The Duo

Arthur noted that there was only one gate on this side of the settlement, accessible through a high wall by a bridge.

He chose to discreetly observe the settlement for several hours, concealing himself in the shadow of a nearby building.

He saw vehicles entering and leaving the town, as well as groups of four to six people on foot.

As he observed, Arthur felt tense. "I can't approach those groups or vehicles," he thought. "I'd be in a bad position if they were hostile."

Feeling depressed, he suddenly saw a pair of individuals exiting the town.

He approached them as they walked away from the settlement, getting close enough to observe them in detail.

He noticed that they were quite different from Sergan and the young woman he had seen earlier. They wore old, flashy clothes that had faded and lost almost all their color. Their outfits were tattered and torn, revealing patches of their skin. Their faces were covered in grime. They looked to be between eighteen and twenty years old.

One was a tall and skeletal man with an innocent expression. He walked hunched over and held a long wooden staff, speaking loudly. The other was short with a scar on his face and an aggressive demeanor. He frequently slapped the taller one on the back of the head with his left hand and held a butcher knife in his right.

They walked without paying any attention to their surroundings.

Arthur couldn't help but murmur, "What a pair of clowns."

As the pair continued noisily, Arthur followed them silently, moving from shadow to shadow, ensuring he kept debris or walls between them and himself.

At the corner of a building, Arthur distinctly heard the tall, gaunt boy speaking loudly, "Ruben, I'm sure there are lots of zombies here. We need to get back quickly."

The shorter one, whom Arthur identified as Ruben, shouted even louder, "Damn it, Theo, stop yelling!"

Ruben slapped Theo hard on the back of the head after yelling at him.

Arthur grew tired of their antics and thought, "How are these two still alive?"

At that moment, he noticed a zombie emerging from the shadows of a building, drawn by the duo's noise.

Arthur moved closer, wanting to see how the two would handle the zombie.

To his surprise, the pair continued their conversation, oblivious to the approaching danger.

Arthur couldn't believe their lack of survival skills.

He decided to move faster, trailing the zombie closely. Though a single zombie posed little real danger, Arthur wanted to be ready to intervene.

The two men seemed weak and physically unimposing, making them an ideal source of information for Arthur. In case of conflict, he felt confident he could easily escape.

Their vulnerability worked to Arthur's advantage; he couldn't let them die.

Theo seemed to hear a noise and turned his long neck. Seeing the zombie approaching, he screamed and stumbled backward, tripping over a rock and falling.

Ruben, meanwhile, lunged at the zombie, slashing its face with his knife. The blade cut the zombie's skin but didn't penetrate deeply, failing to stop the creature.

The zombie grabbed Ruben's arm. Panicking, Ruben dropped his knife and tried to push the zombie away, using his free hand to hold the zombie's torso and prevent its mouth from coming closer. At that moment, a lasso encircled the zombie's neck, yanking it back and away from Ruben and Theo.

Arthur yanked forcefully on the pole, sending the zombie crashing violently to the ground.

As it fell to its knees and tried to rise, Arthur moved with swift precision. He stepped forward and pressed his foot down hard between the zombie's shoulder blades, pinning it to the dirt. The creature struggled to break free, but Arthur's weight and strength kept it firmly in place. With his left foot holding it down, he drew his machete with his right hand and drove the blade into the zombie's skull, ending its struggle instantly.

Arthur turned his gaze to the two men.

They backed away quickly under his stare.

A system message appeared before Arthur's eyes:

[Detection of two individuals with charisma less than half of yours. Your words have a coercive effect on them.]

He stared at them for a few seconds without speaking until Ruben said, "Thank you very much, sir."

Theo added from behind, "For sure, sir, we would've had a hard time killing that zombie without you."

Arthur's gaze hardened, and Theo's face paled.

Arthur spoke slowly, pointing to the lifeless zombie, "No, if I hadn't intervened, you'd be like him."

[Your control over two humans exceeds 10%.]

Arthur decided to question them about the settlement. He asked Ruben, "Tell me, what's the name of the settlement you just left?"

Ruben replied, "It's called Green Rock. You're not from around here, are you?"

Arthur ignored Ruben's question and continued, "Tell me about the factions in the settlement."

Ruben responded with pride, "You want to know about the Knife Faction?"

Arthur, having no idea what the Knife Faction was, replied, "Of course. And tell me about the other factions too."

Ruben said, "I can't tell you about the other factions because I've always lived in Green Rock." He glanced quickly at Theo before continuing, "You might be surprised, but this is the first time my friend and I have ventured outside."

