Gunfire, groans, and the screams of agony from the poor souls being devoured transformed the supermarket into a scene of horror…

"… Everyone, evacuate the area!" shouted a police officer as he threw a walker to the ground, just before it could devour a woman, and shot it in the head with his revolver.

A smart and competent cop in a zombie series. Maybe unicorns do exist, or Erick was hallucinating.

The officer kept firing until his weapon was empty and searched his pockets for more ammo.

"… Take your families and head to the refugee center!" the officer yelled again. Instead of reloading his gun, he saved an old man from a walker about to sink its teeth into his face.

The officer and the walker wrestled while the old man abandoned his savior in the face of danger.

Erick watched as a second walker tackled the officer, followed by a third, which sank its teeth into his face. As the other two feasted on his body, several people, including some the officer had just saved, did nothing to help him, instead running from the carnage.

Lesson learned… Don't be a hero… Thank you, kind officer...

Erick grabbed the officer's revolver, which had slid to his feet while the cop struggled for his life. Sure, the gun was empty, but that didn't make it useless…

[Congratulations… You've obtained your first firearm!

You acquired:

- Basic firearm kit.]

Erick opened it immediately without wasting time. He needed anything he could use to protect himself.

[Basic firearm kit… Opened!

You acquired:

- 9mm pistol

- Pistol ammo x10.]

The pistol appeared in a holster on his belt, and its weight made Erick feel a lot more secure, though still… it wasn't enough.

Erick was one of the few who stayed to loot the supermarket instead of fleeing like the others. He grabbed an abandoned shopping cart and ran through the store, not even bothering with food. His mind was focused on finding melee weapons.

When two walkers crossed his path, Erick shoved the shopping cart with all his strength, crushing one of them against a shelf and pinning it down. He dodged the second and struck it with the empty revolver before running again…

He couldn't afford to kill them yet… not with these weapons… The walkers were busy devouring or chasing after people, and he preferred to keep it that way. Wasting energy or ammo on them was a luxury he couldn't afford.

Erick reached the section he was looking for: "Camping Gear." He grabbed a small axe, a couple of tactical knives, and a machete, which he slung over his back. He also equipped a large one-strap backpack.

Now I can start taking everything I need from this place…

[Two missions have been unlocked for the player!

Alert: Choosing one mission will make the other unavailable.]

"Well… What do we have here?" Erick murmured.

[Mission: "Escape the supermarket."

The supermarket you've spawned in has become too dangerous, and staying here will get you killed sooner or later… Escape immediately and find a safe place!

Rewards:

- You will meet a protagonist of the story and escape with him/her to a military-guarded refugee center.]

Why would I want that? I don't care about meeting a protagonist… And the military is incompetent anyway, so putting myself in their hands would be suicide…

[Mission: "Loot the supermarket."

Despite the risks, you believe that gathering resources is far more important in the long run. For that reason, you choose to stay and collect as much as you can to survive.

Rewards:

- You get to keep all the supplies you manage to gather, but you'll face greater danger.

- ???]

Erick accepted the second option without hesitation. He didn't care about the refugee center, as it would likely fall anyway, and the canon had nothing to do with him since he wasn't a "protagonist."

Besides, now he was well-equipped for the occasion. In addition to the weapons he had, he also donned a motorcycle helmet and full protective gear, including a reinforced jacket, gloves, elbow pads, knee pads, and boots.

He was well-protected against bites, but bullets could still kill him, and if two or three walkers managed to knock him down, he'd be done for, so he needed to fight smart.

Erick grabbed a few more items from the section. A multi-tool, a flashlight, a lighter, a compass, among other things, before quietly moving through the supermarket aisles.

The screams and gunfire had faded, replaced by the groaning of walkers and the sound of them feasting on the people they had caught.

Erick drove his axe into the skull of one walker while avoiding those that hadn't yet seen him. He navigated the aisles, steering clear of groups of enemies while gathering what he could.

Items like canned food, water, and toilet paper were essential, so he silently filled his backpack without making any mistakes.

Erick had no idea how much time had passed until his backpack was full and noticeably heavy. That's when he realized he needed to think of a way to escape.

He had spawned in this supermarket, but based on his outfit, he deduced he must have a motorcycle somewhere… He searched his clothes until he found the keys to what must be his bike.

However, he started considering getting a car, emptying his backpack into the vehicle, and then returning to the supermarket to refill it and gather as many supplies as possible…

It was a riskier strategy… but far from impossible, considering that among the many people who died here, there had to be a corpse with car keys in their pockets…

After debating it with himself for a while, Erick decided to be greedy… This supermarket would surely be looted sooner or later, so it was better to be the first and not have to worry about food for a long time.

