How Zombies Survive in the Apocalypse

When Aiden returned with the vehicle, Arian and Sadie were already there.

“Was there any other problem?”

“…No.”

Arian’s voice, slowly breaking the silence, lacked strength.

Aiden knew the reason.

She had a fondness for children, especially the young ones, so what happened today must have been a considerable shock for her. The same applied to Sadie, who was by her side, with moist eyes.

Aiden shifted his gaze towards Sadie.

“Sadie, we’re leaving Fort Wayne now. Are you really okay?”

It was a question thrown, wondering if Sadie might have any regrets.

But even with a sad expression, Sadie firmly nodded her head.

“Yes, I’m okay.”

“…Alright then. Let’s depart immediately.”

Sadie’s determination seemed firm.

Aiden nodded and started the vehicle.

Up until then, gunfire hadn’t ceased within Fort Wayne’s walls.

It meant that fierce battles were still ongoing inside.

“What will happen to that place now?”

Arian asked, inquiring about the future of Fort Wayne, now that its walls had crumbled.

Sadie, too, seemed subtly concerned about Aiden’s response, showing worry for the friends they left behind.

Aiden replied calmly:

“The sun has already risen, morning has come. The chaos will soon be settled. Besides, the collapse of the 62nd Division won’t happen because of this.”

While the clean-up operation ended in failure, the 62nd Division undoubtedly suffered significant losses. However, these losses were limited to the northern sector.

In simple terms, only a quarter of the garrison suffered damage, and there were still many survivors.

The organization itself wasn’t at the risk of disbanding.

Moreover, despite the failure of the clean-up operation, they achieved significant results by hunting down a large number of zombies in the urban area and the northern part of Fort Wayne.

For them, it was removing the most significant threat nearby.

Unless there were other unforeseen factors, the 62nd Division would remain robust in that area.

“So, there’s no need to worry too much.”

Aiden consoled them, pressing the accelerator.

Vroom!

The black van carrying Aiden’s group traveled down a narrow road.

Watching the walls of Fort Wayne grow more distant, Arian spoke.

“But… do we have a destination?”

Until just yesterday, they intended to stay in Fort Wayne for a while. Leaving Fort Wayne so abruptly raised concerns about whether they had properly decided on a new destination.

To this, Aiden lightly nodded.

“Of course.”

He wasn’t a man who stuck to a single plan.

Even in Fort Wayne, he continued to gather information about surrounding cities.

If things went awry, he had already thought about where to go first.

“For now, let’s head to Indianapolis.”

Indianapolis was the capital of Indiana, located about 200 km southwest of Fort Wayne.

Up until three years ago, when the world was still intact, it was a metropolis with more than three times the population of Fort Wayne.

Arian, who clung to that new destination, shook her head.

Whether she wanted a change of mood or not, she continued with her questions.

“But… what kind of place is it? Are there bigger gangs there than here?”

Considering its size, she might have thought there would be a much larger group of survivors than in Fort Wayne.

However, Arian’s thoughts were ultimately incorrect.

“In Indianapolis, only a few camps are established around the city. Besides that, there aren’t any noteworthy groups.”

“Camps?”

“That’s right. Indianapolis is… quite a peculiar city.”

After the appearance of zombies, it was one of the cities that didn’t follow the evacuation order issued by the central government.

Instead of abandoning everything and evacuating westward, as most other cities did, the citizens of that city chose to completely seal off their city, gather people and resources, and endure.

“But in the end, that attempt failed. The zombie virus couldn’t be stopped by a blockade.”

Aiden said bitterly.

At that time, there was no knowledge about this new epidemic.

It was an inevitable mistake, as even Aiden, who studied medicine, couldn’t comprehend this virus.

Firstly, the zombie virus wasn’t a single virus.

It consisted of two viruses named Alpha and Beta, coexisting.

Regardless of being infected with either, the person would turn into a zombie and, after becoming a zombie, produce both viruses.

The Alpha virus was the most common and well-known virus found abundantly in the bodily fluids of zombies.

Once injected into the body, becoming a zombie is unavoidable, and no exceptions have been discovered so far.

