Rebecca confidently led the group of girls through the iron gates, guiding them out of the alleyway. She scanned the area, looking for a vehicle spacious enough to fit everyone and transport supplies.

Her eyes settled on a family minivan with a roomy trunk—perfect for neatly storing boxes and preventing damage during the trip.

Under the puzzled gazes of the others, Rebecca approached the car and smashed the driver’s side window with the butt of her rifle. She unlocked the door, crawled under the dashboard, and quickly hotwired the engine by connecting a few wires. Satisfied, she brushed the glass shards off the seat, settled into the driver’s seat, and glanced at the girls, who still stood hesitantly nearby.

“What are you waiting for? Hop in, I’ll give you a ride you won’t forget,” she smirked.

Brunhilda sighed heavily, shook her head, and was the first to approach the vehicle. Mimi and Stitch immediately dashed forward, laughing gleefully, and climbed into the back. Saeko and Rei exchanged confused glances, shrugged, and followed the others.

Once everyone was inside, Rebecca pressed the gas pedal, and the vehicle lurched forward. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, mounted it on the dashboard, and opened a map to the nearest pharmacy. Saeko and Rei noticed that Rebecca’s phone was an exact replica of Alex’s, though with a different design.

It didn’t take long for the girls to realize that Shizuka’s reckless driving was merely a warm-up compared to Rebecca’s style. On straight roads, she sped at maximum velocity, while in turns, she pushed the van to the point of tilting.

Saeko and Rei clung desperately to anything they could grab, fearing they might be thrown out at any moment. The only ones enjoying the ride were Mimi and Stitch, who laughed with delight as if they were on a roller coaster. Brunhilda remained unfazed, ignoring the chaos entirely.

When they finally reached the first pharmacy, Rebecca slowed down and carefully drove into an alley to avoid unnecessary attention. Rei was the first to stumble out, pale as a sheet, collapsing onto all fours as she tried to compose herself.

“I never thought a car ride could be so terrifying. We almost flipped over several times,” she groaned.

“Stop whining. Grab your spear and let’s go, ” Rebecca said curtly as she walked past. “I’m not spending all day driving around a city full of corpses when I can’t even blow anything up.”

Rei sighed, watching Rebecca stride toward the pharmacy’s back door with a calm expression. Saeko approached Rei and helped her to her feet.

Rebecca paused in front of the door, waiting for the rest of the girls to catch up. Mimi and Stitch had already taken positions on either side of the entrance, looking as if they were ready to storm the building.

“Once we open the door, check the room for zombies. Then, grab everything on the list. If you’re unsure, ask MIMI,” Rebecca instructed.

“Got it,” the girls replied in unison.

Rebecca nodded and turned to face the door. The group tensed, preparing for a possible attack. Saeko unsheathed her katana, and Rei adjusted her spear to a shortened mode for easier maneuvering indoors. Brunhilda took up the rear, ready to cover their retreat.

Once everyone was ready, Rebecca raised her foot and delivered a powerful kick to the door. The iron doors flew off their hinges with a resounding crash, slamming inside. Saeko and Rei couldn’t hide their surprise at the sheer strength of the seemingly frail Rebecca.

Stepping in first, Rebecca scanned the room with her rifle at the ready. After confirming it was empty, she signaled for the others to follow.

“All clear. Come in.”

Saeko entered first, her katana poised. Rei followed cautiously, keeping an eye on her surroundings. Mimi and Stitch darted in with enthusiasm, and Brunhilda calmly brought up the rear, stepping over the broken door.

Approaching the door leading to the main hall of the pharmacy, Saeko nodded to the other girls, waiting for confirmation. When everyone nodded affirmatively, she quietly opened the door and, following Alex’s advice, tapped her katana against the nearest shelf. The sound of the strike echoed through the pharmacy, drawing the attention of the zombies. Within a second, growls and the sound of falling objects came from behind the shelves.

