Laraaq slept surprisingly well last night. After eating the coyote meat, he used his Heat Metal spell to seal himself in and provide an extra layer of security. The old pickup had one long comfortable seat that let him lay flat and stretch out.

Killing those coyotes had boosted Laraaq’s level to 7, which meant he had +60 stat points to distribute. Not wanting to waste any time or get distracted, Laraaq allocated his points.

He had learned from his system that a point score of 10 was a normal average healthy human. Sadly, Laraaq was lower than 10 in several stats. It really was his mental stats that set him up for success with his casting, but he couldn’t ignore his health or movement speed. Cardio was important to survival in the apocalypse.

Getting a stat to 20 was like that of a peak athlete or scholar. For survival Laraaq focused on reducing his deficiencies and playing to his strengths.

Stats distribution finished, Laraaq felt a surge of power that was beyond euphoric. His muscle mass increased, his body slimmed down and firmed up. The mental fog that would be there at times vanished. He felt good! Better than good! Laraaq felt healthier than he had his entire life.

Now starving, Laraaq cooked and ate more of the coyote monster meat. After several twenty-ounce steaks devoured, he was starting to feel normal.

“System, why was I so hungry all of a sudden?”

Cause you are an idiot.

Query Accepted

The energy you collect when you level up is used up to improve different aspects and processes of yourself. However, if you wait too long some energy degradation naturally occurs, especially without a core or gathering spiral. This also can happen when you distribute too many stat points at once. You have lost small amounts of energy; your mind and body translate that as needing food. Though that is important, what you want most is mana enriched food like what is in the coyote meat you ingested.

“So, until I have a sufficient core and gathering spiral, don’t wait so long to level?”

Is this thing on?!

Query Accepted

Yes. It is also highly encouraged to meditate and work on your magical pathways or channels while practicing your cultivation.

“Good reminder, I’ll make a point to set time aside each day. Time to review my status.” Laraaq stated as his Status page appeared in his vision.

Name: Laraaq

Race: In Transition

Level: 7

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 20

Constitution: 20

Intelligence: 30

Wisdom: 26

Charisma:12

Spiritual Attunement: None

Core Stage: Not Formed

Spiral Stage: Not Formed

Health, Mana, Stamina Values & Regen Rates per hour (pH)

HP: 100

HP/pH: 5

MP: 150

MP/pH: 78

SP: 280

SP/pH: 60

Titles: Ruthless Hunter, Early Adopter

Laraaq was pleased with his progress. He was now at peak of what a pre-apocalypse human would be capable of for Dexterity and Constitution. Strength and Charisma were now above the average standard human. Finally, his Intelligence and Wisdom are now beyond genius levels which means a bigger mana pool and faster mana regeneration. His system reminded him that without a gathering spiral he was only benefiting from a fraction of what his Wisdom should be capable of. He figured the higher mental stats would help in his cultivation visualization.

All that done, Laraaq did some morning stretches to limber up and get a better feel for his improved body.

“No way! I have a six-pack! Freaking awesome! I have never had a six-pack in my life!” Laraaq exclaimed to himself.

Stop feeling yourself up. Get back to leveling.

“You’re right System.” Laraaq replied.

Of course, I am right. We established this already. Do I need to do another brain scan?

Shaking his head Laraaq spoke out loud to his system. “I got carried away there for a moment. Time to focus on some scouting and resource gathering.”

It was clear to Laraaq as much as his system messed with him it did a good job of helping him control his emotions, stay focused, and on task. He did not feel alone in this place with his sarcastic testy system, and he appreciated that fact.

“Okay. First things first, check out the rest of this private airport. If this can work for a temporary base, I could scavenge whatever I can find from around the area before heading out.”

Good idea

The inspection of the private airport was uneventful. The second hangar had a few biplanes and some fuel, so Laraaq earmarked it to take when the time came. The combination office building and control tower had some interesting and possibly useful radio and radar equipment but that was about it. Some technicians had left some schematics, manuals, and books regarding radar and radio operations. Figuring it would make a good read and it would help him figure out how to extract and transport the equipment.

Temporary base sorted out, Laraaq hopped in the pickup and headed to the Home Depot he had seen back down the road several kilometers back. It took him about thirty minutes to get there. The building was in a shopping center that was clearly set up for the residents in the area to do all their shopping in one convenient location.

