The Walking Dead: A New Beginning From the End of the World

The distance from the gate was getting shorter, and the number of walkers around Jason was increasing.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At that moment, gunshots rang out everywhere. The walkers, not far from Jason's position, dropped to the ground one after another, leaving the small group unharmed and able to continue forward.

After scanning his surroundings, Jason didn't hesitate and rushed ahead without stopping. Now that he was in this situation, there was no room for mistakes. He didn't care where the walkers were positioned; he only focused on those ahead of him who hadn't yet been taken down by the snipers.

Seeing Jason charging forward, Rick and the others didn't hold back either. They focused on shooting the nearest walkers to ease his path.

Bullets continued tearing through the air. With a swift movement, Jason dodged the grasp of the first walker on his right, twisted his body, and slashed its neck with his machete. The immense force behind his swing severed the walker's head in one clean strike. At the same time, gripping his machete tightly, he turned to another walker and beheaded it just as easily.

Crack! Crack!

In just a few seconds, the sound of two consecutive strikes echoed as two walker heads hit the ground. Coagulated black blood spurted out, and the walkers' rotting bodies collapsed. Confident in his skills, Jason paid them no further attention.

As he advanced toward his objective, he spotted another walker nearby. It had likely been drawn by the noise in the area and soon fixated on him, moving slowly in his direction.

But it was too late for the walker to even raise its arms and attempt to bite Jason—a killing machine. As soon as the creature stepped in his way, the sharp blade of Jason's machete sliced clean through its neck, severing the head entirely.

Crack!

After dispatching the third walker, Jason raised his silenced pistol and quickly eliminated the ones directly ahead, who were getting closer and closer.

One walker blocked Jason's path. Due to their close proximity, he couldn't raise his gun in time to shoot, leaving him with only one option: a fast maneuver. Without giving the walker a chance to advance further, he took a few quick steps forward, lifted his foot, and powerfully kicked the rotting body, sending it crashing to the ground.

Finally, with the area clear of walkers, Jason grabbed the railings on either side of the gate with both hands and pulled forcefully, closing the open section that had divided the yard from the massive horde of walkers on the other side.

Once the gate was shut, Jason turned to look at the people behind him. There were only a few remaining walkers, who were swiftly dealt with by a few more shots. Then, he turned toward one of the towers and opened the door.

Inside the entrance of the watchtower, Jason encountered a walker wearing a security guard uniform. Without a second thought, he rushed to eliminate it.

Reacting swiftly, Jason lifted his foot and kicked the walker's body, creating distance between them. He took two steps forward and drove his machete straight into the walker's forehead.

Crack!

The walker's skull was pierced, black blood splattered against the wall, and once everything was settled, Jason closed the door behind him.

"He did it! Ha ha ha, crazy bastard!" Merle exclaimed with a loud laugh.

"Now let's clear out the remaining walkers!" Daryl shouted. As soon as the words left his mouth, the gunfire around them intensified. Within minutes, no more walkers were moving in the prison's main yard.

"We need to go inside!"

Everyone rushed toward the spacious yard, and some couldn't help but cheer. While the CDC had been a refuge, its narrow underground space had been truly suffocating. But now, they could finally feel the grass beneath their feet and see open space all around them, filling them with excitement for the future.

No one could suppress their smiles. Jason also walked happily across the tower. This place would be easy to defend and an excellent location to house everyone.

"Jason, you're incredible!" Glenn ran forward excitedly and praised him.

Jason, always modest and never one to bask in praise, didn't dwell on the compliment. After retrieving his M4 from one of his men, he said, "Now, bring in the trucks and vehicles from outside. We need to check that all the walkers are down. We have to make sure this place is completely free of infection. Once we've confirmed that, gather the bodies in the farthest section and burn them."

Saying this, Jason looked at Rick and gestured toward the inner yard. "There's still a lot of work to do. Let's finish this quickly so we can move forward."

"Understood!"

"No problem!"

Upon hearing this, everyone sprang into action, staying busy for quite some time. After handling the first phase, they all gathered in front of the fence leading to the inner yard once more.

Gazing at the walkers beyond the fence, Jason quickly devised a plan to eliminate them without taking casualties.

There was also a back courtyard inside the yard, where a large number of particularly dangerous walkers had gathered. Jason knew this all too well. If too many people advanced at once, casualties were inevitable. Facing these complex walkers, survival was nearly impossible unless the bite was limited to a limb.

