Author note.
* I thought I put up this chapter already. I only found out otherwise after a reader of mine asked about the next chapter.
* So... Sorry for the delay and I hope you like the chapter.
* Fair warning though. There is some info dump in the chapter.
* And thank you for reading.
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[ Time / location ]: 2nd of October 2031 / Cabin in the shoreline area of lakeside resort in Colorado.
[ Pov ]: Felix
It's been 30 days.
A full month since I first opened my eyes in this world. Since I made that first decision to slip out the window instead of using the door. Can't say it was my best of plans at the time, I did what I could with what I had. Thankfully it worked out.
Time moves in a strange way when you're constantly moving. Minutes become hours, hours become days, especially when your entire being is focused on survival.
The cabin still stands... Barely. It doesn't creak as much anymore though. Maybe that's because I reinforced every window, every beam, and every squeaky floorboard with salvaged planks, cloth stuffing, and actual elbow grease.
Even with all of that reinforcing and remodeling, I don't think it would survive the winter. The wood itself hasn't been maintained for years, there are places that already show rot and decay. So it might collapse like the ones I passed when i was scouting.
And if what I saw when I played the games is believed to be anything close to reality. The weather has become harsher through the years. Especially winter time.
I needed a secure base, preferably one made with concrete bricks. And if I didn't find any, I'll just make my own bunker. It wouldn't cost me that much to be honest, since I have been hoarding SP for an entire month.
of course, all of that could wait until I have wiped David and his group from existence. I simply do not tolerate monsters like those to exist in this world. We already had the infected.
That oorporation is already underway.
A clear example for why that is: There are no more patrols around the area. Not like before. The forest's quieted down.
Why? Because I made it that way.
***
Let's break it down.
In 30 days, I've eliminated 46 scouts. I myself still don't believe how freaking stupid they were.
More like David's obsession brought them to their own deaths.
At first the groups started out in two or three scouts per-group, depending on the area of the search. But once they started noticing missing people and frequent sightings of the infected, they bumped it up to five people per-group.
And that didn't help much in their situation, not one bit. I used every trick of the book you could imagine. Booby traps, pitfalls, poison, gorilla-tactics. I even led a group of 10 of them to an infected horde and finished everyone off with explosives. (*A/N: Arthur Bishop's template helped in that regard. Seen as he has a plethora of mechanical knowledge.)
At one point in the 15th day of me being here, they stopped scouting entirely, either they were too afraid to chase me, or thought some big group was hunting them down.
Either way, it worked wonderfully for me. It gave me the leeway and opportunity to search and scavenge places I couldn't before.
But even with all of that search, I unfortunately didn't find any gold. What I found is a lot of ( clickers and stalkers ) infected. At one point I almost barged into a room filled with spores.
The last thing I wanted to do is test if I'm immune or not.
Others would try and avoid infected, not me though. They are quite literally my source of money.
Otherwise, all of what I could scavenge was either rusted and beyond repair or not worth taking all together.
Let's get back to the infected. I wasn't a menace only to David's group... No. I literally terrorized the infected. They were both my exercise equipment and shopping money at the same time no losses whatsoever.
I kept the numbers in my notes of how many I hunted down just for the fun of it. I found that keeping notes for almost everything kept me focused and ready for almost every and any situation.
And it goes like this.
Notebook Entry / Combat Log / Clean-Up Operation Progress:
Date Range: September 2nd to 18th, 2031
Location Coverage: Forest perimeter, shoreline residential zones, wilderness trail intersections, abandoned cabins.
Weather Conditions: Fog-heavy mornings, intermittent rain, mostly overcast.
INFECTED NEUTRALIZED RECORD
1. Runners (Stage One Infected)
→ Total Eliminated: 82
→ Average Encounter Range: Close to Mid
→ Tactics Used: Stealth ambushes, knife kills, mini-crossbow, silenced Glock (rarely)
And yes, I finally bought a silenced gun.
→ SP Gained: 820
→ SM Gained: 82
→ Remarks: Weakest variant. Took them in ones or small groups. Efficient. No significant mutation variants observed.
