Multiverse , Leveling Up in the World I Created

I cleaned Lucille thoroughly and put it in my inventory.

In The Walking Dead universe, there was probably no souvenir as valuable as Lucille.

Lucille was the symbolic weapon Negan used.

The form itself was simple, just a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire.

But Negan used this bat to brutally smash the heads of other survivors, instilling fear in them.

Because of that, Lucille was more than just a weapon, it was also a symbol of Negan’s power and domination.

And the name Lucille came from Negan’s wife.

Even after she died, Negan kept that name on the bat, expressing his attachment to his wife.

So Lucille was both a tool of brutal violence and at the same time a memento carrying lost love, making it a weapon with truly ironic meaning.

"I think it’s time to start heading back.

We’ve had a lot of things happen, and I need to report to my superiors."

"So I can see Uncle Lee and Uncle Kenny again?"

"Of course."

I was going to check how far Rick’s group had moved, but Clem seemed very happy at the thought of seeing the motel survivors again.

The way back didn’t take as long as expected.

The blocked roads had already been cleared before, and walkers blocking the path could just be pushed aside or run over with the armored vehicle.

Of course, I couldn’t always do that.

Sometimes I had to stop and wait.

Large migrating hordes of walkers appeared from time to time.

I could have just pushed through them.

But the armored vehicle was fully loaded with supplies.

Plowing through walkers recklessly could jostle the cargo and spill things, and too much gore could clog the vehicle’s air intake.

Especially since it was a diesel engine, this was unavoidable.

So instead of forcing our way through, it was best to just wait quietly inside the armored vehicle for the walkers to pass, saving ammunition and keeping the vehicle clean.

"Another horde.

You know what to do, right?"

"Yes, just stay quiet in the back seat."

"Good."

Lately, I seemed to be seeing large migrating hordes more frequently.

There were various theories about why walkers moved in groups.

But the most plausible was that as time passed, survivors decreased, and even the city’s electricity shut off, the sounds and movements that would normally stimulate walkers had greatly diminished.

In a city that had become so quiet, walkers would start responding and moving one by one to even small sounds.

And once walkers gathered in one place, they naturally created a large amount of noise themselves.

Hearing that sound, other nearby walkers would join one by one, causing small groups to grow larger until they eventually formed massive hordes of hundreds or thousands.

Moreover, sometimes the sound of airplanes or helicopters passing overhead would cause walkers to react and lead the horde to move.

Anyway, we traveled like that and were able to return to Atlanta in about two weeks.

Of course, on the way back, we stopped by several survivor camps to sell needed items or buy or replenish supplies we were low on.

The first place we visited was the nursing home.

But the atmosphere at the nursing home, after such a long time, was quite grim.

Fortunately, the people were still alive, but it seemed there had been fighting.

Some people were walking on crutches from injuries, and there were even signs of graves in the open space, suggesting some had died.

"Sorry the atmosphere is so bad after you’ve come all this way.

The raiders came and we went through a pretty rough time.

Fortunately, we managed to fight them off somehow, but our side took considerable damage too.

Do you have any medicine we could buy?"

It seemed the nursing home had been attacked by raiders, just like in the deleted content from the original.

Still, thanks to the large amount of guns they had traded with me before, they at least seemed to have been able to defend themselves.

But Guillermo, the nursing home’s leader, seemed deeply saddened by the people who had been lost.

The atmosphere was too heavy to continue talking.

So we traded only the necessary medicine, exchanged brief goodbyes, and left the nursing home.

Then we moved back to Bellwood Quarry, where Rick’s camp had been.

"It looks like Uncle Rick and the others left.

There are only traces of where they stayed.

Where did they go?"

"I’m not sure.

Maybe we’ll find out if we send a radio signal?"

But even sending a signal, there was no reply from Rick.

That meant they were somewhere far from Atlanta.

But someone else picked up the signal.

This time too, Clem spoke into the radio.

"Do you copy?

I’m a survivor living in a residential area of Atlanta.

Have you ever heard the name Rick?"

"You mean Uncle Rick?

I know him.

I met him before.

He used to stay at the quarry camp, but now he’s gone."

"I see...

Oh, I heard they left a note on a red car.

Could you check for me?"

"Hold on."

We found the red car among the vehicles left at the quarry.

There we found a note that said, "Going to find a safe, empty farm up north."

Seeing this note, it seemed they hadn’t gone to the CDC like in the original.

"I found it.

It says they’re going to a farm up north."

"I see...

Thank you, that was very helpful.

Good luck to you too, little lady."

Then the radio went silent.

I couldn’t tell from the voice alone, but I suspected the one who picked up was Morgan.

Morgan had formed a connection with Rick early on, helping him, and later rejoined after some time had passed.

’I wonder if his son is still alive.’

In The Walking Dead, many people die, but new characters constantly join as well.

I wanted to save as many of them as possible, but to do that, I would have to use my abilities excessively.

In the end, I couldn’t take care of everyone individually.

