CHAPTER 2 - Learning the ropes I

CHAPTER 2 - Learning the ropes I

I take my time to secure the apartment as I plan to rest for a while. I will relax and try to contact my family and friends. I want to make sure I won't be the cause of their death because I call them or send them a message at the wrong time so I take my time to think of the best way to contact them.

In the end I decided to use my status on different social media to write a warning on when to write to me and in what way. I feel I do enough of a job just by letting them know I am safe for now and a way to contact me. Now I just need to think again, but this time about how to approach my current predicament. What's the best way to find my family and help us all stay safe?

I would love to have a gun. However, with the current amount of monsters on the streets I don't find such a loud method viable. Even then I would still like to have a good weapon, a ranged one over a cold one preferably, but I don't really feel in any position to be choosing either way. The best shot I have at getting a decent weapon is probably to see what the monsters are holding and take it from them. Well, the weapon that minotaur had was more than decent. I would say it was top-notch even.'Good luck stealing from that guy I guess.'

I obviously know that I will need food too, in fact, the more I think of it the easier it is for me to see a huge problem. If the monsters for some reason don't eat the bodies of the casualties they will need a huge amount of food. Which is probably why I find myself getting ready immediately to secure some. 'It would be perfect if I could get away with a truck, van or something of the like full to the brim out of the city and hide it elsewhere. Either that or I hide it in plain sight in the middle of the road just as any other van, but that's way too risky. Animals can smell and taking into account those guys are giant rats… I wouldn't take any chances, let's search for a good hiding spot once I get it. 

I wait another 5 min just to make sure I am rested and fully prepared to go out again, I can nearly start feeling my heart pound in excitement and my blood boil as I plan on returning to that dangerous environment. I take the next best thing to a weapon we had at home which is surprisingly a metal bar of good quality that we used as a cheap and tough pull up bar. Is not the best I could get, but neither the worst so I feel it's not bad for now. 'Probably more than enough to smash the head of any of the rats roaming the streets, the only thing I should watch out for is the durability.

As ready as I'll ever be I deconstruct the temporal barrier I made as cover with a wardrobe. I try my best to stay calm and focused as I leave the flat only after getting my equipment ready. I have my new weapon on hand, the biggest yet comfortable backpack I could find and the sharpest knife I could find in the kitchen. I stock it on the holes intended for my belt with a leather cover I knew we had from some time ago so that I don't slash or break the improvised sheath unintentionally.

More than ready in comparison to my first encounters with the monsters, I leave with a simple plan. 'Food, as much as I can get.'

I leave the building taking cover on the walls. The nearby street is still pretty much free of the monster so I take advantage of it to leave before it changes. I have no idea how many of the creatures will be appearing so I should expect nothing else apart from the worst. I follow the main road as the nearest supermarket is just about a 3 min walk from my house, or at least it was that short when going, uncaring of being killed in the process. I arrive at the front of the supermarket and I see that my little friends have made themselves at home. It is flooding with rats, I take a look at the scene and it all becomes obvious. 'There are people inside.'

Someone would think that a supermarket is a good place to make a long stand against monsters as you have food and all, but that's not further from the truth. You may have food, but that's it, and in most cases just as this one, taking over a supermarket can be the same as getting yourself caged. Most of them either have big entrances with huge glass panels or a small entrance with not much space to maneuver, both with automatic doors. If you see it from that perspective it doesn't seem so appealing anymore, at least for me.

In this case we have the first example, there are lots of things piled up against the four wide panels of glass of the entrance trying to cut off the entrance of the monsters, though it's not working that well. The improvised barrier seems but a measly bulwark against the strong waves of creatures. Those things keep hitting the glass again and again and while the glass may be strengthened just for keeping things safe it's definitely not armored and even though the hits are not carrying that much strength it is just a matter of time till the glass breaks and the people inside get overrun by monsters. I don't know the number of humans inside, but there are probably one hundred rats right now and their numbers keep increasing. By the time they will break into the building there will be so many monsters that the people inside are already sentenced to death.

Maybe I can do something to get both the food and give them a chance at getting out alive somehow. There probably is a warehouse connected with all of the products connected to the supermarket. If I can manage to get inside somehow I will be able to steal all the food I need. Taking into account the time this whole mess began if I get lucky I may find a truck still unloaded inside. 

'Let's see if there is a garage door or something similar along the building that could connect to the supermarket.'

It takes me nearly 10 min to get to just the other side of the road, every time I tried to walk across the road a new group of monsters would come rushing to the sound of banging on the glass and I would need to retreat and take cover wherever I could. 'Those guys inside are done for.'

From the other side of the street I can make out what seems to be the warehouse entrance. Made with metal and one the types that open in a vertical fashion it stands unharmed and untouched. I can even see the body of what seems to have been the manager or person in charge on the floor. He probably tried to get inside when all this shit started going on. Guess he didn't make it as his body lies on the ground just in front of a smaller door with the keys in the lock. 'Poor guy, but thanks to him now the guys inside may have a chance.'

I get close little by little, taking care not to alert the mob of monsters as there is no cover for me on the pavement. While I was thinking about what to use to shield me from their view I heard a loud crash from their direction. I take a peak and see a new monster has just arrived in time to break through the glass. Its appearance is that of a wolf, but his size makes it harder for me to accept that as it is taller than your average car. Even worse, it's being used as a mount by a brown creature that resembles a human, a huge and very strong one, just as if one of those oversized bodybuilders got even bigger. I said it resembles a human, but it's only in the overall shape more than anything as the thing seems to be born for war, it wields a huge halberd and has what seems to be a rope in his other arm wrapped around it. 'Well it seems their luck has been evened out for the worse now…'

I am not that hopeful of their survival now, but I still think I have a chance to steal a few goodies as they seem all focused on the entrance. I see the big guy just watch as the rats flood the entrance and rush inside. I heard some humans scream between all the growls of the monsters but I decide to focus on my task and rush inside before the big guy notices me. I do still take in one more time the disposition of the streets, I already pinpoint my way out between the crashed cars and remember where to flee to when I get out. Obviously going the other direction of the new party crusher. 

I managed to get in with no problems whatsoever, but I knew I was on borrowed time, it didn't cross my mind that the humans inside could stand their own much. Once inside I went to search for the door connecting to the other side of the supermarket. I didn't need much time as it was pretty obvious being the only one door on that side and after makin sure I could open if with a button that was on the side.'Okey one things done.I'll give me 3 min to search for the food I want and a way to open up the big garage door keeping me from going out with one of the vehicles inside.

I arrive at the office of the warehouse and I see there is a rack with keys on the wall. fortunately labeled. 'Office, bathroomM, bathroomF, inside door, outside door…' I take both the inside and outside one just in case and on my way out I grab the only car key I see on the table. I use it and look at both the van and truck to see which one is my way out, two blinks of the lights after I am dashing to the van. I am short on time so I don't even paused to see what it carries. I start up the engine of the van and drive it near the inside door that connects to the supermarket where the survivors are. I leave the van ready to flee as I run to the outside door, I try to unlock it but it seems it's been already unlocked.

"haaaaa…" I breathe one last time before throwing the garage door up.

I wait for a moment to see if the garage door does go up enough for me to leave with the van just in case and then I run. I run first to the other door, I hit the button hard and it starts lifting up the door. 

"Hey catch!" I shout so as I throw the keys sliding from below the door onto the other side.

I don't even take a peak of the situation inside, just leaving them as is. I flee to the van and speed up, I go for the door which is now already on the top of the ceiling stopping at the end of its track. I pray for no monster to appear in front of my way out as I leave undisturbed and take my already pre-planned route out of the city into the outskirts. I do take a peak from my rear view mirror, but I don't see much apart from the groups of monsters still trying to squish inside the building using the already broken panel and a few ones following after me, not for long though.

"Damn."

I still feel taken by surprise by the last guy who showed up as I flee carefully from the site. 'That guy really was something else.' If the minotaur I saw a while ago was scary then this guy is a whole new level. If I ever find that thing alone while walking I am dead meat, I don't think I can't fight back against him at all and even less outrun the giant joke of a wolf he is riding. 'Better keep an eye for any wolf sounds from now on.' I note to myself as I am already in the clear.

