Gray trudged eastward, eyes scanning the tree line for signs of life — or death.
"Alright, I'll head east for now. If I don't find anything, I'll buy a map… or maybe try to put together some kind of shelter. My ass still hurts from that tree climb. Not doing that again if I can help it."
He kept a cautious eye out for more zombies.
By his estimate, it was around 10 a.m. The sun was climbing, and his shirt was already damp with sweat.
"I've got 2 gold… six more hours and I can afford the third upgrade," he muttered, sighing. "Wandering around without food or water doesn't sound great."
After some thought, Gray concluded shelter was a higher priority than wandering aimlessly.
"Maybe I could build a treehouse," he considered. "But after last night? No thanks."
Still, he kept thinking out loud — ideas bouncing back and forth in his tired mind.
"Could buy a map… but I don't even know where I am. What kind of map would even help me? Maybe a compass?"
He opened the system HUD and flipped through the store interface.
{Map Of Current Location (1 Mile Snapshot)} (20 Gold)
{System-Integrated Map} (200 Gold) Upgradable to add a compass threat detection and more radius
{System-Integrated Clock} (50 Gold)
{Compass} (10Gold)
"Damn. So the system can upgrade itself. That's good to know… but yeah, that map's a bit pricey right now."
Gray scratched the back of his neck and made a mental note.
"Alright — get the third upgrade first, then buy the map and compass."
His thoughts turned back to the present. "First things first though: I need sleep. I've been up almost 24 hours. Gotta find a cave, or a flat, elevated spot where I can nap without becoming zombie chow."
He kept walking, scanning for both shelter and threats — assuming zombies weren't the only monsters in this world.
An hour passed.
Sweat soaked through his shirt. He was panting hard.
"God, why didn't I exercise more in my past life?" he groaned. "Walking an hour and I'm ready to drop…"
He finally spotted a large tree with plenty of shade and practically collapsed beneath it.
"Good thing I saved some water…" he mumbled, taking a moderate gulp. His eyes were heavy, threatening to shut on their own.
Startled, he snapped upright. "Nope. Not yet. Not gonna risk it."
After glancing around and confirming the coast was clear, he sat down again and leaned against the trunk. After an hour of rest, he stood up and resumed walking — this time sticking close to the trees for shade.
The heat was relentless.
Gray kept thinking about what kind of world he had landed in. The slow-moving zombie from earlier gave him some clues.
"Not 'World War Z' — thank god. Not 'Terraria' either. It's daytime and I haven't seen any slimes or those creepy flying eyes. Definitely not 'Minecraft' — zombies don't walk around in daylight there…"
He frowned. "Could be 'The Walking Dead.' If it is… I'm screwed. I only watched up to the prison arc. Don't remember much else."
Time passed.
Two hours since the last rest stop.
"Time for another break," Gray sighed, leaning against another tree. "Seriously, who drops someone into the middle of a forest with nothing but a note?"
He checked the HUD and grinned slightly.
[Status Info]
Name: Gray Ashwood
Age: 27
Race: Human
Gold: 34
Gold per Hour: 8
Gold Multiplier: 1.00x
"Nice. Just two more hours for the next upgrade," he said, rubbing his tired eyes. "Then I can buy the map. And hopefully… find some damn shelter. I do not want to climb another tree tonight."
Gray settled against the trunk again, keeping his ears sharp and eyes alert. The world still felt unfamiliar and dangerous. He drained the last of his water, sighed, and tossed the empty bottle aside.
"I'll wait here until the upgrade hits. Then walk again. With 18 gold an hour, I can afford another water and some more bread."
He began mentally running the numbers. Two hours post-upgrade would net him 36 gold. Enough for food, a compass, and the static map.
Gray stood up after the two hours of rest and continued walking east. The sun was finally easing up, dipping lower in the sky. It was around 4 p.m.
After walking for nearly another hour and a half, Gray finally saw something—anything—other than endless trees.
A small river came into view, its surface glinting under the afternoon sun. Grateful, he crouched at the edge and splashed his face and hair, letting the cold water wash away the exhaustion. He even rinsed his sweaty shirt, though he didn't dare drink from the river. Clear as it looked, the last thing he needed was a stomach bug—or worse. Instead, he used some of his gold to buy a bottle of water and a piece of bread before sitting by the bank for a short ten-minute break.
Once he felt a little more refreshed, Gray pressed on.
Just twenty minutes later, looking at his HUD, his eyes brightened—he had enough gold for the map and compass. Immediately, he opened the store, purchased both, and pulled up the newly acquired map. His eyes scanned it until something finally stood out: a highway.
"Finally," he exhaled. "A landmark. Maybe even a gas station or one of those rest stops."
The map showed the highway about a mile to the northeast. Thankfully, the system marked cardinal directions around the map's edge. Orienting himself quickly, Gray adjusted his course and picked up the pace, a faint hope growing in his chest.
Roughly eighteen minutes later, the tree line broke, and he found himself facing a rusted fence and the grey ribbon of pavement beyond it. No rest stop or station in sight—but it didn't matter. Anything was better than more forest.
He climbed over the fence, landing softly on the other side, and began walking alongside the highway, heading north. A few minutes in, he came across a sign: Highway 85.
Still holding his bamboo spear just in case, Gray kept walking, alert for any movement. Another ten minutes passed before he spotted a driveway cutting through the trees. Following it, he came to a stop, staring in relief at a two-story rural house.
"Finally," he muttered under his breath. "Maybe now I can sleep somewhere other than a tree branch."
Cautiously, he approached the front door. Gripping the spear, he gave the door a few sharp knocks—not just to test if it would open, but to draw out anything that might be lurking inside. He immediately ducked behind a nearby tree, waiting, listening.
Silence.
He circled around and tried the back door—unlocked.
"Perfect," he whispered, pushing it open slowly. "Still… better safe than sorry."
Gray entered with care, moving through each room with his spear at the ready. No signs of zombies. No sounds. No movement. It was eerie, but it was safe—for now.
Once he'd cleared the house, he made his way to the second floor and chose a bedroom. After locking the back door, he dragged a chair over and wedged it beneath the doorknob—extra security, just in case. With the spear put into his inventory for safe keeping, Gray finally allowed himself to exhale.
Looking out the window, he saw the last ray of sunshine before he collapsed onto the bed, the mattress lumpy but a paradise compared to hard bark and swaying branches."Made it just in time, finally time to get some rest."
Before closing his eyes, he opened his system to check his status:
[Status Info]
Name: Gray Ashwood
Age: 27
Race: Human
Gold: 22
Gold per Hour: 18
Gold Multiplier: 1.00x
"Hopefully, when I wake up, I'll have enough for another upgrade… maybe even a real meal. I think I've earned it."
With that final thought, sleep claimed him.