Shawn's eyes brightened.
A survival instinct filled his mind, and he used his last bit of consciousness to open the system.
As soon as he entered the system, Shawn heard and felt the unique effects and music of an upgrade.
Experience points gained from killing Walkers surged in like a tide.
"Gained experience points +1200"
"Gained experience points +1200"
"Gained experience points +1200"
… …
"Gained experience points +300"
"Gained experience points +300"
"Detected experience points increased to Level 20, conditions met"
"Unlocked attribute sequence — Fortitude"
Shawn shook his head forcefully, and in his daze, seeing a Walker approach, he quickly opened the skill panel.
He clicked on the newly unlocked attribute sequence — Fortitude.
Then, without even looking, he directly allocated skill points to 'Pain Tolerance' and 'Healing Factor'.
"(Hardworking) Level 1/5, you like your hardworking nature, because your body will no longer be so fragile."
Pain Tolerance 1/5
"(Fast Metabolism) Level 1/5, your metabolism must be high, able to automatically heal your body when not starving."
Healing Factor 1/5
A surge of power erupted from within him, and Shawn met the Walker that was lunging at him.
With his left arm, which had regained a trace of sensation, he hooked its neck, flipped it over, and pinned it to the ground.
His right hand was immobile. Looking at the hideous Walker, Shawn revealed a ruthless expression.
He lifted his head high, then brought it down heavily, colliding his skull with the Walker's.
Bang--!
A dull and heavy thud echoed, but Shawn didn't stop.
He kept hitting… kept hitting… until he lost his remaining strength.
He staggered to his feet, but after only two steps, he fell heavily again.
Clinging to his last shred of consciousness, Shawn grabbed a handful of Antibiotics from his backpack and, reckless of the blood, shoved them into his mouth.
Shawn's consciousness was hazy, but his rationality gradually returned.
In his eyes, the world began to shrink, gradually enveloped by darkness.
In the last fleeting moment of light, Shawn saw the chest of that last Walker.
"A suit, a blood-stained boutonniere?"
"So these Walkers came to a wedding…"
Shawn fell into a coma.
… …
The sky was bright.
Traces of last night's heavy rain still lingered on the ground, and the damp air, mixed with the scent of grass, refused to dissipate.
A ray of sunlight finally pierced through the thick clouds, shining down on the earth.
The fire truck door was pushed open, and Rick jumped out, stepping onto the ground in his vintage pointed leather shoes.
The sunlight hit his slightly weathered face, and Rick squinted, raising his head, but the next second, a restless sound reached his ears.
"Shawn didn't come back the night before last, and we waited another day yesterday with the same result."
"It's not just Shawn; Daryl, Merle, none of them have returned!"
"I said it before… I said we should wait for them at the Prison."
"Our destination is there. If they're still alive and can't find us, they'll definitely go there!"
Shane raised his large hand and continuously massaged his curly hair, his tone indescribably annoyed.
"You mean abandon them and go ahead ourselves?"
Carol frowned tightly, holding Sophia, who was clutching a doll, and questioned him.
"Man, we can't do things like that, that's not our style." T-Dog waved his arm, choosing to side with Carol.
Glenn walked over, followed by Maggie and her family.
"Korean kid, you speak."
As T-Dog's words rang out, everyone couldn't help but look at Glenn.
Glenn pursed his lips and remained silent for a while before speaking: "Actually… I think Shane is right."
"You also think we should leave?"
Rick raised his deep-set eyes and looked at Glenn.
Unlike the previous few people, he wasn't agitated; he merely asked calmly.
Glenn nodded. Hershel, standing behind him and Maggie, watched Glenn's back, his eyes moving, but he said nothing.
"Listen to me… just listen to me first."
Seeing several people in the vicinity looking less friendly, Glenn quickly raised both hands and pressed them down in a calming gesture.
"Think about it yourselves, the three people who went out and didn't come back — Shawn, Daryl, Merle."
"What is their situation, and what is our situation?"
"They have always been very reliable in their actions, and everyone has seen Shawn's methods for dealing with Walkers."
"Now look at us? Elders, children, women, we're dragging our families along. We desperately need a place that can shelter everyone and make everyone feel safe."
Glenn analyzed calmly.
In front of everyone, there was one thing he hadn't said — the survivor Camp that was destroyed back then.
Shawn wasn't just skilled at dealing with Walkers; he was equally ruthless with living people.
Daryl and Merle were ruthless brothers, comparable to the Walkers roaming in the woods.
If it were any of the people present who were currently outside, Glenn might have been worried.
But if it was Shawn and those two guys, they would definitely be fine!
Glenn firmly believed this.
"But…" Carl couldn't help but speak, and Lori didn't stop him.
But before Carl could finish, Rick looked back at him.
He squatted down in front of Carl, bringing his gaze level with Carl's.
"Carl, do you remember how Shawn taught you?"
"In the wilderness, we should be decisive. Indecision will only affect the whole group…"
But before Rick could finish, Carl, fuming, clutched his traditional bow, turned, and was about to rush into the woods.
However, Rick grabbed his arm.
Carl struggled desperately, tears already welling in his eyes. Rick turned him around, pulled him into a tight embrace, and whispered into Carl's ear.
"Hey, hey, shush shush shush--"
"Stay calm, Carl. This will only attract more Walkers. Is that what you want to see? Hmm?"
"But Shawn…" Carl whimpered.
"Shawn will be fine. You might not believe me, but you have to believe him. He has never disappointed us."
"We'll be at the Prison, waiting for them to return there. They will definitely come back."
Hearing Rick's words, Andrea, who had gathered nearby, spoke up before Carl could.
"Wait, did I hear that right? You agreed? You actually just agreed like that!"
She was somewhat agitated, her light-colored eyes staring at Rick in disbelief.
She didn't know, however, that while she was questioning Rick, Shane had silently stood behind her.
Rick looked up, over Andrea's shoulder, and saw Shane's face.
The two exchanged glances, and the familiar feeling from their time serving together at the police department returned at that moment.
Rick knew what Shane would do, but Rick didn't intend to follow his lead.
Rick tried to keep his tone gentle as he looked at Andrea.
"If there was a better way, I definitely wouldn't just leave like this."
"When Shawn opened the car door, I gave him a walkie-talkie."
"Which means if he appears within 2-4 kilometers nearby, we'll definitely know."
"But there's nothing. Andrea, do you know what that means?"
"It means Shawn is far away from us, at least he can't come back immediately right now, so likewise… we can't just keep waiting for him in the same spot."
"But…" Andrea looked at Rick, wanting to say more.
"Think of Amy. What we need to do first now, when Shawn isn't around, is protect our families."
Rick brought out his trump card.
At the thought of Amy, Andrea's tone softened considerably.
She looked up, met everyone's gaze, and ultimately left her unspoken words hanging.