The Gas Station

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Evan understood what Michonne meant.

"So you were already here. You just stayed outside and didn't come in?"

The bell had rung while Evan was facing the wave of Berserkers.

If Michonne was telling the truth, then she had approached the church while he was unconscious.

She had definitely seen the walker corpses before now.

Maybe that was exactly why she had not rushed inside.

"Yes," Michonne said.

She had survived alone this long because she was cautious.

What Michonne had not expected was that someone could be surrounded by that many walkers, trapped in a church with no real way out, and still carve a path through them alive.

Impossible.

Then there was the strength Evan had just shown.

That was why Michonne put the katana away.

If Evan had truly wanted to kill her, fighting him here would be a bad bet.

What Michonne did not know was that if Evan had not just equipped three pieces of gear, he might not have reacted to her strike at all.

She moved with frightening agility.

Her blade was fast.

In a certain sense, Michonne was exactly the kind of fighter who could counter Evan.

Unless it became a desperate blood battle like the Blood Moon.

If it did, the one who died would still be Michonne.

She could cut Evan five times, ten times.

Evan only needed to land once.

Once was enough to end it.

He had that much confidence.

Evan looked at Michonne, let the hard edge in his expression fade, and gave her an easy smile.

"You can stop looking. It's just me in there. No one else."

"You killed all those walkers by yourself?" Michonne asked, glancing at the simple splint on his right arm.

The moment the question left her mouth, she already knew the answer.

Evan opened both hands.

"As you can see."

Covered in walker blood, he stood in front of the church with his arms spread.

Behind him was a mountain of corpses.

Even Michonne lost focus for a heartbeat at the sight.

While she was distracted, Evan circled behind her and looked with interest at the two walkers she had chained.

"Take away the arms and jaws, and walkers lose the ability to attack. They even seem to lose most of that blood hunger. This is only the second time I've seen walkers this quiet."

The first had been the old woman in the motel.

"Good idea. Better courage."

Evan clicked his tongue.

"A lot cleaner than rubbing walker guts all over yourself."

Michonne could tell he gave credit when it was earned.

For a second, Evan wondered if he should keep two jawless walkers as cover when he moved alone.

Then he thought better of it.

First, with his strength, he did not need them.

Second, he never had enough walker kills. Why would he keep two of them alive?

Michonne did not respond to the praise.

She only watched him quietly.

After a while, she took the chains again and turned to leave.

"If you don't mind what just happened, we can part here."

She left cleanly.

Evan did not call her back.

He only raised his voice.

"Looks like you're alone. If you ever want somewhere to rest, head south to the Prison. That's where I'll be."

Michonne waved without turning around.

She did not stop.

Only after she had gone farther and farther away did Evan shoulder the hammer and sigh.

"With Michonne's personality, she won't join anyone easily unless she sees the camp for herself and decides it works for her."

"Forget it. That's for later. The church business is done. Time to find Daryl and Merle."

Evan was not worried about Michonne.

Fighting alone was her normal state.

That was exactly why she did not trust anyone easily.

If she could not adapt to the apocalypse, she would have died long before now.

And if she really did die...

Then she died.

What else could he do?

Evan turned into the trees, cut down a tree, gathered plant fibers and stones, and upgraded his Stone Sledgehammer to Lv. 5.

To make a Quality 6 version, he would need a special material: legendary parts.

But even at Lv. 5, the improvement was already large.

[Stone Sledgehammer Lv. 5]

[Description: This hammer is the best tool for cracking skulls.]

[Melee Damage/Power Attack Damage: 25.1/47.1]

[Stamina Cost: 22]

His old Quality 2 Stone Sledgehammer had only 18 melee damage.

Returning to the village, Evan pushed an old motorcycle out and rode away.

"My current position should be west of where the convoy was."

"I didn't get back by dawn, and I don't know how long I was unconscious. Rick should have taken them to the Prison by now."

"Based on the direction Daryl and Merle left, I should keep heading north for now."

"This much time has passed. If they aren't dead, they won't keep circling the same spot. If they move, they'll try to reach the Prison and meet up with everyone."

"So I'll search north. If I don't find them, I'll go straight to the Prison. If nothing happened to Daryl and Merle, they're probably there already."

Evan rode with one hand on the handlebar, his other arm hanging loose.

He looked almost relaxed.

He kept moving north from his position.

The fracture countdown in the lower-left corner was already more than halfway done. Less than two hours remained.

In two more hours, Evan would be back at full strength.

He crossed grassland and open fields before finally finding a straight stretch of asphalt road.

He rode another mile or so before the motorcycle coughed twice, unwilling to go on, and slowed abruptly.

Evan twisted the throttle a few times, but the speed would not rise.

"Out of gas."

The motorcycle came from an abandoned village, so Evan had not expected much.

Even so, he had not expected it to die after less than five miles.

Fortunately, when he looked ahead, a large gas sign stood out in the distance.

Even from half a mile away, it was easy to spot.

Evan pushed the motorcycle forward with one hand.

Beneath the big gas station sign stood a public restroom.

He guided the motorcycle around it.

Two seconds later, he backed up again.

His face stiffened.

Leaning against the wall, Evan felt his heart thump twice against his ribs.

Behind the wall at his back, an entire horde was wandering through the gas station.

They were not moving away.

They swayed around the station as if something there was holding them.

"A hundred or so nearly killed me. How am I supposed to handle several hundred?"

Evan frowned, stuck between choices.

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