Zack was right, the whole thing turned out to be much more complicated than expected. The map proved to be a great help, but with it they could not know the directions in which the monstrosity was spreading. For that they needed Terry's help, so Tracel called him. The programmer only answered the third call.
"What do you want? I'm not in a good mood."
"We need a video of the monstrosity in the plaza. Can you send it?"
"Yes, although I didn't manage to retrieve it completely, so don't expect much information. Wait a few minutes."
Terry hung up without another word and everyone waited for the video. When Terry finally sent it to Tracel's cell phone, everyone gathered around to watch it.
The monstrosity was a central mass of flesh from which several bulbs grew gradually, opening up like fans and advancing across the ground and asphalt like a slow wave of water. Adam drew the approximate shapes of these bulbs on the map and began to plot a route.
Considering that one of the bulbs covered the closest point, Adam decided to move the ritual to try to center the monstrosity in the middle of the trap, but in doing so, another point was engulfed by one of the bulbs. Adam didn't want to damage the infrastructure surrounding the square, but he had no choice. Instead of forming a square with the dots, he ended up forming a rhombus twisted to the left. The trap would end up encompassing much of the plaza, one of the nearby convenience stores, and part of the nearby building. At first, he had arranged the dots so that the convenience store would be affected, but Tracel reminded him that they should see to it that the food in them was left as intact as possible.
"Well, I think that's enough, I don't think we can find a better position for the ritual. While we're thinking, that thing could be expanding," said Miguel as he looked at the map.
Adam nodded and leaned back against the back of the chair. He then closed his eyes for a second and thought about whether there was anything to improve. Probably, but the continual use of his skill was beginning to wear him down, so he put the pencil down on the desk and then proceeded to look at everyone.
"We have the most important thing ready, but unfortunately, I think it's the easiest part. I need your help for two more things. Convincing the survivors to help and planning constant surveillance of block 2 while I do the walkthrough. I also need you to kill all approaching Windwalkers."
"What happens if the Breeder shows up?" Alfred asked, somewhat nervously as the time approached to begin the operation. He wouldn't have to take as many risks as Adam, but he couldn't help feeling that way.
"In that case I think the operation should be cancelled. It's too risky to try to take on both of us. But if that's the case, then I recommend that we try to pit the two of them against each other, maybe we can take advantage of it and finish off the victor." said Adam.
"Hadn't we already ruled that idea out?" asked Miguel.
"Yes, but it will be a secondary plan in case the Breeder shows up."
Everyone nodded and the meeting ended. Zack got up and left the apartment, followed by Anin, while Tracel approached Adam.
"Let me try to convince the survivors, where do I gather them for the ritual?"
"I don't know, this ritual has no physical part as such. The four points are connected to me through the mark of my energy. The central point of the ritual is myself, so in order to achieve it, the survivors would have to channel their own energy into my body."
"That doesn't sound very nice. I'll gather everyone in the parking lot, where we'll wait for you. I just hope you know what you're doing."
Adam looked at Tracel and decided not to respond. Of course he knew what he was doing, the ability came with all the information needed to use it correctly.
Tracel left the apartment and Adam was left alone with Alfred. He thought for a moment about the first thing Tracel had said. It was not going to be a pleasant ritual, in that part he was right. Channeling that much energy would leave him drained. He realized that he would probably be at the mercy of Tracel and the survivors at that point, so he decided to get someone he trusted to be there, just in case.
"I hope there are no problems with my father."
Alfred, who had been silent up to that point, turned to Adam. He looked at the boy, who must have been about 25 years old, with long, neatly combed black hair. He must not have been a graduate for long before this whole mess started. He suddenly realized that he had been staring at him and that Alfred was getting nervous.
"No, I don't have a problem, it's just... This is a risk I think it's necessary to take. Come to think of it, your father led the attack on the superblock while he was fighting the Berserker. What happened to that daredevil?"
Alfred let out a sigh.
"My father underestimated the zombies too much. After his encounter with the Ambusher, he has completely changed his mind and lost his confidence. This has affected him much more than he lets on."
"You've talked enough, boy," Alfred was startled to hear his father's voice. Carlos, at some point, had come out of his room and stopped to listen in the hallway. He looked at Adam, much calmer than before.
"Go kill all the zombies you want, but I hope you'll come to your senses. Jane is proof that even the most powerful can fall in a moment. If you're still arrogant enough to think you're invincible, then you probably won't survive much longer."
"I know. I know that perfectly well."
Carlos raised his eyebrow, he expected Adam to be angry, but his strange calmness made him uncomfortable. Adam, for his part, didn't feel like fighting or getting angry. So what if Carlos thought he was arrogant? Adam believed it was the right decision. Besides, he had to admit that his reasons for throwing himself into danger were partly selfish. His talent could help him keep his cool after Jane's death and his visit to the "Void," but both of those things haunted him, so the danger and adrenaline of a life-or-death confrontation was very welcome.
"I'm sorry, Carlos, but I don't think you understand the danger we're all in. This is a race against time. How many zombies are evolving out there right now? Noah says the System is "fair," but it doesn't seem that way to me. There must be hundreds and hundreds of zombies in this suburb alone. How many of us are in this shelter? Worse yet, how many of us are willing to fight?
Carlos was silent when he heard the questions, but he still believed he was right.
"You may be partly right, but the only way to succeed is for more and more people to survive. If you keep throwing yourself against the zombies like this, there will be more and more and more dead. At that point it won't matter if you're level 100 if you're alone."
"If that's the case, then we need more help. The reason the pace of this race is like this is because there are few of us willing to run it. Maybe before you criticize my arrogance, you should go out and help us. That way there will be fewer deaths and the fighting will stop being so risky."
Adam left the apartment without waiting to hear Carlos' answer. But to his surprise, Krieg was waiting for him outside. The old man had been at the meeting, but decided to remain silent.
"I heard your little argument inside," said the old cop. Adam lifted his shoulders and walked past him, but the old man kept talking. "You can fool others, but I don't think you can fool me or Miguel. I know perfectly well that you're trying to distract yourself from what happened."
Adam turned to look at Krieg.
"What makes you think that?"
"The fact that you haven't even stopped to cry. You've known Jane for how many years? 10? 12?"
Krieg's answer surprised Adam. He thought about saying something, but couldn't.
"Boy, just promise me that after you kill that thing, you'll take some time, just like Marlen and her sister. Forget about that Breeder and the consequences of stopping for a moment and take the opportunity to plan a dignified farewell for the dead."
Adam couldn't believe his ears, he had never believed Krieg could be so kind.
"Stop me? I don't think that's a good idea. What would have happened if instead of leaving my house I had stopped...?"
"Yes, yes, I think that's an excuse you like to repeat to yourself, isn't it? Stop thinking about the consequences for a moment and listen to what I'm telling you. You're like a student who has an exam the next day. Which do you think is the better idea? Study all night and arrive at the exam exhausted or rely on what you've already learned and get a good night's sleep so you arrive rested?"
Adam was speechless. He wanted to prove Krieg wrong, but he couldn't find the words.
"You've prepared enough boy, trust what you've done and get some rest. It's as if you don't realize that finding a moment to rest and recover is part of the same race we're all in. I don't think you need another analogy to understand that don't you? I hope your engineering degree isn't just in name only."
With those words, Krieg left him alone in the hallway. Now Adam had a lot to think about.