Being locked up in that "prison" for a month didn't change much about Merle's attitude. Although the food provided by the Commonwealth was fresh but not delicious, fortunately it was rich in nutrition, so Merle never complained.
There were still two kilometers left before reaching the town, but it was already very late. Seeing his situation, he had no choice but to find a relatively secluded place by the roadside and light a campfire.
...
One hour later.
A snake was tied to a wooden stick. At that moment, the snake's skin had been slightly roasted, while Merle sat calmly on the ground beside it, studying the map in his hand.
A few minutes later, he put the map away, pulled the wooden stick from the ground, took out two small cans from his bag, and spread them over the snake meat.
"Mmm..."
The first bite he took was full of satisfaction. He hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and with the food Deanna had prepared before leaving, it had been more than enough to fill his stomach for many days. But as he had always known, food was never truly enough.
"Bah, I'm a great chef..."
Merle leaned back against the tree trunk at his side, enjoying himself. Although his mouth kept moving, his ears were also paying attention to the surrounding situation. Years of experience in wild survival had made him highly adaptable to this kind of environment.
The weather was getting colder. At that moment, a small bedding made of piled dead branches and leaves lay beneath his body, and as a precaution he had set up a simple alarm cord. In the darkness, walkers do not rest, so it was good to be prepared.
Feeling the warmth of the fire, eating animals he hadn't tasted in a long time, and sensing the cold breeze blowing through the forest, Merle showed a rare expression of enjoyment.
"Uff, it's been a long time since I've felt this good. Freedom has always been on our side."
Looking at the snake meat in his hand, he took another strong bite, tearing the flesh apart before savoring it. Although the seasoning he used was very simple, it was still enjoyable to eat.
Crack!
A faint sound not far away caught his attention. He stopped all movement in alert and sharpened his hearing to listen carefully—even the chewing in his mouth ceased.
Crack... crack...
Walkers or people?
Merle's eyes turned cold as he stared at the shifting flames. He set the snake aside and, with his other hand, drew a weapon from his waist. It was a pistol he had found during the past two days of wandering. Although he didn't have much ammunition, he wouldn't hesitate to use it for self-defense against the living.
Leaning his body to the side, he used the tree trunk to shield himself as much as possible. The faint sound came again. His body went on full alert, and the muzzle of the gun pointed in the direction of the noise.
"Don't shoot! We're alive!"
Just as Merle was about to pull the trigger, a woman's voice rang out. In the firelight, he could see a woman standing not far away, holding someone in her arms.
"Raise your hands so I can see you—and that runt too..."
"O-Okay... okay, good child, raise your hands so the gentleman can see us."
Seeing that neither of them had weapons in their hands, Merle gestured with his gun for them to approach the fire, near the tree.
"Not so fast. One sudden move and I'll fill you with lead."
"O-Okay... sir."
After quickly scanning the surroundings, Merle found nothing unusual. Then he looked back toward the dense bushes behind them.
"Who else is there?"
"No... no one else. It's just the two of us..."
Merle narrowed his eyes and stared at the woman's face, trying to detect a flaw, but she behaved exactly like anyone would these days—with fear and distrust.
After a brief cross-examination, he still couldn't extract any information from her. He felt slightly relieved. After a few minutes, Merle felt a bit uncomfortable but concluded that these two should be ordinary survivors.
If there was one thing he had learned well in all his years, it was how to judge people. So he simply motioned for them to sit down. Only now did he take the time to properly observe these strangers.
The woman had long blonde hair, and her face was dirty, as expected of someone surviving in such conditions. Judging by the smell she left behind when she moved, neither of them had bathed in a long time.
As for the runt, she seemed much cleaner. That small figure appeared to be hiding behind the woman, but when the woman raised her hand, he saw her face. She was a young girl, probably in her early teens. She was thin and must have endured long periods of hunger—Merle realized this because from the moment she approached the fire, she had stared fixedly at the snake.
"You want to eat?"
The girl nodded, but immediately shook her head when she saw Merle's face.
At that moment, the firelight illuminated Merle's face. His gloomy expression, his mouth open as he chewed, made him look like a demon who enjoyed killing walkers. The girl was so frightened that she didn't dare look him in the eyes for more than two seconds.
The corner of Merle's mouth twitched as he looked at the offended girl.
Wait, what? Am I that scary?
Ever since Merle had controlled his temper and followed Jason, his temperament had changed a lot. In the past, the first thing he would have done upon seeing these two would have been to search them for supplies, take everything, and leave them to their fate.
If they were calm and obedient, fine. But if they were disobedient, they might even lose their lives.
Compared to the past, he had changed a lot. But being alone made him feel somewhat empty, and his old nature had slowly begun to resurface during these short days.
"Alright, get lost. There's nothing interesting I can get from you."
The woman's expression turned desperate, as if terrified, but she still didn't leave. Her voice became shaky.
"Sir... c-could you... could you help us?"
The danger had passed, and Merle relaxed a little. He picked up the snake meat from the ground again, brushed it off with his hand, and continued eating.
"What does your problem have to do with me? Don't bother me again, or I won't be polite." Merle said without lifting his head. The woman's body began to tremble; even the warm firelight couldn't hide her pale face.
Thud!
The woman collapsed weakly to the ground but quickly struggled and knelt there, begging repeatedly. The girl had no intention of begging; she desperately grabbed the woman, trying to pull her up.
Seeing the girl biting her lip to keep from crying, the woman could no longer hold back her tears. She pushed the girl aside with a swift movement of her arm and threw herself at Merle's side without hesitation. Her words became increasingly humble.
Merle rolled his eyes, pushed the woman away in annoyance, and asked in a cold tone,
"I'm warning you, I don't want to hear begging. Leave now."
As he spoke, Merle drew his pistol, and with a click, it was loaded.
The fear disappeared from the woman's face. After being pushed away, she simply sat there and continued pleading.
"Sir, I can see that you're a good person and that you know how to survive in the wild. We truly have nowhere to go. I found this girl on the road. Her parents are dead. I've been bitten. If I turn and she stays by my side, she'll surely die.
I beg you, help her."
As she spoke, the woman opened her collar. Her pale neck was bright red, and the area around the walker's bite had turned black—just like her overall state of mind at that moment.
Merle's hands paused, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. He hesitated slightly as he looked at the girl beside the woman. For some reason, a sentence Jason had once told him flashed through his mind.
Children are the ones who will take care of us in the future, so it's our responsibility to take care of them.
Merle felt irritated. He pressed his lips together and muttered a curse under his breath, blaming Jason for brainwashing him. But when he saw the frightened face of the girl, he finally gave in and said:
"Leave her and get the hell out of here. Go as far as you can so we don't run into you later."