June 5, 2025; They had opted to stay at the house for two more days before leaving, allowing Clay's ribs some time to heal. And he needed it too. He still couldn't move his left side well. And the weight of his rucksack added to the feeling. "It looks like the rain is slacking off. But a dense fog is setting in." He said as they made their way down Highway 57 south.
With any luck, they would make it to the City of Kankakee by nightfall. The highway was littered with abandoned or crashed vehicles, some with zombies stuck inside them. They spotted another group of people farther ahead of them but soon couldn't make them out because of the thick fog.
They had been walking for about three hours when a scream came from ahead of them. Then another one, this one sounded like it was running off to the right. The first one screaming stopped with an odd gurgling sound. The second one, a man by the sound of it just abruptly cut off.
"Watch out." He whispered as he took a defensive stance. He could hear something and someone running closer. Their feet were loud on the asphalt and they splashed through puddles as they neared Clay's party.
He heard Dawn yell, "Watch out!" As she lunged forward and stabbed past Clay with her spear. A three-foot-tall grey pitbull that seemed to materialize out of the fog let out a pitiful "owrrlll" sound as she caught the flying mutated dog in the chest with the spear tip.
The force knocked her backward on her ass, but the spear stopped the attacking dog almost dead. As its feet hit the ground Clay swung his axe, laying the dog's thick neck wide open as blood sprayed him.
"DING! Congratulations! New skill acquired: Frenzy. Grants the host a temporary 20% Health Point boost and an additional 5 points of Strength and 3 points of Dexterity for five minutes. Cost: 20 Mystical Points." Kris said in his head.
Clay didn't have time to think about it as he dodged a much smaller mutated dog that Jill quickly dispatched. Just in time for him to kick another away as it lunged for Tonya and chopped into a shaggy white-haired dog nearly as tall as he was.
The dog let out a yelp and tried to flee. Jill stepped forward and smashed her makeshift mace as hard as she could with a baseball swing. The force sent it staggering sideways. However, another mutated dog lept on her, clamping down on the rucksack as she was forced to the ground. She tried to swing her mace but the large vicious dog whipped her back and forth violently, even slamming her into the asphalt a couple of times.
Clay only barely noticed Jill's dilemma. He had seen two humanoids run past. Another had been grabbed by the leg and he heard the figure's head bounce off the asphalt with a hard-sounding "CRACK" and was immediately shredded by two more dogs. Clay swung a backhanded swing at the one on Jill's back catching it in the side and laying it open with a long slash.
Luke smashed its head with the metal jack handle and managed to wedge it into another mutated dog's mouth as it snapped for his neck.
Clay grabbed the dog still on Jill's back and tossed it off her so she could scramble back to her feet. He even managed to bury the spike of his axe into one of the two dogs' heads that had torn one of the other survivors from the other group to pieces.
That's when Tonya did something, he saw her eyes light up with an azure fire as she looked at a big ass mutated German Shepherd and said, "Protect me!"
The fucking thing barrelled into the one Luke was struggling with.
Dawn had gotten up and retrieved her spear from the dead dog's body and with a pretty impressive throw, hit another dog as it got within ten feet of the group. It flopped about crying pitifully with the spear still sticking out of it. He saw her draw a knife and move towards it.
He hesitated as the dog he assumed Tonya took control of somehow finished killing the last hostile mutated dog and turned to look at Luke who unfortunately couldn't run because he had been backed up against a car with a female zombie stuck inside mulling at the window that was to Luke's back. After a brief moment, the dog licked Luke's face and turned to Tonya.
"Go on your way my friend." Tonya said as she waved her hand. The dog wagged its tail and bounded off toward Chicago.
Dawn had finished off the dog she had hit and retrieved her spear. As she turned to the rest of them she asked, "Anyone hurt?"
Clay just shook his head as the rest sounded off they were fine. He saw the remains of the other group lying about. "We should search them for anything useful." He recommended. Ten minutes later they had a couple more days worth of supplies and Luke had found a sword he fancied. He kept the bar though.
About an hour later they came across the city limits sign for Kankakee Illinois and after exiting the offramp they had to run into a bookstore to hide. They rounded a corner to see the flash of gunfire and the sound of people screaming. Then a deep voice yelled, "Forward. Keep your sector clear!" And then it sounded like a tank started moving forward with a clack-clack-clack sound from its tracks.
"Is that the fucking army?" Clay asked as quietly as he could from inside the store.
"It looks like it." Luke said.
"Hey, we found a door to a basement." Tonya said from where she and Dawn had disappeared near the back of the store. He saw the first shadows of people entering sight in the window and he hurried to follow everyone else downstairs.
Not two minutes after they had closed the basement door Clay heard a "Clear!"
They spent the next four hours listening to large armored vehicles passing by heading to Chicago. By the time the sound of them moving down the street outside faded enough, they thought it would be safe to go out they heard more gunfire and decided it was already night outside, they might as well stay until morning.
Clay woke up to more armored vehicles and worse, the heavy sound of boots. They were stuck in the basement all that day too. That night though they managed to sneak out. Instead of making their way through Kankakee, they had decided to make their way west.
