Chapter 41 The Farm’s Final Bonfire Meeting

Even after the system interface disappeared, Magnus Vane could still feel the new strength surging through his body.

Every movement seemed easier, and for a brief moment the raw increase in power created the ridiculous illusion that nothing in the world could stand in his way.

Magnus knew better than to trust that feeling.

Once his body adjusted to Strength Lv7, the sense of invincibility gradually faded and his judgment returned.

Against a single walker, Magnus was now confident he could end the fight with one solid swing of the Stone Sledgehammer.

Against a large herd, however, raw strength would only carry him so far before stamina, positioning, and sheer numbers became problems.

Living enemies were even more dangerous because firearms could erase the advantage of physical strength in seconds.

The raider compound in the eastern town had only collapsed so easily because Magnus had used the first Blood Moon Berserkers against them.

Fortunately, there were no hostile survivor groups around Hershel’s farm that demanded immediate attention.

The next problem was something only Magnus could see, and when he called the system interface back into view, a countdown remained fixed near the top.

The numbers had been falling steadily ever since the first Blood Moon ended.

[06:02:33:17] Six days, two hours, thirty-three minutes, and seventeen seconds remained.

The interval had doubled after Magnus survived the first Blood Moon, but that still left less than a week before the next one.

Even if everyone packed immediately and headed toward the prison, there was no guarantee they would reach and secure it before the Blood Moon arrived.

Magnus had initially considered using the prison as a fortified position for the second event, but the timing had already made that plan unrealistic.

There was also no way of knowing whether a Blood Moon horde of Berserkers might damage the prison’s fences before Magnus even had a chance to reinforce them.

Bringing the event directly to the group was even worse.

The Berserkers were faster and more aggressive than ordinary walkers, and nobody else possessed Magnus’s system-supported ability to treat infection with Antibiotics.

If the horde struck while everyone was nearby, one mistake could undo everything he had spent the last few weeks building.

Magnus needed another solution.

“I’ll have to separate from them somewhere on the road,” he murmured to himself.

The convoy could continue toward the prison while Magnus found somewhere suitable to draw the Blood Moon horde away from everyone else.

Once the event ended, he could catch up and rendezvous with the group at the prison.

It wasn’t ideal, but for now it was the safest plan he could think of.

His eyelids began to grow heavy before he could think much further.

The last seven days had been exhausting for Carl, but Magnus hadn’t exactly been resting either, and his body was finally demanding repayment.

The wide rear bench seats inside the fire engine could be folded into something close to a bed.

Magnus stretched out across them and fell asleep almost immediately.

He didn’t wake until around one in the morning.

By the time Magnus reached the main camp carrying the Stone Sledgehammer, everyone was already gathered around the bonfire.

Nobody had bothered waking him despite the meeting originally being planned for before midnight, and judging by the quiet acceptance on their faces, they had simply decided to wait.

Magnus rubbed the back of his neck and yawned as he approached.

“Sorry.

Overslept.” “Maggie said you wanted to talk to everyone,” Hershel said.

He sat with the members of the Greene household gathered nearby, his tired expression still showing the weight of everything that had happened over the past week.

Magnus nodded, found an open log near the fire, and sat down.

Without anyone consciously arranging it, the rest of the group shifted until the gathering naturally centered around him.

Magnus noticed but didn’t comment.

“Rick,” he said instead, “you already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” Rick nodded almost immediately.

“We need to move.” He leaned forward with his arms resting across his knees, clearly having considered the problem long before tonight.

“Daryl and Merle spent days searching the woods for you and Carl, and while they were out there they also checked the walker activity around the farm.

It’s getting worse.” Nobody argued.

“The farm’s too exposed,” Rick continued.

“The traps and wooden barricades you put up when you first got here are fine against strays, but they won’t stop a herd.

We’ve trained for a week, the RV is running again, and everybody’s in better shape than they were when we got here.” He looked around the bonfire.

“If we’re serious about the prison, it’s time.” “Exactly.” Magnus took over without hesitation.

“We move this morning.” Several people straightened.

It was already after one, which meant departure was only a few hours away.

“Anyone who hasn’t slept enough should get what rest they can right now,” Magnus said.

“Everyone else starts packing food, water, ammunition, medical supplies, tools, and anything else we can’t afford to leave behind.

