Inside Simon Riley (Ghost)'s safe house on the outskirts of Mong Pawk.
Calling it a safe house was a stretch; it was more like a 10-square-meter bamboo shack. To the right of the door was a single cot, with a simple, plain wooden table beside it. It was truly small and basic.
What surprised Dominik even more was that Simon, summoned by the System, seemed to have genuinely lived in this world. The bedding on the cot was stained with humidity and sweat, and there were empty instant noodle bowls on the floor, along with a series of other traces of life in this small room.
Simon turned on a battery-powered lantern, placed his magazines and SCAR-L on the table, and said while checking them, "The Syndicate is an anti-government armed organization, formed out of dissatisfaction with the Junta still controlling the major cities.
Many small and medium-sized villages in the Shan State have fallen into The Syndicate's hands. Unfortunately, this village is one of them."
After listening to Simon's introduction, Dominik finally understood the general information about The Syndicate. However, from his personal perspective, these people were essentially just civilians with guns—militias playing at war.
At this moment, Simon continued, "As for why The Syndicate here would kidnap you, I guess they wanted to lure away the zombies roaming outside the village to reduce some pressure. And you, as an unlucky fellow wandering the roads, were caught."
"So that's it," Dominik suddenly realized. No wonder he had heard many low growls by the wall earlier; those were from the zombies in the jungle.
Simon then sat back by the window, removed his sunglasses and headphones, and looked at Dominik, saying, "Don't be afraid. Go rest on the cot for a while. When it gets dark, I'll take you out of this village, and then we'll head south to escape this cursed country."
[Received emotional feedback from Simon Riley (Ghost). Trust level: 10 points. Awarded 10 points.]
"Heh heh," Dominik smiled slightly and said, "You're still the reliable old friend."
Back when Dominik played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as long as Ghost was by his side, he felt an inexplicable sense of security. It was as if even if all other NPCs died, Ghost would never die; he would always be by your side, fighting alongside you, making you feel less alone.
And now, with Ghost protecting him as a real human, Dominik finally felt some sense of belonging in this strange and dangerous world. At least he wouldn't be as terrified and distraught as he was just now.
Due to the urgency of the escape, Dominik hadn't had time to thoroughly research the System he possessed. So, he stood up and said to Simon, "Simon, I'm really quite tired from all this. I'm going to lie down on the bed for a bit. Call me when it's time to leave."
"Mhm," Simon nodded upon hearing this, still monitoring the movements outside the window through the bamboo slats, and said, "Go ahead."
Dominik didn't waste any more words. As childhood friends in this implanted memory, there was no need for formalities between them. So, he lay on the cot and thought to himself:
System, since Simon has data and special skills, then... do I? And is there a specific standard for this data?
[Dominik Corvinus.]
Shooting: 35
Reaction: 70
Combat: 45
Luck: 95
Special Skills: None
[...Standard for a normal Soldier:]
Shooting: 50
Combat: 50
Looking at his own data, Dominik couldn't help but twitch his mouth. As an ordinary person, he naturally couldn't compare to Simon, a 141 Elite. At least his Luck was quite good, even much higher than Simon's.
After pondering for a moment, Dominik continued to ask, What can these Shooting, Reaction, Combat, Luck, and Special Skills do?
[Shooting: Refers to the character's accuracy when holding a gun.]
[Reaction: Refers to the character's ability to handle sudden events, detect enemy situations in time, and reaction speed.]
[Combat: Refers to the character's proficiency in body combat techniques.]
[Luck: Refers to the character's fortune. For example, when charging on the battlefield, the higher the Luck value, the lower the probability of being hit by a bullet. In extremely dangerous situations, a turning point may even occur.]
[Special Skills: Refers to the character's unique abilities.]
[The Host currently has five Special Skill slots available to learn other characters' Special Skills.]
Empty slots?
Dominik trembled all over. After all, when Simon was summoned, one of his Special Skills was "Instruction," which meant that he could also learn and improve his own strength.
"How is this System like a Development game? Does it also have..."
Just as the thought of whether there was a personal profile flashed through Dominik's mind, his personal information panel actually appeared before his eyes...
Dominik Corvinus
Health: Good
Points Held: 15 points
Reputation: 1
Shop: XXX
...'Reputation and Shop?'
Just as Dominik was about to ask again, the System's cold voice rang out once more, but it wasn't to answer his questions; instead, it issued new information.
[Main Quest:]
[Travel to Bangkok, Thailand, claim the first bounty, and register as a Private Military Contractor. Time limit: 5 days.]
[Success: Reward: one A-rank Gacha Card, 10 Reputation points, and unlock the Shop.]
[Failure: The Host will be castrated and unable to die for twenty years.]
"Holy crap!"
After learning the consequences of failure, Dominik couldn't help but curse inwardly.
After all, for a typical failed mission, the most severe punishment was usually death. However, this System did the opposite, making you unable to die and castrating you!
In this situation, Dominik couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. Moreover, given the System's nature, it was impossible to negotiate with it. As long as the mission wasn't completed, the outcome would definitely be castration into a eunuch.
However, Dominik hadn't finished lamenting when the System, with its characteristic cold voice, spoke again:
[Side Quest:]
[Travel to Mandalay in Central Myanmar to rescue the Host's sister, Laura Corvinus. Time limit: 1 day.]
[Location: Britton Hotel, Room 0517.]
[Success: Gain 50 points.]
[Failure: No penalty.]
"Sister?!"
Upon seeing the name "Laura Corvinus," Dominik felt a sharp, piercing pain in his temples.
It wasn't just a name. It was a trigger.
In an instant, a flood of fragmented memories that didn't belong to his past life—but belonged to this body—surged into his mind like a tidal wave.
He saw a little girl holding his hand on a rainy day in Budapest. He saw a teenager waving goodbye to him at the airport, her eyes red from crying but her smile brave. He felt the warmth of the scarf she had knitted for him before he left for this cursed graduation trip.
Laura.
She was the original owner's entire world. The reason this body had studied so hard, the reason he had come to this dangerous region to finish his thesis quickly—it was all to secure a future for her.
Dominik clutched his chest, gasping for air. The transmigrator's consciousness and the original body's emotions merged violently. The indifference he felt a moment ago vanished, replaced by a suffocating anxiety.
[Failure: No penalty.]
Reading that line again, Dominik grit his teeth so hard his jaw ached.
No penalty?
The System was telling him that in the grand scheme of things, Laura's life was worth nothing. If she died, he lost nothing but 50 points.
"Screw that..." Dominik hissed, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the bamboo table.
But then, the cold reality of the situation crashed down on him.
Mandalay. A major city. If the virus had hit there, it wouldn't be like this small village. It would be a hellscape of millions of infected.
He had Simon, yes. Simon was an elite. But they were two men against a city of the dead.
Dominik looked at his trembling hands. He wanted to go. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to run to Mandalay right now. But logic—cold, hard survival instinct—was screaming just as loud that going there was a suicide mission.
He was torn between the overwhelming emotional instinct to protect his family and the rational terror of facing a zombie horde.
Just as Dominik was drowning in this internal struggle, staring blankly at the floor, Simon suddenly broke the silence.
"Hey, how's Laura?"