The sun had set beneath the gloomy skies of Planet Aurelia. Grefort City had gone dark and silent; the once-bustling streets were filled with smoke, yet the cries no longer came from cars, but from humans instead.Buildings were destroyed, and smoke billowed out from some of them. The highways were impassable, with countless cars clogging the roads in a disorganized manner. The smell of burnt plastic and iron drifted through the ruins.
Meanwhile, in an apartment far from Grefort City's center, Hans's body twitched as he slowly regained consciousness from his deep, dark dreams.
"Ugh, what was that..."
Hans muttered, shaking his head while slowly pushing himself up. Countless pieces of information buzzed through his mind, followed by a stinging pain in both legs.
He looked down. The computer case had fallen across his lower legs, but thankfully, it hadn't crushed them. Even so, the pain left him unable to move for a moment.
The clock above him ticked slowly. Through his blurred vision, Hans made out the hour hand pointing at eleven.
Meanwhile, the buzzing in his head became clearer, and he quickly noticed that something was amiss.
"Welcome, Commander! The RTS System has been deployed and is fully operational under your command!"
System? What the hell? Am I still dreaming, or have I woken up?
The system's somewhat cold, womanly voice resounded again.
"You are not dreaming, Commander. The RTS System is real."
"What? You can read my thoughts, and talk back to me?"
[ ... ]
After the initial shock, Hans focused on the RTS System lingering within him.
The System appeared to be derived from Red Alert, carrying several of the RTS game's usual functions: constructing buildings, training units, and deploying superweapons.
However, as Hans inspected it carefully, he noticed slight differences between the game and the System he had received. The six familiar tabs were still there: Main Structures, Defensive & Support Structures, Infantry, Tanks, Aircraft, and Naval.
The last three tabs were greyed out, seemingly because he hadn't constructed the corresponding buildings.
Under the Main Structures tab, the only available structures were the Power Plant, Barracks, and Radar, costing 1,600, 1,000, and 5,000 Gold, respectively.
The Power Plant and Barracks were already marked as constructed, but something about their status looked strange.
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[ Commander, these structures currently exist only in virtual form and cannot interact directly with the physical world. Their functions remain available, but anything produced through them will take longer. ]
[ To construct physical structures, build a virtual War Factory and train an MCV. Deploy the MCV in the physical world to establish your base. ]
------
Hans nodded, understanding how it worked.
The RTS System's build order felt strange to him, especially when the Ore Refinery wasn't even available. To Hans, it was essential, since it had been his main source of Gold during the early stages of a match.
"System, how do I gain Gold for my buildings and units?"
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[ Minerals, ores, and jewelry from the physical world can be converted into Gold. ]
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A list of conversion ratios appeared before him.
"So ten grams of silver is one Gold, while one gram of gold is also one Gold." Hans continued reading down the list.
"Where do I even find that much jewelry..."
The holographic menus hovered soundlessly in front of him, their pale glow casting a blue hue over his vision.
For the first time since waking up, Hans forgot about the silence outside. Then a loud growl echoed nearby, pulling him out of his thoughts. His eyes twitched, and his hands began to shake.
What kind of noise was that?
It sounded too familiar, like the zombies growling in the games he had played. Hans took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, but the low growl still sent a shiver down his spine. Fearful curiosity crept into his mind.
Driven by it, Hans carefully shifted the fallen computer case aside. He grunted as the weight lifted from his legs.
Once the case was stable, he slowly turned and crawled toward the window, afraid to make a sound. Its glass had already shattered, leaving pieces scattered across the floor.
Hans maneuvered around them, not wanting to cut himself when he still had no idea what was happening outside.
He pulled himself up by the ledge, careful around the remaining shards. His eyes widened at the darkness beyond. City lights still flickered in the distance, but the streets below were filled with growls and the wet sound of tearing flesh.
A group of zombies wandered below.
Their skin was torn in several places. Grayish eyes bulged from their sockets, seemingly searching for prey, while their limping limbs still carried an eerie strength.
Hans gulped and forced back a scream.
Oh my goodness! It's the apocalypse!
At that instant, a cooling sensation wrapped around him, forcibly calming his distressed mind and tense muscles.
No, everything may have gone mad, but it isn't lost! I have the System!
Hans backed away from the window, no longer trembling as badly as before. He settled beside the couch and opened the RTS menu again.
Only one entry was available under the Infantry tab.
[ Conscript - 100 Gold. ]
Hans remembered Conscripts as cheap infantry equipped with simple but effective weapons. Left unchecked, enough of them could overwhelm an entire base.
