Morning came slowly over the ruined city.
Atlanta looked like a battlefield.
Smoke drifted through the skyline while distant sirens echoed weakly somewhere far away. Fires still burned in several streets, and the occasional gunshot broke the heavy silence that now covered most of the city.
Inside an abandoned sporting goods store on the edge of downtown, Alex Mercer stood near the entrance watching the street outside.
Behind him, Sergeant Cole and the rest of the soldiers searched the building for supplies.
Jackson opened a cabinet and smiled.
"Jackpot."
Ramirez walked over.
"What did you find?"
"Camping gear. Water filters. Knives."
Cole stepped out from the storage room holding a small crate.
"Found some ammo too."
Alex nodded slightly.
"Good."
Their group was small, but they were already far more organized than most survivors in the city.
That alone dramatically increased their chances of survival.
Ramirez approached Alex.
"You ever sleep?"
Alex didn't turn around.
"Yes."
"Doesn't seem like it."
Alex ignored the comment.
Instead he opened the system interface.
SURVIVAL RESOURCE SYSTEM
Supply Points: 34
Inventory Capacity: 0 / 100
Mission: Build a Survivor Unit
Progress: 4 Members
Reward: Elite Supply Crate
Alex studied the interface for a moment.
Then he opened Supply Exchange again.
Weapons
Equipment
Food
Medical
Tools
He selected Equipment.
Several items appeared.
Combat Gloves – 8 SP
Tactical Vest – 20 SP
Gas Mask – 12 SP
Advanced Tactical Mask – 25 SP
Alex paused.
Advanced Tactical Mask.
He selected it.
The description appeared.
Item: Advanced Tactical Mask
Features:
• Reinforced respirator
• Tactical visor
• Voice distortion
• Protection against infected blood exposure
Cost: 25 Supply Points
Alex didn't hesitate.
Purchase.
The Supply Points instantly dropped.
Supply Points: 9
A small blue light appeared in front of him.
The item materialized silently and dropped into his hands.
Cole blinked.
"…Where the hell did that come from?"
Alex didn't answer.
He simply lifted the mask and studied it.
The mask was black.
Smooth.
Military grade.
Dark red lenses covered the eyes while a reinforced respirator protected the lower face.
Jackson walked over.
"Damn… that looks badass."
Ramirez smirked.
"You planning to scare the walkers?"
Alex slowly put the mask on.
The respirator sealed tightly around his face.
His voice sounded slightly distorted when he spoke.
"No."
He looked at them calmly.
"Protection."
Cole nodded approvingly.
"Smart."
Walker blood splatter was a real danger now.
One drop in the eyes or mouth could mean infection.
Alex adjusted the mask slightly.
Through the dark lenses, the world looked sharper.
More focused.
Jackson crossed his arms.
"You look like some kind of special forces operator now."
Ramirez chuckled.
"Yeah… like a damn ghost."
Cole raised an eyebrow.
"Ghost…"
He looked at Alex.
"…Not a bad nickname."
Alex didn't react.
But the name stayed in the air.
Ghost.
It suited him.
The last Mercer.
A silent commander moving through the apocalypse.
Outside the building, walkers continued wandering through the ruined streets.
But inside the store…
A new force was forming.
And its leader now wore a mask.