Chapter 61

Read AN at the end of the chapter.

- Xenon -

I didn't really get much from helping Shane and Otis the previous day, but I also didn't lose much. An hour of my time at best. During the trip back, they dropped me pretty close to my van. I stopped once I reached the cars blocking the road, I activated [Detect Presence], before pretending I was searching one of the cars. I took out my quest reward right after. I wasn't overly afraid someone would notice me, since it was dark, but it never hurts to be careful.

< You have leveled up! >

< Evaluating performance… >

* Ding *

< You are eligible for rewards! >

< [Empowered Strike] has leveled up! >

< [Sprint] has leveled up! >

< [Weapon Mastery: Rifle. (Passive)] has leveled up! >

< [Weapon Mastery: Handgun. (Passive)] has leveled up! >

< +1 CHA Gained! >

[Empowered Strike. (Passive/Active)] LVL 5 MAX

Cost : 8 SP

Empower your next attack, increasing its speed and damage.

( Speed & Damage increase based on DEX and STR )

<>

[Sprint. (Passive/Active)] LVL 3

*Passive:

-10% Stamina consumption while running.

*Active:

Cost : 1.8 SP/sec

Increases your sprinting speed by 15%.

< Quest Complete : Protect the Greene Family Farm. >

*Rewards:

-> Zombie Slayer Axe. ( 15 % Bonus damage against walkers. )

< Status >

Name : Xenon

Age : 16

Level : 8 | Progress : 153/300

-

Stamina (SP) : 240/240

-

STR : 17

DEX : 12

CON : 4

END : 12

CHA: 18

WIL : 5

INT : 24

WIS : 13

LUK : 11

Unused Stat Points: 7

<>

I have made two very important discoveries, which actually made that 'waste' of bullets, not as wasteful as I would think otherwise. The first one is: when it comes to EXP, the way you obtain it matters. Killing a walker with a bullet gives me 1 EXP. Killing them with a throwing knife gave me 2 EXP Killing them in melee range gives me 5 EXP... That means, killing 50 walkers with bullets gave me 50 EXP. Killing 10 walkers with my hatchet gave me the same amount.

The second one is my [Empowered Strike]. I have reached the maximum level, meaning I could no longer upgrade it by using it repeatedly in combat. But it came with an interesting side effect. I was now a lot more aware of the skill. Whenever I use it, I could feel something warm, like a stream of hot water, coursing through my arm, something I didn't feel before. Being aware of something, as far as I am concerned, is the first step to controlling it. And that is exactly what I intend to do. I had a feeling this is the way to go beyond the level cap. But that's easier said than done. Nevertheless, I had two weeks ahead of me, that the group would obviously be wasting in Hershel's farm, something I had no intention of doing.

I also intended to make Anti-Walker clothing, something that's still just an idea so far, but I'm sure my skinning skill will come in handy.

I was rather excited about my new axe, as it was the first "enchanted" item I've received. It was quite heavy, weighting around six kilos. There was only a small issue with it though: the mass was more concentrated at the end of the 140 cm handle... which means it feels even heavier when held for combat.

I made my way towards the RV, finding Dale and Theodore just outside chatting carelessly. I just shook my head. Unlike me, they didn't have a way to tell when they are being watched, or are about to be attacked by walkers.

"Kept you waiting, huh?" Their heads snapped to my direction.

"Did something happen?" Dale asked me with a frown. "You said you'd be back before sunset."

"Yes." I nodded. "Carl got shot."

"WHAT?!" They both asked in unison, surprised by this turn of event. "How the hell did that happen?" I proceeded to tell give them the news, as it appears the others in the church didn't inform them.

"Let's get the others first. We'll head to the farm after." We drove off to the church.

- Xenon -

After taking a detour to bring the others staying at the church, who were now worried sick about Carl. Maggie came on her horse and took Lori with her to her son, but the others didn't have the luxury, so they were left wondering if the boy was dead or alive.

"Were they attacked?!" Carol asked fearfully, noticing the absurd amount of dead bodies on the ground. Dale seemed to connect the dots, as he turned to me.

"Please tell me this is not the horde you were leading away?"

"It is." I confirmed his suspicions. "I was about to lose them, but I found there were people living here in seclusion. They refused to leave, so we had to kill the walkers. It's a good thing we had enough bullets." I didn't want them to assume I killed them single-handedly, even though I did. They did warn me against doing it after all, and I wouldn't want to prove them right.

We found Shane and Otis moving the bodies to pile them in a spot. Jimmy and Maggie were helping them as well. The rest of the men ended up joining, as the sooner we got it done, the sooner we can get some sleep. I didn't mind the exercise.

After an about an hour, we've gathered them all in a single spot, to make it easier for transport. Otis would be using a cart with a horse to get them away. They avoided using gas, as they didn't have a lot of it.

As soon as we finished helping the group, I went on my way towards the woods, taking some food with me and one of my books, even though it was dark by then.

"Where are you going?" Jim asked me, eyeing the axe I was holding with me. It probably gave him the wrong idea. There were some questions about it, I answered that I found it in one of the cars. They didn't think much of it.

"I need a walk." I stated, before going on my way.

"Want some company?" Amy asked me with a smile.

"Sorry. I need to be alone for a while." Her smile dropped as soon as she heard me, but it can't be helped. I was probably giving edgy teenager vibes, but I wasn't in the mood to care at the moment.

"Yeah... Sure, I understand." She nodded with a forced smile.

I walked out of their sight into the woods and used [Detect Presence] to make sure nobody was nearby. It wouldn't do much to me if I was being watched, but I prefer some privacy.

I took a deep breath and exhaled in a rhythm to calm myself for my training. It's unfortunate I haven't managed to unlock a meditation skill, but in all fairness, I haven't tried very much. Perhaps it's time I started getting serious about it.

I took a few swings with the axe, to get used to it for a bit. It was rather heavy, and I'm certain it will do some serious damage to walkers, all while I am out of their range. The added weight was a bit of a problem, however.

Activating [Empowered Strike], I felt the new rush of energy into my arms as I swung the weapon at a nearby tree, before it hit, sending a tremor through the tree and my own body. I needed to get used to this feeling, before I try manipulating it into something else. I spent the next three hours doing the same move over and over again, though I stopped hitting the tree, settling for the air instead. I'm fairly certain "Hershel" wouldn't appreciate it, and I didn't want to create confrontation for no benefits at all.

Whenever I ran out of SP, I would take some time off to read my book and rest, activating my passive recovery ability, that takes 20 minutes to restore 100% of my Stamina from zero. I developed sore arms in the process, but I don't mind the pain to reach my goal. Once the pain reached a certain level, I decided to stop for that day. I didn't want to damage my body, when I could pace myself and attain the same results faster.

- End of Chapter -

I have said it a few chapters back, but I'll say it again. Starting 17 Jan to 22 Jan, I'll be passing an exam each day in every single subject I've been studying over the year. And right now, that is my top priority. The release rate will be dropping, especially during that week. I also had to finalize my project for the first semester and prepare for the exams I passed this week, which is why I couldn't post for the past few days. So it's not me losing interest and dropping the story, it's just that I don't have much time to write during this period. The release rate will be improving right after that (Starting 23 Jan).