Chapter 10 — War Plans
Night was falling over the destroyed buildings of New York, and the air was filled with the rotten stench of the dead. But inside the small apartment where the group had improvised a temporary refuge, things were calmer — at least for now.
Daniel walked through the door, sweaty, covered in blood — most of them undead, others with something worse that he preferred not to name. Behind him, Alice, the woman he had just met at the Umbrella facility, followed alertly. Her gaze swept every corner of the room as if assessing threats.
His parents, friends, and some survivors looked at the newcomer with suspicion.
"This is Alice," Daniel said, closing the door carefully. "Trust is hard to come by around here, I know. But she saved my life down there. Without her, I wouldn't even be here."
Alice crossed her arms, her cold, calculating eyes analyzing each face.
— If you want to survive, you'll have to act together — she said firmly, not wasting time on sympathies. — What's coming... will get worse. Umbrella has lost control, and the army, from what I understand, is no longer trustworthy.
A heavy silence fell. Daniel looked at his father, then at his friends, who were still holding improvised weapons — clubs, knives, rusty tools.
— What do you think, Alice? — he asked, breaking the tension. — I was thinking of something crazy. First, we need a real safe place. Not an apartment surrounded by dead people. Then... heavy combat vehicles. Armored vehicles, if we can get them. Maybe we can help more people. Set up something big.
Alice raised an eyebrow, interested.
— Modifying combat vehicles? — She looked at Daniel as if evaluating him for the first time. — It's not as crazy as it sounds. If we have a safe starting point and resources, it can be done. But if the army and Umbrella are together... it means the entire government could be compromised.
The friends exchanged frightened glances.
"You heard me," Daniel said. "We're on our own. There's no help coming from above. And with each passing day, the streets get worse."
Alice approached, her voice lower:
"I've seen what Umbrella is doing. Experiments. "Enhanced" zombies, if you can call them that. Soon, the ones you see out there will look like amateurs. We need to act first."
Daniel nodded. The invisible System flashed in his mind with the updated information. Now, he knew how much he was evolving. Strength, speed, stamina, vitality... and there were still the crystals, a precious resource that he could soon use to better equip the group — or himself.
But he would never reveal the System. That was his secret advantage.
"First step: we map the safe areas," Daniel said, picking up a makeshift map. "Second: we find a warehouse or garage big enough to hide vehicles. Third: we refuel. And then, we set off to hunt for military resources. If Alice has any contacts or knows of routes...
"I know," she answered quickly. "There's an Umbrella outpost ten blocks from here. Small, but it might have useful equipment. And maybe one or two operational armored vehicles." Daniel took a deep breath. It was risky. But everything in this world was now.
"Let's rest today. Tomorrow morning, we'll start the preparations. Does anyone else have anything to say?" His parents looked worried, but didn't question it. They'd already seen what was out there.
"I just want to get out of this alive," one of his friends said. "If you say it's the best chance, I'll follow it." Alice smiled slightly, for the first time.
"He's stubborn, but he seems to know what he's doing." Daniel looked out the window, observing the dark sky, where chaos dominated the streets. The System updated again, notifying: "Main Mission: Establish Secure Base of Operations — Reward: 500 Crystals."
The game had truly begun. And he was ready.
The silence of the night was broken only by the whisper of the winds and the occasional distant grunt of the zombies. Daniel observed the map scribbled on the improvised table inside the apartment. Alice, sitting next to him, analyzed it with attentive eyes. Friends and family spread out around the room, anxious, scared, but determined.
"What do you think, Alice?" Daniel asked, running his finger over the red dot that marked the Umbrella installation.
She crossed her arms, her expression cold, as always.
"It's an insane idea. But, honestly, it's the best chance we have. Umbrella is behind all this. They control most of the military bases. If we want armored vehicles, tanker trucks, and most importantly, security... We'll have to take a chance."
Daniel nodded. He turned to the group.
"Do you know how to modify cars?" he asked directly to Pedro, his childhood friend, a mechanic who was passionate about cars.
Pedro smiled, despite the tension.
