The scraps scattered into the air, vanishing before they touched the ground. In their place, a faint pulse spread across the corner of his vision, lines sketching themselves into a soft, glowing outline. Roads, alleys, buildings, rendered in real time… a living minimap.
The voice cut through.
[The Starter Map has been consumed. Its function has been integrated into your HUD Overlay.]
Sid blinked, staring at the lower right corner of his display, a tiny grid appeared. Streets and alleys traced themselves in faint white lines, and a small blue arrow pulsed in the center, him.
"Oh… now that's slick."
He commanded, more out of habit than certainty.
"HUD, zoom map."
The grid expanded instantly, unfolding until the full district came into view. Buildings, streets, even blocked paths were etched with glowing outlines, the detail sharper than anything he remembered in the game.
"Damn. And this is just one slice. If the game's logic holds, the rest of the city's still locked behind progression. Which means… yeah. More suffering later."
Sid dragged his finger across the glowing grid, swiping through the district map. As he shifted the view, a cluster of store icons appeared, each marked with faint outlines. He smirked, tapping one.
"Well, would you look at that. Store central. If this place follows game logic, then essentials are stacked in grocery stores. Food, water, the basics. Guess it's time to go shopping."
He pinned the grocery store, and a thin blue line stretched from his pulsing arrow straight to the marked building. The path glowed faintly, cutting across streets and alleyways. Sid tilted his head, muttering under his breath.
"So that's it, huh? A straight line to the grocery store. If I was a speedrunner, I'd clear it easy. Problem is… I was never the map guy. I didn't explore. Didn't memorize routes. I just slashed waves and watched the scoreboard climb. And now? I'm stuck playing Kora the Explorer."
The system cut in, flat and uncaring.
[Tip: Memorization and exploration increase survival odds.]
Sid rolled his eyes at the message, feeling the sting of what sounded like a backhanded insult.
"Yeah, thanks for the backhanded insult… Like I needed a math lecture right now."
His eyes returned to the glowing path, tracing the line again. It didn't seem too far, maybe a short walk, maybe trouble in between. Either way, the sun was blazing now, and the air pressed heavy against his skin. He glanced at the road below, shimmering with heat, and sighed.
"Perfect. Peak after-lunch heat. And of course, I gotta walk it."
Sid stepped off the curb and walked down the sun-baked avenue, the city feeling like a collapsed version of New York or Tokyo. Skyscrapers with smashed windows and subway grates choked with weeds.
Sweat soaked through his jacket, so he pulled the hood up and shaded his eyes with it while the fabric stuck to the back of his neck. His headphones hung around his throat, cord dangling uselessly; he glanced at his empty pockets and muttered,
"If I had my phone and some dumb pop song, this walk would feel like a montage."
He kept the pace steady, thinking out loud as if someone might answer.
"Why did I have to die? Everybody in anime gets dropped into epic fantasy! Dragons, magic, flying cities. Me? I get gravel and gore."
The question hung in the hot air and he let a laugh turn sour in his throat. His voice rose, cutting across the empty street.
"Is there anyone out there? Hello! Human beings! Anyone?"
A rusty soda can skittered in front of him; he gave it a lazy kick and watched it ricochet into an alley with a bright, ringing clatter. The sound rolled between buildings like a pebble in a canyon. From the corner, a lone zombie stumbled out, aviator shades still perched perfectly on its face.
Sid gazed at the zombie, the way those aviators made it look like some washed-up action hero.
"Look at that guy… too cool for the apocalypse, huh? Guess you thought swagger could save you."
He stepped in, knife flashing once, dropping the zombie without breaking stride. Sid crouched, plucked the shades off its face, and slipped them onto his own. He gave the body a mock salute.
"Don't worry, champ. I'll carry on the legacy."
Sid gave it one last look before turning to the thin blue trail glowing on his HUD, pointing him toward the grocery store just a few blocks ahead. With the aviator shades now shielding his eyes, he started forward.
He hummed under his breath, swinging his arms lazily like a teenager wandering home after school.
"Do-da-da~ grocery run in the apocalypse, who cares… chips aisle, here I come."
Sid finally reached the front of the grocery store. The scene outside looked like a painting of chaos. Shopping carts tipped over, garbage bags split open, and bodies left to rot in the open air. Some were half-buried under vines, while others had nothing left but sun-bleached bones. He gave the mess a quick glance.
"Damn. Props to the animators. This world design's brutal. Kinda gives me chills."
He stepped through the shattered entrance doors without slowing down. Shards of glass crunched underfoot with every step, and the store swallowed him in darkness. The only light slipped in from broken windows, thin and useless against the gloom.
Sid pulled up his inventory with a flick of thought and summoned his flashlight. The beam flickered weakly, casting a dim circle ahead.
"Great. Low battery flashlight. Classic starter pack trash…"
He said, shaking it lightly before shrugging. The system's voice echoed flatly in his head.
[Proceed with caution. Enclosed spaces carry higher threat levels.]
[Tip: Visibility and awareness are key to survival.]
Sid smirked and swung the beam across the aisles, catching broken shelves and toppled cans.
"Yeah, yeah, 'awareness' and all that. Relax. I'm not some rookie button-masher. I was top two global, remember?"
His voice was casual, almost mocking, like he was addressing a friend instead of a cold system. He tapped the flashlight against his shoulder, walking deeper into the dark.
"Legendary rank, baby. Grocery store dungeon run? Easy win."
He walked on, heat pressing him, HUD guiding every step, determined to reach the grocery store without pausing for fights.
Sid wandered deeper into the aisles, his dim flashlight beam bouncing across cracked tiles and shattered shelves. The store felt like a horror game jumpscare setup, pitch dark, too quiet. Instead of being tense, though, Sid grinned.
"Man… this is my jam. Creepy grocery store, busted lights, spooky silence. Feels like one of those indie horror games streamers fake scream at. Shame I don't get the background music with it."