," Lucy teased, making Jack a bit frustrated.
"William, who are you going to find?" someone asked.
"An old friend," William replied, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "We'll spend the night here."
"Not going in?" Jack asked, pointing to the base below. He thought, 'At least we won't have to sleep outdoors if we go inside.'
William ignored him and started setting up camp.
William was indeed here to find someone. It was Cecil Getty, a big guy who had been part of his warband and saved his life countless times in their previous life. Redwood County was Cecil's hometown.
In their previous life, William was an archer, providing long-range support. Cecil was the bravest warrior, a Shield Bearer, who could block almost any damage. With Cecil in front, William could shoot without worry.
They had carried out missions together for five years. Cecil had blocked countless fatal attacks for William. In William's memory, Cecil had suffered three life-threatening injuries just from protecting him. Fortunately, Cecil's strong constitution had pulled him through each time.
However, two months before William's rebirth, Cecil had sacrificed himself during a mission. William lost his best shield, which indirectly led to him being ambushed and killed by a stalker. After his rebirth, William often thought, 'If Cecil had been there, I might have survived.'
At this time, Cecil should have already become a Shield Bearer. If the timeline was correct, Cecil might already be imprisoned. If William hadn't come, everything would have followed the previous life's trajectory.
Cecil would have spent several months in a dark cell; enduring inhumane torture until a mysterious merchant group arrived, bought his life with a few Magic Crystals, treated him briefly, and sold him to a newly established warband as a slave, where he eventually met William.
Thinking about seeing his comrade from the previous life, William felt a surge of emotion and couldn't sleep, lying awake until dawn.
Redwood County was an ancient place, known for its well-preserved city walls and as a tourist spot. When the apocalypse hit, the locals quickly fortified these walls, making them a strong defense against zombies and mutated creatures.
When William and Michelle arrived at the city gate, it was already crowded with people waiting to get in.
"Hey," Michelle said, standing in front of William in line. She turned, her pretty face close to his, and said, "Look over there!"
William felt a bit tickled by Michelle's hair blowing in the breeze. Her unique scent made him slightly uncomfortable, causing him to lean back a bit.
"Am I that annoying?!" Michelle said, rolling her eyes at William, clearly displeased.
Her mature charm attracted the attention of many around them, captivated by her beauty.
"I'm making such a big sacrifice here. What's in it for me?" Michelle asked, seeing it would be a while before their turn to enter. "I'm your team member. I can fight for you, and I won't blame anyone if I die. But... it doesn't include sacrificing my body!"
William was a bit speechless. He retorted, "I just need you to be a decoy to draw the target out. It's not like you really have to sacrifice your body. How is that sacrificing your body?"
"It's still sacrificing my body!" Michelle insisted. "Just tell me if there's a reward or not."
William turned to leave, but Michelle grabbed him.
"Look at you, calling yourself a man, not even willing to give in to a woman a little," she scolded.
"In the apocalypse, women are scarier than men," William retorted, making Michelle a bit disheartened.
"Stingy!" Michelle huffed. "My request isn't unreasonable. I know I can't compare to Natalie, who acts like your maid, or David, whom you protect like a treasure. But aside from them, I want to be the third person to get a two-star Evolution Elixir!"
"What if I don't agree?" William asked.
Michelle replied, "Then I'll go back and tell everyone that you brought me here alone to flirt with me."
"Fuck," William cursed.
