Chapter 3："Armed and Ready: Survival in Knox County"

Chen Dao woke up very early today, just as dawn was beginning to break. He started gathering usable wooden planks and nails from the furniture he had dismantled in the villa. To his satisfaction, he found he had enough material to securely board up all the doors and windows on the first floor.

However, his foot was still aching slightly, making any long-distance search impractical. Instead of venturing far, he decided it would be wiser to collect food from the nearby villas first.

Chen Dao had already wrapped the corpses on the second floor in multiple layers of sheets, intending to dispose of them when it was safe. Essentials like the TV, radio, and microwave had been moved upstairs, converting the first floor into a buffer zone.

He had also tied a sturdy makeshift rope from bed sheets to the broken window in the second-floor hallway. These skills, such as tying knots and creating unbreakable loops, were learned back in high school from his dorm mates. They were proving incredibly valuable now, making this small window his lifeline. If a massive horde breached the first floor, the rope leading out the back of the house could be his escape route.

"If only I had a sledgehammer," Chen Dao sighed, feeling the rope. In games, a sledgehammer was a vital tool capable of breaking walls and serving as both a weapon and a tool. It was essential for demolishing structures.

Imagine if he had a sledgehammer now; he could break the stairs and live safely on the second floor. It was a tactic straight out of the game. But for now, his setup with the rope and some triggered alarms should be enough to keep him safe.

Should I start by sealing the windows and doors today?

Looking out the window, Chen Dao saw a silent street devoid of any living or dead presence. It seemed like a perfect time to start boarding up the street-facing windows. With that plan in mind, he headed downstairs to the kitchen. Inside, he found several kitchen knives and two meat cleavers—all short blades—but he was out of duct tape. Otherwise, he could've made spear shafts from the wooden planks.

Wait a minute. Maybe I should check the toolshed.

Chen Dao rushed to the toolshed on the first floor, near the entrance opposite the living room where the TV used to be. He peered through the window, ensuring there was no immediate danger outside.

Sometimes, Chen Dao felt like he had lost his mind since arriving here. After all, the post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested United States was a far cry from the peaceful, mundane life he knew in China, where even a small scuffle was newsworthy.

Shaking his head, he focused on his task—clearing the toolshed and inventorying its contents.

"A roll of copper wire? Useful," he noted, pulling out a thick coil of copper wire.

"A box of assorted lightbulbs? Strange."

"A box of women's lace lingerie? Why is this here?"

Intrigued, he found a small locked box and then a larger, heavier one. Setting them aside, he continued his search.

The shed yielded batteries, aluminum and wooden bats, a few baseballs, screwdrivers, garden saws, carpenter's saws, and a golf bag filled with balls and a uniform but otherwise empty. Although the golf bag had a larger capacity, its single-strap design might hinder movement.

He found superior round-head and claw hammers than he had before. An outdoor knife perfect for clearing brush replaced the heavy cleaver on his belt.

Chen Dao meticulously gathered these useful items in the golf bag. First, though, he needed to alter his stifling denim outfit and repair his shoe covers using the needle and thread kit.

His denim outfit was durable but stifling, leading him to change into the homeowner's shirt and slacks.

Now, he focused on the locked boxes. Smashing the small lock, he discovered military-grade equipment—a Beretta M92F pistol, five magazines, a specialized gun light, and a suppressor.

Examining the black, oiled gun with its Air Force engravings, he realized it once belonged to Major Mike Johnson, honored for bravery. The larger box contained 24 boxes of 9mm ammo, each holding 24 cartridges.

Excited, Chen Dao equipped the pistol. Shifting his focus, he aimed to secure the house and enhance his survival skills. His journey to Riverside had been worthwhile; the lower population density made the east side safer.

Lighting a cigarette calmed his nicotine cravings. Reflecting on his "Project Zomboid" gameplay, he realized its invaluable survival knowledge.

Finishing his cigarette, Chen Dao watched zombies retreat from the sun, taking the opportunity to bolster his defenses. With limited cigarettes left, rationing was crucial.

In Lizi's room, where he had dragged the bodies, he dismantled furniture, keeping only essentials. Securing valuables, including the pistol, he felt a renewed sense of hope. The game's realism honed his survival instincts for this harsh reality.

Time was his ally. Zombies would weaken, scarcity notwithstanding. Preparedness was vital.

Cleaning the gun, Chen Dao vowed to use it sparingly. His Electrical 1 and Mechanic 2 skills meant he could hotwire vehicles. Skeptical of real-life applicability, he aimed to gather courage and knowledge.

Planned survival—relying on game memories—dictated his next steps. For now, rest was needed for another day in this new world.

Chen Dao thought of boarding up the windows. Seeing the street outside was silent, he decided to start with the front windows. Heading to the kitchen, he found several knives and cleavers but needed more tape for making spear shafts.

Recalling the toolshed, he ensured safety first. Clearing the shed, he found copper wire, lightbulbs, lingerie, locked boxes, batteries, bats, screwdrivers, saws, and a golf bag—meticulously gathering them.