Arthur replied simply, "I'm not surprised."

Ruben quickly looked down, embarrassed.

Arthur pressed on, "But aren't there other factions in the settlement?"

Ruben looked at him incredulously, "I can't believe a slaver hunter like you wouldn't know that. You must come from far away."

Arthur decided to ignore for the moment that Ruben had just labeled him a slaver hunter.

Ruben continued, "The factions are constantly fighting to dominate as much territory as possible."

Arthur nodded. "Very well. And what would happen if I brought someone from another faction to Green Rock?"

Ruben answered without hesitation, "The simplest thing would be to hand him over to the authorities. They'd hurry to execute him, and you could get a handful of copper coins or maybe a silver piece."

Ruben paused for a moment before adding, "But the smartest thing would be to sell him at the slave market. You could get several silver pieces depending on his abilities."

Arthur shuddered, thinking about the fate that could have awaited him if he hadn't been so cautious.

Theo added, "But that wouldn't be a good idea. Slaver hunters who take too much interest in the factions don't last long."

Ruben nodded before adding, "You are a slaver hunter, aren't you?"

Arthur smiled, gesturing to the pole, "Is that why you think so?"

Ruben nodded.

"No," Arthur replied. "I'm not a slaver hunter, but two slaver hunters gave this to me."

Ruben responded, "They must think highly of you."

Arthur couldn't help but smile as he thought about what had happened to Sergan and the young woman. "Yes, I'm quite fortunate," he replied. Then he continued, "Tell me more about this Knife Faction."

Ruben replied, "Of course. Maybe you haven't heard of them from where you come from, but they are quite well known in the region. They specialize in knife combat."

Ruben watched Arthur and seemed disappointed to see no reaction. He continued, "There are about a hundred members in the faction. I have no idea what their powers are, but I know most of them move faster than any human should be able to."

Hearing this, a spark of interest lit up in Arthur's eyes. If he could add someone with such a talent to his group, it would greatly enhance his physical capabilities.

Ruben saw the interest in Arthur's eyes and continued, "You're strong and young. Maybe you could convince the faction to initiate you."

"Your status would be elevated immediately," added Theo.

Arthur stopped them, "No, that's not what I'm interested in. What are the formalities for an outsider to enter Green Rock?"

Ruben replied, "There are no formalities, but the guards ask for two copper coins in exchange for a pass valid for a month to stay in the settlement."

Arthur nodded. "And what are you looking for in the ruins of the city?"

Ruben answered, "All kinds of things that can be reused and sold for a good price. Some cans of rare food, precious metals, or relics."

"Relics?" Arthur asked.

Ruben replied, "Yes, objects that resonate with the powers of the factions."

Arthur thought for a moment. He would need these two men to enter and navigate the settlement more easily, and they seemed quite useful.

Arthur said, "Very well, I will accompany you on your search."

Ruben replied, "Thank you, sir."

Theo added, "Yes, thank you very much, sir."

Arthur said, "But you must obey everything I say if you don't want to put yourselves and me in danger."

The two men nodded in agreement.

[Your control over two humans exceeds 20%.]

Arthur pointed to the ruins of a large building nearby. "We'll start by searching that building."

As they approached the shattered main entrance, Arthur noted that the interior was dark. He preferred to take precautions before entering.

In a low voice, he ordered, "You can't speak out loud or talk to each other. If you have something to say, whisper it to me."

The duo was about to respond, but Arthur silenced them with a gesture. "No, just nod if you agree."

The two young men nodded, and Arthur entered, followed closely by Ruben, with the tall Theo a bit behind.

The building was full of debris, and the stairs leading to the second floor were destroyed. However, the stairs going down were still intact. Arthur glanced at Ruben and Theo before starting the descent.

Now that he knew there were objects related to the factions, he was determined to search the ruins thoroughly to find one of these relics, which might enhance his abilities.

As they reached the lower floor, Arthur heard a faint noise and turned his head.

He saw a creature at the top of the stairs, roughly the size of a man, but with a body entirely made of metal. Its joints were thick and mechanical, and its eyes glowed a dim red.

Arthur slowly positioned his long pole in front of him.

Ruben and Theo turned at the movement and, frightened, moved behind Arthur.

Arthur frowned at their behavior but focused on the creature.

The metallic being remained motionless, surprising Arthur.

He murmured, "What is that thing?"

He felt one of the duo lean in close and heard Theo's loud voice screech in his left ear, "It's a basic golem, sir!"

At that moment, the golem charged towards them.