Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 207: Taboo

Gwen pouted like a spoiled child for some time after Zane had escaped from her clutches. it was not every day that she got to play with her siblings. And the moment she laid eyes on Zane, she felt as if he was most certainly her type.

But he had not only failed to entertain her via violence but also had run away from her tempts to become "closer" with him. This was deeply upsetting for the Horde King, which took the form of a teenage girl, a role which she had apparently wholly embraced, judging by her current actions.

Though Gwen did not immediately communicate with her siblings about their mysterious brother and his capabilities. Throughout her little tantrum, they were questioning constantly about what had happened.

After all, it was abundantly clear that she was still alive, as all Horde Kings were connected on a spiritual level in a way that was similar to an insect's hive mind. And since Gwen's life force had not dissipated, despite previously claiming their mysterious brother had come for her head. They were all naturally curious about what had transpired.

None more so than perhaps Lilith, who constantly pestered Gwen throughout her little pouting session.

"Gwen… Oh Gwen….. Gwen, you little bitch! Answer me!"

It was only after hearing her big sister insult her so brazenly did Gwen finally wipe the tears from her eyes as she finally recovered from her pitiful state. Which immediately thereafter, she snapped at Lilith for daring to interrupt her tantrum.

"What do you want!?! Can't you see I'm pouting here, you fucking slut!?!"

If anyone else were to respond to Lilith with such, shall we say, spiteful remarks, they would most definitely lose their head. But shockingly, at least from the perspective of outsiders, Lilith simply broke out into a giggle as she coddled Gwen like a proper big sister should.

"Oh my, is our dear little Gwen throwing a tantrum because her big brother didn't want to play with her?"

The shock in Gwen's voice, as she spoke her thoughts both in the hive mind, and aloud was evident to all who heard them.

"H…How did you know that!?!"

Lilith wasn't entirely sure when she made this statement. But she was able to make a pretty educated guess about what had happened between Gwen and their mysterious brother.

After all, Gwen was quite strong for a Tier I Horde King. She was one of those few Horde Kings who liked to invest in their own power, rather than relying on a large horde and territory.

Because of this, she was at the pinnacle of what a Tier I Horde King such as herself could achieve in terms of individual strength. In fact, if she were to have a one-on-one fight with the weakest links of the Tier II Horde Kings, then she might very well survive the encounter.

Even if this black-haired man was really a brother of theirs, there was no way he could stand toe to toe with Gwen. Because of this, Lilith was quick to comment on this.

"Because you're still alive, you little dunce! I mean, even if this man is really one of our brothers, he couldn't possibly be as powerful as you. If so, why would he hide among the humans, and rely on them to fight you?"

When Lilith mentioned this, Gwen's expression changed to an excitable state while she mindlessly blabbered on about her encounter with Zane as if she were some kind of raving fangirl of the man.

"Our brother is really amazing! And handsome too! He was totally my type! Unfortunately, he didn't seem to share my interest in getting to know one another properly... You know, as siblings and nothing else!

Though if I am being honest, there was certainly something is off about him... I don't really know how to explain it, but if I had to put it into words, then his body… It was almost like a part of him was human…

Then again, I might just be overthinking things. I mean, I really didn't have much physical contact with him. At least not as much as I would have liked...

Regardless, there is no doubt that our mother is by his side. I mean, I could smell her scent all over, big brother! Although I don't know what exactly Mother's goals are in hiding among the humans, that is ultimately something that is well above my paygrade.

As far as big brother's powers go, they aren't as weak as you think! I mean, sure; he was most certainly weaker than me in every way. But even so, If I would definitely say that he was strong enough to take out the likes of Eliza and Zander on his own. Meaning that his individual strength is probably somewhere around the lower to middle rankings of us Tier I Horde Kings.

Speaking of... His horde was weird… For starters, it was really small. Like so small, I wouldn't even really consider him a Horde King. We're talking like at most 1,000 undead minions. But despite the small size of his Horde, they were exceptionally strong and unusual!

They were all significantly rarer kinds of undead. I'm talking skeletons and Ghouls, not your run-of-the-mill zombies! Also, they were very well organized. I mean really well organized, like forming ranks, and using actual tactics!

