Beginner Gift Pact: Opened!

| Congratulations! The Director has survived the aberrant tide! |

| Salvation Mission Complete! |

While leaning on the concrete wall, Duke noticed two digital notifications materializing before his sapphire-like eyes. He glanced at them with interest and sighed with relief. However, he didn't dare to lower his guard down. There was a trance of caution along the blue hues of his eyes. 

"It seems that I managed to survive..." He couldn't believe the words that had escaped from his mouth. Fighting against hundreds of aberrants, especially when alone, was hopeless. Most would rather die as humans than become a dinner of those abominations. 

He wanted to fight until his very end, but he didn't expect to survive the siege of the aberrant tide. It appears that he was lucky. With the help of the Dobermann and some environmental factors, he survived the disaster.

But nonetheless, Duke wasn't delighted by the victory. It relied too much on luck. He understood he wouldn't survive against dozens of aberrants in an open space. They were too fast for him, and he was fortunate to have found a corner to hide in. 

"Though, it doesn't matter how I won against those monsters. In the end, I'm still alive, breathing." He said with the edges of his lips rising. A smirk emerged on his face as he thought about the corpses lying around him. 

'Should I burn them? Nah, I'm too exhausted.' He shook his head, not wanting to deal with the cleanup. Besides, why should he burn the corpses when no one's left in New Torrington?

He was also too tired from the hour of fighting against the monster tide. His arms were frozen and numb. Drenched in cold sweat while heavily panting. It wasn't the time to think about useless labor. When exhausted, one must rest. After all, stamina was of importance in the apocalypse.

While thinking about stamina, Duke's stomach trembled in hunger. He touched his stomach and furrowed his eyebrows. Without hesitation, he glanced at the crate beside him and opened it. After placing the three syringes beside the military case, he looked at what was inside the box.

Inside the military crate were rows of canned food. Which was enough for 10 people to lasciviously and comfortably eat for a day. It should take an entire week for him to consume all of the food supply. And that was if he wasn't rationing it. 

Duke immediately opened one of the canned foods and ate it like he was drinking water. He savored the taste he hadn't felt for months. Some tears of joy escaped the imprisonment of his gem-like eyes and tricked on his face. This was food, not like those rocky and moldy breads.

"I haven't tasted this for a long time." He mumbled to himself and kept savoring the canned goods. He wanted to eat all of them. But he stopped himself since he'd like to ration it. No one wanted to die from starvation. That would be an exhausting death.

After concluding his short meal, he glances at the three syringes beside the crate. He wondered what the syringes were and was immediately reminded of their names. He raised an eyebrow and held one of them under his fingers.

―<◉ >―

| Anti-Viral Serum |

●| A powerful serum that could cure any disease in reality. The most desired fruit of immortality that would make anyone injected by it impervious to any viruses, bacteria, or fungus for a day. The serum is rare and will not effortlessly appear. It is a second life. Take care of it well. |

―<◉ >―

Reading the digital notification display, Duke was obviously deeply shocked to his very core. The three syringes in front of him were treasures any settlement would be willing to wage war over. After all, the serums were none other than hope.

"These serums are dangerous, but these are the most important things I have gained." He quietly muttered under his breath. Every human surviving in the Dark Cataclysmic Era was mainly worried about one thing. And that was the bite of the aberrant, the Stygian Virus. 

If he could find a way to mass-produce the serums. Who knows what kind of thing it would bring. Many others would announce to everyone about its existence. But he was different. During his time surviving in the wilderness of the night, he realized that many humans couldn't be trusted.

Luckily, he was rescued by the minority of humans who were kind. Though, they were now dead because of his weakness. So, there was one thing that was clear to him. Strength was everything in this dog-eat-dog world. 

If he wanted to protect the kind and generous. He needed to be strong. 

'I should take care of these. Who knows when these serums will be useful in the future.' He grinned and hid the anti-viral serums under the veils of his trench coat. Afterward, he stretched his body and felt the numbness fading. His recovery was better than before. So his smile rose further. 

Before he could continue thinking about the serum, another digital notification materialized. Duke looked at it with interest in his cold gaze and remembered what the subject was all about.

| Beginner Gift-Pack has been unlocked! |

| Does the Director wish to open it?(Yes/No) |

"Yes!"

There was no hesitation or delay when he answered the question of the digital notification display. He wanted to open the gift pack and increase his chances of survival. The first rewards were already good, so what about the second one?

Expectations couldn't help but surge within his mind. 

| Opening Beginner Gift-Pack! | 

| Congratulations! The Director has gained 10x Sentinels, Squad-Level Weaponry Supply, Squad-Level Ammunition Supply, Squad-Level Equipment Supply, 100-People Food Supply, Cerberus Headquarters, and 500 Source Points! |

The rewards within the beginner gift pack were a lot and seemed different from before. It was the first thing he noticed, which was the supply. What he had gained first was a director-level supply. Now, it became squad-level, making him curious. 

