Chapter 78: Return
"Most of them are now made of metal… Good job, Leo and Harper!" Shane couldn't help but praise their work. They were lucky that the two had experience making traps to catch wild boars.
With six of the undead now immobilized, as their bodies caught in a deadly embrace of steel and wooden traps, the remaining seven found their numbers reduced.
Their assault was now weakened!
Everyone in Shane's group watched this with grim satisfaction in their eyes.
Shane then looked at Cassius and Mara.
The battlefield was set, and his Super Soldiers, armed with nothing but metal pipes, were ready to prove their worth!
'I should buy them swords and a decent set of armor.' Shane thought as he saw them wearing some hunter clothes that he had purchased in the past couple of days just because they appeared in the store.
Well, it must be remembered that he would always purchase any clothing that would appear in the Survivor Store. He may not use them, but future inhabitants and current ones also need some change of clothes.
Nonetheless, he knew that these two would have better fighting capabilities with better set of equipment.
"Ahem! Super Soldiers, to the front!" Shane commanded, his voice resonating with authority.
Although he sounded unusual by calling them Super Soldiers, and even Anna looked at him with amusement, Shane didn't shy away as he really wanted to try commanding other people like some sort of a general.
Anyway, Cassius and Mara, now bound to his orders, held their metal pipes tightly. This weapon was a simple yet effective instrument of war against the mindless zombies!
Graarrgh!
The remaining Jumper Zombies approached, and their movements became predictable as their eyes were only looking at the nearest target!
The Super Soldiers stood ready, their enhanced senses tracking every leap and bound of the encroaching horde.
Whom~
As the first Jumper sprung into action, Cassius swung his pipe and made the air hum!
Bang!
The impact resonated with a sickening crunch!
Just from the sound, Shane and the other could tell that the flesh and bones of the Jumper Zombie were crushed!
Thud!
The creature crumpled, its momentum halted by the sheer force of the blow!
Mara didn't remain idle as she didn't wait for the Zombies and charged forward! Her pipe parried and struck them, and each hit was similar to Cassius's strike!
It could crush the flesh and bones of the Jumper Zombies!
The battle continued as Shane and the others watched how the two Super Soldiers fought against the Jumper Zombies!
They were also ready to help in case they needed it!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Metal clashing against rotting flesh, the Super Soldiers are like veterans on the battlefield.
They were like an unstoppable force, as none of their injuries could stop them! Each strike was filled with power no matter what kind of situation they were in!
Sure enough, Shane and the others witnessed how the Jumper Zombies were defeated. Even with all their ferocity, they still were no match for the might of the Super Soldiers.
One by one, the Jumper Zombies fell, their numbers dwindling until the ground was littered with their broken forms.
Cassius and Mara stood amidst the carnage, breathing steadily even after the intense battle. They then looked at Shane with a hint of satisfaction in their eyes while their weapons dripped with the blood and other matter of the zombies.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Shane clapped as he looked at the two. There was a mix of pride churning within him. The Super Soldiers had proven their effectiveness, and he still had eight ampules!
'I have to choose the right people for the other eight…' Shane thought.
He was surely impressed by their absolute obedience and the strength they showed...
Nonetheless, the sight of such power wielded with such cold efficiency served as a stark reminder of the fine line he treads between salvation and subjugation.
He had to ensure that he really had complete control over these Super Soldiers, or if there was ever a chance that they would rebel, he should have a full capability of defeating them.
Anyway, Cassius and Mara are helped by Leo and the others as they carefully gather all the zombie corpses for Shane to loot.
Soon, Shane started looting the Zombies…
After answering the usual prompt, Shane looked at the result.
[ You have earned 9 Experience Points. ]
[ Loots obtained: Item Upgrade Crystal x1, Zombie Core x1, 500mL Water, Bread x1, 100mL Jumper Zombie Blood, Unknown Meat ( Safe ) x1, Spirit Enhancement Bottle x1 ]
"Mhmm?"
