Shawn looked back at Aaron and Heath.
Surprise and bewilderment were written all over their faces as well.
According to the orientation of the deep pit, it was surrounded by mountains, with only one accessible slope leading up.
In other words, if Walkers were to climb up the slope and proceed straight along the path, the main horde would inevitably pass through Alexandria.
"No, we can't let them come up!" Aaron instinctively blurted out.
The Walkers currently wandering in the area below them seemed to have noticed the group.
They were slowly clawing at the rock face below, their roars growing louder, struggling to climb up and tear the group apart.
Looking at the horrifying appearance of the Walkers, Aaron and Heath seemed to already envision them surrounding Alexandria.
If they faced such a large number of Walkers, besieging them day and night...
Could their high walls truly hold up?
Taking in the expressions of the two, Shawn helped Diana up and said,
"We discovered it on our way here."
"Just as I said earlier, they've been here for a while, and their numbers are still increasing."
Shawn raised his hand and pointed to the side of the cliff at the same horizontal level.
The three followed his gaze and saw two or three Walkers accidentally slip down as soon as they approached the cliff, becoming an indispensable part of this Walker army.
They were tireless, roaring day and night like vengeful spirits.
They only awaited an opportunity to break free, and then they would destroy everything remaining in the world.
"It's like the astonishing natural world; before it's discovered, everything is so ingenious."
Shawn looked at the large vehicle blocking the only entrance and exit, the sloped road.
Who would have thought that a Walker horde, capable of flattening a medium-sized survivor Camp, would be blocked for so long by a mere horizontally placed large vehicle?
Then, Shawn looked at Diana again.
"So, you understand now, don't you?"
"Your so-called Search team is nothing but a bunch of cowards who haven't seen much of the world."
"If you let them Search, they probably wouldn't discover this Walker horde, which is less than 20 kilometers away, even if they had a lifetime."
"Similarly, even if you distributed all the weapons in your armory, with your experience dealing with Walkers, you probably couldn't take down this Walker horde."
"Oh, and I might as well mention another discovery of ours."
Diana's attention abruptly shifted from the Walker horde to Shawn.
"The Walkers in the city started to migrate on their own at least a month ago."
"They seem to be spontaneously influenced by areas where people gather, converging around human settlements involuntarily."
"That's precisely why there are so many Walkers in this deep pit."
"The deep pit blocks their essential path to Alexandria, so their original target should have been Alexandria or even further away."
"As for the Walkers outside your high walls, they are just small remnants of the main horde."
At this point, Shawn couldn't help but exclaim, "You truly are lucky."
People who aren't lacking in luck seem to receive more favor from it.
The reason Alexandria was able to successfully build its high walls and survive into the later stages was largely due to luck.
After speaking, Shawn looked at the Walkers clawing at the rocks below.
"So you should understand why I brought you here, right?"
"You have no future if you continue to stay in Alexandria. Take your people and come with me to my territory; I will keep you safe."
For a person in power like Diana, Shawn knew what to say and what not to say.
His words were full of inducement, but from a practical perspective, Shawn was actually not wrong.
Rick's team was destined not to join Alexandria.
If the people of Alexandria remained unwilling to face change, they would all die here sooner or later, not a single one surviving.
Perhaps the next time Shawn returned here for something else, he would only find the bones left after the Walkers had finished their meal.
"No… No… No, I mean, I need to go back now. I need to think about it carefully, now!"
This time, Diana spoke very seriously, her tone even uncontrollably growing heavier.
She felt her whole body begin to lose strength, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.
Her fingertips were pressed against her temples, and waves of dizziness surged through her mind.
With Aaron's support, she sat in the back seat of the vehicle.
Heath drove on the way back, and the group quickly returned to Alexandria.
It wasn't until they entered Alexandria's high walls, until Alexandria's horizontally sliding metal bar gate completely closed with a 'clang', that Diana's pale complexion gradually improved.
After getting out of the car, she was draped in Aaron's dark brown cardigan hoodie and looked back at Shawn.
"Please don't rush to leave. Regarding this matter, I still need to hold a meeting and consult everyone."
After speaking, Diana slowly departed with Aaron's support.
Shawn watched her retreating figure and shook his head.
He could feel that although this outing was only a little over an hour, Diana's state of mind had already undergone a huge change.
But Diana's growth was not enough; at this critical juncture, she still wanted to pursue 'democracy'.
According to the Community's long-standing internal system, most of the governed people were 'foolish'.
Could she expect 'foolish' people to make any 'wise' decisions?
This was clearly not feasible, but… they did need some time to accept change and face the crisis.
"If it really doesn't work, we'll just have to go back. Anyway, as long as we can empty that supermarket, this trip won't be a loss."
Shawn walked leisurely down the Community's main street, his arms clasped behind his head, looking at the sky where the sun was gradually rising.
Shawn felt some gazes directed at him, but ultimately only one person spoke to him.
Hearing the voice, Shawn turned his head and saw Sam, whom he had met yesterday, looking at him.
Sam's fingers were intertwined, indicating his inner struggle.
Seeing Shawn look at him, he gathered his courage and spoke.
"You, yesterday you promised not to let Pete come back, and now, how is it that he's back?"
It seemed not uncommon for children abroad to address elders by their first names; in fact, to some extent, it could represent a special affection and relationship between the two.
But Sam never once called him 'dad' from beginning to end; he clearly held a grudge against Pete.
Although the child was young and had experienced the apocalypse, he still saw and remembered what Pete had done to his mother.
He even wanted Shawn to 'take away' Pete at the first opportunity.
Shawn looked at him and thought for a moment: "I promised to let your mother come back, and I did."
"But they told me that Pete still needs to come back to atone for his sins before he can leave, so I'm actually quite helpless."
"I can't just watch Pete, this bad person, die comfortably without atoning for his sins, can I?"
Shawn winked at Sam, who quickly lowered his head, his eyes subtly glancing around, looking guilty yet understanding.
"Is that you?"
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