“How much food do we have left?” Raven asked out of the blue.

  It has been a while since we were forced to take a break. Most of the conversations before didn’t have much of an impact, just small talk to pass the time.

  “The last time I checked and given the time that passed after then… we have food for 14 days if we eat three times a day and 21 if twice,” Lily replied.

  “How many more days do you think we will be travelling?”

  “If everything goes well… Maybe in 12 days we should get to a destination from where we could resupply. It would depend on how long this rain would last, but I have a feeling that it won’t last long,” I replied.

  “That is good to hear.”

  “Given that uncertainty, I would have to give the order to have our meals reduced. From tomorrow onwards, until further orders are given, our meals will be two per day.”

  Raven gave a light nod while the others smiled in my direction.

  “By the way, what would have happened if I were to say we’d be in more than 14 days? More than 21 even?” I asked, attempting to make a joke.

  “I would have scolded you for taking so little food and we would have had to eat even less from now on. Once per day would barely keep us alive, but if it was the only option available…” he replied while biting at a Mercenary food.

  “The one who was eating the most is you, thought.”

  “Just because I ate half the apples we foraged half a week ago by myself does not make me a glutton.”

  “You ate all the apples on the tree we couldn’t take with us! And even had dinner the same day!”

  “So what? Despite my frugal lifestyle of surviving with three Mercenary rations per day, do you think I enjoy this cardboard?” he waved the half-eaten block of food.

  “You didn’t join in the previous meals after we foraged. Are you a hardcore apple enjoyer?” Leo joined our dialogue.

  “I am one for whom if something can be eaten, I will eat it. Excluding certain foods. Having an unknown mushroom on my plate is a risk I dare not take.”

  “We survived. And they were the tastiest mushrooms I had ever eaten!”

  “They sure were. Like the berries you ate were the ones that made you clean your insides the best.”

  We all looked away as he mocked us. Bad memories…

  “I could still remember your words when we started the journey: ‘What morons take so little food’ or something, was it?” Lily said and laughed.

  Lily sure is charming when there is such a bright smile on her face.

  “At that time, I didn’t take you seriously, but now I’m thankful we bought more rations,” Rich agreed.

  “Me too. If we didn’t, we’d have run out of food…” Leo said and stopped to count with his fingers.

  “With what we initially planned, adding the gift from the Mexican Mercenaries, our food supply would have run out around a month and a half ago. Note that we would have met with them long after we ran out of provisions. If we ever found them. We would have been forced to look for other sources of edibles, which would have taken additional time. However, during the journey, there were a few such opportunities. I was pleasantly surprised that we found a grown apple tree with ripe apples. They were refreshing after feeding on the Mercenary ration for so long,” Roosevelt finished what Leo was trying to say while also adding his input on the situation.

  Yes. During our travel, we barely saw anything that could be eaten in nature. In fact, we might have been the food if we were to be found out by the undead.

  The rain was getting stronger. Thunder could be heard and when looking outside, lightning shone in the sky. The weather was getting worse by the second.

  Raven often looked outside through the entrance of the cave, having his back facing the deeper parts of the cave.

  I wonder what hid deeper in this place, but I knew it was a bad idea. Curiosity killed the cat.

  Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find something to do while it's raining cats and dogs outside.

  The chatting is good and all, but there isn’t really much that all of us could talk about with Raven.

  I thought of playing Truth or Dare again. I hope this time it will be successful, allowing us to bond instead of widening the gap between us. Given our improved cohesiveness, I dared to try it again, expecting a better outcome.

  “How about we play Truth or Dare?”

  After my words, there was a brief silence, but it lasted for mere seconds.

  “It’s not like we have anything better to do. Just be gentler with the challenges, Raven. Or else you might have to take a shower outside,” Lily warned Raven, somewhat seriously, but I knew it was half-jokingly.

  Three months ago, I would have been certain she threatened him, but now, it was part of their friendship. She respected his abilities, even if a relatively large part of his personality wasn’t to her liking.

  I find Lily’s growth to be astonishing. Both her combat ability and mind grew. Before meeting with Raven, she could barely endure men, her fists talking better than her lips.

