“And who are you?” The young man asked.

He was taller than Zachary by about half a head but had a slender build. He looked like he hadn’t eaten a good meal in weeks.

Oliver stepped in with a smile, “Carlos, this is Zachary Zhang. A new member of our gang. He saved our lives and he even saved Heather twice.”

“Oh…” Carlos’ face brightened and he also smiled. It was a bit unnerving how quickly he changed his expression, “Then I have to thank you. Welcome to our home.”

Zachary also smiled, “Don’t mention it. I just did what I had to do.”

They shook hands. Oliver patted Carlos’ shoulder and then led Zachary through the gate. Behind them, Carlos stared at Zachary’s back for a moment before going back onto the walls to stand guard with his summons.

“Haha, don’t mind him,” Oliver said, “Carlos is harmless. He is the youngest so he gets a lot of shit from us. But now that you’re here, he will have some competition. Haha!”

Zachary smiled wryly and looked around. The inside of the walls was simple. There were eight wooden huts arranged in two rows. Tall trees grew amidst them, casting everything in shade. There was a small area in the center with a firepit surrounded by benches and tables. All in all, it looked quite comfortable.

He looked up at the trees that hid the blue sky, “I assume that the seagulls are still a problem here?”

Oliver also looked up, “Yeah, they are a menace. They rule the skies. Anywhere without trees is their hunting ground. But they don’t dare mess with the trees. There are plenty of treants and living plants that would love to use seagull corpses as nourishment.”

“Mmm,” Zachary nodded in agreement.

Oliver took him along on a short tour around the settlement, “We have a lot of treant summons. They are good at construction with the proper instructions. They are strong and sturdy and have a lot of stamina. You have a treant too so you’ll fit right in.”

“This is our territory so other gangs and survivor groups usually won’t bother us. The walls protect us against the roving herds of forest elephants. They now know to avoid this place. But this is still the New World. Wild Ensouled will occasionally try to attack us. Someone always has to be on watch duty. With you here, it will be easier on the rest of us.”

By now, the two had finished the tour. They were standing beside the firepit and chatting.

“So, how many people do you guys have?” Zachary asked.

“Oh that... the group started with Heather and three other women.” Oliver said and started counting with his fingers, “Suhua and Nellie. They were among the original members. I was the fifth. Then Carlos, Olga, and a few others joined. The most we had was nine but two people died… of various reasons. Anyway, we currently have seven, eight if including you.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“Eight is a lucky number,” Zachary said lightly.

“Haha, yes it. Maybe you are our lucky charm. Let’s go, looks like they want us.” Oliver said.

Nellie was waving to them in front of the largest hut which belonged to Heather.

“We’re about to try and pull out the spike. Is your turtle able to use its heal again?” She asked, slightly breathless.

“No problem.”

“Okay, come on,” Nellie and went inside.

Zachary followed with Oliver.

The inside was dark. There were no windows, only a few gaps to provide airflow. Light was provided by a few candles. Zachary was surprised by this and also impressed. These survivors were far more industrious than he expected.

The first room was like a living room. There were a couple of wooden chairs of rough craftsmanship. There were several wooden chests for storage. Some dried meat hung from the ceiling along with strings of wild onion bulbs, various roots, and other edible plants. Compared to Zachary who could only eat roast meat, fish, and reptiles every day, this was utter luxury.

The second room was the bedroom. Heather lay on a wide bed that was covered in animal furs. Suhua was looking over her worriedly. By the nightstand, Olga was busy fussing over packs of herbal medicine. He didn’t recognize most of them as botany and medicine wasn’t something he ever paid attention to. If he had to guess, some of these were used to replenish blood, fight off infection, and dull pain.

None of these could compare to having a healing summon that was akin to a panacea. But he still respected the craft. This woman certainly had a lot of experience and knowledge. She would be able to save a life without relying on the power of a rare Ensouled.

“You’re here,” Heather said when she saw Zachary, “Olga, stop messing with that stuff. I told you I don’t need them.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve tested all of these herbs myself.” Olga huffed and tried to argue. “Even his summon has a healing ability, these will still help.”

“Alright, alright. Just pull the damn thing out.”

“Okay, hold her down,” Olga said.

Suhua pushed down on Heather’s shoulders while Nellie held her legs. Heather also bit down on a piece of leather to bear the pain. Olga, with a grim expression, pinched the black spike tightly with three fingers.

“Ready?”

“Mhm.” Heather nodded.

“On three. One… two… three!”

Olga yanked hard.

Heather screamed and bit down hard.

The black spike came out and tore a wide hole in the process. Bits of flesh and gore were stuck to the tiny barbs on the tip of the spike. Heather threw out muffled curses and screamed some more. Her eyes flashed with anger and defiance, fighting against the pain as discolored blood and pus spurted out. At first, it was black and purple. But after a little while, fresh blood flowed freely.

“My turn,” Zachary said.

With a surge of Eternum, Wander appeared. He barked twice in greeting and climbed onto the bed with his front legs. He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled, directing his healing energy towards the gaping wound.

The dimly lit room glowed with bright green light. Once, then twice, and a few more times; Heather’s wound clotted and stopped bleeding. It had even formed a scab.

Aside from Zachary, the other people were left in shock, amazement, and joy. Oliver was grinning uncontrollably, about to burst into laughter. Olga was stunned, her mouth wide open. Suhua’s face was covered in tears and she was trying not to sob. Nellie was staring at Wander as if she had found the most precious treasure. Even Heather was smiling, her teary eyes never leaving Zachary.

The room which had been full of gloom was now filled the aura of life.