The Dead Frontier (9)

Now that they had scoured Old Hank's house it was time for the big guns... or rather big bullets?

"So if we go right from here we will arrive at the sheriff's office. It's right next to the saloon."

"Are there any other interesting buildings on the way?" Glen asked.

"Well, there is the barber's shop, livery and the church."

Hmm, they sounded interesting. But the fact that they were close to the church bothered him. Before escaping he was sure that they had already taken whatever they could and not even leave him any scraps.

"We can check those out after getting rid of the zombies. For now, finding bullets are a priority" Glen said as he nodded.

"Sir, I wanted to ask for a while now but why are you so sure that you can kill all the zombies after getting enough bullets?" Ezekiel asked with a child-like curiosity.

Considering he was a child it was something expected.

As for where his confidence comes from...

"Well, I have been handling guns since I was 11 and ever since I learnt to aim I don't think I have ever missed my mark. It should be a given too, with the way I lived if I ever missed once I wouldn't be standing here anyway. You see, Ezekiel, in my hometown we had a saying 'Be afraid of a man from a profession where men die young'. Because the reason they survived that long should be a testament to their ability"

What Glen said was the truth. He imagined that if he had a system he would see a prompt like this.

===

[Master Marksman]

[Passive] [Intermediate Rank] [Evolvable]

- Master Marksman's Aim

* You have excellent marksmanship that puts you at the top of the world but you can go even higher!

- Eagle Eye

* You can see farther into the distance like a mighty eagle.

* For targets in the distance, it feels easier to hit them. Still, don't forget to account for the wind!!

===

In other words, if there were abilities in this world, which is actually a possibility considering the zombies, his ability would be related to shooting and guns.

However, it was still a big shame. Before he could go even further his body gave up. Or maybe this was his delusion again. Maybe deep down he wanted to give up and his mind rationalized it as his reflexes slowing down.

Who knows? Only one thing was for certain and that was the fact that he was slower than he was in the past. But he felt he could go much further. Maybe he should pick up the gun again in his next life.

"But didn't you say you weren't even thirty yet?" With Ezekiel's prompt Glen perked up again.

Glen suddenly had the urge to hit the kid on his head. He was trying to give advice while the little bugger called him old backhandedly... or did he call him young?

"Then Ezekiel let me ask you this. Have you ever seen or heard of a gunslinger older than thirty? I am not asking about people who use guns to defend themselves. I am asking you about bounty hunters, soldiers, outlaws, rangers."

Ezekiel started to think about it and noticed that Glen was kind of right. He still didn't believe that completely but he really couldn't think of a famous gunslinger older than Glen. Ones that are alive at least.

"Why is that though? Using a gun is not that hard. You just point and shoot"

Glen tried to hold back his anger at the child's disrespect. "*Inhale* Look, it's about reflexes. The older you are the slower you get... and when you are finally slow enough you die. That's why, before that day comes, most people decide to retire. I have also gotten slower than my heyday. If not for the apocalypse I would also be one of those that retired."

"Really?"

"Really, living and dying by the edge of your gun might sound amazing and flashy but life is not really kind. You will... or rather would understand when you get older but now that the whole country is done you don't have a chance to see that anymore"

***

Glen and Ezekiel watched Zombies shambling in front of the Sheriff's office across the street in an empty building that the townsfolk used to store miscellaneous stuff. According to Ezekiel, this building used to be Mayor's office. When the settlement had one that is.

"How are we going to get in?" Ezekiel asked.

"I am thinking about that as well. There seems to be at least, what, thirty zombies loitering around. Why does this place have so many zombies anyway?"

"Maybe there are survivors inside?"

"I don't think so, if there were the zombies would be more lively but maybe there were people inside before the town was completely decimated. So after killing everyone inside the zombies without a target just stayed there. After all, they become sluggish during the day"

Glen looked around the town. He could see the big buildings like the saloon, water tower, ex-bank and the livery but there wasn't anything that he could use to distract the zombies.

Sigh, it was time to take out and use his first McGuffin... or was it Deus Ex Machina?

Well, Glen still took the backpack Ezekiel was carrying and opened it up to search around for that specific thing.

Biscuits? No.

Bowie Knife? No.

Handmade Scope attachment for rifles? No.

Dynamite? No.

Eureka!

Glen took out tin cans interconnected ropes.

It looked like a makeshift bolas.

For those who don't know bolas were a type of throwing weapon interconnected with ropes with weight at the end. They were famously used by Portuguese horsemen back in his original world.

They would use it to catch prey and cattle.

In other words, the Portuguese equivalent of American Cowboy's lasso... or was it the other way around? He really didn't know the history that well. The only bits and pieces he remembered were searched by him specifically to use in novels or appeared in the novels he read.

So he was ignorant.

So what!? From now on he would travel through countless worlds. He would learn much more interesting things so he didn't have to get stuck in his past.

"What's that?"

"Our Deus Ex Machina"

Ezekiel looked at him blankly. It seemed like he didn't know what Deus Ex Machina meant. Well, he was going to learn soon anyway.

Soon, the duo sneakily went outside. Ezekiel did not know what Glen was going to do but seeing how confident Glen was he also felt confident.

After making sure there were no zombies around Glen started to spin the bolas in his hands.

*Clank* *Clank*

Some zombies with keen hearing started to turn towards them.

However, the little sounds stopped when Glen managed to spin it fast enough. Seeing that some zombies were turning their way Glen didn't wait for too long and throw the bolas!

He aimed at the rail guards of the saloon next to the sheriff's office.

As soon as the bolas hit their target they could hear a loud metallic noise.

*Clank* *Clank* *Clank* *Clank* *Clank*

And it didn't instantly stop like just now so the two dozen zombies livened up and started to head towards to origin of the noise.

Taking this opportunity, Glen and Ezekiel made their way inside the Sheriff's office.

Glen couldn't help but laugh at how his plan had worked.

Basically, he filled the empty tin cans with gravel and once they stopped moving, due to the remaining inertia the gravel would keep jumping around inside the tin hitting its walls. Creating a loud screeching sound that would draw in the zombies.

This was only the second time he used it but seeing how successful it was he couldn't help but laugh joyfully.

It wasn't called a Deus Ex Machina for nothing!

However, his mood suddenly turned sour.

From the looks of things, the Sheriff's office was already looted...

F*CK!!!!!!!!