The university hallway, once a scene of laughter and carefree conversation, now seemed like a stage for a quiet, urgent drama. The air conditioning hummed, but the silence between Thiago and his three friends was heavy, charged with disbelief and the gravity of the words he had just uttered. Lucas, the jokester, was pale-faced, his eyes wide, his usual humor completely absent. Gabriel, the studious one, clenched his fists, his mind, accustomed to equations and logical theories, struggling to assimilate the idea of a zombie apocalypse. Sofia, the pragmatist, though visibly shocked, maintained a more controlled posture, her eyes fixed on Thiago, searching for any hint of madness or truth.
"Thiago," Lucas finally managed, his voice a hoarse whisper, "you... you're serious about this? About... the end of the world? Zombies? Mortgaging the house?" The last part came out almost as a squeak, financial reality colliding with apocalyptic delirium.
Thiago nodded, his expression grim, unwavering. "I've never been so serious in my entire life, Lucas."
Gabriel, with a heavy sigh, took off his glasses and wiped them with the corner of his shirt, a gesture Thiago knew well as a sign of nervousness and concentration. "Hypothetically," Gabriel began, his voice lower, almost academic, as if analyzing a complex problem, "if what you say is true... if in a week the world as we know it really is turned upside down... then, yes, we would need money. But for what? You mentioned weapons, supplies... but that's a movie scenario, Thiago. Whatreallywould we need?" Gabriel's question was an invitation to logic, a request for Thiago to provide concrete details, something his analytical mind could process.
Sofia, her voice calm and measured, intervened. "The hotel is a good idea for a start, Thiago. A safe place, with food, water, and some structure. But what about later? A presidential suite won't protect us from zombies or mutant animals for long. And the mortgage money... won't last forever." Sofia's concern was practical, focused on the sustainability of survival. She wasn't questioning Thiago's sanity, but the viability of his plan.
Thiago felt a subtle relief. They were considering. They weren't laughing, they weren't calling security. They were thinking. That was all he needed. "The hotel is just the first step," Thiago explained, his voice growing more confident. "It's to get you and your families out of your homes, your cities, your routines. To bring you to a place where I can explain everything calmly, without you thinking I'm going crazy. It's to keep you safe in the first days of chaos, when no one will understand what's happening and the streets will be hell. It's a meeting place, a temporary refuge."
He remembered the initial panic, the widespread denial, people refusing to believe until the zombies were at their doorstep. The hotel would be a shield, a bubble of normalcy before the perfect storm. "After the hotel," Thiago continued, his eyes fixed on theirs, conveying the seriousness of his memories, "we'll need a safe and permanent place. A place where we can stock up on supplies, where we can defend ourselves. A place I know."A secret refuge. He knew of one, discovered in his solitary wanderings through the apocalyptic future, a place he knew to be self-sufficient and safe.Discretion was vital."
"A place you know?" Lucas asked, one eyebrow raised, the skepticism still present, but mixed with a hint of curiosity. "Like, a secret bunker from a spy movie?"
Thiago ignored the joke. "A place that can be fortified. Where we'll have access to resources. And yes, Gabriel, about what we need... we need everything." He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "Think of the worst-case scenario. Think of a world without electricity, without running water, without internet, without laws. A world where every person you meet could be a threat, and every shadow could hide a monster. We need self-sufficiency. And we need power."
He remembered the elemental mages, the Mana, and the abilities thatThe system offered an exclusive privilege to him, Thiago. He couldn't talk about the System, but he could talk about theconceptof power. He knew that for the others, powers would come another way: through evolution through the zombie crystals and, later, through ingesting the flesh of magical creatures. "Zombies aren't the only threat," he said, his voice lower, almost a conspiratorial whisper. "ThePlague that devastated the land...it didn't just affect humans. It transformed the world. Plants became predators. Animals evolved into untamable beasts. Ants the size of dogs, tigers with rhinoceros skin. And in the sea, and in the air... even more terrifying creatures. The flesh of these evolved animals can restore strength, and with luck, give you their characteristics. But to hunt them, to survive them, to fight the zombies that evolve by eating human brains, we need more than kitchen knives.
