The First Safehouse
1041 Words
Arthur slowly opened his eyes.
Aiko and Yuna were sitting beside him.
The red sky outside the electronics store had already darkened.
Night was approaching.
"Arthur!"
Seeing him awake, Aiko immediately sighed in relief.
"You scared us."
Arthur rubbed his head.
The battle with the intelligent mutant still felt unreal.
Especially the words it had said.
Candidate.
Candidate for what?
And why had it been afraid of him?
Before he could think further—
Growl...
Several zombie growls echoed from outside.
Arthur immediately stood up.
The apocalypse did not give people time to rest.
Aiko helped him up.
"Your injuries healed much faster than normal."
Arthur looked at his body.
The broken ribs were no longer hurting.
Only slight soreness remained.
His system seemed to be making him stronger.
DING!
---
Main Mission Reminder
Build the First Safehouse.
Time Remaining: 45 Hours.
---
Arthur sighed.
"Looks like we need a base."
Yuna nodded repeatedly.
"I don't want to sleep in a*****e filled with dead bodies."
"...Fair point."
Arthur activated his new skill.
Golden light flashed across his eyes.
A map appeared.
Several red dots represented zombies.
Then—
One green dot appeared a few streets away.
DING!
---
Suitable Location Detected.
Former Apartment Complex.
Threat Level: Low.
Defensive Potential: High.
---
Arthur smiled.
Looks like the system was helping.
"Let's move."
The three carefully left the electronics store.
Night had fully arrived.
Tokyo looked terrifying in the darkness.
Burning buildings illuminated the streets with orange light.
Smoke covered the stars.
Occasional screams could still be heard.
The world had truly changed.
After twenty minutes of careful travel, they finally arrived.
The apartment complex consisted of three buildings surrounded by metal fences.
A small convenience store and parking area were inside.
Most importantly—
There were only a few zombies.
"This place..."
Aiko looked surprised.
"It's actually good."
Arthur nodded.
If they cleared it, this could become their first home.
Unfortunately—
The zombies quickly noticed them.
Growl!
Five zombies rushed forward.
Arthur stepped out.
Compared to before, these ordinary zombies no longer seemed threatening.
Slash!
One head flew into the air.
Stab!
Another collapsed.
Within a minute—
The area became quiet again.
DING!
---
Zombie Eliminated.
Experience +2.
---
Yuna stared with admiration.
"You're getting stronger."
Arthur smiled slightly.
"Maybe."
Truthfully, he could feel himself changing.
His body was becoming stronger after every battle.
Soon, the three entered the complex.
Suddenly—
"Don't move!"
A voice echoed.
Arthur immediately turned.
Several people appeared from one of the buildings.
Four men.
Two women.
They held pipes, knives, and wooden sticks.
Survivors.
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
The leader was a middle-aged man.
He looked exhausted.
"You aren't infected?"
Arthur shook his head.
"We're survivors."
The man sighed in relief.
"So there are still others alive."
One of the women suddenly cried.
"I thought everyone was dead..."
Aiko quickly comforted her.
After talking for a while, Arthur learned that these people had been hiding here since the outbreak began.
They had little food left.
Several of their friends had already died.
Everyone looked hopeless.
Arthur glanced at their thin appearances.
Then—
DING!
---
Suitable Refugees Detected.
Building your influence begins with trust.
---
Arthur's expression became thoughtful.
Perhaps...
This was the beginning.
The beginning of his future kingdom.
Without saying anything, he opened his storage.
Then—
Boxes of bread appeared.
Bottles of water appeared.
Everyone froze.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The middle-aged man rubbed his eyes.
"W-Where did those come from?"
Yuna smiled proudly.
"Arthur has special powers."
The survivors looked at him in disbelief.
Arthur ignored their reactions.
"Eat first."
Nobody moved.
Food had become more valuable than gold.
Giving it away so freely seemed impossible.
Finally—
One little girl slowly walked forward.
She couldn't have been older than eight.
Her face was dirty.
Her body was thin.
"Big brother..."
"Can I really eat this?"
Arthur's heart softened.
He handed her a bread pack.
"Of course."
The little girl immediately started crying.
"Thank you..."
Soon, everyone began eating.
Some cried.
Others thanked Arthur repeatedly.
For the first time in days—
Hope appeared in their eyes.
DING!
---
Gift Distribution Completed.
Rebate Triggered!
Congratulations!
200x Return!
Rewards:
- Premium Food Supplies ×200
- Purified Water ×300
- Medical Supplies ×100
- Construction Materials ×50
---
Arthur almost laughed.
This system was ridiculous.
The more he helped people—
The stronger he became.
At that moment—
DING!
---
Main Mission Completed!
First Safehouse Established.
Rewards:
- Beginner Base Blueprint
- Defensive Wall Blueprint
- Survivor Management System
---
A holographic screen appeared.
Arthur's eyes widened.
This was becoming more and more like a game.
Suddenly—
The apartment gates slowly closed by themselves.
Metal bars reinforced the entrances.
Several weak points on the walls became highlighted.
The survivors stared in shock.
"Magic..."
"No..."
"This must be a miracle."
Arthur himself was speechless.
The system could even help build bases.
Then—
A new title appeared.
---
Title Acquired:
Leader of the First Shelter
Effects:
+10% Trust from Survivors.
+5% Leadership.
---
Arthur looked around.
Everyone was staring at him.
Not with fear.
But with hope.
For the first time since the apocalypse began—
People were looking at him as a leader.
The middle-aged man suddenly bowed.
"Please..."
"Allow us to follow you."
The others also lowered their heads.
Arthur froze.
Follow him?
He had only been an ordinary office worker yesterday.
Yet now—
People were entrusting their lives to him.
Aiko smiled softly.
"You saved us."
Yuna nodded.
"And you'll save many more."
Arthur looked outside.
The city was still burning.
Monsters still roamed the streets.
The world was still ending.
Yet...
A small light of hope had appeared.
Arthur slowly clenched his fists.
Perhaps...
He truly could build a new future.
A kingdom.
A sanctuary.
A place where people could survive.
DING!
---
Hidden Quest Triggered.
Build the Strongest Kingdom in the Apocalypse.
Reward:
???
---
Arthur smiled.
This journey had only just begun.
But somewhere in the darkness—
A pair of golden eyes slowly opened.
Watching him.
Observing him.
And a cold voice echoed.
"...The First King Candidate has begun gathering followers."
"...Interesting."
The apocalypse was far from over.
- Writer