Without warning, all the supplies materialized one after another. A glorious silver light gleamed with luster, unfearing and radiant. Ten seconds later, the light faded, and what replaced it was a couple of military crates. Each of them was larger than the first ones. 

And as if wanting to give the young one a heart attack, ten men entered the room without warning, which made his body jolt. Duke glances at the ten men wearing casual clothing. Most of them looked middle-aged and were taller and bulkier than him.

He couldn't help but wonder who they were. He previously thought he was the only one that survived in New Torrington. And the faces of the men also weren't familiar. Before he could question them, the man immediately saluted after arriving in front of him.

With a grunt, they introduced themselves to the confused Director.

"Glory to Cerberus!"

"Director, we are the Sentinels. Your call has been answered, and we are awaiting further orders. Your wish will be our desire and command, so speak almighty."

The soldiers, or the so-called Sentinels, were somewhat grandiose. But Duke didn't doubt their words. He was about to wonder what the Sentinels were, but he didn't think they would actually be real people. It made him think about the power of the notifications.

'I remembered the first digital notifications. It was called the Doomsday Base Building Protocol and from it. I can tell that I must build a base for myself. Also, there appears to be a consolidated faction, a somewhat antagonistic-looking faction.'

'The Cerberus seemed to be the faction where all of these came from. But I don't mind and care. The technology of Cerberus is useful in my circumstances, and I won't hesitate to use it.' Numerous thoughts passed through his head about the peculiar faction.

But the Doomsday Base Building Protocol reminded him of RTS games. There should be some correlation he could use between the two. However, for now, he needed to stabilize the situation. He also needed to understand it.

"The Sentinels, huh. Do you have any information about what happened before you got here?" Duke coldly questioned, wanting to maintain the appearance of the so-called Director. Although he didn't want to be arrogant, it must be done. 

"Sadly, we have no information, Director. None of us even remembered our names, but for some reason, our skills and loyalty to the Director remained." A Sentinel bowed once again and answered.

"I see... Do you know about the current circumstances of this world?" Duke gave another question. It was immediately answered with a simple shake of their heads. He sighed after hearing it but was relieved. At the very least, the Protocol wasn't too monstrous in terms of power.

"Then, I'll start briefing everything to you, so listen carefully." He was standing before them while leaning in front of a concrete wall. The Sentinels noticed the corpses lying throughout the premises and felt pride in their hearts.

Their Director should be incredibly powerful to have the capability to take down such opponents alone. 

Duke noticed the gazes of the Sentinels, which were pointed at the corpses of aberrants. He couldn't help but chuckle after realizing why the men were looking at the cold bodies. They must have been impressed or surprised by it, but he wasn't planning on hiding anything. 

"I was lucky to have found myself in a corner, and it took time to exterminate all of them." He remarked while looking at the corpses of the abominations. Even now, he felt disgusted when seeing them, but it wasn't as much as before. 

"But that is still a considerable achievement, Director. You fought all of them alone and survived. Your tactics and rationality when facing danger are commendable." A Sentinel uttered with respect in his tone. The others nodded with admiring gazes.

"I see where you are coming from. Even I am surprised to have reached Goshen County from Boulder City. It was quite a long journey." He acknowledged that there was some truth in the Sentinel's words. They weren't mere flattery. 

But this wasn't the time for such small talk.

"Anyhow, let's continue." Duke expressed, and the Sentinels in front of him lightly bowed. He began the briefing of where they were and what the world's circumstances were. Afterward, he explained the existence of aberrants, which were the abominations he fought.

He taught them of the monster's weakness and how the aberrants typically act, like the stalkers, hunters, and bastards that they were. He also told the Sentinels about the common sense of the current Dark Cataclysmic Era.

And it didn't take more than ten minutes to complete the briefing period. 

Duke glanced at the men who were deeply in thought after listening to the information given by their Director. They must have been thinking of ideas about how to efficiently dispose of the monsters, which works well for Duke.

After a short while, he gave them their first order. They were to equip themselves with weapons and equipment from the military crates, which the Sentinels swiftly followed. Duke, on the other hand, noticed a strange arrow pointing in a particular direction.

He immediately realized that the arrow was pointing at one of his rewards, the Cerberus Headquarters. He wondered what kind of building it was and hoped that it wouldn't be too far. He knew the dangers of traveling through the wilderness under the veil of darkness. 

No matter how much equipment or weapons they have. They would be at the mercy of the aberrants.

The Sentinels were efficient, to say the least. It didn't take time for them to complete the orders given by him and when they emerged in front of him. There was only one thought inside his head. 'Too evil-looking and awesome.' 

The Sentinels wore a jet-black military uniform with a dark gas mask emitting a reddish glow in the eye lenses. Above the gas mask was a black combat helmet. Combined with their weapons resembling an advanced version of an m4 with intriguing attachments, they looked evil.

"These guys look like they work for a dictator... Wait, wouldn't that be me?"