Unless it was walled.
He wanted to train one, but he had zero Gold.
"How do I even get Gold when the outside is too dangerous?" he complained.
He lived on the seventh floor. If the growls came from below, then everyone beneath him was probably gone. The apocalypse had begun in the afternoon, when at least a few residents would still have been inside the compound.
He didn't know whether the zombies outside had come from his apartment building or from the surrounding buildings in the compound.
Regardless of where they came from, Hans was afraid to go outside without the strength to protect himself.
At that moment, the System suddenly spoke.
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[ Commander, you have not yet inspected the entire System interface. ]
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Hans knitted his brows and looked farther across the menu. Above the empty space where the Radar Map should have been, another tab waited. He opened it.
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Commander: Hans Flemmens
Rank: 0 - Recruit
Soldiers: 0
Primary Weapon: None
Sidearm: M1911 Pistol (7 rounds per mag, two mags, refreshes every 24 hours)
Melee: Combat Knife (18 cm steel alloy, indestructible)
Commander's Kit: Personal storage of 1 cubic meter
Commander Vehicle: Motorcycle Side Car (fuel refreshes every 36 hours)
Boost: +10% reaction speed, +10% stamina, +10% strength
Weapon Familiarity: +20% CQC effectiveness, +10% pistol accuracy
Medical Support Pack: 1 first aid kit (fully heals any injuries), one infection suppressant injection (50% infection rate threshold) - refreshes every 24 hours
Commander's Promotion Requirement (Squad Leader Rank): At least 12 infantry units
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Hans was surprised to see that he had both a sidearm and a combat knife. The knife was even indestructible!
"System, so the ammunition refreshes every 24 hours? Do they stack?"
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[ Ammunition does not accumulate between refreshes. ]
[ The Medical Support Pack follows the same restriction. ]
------
Hans nodded. "I see."
Even though the supplies did not stack, the daily refresh still meant that he had a nearly endless source of ammunition, provided he survived long enough.
What could be more useful against zombies than that?
Still, he couldn't go in guns blazing. A gunshot would be loud enough to attract countless zombies.
With the System's boost and equipment, going outside no longer felt quite as horrifying.
No, let's tend to my injuries first.
He looked at the first aid kit's description, still doubtful about its potency.
"System, can this first aid kit heal my injury right now?"
------
[ The Medical Support Pack can heal the Commander's current injuries. ]
[ It cannot regenerate severed limbs. ]
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Since the System had confirmed it, Hans asked, "How do I retrieve the first aid kit and infection suppressant?"
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[ The requested supplies are stored inside the backpack on the couch. ]
------
Hans looked around and noticed a camo backpack on the couch beside him. He pulled it onto his lap and rummaged through it.
There's nothing here...?
Then he remembered the personal storage listed in the interface. When he focused on the backpack, several stored items became visible inside it.
There was an M1911 pistol, the sharp and indestructible combat knife, a med kit, an infection suppressant, a set of clothing, and a motorcycle key.
Hans grabbed the med kit from the storage space. Its usage was simple: target a unit to heal.
He selected himself.
------
[ Target confirmed: Commander Hans Flemmens. ]
[ Medical Support Pack consumed. ]
------
A refreshing sensation washed over him; the med kit vanished, along with the pain and injuries in his lower legs.
"Feels better," he sighed in relief before slowly standing and carrying the bag to the dining table.
He sat down and considered how to scavenge resources for Gold inside the apartment building.
Each floor had nine rooms, and the higher the floor, the more expensive the rent became. The landlord claimed it was because of a "scenery fee" and other nonsense he spouted.
Still, that meant the upper floors likely had wealthier residents. Some might own gold watches, bracelets, necklaces, and the like.
"Let's search the higher floors first."
The lower floors probably offered less Gold and were more likely to be filled with zombies. One wrong noise down there might stir every corpse outside.
Having made up his mind, he changed out of his ragged clothes and into the uniform provided by the System. It was a standard recruit uniform, with a shoulder badge designating his rank as Private.
"The uniform came with a holster and sheath for the knife too... how convenient."
He holstered the M1911 pistol and gripped the combat knife. The steel blade reflected faintly in the darkness, reassuring him.
The combat knife would be his primary weapon. The M1911 was too loud and could make his situation worse. He didn't know how sensitive the zombies were to sound or light, but drawing less attention would help him survive longer.
He put on the standard military boots next. Despite their rough soles, his steps were quieter than expected, likely another effect of the System.
Before leaving, he ate a few snacks and filled his stomach.
Once prepared, Hans reached for the door, ready to explore the world outside his room.