2 Doomsday Salvation: Rewards and Survive?
In the silent and murky ruins of the desolated settlement of New Torrington, the crimson flames devoured wildly and gleamed through the pitch-black darkness of the eternal night. Within the house of the settlement's leader was a young man crouching behind the concrete wall.
The young man had jet-black hair shrouded with dust and debris from the devastation. His sapphire-like eyes, resembling that of a gemstone, pierced through the darkness with caution and rationality. His name was Duke Shepherd, the last survivor of New Torrington.
The fortunate one.
The moment the radiant silver light illuminated his body. He instinctively hid himself behind the concrete walls of the house with wariness. The dazzling light attracted too much attention. Luckily, he managed to conceal his body before anything dangerous happened.
"While I appreciate my body's recovery through the brilliant light, what had happened was too dangerous."
"There are still aberrants roaming outside," Duke furrowed his eyebrows and glanced through the windows while maintaining his crouching position. The cold corpses silently lying on the ground started twitching, which was a bad sign.
The stygian virus doesn't discriminate when it comes to hosts. From humans to animals and even plants, the virus could infect all of them and cause a viral and uncontrollable mutation.
'The corpses that had their heads still attached to the main body in some way are turning.' He quietly thought to himself and observed from the house. As long as he continues hiding here, there should be no problem. The strays might clear on their own later.
This was the basic strategy of survivors in the Dark Cataclysmic Era. They won't bother messing with aberrants unless needed. After all, the eternal night was where the aberrants ruled. Humanity could only preserve themselves in one way or another.
It was quite a sad fate, but such was the truth.
"Anyhow, I'm curious about the digital notifications," Duke mumbled and glanced at where the digital notifications first emerged. He didn't know if he was lucky or not. But their emergence was akin to a blessing to him.
Because of the digital notifications, he had entirely recovered his body. No injuries were left in his body. And his mind was as clear as water. It practically healed every part of him. He wasn't tormented by his scarred heart and gnarled mind anymore.
Duke appreciated it deeply in his heart. It was a favor that could never be repaired. But he did wonder where it came from. It resembled a game screen, which was something he instantly noticed.
'Are the notifications still there?' He questioned in his mind, and suddenly, a new digital notification materialized before his sapphire-like eyes. From the looks of it, he needed to be active to understand more about what it was. Gathering information appears to be a must.
| Achievements Record has been triggered! |
"What?" Duke was a bit confused about the notification. What was the achievement record? And what does it do? In mere seconds, his questions were answered, and it wasn't something he was delighted about.
After all, the record was mostly about him.
―<◉ >―
●| Survival Time: 195 Days and 13 Hours... |
●| Distance Travelled: 532 Kilometers... |
●| Monsters Killed: 112 Abberants... |
●| Humans Killed: 1 Woman... |
●| Humans Saved: None... |
●| Settlements Entered: 1 Mid-Sized Settlement and 4 Small-Sized Settlements... |
●| Settlements Created: None... |
―<◉ >―
The achievement record presented all the information about him after the Dark Cataclysmic Era. It organized all the details of his actions and reactors in a list of data, which was something Duke was displeased with. There were some things that should be left as distant memories.
"I can't believe this..." Duke shook his head as he had a complicated feeling in his heart. While he did appreciate the notifications, the truth was still a tragedy for someone like him. Though, if one does wish to continue surviving in this world.
They must accept the truth.
'I thought that it has been over a year since it started. I can't believe that not even seven months have passed since the beginning of the apocalypse.' He exasperatedly sighed with a tired expression on his face.
Even though his mind was cleared of traumas, the memories were still clear and familiar to him. These were reminders that he shouldn't forget. No matter how much painful it became. After all, if they were disregarded. Who would remember them?
'But never did I think she would be considered a human when she died.'
'I guess this is a relief.' Duke glances at the record with a smile plastered on his face. She was the first human he had killed with his own hands. She was his childhood friend who got bitten by an aberrant during the early days of the outbreak.
He killed her after she pleaded with him, wanting to die as a human instead of a monster. That moment was something that scarred him for life. But now that he thought about it, there's no regret in his heart. She died as a human instead of a monster.
"This is why I hate records."
Duke wryly smiled to himself and continued looking at the achievement record. It was painfully honest, especially when counting the humans he had saved. There were none, which greatly pained him.
After observing it for several seconds, another digital window materialized beside the achievement record. It appeared to be calculating something.
| Achievements Record has been confirmed! Calculating Achievements... |
Duke raised an eyebrow with a complicated expression on his face. It calculated his achievements, meaning that it might give him some rewards. If he could have known about this beforehand. He would have tried getting more achievements.
| Achievements have been calculated! |
| Rewards Confirmed! |
When he saw the newly emerged notification windows. A couple of military boxes materialized in front of him. They weren't in his eyes anymore and seemed to be actually taking shape in reality. This made his sapphire-like eyes sparkle like a reflective gemstone.
| Rewards : Director-Weaponry Supply, Director-Ammunition Supply, Director-Equipment Supply, Beginner-Gift Pack(Locked), Anti-Viral Serum, 10-People Food Supply, 224 Source Points |
Four coal-black military crates settled before his eyes, along with three strange syringes lying atop one of them. While staring at them, he felt an indescribable emotion inside his heart. Such things before him were hope. It was a chance for him to survive in this world.
