Chapter 26

After having been tossed around for hours, Tsuki fell asleep like a dead pig. Not even an earthquake could wake him right now.

Alphonse, on the other hand, felt rejuvenated. The irritation he had felt for the past few months had finally abated. He carefully covered Tsuki before silently leaving the room.

He confidently navigated through the cavernous maze-like corridors until he reached the meeting room.

Veyn lifted his head from the report he was reading and greeted him.

Veyn: "Finished?"

Alphonse hummed as he casually took a seat, "he fell asleep out of exhaustion."

Riot puffed out a laugh, " you should have seen the look on the other zombie's faces! I think you traumatised them!"

Mercy, who was casually reclining on a chair let out a 'shameless'.

As for Steve, he expertly filtered out the conversation. The art of selective hearing was regularly practised by him.

Veyn: "Okay, enough teasing now. Alphonse how's the situation outside? We caught some humans creeping in the neighbouring areas at many instances. They were scouting us? "

Riot sat up straight, " the cat is out of the bag,"

"With us blatantly transforming zombies right and left, of course we were discovered. They would have found out sooner or later anyway." Mercy muttered with her face buried in the desk.

Alphonse: "It was unavoidable to cross paths. Specially with us sending zombies on their own here. Some of them attacked some groups of humans because they were hungry and let a few survivors escape. Those ‘lucky ones’ must have reported it... It doesn't matter anyway."

A moment of silence floated by before Veyn picked up the conversation, "ahem, the second and third mountains are still undergoing changes as watch towers and dormitaries. The group of lower zombies you brought back were let loose in the surrounding areas to act as deterrent and the ....uh mutated animals caught have already been separated and placed in appropriate pens at the base of the mountain. The zombies looking after them have already constructed their houses nearby the pens to better carry out their duties... with strict instructions not to harm Mary."

At the name, Steve suspiciously shifted his eyes away and Veyn's face looked paralysed.

Riot: ".....Mary?"

Mercy abruptly lifted her face from the table, " who the hell is Mary?!"

Alphonse lifted an eyebrow and Veyn stoically spat out, "Mary is the.....'cute' mutated 'sheep' that Tsuki took a liking to. He goes down the mountain everyday to play with it and to feed it."

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Steve muttered, "that is no cute sheep. That thing is mounstruous. It is densely muscled, violent and is capable of exploding a hole in the mountain... Learned that the hard way."

There was another moment of silence before Riot burst out laughing along with Mercy. Alphonse exasperatedly closed his eyes.

Mercy slapped the tables a few times while laughing, "hahahaha, she must be a very precious little sheep!"

Veyn spat out, "he."

Riot and Mercy: "Huh?"

Veyn: "Mary is a male sheep."

That made Mercy burst out laughing again till she nearly fell out of her chair.

Midori chose that moment to enter the room.

Mercy: "Why is the banshee screeching?"

Riot: " Tsuki has a male pet sheep named Mary. A mutated sheep."

Midori: " What?! Again?! What is this obsession with pets?!"

Alphonse let out an irritated grunt, "enough about the sheep. Let's go into more important matters. Has the army sent more scouts? And have the prisoners revealed anything?"

Steve: "Since the last time we captured them, there hasn't been any more attempts. The people sent were clearly useless tools as they did not divulge anything of importance. It was clearly a 'suicide' mission. It’s just a matter of time until they send the more ‘special’ ones."

Mercy: “Until they have properly indoctrinated those soldiers and civilians that have obtained ‘special powers’ you mean?”

Riot: “That’s right! I thought that we were special but now others are getting powers! Totally unfair!”

Veyn: “ Not unfair. Nature always has to have an equilibrium. With us being ‘special’ zombies that prey on humans, it is logical for them to develop a ‘special’ defence for their continued survival.”

Midori: “Even those lower zombies are evolving.”

Mercy: “Yea! Some have started eating each other and have developed some awareness!”

Riot turned towards Alphonse, “have you told them the consequences of eating that zombie?”

Veyn fixed his surprised eyes on Alphonse, “what consequences? That was not included in your reports?!”

Alphonse: “My mental faculties have undergone some changes. I can now project my thoughts into others and command them. It works exceptionally well on those lower zombies.”

Veyn: “You mean we can evolve by cannibalism too?!”

Mercy moodily retorted, “don’t get too excited. It doesn’t work for everyone and the ability is not upgradable via the same method.”

Riot: “What she means is that leveling up via cannibalism is a 90 % chance for lower zombies only, while for us, well, it depends on your luck really. We all tried it and only Alphonse and Midori developed an ability. It can’t be upgraded further through the same method.”

Midori: “It can be trained and become stronger though. I noticed mine got a little stronger after playing with it for a while.”

Alphonse nodded in assent.

Veyn pushed back his shock and asked, “what ability did you get Midori?”

Mercy answered with clear envy in her voice, “the midget got a plant ability.”

“Why are you answering for me?!” Midori exclaimed before continuing with pride in his voice, “ anyway, it is as she said. I can grow crops for Tsuki when he gets hungry.”

Riot and Mercy petulantly complained, “totally unfair. It’s just growing plants; nothing to be proud of.”

Midori rolled his eyes, “you clearly are just jealous.”

Riot and Mercy: “Humph!”

Alphonse ignored their childish banter and asked, “you two want to try?”

Veyn and Steve shared a glance before they tacitly nodded.

Steve: “The enemies are getting stronger so we must have every advantage on our side.”

Veyn agreed, “yes we lose nothing by trying. The only problem I see is that some… ‘ambitious’ zombies may start a cannibalism frenzy in order to get an ability.”

Mercy: “The greedy and power-hungry ones you mean.”

Riot: “Another thing we forgot to precise. Lower zombies can level up by eating lower zombies while we can only get an ability by eating a zombie that has been transformed by Tsuki’s blood.”

Veyn and Steve: “……..bloody hell.”

Midori and Alphonse, “it sure is going to be bloody.”