Chapter 245 Outbreak
When Sasha heard the distant gunfire, her face turned grim. The firelight cast a faint shadow from the birthmark on her cheek, making it almost invisible.
William took a step to her side, looking at her profile, feeling a sense of time and space intertwining.
"Was it really your people who did this?" Sasha asked, turning to William, who had suddenly appeared in her tent, claiming to discuss cooperation.
"And Hungry Tiger Knights warband, Logan should have mentioned them to you," William clarified.
When he first saw Sasha and Logan, he had a new idea. Although he knew Sasha from a previous life, her character likely hadn't changed. She valued profit but also adhered to rules, which made her much better than many survivors without principles. Moreover, William knew that her subordinates were quite capable fighters. Although that was in his previous life, he estimated they wouldn't be too bad now.
William was currently in a situation where he needed help. He wasn't entirely confident in resisting this wave of zombies. The consensus among the people at the manor was that even if they managed to eliminate the zombie horde, the manor would suffer significant losses. After all, over twenty thousand zombies were no joke.
Previously, there were no trustworthy forces around, so William had no other ideas. But now, seeing Sasha, he came up with a way to reduce losses.
Logan's appearance gave him more confidence in persuading Sasha, so he stood here.
The sounds of battle in the distance grew fainter. Sasha and her subordinates looked at each other, their eyes filled with lingering doubt.
The Tech City warband had been traveling with them for a few days. Initially, there were some frictions. They wanted to follow the zombie horde to collect Magic Crystals, but they had to show their strength to gain recognition from other teams and earn the right to collect Magic Crystals together.
After some mutual testing, they were tacitly allowed to act together. Sasha's subordinates knew that they might not be as strong as the Tech City warband.
Now, William had appeared, wanting to forge an alliance. And to prove his sincerity, he'd captured Logan. It was almost too much to believe.
The gunfire grew weaker, and although they didn't know the situation over there, William's calm expression suggested that things had likely gone well.
The battle ended quickly. Even if they had teamed up with Hungry Tiger Knights warband, their combat prowess was still impressive.
The sound of engines approached as the teams from Hungry Tiger Knights warband and Cloud Peak Manor arrived, carrying the scent of blood.
William looked over his subordinates. For today's battle, he had instructed the core members to hold back and let other Evolving persons and ordinary soldiers handle the fighting. The results were promising; their faces showed less panic and more determination and coldness, which were essential traits in the apocalypse.
A young man, even younger than William, walked over and extended his hand. "Mr. Wright?"
"Mr. Perry," William said, shaking hands with him with a smile.
William had asked Michelle to find Darryl from Hungry Tiger Knights warband and suggested they team up to eliminate his nemesis, Logan. William was sure Darryl would agree. The attack on the armory had significantly weakened his strength, leaving him with two clear choices: leave the Cloud Peak Mountain area to live elsewhere or wait for Logan to take them all out.
Given this opportunity to resolve his predicament, Darryl naturally wouldn't miss it.
The outcome proved his choice was correct. He witnessed his enemy Logan being killed by a woman from Cloud Peak Manor. Her knife-like hand pierced Logan's mouth and went straight through his neck. While he felt a sense of satisfaction, he also felt a chill down his spine, developing a deep fear of the woman's brutal method.
"How do you propose we cooperate? What's in it for me?" Sasha asked, looking at William with shock in her eyes.
Darryl glanced at the two, unsure whether to stay or leave.
"Mr. Perry, if you're interested, by all means, stay," William said, then turned to Sasha. "My target is this wave of zombies. If we cooperate, you need to assist us in defense."
Darryl and Sasha both frowned.
They were well aware of the zombie horde's ferocity. Wasn't this a death wish? Both immediately wanted to refuse.
William explained, "Actually, you don't need to worry too much. Cloud Peak Manor is mine, and I will defend it with my people to the death. If you see that the situation is unfavorable, you can leave. Fight if you can, run if you can't. Thinking this way, you shouldn't feel too burdened, right?"
He smiled and said, "Of course, there is some risk. If my manor falls, if my people and I are overrun, you won't see any reward. So, for the sake of profit, you'll need to fight alongside us until the bitter end."
Darryl and Sasha felt that were being steered through the negotiation, but neither could find an opening to interject.
William continued, "If you help me, you will naturally get benefits. If you can ensure that the number of Evolving persons participating in the battle is no less than thirty, then after the battle, I will give you ten bottles of one-star Evolution Elixir each. For every additional ten Evolving persons, you get one more bottle of Evolution Elixir. For every additional thirty guns, you also get one more bottle of one-star Evolution Elixir. Of course, the spoils of victory belong to us. You don't have the right to clean the battlefield. If you leave during the battle and we end up winning, then sorry, I won't give you anything."
Darryl pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "I can agree to these terms, but I don't need that many Evolution Elixirs. Five bottles will suffice. Instead, I want the weapon Logan was using, and I want it now."
William looked at his subordinates, who immediately brought over the short spear that Gemma had confiscated.
With just a casual glance, William tossed the weapon to Darryl.
This weapon only had a passive skill for throwing, which William didn't care for.
Darryl, delighted, didn't even wait for the negotiation to end. He greeted them and took his people aside to await further instructions.
"How confident are you in eliminating this zombie horde?" Sasha cautiously asked. "If you have at least a fifty percent chance, I'll take the gamble."
"Then here's to a successful partnership," William said, extending his hand. Sasha hesitated for a moment but eventually shook his hand. The warmth and smoothness of her palm made William's heart skip a beat, giving him a familiar sense.
"This is for you, as a down payment. A two-star Evolving person who can't yet be immune to the virus is very dangerous," William said with a smile and left, leaving Sasha staring at the immunity potion in her hand, somewhat dazed.
That morning, many people at Cloud Peak Manor felt heavy-hearted.
They knew a life-and-death battle was imminent.
At the main gate of Cloud Peak Mountain, the teams participating in today's battle were gathering. Twenty people stood at the front, their postures straight, their faces showing a hint of excitement.
William handed out bottles of one-star Evolution Elixir as a reward for their performance in driving away the two forces behind the zombie horde.
Gerald and Wayne's forces, after losing the Logan and Sasha as their alliance, were no longer a threat to Cloud Peak Manor. Wayne withdrew when he saw the situation was unfavorable, while Gerald tried to observe but was ambushed by Jack and Gemma, suffering heavy casualties and retreating.
Now, a battle between humans and zombies was about to begin.
The twenty people became Evolving persons under the watchful eyes of many, boosting the previously low morale.
"I hope that after today's battle, more of you will have the opportunity to evolve due to your bravery and struggle, becoming the backbone of Cloud Peak Manor's future." William said, waving his hand as Natalie and Lucy each brought a tray forward.
"These are fifty immunity potions, to be given to those who need them during close combat with zombies. After the battle, you will also receive Evolution Elixir," William announced.
Many were tempted, knowing it was dangerous and a near-death experience, but the opportunity to evolve was within reach.
Many decided to take the gamble, injecting the potions and becoming the "Vanguard" members who would stand at the forefront when needed.
"Slaughter them all," William commanded.
At his command, all the participating teams began to move into their designated positions according to the plan.
When the sun reached its zenith, Candice, the commander of the first line of defense at the foot of the mountain, fired the first shot of the battle.
A life-and-death struggle between humans and zombies erupted!