Gabriel, with his analytical mind, was already processing the information. "So, you're talking about an extreme survival scenario. Firearms, ammunition, long-range communications equipment, generators, water purifiers, seeds, farming tools, advanced survival kits... and training." He looked at Thiago, his eyes wide. "Training? Do you know how to fight, Thiago? Do you know how to use weapons?"
Thiago nodded, the memory of twenty years of combat pulsing through his veins. "I know. And I'll teach you. Everything I've learned. But to do that, we need resources. And the quickest way to get resources now is... mortgage money. It's an investment in our survival."
Sofia, the pragmatist, was absorbing every word. "What about the crystals? You said zombies have crystals. And that they can be used to enhance strength and gain powers. Is that real?" Her question was direct, no holds barred.
"Yes. It's real," Thiago replied, his voice firm. He remembered the Mysterious Entity, the beams of light that would soon tear across the sky, heralding the arrival of a shadow market where crystals would be the currency. He knew other humans would be slow to discover the crystals' true potential, and that the Entity would be the first to capitalize on it. He needed a head start. "Crystals are the key to the future. They are the currency, and they are the source of power. But they are dangerous. And the Entity that will appear to trade with them... it is powerful. And mysterious. Don't trust it. Trust only me."
Lucas, who had been silent, finally spoke, his voice as serious as Thiago had ever heard it. "Thiago, I don't know what to think. This is... it's too much. But you've never deceived us. And you seem... different. Like you've seen things no one should see." He looked at Gabriel and Sofia. "I trust Thiago. If he says it's for our survival, then it is."
Gabriel sighed, a sound of resignation. "My rational mind is screaming that this is insanity. But my instinct... my instinct tells me to listen to you. You're not joking. And that urgency in your eyes... I've never seen anything like it." He looked at Sofia. "And you, Sofia?"
Sofia pressed her lips together, her eyes darting from Thiago to Lucas and Gabriel. The decision was monumental. She knew what it meant to mortgage her parents' house, the sacrifice it would be. But she also saw the truth in Thiago's eyes, the pain and determination that couldn't be faked. "Whatever you saw, Thiago," she said, her voice low but firm, "I trust you. If you say it's for our survival, then we'll do it. But you'll have to guide us. Every step of the way."
Immense relief flooded Thiago. They believed. Not completely, perhaps, but enough to act. "Thank you," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Thank you. I won't let you down. I will protect you. All of us." He remembered the promise he'd made to himself. This time, he wouldn't fail.
"So, what's the immediate plan?" Sofia asked, already in planning mode. "How do we convince our parents to mortgage the house and come to New York in a week?"
"I've already called my parents," Thiago replied. "They're hesitant, but my mother supported me. They'll talk. You need to do the same. Use the same story. The 'very real nightmare about the future.' The urgency. The promise of safety. And the mortgage on the house as the only way to prepare. Insist it's for the family's safety. And that it's for the best hotel, so they feel safe and comfortable at first. It's crucial that they come here. New York will be ground zero, but also our starting point. And the good thing about the United States is that arms sales are allowed," Thiago thought to himself, the final part a thought he didn't verbalize, but which was a fundamental pillar of his plan.
He knew the conversation with their parents would be difficult, perhaps even more difficult than his own. But the trust his friends placed in him was fuel. He had a team. Small, but loyal. And with knowledge of the future, they had a chance. A chance to fight the soon-to-emerge Level 0 White zombies, and those that would evolve into Pale Green, Moss Green, Greenish Yellow, Burnt Yellow, Dull Orange, Orange Red, Blood Red, Dark Purple, Electric Blue, and Sparkling Black. He needed Mana, skills like Fire Magic, weapons that could cut through the tough flesh of evolved animals and pierce the skin of rhinoceros-like tigers. He needed to survive the sea and sky transformed into death zones. And he needed the money to buy all of this through his System, the secret that would keep him alive and, perhaps, save them all.