Recruiting the Team

Lynn's gaze swept across the gathering and stopped on Shane's face, twisted with rage and terror.

Just then, an elderly voice rang out, striving to stay steady:

"Enough! Put your weapons down! All of you!"

Dale roared.

He let go of Lori, took two steps forward, and spread his arms, putting himself between Shane and Davis. His hair was disheveled, his face weary and worried.

"Look around us! Look!" Dale raised his voice, a tremor running through it. "What's out there? Walkers that eat people! How many people do we have? How many bullets? How much food? How much water is left?"

His gaze swept over everyone. "We're lucky to be huddled here with this broken-down RV. We can't afford to fight! We can't afford to lose people!"

He turned to Shane, his tone pleading yet firm. "Shane, put down the gun! Think of Lori! Think of Carl! Think of everyone!

"You shouldn't be pointing a gun at the living, especially not someone who might offer us a way to survive."

He glanced at Lynn. This stranger was difficult for him to read.

Shane's bloodshot eyes stayed fixed on Dale, his chest heaving. The muzzle of his gun trembled slightly. Dale's words were like water splashed onto hot iron, but his killing intent had not faded.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lynn's calm face and the woods concealing a sniper.

"Shane..."

Lori's voice reached him, thick with tears and full of fear.

Shane's Adam's apple bobbed. He expelled a harsh breath from his chest, and his gun finally lowered, slowly.

He looked at no one, staring hard at the bullet crater in the ground, his finger still on the trigger.

Merle snorted, flicked his wrist, and slipped the razor back into his sleeve.

He folded his arms and leaned back against the Jeep's hood, looking entertained again, though a trace of wariness toward the woods had entered his eyes.

Daryl's shoulders relaxed, but his grip on the crossbow did not loosen. His wary gaze moved between Lynn and the woods.

Davis remained in front of Lynn, looking straight ahead. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest betrayed his earlier tension.

Rick struggled to get up, and Min-seon stepped forward to support him.

Ignoring the pain, he looked urgently toward Lori and Carl. Seeing that they were unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief, then turned a complicated, worried gaze on Shane and Lynn.

Lynn watched it all indifferently.

Dale's mediation had been expected. The old man spoke for those in the camp who wanted to survive.

Shane had yielded out of fear of the sniper and concern that the camp would spiral out of control.

Shane's ruthlessness was a necessity in the apocalypse. Daryl's tracking skills were urgently needed at the base. Glenn's quick thinking, T-Dog's loyalty, Andrea's marksmanship, Carol's resilience... all these people had value forged in desperate circumstances.

The system screen had opened at the edge of his vision earlier, its scarlet countdown ticking: 47:58:03... 47:58:02...

The main quest's objective was still Rick's family.

Penalty: erasure!

But as he observed everyone, the text on the screen changed:

[Detected a gathering of high-value potential survival units...]

[Detected strong integration intent from the host...]

[Main quest forcibly updated: Survivor Integration]

[New objective: recruit the current camp's core survivors (Rick Grimes, Shane Walsh, Daryl Dixon, Merle Dixon, Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, Carol, Carl Grimes, Lori Grimes, Dale, etc.), and bring all of them safely to the host's core base (Atlanta Zoo)]

[Additional rewards upon quest completion:

Base: Survival Points x 1000.

For each core member who arrives alive: additional Survival Points x 200.

If more than 10 people survive, an additional team (6-8 members) creation authorization ×1 will be awarded]

[Quest time limit: 72 hours (remaining: 71 hours, 59 minutes)]

[Quest failure penalty: host... erasure!]

The quest had changed. The objective had gone from Rick's family to integrating the entire camp. He had gained another 24 hours, and the rewards depended on the number of survivors.

Team Management Module? Did the system approve of him building a faction?

A faint, cold curve flickered at the corner of Lynn's mouth.

Was the system "adjusting" based on his actions? Interesting. Dangerous.

But the new quest aligned closely with his assessment of their value and the current situation.

"Davis."

Lynn's voice broke the stillness.

At his voice, Davis shifted half a step aside, maintaining a protective position as his sharp gaze swept over Shane and Daryl.

Lynn looked at Dale and nodded slightly. "You're right, sir. Fighting among ourselves serves no purpose."

His voice was clear. "The dead outside won't give us a second chance."

He paused, his gaze passing over every face in the camp: Shane's sinister expression, Daryl's wariness, Merle's mockery, the tension on Glenn's, T-Dog's, and Andrea's faces, Carl in Lori's arms, and Carol at the edge of the crowd, holding Sophia, pale-faced but standing straight.

"We," Lynn stressed the word, "just fought our way out of downtown Atlanta. The city center. King County Memorial Hospital."

He saw Rick jolt. "We went in to explore and found him," he pointed at Rick, "and dragged him out of the morgue and a pile of walkers.

"The cost: one vehicle lost, and more than half our ammunition spent."

Muffled gasps rose from the camp.

The hospital downtown?

Just thinking about the number of walkers there made their scalps prickle.

"We have a safe place," Lynn said with certainty. "At Atlanta Zoo."

"The zoo?"

Glenn blurted it out, surprise and hope on his face.

He knew the city well and naturally knew what it was like there. It was undoubtedly the most suitable base available.

"Yes," Lynn confirmed. "It has high walls and secure, iron-caged enclosures. Those are natural barriers.

"Water-there's an artificial lake, backup generators, medicine, and a tool warehouse.

"The place is large and sturdy enough for us to survive."

He looked around the makeshift camp and the RV. "Ten times safer than here."

He saw a gleam in Andrea's eyes. T-Dog straightened his back, Carol hugged Sophia tighter, and Dale looked thoughtful.

"We have a doctor," Lynn said, pointing at Min-seon, "to treat injuries and illnesses. We also have weapons and ammunition," he pointed at the guns in the Jeep's back seat and the equipment on his body, "and the base's infrastructure is still there. We have a vehicle too," he patted the Jeep, "and it still runs."

His gaze settled on Shane's face, calmly assessing him. "Deputy Shane, you're ruthless. I appreciate that. But ruthlessness needs to be directed at the right target. Drawing on the living only gives the dead outside something to laugh about."

He shifted tack, his tone cold and enticing. "Come with me. I have walls, resources, and order.

"You can use that ruthless streak to protect the people you want to protect, instead of waiting to die in this dump or getting shot by your own people."

The muscles in Shane's cheek twitched. Lynn's words struck his most sensitive spot.

Protect Lori and Carl... order... He stared hard at Lynn, suspicion, resentment, and a trace of uncertainty churning in his eyes.

Without waiting for his answer, Lynn turned to Daryl. "Daryl Dixon."

Daryl tightened his grip on his crossbow.

"I know you. You're good in the woods, and that's a fine crossbow." Lynn's tone held approval. "The zoo backs onto wild land, with a large stretch of woods behind it. We need eyes like yours. A hunter.

"There, your skills will be useful. You can bring meat back to camp, and safety."

Daryl pressed his lips together and said nothing, but the hostility in his eyes eased a fraction.

"Glenn," Lynn looked at the young Asian man, "you know the city, and you're quick-witted. I need people to scout routes and find supplies.

"The zoo base has plenty of resources, but we'll still need to replenish them. I need your help."

In these early days of the apocalypse, many resources in the city remained undamaged, particularly food that had not yet spoiled. Exploring the city had originally been his next plan.

The sudden appearance of the system had simply disrupted it.

Glenn nodded instinctively. Compared with these people, he trusted the man who had saved his life more.

"The same goes for everyone else." Lynn's gaze passed over T-Dog, Andrea, Carol, and the others. "My base needs plenty of capable people. I see promise in all of you."

His words were highly persuasive. Everyone would feel some temptation.

"I'm not asking." Lynn's voice turned cold and oppressive. "I'm offering you a way to survive. A far better one than hiding here waiting to die, or being torn apart by walkers."

He tilted his head slightly, glanced at the woods a hundred meters away, then looked back.

"Choose! Stay here guarding the RV and pray for good luck, or pack your things now and get in the vehicles with us.

"Decide before sunset."

He said nothing more, turned, opened the door, and sat in the passenger seat, closing his eyes to rest.

He left the camp's deathly silence and everyone's thoughts outside the vehicle.

Davis stood silently beside the Jeep, his shotgun angled toward the ground, his sharp gaze sweeping the camp, especially Shane and Daryl.

Min-seon supported Rick, quietly asking about his injuries. Rick's complicated gaze moved between Lynn, Shane, Lori, and Carl.

Dale sighed heavily. "You all heard him?... Think it over yourselves."

He walked wearily back to the RV and sat down, picking up the battered radio but failing to tune it.

Shane stood rooted to the spot, the veins bulging on the back of his gun hand.

Lori held Carl, her gaze wandering between Rick and Shane.

Daryl put away his crossbow bolt and walked over to Merle. The two whispered quickly, glancing toward the Jeep and the woods.

Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, and the others gathered to whisper, fear and excitement mingling on their faces.

Carol hugged Sophia tightly and crouched in a corner, her eyes on the Jeep.

The campfire crackled.

The countdown ticked at the edge of Lynn's vision: 71:55:18... 71:55:17...

The recruitment had only just begun.