Cap: 6

[Congratulations... You have established your community in your new base... You can choose a lifestyle tree.]

The screen that appeared before his face showed him different options in which his community could specialize... They all had their benefits, but he could also deduce that they had their drawbacks.

[Feudal: The strength of your community lies in its food production and population growth.]

[Military: The strength of your community lies in the quality of its army, its training, and the leadership of its officers.]

[Builder: The strength of your community lies in its ability to transform the environment and create devices that make life easier.]

[Nomad: The strength of your community lies in its ability to coexist with the walkers and use them as a tool for survival.]

All of them seemed interesting in one way or another. The military tree seemed ideal for an expansion and conquest approach... But in the long term, it didn't seem to offer much.

The builder tree sounded great for improving the shelter... But building something requires labor, resources, and a lot of time... The benefits of this tree wouldn't be seen until much later, and Erick preferred to make better use of time in other ways...

The "Nomad" lifestyle sounded like something akin to the Whisperers... It wasn't bad but unpleasant and incompatible with what Erick sought for his community...

Since he was looking to take advantage of the region's farmlands and find people to produce food, the feudal lifestyle sounded quite good... Not to mention that if he found soldiers or engineers, he could get the benefits without fearing that people would starve and rebel...

[You have selected the "Feudal" lifestyle... You have a community benefit available that will affect all the people you control directly or indirectly... Do you wish to choose it and apply it to your current community?]

Erick accepted, and three options appeared for him to choose from:

["Accelerated Harvest": Crops need half the usual time to grow and be ready for harvest.]

["Geographical Dominance": All the crops in the world are available and can grow in any climate or location.]

["Absolute Resistance": Crops are not harmed by pests or bad weather, and soil fertility will not be a concern.]

All the benefits were useful in their own way, but Erick was more concerned about crop yields... Considering there were no longer people manufacturing farming machinery, productivity would inevitably decline...

"Accelerated Harvest" would help compensate for that loss of productivity, and since there was now plenty of land with no owner after the global population had plummeted... They wouldn't have to worry about a lack of land to work on...

Now that part was done. It was time for a much more unpleasant task... Finding other people and deciding what to do with them... Especially the women...

Erick had made promises to his own men... He was a man of his word, but that didn't mean he liked his current situation... Even so... He had to keep his word and make sure it worked... And for that, he had to be delicate since one mistake could have fatal consequences...

"Come in..." Erick murmured after hearing someone knock at his door. He had been sitting on the bed in his cabin for a while, thinking carefully and relaxing before dealing with another issue.

Lysa opened the door and entered after hearing his voice. She hadn't said a single word while Alexa had yelled at her after taking the gun from her. Erick had argued with Lysa's older sister, justifying his decision while the younger girl watched them with a frightened expression.

Erick had left Lysa with her sister while he buried León. The man had turned against him in the end, but even so, he wasn't happy about his death. He would have preferred to have him in the community, and who knows... Maybe he could have acted as a counterbalance to the worst men in the place... But that was no longer possible...

He called Lysa to talk to her alone later about what had happened... A child shouldn't have to kill someone, but it happened, and he had to know if she could become a threat, though he really doubted that would happen... Even so... He thought he should talk to her and see if she was okay since he genuinely cared about her.

"Sit down..." Erick ordered calmly. She sat on the bunk in front of him with her hand trembling. "... Do you know why you're here?" he asked the girl.

"I'm here because I killed that man..." Lysa responded without looking at him.

The girl looked spotless after her bath at the station. Her hair, messy and adorned with a headband, gave her an innocent aura. She didn't look like someone capable of harming a fly, yet things had turned out quite the opposite...

"You shouldn't be afraid... I'm not angry with you..." The panic in the girl's blue eyes told him she didn't believe him. This made Erick sigh. "Just listen to me... I need you to tell me what happened..."

"I shot that man and killed him... That's it... Can I go now?" Her attitude made it clear she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Not yet..." Erick replied, raising an eyebrow as he saw the girl tremble at his response. He just wanted to understand her a bit. "... It's not easy to take a man's life... If you don't think much, then it's easy to pull the trigger... But when it's all done and you have a corpse in front of you, that's when the panic sets in..." Erick took his pistol from his belt.