It was into some dairyland, but they would be less likely to run into the army. With the undead running around, Clay couldn't blame them for shooting first. As fast as the fuckers could cover 10 yards once they locked on you was insane. Still, he didn't want to become an unfortunate casualty along the way and avoid the trigger-happy military moving in mass.
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They traveled along a smaller highway. Managing several miles by the time the sun rose. Clay called a stop near a farm. They ate a cold breakfast and after about an hour of rest started off again.
Around one in the afternoon, Clay heard Dawn ask, "What's that?" And pointed off to their left.
They were out in the open in-between farms and being in the dairy portion the landscape consisted of pasture and every now and then Clay could see a soybean or corn field, the plants stunted from the unseasonably cold weather. It had to be hovering around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Way too cold for June.
"I think that's a cow." Jill said squinting.
Everyone stared at it as they walked along until it dawned on them it was getting close very fast.
"That's a big ass bull and it's heading right for us!" Jill called out her eyes going wide. The bull had busted through the barbwire, tearing five posts out of the ground as it bellowed angrily. The massive beast didn't even slow. It had to be 9 feet tall with horns as long and thick as Clay's arms with wicked hooked ends curling slightly inwards. "Watch out!"
The beast lowered its head, getting closer and closer to them and the last fence that separated them. The group scattered, or well everyone was supposed to. Dawn froze.
Clay made it three steps and realized she hadn't moved. He planted his feet and reversed his direction just as he heard the "twawawannng" as the fence snapped from the giant mutated bull's powerful charge. He dove for her.
He hit her full-on, knocking her backward and using his body as a shield in case he was too late. He landed on top of her as the spear clattered out of her hand. He had knocked the wind out of her but it was enough to get both of them clear of the charging bull.
The ground shook as the beast thundered by. It blew through the other barbwire fence and skidded to a stop, whipping around on Clay and Dawn. He grabbed the spear as they both scrambled up and he gave her a shove towards the rest of the group who were still running towards a distant barn. "Run!"
She scrambled off at a full run with her bag bouncing on her back. She looked back at Clay but then his focus snapped to the bull.
It had already started to charge and he stepped forward to the edge of the highway and set the spear against the edge, leveling it at the beast and aiming for the neck. He prepared to roll as soon as it was close enough for him to feel it touch the spear.
His reflexes were not as great as he thought they were though.
The bull thrashed its head back and forth violently as it got near Clay. The spear pierced the bull's chest, its momentum and body mass driving the spear right through its heart and lungs. Clay was caught, too slow to roll like he intended.
The beast bore down on him and he felt his left shoulder ignite in fire as the bull's horn hooked him because of the spear, as it came to a sliding stop he was pinned painfully under the front half of the bull's body. It tried to move but soon let out a death rattle and slumped limp onto Clay.
"God damn it!" He said right as he heard.
"DING! Congratulations! Level 4 obtained. 4 unassigned Ability Points gained. New Passive Ability Acquired: Enhanced Virility. Host gains 3 Strength, and 50 Health Points, and begins to grow larger adding musculature. It becomes more likely for the host to attract the opposite sex for mating purposes." Kris said. For some reason, her sultry voice sounded particularly judging as she read the stats off.
He felt the strength boost kick in and he let out a half growl half yell as he lifted the bull's head to remove the horn from his shoulder and scooted back and forth until he was almost free.
That's when Jill and Tonya came running up to help pull him the rest of the way out from under it.
"Clay!" Tonya yelled. As she reached him.
"Are you okay?" Jill asked, worry evident on both of their faces.
"Ahh, I fucked that up." He winced as he almost lost consciousness from the wave of pain that shot through his body. He could taste copper and he was pretty sure his shoulder was screwed from the blackish-red meat around the silver dollar-sized puncture hole in it. He stuck his finger in it, kinda in a daze as he tried to wiggle his fingers on his left hand. Blood flowed out steadily as his heartbeat. His thumb worked. At least there was that he thought as he fell backward.
"Clay! Clay!" Jill called as he felt pressure on his arm. He was lightheaded.
"Dawn! Hurry, I think he needs you!" Tonya called desperately.
He heard the woman slide up next to him only a few seconds later and she grabbed his shoulder. "Hold him still! I don't know how this is going to work I've never used it before." She was quiet for a moment and then said, "Healing Touch." He let out a growl as he felt hands restraining him and then it felt like someone shoved a firebrand deep into his shoulder.
He went from nearly passing out to growling right on to outright screaming as his damaged bones, cartilage, and tendons reformed until there was only a nasty puckered pink scar. His heart was pounding a million over nothing and Dawn slumped into his lap unconscious.
"What happened to her?" Asked Luke, worried.
Clay was still trying to catch his breath as he had nearly screamed himself horse and the only thing that saved him was the lack of oxygen to maintain the screaming.
"I don't know. But I can't make it too much farther." Clay grunted. "I need a minute." He looked at the barn up ahead. "Let's shelter there for tonight. We'll rest up and regroup."
