Chapter 20

The next morning, Piers woke up early. Though his body was no longer primitive, the habits from the moon world still lingered deep in his soul.

Seeing Yuki and Sister Ci still asleep beside him, Piers felt the weight of responsibility settle heavily on his shoulders again.

At that moment, Sister Ci finally woke up. Embarrassed by her behavior last night but without regrets—after all, Piers was the most reliable person she had encountered so far—she greeted him softly.

"Mr. Piers, you're already awake. It's early."

"Good morning, Miss Sakura."

"You don't have to be so formal. Just call me Ci," she smiled, wondering if he understood the meaning.

"Well, I'd better call you Sister Ci since you're probably older than me," Piers replied politely.

"How old are you this year, Mr. Piers? You seem quite mature," Ci asked with interest.

"I'm only twenty," he said, matching his current physical age.

"Twenty?!" Sister Ci looked at Piers, feeling a bit down since he was younger than her.

While Piers and Sister Ci chatted, the three girls also got up. Yuki immediately snuggled up to Piers.

Seeing Yuki clingy like this, Piers grew concerned and asked the others, "What's going on with Yuki recently? Why is she so attached?"

The two explained the truth.

"So, it's a kind of regression?" Piers wasn't well-versed in psychology, but what surprised him most was that these two understood it so well.

Looking at Yuki, Piers realized that because of his presence, Yuki had become more dependent—a spiritual weak spot, as God had warned.

Maybe when Yuki grows stronger, the illusion will fade.

That day, Piers and the others decided to dispose of all the corpses first. Everyone resisted at first, but they soon adapted.

All the bodies were dragged to the playground and burned. Piers knew they needed to focus on living resources now.

"Our school's rooftop can be used for planting, and there are more supplies underground that should last a while," Sister Ci shared what she knew.

"Also, the second basement floor might be the source of this disaster," she added, pulling out a manual for Piers to better understand the incident.

Reading it, Piers understood why the principal had sent word for help—it was well-founded. Perhaps the principal was even involved.

"Thankfully, this school has water purification systems and solar charging below ground, farming fields on the roof and playground, and emergency medicine stored inside. Looks like the principal anticipated something and prepared."

Piers didn't worry much about the ordinary zombies outside. What concerned him were the kinds of zombies from his own world—Resident Evil's variety included many special species, some he wasn't sure he could handle.

"Mr. Piers, let's get started. No slacking," Sister Ci said, interrupting his thoughts and nudging him into action.

"Alright, let's do this together."

While Piers and the others gathered daily supplies, satellites watched their every move from the sky.

Terrifyingly, except for Muranogaoka city—where Piers and his group were—the rest of the world remained peaceful.

Meanwhile, in a conference room of a building monitoring Piers via satellite, a group of people discussed him.

"This special soldier is more capable than expected—even stronger than the lickers we tested in Raccoon City."

"This isn't the main threat. Our concern is how this new virus spreads, though its impact is still milder than the T-virus."

"True, but this virus has a longer incubation period and still can't infect birds."

"So what's the purpose of this meeting? We haven't gotten any satisfactory results yet."

"We need to deal with this special soldier."

"No, we can use him as a test subject—he might be a better experiment than an adult male."

"Then I'll handle it. After all, he's our subordinate. We should guide him."

"Agreed."

A conspiracy against Piers was hatched—without him even knowing.

Watching Yuki and Yuri working hard to survive, adapting quickly to their harsh reality, Piers felt proud. Not everyone could adjust so fast.

Suddenly, the intercom on his clothes beeped.

Piers took out his walkie-talkie and answered.

"Can you hear me, Piers?"

"I'm here. Is that the captain?"

"Head to Commercial Street. We need you."

The other end went silent.

Piers felt relieved that his teammates were still alive, but worried for their safety. He was determined to rescue them.

"Isn't it dangerous, Mr. Piers?" Ji Jie and Yuki asked anxiously.

"No problem. I'll be back soon. Wait for me."

"Please come back soon, brother," Yuki said reluctantly, hugging him goodbye.

"I will. Don't worry."

Luckily, Piers had found a map when he first arrived. Using his memory, he made his way to Commercial Street, where yellow smoke rose from a shop. He knew his destination.

Opening the store door, Piers saw no one but a walkie-talkie and a tall man in a black coat and hat.

The moment the man turned around, Piers knew who he was—and what was coming.

It was a trap—a scam against him.

"Tyrant," Piers said, eyes widening at the imposing figure.

The Tyrant punched fiercely. Piers dodged instantly, but the blow smashed through the store door, creating a deafening noise that drew zombies near.

Realizing he'd been deceived and that his location was compromised, Piers didn't know how the enemy tracked him—but he understood one thing clearly: he had to kill the Tyrant.

If he failed, Yuki and the others would be in danger.

With no option but to fight, Piers prepared to go all out.