Chapter 10: Calm Before The Storm III
It was the third day of the apocalypse. At Takagi Estate, inside Souichiro's office, Liam sat opposite his uncle. On this day, Liam didnt go with his clean-up and gathering of Evo points, not because he doesn't want to, but due to matters.
With his and the other clean-up team's efforts yesterday, the surrounding area was purged of zombie presence. After he met with them yesterday, Liam helped the clean-up team and slaughtered zombies till night. He raked in a few hundred Evo points after the clean-up.
"There's been a change in our plans," Souichiro glanced at his nephew, he has heard of what happened yesterday from the leader of the clean-up team. "We need to go out much earlier than expected, there was news from one of the outposts we set up. It just came this morning."
"News? Did a problem occur?" Liam asked. He knew his uncle set up many outposts on different priority locations so he wasn't surprised. But for their initial plans to change, it seems something drastic happened last night.
"The outpost nearest to the electric plant has reported that a large number of zombies numbering possibly over ten thousand has been spotted gathering in the suburban area of the city. They requested backup to immediately evacuate the workers of the plant." Souichiro massaged his temples. That electric plant is crucial to their plants but a large horde of zombies is extremely dangerous to the lives of the workers.
"Over ten thousand..." Liam mumbled. They can't fight that number of zombies especially since they mostly used melee weapons as ammo and guns are precious. Even he can't fight that many zombies at once since they will just keep coming until you kill the last one. "That's a problem but we can't easily give up the electric plant as well..."
Souichiro knew what his nephew said was logical. 'As expected, Liam is similar to me and he has the making of a politician, no more of a businessman.'
"Uncle, I think we can save this situation."
"Hm? Tell me your idea."
Liam nodded, "We need a sufficient amount of gasoline. The distance from the electric plant should be far away enough."
"You want to burn them?" Souichiro stared at his nephew in surprise. While burning them is a good idea, it is also dangerous. The zombies are in the suburban area so there are trees that can be caught in the fire. There's also the risk of the flames spreading too much that they would reach the electric plant.
Not only that, the fire wouldn't immediately burn the zombies so they can scatter around and cause collateral damage. One wrong move can not only endanger the plant and the workers but also many more.
"It's too dangerous, we can't do that. We should just evacuate them quickly." Souichiro shook his head. He also had that idea but he weighed the pros and cons of doing it before deciding the risk isn't worth it.
"I understand, when are we going?" Liam didnt stubbornly insisted since he knew the risks involved are high. He did suggest the idea but he wouldn't insist on going through it. And they can just evacuate the workers for now and wait for the horde to scatter or move far away from the plant before going back there. It would cause issues for their electricity but it's bearable.
"We are departing in 10 minutes, I've already had my men prepare. We can also take your friends that want to go to Shintoko Third Elementary School."
"Yes, I'll inform them now." Liam nodded before leaving the room.
Now left alone, Souichiro was silent.
'Liam has the capability and skills, it was the correct decision to have him in our discussions. The captains also respect him, especially the clean-up team who were with him last night.' He smiled before standing up.
"He is worthy of becoming the heir of our family."
.....
With Liam~
He was now sitting inside a military truck with an open back, along with Takashi and Rei who decided to go to Shintoko Third Elementary School. Along with them were members of the team he was with last night.
"It's assuring with you going with us, Spencer-sama." One of the clean-up team members smiled.
"Yeah, those bastards will not be a problem with you here!"
Liam just smiled in return, "Thank you for the compliment but always be alert."
"Yes!"
Takashi and Rei were surprised at how these private forces listened to Liam. But they stayed quiet and were just grateful they can go finally see their parents, perhaps.
*Vroom!*
Soon the journey started with the trucks departing.
'That ominous feeling is getting stronger...' Liam looked out and just hoped the ominous feeling isn't true.
'Stats!'
[Constitution]
•Strength: 40
•Vitality: 54
•Agility: 56
•Perception: 63
[Evo points: 230]
'230 Evo points...I need to increase my stats!'
After the distribution of his Evo points, his stats are like this.
[Constitution]
•Strength: 100
•Vitality: 114
•Agility: 126
•Perception: 103
[Evo points: 0]
'With the increase in my perception stat, that ominous feeling intensified. So it did enhance my sixth sense. Would this be enough...?' He thought. 'Killing over a thousand zombies only yields a few hundred Evo points. And there's still the bloodline and soul function.'
.....
A few hours later, Liam and the group were now resting inside a building. They have already cleaned up the building of zombies. It's now nearing sunset, they departed from the main base late in the morning.
They already dropped off Takashi and Rei in the evacuation area of the city. They were now camping since its nearing evening and it would be dangerous traveling during that time.
"How chaotic..." Liam stood on top of the building, with his binoculars and saw how anarchy has dominated the city. Zombies, criminals, psychopaths, etc, all ran rampant.
"Right, Toshi-san?" He glanced beside him. There, stood a man with a stern expression who appears to be in his late twenties.
"Spencer-sama is right," Toshi nodded and stayed quiet after.
"We should get back to the camp, there are no immediate threats in our vicinity," Liam said and started walking. Closely following him was Toshi as he was called. This man was someone assigned to "guard" Liam.
'It's for formality only though since uncle knows my strength from the reports he's received.'
After arriving down ln the lobby where they set camp, they saw many men busy with work. There were those arranging sleeping bags and those cooking.
Liam's arrival immediately gathered the attention of the men, and each of them greeted him with enthusiasm. During their journey earlier, those that still haven't seen his strength were amazed. After that, they started respecting him more.
Along the way, Liam nodded at the men as he walk towards where his uncle was.