  I’m so delighted my little girl managed to find her first male friend! I’m so proud of her! Just make sure you two stay in the friend zone!

  Or at the very least, don’t do anything without my knowledge and permission!

  After experiencing his prowess in bed, I suppose he could take two at once…

  “If you do not force me to tell you my personal information, like last time, I promise to be lenient. In fact, do any of you have paper and a pen? How about we write down some questions and/or ‘Dares’ and pick at random? I think it will be more interesting and safer that way.”

  “I have a pencil. Just say the word,” Rich approved.

  “The papers are from me!” Leo replied with a smile and began searching his backpack.

  “Just don’t go overboard with it. How about we have someone review what has been written to ensure it doesn’t go too far?” Roosevelt added his idea.

  “Sounds reasonable,” Rich agreed.

  “Then who should we pick?” Leo asked.

  Raven and Lily looked at one another and nodded slightly.

  Didn’t know they got close enough to understand one another with their eyes.

  Don’t tell me that they also… No, no, no. Neither of them was that easy and both were too wary of the surroundings to enjoy the pleasures of the skin.

  “Mary, would you take on that role?” Lily proposed, while Raven nodded subtly in a way to show his support for the idea.

  “It’s fine with me! Let’s start then!” I was quick to agree.

  Seeing the enthusiasm all of us had, it makes me delighted that we have become this close.

  We rarely could spend time bonding. This was a rare chance for us to do so. After all, our travel will be ending soon and I might never see Raven again. This is the only negative aspect I could think of regarding the mission's successful ending.

  I would like to have him come with me. I would be more than happy if he could stay by my side. I almost wish this journey would continue for a while longer, so that he could be with me for longer.

  No, it would be better if we finish this difficult mission and meet in a safer place. Somewhere where the risk to our lives wasn’t constant. Somewhere where there are no undead.

  I have been contemplating ways to have him accompany me for longer afterwards. Nonetheless, I recall that he also had an objective for crossing the middle of the Continent and I doubt the reasons behind it are haphazard.

  The paper was ripped into large pieces and everyone got a few. As there was only one pen, all waited their turn patiently.

  After we wrote some ideas down and I checked them, we formed a circle and started playing. Nevertheless, some of the written text was challenging to decipher. It barely categorised as English in my opinion.

  “Perform a split,” Leo was the first to draw and his face became pale as he read aloud.

  “Do your best!” Raven said with a mocking smile.

  “You can do it! You can do it!” Lily also cheered him up like a cheerleader would, but knowing her, it had a tinge of mockery.

  What sadists.

  “Ah, dammit all! I’ll show you how it’s done!”

  What a masochist.

  Leo is quite muscular. I might even say that during the journey, he has become even stronger, but his agility is questionable. Doing splits might be harder for him than wrestling with a Brute, his feat I will never forget.

  Leo started stretching while all eyes were on him. He focused on his lower body parts. However, the few drops of sweat on his forehead showed that he knew it wasn't going to be easy for him.

  “Okay, here I go…”

  He started, but it was obvious it was an ordeal for him. His expressions described how painful it was for him.

  He moved his feet further apart and lowered his hips. He used his hands to support himself by placing them on the uneven ground in front of him.

  I was lucky not to have drawn it. I doubt I could do perfect splits. It would have been easier for me compared to Leo, but I wasn’t agile enough to risk making them in front of others.

  Unlike me, Lily was nimble. She could make all the splits there were without breaking a sweat! Her high kicks are more than enough proof for me!

  Leo continued to torture himself. He was slow but steady, lowering his posture into something resembling a decent split for a man.

  His entire face was red and sweat dripped from his forehead, almost making a waterfall.

  The rest of us watched him with bated breath.

  “Oh, God! This is the best I can do…”

  He didn’t do a perfect split, but it was good enough for me.

  “Good enough,” Raven replied.

  “Ye,” Lily seconded, while also giving a thumbs up.

  “Impressive,” was the single word Roosevelt could say.

  “I expected nothing less from you,” Rich sounded cold, but knowing him, he might have been more worried than Leo himself.

  “We unanimously agree that you have successfully made a split,” I gave the final verdict.

  My opinion of Leo is constantly improving. I must admit that his growth is in its own way comparable to Lily’s.

  However, after my words, Leo didn’t move even an inch.

  “We all agree you did fine. Now you can come and let’s continue! Who is next?” Raven reaffirmed my words.

  He must have thought Leo didn’t hear me.

  “There is a small problem…”

  “What is it?” I inquired.

  “… Can someone help me get up?”

  Raven and Lily covered their mouths and giggled silently, the former louder than the latter, whereas Rich and Roosevelt went to help Leo.

  “Are you alright?” I asked after seeing that Leo got up.

  “My groin area sustained critical damage,” he replied while holding said place with his hands.

  Must have been painful.

  The rude giggle Raven and Lily hid increased, making it palpable enough to be heard from where he was.

  “Very funny,” Leo said, slightly hurt.

  “It is,” Lily barely replied while laughing.

  “Look at the bright side: you are yet to bleed from there,” Raven again proved that there is always something worse.

  After Lily finally calmed down, she apologised.

  “Sorry.”

  After Leo returned and his pain was partially gone, we continued. Roosevelt’s turn was next. It took him a second to understand what he was reading.

  “‘If you are in love, name your target.’ What is this robot-like order? Was this written by Raven?” he exclaimed, slightly red.

  His shyness intrigued my interest. I wonder who is the lucky lady to have stolen his heart~

  “What, not feeling like telling? I promise you we won’t make fun of you. We might even put in a good word for you,” Lily mocked.

  She is friendlier and bolder than normal to men. This travel might have turned her into a better version of herself. I never imagined she could joke this much with the opposite sex.

  “Are you certain you want to hear it? You might be unable to take my confession,” he said with a serious expression, as if he were talking about a life and death situation.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Well, if the one he liked was one of us, then it might be as such for him. Thinking outside the box, it might be even harder if his crush was not even a woman…

  “Are you going to confess to Mary? Oh, my! Another one has fallen for her limitless charm. Poor Mary, always stealing the guy’s hearts unintentionally.”

  “That isn’t the truth!” I sulked at her truthful words.

  “Her looks might be above average…” Raven said and I looked at him.

  Above average? You sure about that? I’ll make sure to ask you about it in our next intercourse, just you wait…

  “You also want to confess to her?”

  “Little girl, I don’t confess to girls, I try them.”

  “What?”

  “Anyway, let’s bully Roosevelt.”

  “…”

  “Say, which hole do you want to have your…”

  “Lily, karate chop his head! He’s becoming a meanie!” I had to put a stop to his tyranny!

  This was the first occasion where Roosevelt had nothing ready to retort. It was an opportunity that Raven wouldn’t miss out on to exploit.

  “Fine, I’ll answer. Jees,” Roosevelt gave up and Raven’s punishment was delayed for an unknown amount of time.

  “It’s not her. I also could never dare go after the love of my late master,” he continued solemnly while watching Lily in the eyes.

  Yes, when I remember the death of Alason, I could not help but grieve. His untimely passing was a tremendous loss for me and our country.

  “The one who has managed to catch my eyes is, in fact, you, Lily!” he proclaimed his love aloud.

  It rendered us all speechless. Only Raven dared to give Lily a look and she to speak.

  My, how brave! Wish you luck in this challenging courtship you have taken upon yourself~

  I wish you happiness and healthy children! Many children! I wonder, if they were to have a child in the future, how strong it would be?

  Also, don’t forget to make me the godparent!

  Just thinking about the possibility of Lily making a family made me burn with emotions. Such flame was reduced to nothingness in no time.

  “Rejected. But I give you points for bravery. Most men don’t even have the guts,” she said while looking at the rest of the guys.

  Although it looked like a cold rejection, Lily's subtle shyness, as well as her inability to look Roosevelt in the eyes, suggested that his confession had made an impression on her.

  Even so, Lily! This was the first time someone confessed to you and you acted like that! He must be heartbroken! At least admit you need time to consider it!

  “I see. I will try asking you again after time has passed. Preferably, when we return to our country.”

