Chapter 10: Rank 1 – Squad Leader

[ Congratulations, Commander! You have been promoted! ]

[ Unlocked units: Army Soldier, Attack Dog, Scout ]

Hans bathed under the refreshing and warm sensation that flowed over his body. His muscles were stronger, and his body felt tougher.

The eyes that once needed eyeglasses were already clear, almost stinging him as he gently removed the eyeglasses that had been with him for the last decade.

Once the sensation vanished, he quickly opened his Commander info panel.

—-

Commander: Hans Flemmens

Rank: 1 – Squad Leader

Soldiers: 12 Conscripts, 0 Army Soldiers, 0 Attack Dogs, 0 Scouts

Primary Weapon: MP5 Submachine Gun (9mm, 30 rounds per mag, three mags).

Sidearm: M1911 Pistol (7 rounds per mag, four mags, refreshes every 24 hours)

Melee: Combat Knife (18 cm steel alloy, indestructible)

Commander’s Kit: Personal storage of 1 cubic meter

Commander Vehicle: Motorcycle Side Car (fuel refreshes every 36 hours), Armored SUV (fuel refreshes every 36 hours)

Boost: +15% reaction speed, +15% stamina, +15% strength

Weapon Familiarity: +30% CQC effectiveness, +10% weapon accuracy

Medical Support Pack: 2 first aid kits (fully heals any injuries), two infection suppressant injections (60% infection rate threshold) – refreshes every 24 hours

Commander’s Rank Promotion Requirement (Platoon Leader Rank): At least six squads (~72 units), 24 Army Soldiers, 6 Scouts, 6 Attack Dogs

—-

Then, he opened the Infantry Tab and checked the cost of the three new units that had been unlocked.

[ Army Soldier – 400 Gold ]

[ Attack Dog – 600 Gold ]

[ Scout – 1000 Gold ]

Hans wasn’t surprised by the Army Soldier’s cost. It was one of the basic infantry units each faction had. Their weapons were better, with higher damage and health, and longer range.

He was excited to train one and see the difference between the in-game version and the system.

Then, he gasped as his eyes fell into the Scout unit, almost spitting blood.

An infantry unit that costs more than twice a regular soldier?

Hans had great expectations about the Scout infantry. The original Red Alert game didn’t have such a unit, and he was unsure of its combat capabilities.

However, since it had a very high cost, it must be a powerful Infantry unit.

“Based on the name alone, it should be a unit for reconnaissance? I wonder what its choice of weapon will be…”

The next step in Hans’s plans was to clear out the surrounding area, including the four other apartment buildings nearby, the parking area, and the large convenience store.

If he could have the scout survey the area first, he would understand the situation of each area.

Clearing it after would be a piece of cake! Hans smirked.

In every warfare, regardless of who your enemies were, gathering information about them was the most important.

Know your enemies, and you can devise a plan against them.

“I should pair this scout with a dog, too,” Hans concluded.

Attack Dogs were powerful against Infantry units. In-game, it could one-shot every infantry it attacks. Aside from that, it can also detect spies lurking around one’s base.

Their sense of smell was so strong that they would automatically move once a spy was detected nearby.

Before Hans could savor in his imagination the scout and attack dog’s deadly combination, the smell of burnt flesh assailed his nose.

He looked ahead and saw Adam dumping gasoline on the bodies that the rest had piled from the recent firefight.

Fire streaked across the dead bodies, purifying the corruption that had consumed them.

“This should keep the infection away from us.” Hans murmured to himself, “But where did Adam find a gasoline tank?”

He approached the group and asked Adam.

“Commander, we found a few cans of gasoline in the apartment entrance over there.” Adam pointed at the corner of the entrance where a few toppled green cans could be seen.

Hans wondered how that came about and felt that it was probably a few survivors who wanted to refuel their escape.

Whether they were dead or alive remained to be seen.

“Save a few cans. We’re going to need them later.”

Hans suddenly remembered the two vehicles he owned: the sidecar motorcycle and the armored SUV.