However, finding car keys turned out to be harder than it seemed. Erick had to kill a walker, check its pockets, move silently, and keep an eye on his surroundings while avoiding large groups of walkers…

After the sixth walker and narrowly avoiding a group of ten of those things… Erick started considering leaving the place. But then he saw a familiar face…

"Cops are supposed to protect citizens… but who will protect you now, huh?" Erick muttered, seeing the kind officer turned into a walker.

If it weren't for the uniform, it would've been impossible to recognize him. His face was mangled, intestines spilling out, and his legs had been eaten down to the bone, but there was no doubt it was him.

Erick approached the crawling walker and stabbed it in the brain through the eye. When he finished searching the body, he couldn't help but smile at his stroke of luck.

[Congratulations! You've obtained:

- Police patrol car keys x1

- Revolver ammo x7.]

He reloaded the revolver with the ammo he found on the body, and as Erick was getting up from the floor, he felt the barrel of a gun pressed against his back.

"… Don't move," he heard a man say.

Erick obeyed and didn't move a muscle. He hadn't thought anyone else was alive in this place, much less that someone would be bold enough to threaten him.

"… I think I'll take that… Thanks!" The man took the pistol from Erick's belt, murmuring in satisfaction.

It didn't seem like the man had noticed Erick still held the revolver in his left hand. Erick shifted slightly to hide the revolver and got a glimpse of the guy threatening him.

He was a man in his thirties, medium height, slim, and Black. He was pointing the stolen pistol at Erick, while holding a second gun in his other hand.

"… Hey, I'm just here looking for supplies… Not looking for trouble…"

"Thanks for that…" The guy sneered. "You've saved me a lot of hassle…"

Erick tried to suppress his anger as he loosened the straps on his backpack with his free hand…

"It doesn't have to be like this… We could gather a lot more supplies together… Watch each other's backs." Erick attempted to negotiate…

"Heh… You think I need the help of a white man like you?" The way the guy said that last part carried a contempt he didn't bother hiding.

"There are dozens of those things everywhere… I was alert the whole time… How come I didn't see you?" Erick asked.

"I climbed up on top of the shelves when I ran out of ammo… That's how I saw you, but you couldn't see me…" The man boasted. "… Now hand over that backpack."

Erick's arm began to tremble with "fear" as he stretched out to give him the bag. Before the man could take it, Erick dropped it to the floor, causing the guy to huff in frustration…

"You idiot… And I was about to thank you." The dead man sneered.

No, thanks to you.

Erick took advantage of the man's distraction as he bent to pick up the bag and shot him with the revolver. The man grunted in pain, falling on his back and dropping the guns…

"Ah...! Shit...! You shot me in the dick...! ... Arghhhh!" The guy writhed on the ground. Erick saw he was reaching for a weapon and shot him in the arm, making the man writhe again as he screamed in pain.

Without wasting time, Erick picked up the guns and the backpack, then struggled to climb the shelves due to the weight. If Erick were obese, it would have probably been impossible, but luckily that wasn't the case.

When Erick finally reached the top of the shelf, he saw walkers coming from both sides of the aisle and heard the thief start to beg him.

"Hey... wait... Please... I made a mistake... Working together would be a better idea... Please... Help!" the man begged, bleeding on the floor.

Even if Erick tried to save him, he wouldn't be able to get him up in time. And anyway, he'd be a complete idiot to trust someone like him.

"Didn't you say you didn't need someone like me? ... This is your chance to prove it..." Erick mocked.

Several walkers lunged at the guy, tearing him apart while Erick watched from above the shelf. He couldn't help but turn away in disgust as he angrily noticed dozens of walkers entering the supermarket from the parking lot.

It seemed like the gunshots had caused the place to become overrun, and now his plan was nearly impossible to carry out with all those walkers filling the aisles... All thanks to that idiot.

Erick knew it was time to escape the place. No matter how stealthy he was, the harsh reality was that even he couldn't handle that many walkers.

Erick began grabbing bottles of bleach from the shelves and throwing them into other sections of the supermarket to divert as many walkers as possible.

Seeing his plan work temporarily, Erick climbed down and started moving stealthily, crawling beneath the cash registers but saw that there were at least thirty of them right at the entrance.

Erick quickly entered one of the bathrooms before being seen to avoid attracting attention.

Inside the bathroom, there were two walkers. Erick first took out the one by the sink and then dealt with the one banging on one of the stalls.

Erick took a moment to rest after all the attention he'd accumulated so far. He was almost out; he just had to push a little harder.

"Hello? Is there anyone out there?" A woman's voice was heard.

Seriously? ... Are there still more people in the supermarket?

