A Plan To Be King

"Tang?" Demetria came towards me. "You okay? I've seen you mumbling to yourself down there. Please don't tell me you got a smack in the head so hard that you're starting to hallucinate."

I sighed.

"No, of course not. I'm fine. Gather the others, we need to come up with a plan."

Demetria raised her eyebrows. "So it deemed you that I'm worthy now to get along with you guys?"

I nodded my head, jumped off the stage, and walked toward where Ken and Devora were. "We need to ditch the others." I started. "They're scared and timid. They aren't gonna be much use for us."

Devora opened her mouth as if to object but shut up and started nodding hardly.

"Well, I'm happy that you're finally allowing me to join you so I'm not gonna push my luck objecting. So how are you gonna do so?"

"Sneak away?" Ken asked. "I'm starting to understand why you're insisting on ditching them now. I went to check on them just now and all they're asking is if will we continue to protect them. Not one thank you sounded from their mouths."

"Sneak away? No that won't do." Demetria objected. "They're too many of them. And they're staring at us like we're their last hope which we actually are by the way. We can't get past them without alerting anyone."

"I agree with you," I said and nodded at Demetria. "I plan on using them."

Everyone fell silent. I didn't know about Demetria or Devora but I was sure that Ken knew what I meant. "Tang… They're humans…" Ken spoke to break the ice.

"What do you mean by using them?" Demetria asked. Ken raised his hands to signal Demetria to stop asking.

"I know you well Tang, so I know what you mean by that. But remember, they're still human. They're still of use, so just give them a job to do to keep their mouths shut.."

"A bunch of parasites. They will do nothing except slow us down or even worse, send us to death. It would be better off without them." I snarled. Just as I wanted to continue, Ken grabbed my arm and spoke next to my ears.

My eyes opened wide after hearing Ken's suggestion.

"You…." I stared at Ken, suddenly having new thoughts about him. Ken's suggestion was so mind-breaking that it never occurred to me. Noting me to keep the idea to myself, Ken leaned back and asked.

"So what's your final decision?"

"We keep them." I decided after a brief thought. "But I would need people to be in charge of them and keep them in order before they mess u my plans." Looking at Demetria, I decided against the idea of using her. I didn't know how much was she on my side.

Looking at Devora, she was stunned when I turned to look at her so much that she nearly dropped the shirt she was trying to mend. "Y…yes?" she asked as I kept staring at her.

"I have a job for you. I need you to be in charge of comforting the people downstairs so that they do not cause a riot or do anything that messes up my plans. Can you do that?"

Devora nodded her head frantically. Then she asked, "Does this mean that… you're finally accepting me inside your group?"

Nodding my head, I said "Save your answers for later. Demetria, I need you to patrol the perimeter. If you see any other risen, try luring them into block C. I plan on making that place into a point farming center. Try using blood, they're most sensitive to blood. Run if you happen to be in danger."

Demetria nodded her head.

"Try bringing some people with you. Safety first, I know sometimes sacrifices may be made. Try not to lose more than 2 people per trip. Best without losing any."

Demetria nodded her head again and added.

"I don't plan on losing anyone. I'll do it, but I make no promises. Not many people have the courage to face a walker. Much less try goading it and trapping it."

I opened my mouth to speak but Ken stopped me.

"Tang knows that. He's just expressing his way of telling you to be safe."

I raised an eyebrow at Ken, as that was totally not what I wanted to say.

Demetria looked at me and turned away. "W…Who needs him to tell me to be safe. I can keep safe myself." She said as she started walking away. "Is there anything else? I'm gonna bring Devora with me now."

I shook my head.

"That's all I've gotta say for now. Go."

Watching them leave, I sat down and opened my inventory, taking out a bottle of water I drank before. "That's a pretty wild idea you have there brother," I said to Ken after I made sure no one was near us. "Turning the school into a fortress? Running the fortress myself? Becoming a king in the apocalypse? You gotta be mad for suggesting this idea."

"And you gotta be mad as well for accepting this idea. So, I suppose we're even." Ken said as he sat down as well.

We sat in silence.

"What gave you that idea?" I asked out of a sudden. "You've never struck me as someone power-hungry before."

Ken shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose it's from all those animations I've watched before. It suddenly occurred to me that the only way we could survive better in the apocalypse was by having a base of operations of our own. There's always a main character in an animation. And now YOU Tang Jun Wen, are the main character right now."

Looking at Ken's all-serious face, I nearly laughed out loud.

"From animations? You must be joking, and I must be crazy to listen to you." as quick as lightning, I grabbed the spear laying on the ground that Demetria left behind after the meeting and locked Ken onto the wall, spear tip only a few centimeters away from his throat. "You're becoming dangerous Ken. I never thought you would come up with an idea so dangerous. How are you going to convince me that you're not going to become my enemy one day in the future?"

Raising his hands up in surrender, Ken sighed.

"I figured this was coming when I made my proposal. Tang, don't bullshit me. I know this thought has also crossed your mind. I only pointed it out so you would feel better thinking you were not the only one thinking so."

Letting go of Ken slowly, I put him down and patted his shoulders.

"Good one. Seems like you really know me a lot eh?" I forced a smile as Demetria came back looking for her spear.

"Gosh, there it is. I thought I lost it!" she exclaimed and rushed forward, taking the spear from my hands.

"Never lose your weapon. Your weapon is literally your life from now onwards." I lectured Demetria to change the subject.

Demetria nodded her head. Before leaving, she turned around again and asked. "The both of you… all good? Nothing wrong?"

I smiled and waved my hands. "Nothing wrong. don't fret about it."

She raised her eyebrows but decided that it was better for her if she didn't continue asking. Leaving the hall, she rushed away to grab Devora.

"Ken, don't betray me," I said with a smile without looking at him. "I would hate to kill you so please don't make me do so."

"Don't you worry about that. Even If I wanted to, I couldn't." Ken said as he walked to my side. Looking downstairs, Devora was trying her best to talk to the people who followed us. her frantic expression made me feel that she was even a little cute. "Go write a report about your plans and hand it to me before tomorrow. We still have three days to kill that 'He Who First Rises'. Once and only when we do so, this place is under my control,"

"Okay," Ken said as he bowed awkwardly. "Just getting used to bowing." He said as he winked and left me alone in the hall.

"Screen," I said to take a look at my stats.

Name: Tang Jun Wen

Age: 18

Race: Human

Condition: Healthy

LV: 2 (Upgradable)

Abilities: Death's Grasp

Points: 210

Mana: 100

Health: 100

Killing the evolved walker earned me about 50 points, allowing me to upgrade my level to level 3.

"Upgrade" I muttered softly so that nobody knew I was already at level 3.

Strength: 10 +

Stamina: 15 +

Wits: 23 +

Max Mana: 100 +

Max Health: 100 +

I grimaced. Recalling my fight with the mutant risen, I realized my strength was not enough to deal any fatal damage to any stronger enemies. Pressing the strength button without hesitation, I felt a little stronger straight away. Like I could lift up someone about the same height easily.

Strength: 15

Stamina: 15

Wits: 23

Max Mana: 100

Max Health: 100

Looking at the hanging clock inside the hall, I didn't even realize that time flew so fast.

6.00 pm

Name: Tang Jun Wen

Age: 18

Race: Human

Condition: Healthy

LV: 3

Abilities: Death's Grasp

Points: 60

Mana: 100

Health: 100