Outbreak

Present Date, June 10, 2032.

>Timothy Kingsmen 6/13/2030

Future Diary

Entry June 13, 2032. This day, there was a ...

Reuben opened it.

>Future Diary

{Entry June 13, 2032.

This day, there was a virus outbreak worldwide. They codenamed it, DWAS-32, or the Dead Walking Among Us 2032. Its ferociousness also took the lives of two-thirds of the human population. Some even regarded it as the worst epidemic to ever exist.

I too agreed. We have never seen anything like this before. However, I don't think the name 'dead' was entirely accurate. I personally called them 'Undead' since the dead can't walk, but they still looked similar to them... corpses, I mean.

Entry June 14, 2032.

Alas, the DWAS-32 virus was not an ordinary virus. I know this because the world changed too. If only we had understood sooner. That is... this world was evolving. Maybe I could have saved you.

Regardless, it was irrefutable. This place was no longer the earth we knew.

Entry June 15, 2032.

I was fortunate this day. I had yet to encounter an Undead, and I also had enough food to last me for quite some time. Call me optimistic, but I was hopeful help will come before I ran out...}

Reuben kept reading on until he was satisfied. Afterward, he rushed out of the condo in search for indications of what the book had said.

On the street, the area was still clear of any evidence that gave away there was a crisis going on. But Reuben knew better. He did not let his eyes deceive him.

The people in the vicinity pointed and stared.

It wasn't every day you got to see a man dress in military combat wear, holding onto a long melee knife. This was usually signs of a serial killer or a terrorist running amok, especially if he wasn't with the military.

The citizens also thought this as they started to distance themselves from him and pull out their phones.

"Hey, somebody, call the police. I think he's crazy."

"I already did. Do you think he will start shooting?"

"I don't know. I don't see a gun on him."

"Come on, honey. It's dangerous over here," a lady said to her child.

Reuben paid it no mind. He was determined to fulfill his brother's dying wish. The same way he would have wanted it to be done for himself if he had a last request.

Soon, he came across what he was scanning the crowd for. He knew he met the right target because all the clues were there.

{Entry June 17, 2032.

Wishful thinking, I guess. All the food was gone, but I dared not confront them. Instead, I ended up letting other survivors inside, which is why my food was consumed rapidly.

But I did learn something very vital this day. The first human to kill a hundred Undead would be given something special. It made me realize again the world had truly changed.

Entry June 19, 2032.

Hunger persuaded me to kill my first Undead. It was dreadful and unforgettable. It was slow but strong, it groaned, saliva exited its mouth, and lifeless eyes pierced the soul...}

Reuben could feel it, his body freezing up the moment it shifted views and made eye contact. It was an instinctual reflex that said he was going to die.

{...but most of all, it released a subtle terror of what survivors were calling, Bloodlust. So, terrifying.

That, Bloodlust, had the ability to lock a person in place, stopping the ability to run to safety, and simply be forced to watch your own demise.}

Reuben bit his bottom lip, enough to draw blood. He then glared at the Undead and tightened his grip on the knife.

He trained himself, two years, just for this moment.

He hunted wild animals, participated in illegal bouts of underground fights, frequented places known to have high crimes or death rates, and removed the hesitation brought on by never having had killed a person before.

{...Pain could dispel it, but it was more assured to have a strong resolve.}

Everything was for this single second and to resolve his will.

{I wished that was the end of this trepidation, but it was just the beginning...}

In fact, one of the first things that handicapped the human race in their long battle against the Undead was fear and hesitation.

If they wanted any chance of surviving, they needed to resolve themselves into killing every Undead. The earlier, the better.

{You see, it held a highly contagious virus that if you were bitten once or even just scratched, any wound really, you would also die within 5 minutes, experiencing a pain close to thousands upon thousands of insects eating you alive.}

As Reuben advanced on the Undead, he brushed aside the flailing arms and cut off the hand closest.

But the Undead kept moving and disregarded the action. It was as if it didn't feel any pain.

{Alas, there was more. The real horror came from its third ability. It did not die from typical injuries. In fact, it possessed heighten hearing and advance regenerating properties. We thought they were immortal at first.}

"Oh my god! What is he doing?!"

Reuben then wrapped his fingers around the Undead's neck and swung the knife toward its temple.

'It should be here, right? One of its weak points.'

"Ahh! Murder!"

