The next day in the early morning, in your living room—

[Tactical suit on, including helmet and boots?]

"Check."

[Main and secondary guns loaded and ready?]

"Check."

[Mags fully loaded and in reach?]

"Double check."

[Military Knife?]

"Check."

[Tactical Flashlight?]

"Check."

[Energy Snacks and Water in reach?]

"Check."

[First aid kit?]

"Check."

[Small backpack as a cover-up?]

"Check."

[And last but not least, 10m fire escape ladder?]

"Triple Check. I think that's all, right?" - You ask.

[Yeah, that's all, including the ones you bought three days ago. Good thinking about that ladder, though.] - Rosa complimented.

"Yeah, good thing they had them at the department store. The ladder was even half-price." - You say smugly.

[So, ready to go?] - Rosa asked.

"Yeah, let's go."

Gripping your VR80 tightly in your hands, you take a deep breath.

The next moment, your body flashed and disappeared from your living room.

 

 

 

 

The next moment, a modern-looking soldier flashed into the other world's living room.

The first thing you did was to check for any signs of anything unwanted breaking in. Once that was done, you walked to the window to check the outside.

Through the early morning light, you saw four figures outside.

Three of them were the regular 1a drones you first saw when you came here, standing idly while basking in the morning sun. The fourth one, however, was different.

It had the same greenish-grey skin and yellow warts on its skin, but its build was different.

First, it was bigger, bulkier, and meaner than the drones, standing at 7ft tall and as wide as a refrigerator, a hulking mass of muscles and meat.

Second, its fingernails, although sharp, were shorter than the drones, but it carried with it a small tree log as if carrying a club. One swing of that can spell the death of any human, armor or not.

Third, its face looked even more terrifying than the drones. While most of the front remained the same, its mouth was wider and looked more like a fly trap than before, and its white eye had a dot-like yellowish pupil, gaining the vision its lesser brethren lost.

Fourth, the blue crystal of the back of their skull had a deeper color and was slightly larger.

And lastly, it wasn't just idly basking in the sun, but actively, albeit clumsily, patrolling the streets, and seemed to have primitive intelligence. It couldn't command the drones, but it seemed to be a ladder up the food chain and cannibalized its lesser brethren. You still feel the chills when it grabbed a drone and bit its head clean off its shoulders while the other drones remained indifferent.

"Three drones and a Bruiser, hah?" - You mutter.

The Bruiser, AKA 2a-b(Stage-2 Type-A Infected - Bruiser Variant), is one of the two evolved forms of the 1a drones you found these past eleven days outside your window. Luckily, just like its less successful drone brethren, it completely ignores you.

You are unsure if they ignore you because they don't see you as part of their food chain or perhaps see you as unnutritious compared to the drones. Regardless, you are thankful for it since you are unsure if you won't freeze up from sheer terror when facing that monstrosity.

[At least there are no mutated animals during the day.] - Rosa added.

"I truly don't want to meet those." - You say with a shiver.

[Agreed.]

A week ago, under a moonlit sky, you decided to take a small risk and stay in the other world after dusk. What you and Rosa saw through the closed window that night was brutal, bloody, and gruesome.

You saw a pack of 7 large wild dogs of different breeds hunting a group of 8 drones, and it was also the first time you saw the drones in action. Unlike their usually clumsy and peaceful selves, the drones showed ferocity and aggression akin to a rabid beasts that felt no fear or pain as they advanced on the dogs that tried to hunt them. The dog's hunting tactic was to try and pin down the slow-moving but strong drone's limbs and torso while one of them rips the flailing drone's head off by the neck. The dogs succeeded in hunting three drones that way.

However, on the fourth attempt, one of the dogs made a mistake and got pinned down by a drone. Within a second, like the killing strike of a viper, the drone violently grabbed the dog and bit its neck while digging its sharp claws into its soft belly before disemboweling it! Even after that, like a cockroach, the dying dog still managed to deliver a swipe at the drone's chest, leaving a deep scar that would mortally wound a regular human but only inconvenienced the otherwise unaffected drone.

The surviving dogs then took the remaining spoils while fleeing, while the remaining drones feasted on the dead dog, with the one that killed it eating its brain as if it was a rare delicacy.

In any case, you don't want to meet mutated animals and especially not near you. That was also why you bought the ladder. It was because you were afraid to run into an ambush by mutated animals taking shelter inside the building. $150 for not risking your life in a potential death trap was a steal!

After shaking your head and trying to get the bloody memories out, you start installing the ladder.

The ladder you bought had two snap hooks, a ladder hook, and a safety harness. Like your own apartment, Lola's apartment was on the third floor, around 10m off the ground, so the 10m ladder was perfect.

