Chapter 288 Small Factions Alliance
Wayne squatted next to a pile of sand in the courtyard, brushing his teeth like his life depended on it. He had this nagging toothache, and finding a dentist in the apocalypse was like finding a needle in a haystack. So, he just kept brushing, hoping it would help.
"Why the hell do my teeth still hurt even after evolving?" Wayne grumbled, snapping his toothbrush in frustration and tossing it aside.
He and his crew had set up camp in an unfinished building, trying to make a go of it in Accraville City.
As for the team’s name, Wayne couldn’t be bothered to come up with anything fancy. He just called it Wayne’s Squad. If they ever got bigger, maybe it’d be Wayne’s Battalion.
"Wayne!" A booming voice echoed from the building behind him, making Wayne flinch.
Out came Darcy Bryant, a fierce woman taller and burlier than Wayne, carrying a chipped food bowl.
"All you do is brush your teeth all day. We haven’t had food for two days. Get out there and find some! Are you gonna let everyone starve? Look at you, such a wimp. Last time, you followed the zombie horde and got your ass kicked, came back all dirty. Now you didn’t even make it into the top fifty in Accraville City. We can’t even find food. What's the use of you, you useless piece of crap?" she ranted.
Darcy, who was built like a tank, stood with her hands on her hips, pointing at Wayne’s nose and tearing into him. People in the building poked their heads out of windows, enjoying the show. It was a daily spectacle, but they never got tired of seeing Wayne get chewed out.
Wayne just hung his head and grinned sheepishly.
Darcy was his wife. Even before the apocalypse, he was used to her yelling at him, and now it was just part of his routine. If she didn’t yell at him for a day, he’d feel off.
Wayne tried to explain, "It’s tough, honey. You know, the zombies outside have been going nuts lately. A big group headed to the city center, and the rest are just wandering around. It’s too dangerous to go out now." He smiled, trying to appease her. "Also, can you keep it down a bit? You might attract those nasty things..."
"What?" Darcy shouted, glaring at Wayne, who immediately shut up.
"Captain Bryant, got visitors," one of his guys ran over, out of breath, to report.
"Not just passing by?" Wayne squinted, his fear of Darcy replaced by a dangerous look.
"Probably not. They’re heading straight for us," the guy replied.
"How many?" Wayne asked.
"Three," the guy said.
Darcy smacked the guy on the back. "Why are you freaking out over three people?"
The sentry just smiled, not bothered, and even felt a bit proud.
"Scram!" Wayne gave the sentry a light kick and then smiled at Darcy. "Darcy, shall we go check it out?"
"Let’s bounce!" Darcy tossed the bowl aside and marched out, with Wayne trailing behind like a sidekick.
"Sasha?"
Wayne was surprised to see the visitor. Apart from the last time they followed the zombie horde out of Accraville City, they hadn’t had any other run-ins.
"A woman?" Darcy eyed the sexy Sasha and then shot a dangerous look at Wayne.
Wayne waved his hands, signaling it had nothing to do with him, then smiled at Sasha. "Sasha, congrats on making it into the top twenty in Accraville City."
Top twenty? Darcy’s eyes lit up, looking at Sasha like she was a walking treasure trove of Evolution Elixir.
"Thanks to Captain Wright’s help!" Sasha greeted Wayne and then stepped aside to introduce a young man. "This is William, the leader of Cloud Peak Manor."
Wayne quickly stepped in front of Darcy, pulling out a sharp knife, ready for trouble.
Seeing Wayne’s stance, Darcy knew someone was here for revenge. She clenched her fists, ready to throw down, and started shouting, "Help! Someone’s causing trouble!"
William frowned slightly. He got why they might freak out hearing his name, but they were seriously overreacting.
"You better make this woman shut up," William said.
In a blink, William was right in front of Wayne, his finger poking Wayne's chest.
Darcy's shouting cut off instantly.
"That's better," William sighed in relief.
His finger still on Wayne's chest, William said, "Sasha vouched for you, so I came here. Don't make me regret it."
Wayne nodded like a bobblehead. He knew he was no match for William. Wayne was just a two-star Evolving person, while William was at least a three-star.
William flicked his finger away, letting Wayne and Darcy breathe easier. Wayne quickly told his guys, who had come out at the noise, to go back inside to avoid pissing off William.
Wayne grinned, trying to be as agreeable as possible. "Captain Wright, what can I do for you? Just say the word."
"It's not an order. It's a... cooperation," William said.
The Poppy roulette wheel had been around for five days now. Since the last time humans tried to spin it, they seemed scared off by the three major monster factions. No one had tried again, but it was clear humans hadn't given up. Activity around the monster camps was picking up.
In an abandoned hotel, a bunch of survivors had gathered. Unlike the humans who had gathered in the mall before, these folks and their factions weren't in the top fifty of Accraville City. The bigger groups had dozens of people, while the smaller ones had only a dozen or so.
But the total number of people here amounted to almost a thousand.
"Burning Fury warband, Sasha's warband, one used to be in the top twenty, and the other is now in the top twenty. Are they leading this operation?"
"Not sure, but I heard it's that guy. See, the one standing with Basil, Sasha, and Wayne."
"Who?"
"The leader of Cloud Peak Manor in the suburbs of Accraville City."
"Oh, that faction ranked in the forties. They're pretty strong, at least stronger than us."
People were whispering among themselves.
"Everyone, quiet down!" Basil stepped out. Even though the Burning Fury warband had dropped in the latest rankings, it was still a strong team for many years, and people listened when Basil spoke.
"I think everyone knows why we're here. Those who came have agreed to participate in this operation. But we also know how tough it is. The alliance of the top fifty factions hasn't succeeded yet. We're weaker, so we need to find a way. Also, everyone must follow orders." Basil looked at the crowd, speaking with authority.
"We'll follow you, Basil!"
"Tell us what to do."
Some people started to respond.
These small factions initially had no plans for the Accraville exchange roulette wheel. They had watched the situation and then backed off.
They had no choice. They couldn't even get within a mile of the wheel, so they didn't want to die for nothing.
Until someone approached them in the past two days, persuading them to join a joint operation, they started to consider it.
Living in the cracks between the major factions in Accraville City, these survivors weren't dumb. They knew that to get something good this time, they needed a solid plan and a together leader. Otherwise, it would be pointless. So, for now, there was no power struggle.
Basil shook his head. "You won't be following my orders. You'll be following the orders of Captain Wright from Cloud Peak Manor. His name might be new to you, but you should know the guy who spun the big wheel in the city center three times on the first day. That's Captain Wright."
William slowly stepped forward.