Dale has the RV running again, and between that, the fire engine, the motorcycles, and the other vehicles, we have enough transportation for everybody.” Magnus looked toward the vehicles parked beyond the bonfire.

They would travel as a convoy rather than scatter across separate routes, keeping enough distance to maneuver without losing sight of one another.

The suburban roads should be easier than the main highway because they were less likely to be completely clogged with abandoned cars.

If a road became impassable, they would reroute together instead of splitting unless absolutely necessary.

“We’ve got enough food and water to keep moving without making constant supply stops,” Magnus continued.

“During daylight, we travel as much as possible.

At night, we sleep in or near the vehicles instead of setting up a full camp unless we find somewhere unusually secure.” His gaze hardened slightly.

“And every vehicle keeps at least one person awake at all times.

No exceptions.” Daryl reached into his bag when Magnus gestured toward him and pulled out a folded road map.

He spread it across the ground near the fire, revealing an Atlanta-area road and planning map that Magnus had originally picked up during the early Atlanta chaos and held onto.

Magnus crouched beside it and traced a route southward with one finger.

“We came out of Atlanta here,” he said, moving past the area around the quarry before following roads toward Hershel’s farm.

His finger continued south until it reached the lower edge of the map.

“The prison isn’t actually marked on this sheet, but it should be somewhere beyond this area, deeper south in the woods.” Glenn frowned as he studied the map.

“You don’t have the exact location?” “Unfortunately, no.” Magnus shook his head.

“I know the prison exists and that it’s somewhere south of here, isolated enough that another group probably hasn’t already claimed it.

Beyond that, I can’t give you coordinates.” That answer produced a few uneasy looks, but Magnus continued before anyone could become discouraged.

“It’s a large correctional facility.

Multiple buildings, perimeter fencing, towers, open grounds.

It sits high enough that the structures should rise above parts of the surrounding tree line.” He glanced toward the Dixon brothers.

“Once we get into the right area, Daryl and Merle can scout in separate directions with small teams.

Finding something that big shouldn’t take forever.” Daryl gave a small nod.

Merle leaned back with his arms crossed.

“Works for me.” Magnus returned his attention to everyone else.

“Until we find it, nobody gets careless.

Roads can be blocked, walkers can come out of places that looked empty ten seconds earlier, and other survivors may not be friendly.” He picked up the bottle of water Carol had quietly handed him and took several long drinks before continuing.

“I don’t want anyone getting hurt before we even reach the place we’re supposed to clear.” His throat finally stopped feeling dry.

“That’s the basic plan,” Magnus said.

“If anyone has questions, ask them now.

Once we’re moving, I want the convoy focused on the road instead of debating things over the radio every five minutes.” For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Glenn had already asked the most obvious question, and Rick looked satisfied with the route and travel plan.

Andrea and Amy exchanged a glance but said nothing, while Shane remained quiet with his arms folded.

Even Lori, still recovering from her fever, seemed more interested in getting Carl somewhere defensible than challenging the decision to leave.

Eventually, almost everyone shook their heads.

If Magnus had already prepared the travel plan, most of them were willing to follow it.

The only person who didn’t was Hershel.

The older veterinarian stared into the bonfire for several moments before slowly lifting his head.

“I need more time.” His voice was quieter than usual.

“I understand why you want to leave, and I understand the farm isn’t as safe as I believed it was.

But this is my home.” Magnus stayed silent.

Hershel looked toward the farmhouse, barely visible beyond the darkness.

“My family has lived here for years.

The crops are still in the ground, our livestock is here, and despite everything that’s happened, no herd has actually reached us yet.” He exhaled slowly.

“Leaving at dawn because something might happen…

I need to think about that.” Nobody interrupted him.

Magnus understood the hesitation even if he disagreed with it.

Hershel had already changed tremendously from the man who once insisted the walkers in his barn were merely sick people, but abandoning the farm was a different kind of loss.

For Magnus, it was a temporary location.

For Hershel, every field, fence, and room contained years of his family’s life.

At least this Hershel was considering the possibility.

A few weeks earlier, he probably would have refused outright and declared that he would live and die on his land.

Now he simply asked for time.

[Support Goal: 10 Reviews → +1 Chapter] Your review helps the story grow.