"Someone help! He's killing people!"

"Run!!! This guy is a murderer!"

{Fortunately, there were some weaknesses. The main points were its brain and heart. If you destroyed the brain by striking areas like its eyes, temples, or separating its head from its body, it would die.}

Chaos ensured. More and more people began showing symptoms of being an Undead. The numbers were still small, but the area was crowded.

A person, who had seen Reuben just kill an Undead, hurriedly backed away from the scene until he bumped into another individual. Regrettably, this person had lifeless eyes that pierced the soul.

"W-who are you?! Are you with that other guy?!"

He asked frighten. In his panic, he tried pushing the strange man away. It did not take long for him to realize that he was weaker than the other guy as he was knocked on the ground with the other man on top.

"S-stop!!! Don't kill me!!! I have a wife and newborn child!!!"

The plea fell on deaf ears.

"Nooo!!!"

Upon witnessing this, those that were watching couldn't keep from commenting.

"T-There's m-more of them!! It's really a terrorist attack!!!"

"I already uploaded this online. None of these trashes are getting away scot-free."

Meanwhile, Reuben used this confusion to open up the area where the heart was located on the human body. If somebody noticed his actions, he didn't pay them any regard.

'I should find an Evolution Core, according to the Future Diary.'

{The heart is also ideal. Or to be precise, it is the Evolution Core that must be removed to finish off the Undead.}

The Undead disintegrated and became coins the color of ash.

'It's just like it said. I should hurry then. I need to be the first one to get that special item.'

Although Reuben did pause to think about how and why the virus was spreading irregular without logic, he didn't let it occupy his thoughts for long.

Instead, he made way to the closest Undead next to him. This Undead was also in the middle of trying to kill a young man.

"Please don't do this!!! I will give you money if you let me go!!! I got a lot!!! A lot!!! Take my card inside my pockets!!! I'm not lying!!!"

He begged. Reuben went to avert the crisis, but he was too slow in motion.

"Aaaagrhh!!!"

The young man screamed after getting bitten. Reuben silently swore and rudely reached out. He had no plans to let the Undead off.

And just like before, he grabbed its neck and raised it up to eye level. Only this time, it was from the back.

"Wwoooooo!!! Wee wee wee!!!"

The sound of a police car entered the street where everything was taking place. Those still running in panic parted like the red sea. The car stopped, and two policemen stepped out with their guns raised toward Reuben.

"Stop what you are doing and put your hands up, over your head! If you don't comply, we will open fire!"

Reuben was surprised at the unreasonable request. Could they not see the whole situation? Why were they only singling him out? After all, there were plenty of Undead killing people by biting, and yet, only he was asked to refrain his actions.

'They are mutating faster than the Future Diary predicted. It is more like 2 minutes before they turn into these mindless things.'

Thoroughly understanding the predicament he was in, he released the Undead with a hard push. This gave it the motive to go to the police first, instead of him. He also put his hands in the air but kept the knife in hand and in view.

Both policemen raise a brow at the unexpected turn of events, having thought they would have to get violent before the situation was under control, still did not miss a beat.

"Keep your hands where we can see them and slowly drop the weapon your holding!"

One of the policemen nodded to his partner to secure the hostage. The other police nodded back and moved forward.

"Sir, are you okay? Everything should be fine now and will be taken care of."

The policeman said, making sure not to lose sight of any of Reuben's sudden movements. Reuben, on the other hand, kept his attention on both the man who was bitten and the police officer.

'It should be close to the time he will turn.'

When the two parties got close, the strange man latched onto the policeman.

"What the..."

"Hey! Stop! I said, stop, or I will shoot!"

The policeman standing in the back, fearing for the safety of his fellow workmate, fired off a couple of rounds. It hit the strange man accurately, and his partner was released.

"James! Are you good?!"

He lost his composure and run up to him. Reuben shook his head. The rounds fired had missed the main points needed to eliminate the Undead.

'These two are troublesome, so I can't save them, or they will turn on me next.'

This was the thought Reuben decided on. Police officers felt they held a higher privilege and status over the everyday civilian. Thus, it was hard to meet a decent cop who wouldn't take advantage of them.

'Time to get out of this mess.'

Reuben raised his voice, gaining the policemen's awareness.

"Officers, that guy has the virus DWAS-32."

Besides, he should at least give them this bit of a small chance.