Luckily, Lux had been a zombie-game enthusiast before the apocalypse. He had played The Long Dark, 7 Days to Die, and Project Zomboid, so basic survival instincts were intact.
He also understood human nature in the apocalypse, keeping a sharp skepticism.
The only ones he could fully trust were HK416 and MDR—tactical dolls who would never betray him.
Unlike video games, death here was permanent. If bitten, it wasn't a restart—it was game over.
And if all tactical dolls self-destructed upon his death… he simply could not die.
"System, do you have a zombie virus vaccine in the exchange list?"
[Of course. Ten thousand resource points per dose]
Lux felt some relief at the system's reply.
Ten thousand points was steep. Yesterday, scavenging a residential building earned only three thousand points.
He could save up by exchanging more cars, but facing large zombie hordes would be risky.
Still, the price was worth escaping certain death.
He doubted he'd ever exchange the vaccine for other humans—he couldn't bear it.
As he pondered this, sharp gunshots rang out in the distance.
HK416, covering the rear, dragged him behind a large tree. MDR hid behind another.
"QBZ-95 rifles. From the firing rhythm, about five, within three hundred meters. Commander, your decision?"
HK416 reported after listening carefully.
"QBZ-95… likely a GFL unit…"
"Shall we meet them? Joining up might increase your survival chance."
"No… too many rules. If the system is exposed, they might imprison it and exchange it for resources."
"And if they examine you, they'd notice you're not human. Experiments could follow."
"Your protection is enough," Lux said confidently.
"Understood. We'll wait here until the engagement ends, to avoid stray bullets."
Lux agreed. No zombies would approach this quiet area while gunfire distracted them.
A bullet thudded into the tree he leaned against, making it tremble slightly. Without HK416, he might have been hit.
After some time, the gunfire ceased, leaving only screams fading into silence.
"They didn't retreat… overconfident in their firepower. Let's move. Nearby zombies are drawn away, but others will fill the area soon."
Lux stepped out, and the trio resumed briskly walking along the stone path.
Twenty minutes later, the path's end appeared. Lux stopped.
"There's no greenery ahead. We'll have to use the sidewalk. Avoid attracting zombies; stick close to the road."
"Huh? Wouldn't sticking to the wall be better?" MDR asked.
"Cars can be exchanged for resource points. Even scrap has value."
"If we clear this blocked area, we could drive through later. I'm not confident in my driving, but the road should be passable if unobstructed."
Lux smiled faintly.
"Should we leave a phone in the grass as a noise lure?" HK416 suggested.
"No. Phones are irreplaceable resources. There aren't many zombies nearby; we'll conserve them."
"Understood. Miss MDR will go ahead and scout."
Stepping into the greenery, MDR surveyed the area and activated her tactical headset mic.
"Thirty meters ahead at six o'clock: three zombies, haven't seen me yet—should be passable. Sixty meters at eleven o'clock: four zombies—should be avoidable."
"Received."
**Bixian Pavilion**
Home > Fanfiction > *In the Apocalypse, I Became a GFL Commander*
Responding to MDR through the tactical earpiece, Lux jogged out from the greenery.
Guided by MDR's powerful reconnaissance abilities, the three of them crossed more than four hundred meters of roadway without incident. A large, isolated building soon appeared before them.
At the same time, Lux exchanged thirteen vehicles with the system, causing his resource points to jump to eight thousand three hundred.
Without hesitation, Lux spent three thousand resource points to upgrade the system's storage space to one hundred cubic meters.
Since he had already decided to aggressively stockpile resources in the early stages of the apocalypse, upgrading the system's storage was inevitable anyway. Buying it early meant enjoying it early.
More importantly, along the way he had spotted two BMWs, a perfectly intact Porsche, and a Mercedes. Even though he didn't have the keys, if he later ran into survivors who knew how to steal cars, he could learn a thing or two. Hot-wiring them would still get them moving.
So he didn't convert those four luxury cars into resource points, instead keeping them stored in the system space as reserves.
Without expanding the system storage, there would be no way to fit any additional supplies.