2. Clickers (Stage Three Infected)
→ Total Eliminated: 32
→ Average Encounter Range: Mid
→ Tactics Used: Mini-crossbow for pre-emptive strikes, bait-and-lure setups, environmental traps (spiked pits, noise lures)
→ SP Gained: 800
→ SM Gained: 125
→ Remarks: Blind but deadly. Extremely sensitive hearing. Required higher caution. Small packs of 2–3 common. Avoided direct combat when possible.
3. Stalkers (Stage Two infected)
→ Total Eliminated: 15
→ Average Encounter Range: Close
→ Tactics Used: Tight terrain advantage, low-profile melee combat, ambush corridors
→ SP Gained: 525
→ SM Gained: 150
→ Remarks: Agile, smart. Learned behavior. Two of them used basic tool interaction. Threat level rising. Recommend elimination on sight.
4. Bloaters / Boss Variants
→ Total Eliminated: 0
→ SP Gained: 0
→ SM Gained: 0
→ Remarks: None encountered. Likely deeper inland or in highly infected zones. Could appear soon.
HUMAN HOSTILES NEUTRALIZED
→ Total Eliminated: 46
→ Average Encounter Style: Mixed (ambushes, baited movement, one direct gunfight)
→ Tactics Used: Guerrilla tactics, hit-and-fade, decoy camps, crossfire setups
→ SP Gained: 828
→ SM Gained: 138
→ Remarks: Behavior increasingly desperate. Limited patrols in Week 2 suggest leadership shift or loss of morale.
→ Salvaged: 12 usable firearms, 3 full med kits, 2 radios, 7 maps, miscellaneous supplies. Will document separately.
COMBAT SUMMARY
• Total SP Gained: 2973
• Total SM Gained: 495
• Total Hostiles Neutralized: 175
And with what I already had, it would be:
Total SP: 3911 - some purchases = 3350
Total SM: 519
I was filthy rich now!!. I could buy all the tactical gear and goods I would need for up to months in advance. But I won't do that for now.
Shop Points weren't the only thing to be happy about, with the shadow marks I obtained thus far I could activate two more templates. That is going to be a big advantage for me.
Arthur Bishop's template already gave me so much.
In the month that I have lived so far. I noticed multiple changes to myself after only activating one template.
My capacity and way of thinking changed drastically, it's like before when I looked at a problem I would think, oh I had option A and B to solve it, but now.
I could look at a problem in different perspectives, I didn't just have two options to play with. No, I had a whole alphabet worth of solutions to fall back to.
The advantages didn't end there, I could literally make a list of them. Which of course I did... For future reference of course.
( *A/N: you can skip this part, I won't be writing these often. Just wanted to show what exactly would the advantages be when he activated new templates. )
1. Cognitive Shift:
→ Clearer tactical thinking under stress.
→ Natural instinct to analyze rooms, exits, angles.
→ Habitual threat assessment when entering new spaces.
2. Kill Execution Planning:
→ Ability to visualize and plan "accidental deaths".
→ Started setting up traps without overthinking (e.g., gas leaks, pressure switches)
→ Mental checklist creation before any hit.
3. Combat Efficiency:
→ Cleaner hand-to-hand technique (reduced unnecessary motion)
→ Precise strikes targeting weak points (neck, ribs, arteries)
→ Improved knife handling, reversed grip now feels instinctive
4. Tool & Mechanism Awareness:
→ Innate understanding of mechanical systems (locks, engines, wires)
→ Improved ability to rig, disable, or repurpose machinery.
Example: Disabled a generator and rewired its ignition for remote trigger
5. Stealth Improvement:
→ Movement is quieter, more deliberate.
→ Natural inclination to blend into background.
→ Muscle memory now avoids unnecessary noise (e.g., avoiding creaky floorboards)
6. Mental Discipline:
→ Emotional detachment switch, can go "cold" when needed
→ Less hesitation before striking
→ Sharper focus, doesn't lose track during complex setups
7. Improvised Weapon Handling:
→ Increased lethality with common objects (pen, screwdriver, belt)
→ Killed two runners using only scavenged pipe and glass shard
→ Reaction time slightly faster when reaching for weapons
8. Observation & Setup:
→ Sees potential in environment for traps (falling shelves, rigged doors)
→ Noted shift in how surroundings are evaluated, tactical overlay effect.
