Chapter 89

Daniel dumped them at the exit and was happy to get rid of them. Even though they had asked him to kill Mike, he still felt like a murderer whenever they looked at him.

“Mike was already dead,” he muttered to himself.

“What?” the daughter said, looking back at him.

He smiled sadly. “Nothing.”

Turning his back, he let Animal Sense rip. Everything dangerous below was locked in their rooms. The termite-infested floors were mostly clear. Two elite zombies were on the floor above.

Daniel grabbed the paint and went door to door through the three levels, pausing when his mana got full to create some traps out of an empty room’s door. Then he left them where he created them. There were enough hands that they would get moved to where they were needed.

With his administrative duties done, he picked up some traps and started lugging them up the stairs, his mind turning to the next fight. It felt like the struggle to survive was a never-ending series of battles, and for now, it was. Once they had physical safety, with the building secure, then he could hopefully turn his mind to more productive activities, such as growing some food.

The floor above had two elites in the hallway, both of them speed enhanced, which meant he needed lots of restraints in place before engaging them. Preparation was key. The speed zombies were terrifying without traps. He still remembered the one that had almost split him in half downstairs, but if you engaged them behind a line of traps, they usually killed themselves long before reaching you.

As he walked, he passed people going everywhere. The operation Ivey had put together was no longer a small band of fighters doing everything. Now dozens were involved, including a massive number of non-combat classes supporting the front lines. A continuous line of people connecting them to the kitchens downstairs. They fetched food and drink, transported loot below, and chaperoned the newly liberated.

It was not all on Daniel, but some things still were. As he moved, tiny flicks of Animal Sense went out, trying to find any signs of the mind worms.

Nothing emerged.

The club felt his efforts, and a wave of encouragement hit him. It wanted more. It was alive, and Daniel already owed it his life multiple times over. If there were more mind worms, then his club would get them.

Buzzing satisfaction.

Daniel smiled at that. There was so much youthful joy in those emotions. Everything was changed. He had a club that thought. Yes, it was like a child, but it was days old. A mouse that, for all of her greed, might be smarter than he was.

Is! The single word slammed into his mind with surprising clarity. He patted her absently, not convinced either way.

What was next?

Was he going to get one ring to bind them?

He smiled while setting up a new group of traps. One thing was obvious: this new world was not boring.

He thought about the termite king and how it had been near unbeatable, and in the end, it had taken all of them to take it down. It was almost too powerful for them, but down on the streets, he had seen a beast that would gobble up a dozen kings for breakfast. A monster that was so large it should only have been able to live in the sea, but not only was it on land, it could jump three stories in height. Something Daniel knew he would have to face. The challenge felt unsurmountable, but he put that out of his mind. One step at a time, and for now, they needed to kill these next two zombies.

Everything had changed. He had been a farmer and now he was their primary shield against parasitic mind worms.

It was a problem for another time. Today, at this moment, the focus was on two zombies and getting stronger. Increase his power so he could kill things like the termite king. His lightning spell had been the difference maker. That ability that he had won at the cost of immense pain had saved their lives today. That was why he needed to keep pushing. In order to get stronger and stronger. It was the only way he was saving the kids.

Daniel stopped at level thirty-seven. The sounds of banging had ceased. They must have finally killed the queen. He poked out his head and saw Ivey at the head of a large group of fighters.

“Hey guys, I need some support while killing some elite ferals.”

Ivey looked exhausted, but nodded grimly. “Lead away.”

By the time he had finished placing the traps, the entire party was established and ready to fight. They had decided against setting up in the corridor while they were transitioning, and the traps were not fully in place. They were exposed. Instead, Daniel had placed the traps with the kids helping, gambling on Daniel being fast enough to retreat and the kids not needing to. Nothing was perfect, but this was the best they could do.

Daniel checked the restraints that separated the stairwell from the corridor. They were significantly stronger than the versions they had been stringing up in the corridors. Everything was ready. With a smile at Janice, he pushed the door open.

“Come get us!” Janice screamed.

Daniel was standing in the stairwell and looking out. There was a blur of movement that charged towards him.

Crack, crack, snap, crack.

Daniel activated speed, then overcooking it. This way, he was ready to duck back out of the way if they were going to get too close.

His speed let him process what was happening, and he relaxed in response. Neither zombie would reach him. One was fully caught in the restraints with its feet shredded. The second was flying legless through the air. The sheer speed of the creature had resulted in its legs being torn off when the traps had closed on top of them.

The restraint netting gave way. The flying torso dipped down under the mastery of gravity. Both crashed to the ground.

Crack, crack.

Blood splattered the ceiling and the walls. It had gone as expected.

“And?”

“They are dead.”

Animal Sense went out, and this time Priscilla came along and adapted the spell to look for mind worms. There were two on this level and one on the level below, having somehow avoided detection until this moment.

Using Animal Sense again, Daniel searched level thirty-eight for anything dangerous. There were various bugs in different rooms and some plants that were alive.

“I have some mind worms to take out,” he told them. “Meanwhile, teams of four go and clear the apartments and save anyone in there. Thirty minutes, then we go up.”

“You are not doing your marking thing,” Ivey asked.

“No need. Everything is pretty weak. Just knock and you will be fine.”

The floors above them were filled with bigger, more challenging monsters and then above them where his mind stretched to level forty-one and beyond, there was a void of activity. Two entire floors were empty. It did not take a genius, given the abundance of life everywhere else. That was a problem—and probably the origin of the SOS they had received.