He played with the gun a little, running his hands over it. He noticed that Lysa seemed even more tense and scared, so he removed the magazine and then placed the gun on a piece of furniture in the corner.

"... The most terrifying thing for me is how easy it all is..." Erick began as he sat back down on the bed. "... So many years from birth, through daycare and school... All that time, effort, and money invested in raising a functional person... And all of that ends with just pulling the trigger."

Erick stared at the girl. He hadn't raised his voice or scolded her, yet she was on the verge of tears, seemingly about to break down. When he made eye contact with her, the girl immediately looked away.

"Lysa... Look at me." He ordered.

The girl's face trembled as tears slid down her cheeks. She began to sob, trembling even more.

"I need you to tell me what happened," Erick repeated, feeling lost in this situation.

"You... You know what happened... I just..." The girl sobbed, but Erick interrupted her.

"Yes, I know..." He nodded. "... But I want to hear it from your perspective, I want you to tell me everything that happened..."

The girl seemed to panic and looked away again. Erick stood up and approached her, leaning down and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Please, Lysa... Breathe... I would never hurt you..." Erick consoled her. "... Tell me... Is there something bothering you?... Something you're afraid of?"

"No... There's nothing wrong... I just want to leave..." She tried to pull away while crying harder.

Erick hugged her and didn't let go, allowing the girl to cry on his chest. Lysa no longer fought against him and instead spent some time crying out her feelings into his shirt. When her sobs stopped and her breathing slowed, the girl finally calmed down a little and looked back into his eyes.

"How do you feel?" Erick asked.

"A little better..." Lysa sighed.

"Do you think you can talk to me?..." When Erick asked this, the girl stayed silent, avoiding his gaze again. So Erick decided to try a different approach. "... You saved my life out there..." He reminded her. "... That's something I'm grateful for, and because of that, you can ask me for anything... Is there something you want from me or something I can do to make you feel comfortable talking to me?..."

"Well, I..." The girl trembled as she thought for a moment. "... Can you promise me you won't get mad at Alexa or me if I tell you what happened?"

Hearing her mention Alexa, Erick couldn't help but feel confused. He didn't understand what Alexa had to do with all this. But he nodded, wondering why the girl feared he would do something to her sister.

"I give you my word... I promised I would protect and treat both of you well, and I've kept that promise so far... Right?"

"Yes..." Lysa acknowledged. "You did..." The girl trembled a little but sighed.

Lysa told him how Alexa and Sandra made them hide while León threatened Erick with his gun. Up until that point, everything was as Erick had imagined.

However, things started to take a turn that left him astonished.

"Sandra wondered if they should intervene, and Alexa said no... She said they would be doing the world a favor by letting León kill all three of you... And maybe we could escape with him once you were dead..." Lysa explained to Erick with difficulty.

The betrayal left a sour taste in Erick's mouth... He couldn't understand why Alexa would do that... He had been nothing but affectionate and kind to her.

"I see... What happened next?" Erick asked, holding back his anger so as not to scare the girl.

"I broke free from Alexa's grip... Took the gun you gave me... And killed that man..." Lysa wiped her tears with her sleeve.

Erick nodded as his hands started trembling unconsciously... At some point, he felt like he was 6 years old again, seeking comfort from his mother only to be rejected...

"Are you angry with Alexa?" Lysa asked, clearly fearing what he might do, and not without reason.

"Listen, Lysa... Adult relationships are complicated," Erick murmured, staring into space. "What you've told me doesn't make me happy, but I appreciate you telling me the truth... Thank you for caring about me... and for saving my life." He forced a smile as best as he could, only to return to his neutral expression as he drifted into his thoughts.

"Are you going to break up with Alexa?... Will you abandon us?" Lysa seemed on the verge of tears, drawing her own conclusions.

"No... I'm just going to talk to your sister... Sometimes there are fights in relationships... But there's always a way to reach a solution," he reassured her. "You can go now... Do me a favor and tell your sister to come talk to me immediately... You can do whatever you want after that," Erick ordered.

The girl left the cabin to obey the command, and Erick struggled to control the tremors in his body.

I have to stay in control... I can't lose control...

