It was a fairly ordinary alley with a dumpster and garbage scattered here and there. Which was odd, considering how much Japan cares about keeping its streets clean.
However, this alley felt peculiar, confirmed by Saeko and Rei's reactions as they sensed something out of place in Japan. For a moment, Allen almost felt like he was back in New York—something nostalgic, something strange.
Allen entered the alley as if drawn by a magnet, even though the signal came from the very end.
Rei glanced at Saeko with a worried look. Saeko shook her head and silently followed Allen, and Rei did the same.
As they walked further in, a strange chill filled the air, unusual for this time of year when cherry blossoms covered the trees.
Allen's eyes widened in surprise. "This is..."
At the end of the alley was a rusted metal door. But what truly stood out was the neon sign above it that read: "Walker Shop."
"A shop in an alley?!" Rei exclaimed, shocked. "But wait, why does it have your last name?!"
Leaving aside the terrible business decision of opening a store in the middle of an alley that practically screamed "I'm the most suspicious place in the world," the fact that it carried Allen's surname was surreal.
"This smells like a trap," Saeko said while grabbing Allen's arm to keep him from entering.
Allen returned her serious look. "You're right, logically speaking, going in there can't lead to anything good. But I have this feeling that I should go in."
Saeko stayed silent momentarily before sighing and letting go of his arm.
"I'll trust your judgment, leader."
Allen smiled before stepping forward, grabbing the handle, and turning it. With a click, the door opened, and when he pushed, the scraping of old metal echoed—it was an old door.
The door led to what looked like a lobby. White walls with rust stains, a gray tiled floor worn down by time, and a single old lamp on the ceiling that flickered occasionally.
"What is this creepy place?" Rei asked.
"Looks like the waiting room of an unlicensed doctor who works for the yakuza," Saeko said with her arms crossed.
"...," Rei stared silently at Saeko.
"It's a joke," Saeko coughed awkwardly.
Neither Allen nor Rei laughed. After all, the yakuza princess might have been speaking from experience.
As for furniture, there were a couple of old but clean sofas, a table, and two chairs. But the most striking thing in the room was the vending machine.
Allen hesitated for a moment, wondering if this really was the right place. But when he checked the minimap, he confirmed it—it was the location.
One curious thing about the minimap was that it changed. When inside a vehicle, the range expanded several times. Inside a building, it showed the rough layout, highlighting entrances and exits.
In this case, there were only two: the entrance door and another at the back.
"Should we sit?" Rei asked, unsure of what to do.
"I wouldn't stay here long. A horde could block the alley and trap us," Saeko commented logically.
"That won't happen."
A girl's voice interrupted their conversation. When Allen heard that familiar voice, his expression softened, and he smiled faintly.
The double doors at the back opened, revealing a girl wearing a trench coat with a hood and a fake mustache.
"Welcome, stranger."
It was the deer girl everyone knew, cosplaying as a shady merchant!
The Chat exploded. They had been wondering where the dolls had gone—who would have guessed one would appear here?
Amid everyone's surprise, Allen walked toward the girl. She fidgeted nervously, as if afraid of being scolded.
Allen reached out his hands and pulled her into a hug.
"Nun?!"
"I'm glad you're okay," he whispered.
Nokotan stayed silent for a moment before nodding and whispering back, "We're fine. You'll understand later~"
"You know her?" Rei asked suspiciously. Putting the cosplay aside, Nokotan looked like a cute girl behind that fake mustache—something that definitely annoyed Rei.
Saeko said nothing, but her eyes carried the same question: Who is this girl, and why are you hugging her?
Allen smirked ironically. He couldn't really answer that question, so he used the same excuse as before: amnesia.
"I don't really know. But I felt the need to do it."
Allen's calm eyes and faint smile made it impossible to tell whether he was lying or not—something only a shameless man could pull off.
Seeing they couldn't get anything out of Allen, the girls turned their stares toward Nokotan.
"Nun, don't look at me like that~ If a handsome man hugged you, you'd enjoy it too~" Nokotan declared with a slight blush, having learned shamelessness from the best.
The girls still looked suspicious, but since they couldn't figure anything out, they let it go for now.
Allen cleared his throat and shifted the topic. "So, what exactly is this place? Also, what should I call you?"
"My name is Shikanoko Noko, but you can call me Nokotan~"
Nokotan stepped back, extended her hands, and with a serious look declared, "Welcome to the Apocalypse Shop."
Saeko and Rei tensed, feeling a dangerous aura radiating from Nokotan. It was then that Allen realized—Nokotan no longer had her deer horns.
"What do you mean by Apocalypse Shop?"
"Please follow me," Nokotan didn't answer, simply urging them to follow.
Allen didn't hesitate to go with her, while the two girls paused for a moment before entering through the double doors.
On the other side was a much larger room than the waiting area. It also looked old, like a building centuries past its prime. There was no furniture, only a small counter at the far end, stairs on the right leading to the second floor, and a door on the left with no label.
Nokotan went behind the counter and sat down, waiting for Allen to approach.