Besides, in this world, narratives were often completed through someone’s sacrifice.

For some characters, death itself served as an important catalyst for other characters’ growth or the continuation of the story.

Morgan was one of them.

"Let’s head out too."

"Where are we going now?"

"Do you remember that farm near Forsyth?"

"Ah!

You mean that farm with the grandpa who gave us those delicious sandwiches?"

"That’s right.

Let’s go there.

We have to pass by it anyway to get to Macon."

"Okay."

We turned the armored vehicle and started moving toward Hershel’s farm.

It didn’t take long to reach Hershel’s farm.

"Hyung!"

Whoosh!

Rick’s group was at Hershel’s farm, and Glenn ran over and hugged me tightly as soon as he saw me.

I appreciated the warmth, but having a man do that was still a bit overwhelming.

"Have you been well?"

"Yes, I’ve been fine."

"But it looks like your group shrunk a bit."

As I said, Rick’s group had decreased in number.

"Ah, that’s because some split off when we moved from the quarry camp.

The Morales family left to join a group of Mexicans."

But unlike the original, there were also survivors who had lived.

Amy, Jacqui, and Sophia.

Amy was Andrea’s younger sister, but thanks to me warning them about the dangers of walkers in advance, she was able to survive.

Jacqui was also a character who died in the original by staying behind at the CDC, but since they didn’t go there, she survived.

And lastly, Sophia, Carol’s daughter.

It was a bit surprising to see Sophia alive, since I hadn’t actively intervened.

"I see.

So how did you end up here?"

"We were trying to go to Forsyth.

But on the way, the car broke down.

So we ended up coming here.

Of course, there were dangerous moments too.

We almost died, but thanks to the spears you gave us, we survived.

Like you said, they’re really good weapons for hunting walkers."

It seemed the spears I had given them played a significant role in Sophia’s survival.

"Oh!

Welcome.

It’s been a long time.

And you too, little lady, have you been well?"

"Long time no see, Hershel.

I’m glad you’re safe."

"Hello, Grandpa."

Hershel also welcomed us warmly.

"But what happened to your family..."

When Hershel asked cautiously, Clem’s expression darkened instantly.

Hershel was quick to read the mood, being older.

He seemed to roughly guess what had happened to her family just from her expression.

"..."

Hershel didn’t ask further and gently patted Clem’s shoulder to comfort her.

He didn’t want to reopen her wounds with unnecessary questions.

"So what brings you here?"

"I have something to tell you about that."

I gathered Rick’s group and Hershel’s family and told them about the trading post the military was running.

At that, the people’s mood shifted quickly, and they began listening seriously to what I had to say.

"The military isn’t running the trading post just to buy and sell supplies.

It’s to allow different survivor groups to interact and exchange not just supplies but all kinds of information.

By sharing information with each other, you can learn about dangerous areas or raider activity, and ultimately that should increase your survival chances."

I paused to read people’s expressions, then continued.

"So whether you want to use it or not is up to you.

I’m not forcing anyone to use it."

Then Rick asked.

"Is the military not protecting civilians yet?"

"The vaccine hasn’t been developed yet."

"I see...

Oh, are you still trading?"

"Yeah, I am.

I was just coming back from trading in Atlanta on my way here."

"Those gangster-like guys?

Is that place okay?"

"That side isn’t in good shape either.

It seems they’ve been through quite a lot because of raiders.

There were some casualties.

You guys should be careful too."

"I see...

That’s unfortunate.

Anyway, trade with us.

We looted a jewelry store on the way here."

"Alright."

Rick’s group traded for a mix of ammunition and food supplies this time.

It seemed they had become quite short on supplies after leaving the quarry camp.

Hershel’s family, having heard my story, also gathered the gold items they had and brought them over.

Thanks to that, I was able to see Hershel’s son Shawn Greene, his daughters Maggie and Beth, Beth’s boyfriend Jimmy, and Hershel’s friend Otis and his wife Patricia, all still alive.

The items they traded for were mostly weapons and medicine.

Given what was to come, they must have judged that items to protect themselves and prepare for injuries were just as important as food.

Among Hershel’s family, the one who stood out most was Maggie.

Maggie was a white woman with neat brown short hair and blue eyes, still carrying the pure country farm girl vibe, as if she hadn’t yet experienced much of the world’s harshness.

And seeing her standing close to Glenn, it seemed the two had developed into a romantic couple, just like in the original.

"Thanks for the trade.

You’re going to leave again, right?

When are you planning to leave?"

When Shane asked, I thought for a moment and answered.

"I’m not sure, I don’t have a set plan, but since I haven’t been here in a while, I’ll probably stay for a day or two and then leave."

"I see..."

Shane seemed to be thinking about something.

Then Hershel smiled and said.

"It’s been a while since we had guests, so I’ll treat you all to dinner tonight.

Don’t be late coming to the house this evening."

Hershel had changed a bit from the original too.

He didn’t treat Rick’s group badly, so he seemed to have become more flexible.

