Chapter 89 Retaliation
William forced himself to suppress the urge to continue forging. He knew that the preciousness of Devil's Gold wasn't fully apparent in the hands of an apprentice like himself. With better materials and blueprints, he could truly harness the full advantages of Devil's Gold. So, it was a waste to continue forging now.
Of course, he was also out of Second-Level Magic Crystal.
He returned to their temporary shelter with his twin blades. The three women, who had become somewhat immune to William's wonders, only felt a slight curiosity. They glanced at the new blade and then looked away. However, Michelle and Jack were quite surprised.
The Edge of the Moon was not a short dagger that could be easily concealed. Including the handle, it was over 3 feet long, making it hard to ignore. When this man ran out earlier, he only had one blade, so how did he come back with two?
They had all witnessed the prowess of the previous Edge of the Moon, especially Michelle. She was a knife expert who had studied under a knife master right after graduating from the police academy. She knew what made a good knife and was certain that the previous blade was the best she had ever seen.
So, she was more surprised than anyone to see another blade like it.
Jack was straightforward. Although he had some resentment towards William due to Louis's death, he knew deep down that it wasn't William's fault.
In a world like this, people could die at any moment. Over the past few days, he had let go of his grudge. Now, seeing William with a new blade, he excitedly approached.
"Hey, did you get another blade? Let me see," as Jack spoke, he reached out to grab it, his movements precise and swift.
William squinted and sidestepped just before Jack's fingers touched the handle. William said, "Do you want to see the blade? Sure, if you can get it."
Jack, who had some testing intentions, was delighted to hear this. He smiled. Responding to William's taunt, "You said it. Don't blame me for bullying a patient later."
With that, Jack stepped forward with his left leg, blocking William's retreat. His right elbow, taking advantage of his current position, swung upward towards William's chin. If this hit landed, he won.
Seeing Jack's clean and swift movements, William became interested. He placed his hand under his chin and bent his knee, pressing down on Jack's leg.
Jack's hard elbow struck William's palm. With one leg pressed down, Jack's body couldn't move. However, Jack remained calm under pressure, using his trapped leg as a pivot. He twisted his body and threw a punch with his other hand.
But suddenly, Jack felt his body lighten, and he lost his balance slightly. Yet, as a well-trained soldier, he took a deep breath and regained control. His fist curved and continued its attack.
But he stopped because William had disappeared from his sight. The next second, Jack felt a gentle push on his back, straightening his twisted body.
Jack dejectedly lowered his fist, knowing he had lost. If that push had been a strike, he would be dead.
"My strength and speed are no match for yours. This isn't fair," Jack said, somewhat dissatisfied, believing it was the physical difference between him and an evolver.
William liked Jack's character. He patted his shoulder and said, "There's no fairness in this world. The strong make the rules. Besides, even if you were an evolver, you still wouldn't be my match."
Jack stubbornly retorted, "I don't believe it."
"When you fight not to subdue but to kill, you'll be qualified to face me," with that said, William took out a map and spread it on the table, ignoring the somewhat stunned Jack.
In the apocalypse, you might not kill without reason, but you must know how to kill.
"Now, we're here," William said as he pointed to the map, which he had prepared before the apocalypse.
"We need to go here," William mentioned as he pointed to another location.
It was a new district of the city, developed for just over two years. During this time, most institutions had moved there. Michelle's husband also worked there. And William had promised to take her there.
"This is quite a distance," Natalie said, looking at the map. The apocalyptic days had made her more rugged and less gentle.
From their current location to the new district, the straight-line distance was over 13 miles. They had to go through the city center, which was the most crowded and had the most zombies. It was quite dangerous.
William nodded in agreement. He then proceeded to explain, "Driving is not an option now. The apocalypse has been going on for almost a week. Zombies and mutated creatures completely overrun the outside. Any loud noise will attract zombies from several blocks, making it too dangerous. So, we have to walk."
"Anyway." William's finger traced the map. He calmly added, "Here, here, and here are all difficult points. Passing through these areas requires not just strength but also a bit of luck."
Except for the center of the city, where William pointed to a sprawling living area, the other place was, quite unexpectedly, a medical institution that combines healing and treatment.
"I understand the other places, but what's with this one?" Candice, familiar with the city due to her profession, pointed to the hospital as she questioned him.
William's eyes flickered.
He knew the reason but couldn't explain it clearly yet, as he wasn't entirely sure.
"Apocalyptic hospitals are strange. We need to be cautious there," William explained.
The vague answer puzzled everyone, but no one pressed further. William had proven his decisions right multiple times.
"Since we have a target, I suggest this route," William decisively said as he drew a path on the map.
"I understand the detour to avoid the densely populated area, but why is it this route? Even if everything goes smoothly, it will take us over fifteen hours, doubling the time. Why do it?" Although anxious, Michelle remained professional and calm as she posed her question. Seeing William's detour, she was naturally dissatisfied.
"You know the situation outside better than I do. What have you seen?" William asked.
The group exchanged glances. As the biggest supporter, Natalie said, "A lot of zombies are much more than before. Some are very strange ones, clearly stronger than regular zombies. Those mutated animals and plants are almost everywhere."
"There are also lots of bad people," Lucy added weakly. Her values and morals had been completely overturned these days. She had witnessed many tragedies and was deeply affected by them.
"Yes," William agreed and sighed. His days of unconsciousness felt wasted. He regretted it, thinking he could have become much stronger.
He patiently added, "The outside is now filled with deadly threats everywhere."
He turned to Michelle and rationalized, "I promised to take you to your husband, but that doesn't mean I'll risk my life and my companions' lives. I can't guarantee everyone's safety, but I will do my best to keep us safe. I don't think Mrs. Smith wants us to die before we get there, right?"
"Then why is the detour?" Michelle asked.
"We need to increase our strength and improve our chances of successfully escorting you," William replied.
Seeing William's firm attitude, Michelle said no more.
"So, do we leave now?" Candice asked.
"No." William shook his head slightly in disagreement. He cooly said, "You've suffered these days. We need to get back at them!"
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