Examples: Turned a broken ladder and loose nails into a kill zone trap
Okay, I might have gone a little overboard with the notes. But I can't help it, I don't know how many times I said it. I think it's my hobby now.
It keeps me grounded anyway. As much as I could stand there and say I didn't feel bored or lonely I'll be entirely lying. Loneliness is a bitch you will like and appreciate... until you actually see her true colors and they are ugly.
I guess the template helped with that too. My mind is quite disciplined now.
All of that came from just one template, and now I had the leeway to activate two more." Guess Christmas came early this year. " I said.
Another good news is that my training and physique and the prospect of progress is coming up nicely.
I gained a healthy 10.5 kg of weight. In both muscle definition and fat deposits, healthy fat of course... no diabetes here fortunately.
This body in particular, or should I say My new body is in a growth spurt right now. The gaining of weight and muscle was accompanied by height. 25 cm in just one month to be exact.
" I wonder what my full height would be? Definitely don't want to be staying as a shorty." I thought in objective horror.
***
Early on in the days that I was scouting and hunting both David's group and the infected. I came to realize that protein bars won't cut it for anymore.
Sure I could buy flavored ones. Or buy proteins and meats and the like, but that would cost me points, precious ones.
I needed a source of protein and fat that will both sustain me and help with my training and growth.
So I made my first priority to track, trap and hunt like it's the last thing I would do, it helped greatly in both my training physically and mentally.
And let me tell you. Now... I have more sources of meat then anyone should have the rights to get. Frankly, I might have gone a bit far in hunting... Okay too far.
By using my already established notes from scouting. I've got a good idea of most if not all animal movements and habitats to hunt and feast whenever I wanted.
Survival Journal Entry: Silver Lake Cabin Zone
Location: Silver Lake, Colorado (Outskirts, Forested Ranger Zone)
Elevation: ~8,500 ft
Zone Type: Mixed coniferous forest, bordering alpine meadows and freshwater lake
• Environment & Terrain Notes:
→ Tree Coverage: Dense pine, spruce, fir, and aspen mix
→ Underbrush: Mid-thick, good cover, slows movement
→ Lake is ~400m from cabin, water clear, low current
→ Cabin on high ground, easy to secure
→ Slopes and rocky cliffs ~northwest, caution when traversing
→ Echoes travel farther than expected, keep sound low
• Wildlife Spotted / Tracked / Huntable / Edible Game:
Species -|- Status -|- Notes:
Snowshoe Hare -|- Common -|- Leaves tracks in fresh snow, easy to snare
Wild Turkey -|- Seasonal -|- Move in groups, early morning active
Mule Deer -|- Regular -|- Appear at dusk near waterline
Trout (lake) -|- Plentiful -|- Rainbow & cutthroat, use string lines
Raccoons -|- Nocturnal -|- Raiding food cache, likely to trap
Squirrels -|- Abundant -|- Good for small traps; quick protein
• Potential Threats:
Species -|- Threat Level -|- Notes:
Black Bear -|- High -|- One near the north ridge, scat found
Mountain Lion -|- Very High -|- Single tracks seen, solitary predator
Coyotes -|- Medium -|- Often scavenge; seen twice near the cabin
Moose -|- Extreme -|- Avoid, not aggressive, but territorial
• Forageable Plants / Utility
Plant -|- Use -|- Notes
Pine Sap -|- Antiseptic / Firestarter -|- Collected 3 oz today
Cattails -|- Edible roots / insulation -|- Found near shallow inlet
Wild Mint -|- Tea / breath aid -|- Helps calm nerves
Yarrow -|- Wound poultice / bug repellent -|- Picked 4 bunches
Dandelion -|- Edible / tea -|- Found plenty near clearing
Of course I didn't just go and scout everywhere and hope for the best while getting these results. No I paid for a pretty premium book about survival and wildlife. It cost me 445 SP. And I know, it's a lot of points to spend on a book.
That's what I thought at first but it turns out it's not just one book it's a series of books, 12 of them.
Each containing precious knowledge about anything you want to know about in wildlife in any environment. Three of them are about survival tools / gadgets / weapon making / etc.. and how to make them.
So basically, if you have the ability and can actually read, you could literally survive in any environment possible with these books.
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Word count: 2141 words.
Thank you for reading.
To be continued.