  How mature. Is that how mature men are? He took it way better than I thought. I will root for you! Good luck and never give up!

  After such a spicy thing, I decided it was my turn now. I hope it goes well~

  I read aloud while looking at my friends, but I made sure the one I stopped my eyes on was Raven.

  “Sit on the lap of the person you are looking at…”

  I looked to see who the person was and it just happened to be Raven.

  “May I do so?” I asked shyly.

  “Just close your eyes.”

  No loopholes for you today!

  “Not happening! It won’t be fair to the others! Not that I want it or anything of the sort!”

  “Since you are so against it, my conscience will not allow me to force you. I assume the rest also will not.”

  “I get it! You are scared that your body will express the feelings you hide deep inside you! Worry not, I will close my eyes just this once.”

  “Feel free to,” he gave up arguing with me and let his lap be unprotected.

  He fell for my trap! It was I who wrote this and it was my plan to flirt with him in front of the others!

  I deliberately looked at Raven while reading the end! As I was given the honour of reviewing the pieces of paper beforehand, I came up with this plan at the last moment!

  I also folded the right upper end of the specific piece of paper to know which one I was looking for.

  His initial reluctance to comply with it was within my calculations, but I was certain he would give in.

  I was more than certain that if our situation allowed it, he would be the one who would propose that we spend the nights together!

  It was about time the rest began to know that there was something between us! I think there is. It wasn’t simply a one-night thing, was it?

  I sat down on his lap, my back leaning on his strong body. I turned my head as best I could to look at him. He had no expression.

  Is that so? What if I move slightly around? Would that give me a reaction from you? I will tease you in a bit, just you wait when all eyes aren’t on me!

  Still, I find your attempts to resist myself cute. I’m under your skin already, am I not? One night was all I needed to have you desire me and only me.

  Maybe taking you home would be easier than I thought, hehe~

  Your lap is quite comfortable, I admit. I like it way more than the hard rock I was sitting just seconds ago. I also like the hard… ahem…

  In an attempt to scatter my lewd thoughts, I focused on our game.

  This time, Raven decided to go.

  “Ask the closest one to you about their plans for the future,” Raven read and no doubt he looked at me.

  “Currently, you are the closest one to me physically.”

  “Only physically? Is the position I’m in not also making you forget all other women?” I turned my head to look at him.

  “What is so good about it? Most women usually have fewer clothes on when they sit where you are sitting.”

  “Oh, really? Good for you! Hmp!”

  “Is there someone closer to you than Mary?” Lily asked.

  “There sure is, but having to ask them would take me… around travelling a year, if not more. They are a few Continents away… Anyway, our dear, spoiled lady, what do you have in mind for the future? Hope is nothing too lewd.”

  Turning myself to look at him while resting on his lap was a bit harder and it strained my neck. Therefore, I decided to turn around with half my body. It also worked as a way to punish him for saying that I thought lewdly.

  I also cannot deny that it was a good way to tease him. I could even feel his “monster” down there, even if a little. A win for me! Now, what should I say?

  “I plan to succeed in this travel we have undertaken and go back home with my friends. Then I’ll start my battle to get to the top, where I can help my country instead of being a simple bystander to all the injustice. I… would also like to become a mother and find the right one.”

  My voice lost power and my face turned red at the last sentence.

  I always wanted to have cute children, but my motherly instincts weren’t my top priority. Also, no one caught my eye until recently. One of them died. For the other, I know little about and I’m uncertain if I could make him stay.

  Might as well ask him indirectly.

  “Would you like to help me with that?” I asked with a smile and as red a face as a ripe tomato.

  It was so embarrassing saying it aloud! I want to hide somewhere!

  “As long as you pay me, I am willing to kill your opponents to the top. Know that my commission can be quite expensive.”

  I wasn’t asking about this!

  “And… with the other one?”

  Lily choked while drinking water behind me.

  He was staring at my belly.

  “You do not seem pregnant. If you wish to be, ask me in a safer space. Will give my best shot,” he joked boldly.

  In fact, maybe even too bold. I feared he might get shot.

  But there was only laughter.

