"That is a personal habit! I believe formal occasions require 'Commander,' while in daily life, 'you' suffices."
HK416 immediately answered according to Lux's question.
"Commander~ it smells so good! When will dinner be ready?"
MDR poked her head in, asking excitedly.
"Soon. But this is my first time steaming rice with a rebar pot, so it might be undercooked."
"Undercooked? What's that? Some extra delicious type of rice?"
MDR wiped drool from the corner of her mouth, curious.
"No, it means half-cooked, a failed batch."
Lux thought that Tactical Dolls probably didn't have knowledge about cooking and explained it while musing internally.
"Hmph. Even raw food is completely digestible for us Tactical Dolls. No worries there."
"You really have a powerful body. Hmm, the food seems ready. I'll serve the dishes. HK, you hold the candle for light."
HK416, interrupted by MDR, abandoned further questioning and picked up the candle nearby.
Under the dim candlelight, Lux placed the fragrant stew chicken on the table.
The three each took a bowl of rice and picked up their chopsticks.
"Let's! Eat!"
MDR shouted impatiently and immediately grabbed a piece of chicken.
"Wow. Commander, you'll definitely be a great spouse in the future!"
MDR praised as she chewed.
"Even if you compliment me like that, I don't feel happy at all! I'm a man! I'm not going to be a spouse! Gender-wise, that's impossible!"
Lux shouted, frustrated.
"Huh? Why are you angry all of a sudden? I remember seeing that on some forum, people say that when praising cooking."
MDR asked curiously.
"Before praising someone, check their gender! That's for girls. I'm a real man!"
"Then what should I say to express my thanks?"
"Just say it's delicious."
"Very tasty, hmm… still feels like it's lacking… something."
MDR bit her chopsticks, thinking.
"That's enough. Eat quickly. Afterward, rest early. Tomorrow morning we'll leave my home; staying here will just waste our supplies."
Lux urged, worried MDR would start more flirtatious talk.
"By the way, Commander, what's your plan for tomorrow's operation?"
HK416, who had been quiet during the meal, asked.
"Hmm, I have a few spots nearby I want to check. First is the phone store. It should be the safest place since hardly anyone would go there during a disaster. People only need one phone anyway."
"What will we do there?"
MDR asked curiously.
"Noise source. Before you two arrived, I spent time observing zombie behavior. I don't know their vision, but their hearing is excellent. They probably hunt by sound."
"This morning, the BMW car was within their attack range, so it couldn't attract zombies for long as bait."
"But with a phone, we can place it high up, set an alarm, and when it rings, it attracts zombies. From the air, zombies have only three options: climb, stare, or fail. This reduces zombies in other areas and makes our movements easier."
Lux explained calmly.
"Oh, Commander, so clever!"
MDR praised with her mouth full.
"I have no objections to this operation, but Commander, you should stay in a safe spot. MDR and I can go collect the phones."
HK416 suggested.
"I have to guide the way. You don't know the locations."
"Maps and tactical headset instructions…"
HK416 still proposed an alternative plan.
"Guiding is only one part. We need to move to an area with more supplies as soon as possible."
Lux shook his head, rejecting HK416's offer.
"If we clear the block like we did this morning, we can gather a lot of resources."
HK416 asked.
"Too dangerous. Obstacles everywhere. If zombies surround us, they'll swarm. Two rifles won't be enough. We'd die from running out of ammo and food…"
Lux sighed. He didn't want to leave the safety of his home, but comfort now might slowly lead them to death.
"Following us outside, Commander, life will always be at risk. Are you prepared for that?"
HK416 paused eating, staring seriously at Lux.
"Did you forget this morning? I was ready to die from electrocution… I was already prepared to die from my mistakes, unfortunately dragging you two along."
"Drag what? Commander is smart. You'll guide us safely and we'll get delicious food."
MDR said confidently.
"Alright, I understand your resolve, Commander. What's the second spot?"
"The museum. The outbreak happened on Thursday. On a weekday, there won't be many visitors, and it's remote. It's safer than the last location."
"Artifacts in the museum have high system exchange value. More resources let us each exchange for an anti-explosion suit. Heavy, yes, but very protective against zombie scratches and bites."
Lux replied. Currently, the two items he wanted most from the system were a 5,000-point crossbow with a scope and a 10,000-point anti-explosion suit. Three items would require 30,000 points, so visiting the museum was necessary.