Being locked up in that 'prison' for a month didn't change much in Merle's attitude. Although the food provided by the Commonwealth was fresh but not delicious, fortunately, it was rich in nutrition so Merle never complained.
There were still two kilometers left to reach the village, but it was already very late, so seeing his situation, he had no choice but to look for a relatively secluded place off the side of the road and light a fire.
...
An hour later.
A snake was tied to a wooden stick. At that moment, the snake's skin had been roasted a bit, while Merle was sitting quietly on the ground next to it, studying the map in his hand.
A few minutes later, he put away the map, took out the wooden stick stuck in the ground, took out two small cans from his bag, and spread the snake meat.
"Mmm..."
The first bite he took was full of satisfaction, he hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and with the food Deanna prepared before leaving, it was more than enough to fill his stomach for many days, but as he had always been aware, food was never enough.
"Bah, I'm a great chef..."
Merle enjoyed himself reclining against the tree trunk on the side. Although his mouth was still moving, his ears were also paying attention to the surrounding situation. Years of experience in wild survival made him very adaptable to this kind of environment.
The weather was getting colder. At this moment, a small bed was stacked with dead branches and leaves under Merle's body, and just as a precaution, a safety cord was placed, as walkers don't rest in the darkness so it's good to be prepared.
Feeling the temperature of the fire, eating animals he hadn't eaten in a long time, and feeling the cold breeze blowing through the forest, Merle showed a rare expression of enjoyment.
"Uff, it's been a long time since I felt this good. Freedom has always been on our side."
Looking at the snake meat in his hand, he took another forceful bite, tore the meat and then began to savor it. Although the seasoning he used was very simple, it could still be eaten with relish.
Crack!
A faint sound not far away caught his attention, and he stopped all movements on alert and then sharpened his ears to listen carefully, even the chewing movement of his mouth stopped.
Crack... Crack...
Undead or living people?
Merle's eyes froze and he looked closely at the moving flames, then he let go of the snake in his hand, took a gun from his waist with his other hand. This gun was a pistol and was what he found in the last two days wandering. Although there wasn't much ammunition, he wouldn't hesitate to use it for self-defense against living people.
Leaning his body to one side, he used the tree trunk to block himself as much as possible, the faint sound rang again, his body was on high alert and the gun's mouth pointed in the direction of the sound.
"Don't shoot! We're alive!"
Just as Merle was about to pull the trigger, a woman's voice rang out, and a woman could be seen standing not far away in the firelight, with someone in her arms.
"Put your hands up so I can see you, and that dwarf too..."
"Okay... okay, good son, put your hands up so the Lord can see us."
Seeing that neither of them had a gun in their hands, Merle waved his gun and indicated for them to approach the fire, next to the tree.
"Not so fast, one sudden move and I'll fill you both with lead."
"Okay... sir."
After quickly surveying the surrounding area, Merle found nothing unusual, then looked back where the large and small bushes were plentiful.
"Who else is there?"
"No... No one else. It's just us two..."
Merle narrowed his eyes and stared at the woman's face, trying to see a flaw, but the other party behaved like any other person would today, with fear and distrust.
After cross-examining her, he still couldn't get any information out of the woman's mouth. He felt a little relieved in his heart. After a few minutes, Merle felt a little uncomfortable but knew these two people must be common survivors.
If he had learned anything well in all his years of life, it was how to judge people well, so he simply indicated for them to sit down. And only now did he have time to observe these strangers carefully. The woman had long blonde hair, and her face was also dirty as expected of people in survival conditions. Judging from the smell she left behind as she passed, the two had not bathed in a long time.
As for the dwarf, he seemed much cleaner. That small figure seemed to be hiding behind the woman, but when the woman raised her hand, he saw her face. It was a little girl who should be in her teenage years. She was thin, and must have gone through many moments of hunger for a long time, which Merle discovered when he walked towards the fire and stared at the snake.
"Do you want to eat?"
The girl nodded, but immediately shook her head when she saw Merle's face.
At this moment, the firelight shone on Merle's face, his somber face was illuminated, and he looked like a demon who liked to eliminate walkers, and the girl was so scared that she didn't even dare to look him in the eyes for more than two seconds.
The corner of Merle's mouth twisted and he looked at the offended girl.
Wait, what? Am I so scary?
Since Merle controlled his temper and followed Airon, his temper has changed a lot. If it were in the past, the first thing he would do when he saw these two people would be to search for supplies among them, and then take them all and leave these two people to their fate.
If the other party is quiet and obedient, that's okay, but if they are disobedient, they may even lose their lives.
Compared to the past, he has changed a lot now, but being alone makes him feel a little empty, and his previous nature has slowly returned in these short days.
"Okay, get out of here, there's nothing interesting I can get from you."
The expression on the woman's face turned desperate, as if she was scared, but she didn't leave and her voice became shaky.
"First... Sir, can you... Can you help us?"
The danger had dissipated, and Merle also relaxed a little, picking up the snake meat on the ground again, simply shaking it a little with his hands and continuing to eat.
"What does your problem have to do with me? Don't bother me anymore, or I'll stop being polite," said Merle without raising his head, and the woman's body began to tremble, even the warm light of the campfire couldn't hide her pale face.
The woman fell weakly to the ground, but quickly struggled and knelt there, constantly begging. The girl had no intention of begging at this moment and desperately grabbed the woman, trying to lift her up.
Seeing the girl biting her lip and trying not to cry, the woman could no longer hold back her tears. She pushed the girl aside with a quick arm movement and threw herself next to Merle without hesitation. The words in her mouth also became more and more humble.
Merle rolled his eyes, pushed the annoying woman away, and asked in a cold tone.
"I warn you, I don't want to hear words of begging if you don't leave now." As he spoke, Merle pulled out his gun and with a click, the gun was loaded.
The fear on the woman's face disappeared, and after being pushed, she simply sat down and begged.
"Sir, I can see that you are a good person and know how to live well in nature. We really have nowhere to go. I found this girl on the road. Her parents have died. I have been bitten, if I change and she is next to me, it is most likely that she will die. I beg you, help her."
As she spoke, the woman opened her collar, her blonde neck was bright red, and the area around the bite wound from the walker had turned black, just like her overall mood at this moment.
Merle's hands stopped and a look of surprise shone in his eyes. He hesitated a bit as he looked at the girl next to the woman. For some reason, a phrase Airon had told him at some point shone in his mind.
"Children are the ones who will take care of us in the future, so it is our responsibility to take care of them!"
Merle was a bit annoyed. He pursed his lips and cursed quietly, naming Airon who had brainwashed him, but seeing that scared face of the girl, he finally gave in and said, "Leave her and go, as far away as you can so we don't run into you later."