Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 273: The Jungle

The Jungle was quite literally built around a skate park and the surrounding area. Its defenses were quite meager, chain link, barbed wire, and watchtowers. Though there appeared to be some effort to reinforce these "walls" via the means of the settlement management feature.

Aside from this, the area had tents, and other forms of shelters spread throughout it. Some built by the system, others build by hand. The exact origin of the Jungle was unclear to Zane, or why a settlement had been built here. But he didn't express his concerns about the viable safety of the area.

No doubt, the local Horde King was aware of the human settlements ,but for whatever reason not interested in wiping them out. Perhaps as a form of entertainment, it was really hard to tell when one had met the undead in charge of this city.

But the people here were more developed in terms of level and equipment than those in New Reno were. Almost everyone, except for maybe small children, appeared to be awakened. Their equipment ranged from level five common quality to level fifteen uncommon quality.

And these were just the ordinary survivors under the protection of the so called Undaunted. Who were the ruling faction over the Jungle? The Undaunted sentries to protect the settlement appeared to be within the range of level 15-20. And were equipped with gear that reflected that difference.

Even still, they posed no threat to Zane and Gwen. But from the looks of it, humanity was slowly progressing towards a species that was capable of defending what little territory remained in their hands from the undead.

That is so long as the Horde Kings themselves did not step in to interfere. The man in charge of the party that had escorted Zane to the Jungle was quick to say his goodbyes, and nobody made any attempt to search the man, or the teenage girl next to him. They just accepted Zane's presence in their settlement as if it was a natural thing.

"This is it, the Jungle. It may not be much compared to what you are used to. But it's safe. And the people here won't treat you poorly for being an outsider. Plenty of people from other settlements and factions come here to trade on a daily basis, and some even stay for a while.

Although, I suggest you take refuge in one of the shelters that have been built out of the half pipes. The coverings will block out the sandstorm from battering you while you try to rest. Other than that, you're free to hit up the various stalls people have set up if you're in need of supplies. The standard currency here is blood crystals.

But I don't doubt that with the skills you two have, you're probably loaded. Am I right?"

Zane did not answer this. He remained silent and as still as the dead. His blood-red eyes slightly unnerving the man and his team, as if Zane were a predator eying his prey. Ultimately, they decided that was enough of being in Zane's presence and walked off.

Gwen was quick to speak up for the first time since she had killed the juggernaut, complaining about their lodgings and the human settlement.

"This place is a dump. We're not seriously staying here are we?"

Zane shook his head. The dead posed no threat to him or Gwen as they were of the same breed. He could literally stay at any place in the city. Although without Olivia present, he could kick-start the electricity within whatever abandoned refuge they took shelter in.

Rather, Zane expressed his intentions in visiting the Jungle with a low whisper to Gwen. Finally revealing his reasons for following these survivors back here.

"I'm just trying to get a general understanding of the local survivor communities. We'll visit them all, except for perhaps the so called Raiders this guy warned us about. As for where we stay? There's a bunch of mansions lying vacant up in Henderson, and I'd say that's a hell of a nicer way to wait out the night than staying in this fucking dump!"

Gwen giggled when she saw that Zane was equally disgusted with how lacking in development this human settlement was. Compared to Gravestone, it was like a refugee camp. He no longer needed food, or water or to sleep. But Zane also needed a place to rest his feet every now and then.

And because of this, neither he nor Gwen lingered in the Jungle for long. Instead, they immediately set out into the city to fight some undead, claim some blood crystals, and move towards an area where they could make camp for the night.

---

Viktor stood in the penthouse suite of one of Las Vegas's largest casinos. The strip had turned into a no-go zone for humanity following the outbreak of the apocalypse. It was instead an area which was controlled by the local Horde King.

As the leader of a horde of less than ten million servants, Viktor was classified as a Tier IV Horde King. Had he been aware that Zane had just intruded on his domain, then Zane would be a dead man.

But he was not aware of this fact. In fact, rumors had it that Zane and his small horde had travelled east. This was a matter of comfort to Viktor, as it meant he did not have to expend time and resources chasing after a man labelled as a heretic by Balthasar and his cult of fanatics.

Viktor was a character much in the same vein as Lilith. Insofar as he was cunning, innovative, and deeply ambitious. By his own design, Vegas had nearly half the surviving human population of Elysium.

But they were all pitted against each other, in a competition for resources to fuel their own growth. His plans were simple, let the humans grow to a point whereupon after their deaths at his hands he could eat their hearts and gain considerable power.

Zane was not the only one who benefited from eating awakened hearts. All horde Kings did. Sure horde kings gained a bit of an increase in power by consuming all human flesh. But the heart of an awakened was especially powerful.

It was, after all where the powers that fueled their abilities were stored. And that power could be transferred to a Horde King, or any other undead which consumed one.

It was because of this that Viktor was willing to sacrifice tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of his horde, for the sake of fostering the growth of these awakened. All so in the end he could devour them all himself and break through to the power of a Tier V Horde King.

And because of this, he gazed upon the city below, with a crystalline heart in one hand, which he devoured instantly, all while laughing at the pawns of his machinations.

"Go ahead, keep killing my horde. We will see how delicious you all taste after you fall by my hands!"