"Alright, let's split into several groups and take turns making noise in this area. We need to lure the walkers to the fence and eliminate them safely."

After much consideration, Jason decided that killing them from the other side of the fence was the safest option. Some thought he was being overly cautious, but no one voiced any objections.

It was better to have a careful leader who thought things through ten times before acting than a reckless one who rushed them into danger without considering his people. Everyone could tell that Jason genuinely cared about their lives, which made them feel valued.

Jason walked up to the fence and struck it with his machete, producing a loud clang.

Nearby walkers, drawn by the noise, slowly made their way toward the gate. However, Jason's eyes weren't focused on them. He was watching the corner behind the wall.

The group in front of the fence had already started picking off the walkers one by one. Then, Jason finally saw them—some walkers emerging from the corner. Soon, their numbers grew denser.

At that moment, the others, who had been eliminating the walkers near the fence, also noticed the growing horde they hadn't seen before. Seeing the sheer number of approaching walkers, they all shuddered, silently grateful for Jason's caution.

After more than an hour of cleanup, the walkers on the other side of the fence finally became scarce, and the area where the sliding gate had been sealed was now clear. However, the ground was densely covered with corpses.

After making a decision, several people took charge of opening the gate, and Jason took the initiative to rush in, clearing out the last walkers wearing riot gear. Many already knew how to deal with these walkers; he had demonstrated it, and the rest were able to replicate it easily.

Once again, everyone transported the piled-up corpses to a hill near the exit. A long time had already passed.

When everything calmed down and night had fallen, Jason had no intention of moving forward, so he ordered everyone to set up camp in the area and prepare dinner.

Everyone was truly exhausted that day. After setting up the tents, they all sat around the fire, waiting for the others to finish cooking, while Jason carefully inspected the fence outside for any damage.

Daryl stood on the roof of the modified RV, not far away, keeping watch over the surroundings with sharp eyes.

Just as Jason was about to step away, he heard a voice beside him.

"You're a good leader!"

Seeing Jason's solitary figure in the corner, Morgan suddenly spoke.

Hearing this, Jason looked at Morgan without saying anything. Everyone considered him someone special, but in reality, he was just preparing for the future, increasing his chances of survival to shape the future according to his desires.

He had no intention of being at a disadvantage against more powerful organizations. That's why he needed to use his knowledge to create opportunities and earn the respect of those around him.

"Yeah, you have great vision, and you truly care about people. If it weren't for your help, I might not have made it," Rick agreed with Morgan's words.

"I'm just someone who happened to be in the right place at the right time in your lives. I also hope that if I ever need help, you'll be there to save me," Jason said jokingly, though his words reflected some of his true desires.

"Of course, all of us would come to save you if you ever needed our help," Shane said with a slight smile.

"If I weren't here, Rick or Shane would be good leaders. They both have what it takes to lead."

After a brief exchange of words, silence returned. It seemed like everyone was lost in their own thoughts, and no one took the initiative to speak.

…

Several young people and women who had not actively participated in the cleanup approached with large pots of food, and everyone began receiving their meals. On the roof of a distant RV, Carol brought food to Daryl, who was alone.

"Eat something. You can't ignore hunger, even if you're on watch," Carol said, handing him the food.

"Our leader sure keeps the good food for us, huh?" Daryl remarked sarcastically as he accepted the meal.

"Don't be so hard on him. In my opinion, he's done quite well. At least we're all still alive. While everyone else was resting, he was the only one who took the trouble to check the surroundings. He's the best leader we've had so far."

Daryl ate in silence. In truth, he knew very well that Jason was a good leader—after all, even his brother said so.

He just felt a little distant because there was a gap in communication between them.

As Daryl was thinking about this, he noticed Carol reaching out to massage her shoulder, and he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"The recoil from the gun was so strong that it hurt my shoulder," Carol replied, showing slight pain on her face.

"Come here, let me check," Daryl said, setting his food aside and motioning for Carol to turn around before touching her shoulder.

"You're very romantic! Are you trying to get a chance with me?" Carol joked.

Their friendship had grown much stronger. Ever since she stood up to her husband Ed, Carol had been protected by everyone in the community, and Daryl was one of the ones who had taken the most initiative in helping her.

"Stop joking," Daryl said as he stood up from the RV roof, intending to go relieve himself.

"I'm serious," Carol replied.

"Haha!"