Shane raised his brow after seeing the familiar yet unusual item in the loot.
It was the unknown but safe meat that he had never tried yet!
This has never appeared from the Jumper Zombies before!
Shane could only guess the reason why it had appeared here. Anyway, he was to get something more from the Jumper Zombies so he continued looting all the remaining 11 Jumper Zombies…
[ You have earned 9 Experience Points. ]
[ Loots obtained: Item Upgrade Crystal x1, Zombie Core x1, 500mL Water, Bread x1, 100mL Jumper Zombie Blood, Unknown Meat ( Safe ) x1, Spirit Enhancement Bottle x1 ]
[ You have earned 9 Experience Points. ]
[ Loots obtained: Item Upgrade Crystal x1, Zombie Core x1, 500mL Water, Bread x1, 100mL Jumper Zombie Blood, Unknown Meat ( Safe ) x1, Spirit Enhancement Bottle x1 ]
This repeated several more times as Shane obtained a total of 12 units of Unknown Meat aside from the usual drop.
"We should try this meat this evening…" Shane muttered as he recalled what he had seen in his Survivor Store a while ago during their breakfast.
Apparently, the Survivor Store was selling a pack of salt and other seasonings! Once he purchased enough seasonings, the flavor of whatever meat this was would be covered by their taste!
'Good plan!' Shane thought as his eyes lit up in excitement.
Of course, he would let Cassius and Mara try the meat first before he would consider trying them.
After this event in the morning, the group continued on their daily task…
This time, however, Shane didn't leave the estate.
He explained to Anna and the others that he would be away for some time and left two of his extra Revolvers to increase the defense of the estate. Although they didn't have a good aim and the recoil of the revolvers may be too much for them, it was still better to have another weapon.
"Do not play around with this weapon. Be careful and do not point them to other people. Just take them out when you're dealing with the zombies." Shane reminded before he decided to return to his tent inside the church…
Apparently, he was planning to enter the Fairy Realm! However, before that, he had something to do.
Shane observed the Fire Kea perched contentedly on his shoulder, its feathers a vibrant tapestry of reds and oranges, like the embers of a smoldering fire.
The bird's eyes sparkled with a keen intelligence, and it tilted its head as if considering Shane with a discerning gaze.
"You need a name befitting your mystical ability…" Shane mused aloud.
The Kea chirped in response, flapping its wings excitedly.
"How about… Phoenix? No?" Shane muttered after seeing no response.
"Is too classic? How about Emberwing?"
The bird squawked in approval, taking flight around Shane in a joyful display, its plumage catching the light and casting fiery patterns on the walls.
[ Soulbound complete. ]
[ You have registered Emberwing as your pet. ]
'Eh? There's something like that?' Shane thought as he didn't know that it was required to name the bird to register it as his pet. He thought that it was already his the moment he hatched it!
'Well, now I know.'
Satisfied with the pet's response, Shane turned his thoughts to the Fairy Realm. "It's been a while since I entered that place… I guess it's time to see if I can bring my bird there…" He whispered…
After everything was ready, Shane triggered his system.
[ Do you wish to activate the Title's Effect? ]
The system prompt inquired.
"Yes." Shane affirmed.
[ You will be transported to the Fairy Realm. The duration will be 8 hours ]
In an instant, the fabric of space seemed to twist and warp around him.
Just as the message said, he was being transported and it was through some enigmatic form of spatial sorcery.
Whom~
A sudden disorienting darkness engulfed his senses, leaving him feeling lightheaded and unsteady.
When he finally reopened his eyes, he saw a familiar setting. It was a vast meadow stretched out before him, bathed in the ethereal light of a celestial sun.
The grass, a vibrant emerald hue, swayed gently in the breeze, creating a mesmerizing dance of nature's beauty.
"I'm back…" Shane muttered as he saw the meadow that was adorned with a vibrant array of wildflowers, creating a picturesque scene of shifting colors that danced and glistened in the golden light.
This time, however, Shane wasn't alone!
Emberwing was indeed with him!