The shopping center had a large chain grocery store, the Home Depot, an electronic store, and a few random home and clothing stores. Laraaq headed straight for the Home Depot to find a trailer or something he could use to transport all the stuff he wants to haul off.

Entering the store was surprisingly easy. Laraaq found the place was unlocked and completely untouched. He kept his guard up and did a quick sweep of the store, checking every isle, office, and back room. The place was completely empty.

Situational awareness seen to, Laraaq checked out the trailer options. The toe hitch trailers were small and not worth it. However, he did find a trailer for towing a vehicle and this Home Depot was one that rented those giant moving trucks.

“Well, I might as well load up the giant moving truck, drive that, and just tow the pickup behind.” Laraaq said to himself out loud as he got to work.

After Laraaq had the old pickup truck on the trailer, he started his shopping spree. The hardest part of this was deciding what to take. He had a finite amount of space. Granted the giant moving truck was a major increase in available space, Laraaq still had to be selective.

Top of his list were tools, from shovels to a welding torch and soldering kit, Laraaq grabbed multiples of each as you never knew what could come in handy. After tools came key building components like different size nails, sandpaper, bolts, and screws. These tend to be things people forget about that couldn’t hurt to have on hand. A few more passes and a couple hours later and Laraaq was done with Home Depot.

“Time to check out the electronic store. Not sure how long that stuff will last but worth a look. That makes me wonder, hey system, how long will electronics work? Will we have to worry about stuff going out?”

The short answer is it depends.

“Sys, come on!”

Do not push it!

“Sorry, system, I’m asking for your vast knowledge and insight.”

That’s better.

Query Accepted

The more different kinds of mana saturate an area the sooner it will cause your very sensitive electronics to go on the fritz. There are skills and classes that focus on mana-infused equipment and technology that one can eventually learn. Use of such technology is not as common as you might think as for the most part magic and other energy cultivation solutions tend to be far easier.

Laraaq had already noticed in his travels how few places had power. With so many people gone, there were limited people to run the power plants and water pumps so it was only a matter of time for water and heat would be critical scarce commodities.

Even with the thought of dwindling power plants Laraaq was still intrigued with the prospect of learning magic-tech. “Hey system, it would be cool to learn more about magical technology. Can you keep an eye out for that kind of stuff? I’d like to explore it if such techniques become available.” Laraaq noted.

It has been added to the list.

Laraaq didn’t spend much time in the electronics store. He grabbed a few items, but after his system’s explanation of what was to come, Laraaq thought it best to use that precious space for other things, he still wanted to snag the radar and radio back at the airport.

The final planned stop was the grocery store chain. Laraaq figured he might as well stock up on food, especially meat if it hadn’t spoiled already.

Entering the grocery chain store, Laraaq instantly noticed the place had been ransacked. It was clear people had been through here. Slowly, quietly, and with a metal bat equipped he searched the store isle by isle.

As Laraaq got further into the store he heard movement. With the bat in one hand, he used the other to prepare and do his best to hold a Weak Fire Arrow spell at the ready. If it was undead, he would end them quickly. ‘Now if it is survivors, that will be interesting, as I haven’t seen many that aren’t zombies.’ Laraaq thought as he walked further into the store.

Silently creeping closer, Laraaq heard people talking before he saw them. There was an end-aisle display that gave him a view deeper into the store but blocked his shape from being seen. About twenty to thirty feet away were clearly two sets of people.

The first set of people consisted of a girl in her mid to early twenties standing protectively in front of a younger girl who could be between 13 to 16. Next to the girl were two guys, one in his mid to early twenties, and the other was clearly mid-forties to early fifties. The older man had a pistol. The younger man held a metal bat similar to what Laraaq was carrying. Both girls held blades. The older girl held what could be classified as shortsword or just a long dagger and a butcher’s knife. The little girl held two daggers.

The second set of people were two guys, both in their late twenties to early thirties. They both wore camo-gear. One had a rifle, the other had a shotgun. Both weapons were pointed down but still drawn.

The guy in camo holding the shot gun spoke up. “Look, the world has gone to crap. Survivors need to stick together. If you come back with us, you have a better chance of survival. We have a well-fortified camp, weapons, and armor.

The younger guy from the other group couldn’t hold back his words. “Yea right! I see the way your buddy has been looking at my girl! No way we are going with you jerk-offs!”

“This kid is a hot-head, Carl. They have no clue what they are in for.” The camo guy holding the rifle commented.

