Zombie Surge: My Ascendancy In Wasteland

Chapter 5

Eric's slap landed with a resounding crack, sending Cecilia's head snapping to the side.

"Cormac, did you see that?" Eric shouted, his voice sharp. "This is the true face of your so-called perfect love! She's not worth your heartache!"

Cecilia finally snapped out of her daze, realizing with horror that Eric had set her up.

"No, Cormac, let me explain!" she pleaded desperately. "I wasn't just after your money—my feelings for you were real! Those things I said earlier—Eric forced me to say them!"

Eric raised his hand and slapped her again. "Still pretending, you sl*t?"

Without giving her a chance to respond, Eric pulled out his phone and held it up for Cormac to see. On the screen was his w******p chat history with Cecilia:

Cecilia: [Transfer received: 20,000 dollars]

Cecilia: [Sir, you're so generous. How badly do you want me to humiliate Cormac?]

Eric: [No need to embellish, just reveal your true intentions for approaching him.]

Cecilia: [That's it?]

Eric: [Your intentions were never pure. Simply revealing the truth will be cruel enough to him.]

Cecilia: [(evil smile emoji) You surely know me. By the way, I'm even naughtier in bed. Interested in taming me?]

Eric: [I'm not interested in you.]

Cecilia: [(disappointed emoji) Fine]

Cormac's eyes darkened as he read the messages. When he finally looked up, Eric noticed a change in his expression.

His eyes were no longer filled with pain or confusion. They were sharp, angry, and filled with the deadly intent of a trained soldier. The sheer intensity of his gaze made even Eric shudder.

"Cormac, please believe me!" Cecilia begged. "Eric is tricking you—this isn't what it looks like!"

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Eric, unfazed, grabbed both of Cecilia's wrists with one hand and gripped her neck with the other, forcing her face toward Cormac.

Then, without a word, he turned his head away.

Smack!

Cormac's slap landed with such force that Cecilia's head broke free from Eric's grip.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Cormac struck her again and again, alternating between left and right, each blow harder than the last. Even Eric, who had seen his fair share of violence, was impressed. If he hadn't been holding her wrists, Cecilia would have been sent flying. 'As expected of an ex-soldier,' Eric thought to himself.

Cecilia had started by screaming and begging, but after several hard slaps, she went completely silent. Her cheeks were swollen to the point of disfigurement, and blood-tinged saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth. She looked like she was on the verge of going into shock from the beating.

"That's enough—stop now," Eric said, grabbing Cormac's reddened hand firmly. "If you keep going, you'll hurt her, and you'll end up in jail."

After dumping Cecilia's unconscious body under the bridge, Eric drove Cormac straight to his home. Once there, he handed him several sets of clean clothes and a stack of cash.

"Go take a shower and calm down," Eric said.

"Thank you for helping me see her true colors," he said. "She already scammed me out of my veteran's benefits. If it weren't for you, my whole life might've been ruined."

Eric waved it off with a smile. "It's nothing. You're a good person who served the Federation. I just felt like your life shouldn't be wasted on someone like her."

He got up, walked over to the refrigerator, and pulled out a can of cola. Just as he popped the tab, he felt a pair of eyes watching him from behind.

"But you had your own motives for saving me, didn't you?" Cormac said. "Cecilia came after me for money. What about you? What's your reason?"

Eric turned, meeting Cormac's piercing gaze. "You saved, gave me money, and let me stay in your guest room. Nobody does all that for free. So, what's your purpose?"

Eric couldn't help but be impressed. Now that Cormac was free from Cecilia's manipulation, he was sharp, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

Eric put the cola down and faced him seriously. "Good question. Then I'll give you an honest answer."

"To put it simply, my reason for finding you is to ensure my safety. Based on the information I've received, our world is about to undergo massive changes—changes that will put a lot of people in danger. I can't tell you exactly what these changes are right now, and even if I did, you probably wouldn't believe me."

"But here's what you need to know: finding you is part of my plan. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be handling some things—not all of them strictly legal. These things will help me survive what's coming. If you join me, it'll make things easier for me, and in return, I'll do everything I can to help you survive and live well afterward," he added.