He wasn't in a good mood after the last stranger tried to rob him. Now he had to deal with another stranger... Perfect.

Erick took a moment to wash his face in the sink and contemplate his reflection. His fair skin and black hair were still there as always, but now he noticed something strange: his previously green eyes had turned into an unsettling red. Luckily, he was still handsome, so he wasn't going to worry too much...

The stall door suddenly opened, and Erick kept his hand on his gun, ready to draw and shoot if necessary.

The person who emerged from the stall was a young woman about his age. She had honey-colored hair in a braid with strands framing her face, and blue eyes that looked at him with fear as she met his gaze.

Behind the young woman was a little girl who looked like a smaller version of her, likely her younger sister. Her hair was shorter, reaching her shoulders, and adorned with a headband.

"Are you armed?" Erick didn't hesitate to ask.

"No..." The young woman immediately replied, keeping her sister behind her.

Erick looked her up and down and realized she was almost certainly telling the truth. He didn't give it any more thought and gathered his things, preparing to leave.

"Alright... I'm out of here... I won't bother you anymore..." Erick explained.

He started walking toward the exit but hadn't gone far before a soft, feminine hand touched his shoulder and stopped him.

"Wait..." he heard the young woman say, turning to look at her. "... My sister and I are scared... Can you help us get out of here? ... Please..." She clasped her hands in a pleading gesture. "Please."

Erick looked her up and down, bewildered by her request... Is this girl serious? ... Unfortunately for her, the person she should've asked that question to died trying to play the hero...

"And why should I do that?" His indifference seemed to catch the young woman by surprise.

Erick wondered what exactly she expected. This isn't a Disney movie where the good guy saves those in danger, and everyone lives happily ever after.

"Well, I..." She began to stammer, trying to answer. She must have realized that morality wouldn't work with him, so she was trying to find practical reasons to ask for his help.

Either way, Erick had already made up his mind. He wasn't going to wait around for her to come up with something...

"Listen, lady... Do whatever you want... Just make sure you don't get in the way and don't expect me to risk my neck for you."

Erick left the bathroom, crouching and moving silently. He heard footsteps behind him and realized the sisters had decided to follow him. That made him scoff, but he ignored it since he had to focus on getting out of the place.

Erick silently took down a walker with his knife and continued to move toward the exit, crouching. When he finally couldn't get any closer without being detected, he grabbed a can of food that was on the ground and threw it with force.

The noise caused many of the walkers at the entrance to move. Erick took down two more walkers and knocked over a third as he crossed the entrance, finally reaching the parking lot.

Outside the supermarket, there were a considerable number of walkers, but none had noticed him yet. Erick climbed onto the roof of a car to survey until he finally spotted the patrol car.

Erick dispatched a few more walkers until he finally reached the patrol car and pressed the button to unlock the doors before getting inside.

Erick placed the backpack in the passenger seat, but before he could start the vehicle, the back doors opened, and two familiar figures got into the car.

He quickly drew his gun and threatened both of them.

"Excuse me... Did I ever say I was a taxi driver? What are you doing here?"

"You... You said to do whatever we wanted, and I thought you..." Erick interrupted her.

"You thought I cared or that I was going to take you with me? ... Seriously? ... Next, you'll say you thought my food was yours or what?"

The two seemed on the verge of tears, but before Erick could say more, a walker started banging on Erick's side door, and when he turned his head, he saw more and more walkers pouring out of the supermarket to flood the parking lot.

"Well... Shit... Let's get out of here." Not even Erick had a heart so cold as to shoot women and children without a reason.

The car started, and as he dodged as many walkers as possible to avoid damaging the vehicle, Erick couldn't help but sigh in relief as the supermarket faded into the distance.

He remembered his motorcycle was still there. If anyone managed to get it started without the keys, then he wished them the best because he had no plans to go back for it.

When he arrived home and pulled the patrol car into the garage, Erick felt extremely relieved and relaxed. So much so that he forgot about the women accompanying him and flopped onto the sofa, covering himself with a blanket.

His eyes felt incredibly heavy, and before he knew it, he was already asleep...

[Character Summary:

- Name: Erick Bolton

- Age: 18

- Combat Attributes:

(Take into account that C- is the average)

   * Melee: C+

   * Ranged: C-

   * Physical condition: C+

   * Stealth: B-

   * Plot Armor: Low

- Group size: 3

- Army quality: Very low.

- Inventory:

   + Pistol (ammo x10)

   + Revolver (ammo x5)

   + Thief's pistol (empty)

   + Small axe

   + Machete

   + Tactical knives x2

   + Backpack

   + Food (remaining days: ??)]