"Nokotan..."
Allen couldn't finish his sentence because, in front of him, a holographic menu suddenly appeared.
[Walker Shop: First Floor]
– Buy
– Sell
– Repair
– Information
"So that's what this is..." Allen sighed before chuckling. "I'm feeling more and more like a video game character. Haha."
Supply crates, safehouses, a shop, a shady merchant, a terminal for weapons, resources, and information—everything looked ripped straight from a video game.
'No, maybe that was my plan before sealing my memories.'
"This is insane..." Rei gasped.
"It really is," Allen admitted with a smile. He didn't even bother giving a logical explanation anymore.
Saeko said nothing, but her sharp gaze was fixed on Allen's back. On the holographic menu, aside from the options, was the kill counter.
The only number that had changed was the Tier 1 Hearts, now showing 152.
Allen wasted no time with the menu and spoke directly to Nokotan.
"I want a good katana and a spear."
"What are you doing? Get a cure first, that's the priority!" Rei said anxiously.
"Don't worry about it," Saeko frowned. "Getting a cure should be your top priority."
"Relax. Of course I'll buy a cure," Allen said calmly. "But I also want you two to be able to fight mutant zombies."
Both girls understood his reasoning. With wooden sticks, it was ridiculous to expect they could face such monsters.
"Nokotan, do you have them?"
"Of course, my dear customer~"
Nokotan pressed a button beneath the counter, and a section of the left wall rotated, revealing a series of katanas. Another section rotated as well, showing spears, staffs, and halberds.
"This looks straight out of a spy movie," Rei sighed. Too many strange things were happening in just one day.
"Don't just stare—pick one," Allen smiled.
"Wait, can we even buy them? And if so, how are we supposed to pay?" Rei looked confused, but she still walked over to the spears. She wanted to grow stronger because the last time, all she could do was watch Allen fight that monster.
"Don't worry about that," Allen answered confidently, pointing to the screen where the zombie kill counts were displayed.
Knowing Allen's stubbornness, Saeko realized there was no changing his mind. She walked over to the wall and began checking the katanas.
"Fine," Rei muttered, resigning herself as she inspected the spears.
"Go ahead."
Allen narrowed his eyes, watching the girls' reactions. Apparently, only he could see the floating price tags on each weapon.
The katanas ranged from 20 to 30 Hearts, while the spears were between 25 and 35 Hearts.
"Are these the best weapons you've got?" Allen asked, noticing that despite being real blades, they were just basic ones.
Nokotan smiled mysteriously, stroking her fake mustache. "Dear customer, the first floor only has basic gear and weapons. If you want higher quality equipment—or even to upgrade your current ones—you'll need to reach the second floor. But I'm afraid it's closed for now~"
Allen glanced at the stairs but didn't push the matter.
"I see. Can you repair this?"
He placed his metal pipe on the counter. It was dented and bloodstained from use.
"Leave it to me~" Nokotan took the pipe and disappeared through the mysterious door.
With nothing else to do, Allen tapped the menu.
– Information
When he selected it, a submenu expanded.
– Important Places
– Items
– Enemies
– ...
When he opened the enemies section, Allen's eyes widened at the images of the different types of zombies he had encountered so far, focusing on the bastard that had infected him.
– Spend ten Hearts for information?
One of the veins. "They're even charging me for this?"
Allen understood how the shop worked. It was convenient, giving you what you needed at any given time, but it was expensive—very expensive. Each supply crate gave you three items and cost roughly a dozen Hearts, yet even the most basic katana was nearly double that amount.
Even if he had the chance, Allen would have to think carefully about whether it was worth buying from the shop or risking mutated zombies in every supply crate.
With a sigh, he decided to pay the price.
[Volatiles: Zombies mutated by the Harran Virus. They are extremely aggressive, highly sensitive to sound, fast, strong, resilient, and heavily infected. Their armored bodies make them nearly immune to low-caliber weapons.]
Weakness:
– Ultraviolet light burns them.
– Direct sunlight, kills them if exposed long enough.
Allen smiled. It had been worth paying for this information. But one detail caught his attention—"Harran Virus."
"Does this confirm the origin of the apocalypse? No… I have a suspicion."
Even knowing he'd be left with fewer Hearts, Allen paid another ten points for another piece of important information.
"…!" Allen's eyes opened slightly, a bead of sweat running down his forehead. Despite his shock, he kept his emotions under control.
Not knowing what Allen had discovered, Saeko frowned while inspecting several katanas.
"Saeko, don't worry. If it gets damaged, we can repair it here," Allen said, noticing her furrowed brow.
"Really?" Saeko hesitated.
The hard truth was that katanas weren't designed to cut through bone. Using them that way would damage them and eventually break them. But there was no choice—zombies felt no pain, and to kill them, you had to damage the brain or decapitate them.
Saeko hesitated for a moment before returning to Allen with a katana. As expected, she had chosen the most expensive one without knowing it. It looked plain, with a black hilt and sheath.
Rei chose a medium spear with a metal shaft and a steel tip, priced at 33 Hearts.