He breathed slowly and heavily, suppressing the helplessness he felt. He had called the girl to help her face her demons, but now it was Erick who had to face his own... and he wasn't sure he could win...

Erick remained alone for what felt like hours, though a voice in the back of his head told him it had only been minutes... At some point, he stood up and positioned himself in front of the full-length mirror in his room... Though he couldn't remember when or why... Mirrors only serve to remind you of your flaws, and he was tired of hearing his.

Alexa entered the cabin and closed the door behind her. She didn't look at him, simply stood there with her arms crossed and an expressionless face.

"Sit down..." Erick ordered. He felt more like the girl's father than her man...

She obeyed, sitting on the bunk bed, ignoring his presence. Erick stood in front of the mirror, checking his appearance and making sure to maintain control of himself, along with his body language.

"Why...?" he asked Alexa. "…And don't play dumb, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Why wouldn't I?" Alexa scoffed in response. "...A monster like you? Are you really surprised?"

Erick swallowed hard, keeping his anger in check. He looked at his reflection and realized that, for now, things were going well... He refocused on the conversation.

"...I've kept my promises to you... I've kept you and your sister safe," he claimed.

"Safe? Is that what you call it?" she mocked. "While you played your power games, we had to live with murderers and rapists... Sandra and I have barely slept out of fear... My own sister had to take a man's life... And you call that safety?" She laughed.

It was a cruel laugh, and the way she looked at him made Erick feel like a clown or a fool... He could feel cracks forming in his mask.

"The fear will only be temporary... We'll make this place feel like a home," Erick justified himself. "…And I am not a monster... I haven't treated you badly. I've been patient and kind with you because I care about our relationship..."

At this, Alexa stopped laughing and stared at him in disbelief for several seconds before bursting into even louder laughter.

"You're hilarious... You... actually believe the nonsense you're saying," she muttered between fits of laughter, and Erick felt himself start to tremble again. "...You treated me like a prostitute when I asked for help... You mocked me when I offered myself to you in exchange for protection... And then you raped me in the car in front of Lysa... You've been nothing but a complete jerk to me since we met, and you think you've been kind... You think we have a relationship..." She spat the last word with such disgust as if Erick had told her he wanted to be Lysa's boyfriend.

Erick felt a chill run down his spine. Alexa's laughter echoed in his head, louder than it actually was, making him stagger. The tremble in his hands returned, more violent this time, and he clenched his fists to try to control it, but his nails dug into his palms, almost to the point of drawing blood.

"You're ungrateful..." Erick muttered under his breath. "...I never raped you... You are mine, and I just took my part of our deal... I've done the best I could since we met..."

"Sure... keep telling yourself that," Alexa mocked and approached him until their faces were only a few inches apart. "…Maybe you've fooled my sister into thinking you're a good guy, but I know you're a monster... You mean nothing to me... Nothing."

That was the last straw; he had promised Lysa to be kinder to her older sister. But she was his woman, and he would no longer tolerate her disrespect.

If she wants to see a monster... he might as well show her one.

"You don't know what a monster is..." Erick murmured as he grabbed her by the collar of her blouse.

Several images flashed through his mind about how to punish her. In the midst of his rage, he thought of some crazy ideas like making her parade naked around the entire refuge or even handing her over to his men to have fun with her and forget the matter, but he quickly dismissed those ideas. She was his woman, and she deserved some respect despite everything.

"Take off your clothes," Erick ordered in a cold voice.

He expected some expression of fear or submission from Alexa. But she merely huffed angrily and obeyed his command while staring defiantly into his eyes.

One by one, her clothes fell until Alexa finally removed her bra and let it drop, then slid her panties down her legs and kicked the garment aside... Now she stood naked and vulnerable, yet she still placed her hands on her hips, not attempting to cover herself, all while maintaining her defiant expression.

On one hand, he was pleased that she obeyed his order, but on the other, that defiant attitude was a problem and needed to disappear... He wanted submission, not defiance... And the fact that she continued to provoke him was a foolish move on her part, as if he had no self-control, he could easily carry out one of the crazy ideas he had thought of earlier, now that she was naked...