The guy in camo holding the shotgun, Carl, replied. “Boss’s orders are to bring back any survivors. These people are just scared. Let’s not escalate the issue, Tom.”

“Look, we don’t want any trouble. We just came here looking for supplies. If you have got a problem with that, we will leave. The kid is not wrong, we don’t know you and aren’t going to just go with you.” The older gentleman said.

Now that Laraaq was looking, he could see a subtle familial similarity between the two girls and the older man holding the pistol. ‘Must be their father. If I had to guess by the way he called the younger guy kid, they probably aren’t related.’ Laraaq thought as he watched this byplay.

Everyone heard a crash and turned to see several zombies coming out of the back room. ‘These idiots! All the yelling back and forth must have drawn the zombies’ attention. Laraaq thought as he did his best to assess the situation and figure out what he was going to do.

Tom cried out as he lifted his rifle. “Carl let’s bail man; these people are idiots. I’m not going to die for some idiots, I don’t care how fine that girl looks!”

“Tom, we need people!” Carl replied.

There were eight zombies in sight, possibly more coming behind them. Laraaq had to make a choice. He either would quietly extricate himself and leave these people to their fate or help the survivors. A big part of Laraaq wanted to kill Carl and Tom, then track down this boss and kill him. The problem was the zombies. ‘I’ll take them out later, worst case they can be distractions and I can take them out after.’

Carl raised his shotgun. “Get down you four!”

The group of four were frozen in shock when they saw the zombies. Carl’s words knocked them out of their stupor as they all ducked.

Carl ended up being a pretty good shot and made one of the zombie’s heads explode as the shotgun blast hit it. The second shot took one right in the chest and knocked down the two zombies behind it from the force of the hit.

Mind made up, Laraaq stepped out of his hiding spot and fired his overcharged Weak Flame Arrow taking one zombie in the eye and lighting the whole head in a blaze of flame. Then he cast his Minor Fireball spell and sent it to the remaining charging zombies. The impact knocked them all back and off their feet.

“Who the hell is this guy?!” Tom asked as he raised his rifle and took a moment to line up a headshot to take out another zombie.

The dad did not stand idle and turned out to be a good shot with his pistol. Every shot he took a zombie was hit in the head for an instant kill.

The younger kid stood side by side with the older girl as they both stood in front of the youngest girl.

Laraaq cast another Minor Fireball spell and set the remaining zombies clustered up in flames. The force damage did not disappoint either as several zombies lost burning legs, arms, or split in two burning halves.

“Whoever he is, he is a badass!” Carl stated as he watched the astounding damage this recent arrival just did. ‘I’m not sure we could’ve handled all those zombies. Yet this guy just wiped them out like they were nothing! Maybe he could help us.’ Carl thought.

Before he approached the stranger, Carl decided to send Tom to do a quick sweep of the area. “Tom, go do a quick sweep. You know the drill, run away if you see something, don’t be a hero.”

Tom did not look pleased, but he agreed. “Yea, yea, heroes get dead. I know, I know.” The surly man walked out of sight to check the direction the zombies came from.

Carl walked up to Laraaq and put out his hand. “That was some very impressive work, stranger. I’m Carl. What’s your name?”

“Laraaq.” Was the only reply Laraaq gave before shaking the man’s hand.

What surprised Laraaq was Carl’s handshake. It was firm yet not overbearing. He was expecting the man to have a ‘fishy’ or loose handshake.

Laraaq turned to the group of four to check on them. “You four all okay?”

The dad replied as he held his hand out. “Yes, thank you Laraaq. I am not sure we would’ve survived that. I’m Mack.”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Laraaq was expecting this man to have a firm handshake based on the way the man carried himself yet was beyond bone crushing. If Laraaq hadn’t put the points in strength he had the man might’ve broken his hand.

The younger kid stepped up and was clearly excited to meet Laraaq with how fast he started talking. “Man, Mr. Laraaq, what you did was super impressive! Where did you learn magic? I’m Colin by the way.”

“This is a whole new world. I am just doing what I must to adapt to it.” Laraaq said as he spined on the balls of his feet and clocked Carl with his bat knocking him out cold.

Colin had a shocked look on his face. Mack just looked at Laraaq with apprehension.

Laraaq explained himself. “I had a chance to catch the tail-end of your conversation with those two. It kind of sounded like they were trying to force you guys to go with them. Is that what it felt like to you?”

“It totally seemed that way!” Colin chimed in.