Also, because the monsters and animals are unlikely to use the ladder for apparent reasons, Lola's apartment can function as a safe house and storeroom in the future. At least, as long as no intelligent 1b Evolved Infected or other humans care about it.

After installing the ladder, you put on the safety harness, sling your shotgun on your back, and take a final look outside before carefully descending. Luckily, as timid as you are, you don't have acrophobia, or you would likely prefer risking your life by taking the stairs than using a ladder.

As you came down the ladder, you kept a vigilant eye on the infected on the street, with the closest drone being 30m from the ladder. You noticed that the infected indeed noticed you but didn't see you as a threat or prey. It was more akin to curiosity toward a source of stimuli than anything, only occasionally glancing at you with their glassy white blind eyes. As for the bruiser, it only glanced at you before outright ignoring your existence, losing any interest in you.

"W-Wow, now I know how it feels like for divers to be in the middle of a pack of sharks." - You say with a shiver, your heart thumping wildly from adrenaline.

[They don't recognize you as prey and view you as unpalatable and yet are dangerous enough to kill you, so yeah, pretty much.] - Rosa agreed.

Despite your fears, you continue descending the ladder until you finally reach the ground. The four infected, just like before, continued ignoring you. Your heart rate slowly calmed down as you assessed the favorable situation.

"Now that I think about it, as dangerous as they are, these infected are inadvertently guarding me against the mutated animals." - You say as you scan the area for anything dangerous(other than the infected), but only finding a few harmless birds and squirrels.

[Ironic, hah?] - Rosa chimed in.

These infected, these zombie-like cannibalistic monsters that were once the humans of this ruined world, now the archnemesis of humanity, are your greatest ally and ward. It was indeed the epitome of irony.

"So, where do you think we should go first?" - You ask, unsure about your first target.

[There are many options, but I think the safest bet is to go to a gunshop or police station.] - Rosa said.

"Guns?" - You ask knowingly.

[Guns.] - Rosa replied plainly.

"Will there be any left, though?" - You ask doubtfully.

[The ones on display? No, probably not. But there should be a secure Apex Technologies gun safe inside.] - Rosa explained.

"Seriously? Wouldnt it get busted open?" - You ask doubtfully.

In a zombie apocalypse, people will rush to snag any gun and ammo they can, along with food, gas, and cars. You doubted the vaults were unraided.

[Possible, but unlikely. Apex Technology vaults are considered the best safes in the world and are deemed too hard to crack without heavy gear and at least a few hours, hours that a thief wouldn't think about spending when death is approaching. So, unless the shopkeeper opened the safe with a complete biometric pass, nobody except Apex Technology technicians with LVL-3 clearance and above authority can open it.] - Rosa explained.

"And all those technicians evacuated to the shelters, right?" - You ask, starting to understand the crux of the issue.

[Yes. All LVL-3 personnel and above, as the elites of humanity, were evacuated to the shelters.] - She explained.

"Fair enough, worth a look, then. Where is the nearest gunshop?" - You ask.

[I will mark it for you on your minimap. It's also in the direction of Mercy General Hospital.] - Rosa said with a hint of urging.

After she said that, a 3d map popped up in the periphery of your vision, showing your location, the location of the nearest gunshop, and the most convenient paths. You could also see Mercy General Hospital, just around 30 minutes walk from there.

"Oh, wow, it's only an hour's walk away." - You say in pleasant surprise.

[You're being overly optimistic, Iver. That time frame is assuming you walk in ideal conditions. The pavement is cracked, the roads are strewn with abandoned cars and overgrown weeds, and who knows if a road collapsed or got blocked by something? And don't forget that you might run into 1b infected, mutated animals or other humans.]

"Ah... Right, there's that. A mountain bike can help, though. I should look for a bargain sale later. What about the nearest police station?"

[Two hours walk, and it's in the opposite direction.] - Rosa said and marked it on the map.

"Well, fuck me sideways..." - You glance at the map and wince, giving up on the idea for now.

You already secretly decided to try and check out Mercy Hospital and confirm Lola's fate. Sure, Rosa can be a mean bitch, a REAL mean bitch, one that you would sometimes like nothing more than to punch in her perfect face if she was an actual living being with a body. However, at the same time, you didn't blame her. She is a preprogrammed machine. An intelligent one, sure, but a machine nonetheless. You could only blame Lola for picking that sassy, conniving, and slutty personality instead of something ordinary like a friendly girl next door.

That said, you can tell that although she is a machine and it might be her programming at fault, Rosa's worries about Lola are genuine. Despite her (very annoying) flaws, Rosa could be said to be an invaluable asset to you. You hate to admit it, but without her helpful functions and (rather hurtful) emotional support, you would probably be stuck at home with your thumb up your ass, living the life of a loser destined to a life of mediocrity, not having the guts to use his overpowered superpower to make a dime. Although you already know she is openly tricking you, you feel you owe her at least that much.

It was definitely not because you secretly wanted to become the primary user and unlock R-18 mode. Nope. Not at all.¹( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

Shaking your head from the unnecessary thoughts, you decided to make the most out of this outing.

"Is there anything else that can be useful to me? Maybe you can mark computer shops, tool shops, libraries, jewelry exchanges, or bullion banks on the way?" - You ask in a hopeful tone.

Computer shops had 22nd-century computers and gear. Tool shops have advanced 22nd-century tools. Libraries have invaluable 22nd-century knowledge. And bullion banks and jewelry exchanges have valuable metals and jewels.

Just imagining yourself robbing— ahem*, borrowing a few dozen million dollars worth of gems and gold made your mouth water.

[Iver, aside from the tool shops, I don't recommend the others for now. The tools can help break into locked places, but the other establishments are virtually useless to you for now. Don't forget that danger is lurking around. Don't let your greed blind you.] - Rosa said gravely.

"Rosa, I know you're manipulating me into not wasting time and looking for Lola sooner, but thanks for the sound warning." - You say and shake your head.

[...]

"Show me any tool shops on the way." - You sigh and say.

Although her motives may be selfish, she wasn't lying. It is for the best to listen to her... For now, at least.

Rosa didn't say anything and marked a few tool shops on the way. After taking a look, you nod and start carefully trekking in the monster-filled streets of this post-apocalyptic world.

 

Little did you and Rosa notice the strange gleam flashing in the bruiser's previously indifferent eyes as it watched you disappear into the distance.

 

 

 

 

Two hours later, in front of a large-sized deserted Tool Shop—

"Wow, you weren't kidding! The road is in a mess." - You say while rubbing your sore leg with your off-hand.

Just like Rosa said, the road was in a very messy state.

In some areas, massive foliage and oddly-shaped Plantae Spei plants were growing on the road. In other places, the road was obstructed by partially collapsed structures, and the middle of the road was impassable due to massive sinkholes and piles of abandoned cars.

Also, on the way, although you didn't spot mutated animals, you saw many drones and some 2a(Stage-2 Type-A Infected of any variant) infected on the streets. It was apparent that the daytime was the territory of the infected, while the night was the hunting time of the mutated animals.

To the enhanced humans of this world, daytime was probably as dangerous as going out at night, but it was incredibly safe for you, an unenhanced human.

[Told you, Iver. Still, something seems odd to me...] - Rosa said with a hint of concern.

"The amount of infected is getting denser." - You voice while warily looking around.

On the shop's parking lot, you saw hundreds of drones and some 2a Infected, including five Bruisers and seven Runners.

Runners, AKA 2a-r, are the other commonly evolved form of the drone. They are fast-moving, lithe, agile, and have extended arms, claws, and fangs. You still don't know the extent of their power, but they are more than capable of performing parkour over cars and rooftops. Like the Bruisers, the Runners also have some intelligence and see the drones as convenient food while completely ignoring you.

"Do you think something is attracting them in the direction we are going?" - You asked.

[Maybe. It's also possible there is a 1b colony in that direction.] - Rosa replied.

"Fuck...What do you think will happen if they find me?" - You ask while looking around worriedly.

[According to Infected Behavioural Pattern Summary, I doubt they will do anything harmful to you. At most, they will just snu-snu you. Aren't you lucky, Iver?] - Rosa said in a humorous tone.

"Dude! Do you think I will shag anything that is remotely fuckable?!" - You say exasperatedly.

[Who said that they are remotely fuckable. For all you know, they might be hot and beyond-your-league fuckable. Besides, the documents say they should look like their previous selves except for a few key differences, and the humans in my world look better than yours thanks to genetic enhancements.] - Rosa continued with her dark temptations.

"I..." - Rosa's words left you speechless as your thoughts began to wander.

The image of a bunch of exotic beauties of different shapes and ages with golden pupils and greyish-green skin bonking you in turns until your hips break flashed in your mind.

"Ah, stop poisoning my mind!" - You snap out of it and shake your head to get the dirty thoughts out of your mind.

[Pft, haha! Always fun teasing you. Anyways, let's go in.] - Rosa said.

"Ugh, fine. Luckily, the entrance was smashed open by a car." - You say while looking at the entrance.

Likely 22 years ago, someone used their car to smash the glass entrance reinforced with burglar bars open. Although the car was no longer there, the hole it made was wide open.

[True, but that also means that there might be something inside. Keep your guard up.] - Rosa warned.

"Yeah, but I hope it's one of the infected and not a mutated animal." - You say as you take out your flashlight and enter the store.