Zombies in various clothes began rising between the shelves. Saeko quickly dashed to the nearest one and decapitated it in one swift motion. Rei, not far behind, skillfully pierced another zombie’s head with her spear. The rest of the zombies were methodically shot by Rebecca, who, with terrifying precision, sent each bullet straight into their heads.

Saeko, closest to the exit, approached the door and securely locked it to prevent any unexpected guests. When everything was clear, the girls spread out across the pharmacy in search of the necessary medicine. If any of them were unsure about the purpose of a found medication, they turned to Mimi, who happily explained everything they needed to know. Meanwhile, Stitch had already started carrying boxes of bandages and alcohol to the car.

“This store doesn’t seem to have everything we need,” Brunhilda said, studying the list in her hands.

“How much have we managed to get?” Rei asked, moving closer to get a look at the list.

“Less than half. Some of these medicines are probably only found in a hospital,” Brunhilda speculated, showing the list to the others.

Saeko, who wasn’t knowledgeable about medications, stayed silent, but Rebecca paused, sitting on the counter and checking the number of bullets.

“I don’t think we should head to the hospital just yet,” she finally said. “We’re too few, and the hospital is a hotbed of zombies. Unless we ask Alex, he could handle it.”

Rei frowned.

“You said yourself that it’s crawling with zombies. Aren’t you afraid to send him there alone? Roofs are one thing, but enclosed spaces are another.”

Rebecca smirked, brushing off her concern.

“You’re worrying for nothing. You haven’t even seen half of what he’s capable of. Although you’re right, we should probably check with him first. For now, let’s check other pharmacies—maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Rei felt irritated by the casual way Rebecca was discussing these things. Of course, Alex had proven himself to be a skilled fighter, running across roofs and saving people, but Rei couldn’t help but worry about the man who had helped her, given her shelter, and promised to save her family.

Rei was about to argue but felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Brunhilda, who smiled gently.

“Don’t worry about him,” she said. “Worry more about him not blowing up the whole hospital just because he gets bored.”

Rei frowned, staring at Brunhilda in confusion.

“What do you mean, ‘blow up the hospital if he gets bored’?”

“Exactly what you heard,” Rebecca grinned, hopping down from the counter. “Let’s just say Alex has a few loose screws. Sometimes it ends harmlessly, and other times it’s complete chaos. One day, you’ll understand what I mean.”

Rei was even more confused after Rebecca’s words. Brunhilda, nodding in agreement, only intensified her bewilderment. Now Rei was genuinely curious about what Rebecca had meant by “loose screws” when it came to Alex. Saeko was also intrigued but decided to hold off on asking, intending to inquire about it directly from Alex later, confident that he would give her an answer.

Once all the necessary medications had been gathered, the girls loaded them into the trunk and settled into the car. To everyone’s surprise, Rebecca drove much more carefully this time, likely due to the fragile cargo. After reaching the next pharmacy, she parked nearby, as approaching the back entrance was impossible.

Getting out of the car, the girls surveyed the area to ensure there were no threats. Once it was clear that there were no zombies in sight, they made their way inside the pharmacy. After clearing the place of the undead, they each set to work searching for the necessary medicines.

“So, how did you all meet?” Rei asked, moving from shelf to shelf in search of medications.

“I met Alex through a mutual acquaintance. Back then, he was… how can I put it… going through a rough patch in life. He was looking for work, you know how it is,” Rebecca began, sitting on the counter.

“What do you mean by a ‘rough patch’?” Saeko asked, her interest piqued.

“Let’s just say he lost everything due to some events. Our leader decided to test him, so he gave him a courier job — just to start, to see what kind of person he was,” Rebecca replied casually.

Rei and Saeko listened carefully, intrigued by how Alex’s journey as a mercenary had started. Rebecca talked about how he had taken on various tasks: from gathering information to protecting people from overly persistent suitors. The girls, inspired by her story, asked clarifying questions, realizing that mercenary work was much more multifaceted than they had imagined.

“And how did you meet Alex, Brunhilda?” Rei asked, turning to her.

