The city looked normal.
Cars passed by.
Lights glowed in apartment windows.
People walked the streets, laughing, arguing, living.
Arien stood on the rooftop of a seven-story building and watched it all in silence.
"In six days," he murmured, "this place will be a graveyard."
The thought didn't sadden him.
It sharpened him.
He pulled up the system window with a flick of his fingers.
"ACTIVE SKILL"
Stealth — Level 1
Duration: 10 Minutes
Effect:
– Presence greatly reduced
– Sound dampened
– Visual detection lowered
Cooldown: 1 Hour
"Ten minutes," Arien said quietly. "Enough."
Then he left for the destination….
Below him stood the largest logistics warehouse in the city—
The city's largest warehouse stood proudly in the logistics district, vast and impeccably maintained. Its steel-and-glass exterior reflected the white glow of powerful floodlights, illuminating endless loading bays lined with precision-marked lanes. Automated gates moved smoothly, security cameras rotated quietly, and rows of container trucks rested in perfect order. Clean, efficient, and massive, the warehouse felt less like a building and more like the backbone of the city's supply chain.
And everything that would soon disappear. As the days passed, people will realize soon that this is not as simple as it seems the normal zombies hp is twice the normal peoples so, as time goes all type of bases will be created and based on base power there are different types of reward but it also has some disadvantage like when more than 10 people gather in one place they attract mutated beast and zombie waves.
As they kill a zombie, the status window will appear, and people will soon realise the end of the world is near, and then the era of players will begin, but it's not that easy to become a player, which does not mean you will be able to defeat zombies easily. There are a lot of differences between playing in on-screen and turning it all real, sigh.
But there is nothing to be afraid of. I know the future and some experience, although it's on screen on my pc, it's sure to be reliable.
He checked his surroundings one last time.
No cameras facing the rooftop.
No guards looking up.
"Activate Stealth."
CONFIRMED.
The world seemed to soften around him.
The wind brushed past his face, but the sound dulled. Even his footsteps felt lighter, as if the ground itself hesitated to acknowledge him.
Arien moved.
He crossed rooftops with practised calm, jumping down fire escapes, slipping between shadows. When he landed behind the warehouse fence, no one noticed.
A guard stood ten meters away, smoking lazily.
Arien walked past him.
The man shivered suddenly and glanced around.
"…Weird," the guard muttered, rubbing his arms.
Arien didn't stop.
He reached the warehouse door, picked the simple lock, and slipped inside.
The smell of cardboard, oil, and metal filled his nose.
Rows upon rows of shelves stretched endlessly under harsh fluorescent lights.
"…Jackpot."
He opened his inventory.
"CREATOR INVENTORY"
Status: Active
Time Stasis: Enabled
Arien didn't hesitate.
"Food first."
Canned goods vanished from shelves the moment his hand brushed them.
Rice.
Flour.
Instant meals.
Protein bars.
All gone.
"Water."
Bottled water disappeared by the pallet. Filters followed.
Purification tablets. Large containers.
"Medicine."
Painkillers. Antibiotics. Bandages. Surgical kits. Alcohol. Syringes.
"Tools."
Axes. Crowbars. Nails. Ropes. Hammers. Power tools. Generators.
Everything is useful.
Everything necessary.
Arien moved with purpose, not greed.
"This isn't looting," he told himself. "It's preparation."
He passed through the warehouse like a silent storm.
Clothes next.
Winter jackets.
Boots.
Gloves.
Rain gear.
Weapons followed.
Kitchen knives.
Machetes.
Metal pipes.
Not guns.
"Too loud," he murmured.
His Stealth timer ticked down.
02:11… 02:10…
He swept one final aisle.
Seeds.
He paused.
"…Good."
Thanks to the warehouses with different floors, it has all types of necessities. The reason I chose this warehouse is that when the outbreak begins, people will swarm like flies in supermarkets, warehouses and especially this one, it will become a zombie, so I don't feel any guilt.
Vegetable seeds. Grain seeds. Farming tools.
Gone.
The Stealth skill faded the moment he stepped back into the shadows outside.
Arien leaned against the wall and exhaled.
"Time."
He checked the inventory again.
"INVENTORY SUMMARY"
✔ Food: Sufficient (Long-term)
✔ Water: Secured
✔ Medical Supplies: Secured
✔ Tools & Equipment: Secured
✔ Clothing: Secured
✔ Seeds & Farming Tools: Secured
The city slept.
He left without being seen.
The streets felt colder on the way back.
Arien walked calmly, hands in his pockets, blending in.
That was when he heard shouting.
"Hey! Give it back!"
A boy's voice.
Panicked.
Angry laughter followed.
Arien stopped.
Three men stood near an alley entrance, surrounding a skinny student. One shoved him against the wall while another went through his backpack.
"What's wrong?" one thug sneered. "Family problem?"
The boy clenched his fists.
"Give it back. That's my money."
Arien sighed.
"…Tch."
He stepped forward.
"Let him go."
All three turned.
One laughed. "You lost, buddy?"
Arien didn't answer.
He moved.
One strike to the throat.
A kick to the knee.
A clean punch to the jaw.
The third thug froze.
"…What the hell—"
Arien grabbed his collar and slammed him into the wall.
"Leave," he said calmly.
They didn't argue.
They ran.
The boy slid down the wall, breathing heavily.
"…Th-thank you," he said.
Arien handed him his backpack.
"Be careful," he said. "People are about to get worse."
The boy hesitated. What do you mean?
Arien paused.
And said nothing ..
"What are you doing outside at this time,,
My dad is ill, so I am going to get medicines from the store.
Thank you for saving me
I have to go now
Take care on the way.
Arien turned away.
Although he forgot to ask him his name and walk home, he is going a different way from the thugs, so it will be no problem, I think.
As he walked, his phone vibrated.
He stopped and checked it.
Sophia
The villa you requested is ready.
Shall we proceed tomorrow?
Arien stared at the message.
A base.
Finally,
He typed a reply.
Yes. Tomorrow.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued walking.
Above him, the city lights flickered softly.
Unaware.
Unprepared.
Arien's eyes were calm.
"…six days," he murmured.
The supplies are done by the way, there is a UB quest preparing for supplies, and bags, why didn't I get a reward or message?
When he is thinking about these, a message pops out that the rewards will be processed at the same time as the base will be selected.
He nodded, That's okay. Sadly, I hope it's something better this time. Last time, I got stealth.
I also have to strengthen and secure the villa more than normal.
There is a lot to do. I should take some sleep first. I don't know why, but using skills drains some energy.
After his six hours of sleep in the morning, his phone rang once again.
To be continued…..