— I'll turn them into tanks, if you give me time and the right parts.
— That's it then. Let's get into the Umbrella base, limp
We will clear the perimeter and leave with armored vehicles, buses, trucks and everything we can carry. We need to turn these vehicles into mobile fortresses. That way we will not only protect the group, but we will also be able to rescue more people.
The group murmured words of support. Daniel's family was there: his parents, still scared but proud, and his sister, Letícia, with an improvised rifle in her hands. His friends too: Pedro, Luana, Thiago and Sofia. And now, Alice, the cold and lethal fighter, coming straight from the chaos created by Umbrella.
Daniel opened the invisible system in the mental interface. The information floated before him. UPDATED STATUS:
Strength: 4 (+2)
Speed: 3 (+1)
Stamina: 3 (+1)
Vitality: 13 (+2)
Available Points: 5 Crystals: 32 Inventory: Space Used 112/1000 cubic meters
The system had revealed the crystals: valuable items that could be used both to strengthen attributes and to purchase equipment in the system's "Shop". But it was not time to spend yet.
Dawn fell like a dark blanket as the group moved through the destroyed streets of New York. Overturned cars, broken storefronts, blood and rotting bodies formed the scene.
Alice led in front, Daniel right behind. The others followed in tight formation, alert.
"No unnecessary noise," Daniel whispered. "They are attracted by sound."
They reached the perimeter of the Umbrella base. The main gate was wide open, indicating abandonment or internal chaos.
Alice gestured. Daniel understood: "Quick and silent infiltration." The group entered the complex. Lights were flashing, cameras were destroyed, blood stains were on the floor. Daniel, with his senses heightened and the system activated, scanned every corner. Grunts appeared ahead. Three zombies, wearing torn military uniforms, staggered. Daniel didn't hesitate. He advanced with the sword that absorbed vitality, decapitating the first one. +2 Vitality absorbed. Alice eliminated the second one with a silenced shot. Pedro crushed the third one's skull with a baton. They continued exploring. They found the vehicle hangar. Armored vehicles, reinforced school buses, tanker trucks and transport vans. "Exactly what we need," Daniel said, his eyes shining. But the system alerted him: Attention: Alpha creature detected nearby. The ground shook slightly. A guttural roar echoed through the corridors.
Alice drew her weapons.
— They have Tyrants here... or worse.
Daniel took a deep breath.
— We have to be quick. Pedro, you and Thiago start preparing the vehicles. Luana and Sofia, take care of the search for fuel and supplies. Letícia, cover them with the rifle. Alice and I will lure the Alpha away.
The plan was executed.
Pedro broke open the panel of an armored vehicle. Within minutes, the engine roared softly. The friends looted fuel and ammunition. Meanwhile, Daniel and Alice entered the darkest part of the complex.
The Alpha appeared: a gigantic aberration, with elongated limbs and red eyes. A failed experiment by Umbrella.
Alice fired. Daniel, with the sword that sucked vitality, launched himself into the attack. The combat was brutal.
Blows, shots, dodges. Daniel absorbed energy with each cut, the system showing the numbers rising.
+5 Vitality +1 Strength
Finally, the monster fell. Exhausted, Daniel turned to Alice.
"We need to get out before more of them show up."
They returned to the hangar. Pedro had started four vehicles: an armored personnel carrier, a tourist bus, a school bus modified with metal plates, a tanker truck, and a cargo truck.
"We're going to turn these into mobile fortresses," Pedro said proudly.
"Good," Daniel replied. "Pack everything up, let's get out of here."
The convoy set off, crossing the streets infested with the undead. The plan was in motion: to create a self-sufficient convoy, capable of transporting survivors and facing the apocalypse.
But Daniel knew: this was just the beginning. There was still much to be faced, many of Umbrella's secrets to be revealed.
The system flashed again:
Secondary Mission Complete: Ransack the Umbrella Base. Rewards: +20 Distribution Points, +50 Crystals, Advanced Equipment Shop Unlock.
Smiling slightly, Daniel knew the game had changed. The war for survival had only just begun.