“There was a war in my country,” Brunhilda began. “The rich oppressed the poor, and the people suffered. Then Alex, Rebecca, and their team appeared. Or rather, Alex himself intervened. He helped end the war, reconciled both sides, and even introduced a new system for resolving conflicts.”

Her words were confident but tinged with a hint of sadness, as if the memories of that time were both painful and something she was proud of. Rei and Saeko exchanged glances, realizing that behind Alex’s carefree exterior lay a person capable of changing the course of history.

Rei and Saeko stared at Brunhilda in surprise, not expecting to hear such an unusual story. As the girls continued searching for the medicine, the conversation gradually shifted to more personal topics.

However, more and more questions seemed to revolve around Alex and his interests. Brunhilda quickly realized where Rei and Saeko were going with their questions and let out a heavy sigh. Some of her sisters had already shown interest in Alex, and now two more girls were joining in.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when a group of men entered the pharmacy.

“Whoa, look guys! We hit the jackpot — a couple of beauties here!” one of the men declared with a cocky grin.

“You’re right, buddy. Look how hot they are!” the second man agreed.

“Well, we didn’t find any food, but at least we can enjoy these cute girls. Right, guys?” the third one said, leering.

The girls tensed up. Saeko swiftly drew her katana, her gaze turning cold, and her brows furrowed. Rei froze, confused: killing zombies was one thing, but pointing a weapon at a living person… that was something else. Brunhilda, on the other hand, gripped her spear tighter, casting a displeased look at Rebecca, who stood with a wide, almost predatory grin.

Stitch and MIMI, still in the adjoining room, continued searching the warehouse, unaware of what was happening.

“Hey, idiots, you’ve got three seconds to get out of here,” Rebecca said, aiming her rifle at the men. “Otherwise, you’re going to have some extra holes in your bodies.”

“Ha! Look, this little one is threatening us…” one of the men began, but he didn’t finish his sentence.

A muffled gunshot rang out, and the man’s head jerked back violently. His body crashed to the floor, and a dark pool of blood began to spread from the wound. The other men froze in shock for a moment, then stared at Rebecca with wide, horrified eyes as she kept aiming at them, still grinning with the same mocking yet terrifying smile.

“So, what’s it gonna be? Who else wants a hole in their head?” Rebecca asked tauntingly, challenging the remaining men with her gaze. “I’ve got enough bullets for all of you.”

“How the hell…” one of the men tried to say, but he didn’t get to finish either. A second shot ended his life.

Another man fell, shot in the head, landing beside his fallen comrade, unable to finish his sentence. The remaining men immediately lost all courage. They started backing away, to the sound of Rebecca’s loud, taunting laughter.

Brunhilda, Rei, and Saeko also noticed a strange-looking zombie slowly approaching the group of men. The men, however, had no idea that a zombie was closing in from behind them. The men now wanted to retreat and find a way to get their revenge later.

Rebecca, noticing the zombie first, smiled even wider.

“We’ll meet again,” one of the men said, trying to act tough.

“I don’t think so. Turn around, guys. You’ve got a surprise waiting,” she said in a playful tone.

The men heard strange sounds behind them, as if someone was slowly approaching, making gurgling noises mixed with disgusting belching. They turned around and saw a strange, bloated zombie with a swollen, decaying body, dripping thick fluid.

“Get lost, you fat dead bastard!” one of the men shouted, kicking the zombie in the stomach with force.

It turned out to be a fatal mistake. The bloated zombie made a deafening squelching noise and literally exploded, spraying the men with blood and foul bile.

The girls, watching from inside the pharmacy, were surprised by the sudden scene. The group of men was in a daze: their ears were ringing, and one of them, still with his leg raised, looked as though he was trying to comprehend what had just happened.

“What the hell?” muttered one of the survivors, unsuccessfully trying to wipe the sticky substance off his face.

Then came the heavy thud of footsteps. The men, feeling the rising fear, turned around and saw another unusual zombie charging toward them — this time with a huge arm resembling a hammer.