His son Shawn still being alive probably had an effect on that.

When dinner time came, everyone gathered at Hershel’s house.

Hershel had prepared various dishes, and it was clear he had done his best with limited ingredients.

Since I was also invited, it felt rude to come empty-handed, so I brought alcohol and a few cans of fruit.

"Wow!

That’s canned fruit?!"

When I pulled out the canned fruit, people looked quite surprised.

"Yeah.

These are close to their expiration date now.

That’s why canned fruit was so expensive.

Even canned fruit doesn’t have that long of a shelf life.

In the future, unless it’s fruit grown on Ziking Island, it might be hard to eat things like this.

The remaining ones are also nearing their expiration dates.

At this rate, fruit might become more expensive than gold for the same size."

At that, people sighed in disappointment.

"It’s a shame we won’t be able to taste things like this anymore."

"Right.

It is disappointing."

People looked at the canned fruit with regret, but they also seemed to be looking forward to tasting fruit after so long.

We enjoyed a dinner at Hershel’s house, laughing and chatting after a long time.

Eventually, people started asking about the situation in other regions.

I didn’t see any reason to hide anything, so I told them truthfully about the things I had seen and experienced.

There were places where raiders had taken control and maintained their power by demanding tributes from surrounding survivor groups.

There were also places that seemed fine on the surface but eventually collapsed due to internal conflicts and division.

"The situation isn’t good anywhere.

Some places have fallen to raiders, others have been destroyed by internal fighting.

In the end, there are many cases where people are more dangerous than walkers."

People put down their drinks and listened seriously to my story.

Hershel, especially, remained quiet throughout, deep in thought.

Even though this place was relatively peaceful, the outside world was not.

Rather, it was more accurate to say they had been fortunate enough to avoid major damage so far.

"Oh...

Sorry for killing the mood."

"It’s fine.

Everyone’s struggling these days."

Then Shane, who had had a bit to drink, made a request.

"By any chance, could I join the military or get a job on Ziking Island?"

"Why?

Are you leaving this place?"

"Yeah.

Honestly, I don’t mesh well with him.

Rick is a good friend and leader, but he always pushes things too far.

I’m afraid I might end up seeing the corpses of the people here because of it.

So I want to leave before that happens."

Shane was speaking under the influence of alcohol, but his desire to leave was genuine.

The people looked quite shocked.

"Shane, you’ve had too much.

Let’s step outside and talk for a bit."

Rick stepped in and tried to take Shane outside for a moment.

But Shane shook off Rick’s hand and said.

"Forget it!

I have nothing to say to you.

This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.

Even if I didn’t join the military, I was already planning to leave."

Then Hershel stood up and said.

"Let’s call it a night here.

Everyone’s had a lot to drink and it’s late, so I think it’s best to get some rest."

At that, people read the mood and started getting up one by one to leave.

Rick exchanged a few more words with Shane, but from the looks of it, the conversation wasn’t very productive.

Honestly, it was hard to say that this was entirely Shane’s fault.

When the zombie apocalypse first broke out, Shane had tried to get Rick, who was in critical condition with a gunshot wound, out of the hospital.

But moving Rick, who was on life support, out of the hospital was impossible.

In the end, Shane had no choice but to barricade Rick’s hospital room and escape alone.

After that, Shane looked after Rick’s family and managed to survive.

During that time, he grew close to Rick’s wife, Lori, and the two had a passionate affair, believing Rick was dead.

Since neither Shane nor Lori had any reason to think Rick was still alive, it was hard to simply label their relationship as Shane’s betrayal.

But when Rick came back alive, everything started to fall apart.

Lori had opened her heart to Shane because she’d been told Rick was dead, but when Rick returned alive, she began to feel betrayed by Shane.

Shane, too, had no idea Rick was alive, so he was inevitably thrown into confusion.

From that point on, Lori pushed Shane away and started being with Rick again, and Shane tried desperately to explain to Lori that he hadn’t intentionally abandoned Rick.

Above all, Shane still genuinely loved Lori, so he couldn’t easily let go of her.

But then another problem arose.

Lori was pregnant.

There was speculation about who the father was, but many believed it was Shane’s.

Given that the two had been going at it passionately—day and night—before they learned Rick was alive, it was certainly possible.

That incident put Shane under tremendous psychological pressure.

But as I said earlier, when I consider whether this was truly just Shane’s fault, I couldn’t readily say yes.

Shane had done everything he could and had simply been true to his feelings.

Of course, the result was that he’d damaged Rick and Lori’s relationship, but he hadn’t acted knowing Rick was alive from the start.

And Lori had her own issues.

Instead of trying to understand Shane’s position—a man with whom she’d once shared a passionate love—she just kept pushing him away, further twisting the relationship between Rick and Shane.

In the end, it wasn’t just Shane’s fault; multiple factors had come together to cause his downfall.

’That bitch Lori... looking at this, it’s clearly on both sides.’

To resolve this issue, I talked with Rick’s group over breakfast the next day.