However, during the early stages of the zombie crisis, the Beta virus was the issue.

The infectivity of this Beta virus, transmitted through the air, surpassed any other pathogen. Even a slight breeze could spread it up to several hundred meters from the infected individual.

Moreover, with an incubation period lasting around three months, it was an initially unnoticed virus.

The somewhat fortunate aspect was that due to its structure being similar to the common cold virus, over half of the population already had immunity. So, the infection rate was around 20%.

However, inversely, this meant that one out of every five people at that time became a zombie without even knowing it, just by hiding in their homes.

“Then what happened to the cities that were under lockdown back then?”

“They’ve all been devastated from the inside. The citizens have turned into zombies, and they are still trapped within the barricades. There are said to be over several tens of thousands of zombies just inside Indianapolis.”

Several tens of thousands.

To those who had risked their lives to fight a few thousand zombies, this number was unimaginable.

Arian smirked at this.

“Why would you go to such a dangerous place, then?”

“That’s because there’s more than just zombies inside those barricades.”

The immensely dangerous metropolis also held a massive treasure – abundant resources.

Before deciding on the blockade, Indianapolis had already stored a substantial amount of resources that citizens could sustain themselves with for an extended period.

But they never got the chance to use those resources; the zombie crisis swept them away.

So, the amount of resources hidden in the city surpassed any other city in the Northeast or Midwest.

“Is that information trustworthy?”

Arian expressed skepticism, treating it like a rumor of a probable treasure chest in a dangerous dungeon.

However, it wasn’t just a mere rumor.

“Of course. The evidence is the existence of camps around the city.”

Upon hearing about the resources in Indianapolis, wanderers flocked from all around.

For a while, they risked their lives entering Indianapolis, and although some didn’t return, the rest successfully discovered the abundant resources and managed to bring them out of the city.

That was the beginning of the camps now in Indianapolis.

The large city was like a treasure trove filled with dangerous zombies.

Naturally, hungry wanderers wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

The camps became a hub for accommodating such wanderers and functioning as a trading post for exchanging resources found within the city.

So, the existence of the camps itself proved the presence of abundant resources in Indianapolis.

“Then… are you also planning to enter the city?”

Aiden shook his head in response to Arian’s question.

“No, that’s too risky. We’ll only stop by the camp.”

“Why bother going to the camp then?”

“Of course, to replenish supplies.”

During the nearly three weeks spent in Fort Wayne, Aiden and his group had consumed a significant amount of resources, including gasoline and food.

Most of these resources were replenished through the mission payment they received in Fort Wayne and restocked at the trading area there.

However, the items that weren’t sold in the trading area were already running out, especially urgent were weapons, including ammunition. These two types of resources were crucial not only during resolving missions but also for strategic use.

Tonight alone, they had consumed a considerable amount, and there was no immediate way to replenish it. Additionally, items like batteries, which could be strategically useful, were also in short supply.

Therefore, Aiden planned to procure these supplies at the camp.

“Furthermore, if you’re lucky, you can acquire rare items that are hard to find elsewhere. So, I decided it’s best to replenish resources and information there before moving on to the next city.”

Arian silently nodded in agreement with Aiden’s words. If that was the case, she had no reason to oppose.

“How long will it take to get there?”

“About a day… no, it will take two days.”

Considering the distance of 200km, taking into account the risks and variables, even with a vehicle, it was quite a distance to cover in a single day.

However, the roads in the vicinity had been maintained once by the military in Fort Wayne.

So, if Aiden decided, he could easily make the journey within a day.

“…Rest up, both of you. You probably didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Aiden didn’t insist on pushing forward, considering they might not have rested well the previous night.

“Fine… Let’s close our eyes, Sadie.”

In response to Aiden’s words, Arian sighed and replied.

And Sadie, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, nodded without hesitation.

Although Arian had recovered somewhat, Sadie still seemed visibly fatigued.

Spending a whole night on edge was not an easy task for a young child.

So, Sadie leaned her tired head against Arian.

“…”

Aiden glanced at the back seat, observing the scene before focusing on driving.

Hoping they wouldn’t wake up.

For a while, the vehicle moved along the road without any issues.