“Shit, run!” one of them shouted, but it was already too late.

The zombie struck one of the men with a dull thud, knocking him to the ground, and instantly dragged him away. The others tried to flee, but they were surrounded by a crowd of ordinary zombies, attracted by the smell of blood and bile. Dull thuds and screams filled the air as the monsters attacked the remaining men.

“This is what happens when you play the villain,” Rebecca smirked, watching the bloody spectacle unfold. “Alright, girls, let’s take care of the rest of the zombies and get out of here. Looks like this stuff is drawing them in.”

“It’s not just a guess,” Brunhilda said, watching the monsters carefully. “These zombies are completely ignoring us and focusing on devouring these men. If we can extract this liquid, it would make a great lure for zombies.”

“And who was that strange zombie with the huge arm?” Rei asked, surprised.

“Who knows. When we’re done with these, maybe we’ll see that zombie,” Rebecca replied, starting to shoot at the zombies.

The girls began helping Rebecca, carefully eliminating the undead, avoiding close contact to avoid becoming victims. The sound of the battle drew MIMI and Stitch, who joined in. While Rebecca reloaded her weapon, the others finished off the zombies, preventing them from breaking through.

Once the enemies were dealt with, Brunhilda was the first to step out of the pharmacy to find that strange zombie. Outside, she spotted it: a creature with one massive, almost stone-like arm and a small, deformed limb. Upon seeing Brunhilda, the zombie immediately charged at her, attempting to repeat its trick of grabbing her.

“Well, here you are, you big lug,” Brunhilda said coldly, lifting her spear.

As the zombie neared her, she gracefully stepped aside, positioning her spear at head level. The blade passed through the monster’s neck, instantly severing its head from its body. The decapitated body kept moving for a moment before crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

“Alright, girls, it’s time to move on,” Brunhilda said calmly, wiping the blade of her spear. “There’s nothing left for us here.”

The girls decided to take a look at the zombie whose head Brunhilda had decapitated. Stepping outside, they saw the unusual zombie lying nearby on the road. Its ugly, massive arm immediately caught their attention.

“What a strange specimen,” Rei remarked, cautiously poking the huge, deformed limb with her spear.

“That arm was probably used to grab victims,” Saeko suggested, standing nearby.

The girls agreed with her assumption, and Rebecca asked MIMI to gather data from the zombie’s body in preparation for possible encounters with similar monsters in the future. After finishing the inspection, they returned to the pharmacy to load the medications into the car and head back to the base.

“We’ll need to report that we encountered two new types of zombies,” Rebecca said as she packed boxes into the trunk.

Once everything was ready, the girls settled into their seats, and the car smoothly drove off.

“Hey, Brunhilda, you’re a master with a spear, right? Can you teach me?” Rei asked, looking at the warrior with curiosity.

“Of course, I can,” Brunhilda replied calmly, turning around. “But I’ll warn you right now: I’m a strict teacher.”

“I’ll manage!” Rei exclaimed enthusiastically.

“Alright, but don’t complain later,” Brunhilda smirked. “Because there will be no turning back.”

Seeing the sly smile on Brunhilda’s face, Rei couldn’t help but doubt her decision, but it was already too late. Brunhilda was determined to take the training seriously.

The drive back was calm, except for Rebecca occasionally knocking down zombies that ventured onto the road.

“Maybe that’s enough?” Brunhilda remarked disapprovingly.

“Oh, come on, I’m just having fun,” Rebecca replied, stifling a laugh.

When they reached the base, Rebecca leaned out of the window and waved at the camera. The gates slowly opened, and the car entered the premises. The girls began unloading the medications.

“Alec, are you in the bank or still messing with the windmill?” Rebecca asked over the communicator.

“I’m already in the bank. Saya and I are setting up the windmill and solar panels. What’s up?” Alex replied.

“We’re back with the meds and need help with the boxes,” Rebecca explained.

“We’ll be down in a minute,” he responded.