  “My, my! How bold of you. Is that an indirect confession? You might not be as brave as Roosevelt, but your ways also have some charm. Wish you luck chasing the biggest beauty on the whole planet – Mary. Be wary, though. The competition for her is endlessly big,” Lily joked with a smile on her face.

  The same Lily who, on her own, beat all those who were after me and my hand managed to joke like this. Since when did my little girl grow so much? I’m a proud older sister! She even experienced her first confession today! Such a joyful day this is!

  And so went our game for a while longer. The weather was getting worse, but the bright mood made us ignore it for the most part.

  “I know we promised to ask nothing about your past, but my curiosity got the better of me. May I ask?” Leo looked at Raven.

  “Feel free to ask. But I will also feel free to say nothing,” Raven agreed after making a sigh.

  “Who is the person closest to you as a person, the one who is Continents away? Just got curious who managed to endure your awful personality enough to get to know your good sides.”

  “What are you talking about? I am a saint for letting you live after saying this.”

  “That is what I mean!”

  “I don’t feel like answering.”

  “My apologies.”

  “But, remembering her always makes me smile.”

  Her? A woman? This isn’t good…

  “A few years have passed since we met. Let’s say that she has the deepest and most alluring eyes I have ever seen. A young beauty in the making. She’s quite witty and talkative, that annoying cheeky brat. She often annoyed me, but at the same time, she was one in whom I saw myself. Both her and my stories are ones of tragedy and suffering. Mine is bloodier. If I believed in such nonsense, I might dare to say that fate brought us together. I am certain she has grown to be a beauty, her charm making her one of the prettiest Asians I have ever met. Whenever I meet with her, I give her souvenirs from the journeys I took while she studied and experimented on subjects and themes my barbaric self could not even understand, let alone expand.”

  He spoke with a calm expression, occasionally showing a gentle smile. It was obvious to anyone that remembering her was pleasant for him.

  “She must be a researcher of sorts then,” Rich said.

  “Yes, she is undoubtedly one of the greatest minds of her generation.”

  I should feel happy that we grew so much that he spoke about part of his past, yet…

  “You said that you both had tragic backgrounds. My condolences for both of you, but know that the lives we lived made us the ones we are now,” Lily said with a serene expression.

  It was her way of comforting him. She knows what it means to have a tragic past.

  Hearing how warmly he talked about that woman, with such a warm smile on his face, felt, for an unknown reason to me, quite unpleasant.

  “Neither of us is happy, but we have already accepted it. There is no reason for regret.”

  I fear that his heart might have already been stolen by her…

  “Do you love her?” Roosevelt asked.

  His question made me on edge. It was something I wanted to know.

  “I never considered it. I think I am undeserving of love,” Raven replied while looking at his hands.

  What he was implementing was anyone's guess, but given what I know about him…

  “Everyone deserves love. It’s the human nature to love,” I said, trying to shake off his dark thoughts.

  “Heh. I doubt it,” he replied as he relaxed his hands.

  “I think you are craving love. True love.”

  Not one corrupted, like the one I may give you.

  “I do not think I love her. Why else would I be with you if I did? Why waste time with strangers when I could spend it with someone important?”

  I should feel rejoiced after hearing his reply to that answer, yet I’m not.

  I realised that despite all the time we spent together, I know too little about him. Only one thing is certain – we are slowly getting closer to him. Nonetheless, a part of him will always be hidden from us. Something is always keeping him away.

  Yet, I refuse to give up. I will try to get close to him, using all methods if the need arises. I am even ready to use my womb if it would make him stay.

  Finding another one like him would be close to impossible. I have to make sure he is by my side.

  “Enough about me talking about my past. I told you more than enough,” Raven put the line and we resumed the game.

  I put my devilish thoughts on the sidelines and decided to live in the moment.

  It was neither the time nor the place to make the moves that would make him forget about other girls.

  The game continued, but nothing noteworthy happened for a while.

  “I want to ask something outside the game. Is it safe for us to stay so close to the entrance?” Rich asked us while looking at the raging storm outside, his expression showing slight, yet palpable concern.

  The weather continued to worsen, the wind became stronger and the vegetation withered. Even a few of the trees in the forest nearby crumbled.

