Chapter 67 – Flee or Fight

Why was exploring this dangerous area the highest reward?

Knowing the system, the higher the reward, then the higher the risk for me and my companion.

I needed to collect Points to buy the zombie serum in case of an emergency, but I also didn't want to take too much risk before arriving in the US. My original objective was to find the fuel quickly.

However, going to the mall and the dock warehouse also sounded nice. At least we could secure more supplies, including food.

Choices 1 and 3 was a straightforward method to get fuel, and I would get them in a short time.

Yeah, no. Playing safe would be better.

I decided to trust my instinct this time and went to the gas station. I could already see it from where I was standing, so I sprinted there at full speed. There was nothing worth noting except some lone zombie wandering aimlessly, and I could easily ignore them.

"Huff... Huff... Phew."

[Ding! You have received 50 Shop Points!]

When I arrived there, it was deserted, no presence of either humans nor zombies could be seen anywhere nearby. However, broken glass windows indicated someone had been scavenging here earlier.

Gas station was completely abandoned, and the cars blocked access into pumps by barricading the entryway.

Fortunately, the fuel hadn't been siphoned.

There was an electric pump that seemed intact and working properly despite lack of power supply elsewhere. I quickly bought 4x 20L containers from my Shop for 10 points and filled them using a hose connected to said pump. I had no time finding them because I was worried about Saya.

Once filled, I grabbed both containers under armpit each containing around 19 liters of diesel total, enough for a few hundred kilometers distance travelled depending on conditions.

With my strength, carrying those heavy containers was nothing. Although, carrying too much would leave me open and I couldn't fight with my sword.

But that's enough for us to go further. We would find another gas station along the way.

Taking Saya and leaving the yacht alone wasn't an option either. It could be taken by people who thought they could use it to escape.

I immediately returned to the beach afterward where Saeko and Miss Shizuka already waited for me.

Seeing them, I sighed in relief knowing that they managed to acquire what needed without incident occurring during the process.

Both women carried backpacks filled with medicine, bandages, contraceptives, etc., basically anything useful enough to ensure survival in the apocalyptic world we lived in right now.

They stood beside humvee parked nearby shore next to our ship.

"That was fast. Did you get what you wanted?"

"Yup." I responded, showing them my containers. "These should suffice. And we should get out of here soon."

Sensing my serious words, Saeko nodded. We moved inside the yacht. There, I stored the fuel tank inside and put the empty container on the side.

Then I went to the bridge to see Saya concentrate trying to get a connection through the radio.

"Hmmph..." After a moment, she turned toward us, smiling broadly.

"Just a bit more and I will get a connection. I was connected to something earlier and I think it's an army. Seems like they are also looking for survivors too." She announced excitedly before adding somberly.

As if mocking me, the choice appeared again for the second time.

[Make your choice!]

1. Screw the communication and leave the island. (Reward: 100 Shop Points)

2. Stay a bit longer to wait for the communication to connect. This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity! (Reward: 200 Shop Points)

So it came to this.

Based on the choice, it was either prioritizing our safety or took some risk to get connected with the US army. I didn't need to think much about this.

"How long do you think it will take?" I asked.

"Not long. Maybe one or two hours and we will connect to them." Saya answered.

That was long.

If I were the survivor who saw a running yacht like this, I would surely be interested. Especially in this city ruins where everything seemed to be out of energy. The chance to have attention from everyone was too big.

Still, having a connection to the US army would make our trip safer, wouldn't it? Maybe I could trade some information about the virus for security or something. After all, information was also valuable during crisis.

After thinking for a bit, I made my choice.

"Let's stay then. Have Miss Shizuka near you so she can give you water or food if you need it. I will stay outside with my sister to protect the ship."

I trusted Saya for handling this.

[Ding! You have received 200 Shop Points!]

I explained it to both Miss Shizuka and Saeko, the former happily obeyed and brought water and food, leaving only me and my sister on the dock.

At that moment, I told her about the danger lurking nearby, which might attack us at any second.

"The survivors might have guns, so we need to be ready." I said, preparing my rifle.

I had 4 full magazines and 40 remaining bullets in the box. If we were attacked, I needed to be bold. Hesitation would lead to death. Those desperate survivors weren't zombies. They would act intelligently.

"Let's hide in the bow area, using the shadows. Also, don't shoot unless I say so." I advised sternly.

Saeko simply listened obediently, following me wherever we went.

Once hidden, I watched patiently for movement from afar; hoping perhaps luck favored our side this once today but alas... 

Not even five minutes passed when I saw a person behind a building, seemingly observing us from a safe distance away. Then another popped up next to him soon followed by a third individual emerging alongside the first two observers.

Two of them ran back inside the building after nodding to each other, possibly informing the others.

I could shoot them right now, but that would alert them that we had guns. The best way was to wait until they gathered and killed them all. It could also give us more guns for us to use.

"I saw three of them, more might come soon. I will prioritize shooting those with guns, so I will leave whoever gets close to you, sis. Of course, don't come out from this place before I kill them all. That would be dangerous."

"Fufufu, I believe in brother's skill. I am sure you can wipe them all without problem."

"Of course."

In the middle of my reply, two guys emerged from the building. One man wielded a baseball bat while another clutched a crowbar tightly across chest. Both men approached cautiously.

Following closely behind these first groups, ten additional individuals trailed along quietly.

Unlike previous arrivals however, this particular bunch wore masks concealing identity and armed themselves heavily ranging from kitchen knives to large machetes. Their attire consisted of ragged clothes stained with dirt and grime covering the entire body.

Most notably amongst the entire ensemble however...

Two people in the back were holding AK-47, aiming at us. I already pointed my gun at them, proning down carefully on the yacht floor.

The ones on the front didn't matter as long as I quickly neutralized the shooters first. A total of 14 people, we could do this.

Still, I hoped their guns would be useful.