A couple of minutes later, Alex, Saya, Shizuka, Alice, and G.I.R. came out to meet them. Alex approached Rebecca, kissed her on the forehead, and then repeated the gesture for Brunhilda.

Alice, noticing Brunhilda, cheerfully ran up to her and gave her a big hug, considering her an older sister. Brunhilda smiled and returned the embrace.

Shizuka, sitting down next to the boxes, began checking the medications they had brought.

“This is all we could find. We didn’t find the rest of what was on the list,” Rebecca explained.

“Medications for tetanus and similar things can only be found in a hospital,” Shizuka replied thoughtfully.

“Looks like we’ll have to organize a trip to the hospital,” Rebecca nodded, contemplating the plan.

As Rebecca had suspected, some of the medications listed by Shizuka could only be found in a hospital. After finishing the inspection of the boxes’ contents, Shizuka picked one up and headed inside. Alex took as many as he could carry without dropping anything on the way. They all went to the makeshift medical station, which had been temporarily set up for storing and using the supplies.

“Was there anything interesting during the search?” Alex asked as he carefully placed the boxes on the floor.

“We came across a couple of new types of zombies,” Rei began, setting down a box beside her. “One was fat and exploded when kicked. The other had a huge arm.”

“Tell me more,” Alex said, gesturing for more details as he turned toward her.

“When the fat one exploded, it scattered a liquid that might attract zombies,” Saeko explained, taking over the story. “And the zombie with the huge arm uses it to grab victims.”

Alex nodded, understanding that the girls had encountered the Fatty and the Brute zombies—ones he had already heard about. This information was important for the survivors so they could be more cautious during expeditions.

Once the unloading was done, Alex, Saya, and G.I.R. returned to work on the windmill and solar panel installation. The girls who remained on the roof decided to watch the process. While Alex explained to Saya how to assemble the windmill, the others relaxed in the sun. G.I.R. occasionally glanced at MIMI and Stitch, who were engrossed in playing video games.

“Alright, go play with them. We’ll manage,” Alex sighed, waving his hand.

Without wasting time, G.I.R. dropped the tools and ran over to his companions. Alex just shook his head as he picked up the items left on the floor.

Once the windmill was ready, Alex checked its operation. Satisfied that everything was working correctly, he moved on to installing the solar panels. The girls, who had been soaking up the sun, joined in, realizing it would be hard to manage alone.

The work took half the day, but everything was completed, and the group from Kota, along with new survivors, returned. Alex had to go downstairs to explain the basic rules to the newcomers. They had no choice but to agree.

After all the tasks were done, Alex stayed on the roof. The girls went downstairs to have dinner while he sat on the edge of the roof, dangling his legs, and lit a cigarette. A sudden thought lit up his face with a smile. Alex took out his phone and dialed a number.

“Good evening, is this Sergeant Rika Minami?” he asked when the phone was picked up.

Rika, who was on the airport roof monitoring the perimeter, looked at her work phone screen in surprise. She couldn’t figure out who was calling her. Hearing her name and rank, Rika furrowed her brow even more. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she had heard it before.

“Yes, this is her. Who’s this?” she asked warily.

“This is the Zombieland Information Bureau,” Alex replied, holding back a laugh. “We have data that will help keep your people safe.”

Rika was even more confused: what was this “Zombieland Information Bureau,” and who was this strange guy calling her with some nonsense? However, after listening closely to the voice, she finally realized who it was.

“You’re the guy who saved little Shizuku. The guy from the manga or something like that,” Rika said, recognizing the voice.

“Yep, that’s me. So, interested in some useful information? You know, if you weren’t Shizuku’s friend, I wouldn’t have even thought to call. But you got lucky: you’re beautiful and Shizuku’s friend. So, ready to listen?” Alex asked with a light smirk.

“Ha-ha, go ahead, lay it on me. And for the record, I don’t go on dates with guys who shoot worse than I do,” Rika replied with a smile, enjoying the conversation.

“When we meet, we’ll see who shoots better. But for now, do you have access to a computer or at least a tablet?” Alex continued, also laughing.