Mack raised his hand. “Now Colin. I’m not so sure either way. I didn’t like that Tom character as he seemed to spend too much time glancing at my girls.”

“My father is correct. I’m Christy and that’s my sister Sarah. I do agree with my dad that Tom concerned me, but Carl seemed okay. I kind of felt like he kept his friend in check.”

Laraaq handed Colin some zip-ties he grabbed from Home Depot; he had stored them in his pack just in case. “Use these to tie him up. Mack, why don’t you come with me to go retrieve Tom.”

Mack gave a nod and followed alongside Laraaq as they moved as quietly as they could in the direction Tom went off in.

Tom wasn’t exactly being quiet himself. He had his rifle ready to shoot the moment he caught movement, but rather than silently move and check each room, he talked to himself and whistled a tune as he lazily looked around. ‘Eh nobody is around, time for a drink.’ Tom thought as he withdrew a flask from one of his camo-jacket pockets.

“Ahhh, that’s the stuff. I should pick up more alcohol while I’m here.” Tom said to himself, clearly not worried about being quiet or stealthy.

Laraaq and Mack on the other hand crept up quietly. They were careful not to make a sound. Rather than magic, Laraaq opted to us his bat to hit Tom across the head. Tom went down like a sack of potatoes.

Mack then proceeded to kick Tom so hard in the side Tom was flung into the side wall. Then proceeded to kick him a couple more times. “That’s for staring at my daughter!” Mack said with barely kept in check rage.

Laraaq commented as he picked up Tom’s rifle. “I don’t really care if you kill him as I get it, but how about you carry the unconscious guy while I take his rifle. Let’s get some answers first. Sound good?”

Mack just nodded and picked up Tom’s flask before picking the man up like he weighed nothing. “Fine by me. I might as well take this as he won’t need this anymore. I can wait to kill him.”

“Strength build?” Laraaq asked when he saw how easy it was for Mack to pick up the unconscious man.

“What are you talking about?” Mack asked in confusion.

“I take it you have a good number of points in Strength, am I right?” Laraaq replied.

“Oh. Yea. I started with a higher strength as I used to go to the gym all the time. I was a professional body builder for a time. Even over a decade after competing I can still bring the pain.” Mack explained.

The two men quickly returned to the group. Colin used more zip-ties to constrain Tom.

“Colin, while you’re down there, check his pockets for any weapons and useful items.” Laraaq instructed.

“What now?” The older sister asked.

“That’s up to all of you. I can’t ignore this ‘boss’ of theirs. I plan to go have a little chat with them and get a feel for the place. If I find people are being forced or treated poorly, I will deal with them. Your party can go on your way, or you can join up with me.” Laraaq stated.

“Mack and Christy, I think we should go with Mr. Laraaq. I’ll go where you guys decide but I think this has a better outcome.” Colin commented.

The older sister turned to her dad. “What do you think Mack?”

Laraaq noticed her use of her father’s first name and thought it was odd but figured some parents tried to be ‘friends’ with their kids instead of being parents. ‘Though Mack doesn’t seem like the type to be that way. Oh well, their family dynamic is their own.’

“We’ve been scavenging what we can and avoiding the cities and zombies. Where you headed?” Mack asked.

“Overall, I’m heading farther East. My buddy has a secure and self-sustaining compound near a local town out there. You are welcome to come with me if interested and make a new life for yourselves at the town or compound. Totally up to you.” Laraaq answered.

“It’s as good a destination as any other.” Mack said after a moment of thought.

“What do you want from us?” Christy asked.

“Follow my orders. Beyond that it depends. Can any of you drive a big moving truck?” Laraaq said.

“I was a truck driver after my professional body building career ended. It won’t be a problem for me or Christy.” Mack replied.

“That’s how I learned to drive was on his big wheeler.” Christy commented.

Colin spoke up. “My dad was a trucker too. That’s how I met Christy, her dad and mine were friends. Dad taught me to drive one too. Why are you asking?”

“I packed up a bunch of stuff in a big moving truck from Home Depot. I noticed another three of those around the back of the building. Plus, I noticed a large semitrailer around back of this store. If it is one of those refrigeration trucks, we could transport a bunch of food along with more supplies. I doubt this will be the only shopping center we will come along.” Laraaq relayed the plan that was forming in his head.

“We are in, but I drive the refrigeration truck.” Mack stated.

“I got no problem with that.” Laraaq answered.