Erick leaned in to kiss her, but she merely closed her eyes with a resigned grimace. Before he made contact, Erick grabbed her hair, forcing her to look at him again.

"Go ahead... make me suffer... Rape me again and get this over with... You... sadistic degenerate," Alexa murmured painfully from the hand gripping her hair.

"Oh yeah? You want that?" Erick was incredulous, if she truly believed suffering was what he sought, or that rape was the worst that could happen to her, she was going to have to wake up.

Erick dragged her across the cabin by her hair. He opened the door, and the cold air hit Alexa's naked body, making her shiver.

"Wait... What are you going to...?" For the first time, Alexa seemed afraid as she saw what Erick was doing. Outside, it was already dusk, and it was a bit chilly.

Erick smiled at her fear and dragged her outside the cabin to the refuge's exterior. She covered herself with her hands for the first time, panicking, and all the bravery she had shown until now evaporated.

Without her knowing, Erick's men were working on reinforcing the fence on the other side of the refuge, so it was unlikely any of them would see her, and Lysa was with Sandra and Clemente somewhere. But it seemed the idea of someone else seeing her naked was where her limit lay, or maybe there was another thought in that little head of hers.

"Wait... Please, I'm sorry... I didn't..." She was interrupted when Erick slapped her. Then, he roughly pushed her hands away, which she used to cover her chest.

Erick kept walking until they finally reached the fence. Alexa gasped, trembling from the cold air hitting her naked body, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You have two options: You can leave the refuge and fend for yourself as you are now, or you can go and please the ten men repairing the fence on the other side of the refuge," Erick informed her, holding her by the hair.

"Wait, please, I was wrong... You're my man, and I'm your woman... I love you... Please don't do this..." Alexa pleaded through sobs.

"Didn't you say I was a monster and that I meant nothing to you?... Why would I want a woman who despises me and turns her back on me at the first opportunity?" he asked.

"Um... Well... I..."

"Shut up..." Erick silenced her. "Listen closely... I don't care how you think I've treated you or if you think I'm a monster... You don't know anything about monsters... You hadn't met one a month ago, while I've lived with them for 18 years..." he explained.

Alexa's eyes widened in shock, easily deducing what his words implied.

"...I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she pitied him.

"You're lying..." Erick pointed out. "...But in case you don't believe me... It was my own mother who inspired me to create this punishment for you... The only difference is that I was a child, and she used a hose, while you're an adult... And that was one of her mild punishments... My parents did things to me that still hurt to remember... But that proves my point... Doesn't it?"

Alexa nodded immediately, making no effort to contradict him, so Erick continued...

"You have been protected your whole life... I can see it in your eyes... First by your parents, and now by me... You haven't learned what it is to be afraid... You don't know what a monster is... This world is full of them, and I'm not even close to the top... The only thing you should worry about is which monster you prefer to deal with..."

Erick pulled Alexa and made her lean against the cold metal fence, forcing her to look outside.

"You can face those walkers," Erick said as he pointed at them with his finger. "... Or maybe some bandit who would rape and kill you... Or you can be the sex slave of the men here that you so despise... Or you can be my woman... The choice is yours, Alexa... It always has been since the day we met..."

Erick let go of Alexa, who moved away from the fence and hugged herself, covering up a bit as she looked at Erick with tear-filled eyes.

"... I want to be your woman... I want to be only yours and no one else's..." Alexa murmured, this time without any disgust or defiance but with total submission in her voice.

"I hate repeating things, so I'll only do it this once..." Erick warned. "... I told you before that you'd be my property, you'd do everything I say, you'd thank me for being kind to you, and you wouldn't cause me any trouble... You've already failed me once, so I'm asking you... Do you have any problem with that? If so, tell me, so that what the walkers or other men do to you is no longer my problem..."

"... No... I have no problem with it..." Alexa confirmed.

"Good... The next time I need your help... you better make the right decision... because if you don't and I survive... Believe me, you won't like it..." Erick threatened.

He grabbed Alexa by the shoulders and held her against the cold metal fence. He took a few seconds to admire her naked body, then lowered his hand to place it on one of her breasts.

"When I ask you to open your legs, you'll open them... If I ask you to be affectionate with me, you will be... And if I want you to give me children, then you will give me children... That's what it means to be my woman, and I want you to have that clear in your mind." He reminded her.