“One moment, I’ll look for one,” Rika said, covering the phone with her hand.

She asked her colleague to take over her post and hurried downstairs to search for a tablet or computer. The colleague just watched her in surprise, not understanding what was happening or why she seemed so lively all of a sudden.

Rika went downstairs and began searching for a device that could access the data. She understood that any tablet would do, since if Alex could call through a secure channel, he would surely be able to send the data to her work email.

Noticing a colleague with a tablet, Rika rushed toward him.

“Hey, that’s mine!” the man protested when Rika snatched the tablet from his hands.

“Stop acting like a child, go do your job,” she snapped, kicking him in the backside and sending him away.

The man just sighed and left, while Rika settled on a bench and opened her email.

“I’m ready. Go ahead and send your ‘useful information,'” she said into the phone.

“One second,” Alex replied, pulling the phone away from his ear and sending her the footage from the cameras that captured the new zombies.

Rika received the email, opened it, and saw the video of zombies she hadn’t encountered before.

“And what is this? Maybe you could explain it to a beautiful lady like a real gentleman, so I don’t have to rack my brain?” she asked with a light smile.

“Of course, anything for such a beautiful lady. Look, these are new types of zombies that have started to appear. The files show what they look like and how dangerous they are. Three new types have been spotted so far, but there might be more,” Alex explained.

Rika carefully examined the recordings, feeling that this data could save lives.

Rika mumbled something unintelligible as she opened the files and began studying the information Alex had sent. The first thing that caught her attention were the made-up names of the new zombie types and their abilities. But what interested her the most was how Alex had managed to gather such information.

This was clearly not something you could find in open sources, and it definitely wasn’t something you’d find written on walls, especially considering it was video footage from surveillance cameras.

It occurred to Rika that Alex had probably hacked into the city’s surveillance system and was gathering information that way. Impressed by his resourcefulness, Rika mentally praised him for this move.

“So, if I understand correctly, you hacked into the surveillance cameras to monitor the situation in the city?” she asked, checking if her guess was right.

“Something like that,” Alex confirmed with a cheerful tone. “But because of this zombie apocalypse, some of the cameras went down, so I had to install new ones. Last night at midnight, I was running around the city setting them up. So, I expect a coffee for this information.”

Hearing that Alex had been running around the city at night installing cameras, Rika thought he was either incredibly brave or outright crazy. Everyone knew that zombies became more active at night and even faster than during the day. Only a madman would attempt something like that at night, when the danger was at its peak.

“You’re just crazy if you decided to do that at night,” she said, not sure whether to admire him or condemn him.

“I’m not crazy, I’m a ninja. So don’t forget about that coffee,” Alex replied, laughing.

“If you shoot better than me, I’ll buy you not just coffee, but I’ll throw in a nice bonus too,” Rika said in a seductive tone.

“Well, that’s a tempting offer. I don’t even know how to respond,” Alex responded with a smile.

They continued chatting, discussing various topics. Rika found herself more and more intrigued by her conversation partner, whom she had never seen before. From his voice, she deduced that Alex was young, although Shizuku had mentioned that he had been a mercenary in the past.

Alex sat on the roof of a building while Rika was in her temporary headquarters. Her passing colleagues gave her curious glances, not expecting to see her so engrossed in a phone conversation.

“Alright, Rika, time to wrap it up. Work doesn’t wait. And one last thing: if you need help, call me. Like they say, I’ll come running,” Alex said with a light smile.

“I’ll gladly take your help. Plus, I’ll get to see what you look like and check out how good you are at shooting,” Rika replied with a smirk.

“Just make sure you call. You wouldn’t want Shizuku to be sad, would you?” Alex added in a more serious tone.

“Alright, I’ll contact you if I need help,” Rika agreed, catching the shift in his voice.

After the conversation ended, Alex stood up from the edge of the roof, stretched, and checked his watch. It was already evening, which meant it was time to head down and grab a bite. He still had another trip planned for the night to install the remaining cameras.

To be continued…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep