When I found myself in the middle of an abandoned city, I was overcome with a sense of shock. The scenery around me resembled my own world, but was shrouded in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic version. Ruins of buildings and abandoned streets, reclaimed by nature, dominated the picture.
Veridonia, a sci-fi world of destruction and decay. The former energy and liveliness of my home world had given way to a gloomy fate. Loneliness and desolation were omnipresent as I wandered the empty streets.
Remnants of past technology lay scattered about. Rusted robot bodies and destroyed vehicles bore witness to bygone days of progress that were now only memories. The wonders of technology had become mute witnesses to a world scarred by disaster and war.
"Hello? Is anyone there?", I called into the deserted streets. My words went unheard, answered only by the echo of my own voice.
Finally, someone's here!", I exclaimed in relief. "Hello, I'm Tim and I'm new here." But when my counterpart hastily turned to me, I froze in shock. It was not a human, but a zombie with lifeless eyes.
I slapped my head and cursed softly. How could I have been so naive? What did I expect in a post-apocalyptic world like {Veridonia}? Zombies and cannibals were not uncommon here, and I should have paid better attention to my safety.
A feeling of panic coursed through my body, my heart began to pound wildly. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I prepared for a quick escape attempt. But before I could take a step, the zombie approached menacingly with slow and awkward steps. Its terrifying moans rumbled in my ears and made me freeze. I realized that I was in an extremely serious dangerous situation.
In a desperate attempt to save myself, I remembered one of my abilities. With trembling hands, I called out the name of my skill:
["Skill: Activate Backport!"]
A voice from my HUD replied,
["Skill Backport has 23 hours of cooldown left." ]
The zombie was now right in front of me, and my hope was rapidly fading. I closed my eyes, ready to face fate.
But suddenly I heard a strange voice:
"Ziglax mibor, froxjir vaqu lopuji?"
A stunning woman in her late thirties appeared before me, holding a sword that gave off a faint green glow. She cleaved the zombie in two.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak sci-fi isekai," I said.
Staring at me in confusion, she searched her bag and handed me a vial.
"Plimbax thrint," she indicated.
"Do you want me to drink this?", I asked. Without hesitation, I emptied it.
"These are nanites for communication. I'm surprised you haven't been vaccinated. Where did you come from? From a cryochamber?" she inquired.
"Ehh yeah, something like that," I replied.
"Do you want me to buy that? Or are you a cultist who wants to make friends with zombies?" she asked skeptically.
"No, no, I'm not a cultist, I hate cultists," I explained.
"Let's go to a safe zone," she suggested.