Moving quickly, he got close to the mind worms. The first came for him, and the club ate it easily.

Behind him, he heard hammering and then the splinter of wood as the squads used their superior strength to force entry.

Daniel kept going, focusing on the second. It was in an apartment with a living plant. Daniel did not approach the plant, but looked at it with interest. It had vines that flicked and moved like a snake. He would definitely come and check up on it later. If he could get something like that working for him, then how good would that be? A plant that could actively defend somewhere.

The mind worm moved, but it was retreating from him.

“Is that you or me?”

He could feel the club considering the question, then he just got confusion back. Something had spooked the mind worm. Avoiding the plant, he hurried over to where it was crawling, too. It was still wiggling away, but he had grabbed a simple pot plant. His growth power surged and then vines went through the tiles and wrapped up the parasite. It struggled, but another flex of his will and it fell out and landed with a splat on the floor. He poked Blood Drinker into it, and happiness rolled up.

Daniel left the apartment, pausing only to write “do not enter” on the door and to reinforce. He did not want an overzealous fighter killing the poor plant before he investigated its usefulness.

“I hope you are happy.”

The club throbbed contentedly.

For the first time in a while, he really examined it with his eyes, hands, and magic senses. He already knew it was alive and thinking, but he was amazed by how smooth the wood was. Its preferred configuration was to have most of its pointy bits hidden. However, as he ran his hand over the end of the club, he discovered that the very end of them poked out. Just a millimetre out, but that was enough that they scratched his fingers.

“Blood Drinker,” he murmured, tracing the writing. It was what it had named itself. “Do you want to drink my blood?”

A throb of excitement came from the club, followed by an apology and embarrassment.

“Does it make you more powerful?”

A jumble of images swelled up. Sometimes it did nothing, other times it helped with intelligence, magic, or strengthened a particular tooth or the overall wood. It was varied.

“Careful,” Tamara said. He jumped. “People might think you are crazy if they hear you talking to yourself.”

He glanced up. There was a teasing smile on her face.

“I am the definition of crazy,” he told the girl. “I was talking to my club.”

Drink, he thought, bringing his hand hard down on the club. Blood Drinker distorted, and he felt pinpricks across the hand. It hurt a lot.

“Are you feeding it?”

“Yeah.” A feeling of satisfaction came to him and an image of wood moving more freely. “Different types of blood strengthen it, same with cores, and I suspect killing things.”

“Lovely,” she said blandly.

“I am not saying no to power.”

“Nor would I. That is why I want a staff.”

“Tonight,” he promised her. Then, curious about why she was out here, asked, “What are you doing?”

“My group is back there; I was the fifth. They are killing stuff, but I saw you and decided I would keep you company.”

“What, to butter me up to get a staff sooner?”

“What? No. I think you will give that to me freely.” He looked hard at her, but she smiled back innocently at him. “I enjoy talking to you.”

“Why?”

“Because you are not usually such a needy teenager,” she said, laughing at him. “I just do. I think it is because you are more down to earth than most people I know.”

She has a boyfriend; Daniel reminded himself of that fact. A useless, drop-kick one but one nevertheless, and if they travelled to Australia together, it was probably serious.

“I enjoy your company, too.” He looked at her, and she giggled.

“Why?”

“I just do.”

“I think my answer was better.”

He pulled his hand away, and blood was running down his palm. The club was happy. When he ran his finger over it, the surface that had left the wounds was smooth once more.

“Can I?” she asked, holding out her hand.

Puzzled, he handed the club to her. She examined it closely, focusing on the same spot that had cut Daniel, stroking the club with curiosity. “It feels like polished metal.” She slapped her hand down on the spot that had cut Daniel in dozens of spots. Lifting it up, there was not a mark on her hand.

“If you want my blood, go for it.”

Hunger came from the club.

“No,” Daniel protested, but it was too late. She smacked her palm down hard on the club.

She squealed but left the hand where it was, with only a slight look of pain in her eyes.

“Why?” he asked in confusion.

“We need to get stronger,” she reminded him quietly. “And this helps.”

Feelings around improving magic came to him, particularly lightning control.

“You have helped improve its magic control abilities.”

“Like how you light it up with electricity.”

“Specifically that,” he agreed.

“Cool, is it done?”

“You will know.”

The club end distorted, and Tamara pulled her hand away. Unlike him, she only had a single puncture in her palm.

“I think the club went gently on you,” he told her, holding up his own hand as evidence where the twenty punctures were slowly healing, but still not there yet.

“Dan, can I use identification on it?”

Daniel nodded.

A white glow encompassed the club.

“It has upgraded. It is now a level two seed club.”

“What does that mean?”

She chuckled. “It is just a rating.”

“But—”

“When I spoke to Ivey, she thought it should take weeks to get to level one and then months to reach level two. It is developing much faster than it should be.”

“Why does Ivey get extra information?”

Tamara shrugged again. “Why don’t you?”

“I—” He really did not want to explain how he had almost become a zombie.

“All the interfaces are different,” she continued smoothly, seeing the brief flash of distress on his features. “Ivey’s, for whatever reason, communicates better with her than mine does with me. You know you can tell me about your interface.”

Daniel’s eyes dropped to his club that she was still holding.

“But you don’t have to.”

“Maybe another time,” he said finally. He did not get the impression that Tamara would care, but he did not want to push it.

‎