I mean, big brother is really something special! He had even managed to set up a little over two hundred of his Ghouls to lie in wait. His plan was brilliant! He tried to lead my walkers straight into an ambush! And it would have worked too if I hadn't interfered with it!

If he succeeded in his attack, then we are talking about an instant slaughter of at least five hundred of my minions! This proves he had a greater degree of authority over his minions than we do!

And that's not the craziest thing! His skeletons and Ghouls were all equipped with armor and weapons! You know the kind those more powerful human survivors have been wielding in battle lately? It was really shocking to see! For the record, the big brother also had some interesting weapons and armor himself.

I mean, those sickles of his were really powerful! Not only did they actually manage to cut me. But even now, the wounds still sting, and have yet to fully heal! I have never seen anything like it. After all, all those other weapons that the humans of this little town used against me when I first showed up just bounced off of me.

But those sickles, not only did I get hurt by them, but I could sense an aura of death exuding from them... They are definitely not normal! And I honestly can't explain how they were made, or how big brother got his hands on them!"

At first, when Gwen began to babble on, the other Horde Kings had not really bothered to pay too much to her words. I mean, she did open up the topic by talking about their brother as if she had a crush on him.

But the moment when Gwen actually began to speak about things of substance. Like her fight with Zane, all the other Horde Kings in the world listened up the woman's report. It was, after all, useful intelligence regarding not only a potential enemy but also their mother's current whereabouts.

Needless to say, they were all completely shocked to hear what they heard come from Gwen's mouth. If what she said was true, then they seriously needed to be concerned about Zane. As he appeared to both be capable of wielding the weapons and tactics of the humans, while also being one of their own kind.

In the competition between Horde Kings, Zane would most certainly be a fierce enemy to fight, and because of this, all eyes were now focused upon him, and what they could learn about his abilities.

However, when it came to the higher ranking Horde Kings, they had different concerns. With Lilith herself being unsure whether or not Zane was really one of their own, and because of this, she was quick to ask if Gwen was absolutely certain of this fact.

"Gwen, are you absolutely certain that this man is one of our brothers? Aside from commanding a Horde of his own, are there any other similarities between him and us?"

Gwen was naturally nodding as she confirmed for her elder sister that what she had said about Zane was absolutely true. There was even a look of pride on her face as she did so. Almost as if she was approving of her choice in "romantic partners" rather than her own report.

"Of course! Big sister, what do you take me for!?! I swear that everything I have said about big brother is absolutely true! Though if you do require more evidence, then there is something else that confirms he is one of us! I saw big brother manipulate his blood in a way that was identical to our own abilities. Albeit he used it in a way that has me a bit concerned…."

The ability to manipulate one's blood was a gift bestowed upon the Horde Kings by their mother. It was not something that other Undead could achieve, let alone humanity. If what Gwen had sworn was true, then Zane really was one of their siblings!

But if that were the case, then why did Gwen suggest that he was part human? This was truly an odd occurrence. Was it possible for a half human-half undead hybrid to exist? But if so, how did such an entity come into existence?

There were too many questions regarding this subject, and not enough answers for them. Because of this, Lilith shifted her attention to the last thing Gwen had said about Zane's powers.

"What exactly do you mean by he used his blood in a way that was a bit concerning?"

Gwen sighed heavily. She didn't want to admit what she saw, but when she reflected on her memories, there was no denying it. And because of this, she was quick to express how Zane had used his blood to save Lily.

"I mean... It's a little embarrassing. But I saw big brother use his blood to seal the wounds of the human girl he was with… I don't know why he would do such a thing. The odds are with such injuries, the girl is as good as dead anyway.

But there is suppose there is a slight possibility that he saved her life with his own blood. Even then, why? And who is this girl that is so important to our brother that he would do something so… taboo?"

This was indeed a concerning use of Zane's powers, or at least so far as the Horde Kings were concerned. Their blood contained their own powers and abilities, and though whole used as a weapon in its crystalline state, it was safe.

That was not necessarily the case with the way Gwen described Zane's actions. Though his blood most certainly crystallized, it had done so after it had come into contact with Lily's own bodily fluids.

If that were truly the case, then what effects would Zane's blood have on the girl? This was a serious taboo for the Horde Kings. One that they did not want to think about.