"So, what do you say? Are you in?" With that, Eric locked his eyes on Cormac, waiting for his response.

But Cormac neither agreed nor refused. More accurately, he looked stunned.

Eric smiled wryly. The sheer amount of information was understandably overwhelming for Cormac, so he patiently explained everything again.

By the end of the explanation, Cormac nodded slowly but firmly. "Alright. Even though I still don't understand what this big change is, my situation can't get any worse than it was before you showed up. So, I'm willing to join you."

The next morning, Eric wasted no time. After buying some properly fitting clothes and a few pieces of furniture for Cormac, he rented a large truck, and together they headed to the neighboring city to purchase weapons.

Eric had already borrowed money from various sources and knew that buying weapons in bulk locally could easily attract unwanted attention. The neighboring Oakhaven City, on the other hand, was not only safer but also more prosperous, with a wider selection of weapon shops to choose from.

Cormac's military background quickly became apparent. Just as soon as Eric laid out his requirements, Cormac came up with a clear purchasing plan, moving through the process with remarkable efficiency.

Eric, for the most part, simply followed behind him, playing the role of an ATM. Whenever Cormac pointed out a weapon, Eric would wave his hand and tell the shop owner to load it up.

For melee weapons, they started with samurai swords, swords, and machetes for close combat.

They also picked up crowbars and axes, which could double as tools for breaking doors and clearing obstacles.

Crossbows and compound bows were added to the list as ranged weapons, ensuring they had options for silent attacks.

Of course, they didn't neglect firearms. Cormac, with all the gun permits available to ordinary citizens, made the process much smoother for Eric.

Glock pistols? Bought.

Vector submachine guns? Bought.

M870 shotguns? Bought as well.

Considering the need to deal with zombies, Eric had Cormac focus on choosing light, concealable weapons with good durability rather than loud, heavy options like AKs.

In addition to the weapons, Eric also stocked up on practical tools all at once—Molotov cocktails, tactical flashlights, and stun batons.

By the time they finished shopping, it was already noon on the third day. The trunk of the truck was packed to the brim with weapons, ammunition, and supplies. Sitting in the passenger seat on the way back, Eric contentedly fiddled with a tactical knife, flipping it between his fingers.

"Why buy so much stuff at once? Planning a riot?" Cormac joked as he kept his eyes on the road. "And you don't even seem worried about the money."

After spending two days together, Cormac had grown more relaxed around Eric.

"I've got money to burn, bro," Eric said with a laugh. "Besides, doesn't it feel good to buy all this stuff?"

"That's true," Cormac admitted with a grin. "It was pretty satisfying. Haven't enjoyed this kind of consumerist pleasure in a long time."

"Haha, exactly!" Eric chuckled.

"And it looks like we'll be spending even more soon," Eric added, his tone casual. "But we won't have to do much right away. Help me practice my shooting skills over the next few days."

"No problem. I've got you covered," Cormac said confidently.

Just then, Eric's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw it was Sofia, the woman he had told not to bother him.

With a sigh, he answered, his tone impatient. "Sofia, I told you—"

Before he could finish, Sofia interrupted him, her voice trembling and panicked. "Eric, where are you? Please, I need your help..."

Eric immediately sat up straighter. "What's wrong? Who's after you?"

He wasn't particularly concerned about Sofia, but the thought of losing the food and supplies she was supposed to purchase for him made him pay attention.

"I... I can't say right now. Just please, come quickly..."

"What are you afraid of? Just tell me who it is!"

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Sofia finally answered weakly, "It's John. He's causing trouble for me."

Eric froze for a moment, his expression turning cold. "...Oh," he said flatly.

Noticing the shift in Eric's mood, Cormac glanced over from the driver's seat. "What's going on?" he asked.

Eric shook his head with a bitter smile. "Nothing. Just a cheating woman finally facing the consequences of her actions."

He leaned back in his seat. "Let's head home. We'll be using all this stuff we bought very soon."