The air in the Atlanta Zoo was a mixture of grass, earth, animals, and sweat.
The smell wasn't pleasant, but for Lynn, it meant safety.
He stood atop a half-human-sized rockery, looking down.
The afternoon sun was dazzling, and in his narrowed eyes, the Zoo's wide herbivore area—now called the "Inner Zone"—was tightly enclosed by layers of heightened and reinforced barbed wire.
The mesh was fine, and its top was entangled with barbed wire, glinting coldly in the sunlight.
"Left! Tighten! Weld it!"
A hoarse voice roared.
Lynn looked over; it was Davis.
The burly former boxer was bare-chested, his bronze skin knotted with muscles, and there were a few unhealed scratches.
He was directing several men to weld a heavy I-beam to a pillar on the inside of the barbed wire fence.
Sweat ran down his buzz cut, flowing over his broad back.
He swung a heavy iron hammer, each strike accompanied by a piercing metallic clang, and the steel pillar was driven deeper into the ground.
This area, once belonging to zebras and giraffes, was now piled high with supplies: mountains of canned goods, walls of bottled water, and bundles of fabric, medicine chests, and generator parts scattered on tarpaulins.
In the distance, near the lion and tiger enclosure, the frameworks of several watchtowers were being erected.
"Boss."
A clear, calm female voice came.
Minshan walked over quickly.
The Korean-American doctor wore faded khaki work pants and a black vest, her figure nimble.
She held a checklist clipped to a cardboard, her shoulder-length black hair tied in a ponytail, a few strands of loose hair plastered to her temples with sweat, and her sharp eyes scanned below.
"The eastern fence reinforcement is complete; this afternoon, we'll install the bulletproof steel plates for the watchtowers. Davis is ahead of schedule."
Minshan stood beside Lynn, handing him the checklist, speaking quickly, "Medicine inventory is complete; antibiotics and anesthetics are insufficient, marked for priority search.
The water from the artificial lake in the northeast corner can be used after filtering and boiling; water storage pressure is temporarily relieved."
Lynn took the checklist, his fingers tracing over the dense numbers and names, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve upward.
One week!
Only one week had passed since he, with the vague, terrifying memories of his previous life, crashed into this world, The Walking Dead, which was about to become hell.
Seizing this Zoo, with its good location, high walls, and relatively independent resources, was his only clear goal after transmigrating.
The process was extremely dangerous.
Utilizing those few short days of calm, relying on a bit of "premonition" information (mainly confirming that Rick Grimes was in a coma in the hospital), he coaxed, threatened, and even used his last bit of spare change to bribe a few administrators, finally, on the eve of the walker outbreak, bringing Davis and Minshan—these two people, saved by his displayed "foresight" and decisiveness in the initial chaos—to forcibly take over the place.
Then, hell descended.
Outside the high walls, in the direction of downtown Atlanta, a layer of grey-black mist always hovered.
That wasn't dust; it was the embers of burning.
Clearer was the sound, a low, continuous hum, like countless flies circling in the distance.
That was the wailing, shuffling, and dragging footsteps of countless walkers.
Occasionally, one or two short screams or gunshots pierced this background noise, only to be quickly swallowed.
The Zoo's main gate had long been completely sealed off by abandoned tour vehicles, stone pillars, and layers of barbed wire, welded shut seamlessly.
At this moment, a dull, rhythmic thud came from the direction of the gate.
"Bang... bang... bang..."
One after another, stubbornly unsettling.
Those were scattered walkers, attracted by the sound, futilely and endlessly slamming their decaying bodies against the steel.
Safe zone? Fortress?
Lynn looked at his subordinates reinforcing their home below, at the piled supplies, felt the hardness of the rock beneath his feet, and the smell of disinfectant from Minshan beside him.
A strong sense of security welled up.
He had done it.
At the beginning of the apocalypse, he had seized this territory.
The Zoo's location, walls, resources (including animals isolated in the predator zone), and also a doctor like Minshan and combat power like Davis... all of these gave him the confidence to survive.
Survive!
To survive with the people who trusted him, with dignity and security, in this fucked-up world.
This belief was as hard as stone.
He took a deep breath, and the air, mixed with sweat and dirt, filled his lungs.
Just as he turned his head to speak to Minshan—
Without warning!
A cold, deep blue light screen, accompanied by a sizzling static, abruptly occupied the entire center of his vision.
The light had no temperature, instantly freezing the smile on his face and the anticipation in his eyes.
On the light screen were several lines of shimmering, metallic square characters, neat, sharp, and undeniable:
"Survival System activated... Binding host: Lynn... Scanning current world coordinates... Confirmation: The Walking Dead Prime Universe..."
The color drained from Lynn's face instantly, his heart felt clutched by an icy hand, stopped for a beat, then began to pound wildly.
A chill exploded from his spine, rushing straight to the top of his head.
System? What the hell is this?!
The light screen ignored his horror, and the text scrolled:
"Initial Survival Mission issued: Key Node Intervention - Save Rick Grimes."
"Mission Objective: Within 48 hours, reach the Georgia Hospital, and safely bring the target, Rick Grimes (must maintain vital signs), to the host's current core stronghold (Atlanta Zoo)."
Rick?! That comatose sheriff? The protagonist who would trigger subsequent storms? Go save him?!
Are you kidding me!
Outside was purgatory, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
From the Zoo to the hospital where Rick was, he would almost have to traverse the entire fallen core area of Atlanta.
This isn't rescuing someone; it's suicide! It's courting death!
What about his Fortress?
What about Davis and Minshan?
What about his hard-won stable start?
A surge of fury rushed to his head, almost burning away his reason.
Who the hell wants to do such a suicidal mission? He just wants to guard the Zoo and survive.
The light screen seemed to sense his resistance, the text flickered, becoming even more dazzling:
"Mission Completion Rewards:
Survival Points x 500 (can be used to exchange for supplies or for lottery draws).
Basic Supply Pack (contains food, water, basic medicine) x 1.
Primary Body Enhancement Potion x 1.
Character Creation Authority x 1 (system randomly generates basic attributes and specialties, absolute loyalty)."
Character Creation Authority? Creating a person out of thin air? Absolute loyalty?
Lynn's breath hitched abruptly. This reward... was like a heavy hammer striking his heart.
In this apocalypse, an absolutely loyal and capable companion... was invaluable.
The immense temptation assailed his wavering resolve.
However, the light screen didn't give him time to weigh his options.
The deep blue light suddenly turned blood red, and an icy chill seemed to penetrate through the light screen, freezing into his bones.
Several lines of dazzling blood-red characters, carrying a strong scent of death, branded themselves onto his retina, and also into his soul:
"Warning: Mission failed... or not completed within the time limit..."
"Host... obliterated!"
The last two words, crimson and glaring, constantly enlarged, twisted, and pulsed, occupying the entire light screen.
"Ob... liter... ated..."
Lynn's lips moved, his voice dry as sandpaper, an icy chill piercing him from his feet to the top of his head.
The air, which had felt so secure moments ago, now felt like it was filled with ice shards as he breathed it in.
Achievements? Fortress? Future?
All his plans, all his stability, shattered instantly before these two blood-red words.
He froze in place, his vision filled only with that glaring red.
The thudding outside the wall, Davis's hammering, Minshan's questioning call... all became distant and blurry.
The Zoo's walls, supplies, subordinates... this newly built ark, now felt like a cold tomb.
He abruptly closed his eyes and then opened them again, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes crushed, leaving only the cold, desperate resolve of a cornered beast.
He had to go.
Go to that damned hospital.
Drag that damned Rick Grimes out of hell.