Luke nodded and Tonya helped him with Dawn as Jill helped pull him up off the asphalt. He was wobbly but with Jill's assistance, he managed to make it to the barn. It was thankfully empty except for the loft which was full of hay and Clay quickly made a hole in the hay and fell asleep. His ribs and shoulder hurt like hell. And it didn't take long for him to fall out after he managed to get comfortable and warm.
Clay lay in what turned into a nest with Tonya slightly grinding on his leg in her sleep as she groaned. Jill was snuggled up with her back up against his left side, the warmth from her body soothing his ribs. He sighed to himself as he focused on the small gold orb at the edge of his vision. His status screen popped up.
Clay Benton, Human Male, Age 40
Level: 4
Class: Sovereign
Health Points: 140/320
Mystical Points: 28
Strength: 23
Dexterity: 14
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 12
Passive Abilities - Adaptable Conversion; Eyes of Insight; Enhanced Virility
Skills - Vicious Strike; Frenzy
Remaining ability points to be allocated: 4
Unread System Message (1)
"Let's put 2 points in Dexterity and 2 in Wisdom." He said softly, focusing until the stats changed. "Then we'll read the system message." He focused on it and it popped open.
"Host has exhibited unknown potential to survive against the hostile world around them. DING! Congratulations! New Passive Ability acquired: Touch of the Devine. The host has drawn the attention of a Devine entity. For good or ill, you will find yourself in the middle of it all. Host gains 4 Dexterity and 4 Wisdom." Kris said.
"Nice! I needed the boost." He said, and then he realized what it said and he scowled. "Son-of-a-bitch! What the fuck do you mean drawn the attention of a Devine entity?" He practically screamed at Kris in his head. "How?"
Kris was quiet for a moment and then said, "I'm not a savant, but if I had to guess it's because you keep fighting. And winning. Otherwise, you're not a bad-looking guy you know." Kris said, he could of swore she was poking at him.
"Well," he said after a few moments, "no helping it. It's already done if I've gotten a fuckin' message about it already." He chuckled, trying to stay upbeat. The movement caused him to wince as pain lanced through his ribs. He focused on the golden orb again and his status screen popped back up.
Clay Benton, Human Male, Age 40
Level: 4
Class: Sovereign
Health Points: 140/320
Mystical Points: 36
Strength: 23
Dexterity: 20
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 18
Passive Abilities - Adaptable Conversion; Eyes of Insight; Enhanced Virility; Touch of the Devine
Skills - Vicious Strike; Frenzy
"Looking better." He said. "I guess I need some more skills." Tonya groaned as she rubbed on his leg. He tried to ignore her. As far as he knew she had been a full-blown lesbian only a week or so ago. Her hand dropped lower from his abs to his crotch and he found himself thinking about baseball...
It wasn't working! She was so fucking hot, like holy shit why aren't you a model sexy! Even now with her light green skin and pointed ears she just looked exotic, and damn sure felt good rubbing against him. And her hand rubbing his crotch was...
"Zzziiip." She slid his pants zipper down and he started to realize she wasn't completely asleep! He started to move to wiggle away and found she was laying more on him than beside him like Jill was. Her hand darted in his pants as her head popped up off his chest.
"I want you. I've never wanted a man in my life Clay." She whispered as her hand grasped his engorged member and tugged gently. "And I want you." She kissed him, passion evident in the way she just went for it. He was still caught off guard and tried to slow the situation down so he could regain control of the situation because right at that moment she literally had the situation in hand!
"Tonya, I..." He started to say but she cut him off, she almost had his dick out!
"You came to save me. I've never had a man willing to do anything like that for me." She kissed him again, this time she bit his lip as she pulled away, and he realized she had managed to work his engorged member out.
"Tonya, I saved you because..." He tried again to say he was there to save all of them along with Harry, not just her, but she ducked under the cover as she placed a finger on his lips. Her lips proceeded to be wrapped around his member, so soft and warm. She twirled her tongue and sucked working her other hand back and forth in tandem with her mouth.
Clay's eyes rolled back as she took it all. All he could think of for some reason was, "Holy shit she's really good at that for a lesbian!" As she made light moaning-sucking sounds as she proceeded like it was something she needed more than anything else in the world at that moment.
He looked over at Jill and back down to the blanket bobbing up and down and groaned.
Tonya took that to mean he was enjoying himself. Which he definitely was! What he was groaning about was he had been interested in courting Jill before the universe decided to give Earth the middle finger. Now he found another woman equally as attractive as Jill interested in him too.
And she was going to fucking town down there holy shit! She hit the spot, then hit it again, and again as she felt his member twitch from the sensation and she doubled down. He was about to pull out and blow his load. "I'm about to.." But she fucking took it to the hilt, her tongue licking his balls as he blew his load.
She didn't stop until everything was cleaned up and put away. When her head popped back out she was licking her lips and said, "Thank you, Clay." And she sounded sincere as she snuggled up next to his right side again.
Clay lay there, completely at a loss as to what the hell he was going to do. One thing was for sure. He had a lot to think about. And didn't know where to even start.