They might not look like much. But at this moment, they were everything to Duke. Obviously, he wasn't picky about what he should have been rewarded for.
He silently stepped forward toward the black military crates of varying size. As Duke stood before the cases, he gazed at the rectangular one and unlatched its lock. Opening it, he felt it was a bit heavy and cold but didn't take it to heart.
A chilly air escaped the grasp of the military crate. And what Duke saw afterward was hope in the form of weapons. His pale hands trembled as he kept ogling the strange handguns lying neatly in the jet-black case.
"It resembles a desert eagle but feels and looks somewhat different." He raises his eyebrows and touches the two handguns. He could feel the glacial cold emanating from the guns. It was as if these two had been kept in a freezer deep underground for years.
Anyhow, the appearance of the handguns had more or less the same appearance as the infamous gun known as the desert eagle. The only difference was the size since it was a bit bigger. It also looked a bit more advanced than the usual desert eagle.
Its paint was metal-black with some crimson neon hues emanating from it. Duke didn't know why a neon glow exuded his handgun, but he didn't care. He finally had a weapon he could use. The revolver in his hands could finally be freed.
"But there should be an ammunition, right?" He glances at the smallest of the military crates in front of him. Without hesitation, he opened the military case and saw stacks of magazines lying in wait. It appears that ammunition wasn't a problem.
"Then the biggest box should belong to the equipment," Duke turned his gaze towards the military crate that was bigger than anything else. He also opened it, and it took some time. He underestimated the weight of steel.
Nonetheless, he did manage to open it with great effort. In the military crate was the equipment, which was several in number. The military case held a grand deal of equipment ranging from clothing and utilities to even explosives. And he took out the clothes first.
The clothes of the Director were inconspicuous. From the dark trench coat, stylish black trousers, and an imposing golden-rimmed uniform. There was also a metallic belt with crimson edges, which had two holsters fastened for the handguns.
And it didn't even end there.
There was also the utility equipment ranging from military boots with dagger placements, a monocle with night-vision, and a military peaked cap. There were also dozens of explosives, and these were the frags, flashbangs, and smoke grenades.
Duke didn't hesitate in wearing all of them. He was brimming with energy, and the new military clothing seemed warm despite being too eye-catching. When he finished wearing the military clothes provided by the rewards. His heart felt strange.
The uniform was too imposing and dramatic. It resembled military clothing that should only be used by an antagonist faction, especially with its dark and golden aesthetic. He looked like a commander of a dictatorship.
But nevertheless, the military uniform was warm. It was the first time Duke felt a cloth so comfortable as this uniform. He didn't care if he looked like an evil bastard. He'll never think of changing this uniform for something else.
At any rate, he glances at the handgun, which dwells beside the magazines waiting to be loaded. He didn't remember any new models of the desert-eagle pistol. So, he was curious about the difference between the former and the latter.
Fortunately for Duke, a digital notification about his handgun materialized.
―<◉ >―
| Dobermann |
●| The Dobermann is a gas-chemical-operated, electromagnetic, and semi-automatic pistol known for chambering the .75 Thunderbolt, the largest and best centerfire cartridge of any magazine-fed, self-loading pistol. It has a digital sight that enhances aim and a personal activation system. |
―<◉ >―
From the simple description, Duke realized the power of the simple handgun before him. It was a pistol model that he had never heard of before and appeared to be a black technology. There was also the bullet, which was amazing in itself.
.75 Thunderbolt was a bullet created for the Dobermann. It had a particular substance that was known as the special gunpowder. Its penetration and power weren't to be underestimated. Combined with the Dobermann, it had the capability to make a head explode.
"This gun is dangerous," Duke softly muttered, reminding himself to be careful. The pistol packed a lot of power. And he didn't know how much recoil the handgun had. There were also two firearms, meaning he needed to dual-wield the pistols.
He didn't know if dual-wielding was efficient. He wasn't skillful in firearms before, so he wasn't confident in using the dual-wielding aspect of the handgun confidently. So, with this in mind, he decided to only use one Dobermann and placed the other in his holster.
With his new military clothing and weapons, Duke was confident. He also lacked his previous injuries, and he had a peculiar feeling that he might be able to handle future problems well. However, fate had another set of challenges for Duke.
There was no such thing as easy in the Dark Cataclysmic Era.
―<◉ >―
| Survive the Aberrant Wave(Salvation Mission) |
●| An aberrant has noticed you and has alerted others within a kilometer of its vicinity. Hundreds are charging towards the desolated and fiery settlement, so the Director must fight and survive. There are no time limits, and the only requirement for mission accomplishment is Director's survival. The mission reward is [Beginner Gift Pack(Unlocked)]. |
―<◉ >―
Duke's body couldn't move a single muscle after the digital notification. His head turned upward and glanced forward. In the window was an aberrant silently staring at him. It was unmoving and stood frozen. It was creepy as hell.
But realizing the mission data, he swiftly pointed the Dobermann to the aberrant and pulled the trigger without hesitation or delay.
*Bang!*
The gunshot reverberated throughout the desolated settlement, but it wasn't that detrimental. After all, since the moment the aberrant saw Duke. Most of them were already charging towards him like an unstoppable tide.
Growls and roars echoed throughout the fiery camp.
And he stood at the very center.