“That is going to be a lot of gas to get wherever we are going. How are we going to deal with that issue?” Colin asked.”

“I found a private airport nearby that seemed to be a mix of commercial transport and small private flights. I found a stockpile of fuel. We could load it up in one of the trucks and use that when we don’t find a working gas station.” Laraaq revealed a bit more of his plan.

“That should work.” Christy replied.

During this conversation, Colin had removed a few knives and another two flasks of alcohol from Tom. Decisions made. Laraaq turned to Mack. “If your minds are made up, no reason not to start checking out that semi and starting to load up the food. We don’t know if they have any friends nearby. I can interrogate them while you guys are loading up the trucks.”

Mack picked up on the unspoken message, Laraaq wanted to spare the girls watching the interrogation. “Yea that’s probably for the best. We can get that done while you handle that. Just keep Tom alive if you can. He’s mine at some point.”

Laraaq nodded in agreement. “I’ll do my best, but I make no promises.”

“Come on let’s go check these trucks out and start loading up what we think we should take.” Mack said as he guided them to the loading bay in the back.

After they were out of earshot, Laraaq bent down, and slapped Carl awake. “Hey time to wake up!”

Carl jerked awake from the blow, dazed, and confused. “Huh? Wha... where?... why can’t I move?”

Then Carl’s eyes seemed to focus as he looked at Laraaq. “You hit me with a cheap shot! I didn’t do anything to you, and you attacked me!”

“Oh, quit your whining. I didn’t kill you. Besides from my vantage point it looked like you and your buddy there...” Laraaq pointed to Tom’s still unconscious & bound form before he continued. “Were trying to force that family to come with you even though it was clear they didn’t want to go.”

“They’re just scared. It’s the damned apocalypse! I wouldn’t have hurt them. It was clear they were just going from place-to-place scavenging. You know that’s not sustainable. We have to put down roots, grow a community if we hope to survive!” Carl became more passionate the longer he spoke.

Laraaq didn’t necessarily disagree with the man. The rub was really all about who was in charge. Heck Laraaq didn’t want to be in charge or responsible for people. He knew his buddy was better suited for that role, even if his friend was reluctant, he had the experience leading thousands of people. Laraaq knew next to nothing about these people and that was about to change.

“Calm down Carl. Let’s say for a moment, I believe you. What about your buddy Tom over there? He doesn’t seem to share your ideals. He was willing to abandon that family to their fate and according to that same family he seemed to be far too interested in the girls of the group.”

Carl winced. “Look, Tom can be a bit of a hot head and volatile but he’s a good fighter and right now we need that to survive.”

Laraaq chuckled. “Ha. Not much of a fighter if he runs away. Besides, tolerating that kind of behavior only leaves you dead when it really counts. He’s weak willed.”

Carl sighed. “I’m kind of stuck with the man. He’s the nephew of our boss and was assigned to me to keep him in check.”

“Nepotism even in the apocalypse. Tell me about this boss of yours and the current state of your base.” Laraaq inquired.

“The boss is strong; he is already level 6. He has some chi attacks he used to fight some undead and earn his levels. He’s also an expert marksman. He saved my life and many others.” Carl started to explain.

“Interesting. What about the others at the base?” Laraaq asked.

“Before I left, we had about fifty people. Half of that are non-combatants. Everyone contributes even the non-combatants.” Carl explained.

“No such thing as a free lunch.” Laraaq commented.

“According to what my boss said, he discovered there were many people in the cities but lots of those were overrun and converted into mindless zombies. Which for some probably wasn’t much different from their previous life. He rescued who he could but people outside the city had a higher chance of success in survival.” Carl stated.

“Where are you all holed up in?” Laraaq asked.

“It’s an old warehouse. Well built, plenty of space and easily defendable. I can show you the way.” Carl answered.

Laraaq slapped Tom. “Alright time to wake up!”

“What the hell?!... You! Release me! I’m gonna kill you when I get free!” Tom said as he saw who was in front of him.

“That’s not much of an incentive. I mean what kind of idiot tells their captor they are going to kill them if they get released.” Laraaq replied.

Tom looked dumbfounded as he was unsure how to react to Laraaq’s deadpanned response.

“You were bound because I don’t trust you and you made the girls feel super uncomfortable with your ogling.” Laraaq stated.

“Ha, those girls should be grateful my uncle and I would take them in and protect them! And if they aren’t grateful, I’ll make em grateful! I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again until they all learn!” Tom spat out.