Alexa simply nodded while wiping away her tears, and Erick released her to let her relax a bit. A walker hit the fence on the other side, and Alexa squealed as she quickly moved away from the fence, covering herself with her hands.

"They don't care what shape the meat they eat is..." Erick whispered in Alexa's ear. "... Man or woman... Child or elderly... All of it is just meat to them... Society, with all its laws, is dead... And anyone who risks going out there will live in constant hell... This refuge can be a relief from all that suffering... But if what I'm asking is too much and you prefer to suffer, you're welcome to do so..."

Seeing Alexa nod her head in agreement with him immediately, Erick nodded and picked her up in his arms while she clung to him, trying to cover her nakedness.

He carried her back to his cabin and made sure no one saw them while doing so. Alexa was his, and only he could see her like this...

When Erick walked through the door of his cabin, closing it with a kick behind him, he felt relief at finally putting things in order in his own house. He looked at Alexa in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder as she hugged him, seeking comfort.

He placed the young woman on the bed of one of the bunks before walking over to his desk and grabbing a pen to start writing. Erick paused when he saw Alexa getting off the bed and walking toward her clothes to pick them up...

"What are you doing?" Erick asked, grabbing her hand before she could take one of her garments.

"I... I... I was just going to..." Alexa murmured.

"Did I give you permission to get dressed?" He asked her.

"Mmm... No..." She sighed.

"Exactly..." Erick nodded. "... Stay naked until dinner and think about what we talked about... And you better remember it well... Because I doubt you'd want to repeat the experience..." He warned.

Erick took Alexa's hand and sat her on his lap at his desk before starting to write. The young woman was clearly embarrassed by her position, so she decided to talk to him to break the ice.

"Mmm... What are you writing?" She asked him.

"I'm writing some rules for the community... Just because it's the end of the world doesn't mean that if someone here does something wrong, they shouldn't be held accountable for it," he explained.

"What kind of rules?" She turned her head slightly.

Alexa unknowingly made him smell her hair when she moved her head. This made Erick feel his body temperature rise slightly.

"Some are hygiene rules... Like bathing at least once a week and brushing your teeth daily... There aren't many dentists out there, so it's best that people take good care of their teeth..." Erick explained, struggling to stay focused.

"I see... You really think of everything." She complimented him, looking into his eyes as she settled on his lap.

Alexa's movement made Erick unable to hold back anymore... The young woman noticed what was happening in his pants and looked away, embarrassed...

This was a mistake... I'll never be able to concentrate with Alexa naked on my lap...

Erick decided to postpone that task and deal with the bulge in his pants. He stood up with Alexa in his arms and walked towards the bed, enjoying the warmth of her skin and the softness of her breasts, before throwing her onto the bed... Erick bit his lip, staring at the gap between the young woman's legs as he unbuttoned his shirt...

Alexa lifted her head to see Erick standing in front of her, naked from the waist up, looking at her with desire... She opened her legs without hesitation, and he positioned himself over her before kissing her...

Erick was surprised to feel Alexa enthusiastically returning the kiss before she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

The next few hours were very sweet and made Erick feel invincible...

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Erick stood before his 50 men, who occupied the church within the refuge. He took the spot usually reserved for the priest, though it wasn't less appropriate, as he was now seen almost like a saint by his men.

It had been two days since the refuge was taken. They had finished transporting everything useful from the supermarket, and now that they had the weapons, it was time to focus on the resources and people outside the refuge.

He had studied maps and explored his memories of places where he might find survivors. He dismissed nursing homes, psychiatric treatment centers, and cancer treatment facilities, as it was likely that any survivor found there would be useless or a burden on their resources.

Erick decided that finding more people outside, especially women, should be a priority, as his girls attracted too much attention for his liking. However, he needed to establish some rules and limits for the group's behavior if things were to work without anyone getting killed.

After marking a few places of interest to search for survivors, Erick stood before his men to inform them of things they probably wouldn't like.

"My friends..." Erick called out, and all his men fell silent at the sound of his voice. "... The day has finally come. We have consolidated our power... secured a new home... secured our resources, and most importantly, we got the weapons..."