Altering his stifling denim outfit, he opened the locked boxes. Discovering a Beretta M92F and ammo, Chen Dao excitedly prepared to secure the house.

Lighting a cigarette, Chen Dao calmed his cravings, reflecting on "Project Zomboid" survival strategies. Bolstering defenses, he stored items upstairs, preparing for another challenging day ahead.

Chen Dao continued to think about boarding up the windows. Seeing the street outside silent, he decided to start with the front windows. Heading to the kitchen, he saw knives and cleavers but needed more tape to make spear shafts.

He decided to check the toolshed, ensuring safety first. He found useful items—copper wire, lightbulbs, lingerie, locked boxes, batteries, bats, screwdrivers, saws, and a golf bag, which he gathered meticulously.

Altering his stifling denim outfit, he opened the locked boxes, discovering a Beretta M92F and ammo. Excitedly, he prepared to secure the house, reflecting on "Project Zomboid" survival strategies.

Chen Dao was startled by the variety of bullets. Yellow-marked "para" indicated standard 9mm rounds, blue-marked "AP" with silvery tips were armor-piercing, and dark red-marked boxes labeled "Subsonic ammunition" contained rare subsonic rounds, typically used by military and special forces. "USAFSUP" marked the subsonic rounds as military-grade, meant for use with suppressors.

The previous house owner had some serious connections yet couldn't save his family.

Sixteen boxes of standard ammo, four of armor-piercing, and four subsonic—576 rounds, enough for a small-scale battle.

Handling the ammo, Chen Dao felt his survival odds soar. Anxiety and fear of the past week vanished with the support of this firearm.

Guns in the apocalypse aren't mainly vital, but they offer confidence and courage to face a bleak future. Though inexperienced, Chen Dao's gaming background—playing hardcore shooters like "Escape from Tarkov" and "Ready or Not"—lent familiarity with the M9 pistol. He understood basic firearm components and usage despite never holding a real gun.

Mastering the M9 was almost instinctual.

Chen Dao began loading magazines, learning the distinct methods for different bullets and magazine types. For the M9's double-stack magazine, the best practice was inserting bullets at a downward angle, then removing them by pushing the tail end.

Loading and unloading were repetitive, mechanical actions unless using a dedicated magazine loader. After manually loading bullets for two hours, Chen Dao's fingers ached, nearly developing tendonitis. Opening his skills panel, irritation surged—he had gained just 246 experience points in Reloading, with level 1 needing 500.

He needed two more hours for one level up…

Thinking about future levels, frustration mounted. "This is exhausting," he muttered.

Still, Chen Dao was making impressive progress. Typical veterans had 3-5 levels in Aiming and Reloading; elite marksmen had 6 or higher. Only seasoned soldiers attained level 5 or more in Reloading, acquired through muscle memory over time.

After two hours, Chen Dao reached half a level in 9mm Reloading, indicating faster progress than many National Guard trainees.

Needing a break, he decided to move all supplies upstairs for later organization and grab a bite to eat. Satisfying his hunger, he aimed for quicker healing.

Finding a sausage in the kitchen, he ate while ferrying supplies between the shed and upstairs bedroom.

As he worked in the sweltering heat, a suited male zombie wandered into the villa's garage, drawn by the noise. It began pounding on an unlatched interior door.

Initially dismissing the banging, Chen Dao later descended to find the "properly dressed" zombie inside.

They stared at one another.

The zombie, lucky to escape the sunlight, was an unexpected meal. Chen Dao, confused about its entrance, swiftly dispensed it, easily making a big hole in its brittle skull with his Nepal khukri machete.

Wondering how it had entered, Chen Dao realized the zombie had come through an unlatched door connecting the garage to the house. Exploring the garage, he peeked through the open door and saw the street and passing zombies.

Gripping his Nepal khukuri machete, he deemed the shambling, weak threats no match.

Walking into the street, basking in the July sun, Chen Dao prepared for the approaching zombies.

As he waited for the zombies to reach him, Chen Dao took a moment to observe his surroundings closely for the first time. Previously, he had been too focused on survival to notice the area's details. Now, he saw that the scenery was quite serene and beautiful. To the south, he noticed the dense, lush edge of the forest, evoking a sense of peace. A road ran east to west, bisecting the entire neighborhood, with double-story villas lined neatly along both sides. To the east of his villa was a small park surrounded by a high iron fence, likely the reason for the low number of zombies around his house. The gated community's central location and proximity to the park offered some natural barriers against the horde.

Chen Dao felt fortunate, knowing he had unknowingly chosen one of the safest places within this sea of chaos.

Examining the neighboring villas, he saw most had garages, with some windows tightly shut while others were shattered. Across the street, two cars were parked in front of one villa, looking as if the owners had hurriedly left them. One of the cars, a bright red station wagon, had its driver's door left ajar.

Chen Dao observed this for a while, then pulled out his khukuri machete from his backpack as a few zombies that had noticed him began to shamble closer.

It was time to entertain some guests.