Nokotan came out shortly after with the metal pipe, now shining as if new. She set it on the counter and winked at Allen.
"Nun, here's your weapon, sir. I even added a layer of anti-rust protection, free of charge~"
"Wait—you're not getting one for yourself?!" Saeko was shocked. She knew Allen's skill with the sword was even greater than her own.
"I'll stick to blunt weapons for now."
Heavy weapons were more effective for channeling Allen's superhuman strength.
"I see."
Allen turned to Nokotan. "I also need a cure for the virus, or whatever is turning people into zombies."
Everyone fell silent—especially Saeko and Rei. Forget the weapons and this suspicious shop. Depending on Nokotan's answer, this would confirm whether a cure for zombification existed.
Nokotan crouched down and came back up holding a small pot with a green herb.
[Green Herb: Cost 30 Tier 1 Hearts]
Information had to be purchased; until then, the system wouldn't say much about items. Allen already understood that, but he didn't buy Green Herb's description since he had already confirmed its effects.
"I'll take two," Allen said decisively.
He needed one for himself, but the other he wanted in case someone else got infected. Unlike him, they wouldn't take long to turn.
Nokotan seemed like she wanted to say something but held back, sighing instead as she placed a second pot on the table. "Do you want me to prepare them?"
"I'll leave it to you."
Nokotan went through the door again and returned with two small packets of green powder.
Allen took the bags and stored them.
Katana – 30 Hearts
Spear – 33 Hearts
2 Green Herbs – 60 Hearts
Repair (1) – 5 Hearts
Information (1) – 10 Hearts
Total: 138
Allen only had 14 basic Hearts left, but he wasn't worried. Both girls had gained strength, which was an investment worth making, and now he had two cures, which would ease his tension if anyone got infected.
Besides, he now understood that during the day, he didn't have to worry about encountering Volatiles.
"Thank you, Nokotan," Allen said before turning away. "I hope we see each other again soon."
Nokotan bowed respectfully. "Don't worry. We'll be close when you need us."
The trio left the place, and shortly after, the neon sign went out as if the shop had closed.
Allen checked his map and noticed the shop was no longer marked. He didn't bother trying to go back—something told him Nokotan wouldn't be inside anymore.
"That was real, right?!" Rei asked, feeling like she had just walked through a dream.
Saeko unsheathed her katana. "This is still real."
"Let's go."
Allen looked toward the end of the alley. They had to return to hell.
A concern filled his thoughts, one he didn't share with the two girls. Not because he didn't trust them, but because hearing it would only cause despair.
Allen had confirmed a truth—
There was more than one type of virus.
….
(Offshore International Airport)
"Run, quickly!"
A group of tactical police officers rushed through an airport corridor, firing desperately.
"Rika, get on the helicopter!" shouted a man who seemed to be the captain. As he unloaded his M4, he thought about staying behind to buy them time.
"Captain, I should stay and hold them off! You go!" said the woman as she fired her sniper rifle. Yet her eyes already showed she was prepared to die.
"Don't underestimate me, young lady. Just go, damn it!" the captain barked, and with no other option, Rika obeyed and started running.
Several special forces members reached the runway, where a helicopter waited.
Rika helped load injured comrades aboard and then shouted over the radio.
– "This is Rika Minami from the Special Assault Team. The mission failed. We lost the package, over."
– "Rika Minami, report your situation, over."
Rika clenched her teeth in frustration.
– "The intel was wrong! The creatures aren't blind, they're not clumsy, they're not damn zombies—they're monsters!" –
– "Watch your language, agent." –
– "Screw you! We lost half our squad before we even knew what hit us!"
Rika was furious. If only they had known what they were facing, they wouldn't have ended up like this.
"We need to leave!" the pilot shouted, pale-faced.
"We can't leave the captain behind!" Rika growled, unwilling to abandon her mentor. But the pilot, his expression desperate, pointed ahead.
When Rika looked, she went silent. "This is hell."
In the distance, a massive horde of zombies sprinted like a swarm, thousands of them moving so fast no one on foot could ever escape.
This was the face of the end of the world—absolute death.
The helicopter's rotors roared, lifting the craft into the air. Below, soldiers and agents did their best to hold the line, but body shots did nothing to stop the creatures. They just kept coming. A few dropped here and there, but it meant nothing.
The horde was unstoppable. Like hyenas, they pounced on the soldiers, who could do little before being swallowed by the tide of cannibals—some torn apart before even hitting the ground.
Screams of agony filled the air. Meanwhile, Rika felt utterly powerless. There was nothing she could do—not even one of the best snipers could do anything against these monsters.
"What future awaits this world?"
– "Understood. Return to base. You have another mission." –
Another mission?
Rika scoffed. What could she possibly do? Kill ten? Kill twenty? How many before that pack of cheetahs tore her apart?
Even so, Rika didn't argue.
– "Understood. Over and out." –
====
A/N: Did anyone understand the reference to RE 4? 👀
If you want to read more, there are up to ten chapters ahead on Patreon.
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