Upon hearing those words Laraaq immediately summoned a Minor Fireball. Laraaq took some deep breaths and dismissed his spell. “No, killing you now would be a waste. Better to make an example of you.”

“What does that mean?!” Tom said in fear.

Laraaq picked up each bound man one at a time and hauled them outside. ‘Man, I would not have been able to do this before I improved my strength. Maybe I put a few more points in the stat. It would’ve been nice to carry each of them one handed. Would’ve saved me some time too.’ Laraaq thought as he brought the men outside.

Christy came lightly jogging up to Laraaq. “You guys almost ready to go Christy?”

Christy nodded. “Yes. We could probably take more food but it’s a good start. Mack wanted to know if you wanted backup in dealing with these men and their friends.”

“As much as I want to say yes, Carl here assures me the group isn’t all bad. I’m going to make an example of Tom over there. If they try to get dumb, I’ll have a few surprises for them. You guys keep loading things up. Remember the three of you are driving a truck. We will want supplies where we are going. If I’m not back before nightfall, find somewhere safe and secure to hold up in.” Laraaq stated before going to his truck.

Pulling out a walkie-talkie he handed it and some batteries to Christy. “Take these. I already have it programmed to a set frequency. When I get back within range, I will click the button a few times to get attention. If I don’t hear back from you, I will find my own place to stay secure overnight and return here in the morning.”

“Understood. Good luck and thank you again earlier for your help.” Christy said before giving Laraaq a big hug and kiss on the check before heading back to her family.

Laraaq threw Carl in the front seat and there was enough room to throw Tom on the floor of the passenger seat. It made the space for the two men a bit cramped, but he didn’t care. With Carl’s help, Laraaq was able to navigate to the warehouse turned makeshift base.

As he drew closer, he noticed the warehouse was surrounded by a large fence that went around the entire property. Several guards were on duty stationed outside. Laraaq got out of the truck. “Let me talk to your leader!” Laraaq yelled out.

Noticing several wood moving crates, Laraaq went to the passenger side and pulled out Carl and set him down in a way that made him clearly visible to those outside on guard duty. The Laraaq pulled Tom out of the truck and unceremoniously threw him to the ground. He dragged the scum to the back and grabbed a small can of gasoline.

Laraaq noticed one of the guards ran inside the building. Deciding to wait a few for more people to come out of the warehouse to see the commotion, Laraaq dragged the bound Tom, now covered in gasoline, up onto the wooden moving crates.

About twenty to thirty people came out of the building to check on the commotion. A lean yet muscular man looking to be in his early fifties was leading the crowd. “What is the meaning of this?! What have you done to my nephew?!”

Laraaq cleared his throat loudly before speaking so everyone could hear him. He tied the man to the wooden moving plats making it so the man could not move or run away. “This scum tried to have his way with a few girls under my protection! He has admitted openly that he has forced himself on others and has every intention of doing it again! Some of you here are probably some of his victims! This may be the apocalypse but that is just more reason not to tolerate such trash! This man admitted his guilt and for his crimes I sentence him to DEATH!”

On Laraaq’s final word he summoned a Weak Flame Arrow and shot it at Tom. The flame ignited the gasoline that was liberally poured all over the man. Tom and the wooden moving crates he happened to be attached to burst in a bonfire of flames. Tom screamed bloody murder!

“MY NEPHEW!” The well-built man said.

Two of the men beside him held the boss back. A few ladies started speaking up. “Good riddance!

“He rapped me in front of my daughter!”

“Justice!”

The fight seemed to leave the boss as he heard the words of the very same people he had sworn to protect. The man dropped to his knees and wept. “I’m sorry sis, I couldn’t protect your boy from himself.”

Tom’s screams of pain did not last long, and the body continued to burn long after Tom had died. Many of the onlookers stayed and watched. Something in his gut told Laraaq many of those people were either bullied or taken advantage of.

The ‘boss’ had been escorted back inside by two of his men, so he could grieve and not have to continue to watch the gruesome sight.

Laraaq went to Carl and cut his bindings. “You’re free to go.”

Carl rubbed his wrists to help get the feeling back into them. “Thank you for keeping your word and releasing me.”

Standing up, Carl spoke up again. “You should meet the group. Some I imagine will even want to say thank you for what you did.”

“And some will probably want to kill me.” Laraaq answered.

