Shelter Difference

As we travelled outside the city boundary and onto the main highway, Sam couldn't help but ask.

Sam - " So, where is it that we are travelling to. "

Me - " A place in the mountains that I know is surrounded by mountains on two sides and has a lake on the third side. It is quite remote but has many villages in its vicinity of just half an hour to one hour. I used to go there when I studied nearby while staying in a hostel. I have decided to make it our base. "

Sam - " Sounds pretty enough. "

I told her to get some rest while we travel. She took one last look at me and fell asleep next to her asleep brother.

The place I had told her about was somewhere that I had discovered accidentally while travelling. The only nearby residence there was a farmer's hut ten minutes away from it. The farmer used to go there for fun and relaxation with his kids. Once when I had lost my way, I happened to come across their home and they were kind enough to provide me with a place of rest, food and the directions to the nearest village. Once I had completed my education there, I went back one last time only to find his hut empty. It was only later that I came to know that he had moved to a city in order to achieve a better life for his children. 

Now, this would turn in a perfect place for us to begin our shelter. 

By the time Sam and her brother woke up the next morning, we were half way into our journey. We stopped at the nearest petrol pump and freshened up as much as we could while I refilled the tank. Here we met the first group of people since leaving the campus. 

There was a family of three who too were here to fill up on gas and seemed to be travelling somewhere far. A group of college students who were ransacking the petrol pump convenience store while the rest were playing loud music in their multiple cars, which clearly did not belong to them before the apocalypse and a few people on motorbikes. 

I knew that we cannot avoid meeting people in our travels and the amount of goods we were carrying with us were sure to attract much envy and attention, so last night I covered every window with sheets of black chart paper. While it may seem a bit suspicious, but since we would be travelling most of the time it shouldn't be a major issue. 

Sam and her brother quickly freshened up and we had a light breakfast in the bus before moving on with our journey. Thankfully the college students were only looking to have fun and were not troublemakers. 

By the time the day's evening rolled in, we had discarded the main highway and were now travelling on narrow roads that were clear indicators of us reaching the village side. The destination was quite a bit off track and hence we had to travel solely based on my memory of the path. Sam and her brother were more than content having each other's company for this long journey and therefore it was peaceful. 

It was early next morning when we finally reached our destination. The bus suddenly stopping caused Sam to wake up. Seeing that she was awake I urged her to come outside. The view was still as mesmerising as ever, coupled with the fresh morning breeze it seemed nothing short of paradise after what we experienced a couple of days ago. She quickly went back to the bus and woke her brother, who was still half asleep when he came outside. 

He was happy to see such a place and just as any kid would do, after being in a cramped space for a long while, he started to self explore the place. Seeing him run around put a smile on Sam's face and soon she too was running behind him. His safety and well-being was still her top priority. 

Some important points that were unknown to everyone out there currently were related to the shelters that they choose to make. 

> If the area you designate as your shelter has a building, multiple buildings or any man made structure, then you will have no choice but to select one of the buildings as your main base. This base will be enhanced by the system to provide basic security, but it will still depend upon the original structures build how it fares against the zombies. It will only provide eighty percent resistance to the white tier zombies. 

> If the area you designate as your shelter does not have a single man made structure or building, then and only then will you be provided with a basic base coupon by the system. This base will start with two rooms, a kitchen and a hall. Such a base will have greater enhancement and would provide complete resistance to all white tier zombies and sixty percent protection from green tier zombies. 

There were clear advantages and disadvantages to both. If you choose a place with a big building or man made structure, you will have an already constructed lavish structure, but the system will then provide you with only the most basic of enhancement. Almost all defence for the base will have to be provided by you. If you chose a barren land, you would get a stronger base but you will have to start small. 

Growing your shelter in both the conditions seemed to be an equally challenging task at first sight, but it was not so. 

Only after sometime, would the clear benefits of having a system shelter be seen. Not only does it provide one with better protection at the beginning but it also has the capability to evolve over time. As the level of your shelter increases so does your base. In the man made structures, with every increase in your shelter level every other benefit remains the same as those who have a system shelter with the exception of the base evolving. It will only go through a higher level of defensive upgrade but the building or structure itself remains the same.

The meaning of the base evolving is not only limited to increase in the number of rooms inside the base but special rooms that will open up after every ten level increase in your shelter. These rooms would go on to become the envy of all the evolved around the world. 

Most of the top players would be smart enough to understand the trend of zombies that will be descending in a week and make the same preparations as me by finding a secluded but well connected area to set up a shelter. These kind of places almost always has no building or structures and thus unknowingly they will end up choosing the more beneficial option.