Chapter 9: Breeder

[You have become a Windrunner Zombie].

His new form had larger wings, with much thicker, shimmering plumage. It also felt much stronger.

However, he definitely didn't fit in that place anymore. He thought about going out and exploring a bit, but was surprised to realize that his instincts were leading him in another direction. His instincts told him that he should protect what was his, the apartment.

A bit confused, he found himself at the door and tried to leave, but the mental barrier he had to overcome to take that step proved very difficult. He was upset. In this place he was not comfortable, he could not even expand his wings comfortably. Besides, he watched his javelin for a second, the ritual in his mind had changed. Now he also knew that not only he could evolve. But this time he needed about 10 corpses, where else would he find them if he couldn't get out of this annoying place?

His desire to explore and to improve his spear merged and allowed him to overcome his instincts. He tried again to leave and was surprised to be in the hallway a moment later. His instincts had gone quiet and didn't seem to want to bother him anymore. That was a good thing.

The first thing that caught his attention, and which he had previously overlooked in his human-devouring cravings, was the blue color expanding into infinite space. For a moment he felt fear.

Second, there was the enormous amount of noise around him. It seemed like everyone was fighting everyone else out there.

His fear soon gave way to curiosity and the Windrunner found himself flying for the first time. A moment he would remember all his life. The absolute freedom was intoxicating, so much so that he completely forgot the world at his feet.

In the sky he saw a huge ball of fire that burned his eyes just by looking at it. He was determined to reach it, so he began to fly higher and higher. But no matter how high he soared in the air, the ball did not come any closer.

He soon found that he was tired and that his instincts were beginning to fight him again, asking him not to stray from his territory.

With some disappointment, the Windrunner returned to his apartment. There he remembered that he had to collect corpses, so he set to work. To his surprise, it took him longer than he thought to find them. It was almost nightfall when he managed to accumulate a new pile. He only needed a couple more to complete the new ritual.

He killed one more human. At which point something unexpected happened.

[Congratulations on clearing a large building of the presence of humans. Numerous individual factions have collaborated in this, but it has been determined that you were the major contributor. You will be granted possession of the building, which will become a haven for your race].

[As the leader of your race you have been granted a special evolution, which will begin in 10 minutes].

It was the last part of the long message that made him startle. He knew that a new evolution was coming soon, so he looked for a safe place.

Ten minutes later it started, and this time it was worse than the others. The pain was almost unbearable and his body underwent extensive changes.

[You have become a Windrunner Breeder].

His plumage increased in size and thickness and this time it completely covered his entire body. Moreover, he had grown so large that he could barely fit in the hallway. All the pain had been worth it, for the overwhelming power he could feel throughout his body was intoxicating.

He also realized that his mind had moved on a lot. The memories of his brief time as a normal Windrunner seemed distant and somewhat dull, as if he had been a complete fool.

This time he had understood the meaning of the system's words perfectly and his mind was very clear. With this new power he felt that nothing could stop him.

He looked up at the sky again, specifically at the sun, that fiery ball that had been moving across the firmament and now seemed to want to escape from him over the horizon. With a new determination, he took flight and tried to catch it. Only to return a few minutes later completely disappointed.

Maybe he still wasn't powerful enough, he thought. He looked at his now antiquated weapon and decided to upgrade it. The problem was that he had extinguished all nearby humans and there was no sign of any others.

His sights were fixed on the neighboring buildings and he figured there were probably many more of his brethren and easy prey out there. It was just a matter of being patient.

Meanwhile, Adam still couldn't calm down. Tracel's words had upset him. That ambitious idiot was probably planning something.

He thought about his next move. They definitely had to secure the parking lot, but, then, they would have to choose between all the nearby buildings. From his room, he watched the superblock through the window. He realized that this was the biggest danger.

Zombies were still walking the corridors and there was no sign of other people trying to fight. The number of zombies was much higher than he had encountered in his building, so the likelihood of another Gorger or another Spore Spreeder appearing were high.

Also, for some strange reason, all the noise he and his group had made had not attracted the zombies in the superblock. They had disturbed them, but none of them left the building to attack them. It was a relief, no doubt about it, but it was odd nonetheless.

Before deciding, Jane and Tarin apologized for being swayed by Tracel's words. Adam accepted the apology and consulted with them about the possible name.

When the final decision was made, the shelter was given the name Nuevo Sol. Once the System accepted the name, Adam assembled a team to secure the parking lot.

Marlen and Miriam joined, although the latter was somewhat pale and nervous. To Adam's surprise, both Jane and Tarin volunteered. Even Krieg decided to follow them, with the excuse that he would soon run out of food for Darry. Terry was still fixing Rony, so he didn't join them.

Almost all the survivors in the building were going to participate. Tracel watched, from his apartment, as they all headed toward the parking lot.

He kept an eye on them until they were out of sight. From where he was he couldn't see the parking lot. I want to know how I can take ownership of a shelter from its owner, he thought.

The strange question Tracel asked inwardly, soon received an answer from the System itself. A peculiarity that Tracel had noticed and intended to take full advantage of.

[To obtain ownership of a shelter one must either assassinate the owner, or obtain the support of the majority of the shelter's inhabitants to initiate a process of transfer of ownership without the owner being able to stop it. Both options are only available as long as the refuge does not have a political system].

As Tracel hoped, he had to wait for the right moment to act. To him, Adam was an idiot who did not realize the importance of the refuge. He was sure that in the future it would grow into a new country, or something like it. The owner would enjoy unimaginable power. He just had to have some patience and all that power would be his.

He looked at the spot where his brother had disappeared and smiled. Then he pulled out his phone and looked at his contact list.

So more than half the population? I guess it's time to test how limited the phone service is. He thought.

Meanwhile, Adam and his group made their way to the railings overlooking the parking lot. They watched the horde of zombies outside. They were all walking aimlessly around the cars.

"What strategy will we use?" asked Tarin, a little nervous.

"I think the best thing to do is to attract a large group and eliminate them completely" said Adam.

"Are you sure? It doesn't sound like a very good idea."

Tarin shared Jane's doubts, but decided not to say anything.

"I think it's for the best. We'll open the gate and let a group in. I'll mainly take care of eliminating all the Stalkers, you attack any evolved zombies you see."

Adam then proceeded to explain about the different types of evolved zombies he could observe in the parking lot. And when everyone was ready, they opened the gates and attacked.

Tarin, still not quite sure, set about casting his one spell. Sharp icicles of ice came out of his hands at great speed and with terrible aim. But there were so many enemies that he ended up hitting them anyway.

Jane also shot with her bow. It didn't take her long to kill a handful of zombies with her arrows. Adam watched with curiosity as Jane's quiver was once again generating an arrow for every one she shot.

The zombies soon realized they were under attack and a large group headed for the fence. Luckily, there was only one Crawler and one Brawler in the group. They all retreated and waited for the zombies to enter. The stupid creatures formed a chaotic mob that advanced through the narrow courtyard, which Adam took advantage of to use his flamethrower. The screams of pain from the burning Stalkers attracted another group of zombies in the parking lot.

The fire took out most of the Stalkers and the Crawler, who was unluckily in the middle of the group. The only one who was able to withstand the inferno was the Brawler, who made his way through the flames to attack Adam. Only to fall lifeless to the ground as he was simultaneously pierced by an icicle, an arrow and a gunshot.

Everyone watched the bonfire that had formed. Some Stalkers foolishly continued to add to it as they arrived. But they soon stopped, which caught Adam's attention. It seemed that the zombies were capable of learning, albeit very slowly.