  “As long as no large amount of acid goes inside, we’ll be fine. The few puddles around the entrance shouldn’t be a concern. Still, I find the fierce storm unnerving. I sincerely hope it won’t get any worse than this,” Roosevelt replied.

  “What is the matter, Rich? Are you scared of the little rain? Nothing will happen to us in this strong cave! Why else would we be in here?” Leo said, puffing his chest like a proud beast.

  He put on a brave front to help us relax and disperse our worries. It would have livened up the mood in most situations and made us forget about the hell outside. However, this time was an exception.

  The exact moment when he finished boasting, the whole cave we were in shook. Sounds from falling rocks began to be heard and the entrance was blocked before we realised it. Due to the lack of a campfire, we were in total darkness.

  “Nice jinx. I will give you eight point five out of ten. For your knowledge, the prize for getting 10 is a shot in the head,” Raven was the first to speak with strong annoyance in his tone.

  “It wasn’t me, I swear!” Leo pleaded his innocence.

  I could imagine him begging on his knees at this moment.

  “What now?” Lily asked after activating a flashlight.

  In this journey, we rarely needed to use flashlights, even if it was one of the “ten most important supplies” we had to have, according to Raven.

  In order, they were water, food, self-defence weapons, ammunition for the previous, a flashlight, a game or a magazine with half-nude girls in it if the person were male (even though in the group there were two beauties already) and so on.

  The first time Raven said it, the boys were interested in the “fabled” magazine, but after Lily and I gave them a cold look, they forfeited the idea.

  I was certain Raven was joking about the magazine as he didn’t have any with him, but as I didn’t know him well back then, I decided to take note of what he told us. I assume it was his attempt at making a joke.

  “Are we going to wait here, look deeper into the cave or try to remove the rubble? I vote for the third option,” Lily continued.

  “For someone with such a flowery name, you sure are strong-minded. I like it. The third option is good, but it will be tough on our bodies and who knows when the rubble will be removed. If the worst comes to it, even more may fall as long as there is rain. Next time, it might fall on us,” Raven countered Lily’s opinion.

  She took it well as she didn’t bite back. She considered his wisdom and spoke.

  “And as the rain cannot be heard now from inside, we can’t tell when to start doing so. I see. You think that removing the rubble as of right now may be useless and I have to agree after reconsidering it.”

  “That leaves us with looking deeper into the cave or waiting,” Roosevelt spoke after he activated his flashlight.

  “Staying here will do nothing but help us rest. I am feeling quite energetic as of right now, so I’m for looking deeper into the cave. We need more knowledge regarding our surroundings. Another exit from the cave might be nearby,” Rich wanted to scout deeper in.

  “Same with me! I agree with Rich,” Leo approved his friend’s idea.

  “What if there is no other exit?” I asked.

  “Then we’ll have to take care of the rubble,” Lily replied.

  “Or make one ourselves,” Raven added.

  “Then let’s go deeper in. Don’t forget to mark our path,” I ordered and began walking.

  “Wait a moment,” Raven stopped us.

  “Is there a problem with going deeper?” Leo asked.

  “This cave could have other entrances. If there are none, then my concern would probably be false, but if there are, trouble could be waiting for us the deeper we go. Just make sure you have your main guns ready and look up from time to time with your flashlight,” he replied and started to assemble his AK-47.

  “We’ve already had encounters with undead in tight dark places. We will be fine!” I said, my tone filled with overconfidence.

  Said confidence was shattered instantly.

  “Are you thinking that Stalkers could be in here?” Roosevelt asked.

  “Yes. This is the perfect place for a nest. If I were a Stalker Queen, any larger cave would have been my prime pick to create my haven where I would lay down my eggs. Everything with ‘Stalker’ in its name is a nasty creature, barely resembling humans.”

  “Then why did you not object to us going in here?!” I asked with subtle fury.

  “It was either the cave as our only shelter or us melting in the rain,” Lily backed him up, “I’d have also picked the cave. He just thought of not saying anything to save us additional headaches.”

