Chapter 1: Opening Shot - Killing a Colleague
July 19, 2010
Georgia State
"Hey, mixed-blood kid, wake up." The old cop gave a hard shove to the person sitting in the passenger seat.
Hanks yawned. "Old man, watch the road when you're driving. You're gonna hit someone."
The old cop shot him a fierce glare, then turned back to continue chatting with the prisoner in the back seat.
The prisoner's name was Lee Everett!
Hanks couldn't be bothered with either of them. He smacked his somewhat swollen head hard.
Not long ago, he'd been doing statistical planning work. Now he'd somehow become a mixed Chinese-German police officer.
Though the transmigration was unexpected, he absolutely would not admit it was because he couldn't resist temptation!
While Hanks had been at work, his computer suddenly displayed a 7 Days to Die Walking Dead MOD.
"Congratulations on obtaining beta testing qualification for the latest 7 Days to Die MOD: The Walking Dead!"
"Please select your profession"
Hunter
Engineer
Special Forces
Police Officer
Scientist
"Do I even need to think about this? The Walking Dead without a cop has no soul!"
The moment Hanks made his selection, everything went black. When he opened his eyes, he was being urged onto a police car to escort a prisoner.
He still hadn't sorted out his thoughts, but figured he must have arrived in The Walking Dead world—after all, the 7 Days to Die interface had come along.
Seven Days to Die Alpha 23 System
Name: Hanks Adolf
Age: 20
Level: 1
Experience: 0/10
Profession: Police Officer
Talent 1: Police Instinct Level 10 (Max)
(Your hunches are accurate. You can discern truth from lies in a person's words)
Talent 2: Police Authority Level 10 (Max)
(Your police authority runs deep. You can make people instinctively trust and comply)
Talent 3: Firearms Master Level 10 (Max)
(You understand handguns, shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles better than most—how to use them properly)
Talent 4: Tactical Master Level 10 (Max)
(You're well-versed in SWAT operations. You know how to lead a bunch of rookies in tactical combat)
Talent 5: Special Driving Level 10 (Max)
(Your American-style PIT maneuvers are famously excellent. Your motorcycle skills rival Indian stunt riders)
Attribute Points: 4
Perception: 1/10
Strength: 1/10
Fortitude: 1/10
Agility: 1/10
Intelligence: 1/10
(Note: Average adult baseline for all attributes is 1)
Specialization: Discern Loyalty (Locked)
(Unlocks when any single attribute reaches level 7)
General Skills: (Collapsed) (Click to expand)
(Even ninety-nine percent talent requires one percent sweat to cash in)
Hanks closed the interface, planning to figure out how to use his attribute points once things settled down.
After all, this was the real world, not a game where you could randomly allocate points.
He looked up ahead. "Holy shit!"
The old cop was getting more into the conversation, now turning his head completely to look at the back seat. "Hey, let me tell you..."
"Right now everyone who can be deployed has been sent to Atlanta and Macon to deal with the riots. The whole state of Georgia has gone crazy!"
"Someone in the road!" Hanks shouted, immediately gripping his seatbelt and the passenger door handle.
The old cop jolted in fright. By the time he turned back around, it was already too late.
He instinctively yanked the steering wheel hard. Not only did they hit the person and send them flying, but the vehicle went into a wild swerve.
The police car plunged straight into the forest, ramming directly into a large tree before finally stopping.
The old cop in the driver's seat was thrown forward, his head smashing through the windshield as he was ejected onto the ground, motionless.
Forest silence rushed in like a tide, instantly swallowing the chaos of the crash. All that remained was the hissing sound of steam from under the hood and a few startled bird calls in the distance.
Hanks shook his head, which felt like it was filled with lead. His chest was constricted by the seatbelt so tightly he could barely breathe.
He couldn't help dry heaving a few times. After patting himself down, he confirmed he wasn't seriously hurt and finally relaxed.
"Christ, that's what you get for not watching the damn road."
"Old... huh?"
Hanks stared at the empty driver's seat and the windshield with a massive hole punched through it.
He hurriedly unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and staggered out, planning to check on the old cop's condition.
The old officer lay face-down on the grass a few meters ahead of the car hood, completely motionless. A pool of dark blood was slowly spreading beneath him.
"Hey! Old man! Hang in there!"
Hanks shouted as he prepared to rush forward, but suddenly stopped in his tracks. Instead, he backed up two steps.
His right hand instinctively reached for his lower back, drawing his SIG Sauer P226 handgun.
His whole body went cold with goosebumps. This was the danger sense brought by his Police Instinct talent.
The old cop's body suddenly convulsed once, then a second time, a third time... His movements were stiff and unnatural.
With a teeth-grinding sound of bones grinding together, he actually used his arms to brace against the ground and began shakily trying to push himself up.
The old man turned into a walker? This fast!
Hanks felt his throat go dry, his heart pounding, but his gun hand remained exceptionally steady.
His last shred of hope shattered. This really was The Walking Dead world!
The old cop finally managed to prop himself up and wobbled as he turned around. His face was pale and greenish, completely bloodless.
His forehead had a terrible wound, blood covering half his face until his features were barely recognizable.
Most horrifying were those eyes. Clouded, vacant, pupils dilated, containing only a primitive hunger and craving for living flesh!
His mouth opened and closed unconsciously, producing a low, inhuman growling sound. Drool mixed with bloody threads dripped from the corners of his mouth.
"Fuck!" Hanks cursed, flipping the safety off from muscle memory. "Old man, I'm giving you mercy!"
Embracing a since I'm already here mentality, he decided to fire his first shot in The Walking Dead world!
Bang!
Fatal misfire!
Handgun Skill Experience +1
Firearms Master bonus applied, experience x10
Handgun Skill Experience +10
Handgun Skill Level 1: 10/100
Hanks's mouth twitched slightly. Adjusting his aim by feel, he squeezed the trigger again.
The old cop's chest exploded in a spray of blood, but it didn't affect his movement at all. He continued shambling forward.
Handgun Skill Experience +10x10
Handgun Skill Experience +100
Handgun Skill Level Up
Handgun Skill Level 2: 10/200
With two shots worth of experience, Hanks adjusted his stance and aim by feel, squeezing the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
The bullet traced a brief trajectory, drilling precisely into the old cop's brain!
His head snapped violently to the side. His body collapsed like all the strength had been drained from it, crumpling limply to the ground.
Headshot Kill
Handgun Skill Experience +100x10
Handgun Skill Experience +1000
Handgun Skill Level Up
Handgun Skill Level 5: 110/500
Attribute Experience +1
Level 1: 1/10
Hanks relaxed when he saw this, then suddenly spun around rapidly, raising his gun again to aim at the person behind him.
Lee had just climbed out of the car. Terrified, he immediately raised both hands, still wearing silver handcuffs.
Holy shit, holy shit. Did I just watch a cop shoot his partner? What the hell is happening? If they think I saw something—
A cold gleam flashed in Hanks's eyes. His gun barrel shifted slightly as he gently squeezed the trigger.
Bang!