"Erick!... Erick!... Erick!" His men chanted his name, after all, it was Erick himself who secured the weapons.

"However, we are still far from satisfying our greed... Am I right?" Hearing the roar of the men, Erick continued. "I am a man of my word. I promised each of you a woman, and I intend to keep that promise. However, I would like to take this moment to establish some rules..." he explained.

The men looked at each other, confused by his words. Erick decided to keep talking and explain his logic before any discontent arose.

"... The idea of bringing women here isn't just to have them serve as sex slaves, and that's it. Someone has to keep this place clean, cook, and serve food, among other things... And I imagine each of you would rather have your woman in your bed than locked in a cage, right?" he asked.

Erick saw that his men followed his logic so far and didn't show any discontent, so he proceeded with his explanation.

"... That's why I want to establish some important rules. To prevent men from fighting over a woman... and to prevent the woman from committing suicide or slitting a man's throat while he sleeps..." he explained.

Erick went on to explain the system he wanted to implement in the group. This system was based on the deal Erick had with Alexa and Sandra: "protection for affection." It meant that each woman in the group would be under the protection of one man.

Each woman in this system would be "married" to a man, with all that entails. And if any woman was without a protector for any reason, she would be under Erick's protection by default as the group's leader until he found a man for her.

Erick laid out some clear rules: a man was not allowed to touch a woman who wasn't under his protection, with or without consent. A man also could not "lend" his woman to other men for any reason. Erick wouldn't tolerate any cuckold nonsense in his community.

The penalty for breaking these rules was castration and exile for the men, along with exile for any offending woman.

"Ha... You said the rules of the past have no place... But you brought back rules from an even older past," Roger commented, and the men's laughter echoed through the place.

Erick allowed the laughter since it wasn't directed at him but at the irony of the situation, and he waited for them to calm down before continuing.

"Gender equality was only invented with a modern society to back it up. Without that, there's no point in preserving it," Erick explained.

"Alright, boy... What you're saying makes sense," Roger commented, while other men murmured in agreement or showed indifference.

Erick nodded and then laid out some basic rules on a variety of topics for the group's well-being, such as hygiene or handling emergencies that required quick reactions.

"A man must maintain control in his own home... This means the submission of his woman must be guaranteed. You can come to me if you're unsure how to do it... My mother was a psychologist, and mind games were her specialty... Let's just say I learned a few things from her..."

Erick sent his men off to lunch while he continued manipulating his maps and marking points of interest. He stopped what he was doing when Gary approached him.

"... That was... interesting..." Gary commented, thinking about what to say. "... Is that how you kept those two women of yours under control?" he asked.

"Well... The weak have always been at the mercy of the strong... They needed protection, and I wanted a bit of affection in return... So here we are," Erick explained.

"Good for you... Congratulations," Gary said. "... Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Linda..." he mentioned.

It took Erick a moment to remember Linda... He realized she was the dark-haired woman who belonged to Jake before Erick killed him and took leadership.

"What about her?" he asked.

"... Linda came to me with a proposal similar to what you have with your girls... And I wanted to ask if you'd mind... After all, Linda is yours by right since you killed Jake, and everyone's waiting for you to claim her..." Gary explained.

"No problem," Erick responded without much thought, as he wasn't very interested in Linda. "... Just make sure to tell everyone I gave you my permission and blessing..."

Gary nodded with a smile and went off to lunch to spread the good news. Erick, for his part, focused back on his pending task.

Since the apocalypse had just begun, there was still an abundance of resources and people out there. But that would change as time passed, and his priority was to hoard as much of both as possible.

Erick watched as all his men returned to the church after lunch, and finally, the time had come to decide what they would do next.

"Most people are hiding somewhere or trying to find the military, thinking that this will all get resolved and everything will go back to normal..." Erick pointed out as he looked at his men. "They're all fools wasting time on fantasies... But we're not... There are plenty of resources just waiting to be taken while the cowards hide without daring to come out..."

"Are we going on supply runs, then?" Bart asked, generating a lot of enthusiasm among the men, as everyone liked the idea of taking whatever they wanted for free.