Transportation was necessary if he was going to explore far from this area soon. Although the vehicles would be noisy, Hans wasn’t stupid enough to drive directly into the city’s center.

“System, where are they located?”

“Commander, your vehicles are located at the parking lot. Only your keys can enable them.”

“I’m going to look around. Alexei, Kenji, come with me.” Hans instructed.

“As you order, Commander.”

The two newly-promoted conscripts followed after him, their hands resting on their guns.

Hans walked around the spacious area, trying to remember the layout of the apartment complex.

All four apartment buildings were lined up across the curved highway. Hans saw the unending sight of cars clogging the supposedly wide roads.

“It seems the city tried to free itself, only to have incited a self-strangling action in the long run…”

If he remembered correctly, there was a gas station not far from the complex. Some of these cars may have headed in that direction, but were stopped by those who had other intentions.

“This complex… how come it isn’t clogged…?” Hans felt peculiar.

In front of each apartment were large roads meant for heavy traffic so that the vehicles wouldn’t clog the entrance and exit during peak hours.

“Did the residents really fall into bad luck and get infected all at once?”

He strode to the side and arrived at the parking lot entrance.

The area was huge. It could accommodate hundreds of cars, motorcycles, and big bikes at once. Before one could enter, they would have to pay a parking fee worth a few Crescent Dollars every night.

However, now, the entire place was almost desolate, aside from a few cars that clearly belonged to the residents of his apartment. Their tires were popped, glasses all broken, and side mirrors dangly hanging or blown away.

Some even had their bumpers or rears dented inwardly.

The parking lot in the other apartment buildings were fewer than what was here.

“Strange indeed.” Hans narrowed his eyes.

Overall, the apartment complex was great for establishing his temporary base, and even setting up a survivor base here. The only problem was that…

“This area was built for attraction and night city viewing. If it were another time, I would have loved the absence of walls, but now…”

Hans frowned. Defending this area was too difficult as there were too many sides that the zombies could approach. He also had to look out against humans with malicious or unknown intentions.

If he were ever raided, the openness of the area would favor the attackers and make defending it a nightmare.

“I can order my troops to construct wooden fences here and here…” Hans started planning in his mind. “If I can get a survivor who is a carpenter or something, it would make my life easier.”

“I could use those cars for blockage too, but they are anything but movable right now…”

He felt he had never needed help from others until now.

“If no survivor shows themself around here, I’ll have to train more units myself then. Gold is the most important thing now, and to get more…”

His eyes glistened in gold, remembering something.

“The manager’s office is between building two and building three.”

Although the manager’s office held no worth in terms of securing the area whatsoever, he remembered how the manager and his assistants flaunted their wealth now and then.

The manager’s fat face, coupled with his flamboyant expression and balding short hair, extended his carrot-sized fingers and showed golden rings and those with diamond carats.

Hans remembered those blood-raising scenes, and a thought sprang into his mind.

You might be dead, so how about you contribute to my cause with your schemes and riches, eh?

The manager’s office must have held not only those gold rings, but more as well!

Hans’s face twisted into a thief hungry for money, scaring Alexei and Kenji from the sides. Thankfully, their Commander’s stomach suddenly growled, pulling him out of his wild fantasies of striking it rich.

Hans checked the time, and it was already way past 12 PM. He would continue surveying the surrounding area later. For now, he needed to eat.

The group soon returned to where Adam was and saw that the fire had grown large, burning brightly in the middle of the day.

“This is a bit of a commotion…” Hans worried.

Survivors nearby would definitely notice a huge fire from afar, signaling Hans’s presence in the apartment complex.

“Adam, hasten the burning of corpses. We do not want this fire to last that long.” he immediately ordered. “After that, grab all the silver, gold, and any kind of necklace you can find. Bring it to me, and new brothers and sisters will join your ranks.”

Adam and the rest perked up after hearing Hans’s words. Although the last conscript was trained and joined them in their task, those Army Soldiers and Scouts joining Adam and the rest would make their job much easier.

“I will be taking my lunch first. Have someone approach me when something comes up. Alexei, go help them. Kenji, come and follow me.”

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