“Look. I know you did what had to be done. I had my suspicions that Tom wasn’t all there or alright, but I had no proof and kept my focus on finding more resources and doing what I could to keep the man in line.” Carl replied.

“Sounds like you failed miserably based on how many people yelled out. Besides I don’t think your boss would be that interested in talking.” Laraaq stated.

Carl winced. “Fair enough. Yes, it’s clear the boss is grieving but he’s also a practical and pragmatic man. He will listen if you have something to say.”

Laraaq thought for a moment. ‘I did come here to possibly recruit these people. I also don’t want to leave an enemy at my back. Time to push and see who tries to push back.’

Mind made up, Laraaq replied, “I’ll make my pitch and then go.”

Carl nodded and guided Laraaq to the gate and spoke to one of the guards nearby. “Caleb, let us in. Mr. Laraaq here wants to talk to everyone.”

Caleb’s attention, like so many others, was transfixed on the burning body. It took him a moment to turn to Carl. “You sure that’s wise Carl?”

“Yea. He means us no harm unless we cross him and his. It’s starting to get dark. Open the gates and let us in. You know it’s not safe to be out at night.” Carl replied.

Caleb did as Carl asked and opened the gate. After letting them both in, Caleb secured the gate and escorted both men inside. The setting sun seemed to grab the remaining onlookers’ attention and they too returned to the safety of the warehouse.

Carl talked with Caleb as he escorted them inside. “I see we found more people.”

“Yea. We found about another twenty people. Most are in their mid to late twenties. Only a handful are beyond level 1. There’s over 70 of us now.”

Laraaq kept quiet but inside he was shaking his head. If most were level 1 that means they haven’t done much to survive but hide. As he walked, he noticed most of the people he saw were people in their twenties and early thirties. There were a few in their forties or fifties and most of them seemed armed and more battle-hardened. ‘My generation probably more equipped to shift to this game like world of survival. The younger generation were too young to remember what the country was like when everyone came together with some common principles. Now we are too divided and too entitled. Let’s see how many of these people can adapt.’

Other observations Laraaq picked up on were the makeshift privacy screens to give some semblance of shared but private living quarters. He also noticed they had sections for weapons and crafting or repairing of clothes and armor. There seemed to be a station for communications, with what looked like radio equipment. There was even a section for food storage and cooking. That last section seemed the most guarded, which made sense to Laraaq. It was easy for people to get desperate and do something irrational when they were hungry.

Caleb led them to a raised platform towards the end of the big open space. It had a microphone and megaphone. Carl instructed Caleb to start gathering people up.

Laraaq noticed how Caleb showed deference to Carl, so he decided to ask him about it. “He seems to follow your orders without question. How’d you earn that level of respect?”

“I led the team that saved his life and rescued him from some zombies. Plus, I’m second in command next to the boss.” Carl answered.

“Ah. Well, it is impressive what you’ve been able to build in a few days.” Laraaq commented.

“It hasn’t been easy, but I’m ex-military, as are a few others. Several of us gained some good survival skills based on our past experiences. Those perks have come in handy.” Carl answered.

Twenty minutes later there were probably close to fifty people gathered by the podium. Carl quietly spoke to Laraaq. “This is probably it. The rest would be either on guard duty or returning from patrol.”

Laraaq nodded and took up the mic. He hated public speaking but clamped down on his emotions and pushed through it. “My name is Laraaq. I came here for two reasons. The first was to dish out justice to those of you here who were suffering in silence from what that scumbag did to hurt or take advantage of you! I don’t care if it’s the apocalypse, such behaviors won’t be tolerated! So let that be a lesson out there for anyone else involved or considering such things...”

Laraaq conjured a Minor Fireball to emphasize his point and held it there before dismissing it. The act had the desired effect as many gasps and whispers could be heard. “Magic is real and anyone I find or come across attempting such abuse I will burn to ash!”

After the rumblings died down Laraaq continued. “The second reason I came was to offer you a chance at a fresh start. You have the right idea to work together, and it is impressive what you have done in the time you’ve had... but it is not sustainable.”

“What do you mean?” Some random woman called out from the crowd.

“To survive we will need to grow crops, hunt food, not just scavenge what is left out there. And lastly and more importantly, we all must grow stronger.” Laraaq answered.

“I am not a fighter! I don’t want to die!” One of the younger guys yelled.

Laraaq had asked his system if there were other ways besides killing to earn experience in the hopes of being prepared for questions like these. He was pleasantly surprised at what he learned.