After leaving the cluster of buildings I find a secluded enough road to take and find a good hiding spot for the van. I don't even know what I risked my life for… It better be full to the brim with food or else I will cry.

Approximately ten minutes later I find a good spot in the middle of nowhere where there is a private road that goes to an empty plot of land. I drive in and park the van in a corner below the canopy of a big tree. 

'Let's see what I got.'

I am still on alert, but I only saw monsters near the city, I have not seen even one on my way here. It's suspicious as hell yeah, but not that I can do much. I get out of the van still not turning it off for now and open the trunk.

'¡Jackpot!' I can't help but grin at the discovery that it indeed is full to the brim with food. Even better, they seem to be mostly things that don't perish. Yay!

After one hour of walking my way back I start to see monsters in the nearby areas and need to start concealing myself with the environment as best as I can. 'Wait. This can be good practice.'

Seeing that I can take this chance as one of the safest ways I will be able to train my skills in a while, I go for it. First I take my time approaching the rats that are on their own just in case, I know they'll probably have a better sense of smell than dogs so I try to avoid spreading my smell. I start nearing it with the wind facing me while I face the rat, which for now stays idle while giving me nearly it's whole back. 

Slowly yet secure I keep the pace as I get into a 3 meter range. The rat moves to face me seemingly without a care so I think I am in the clear just for the thing to take a quick sniff in my direction tensing me up. It then seems to be in what I can describe best as a mixture of panic and surprise. 'Not bad for my first try. Rats have keen senses'.

I don't let my failure discourage me. I am already thinking of getting around the thing when the rat starts acting up and I can't help but show a grin on my face seeing that it is moving in my direction seemingly searching for the source of the smell. 

I wait for the guy to come to me and test next my combat skill, but I feel that this kind of tactics will probably be effective only when confronting small groups. I can't imagine luring a group more than 30 rats just one by one, even without taking into consideration how difficult could be to do that only with the smell of oneself.

I prepare to face the thing as the monster jumps over a pile of rubble and gets to my hiding spot. I find myself inside a walled garden where I have enough space to 'play' with the rat as I see fit, not worrying about getting spotted by others, be it humans or monsters, as there is only one section open by the crash of a car. This little rat handles a shortsword which may not be the best choice for me to get a hang of dodging, but I can't be picky now.

*swings* *swings* *swings* *swings* 

The rat tries his best to swing the weapon as fast as it can which in return makes it counterproductive. It swings right, then left and right again. It is predictable yet imposing nonetheless, I can see how any one of those attacks could nearly maim me or even kill me if hit in a bad place. I take it seriously as I try to read its movements and predict then, which is not that difficult till the thing decides to feint one of them.

*swings* *swings* 

*grunt* I make a low growl as I dodge to the side to avoid the slash yet I stumble with the rubble. I wasn't paying too much attention making me nearly trip. I blamed myself for being careless of my surroundings, only focusing on the thing, but I have to leave for another time as I nearly get punctured by a strike to my chest that the rat unleashes on me while I am down and distracted.

I get up and take a defensive stance again as the monster has yet to stop it's offensive. 

*swings…*

It goes on for a while as I see no point in trying to change my little buddy for another one and I feel quite interested, at least for the little time I get to even think about my situation. Everytime I notice that either the rat or me get tired I just climb on the wall to take a breather. The first time I do it the rat gets confused and I see it slowly retreating to the opening in the wall, probably thinking of calling for help. However, I go down the wall everytime the thing moves a few steps and make it jump on me again. I take every chance I get to get better at dodging. At first I was just getting the feel of it, then I started improving and getting better in efficiency trying to make my moves more subtle and unnoticeable. 

Just when the rat tries to make a run for it, scared that I am only making fun of it, I start my offensive sending a lot of feints of either punches or quicks that the rat tries to block or dodge for them to never connect. 'This is fun!' 

I can't help but feel superior to the thing as even while unarmed I stay on top, overpowering the guy just by pure skill and even getting better with every second it passes. After five more minutes the thing collapses on the floor, reaching its limits and passing out of exhaustion while I find myself covered in sweat and lightheaded yet as enthusiastic as I could be. 

"I truly am a genius! HAHAHA!"