However, the once well-maintained road deteriorated as they distanced themselves from Fort Wayne.

Aiden carefully drove, paying attention to the broken road to ensure Sadie stayed undisturbed.

After several hours, they were near a small town called Kokomo.

Considering the distance between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, they were halfway.

“…It’s quiet.”

Aiden muttered to himself.

What stretched on both sides of the road were neglected cornfields.

In the cornfields left unattended for over three years, tall weeds grew instead of corn.

And from somewhere in those fields.

Eeeek!

Suddenly, an unidentified cry echoed.

A strange noise that seemed like a chaotic mix of various animal sounds.

Aiden, with a furrowed brow, slowly parked the vehicle.

Unfortunately, due to the tall weeds that grew up to an adult’s waist, the source of the noise couldn’t be seen.

“…What’s that sound?”

Arian, who had been closing her eyes for a moment, also asked with a puzzled expression.

But even Aiden had never heard this sound before.

“I don’t know. Doesn’t seem like a human sound. I’ll go check it out.”

Aiden turned off the engine and picked up his rifle.

Meanwhile, Arian, who had carefully awakened the sleeping Sadie, pointed towards a certain thicket.

“Be careful. Something is coming this way. Seems like a zombie.”

Just as Sadie, rubbing her sleepy eyes, got up.

Part of the high weeds covering the cornfield shook.

Aiden’s gun immediately pointed in that direction.

A moment later, emerging from that thicket was a deer.

“A deer?”

But the condition of the deer was strange.

Continuously making strange noises from its mouth.

And, despite one side of its hide being torn, revealing the bone, it moved very roughly.

“No, is that… a Beast?”

Aiden, who quickly identified the deer, increased his tension.

Deer turning into zombies was surprisingly not uncommon.

Deer, being common wildlife, often had a habit of eating corpses even if they were herbivores, contrary to common knowledge.

So, inadvertently consuming zombie remains and getting infected was not unheard of.

The zombie deer noticed Aiden and, making squeaking sounds, rushed towards him.

As if it intended to knock Aiden down with its head.

“Tsk…!”

Aiden didn’t hesitate and fired the gun.

Three bullets pierced through the deer’s head and passed through.

As a result, the deer lost its momentum and collapsed.

However, because Aiden was right behind the vehicle when the deer fell, and they were already quite close, it collided with the car.

Thud!

The impact shook the vehicle.

Arian frowned, and Sadie let out a small scream.

“Are you okay?”

Aiden asked, and both Arian and Sadie nodded their heads.

Aside from being slightly startled, there didn’t seem to be any major problems.

So, Aiden went on to carefully remove the fallen deer.

Dry and cracked skin, broken antlers, muscles protruding through a pierced hide. There was nothing particularly unusual. All traces of a typical Beast.

However, on the deer’s leg, Aiden found something strange.

It was a number.

Someone had carved the number 6 near the deer’s thigh with a knife.

“This is…”

It was a suspicious trace.

It seemed someone intentionally engraved it before it turned into a zombie.

However, since that alone couldn’t deduce anything, Aiden first cleared the deer and checked the condition of the vehicle.

Fortunately, the body of the vehicle seemed fine, just a bit dirtier.

Unfortunately, one of the tires was damaged.

Perhaps the broken antlers of the deer brushed against the surface.

“…This is troublesome.”

Aiden frowned as he looked at the damaged tire.

Luckily, he had tools to replace the tire.

But the problem was he couldn’t find a replacement tire here.

The best option would be to take a relatively intact wheel from an abandoned vehicle and replace it entirely.

However, in the middle of this deserted road, there was no sign of a discarded car.

“…”

Aiden took a moment to feel the atmosphere around.

He wondered if someone, upon hearing the gunshots earlier, might approach – wanderers or zombies.

But there was no subsequent sign of any living presence.

Aiden got back into the car.

Considering the situation with the tire, it was better to quickly change it.

But in any case, he couldn’t obtain a new tire from here.

More importantly, since he had already made gunshots, staying here for a long time was a risky move.

So, Aiden cautiously moved the squeaky vehicle and headed towards the downtown of the nearest small town, Kokomo.