"That's right... But we're not going to small towns to scavenge for scraps," Erick informed them, and the men looked at each other while some began to understand what he meant.

"Going to the cities will definitely get us more resources... But everyone flocked there for military protection. There'll be thousands of walkers on the streets," Bart pointed out.

"You've said it yourself... There'll be lots of walkers. But also survivors hiding... And you all know what that means..." Erick smiled, receiving excitement from his men. "I had to fight walkers to earn my women... You'll have to do the same. After all, without risk, there's no glory, and I'll be there to guide you."

"Erick! Erick! Erick!" His men chanted amidst roars of triumph. Once the noise subsided, Erick chose to explain his plan.

"The closest cities are Atlanta, Macon, Athens, and Columbus... For obvious reasons, we'll focus on the first two. But we need to decide on specific targets since we can't just go into a city, shoot everything in sight, and take what we want," Erick explained. "I've marked several interesting locations on the map, but suggestions are welcome."

The men thought carefully and discussed among themselves for several minutes. Many got up from their seats to take a look at Erick's maps, where he explained his thoughts.

After half an hour of discussion, Drew spoke up to share his opinion.

"We've got plenty of weapons and enough food to survive for months here... But we don't have much female company. I say we focus on that first, and then we can think about other things," Drew said, and almost everyone agreed.

Erick had anticipated this decision from the group, so he already had targets in mind. He stood up and pinned a map of Atlanta on the wall while motioning for everyone to pay attention.

"This..." Erick pointed to a spot in the center of Atlanta. "This is Georgia State University (GSU)... Above all other places like refugee centers or high schools, this is the best place to find what we're looking for," Erick informed them.

"So, we're going to search a university, huh?" someone murmured.

"Hey... If you'd rather search a nursing home, go ahead, buddy," someone else murmured.

Laughter filled the room, and even Erick chuckled a little before clapping to regain attention.

"Now that we've decided on one target... I think we should choose another," Erick suggested. "The Atlanta refugee center is very close to the university, and all those toys the military had no longer have owners after the place was overrun by walkers... We could check the place first and then head to the university."

Seeing no objections, it was agreed that the refugee center would be their first stop. They began discussing how many men would go on this mission and who would stay behind when Roger raised his hand.

"There's something I'd like to propose if everyone will listen," Roger said, and seeing Erick nod, he continued speaking. "I remember we agreed to look for survivor groups to have them farm for us... I have an idea that could help us if no one is left alive in Atlanta."

"What are you proposing?" Erick asked.

"My cousin has a motorcycle shop in Macon... We could take those bikes and use them to send people to scout many places at once, gather information, and see if it's worth going there to get people and resources," Roger suggested, and Erick had to admit the idea had merit.

Motorcycles use much less fuel and can maneuver more easily between obstacles. Sending people on bikes to scout nearby areas to find survivors or resources to loot would be cost-effective and prevent disappointment if they went somewhere only to find nothing.

"How many men do you need?" Erick asked.

"I'd like at least 10 and a couple of crossbows with me," Roger responded.

"I'll give you 15 men, and you'll have the five crossbows the group has... If you think there's a place worth checking or raiding, do so, but make sure to bring those men back alive," Erick ordered, and Roger nodded.

"If 15 of ours are going with Roger, then... How many will go to Atlanta, and how many will stay behind?" Gary asked.

"I'm from Atlanta myself and know the area... I'll take 30 men with me along with the 14 bows we have... The remaining men will stay here, and you'll be in charge," he indicated to Gary, who nodded without seeming upset about having the more boring task. "...While we're gone, you must guard this place and keep the radio working... Try to find other survivors and offer help so they reveal their location... If possible, find out their numbers, weapons, trades... Anything useful."

With that said, it was time to distribute the weapons. Erick and Leon had cleared out the police station... Thanks to that adventure, they now had 9 police shotguns, 2 AR-15 rifles, a bolt-action rifle, 18 Glock 17 pistols, and 1,000 assorted bullets... Making a total of 30 firearms.

The bolt-action rifle and two AR-15s would stay at the base with the men guarding it... The pistols and shotguns would be distributed among the men heading out... 3 shotguns and 6 pistols for Roger's group... And 6 shotguns with 12 pistols for the men going with Erick.