  “I kept in mind the possibilities of them existing, but as long as we were staying next to the entrance, I thought even if there were any hostiles deeper in, we would be safe. I made that bet and decided to take a spot where I was closest to the deeper parts. Now that we are forced to go, I have to warn you. Stalkers cannot be fought alone. They are like ants.”

  “You are quite knowledgeable about this subject,” Rich said.

  “They are the only zombies I prefer to skip fighting unless absolutely needed. You have no idea how happy I am that we have yet to encounter any of them. Even a night hunting party of them can number more than 20.”

  ‘Stalkers’ are infected that almost went into the class ‘Monsters’ due to how different their biology is from humans. Their somewhat human appearance kept them in the ‘Common’ class.

  Stalkers are faster and more agile than Runners, but are smaller and weaker. They are rarely taller than 4.9 feet. Instead of human fingers, they have claws.

  They are gender neutral, having nothing that resembles a reproductive organ.

  They have pale skin, often with a few spots of necrosis.

  They are very stealthy and make little to no sounds while stalking prey. One might be next to a Mercenary and stay undetected.

  They are identified as having ‘low’ intellect as they won’t rush at the first sight of a human.

  Stalkers are notorious for their deadly ambushes, never being alone and their readiness to sacrifice themselves for their Queen.

  They are never alone. Seeing one means more are nearby.

  They like to circle their prey and wait for the perfect moment to strike. Allowing them to make a coordinated attack often results in them wiping out the group they were stalking, be it humans, other undead or animals.

  Upon their presence being discovered, they might attack if they are certain they cannot lose the fight, but would often retreat and continue stalking, waiting for the opportunity to strike to arise.

  Due to the sharp fingers their hands and feet possess, they can climb and move on the walls and ceilings with little difficulty. They also slice skin, muscles and bones with ease.

  They prefer to crawl.

  They are creatures of the night – rarely could one be seen during the day. They evade strong light and will often run from it. They are almost blind during the day, but can see well in the darkness. In short, they are nocturnal.

  Their hearing is also good, rivalling that of cats. Strong sounds anger them, sometimes even making them attack irrationally.

  Stalkers usually hunt both humans and other undead to feed their Queen, but wild animals aren’t spared if there is a shortage of food. Even their fallen kind can find a purpose – reused as a meal for the Queen.

  Raven said they were like ants because the Stalker Queen commands them and only it. The only way for a King to control Stalkers is if the Stalker Queen, on her own will, decides to submit to the same King.

  Stalkers would fight during the day if their Queen or the thing she submitted to gave the order, but at the price of them losing most of their combat abilities and strength overall.

  Flashlights with UV light can cause them severe burns depending on the duration of exposure and the flashlight’s strength.

  What makes them inhumane is their birth – they come from eggs.

  Most undead are humans who have died and been reanimated due to the virus. The Stalker Queen lays her eggs and from them, an almost mature Stalker comes out after a month.

  If the nest is in danger, the Stalker Queen may release pheromones that force the eggs to open sooner.

  We were lucky not to encounter any during the retrieval of the “thing”.

  We had to be cautious in our approach moving forward. Or else we might already be dead before we even knew what happened.

  “Has anyone got spare silencers or suppressors? I think it would be helpful if we had something to reduce the noise our firearms make in the case of having to engage with anything in here,” Leo spoke.

  Buying either of them wasn’t a priority for us, but I wish it were.

  “First, silencers and suppressors are the same thing, just worded differently. Second, I have for my gun and sidearm,” Raven replied.

  “That’s great! At least your gun should be silent!” Leo said with excitement.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  “If it were only that easy.”

  Roosevelt and Lily said in unison.

  “Why’s that?”

  “In short – it does little to reduce the sounds of the gunshots. As an example, say you fire a gun and someone is able to hear you from a kilometre away. If you use a silencer and fire, your shot will be muffled and might not be heard from that distance, but if the person comes closer, let’s say to around 900 metres, they will hear the shots,” Raven described.

  “Isn’t that still an improvement?”

  “Somewhat. I will not get into details, but there are numerous negatives to them. Either way, I am the only one who has suppressors and I think there is no need to use one in here – the cave would make the shots too loud with or without using one.”