Ted stood motionless in the rubble-strewn street, crowbar resting lightly against his shoulder, while Lena and her seven companions kept their weapons trained on him. The tension was thick, but not yet hostile. His controlled zombies remained perfectly still in the shadows around the ruined hotel, exactly as he had commanded. None of the newcomers had noticed them yet.
Lena lowered her rifle a fraction, eyes still sharp. "You're the one the hub is hunting. The 'Necrotic anomaly.' They're offering supplies and safe passage to anyone who turns you in."
Ted didn't deny it. "They are. But I'm not what they say. I'm not infected. I'm just… different. And I have no intention of hurting anyone who doesn't threaten me first."
One of Lena's men, a burly guy with a scarred face and a shotgun, snorted. "Sounds like bullshit. Zombies don't just stand around like that unless someone's controlling them. You some kind of freak?"
"Call it what you want," Ted replied calmly. "It keeps me alive. It can keep others alive too, if we work together."
Lena studied him for a long moment, weighing the risk. Finally, she lowered her weapon completely. "We're low on fighters and ammo. Our camp is small, only about forty people. The hub has been squeezing everyone lately, demanding tribute and 'volunteers' for their experiments. If you can really control the dead, that changes things."
Ted nodded slowly. "I can. Not perfectly, and not on a massive scale yet, but enough to turn a losing fight. In return, I need information, supplies, and a place to operate from without constant attacks from the hub."
Lena glanced at her group. A few nodded reluctantly. She turned back to Ted. "We can talk. But not here. Come with us to our camp. It's about two kilometers north, in the old university district. If you try anything, we'll put you down before you can blink."
"Fair enough," Ted said.
He gave a silent mental command to his controlled zombies to disperse naturally and follow at a safe distance without revealing themselves. He wanted the option of backup if things went wrong.
The walk to Lena's camp was tense but uneventful. They moved through side streets, avoiding main roads. Ted kept his **Horde Sense** active, warning the group twice of small zombie packs before they became visible. Each time, Lena's eyes narrowed with growing respect.
When they arrived, the camp was a modest but well-defended cluster of reinforced university buildings surrounded by chained fences and watchtowers. About forty survivors lived there, families, fighters, and a few children. Eyes watched Ted with open suspicion as he entered.
Lena led him to a central courtyard where a middle-aged woman named Mara, the camp's de facto leader, waited.
"So you're the anomaly the hub wants," Mara said bluntly. "Lena says you can control zombies. Prove it."
Ted didn't hesitate. He reached out with **Intermediate Horde Command** and called four lesser zombies from the nearby street into the courtyard. They walked in calmly and stopped in a neat line ten meters away, completely still.
Gasps and raised weapons greeted the display.
Mara's eyes widened. "Holy hell…"
Ted released the command. The zombies shuffled away harmlessly.
"I'm not here to take over," he said clearly. "I need allies. A place to grow stronger while staying hidden from the hub. In return, I can help defend this camp, clear threats, and provide early warning. I won't ask for leadership. Just cooperation."
Mara exchanged a long look with Lena and several others. After a tense silence, she nodded.
"You get one month trial. You sleep in the outer building. No zombies inside the fences unless we approve it. You help on runs and defense, and you share what you know about the hub. Break any of that, and you're gone,or we shoot you ourselves."
"Understood," Ted said.
As the camp slowly accepted his presence (with many wary glances), Ted felt a new chapter opening.
He had a base again.
He had potential allies.
And with Level 3 abilities, he could start shaping his own small corner of the ruined world.
That night, alone on the roof of his assigned building, Ted reviewed the expanded shop and made another careful purchase:
*[Horde Link purchased earlier, now fully active. Sensory sharing with controlled zombies improved.]*
He also spent 300 Essence on **Personal Decay Shield** for emergency defense.