Once everyone was armed and supplied with ammunition, Erick talked to his men, detailing how they should act if they encountered danger... The most important order he gave was not to shoot unless there was no other option since the noise would attract walkers from miles away.

With everything said and preparations completed, they all had dinner and went to sleep to depart early the next morning.

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Erick woke up feeling two soft lumps on his chest... He lifted his head to see Sandra and Alexa sleeping on his chest... The three were naked after last night's activities.

After getting up and dressing carefully to avoid waking anyone, Erick saw Lysa and Clementine sleeping peacefully on a bunk bed on the opposite side of the room.

Erick envied the two girls to some extent since they would be safe in the shelter while he risked his neck out there... But it made him happy to know that he was the reason they were safe, and if Erick's plans succeeded... They wouldn't be exposed to danger for a long time.

He was dressed in his biker gear and helmet. His weapons were placed on his belt, and he held a spear in his right hand... He stepped out of his cabin confidently, inhaling the morning air.

Today was the day he was going back to Atlanta. It felt strange to return to a place he thought he'd left behind forever... But life has its twists and turns...

He walked until he found Gary emerging from his cabin to greet him...

"How's everything inside? Is Linda settling in well?" Erick asked.

"Yes... Jolene and Danielle had no issues with her... All three are sleeping inside peacefully," Gary informed him.

Erick didn't know Jolene had moved in with Gary, but it made sense since she was close to him when Erick met them both... He doubted space would be a problem since each cabin had two bunk beds, allowing every man to sleep in his own cabin with plenty of room to spare...

"Are you sure you want me here instead of taking me with you?" Gary asked.

"Yes," Erick confirmed. "You're the man I trust the most here... So I expect you to keep my girls safe until I return."

"I will," Gary nodded. "But make sure you come back alive... Because only God knows what the next leader will do with them if you die..." Gary warned, and Erick nodded.

Erick reached the parking area where the men were packing everything into the vans... Most of the men would have to travel together, packed like sardines standing in the back, but ropes had been set up so they could hold on and travel safely.

Bart would drive one van with Erick as co-pilot, heading to Atlanta... While Roger would drive with Drew next to him, heading to Macon... The vans could be used to transport resources if the men riding in the back managed to find more vehicles to bring back to the shelter.

Seeing that everyone was ready to go, Erick climbed into the van with Bart, and both vehicles moved along the dirt road until they reached the highway... Erick and Roger shared one last look before their respective vehicles turned and drove in opposite directions.

Erick couldn't help but wonder what they would find on their journey...

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[Character Summary:

- Name: Erick Bolton

- Age: 18

- Combat Attributes:

(Take into account that C- is the average)

 * Melee: B-

  * Ranged: C-

 * Physical condition: B-

 * Stealth: B-

 * Plot Armor: Low

- Group size: 60

- Army quality: Very low.

- Inventory:

 + Pistol (ammo x50)

 + Small axe

 + Machete

 + Tactical knives x1

 + Backpack

 + first aid kit

 + Food (remaining days: 86 )]

-unlocked features:

+"Sacrifice Resources" 

(You can sacrifice resources in exchange for improving your attributes... For example, food for physical conditioning, ammunition for ranged combat, etc... but the resources you sacrifice will be lost forever, and the cost increases exponentially based on how high your attributes are.)]

+ "Pocket warehouse 1" (Allows you to carry objects without physically holding them, and they'll be available at any time. The current limit is 100 kilograms and can be upgraded by completing missions.)

+ "Perceptive leader" (You'll be able to see detailed information about all the members of your group, including their perception of you.)

- Community benefit ( You'll be able to choose a benefit for your community, and as it strengthens, this benefit can evolve.)

]

[Community summary:

-name : ???

-members : 60

-Food (remaining days: 86 )

- Army quality: Very low.

-weapons:

 + crossbow x5

 +bow x14

 +pistol x21

 +shotgun x 9

 +bolt-action rifle x1

 + AR-15 x2

 + 

 + spears x50

 + guns : ??

- lifestyle tree: Feudal

- Community benefits:

 +["Accelerated Harvest": Crops need half the usual time to grow and be ready for harvest.]

]