“Look there are many ways to grow stronger. You can earn experience if you use your skills and perks to help yourself and others grow. Sure, the fastest way is to become a hunter, but it is not the only way to earn and contribute. Dedication to your craft can also yield experience and offer you a profession related class when you hit level 13. This is the apocalypse; we are the ones left behind. We won’t survive forever if we don’t think differently than what led us here. If you want that chance come with me.”

Carl was the one that asked the question in everyone else’s mind first. “Where?”

Laraaq wasted no time responding. “East. My best friend and I were preppers. He owns a self-sustaining compound outside a remote town. The land there should be good for growing crops and the nearby forest a good source for animals to hunt. The town can be resettled, and a new community can be formed.”

Whispers were heard across the crowd as they began to discuss the offer. One voice was louder than the others, she asked the question others were discussing. “How will we get there?”

“Simple, moving trucks and buses. We use the giant moving trucks at some of the moving companies around the area. Also, I saw a school not too far from here. A school district has buses.”

An older man spoke up. “I was a bus driver before I retired. I know where the district yard is!”

Laraaq pointed to the man. “Good job. Throwing out solutions instead of just problems. We load up what resources we can in the moving trucks and use the buses to move the people. If we run out of bus space, some people will have to use the back of a moving truck or scrounge up a few extra vehicles. I also recommend we grab some reliable motorcycles to act as scouts.”

The mood in the warehouse seemed to shift as people started to realize this plan was a viable one.

Laraaq decided now was the time to make a few things clear. “My buddy runs the show. I follow him and have his back. Cross him and you are crossing me.”

Laraaq resummoned his Minor Fireball. “I am not the nice one. If you cause problems and I was the one who brought you... I will take that as a personal offense!”

Some people gasped at the open promise of violence.

The Laraaq dismissed his Minor Fireball and pointed outside in the direction of where the smoldering embers still burned Tom’s corpse. “With that said, know my buddy shares the same sentiment as I when it comes to the strong taking advantage of women and children, they have no place in the new society we will build!”

The crowd was silent and unsure to take the next step. Carl came to the rescue. “I for one am going! Sure, we should all be proud of what we accomplished but deep down we know this...” Carl waved his hands around. “... is not sustainable. Plenty of mistakes were made. I had my suspicions of Tom, but I did not act on those suspicions, for that I am sorry.”

A voice spoke up as the crowd parted for Carl’s boss. “No Carl. You should not be apologizing for my failures.”

The man continued to walk until he came to stand beside Carl and Laraaq before he spoke again with clear sadness and defeat in his voice. “I made a promise to my sister to always keep an eye out and look after my nephew. I knew Tom wasn’t right in the head... but a man shouldn’t be asked to harm someone from their own family. I did what I could by partnering him up with Carl as We all know he is a good man. Based on how many of you cursed his name while he burned, my nephew still found his ways.”

Carl’s boss turned to Laraaq and held out his hand. “I hold no ill will towards what you did, as you did for me something I could not do. My name is Jacob.”

Laraaq shook Jacob’s hand. That one handshake told Laraaq everything he needed to know. He wasn’t a limp fish or attempting to crush his hand like Mack tried. Jacob’s handshake was like Carl’s; firm, solid, yet not overbearing. It conveyed the message of being a reliable and reasonable man.

After the handshake Jacob turned back to the crowd. “In good conscience I can no longer lead you good people...”

Several murmurs and outcries of dissent came from the crowd.

“We only got this far because of you and Carl!”

“We need your leadership!”

“Tom’s crimes are not yours!”

That last one seemed to strike a chord with Jacob. “No! What my nephew did, he did on my watch! I was blinded by my own emotions and old sentiments. We all need more from a leader. If Carl says he is going, I am too! I will follow this friend of Mr. Laraaq’s! If he can convey such loyalty from an honorable man such as himself then he is worth at least giving a chance to.”

Jacob turned to Laraaq. “I will help in any way I can to get our people organized. Based on what I heard of your plan, we could probably be ready to go by midday tomorrow. You should stay the night. It is already dark, and more monsters seem to come out at night.”

Carl chimed in. “Absolutely. You should not be going out at night. Plus, it would be good for our people to see you among us. Let me show you to the makeshift mess hall and then get you a cot or some blankets.”

Laraaq reluctantly agreed. He knew he might have to stay the night, but among all these strangers, he knew he would not get much sleep.