"There aren't danger around our vicinity but we should have someone constantly monitor the area." Liam sat beside his uncle as he said his findings.
"Hm, that's a given. We should stay here for the night. We've contacted the electric plant outpost and explained the situation. According to them, the zombie horde still hasn't moved but stayed in the general area where they were seen. Sigh..." Souichiro released a sigh of relief that the situation was still stable. They would've arrived at the electric plant by now if not for the obstacles along the way be it rubbles, zombies, or people.
"The horde hasn't moved...?" Liam mumbled. That sure is a weird occurrence though he didn't think too deeply about it. They still knew little if the zombies' behavior so they wouldn't know what those zombies are doing by gathering in a horde.
"You should rest properly too, you fought the longest earlier." Souichiro patted his nephew's shoulder. Even he was surprised at the strength, Liam showed earlier.
"Yes," Liam just nodded before walking off and resting in one corner. He wasn't that tired but he took this opportunity to distribute the Evo points he gathered during their journey. It wasn't much compared to when he goes solo hunting.
[Evo points: 30]
.....
At midnight, dark crimson clouds started gathering and crackling thunder accompanied by crimson lightning appeared. Then came a heavy downpour of blood rain.
The sentry on top of the building noticed this bizarre rain but when it touched his skin, he felt a slight burn.
*Tsss!*
"What the–!?" When more blood rain touched his skin, the burn intensified. He immediately ran down to take shelter inside the building. After which he finally saw the effects of the bloody rain, it left a slight burn on his skin but if he stayed longer, who knows what could've happened.
'I need to report this!' He took the elevator down to their camp. The electricity is still running as the workers in the electric plant are still there.
In the lobby, after the sentry reported the bizarre event to Souichiro, the man immediately gathered his key subordinates i.e, captains of each team. Liam was also called as he was someone, Souichiro saw as his successor.
The key personnel was gathered around a table. Heading them was none other than Souichiro Takagi.
"A report came just now about a bizarre phenomenon happening right now. It's a blood rain or so the sentry described it. It appears the blood rain burns the skin, albeit just slightly for short contact. We still don't know what the effect of long exposure is."
"Blood rain..." Liam muttered, the ominous feeling intensifying inside him. 'Is this blood rain the cause of this ominous feeling?'
"Will wearing protective clothing mitigate its effects?" Asked one of the team captains.
"That is why I called for a meeting, to decide on ways of overcoming this blood rain. We will have tests conducted after we drew possible ideas for solutions against this rain." Souichiro said.
"Yes!"
The meeting proceeded with them exchanging possible ideas for countermeasures. Later on, they tested these ideas, and only one was useful.
Wearing protective equipment can protect from blood rain, such as riot equipment. But umbrellas and others aren't of much help, they were easily burned through by the rain after 5 minutes under it. Even the riot equipment only lasted for 30 minutes before the rain started affecting it. Though it seems the rain cant burn through concretes and such.
In the end, it was decided that their trip was postponed until the blood rain stopped.
.....
The next day, people started waking up along with the rising of the sun. The sky was still crimson along with the torrential blood rain still going strong.
Leaning beside a wall while looking outside was Liam who didn't sleep much. It didnt affect him though as his vitality surpassed that of the current humans.
'This blood rain isn't in the original series.' He thought before shaking the thought off. 'I shouldn't base any further from that series. This world may be based on that but it is deviating from it.'
"It still hasn't stopped huh? Just how long will it continue?"
Liam didn't turn his head and just replied, "We can only wait."
He already noticed the new arrival with his enhanced senses, it was his uncle who spoke just now.
"Liam, what do you think of this current situation? Living dead spread out swiftly before governments could even react. In just one day, the whole world's order was turned upside down."
"..." Liam was silent for a moment before speaking his thoughts. "... It's an apocalypse, it's the best way to describe it. What caused it, whether it be a biological virus or anything else, we don't know. But it sure is a devastating event that we can only call an apocalypse."
"An apocalypse huh..." Souichiro felt the term was appropriate with the current situation. He glanced at his nephew, he felt the latter has changed. 'But this is better, with this change, he can survive this apocalypse.'
"Don't stay too long watching that rain. The other men are starting to prepare our breakfast." Souichiro patted Liam's shoulder before walking off.
"Yes," Liam nodded.
Later that day, the men resting around were shocked by a loud noise. It sounded like the roar of something.
*Kuaaaanggg!*
'What was that?!' Liam was alarmed and so was everyone else. He stood in his spot from earlier in the morning and looked up at the sky. It was still crimson and the rain hasn't stopped.
*Ba-dump!* *Ba-dump!*
His heartbeat raced along with the intensifying ominous feeling.
'What...is the cause of it?' He placed a hand over his chest.
*Psshh* *Psshh*
{T-Takagi-sama! The large horde started moving and crimson lightning hit something at the center of the horde! T-the direction they're moving...}
"Where is the direction they're moving?!" Souichiro had a bad feeling same as Liam who heard the call with his enhanced senses.
{...The horde is coming towards us...}
*Silence~*
Silence permeated the place after hearing the bad news.
{Takagi-sama...thank you for all you've done for us. Please take care of our families.}
{Everyone, be ready! Were fighting with all our strength, we can at least reduce their numbers!}
After that, the call was cut off. All were silent at the bad news that came. Moreso for Liam whose heart raced more.
'A blood rain then large horde moving suddenly...I hope what I'm thinking is wrong.' Liam clenched his shaking fist. He pieced all the events that happened in the past day, and there was a similar turn of events from a certain manhwa he read. And he hoped he was wrong that the current events aren't similar to that.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone