Sparrow gave a slight shrug. He truly didn’t know what had beco of their families, whether they’d managed to escape to a safe zone or perished like so many others. What he did know was that hiding in this warehouse, with all the supplies they had, might help them survive for a few more months.
But once other survivors discovered this stockpile, it would be a different story. Without the backing of a shelter or camp, they’d likely be killed for their resources.
So of the n slumped to the ground, overco with despair as they wept. But a few managed to hold on to reason.
"Then... are you from one of those shelters you ntioned? Can you take us there?" one of them asked, eyes filled with cautious hope.
Everyone turned to Sparrow, and to Vulture, who had stood silently like a statue by his side, so still he’d almost been forgotten.
Vulture simply pressed his lips together, letting Sparrow do all the talking.
Sparrow shook his head and spoke firmly. "I’m on a mission with my team to leave the city. That’s it. And honestly, you should stop expecting anyone to co save you. If I’m not wrong, you’ve already seen what it’s like out there, people killing each other over a few scraps and territory."
"Staying hidden in here might keep you alive for a little while longer, but the mont soone else finds out about the supplies in this warehouse, they’ll raid it without hesitation. And they won’t leave anyone alive."
Sparrow paused, his expression grim as he swept his gaze over the horror-stricken faces in front of him. But he didn’t flinch; he wasn’t here to offer comfort.
"So here’s my advice," he said coldly. "If you want to survive, move out on your own. If you’re looking for a place to go, head toward the center of the city, where the old governnt office is."
"There’s a base set up there. You’ll have to work to earn points and trade them for food each day, but at least you won’t starve. A lot of survivors gather there, so maybe, just maybe, you’ll find your family. Or not."
He t their desperate gazes without an ounce of hesitation. "But whether you get there or not is up to you. Like I said, I’m not here to rescue anyone. I have a mission to finish."
He wanted them to understand, relying on others for help was no longer an option. From this point on, they had to learn how to survive on their own.
"T-That’s impossible!" one of them shouted, his voice cracking in panic. "If what you’re saying is true, and the whole city is crawling with those monsters, wouldn’t we just be walking to our deaths out there?!"
Sparrow glanced at the man and replied with chilling indifference, "Whether you die now or die later, you’ll still die. So what difference does it make?"
His blunt words struck like a slap, silencing the room. If it weren’t for the gri covering their faces, Sparrow might’ve seen how pale they’d gone, cold sweat now trailing down their foreheads and spines.
After a mont, the group’s leader finally broke the silence. "Is there really a base we can run to?"
Then Sparrow looked at them and gave a firm nod. "Each of you just needs to bring ten kilograms of supplies. That will count as your entry paynt; they’ll accept you into the base and arrange accommodations. From there, they’ll explain how things work and how to survive inside."
He paused for a beat, then continued, "If you really want a shot at surviving, grab any car from the parking lot, hijack it if you have to, and just plow through the zombies on the road. As long as you make it to the City Center, there are people patrolling the periter who’ll assist you. Once they see you, they’ll bring you in."
By giving them this option, Sparrow had already shown them more kindness than he normally would. All they had to do now was find the courage to act. If they still chose to cower in fear and hide here, then he wouldn’t stop them, after all, it was their life, and Sparrow had no interest in interfering in soone else’s fate.
Seeing how serious Sparrow was, the leader put down his crowbar and began searching for a backpack large enough to carry more than ten kilograms of supplies. Although Sparrow had said the base required ten kilos as an entry paynt, the leader knew better than to arrive with just that.
If he brought only the bare minimum, what would he eat while working to earn work points? He needed a buffer, so form of safety net.
Sparrow couldn’t help but smile as he watched him. The man was quick-witted and decisive. In Sparrow’s eyes, those were rare traits, especially in a world where hesitation often ant death.
He began to consider that this man might be a good candidate for a subordinate. After all, in a warehouse full of strong, burly n used to hauling cargo and doing physical labor, being the one they followed ant this man had both respect and charisma.
And as if to confirm Sparrow’s thoughts, the mont the leader started packing, the others, who just monts ago had been crying in despair, quickly followed his lead. They scrambled to find backpacks and began stuffing in as many supplies as they could carry, driven by a newfound determination.
Then the leader suddenly paused and glanced around the warehouse. There were just over fifty people living there, mostly staff mbers and a few shoppers who had managed to take shelter when chaos first broke out and people started attacking and biting one another.
Doing the math in his head, he realized that even if each person carried just over ten kilograms, they could only take around 600 kilograms of supplies with them. Yet, despite having stayed in the warehouse for over two months, they had barely made a dent in the stockpile. Thousands of pounds of food and goods still remained untouched.
Leaving all that behind would be a waste.
The leader looked at Sparrow and asked, "If we leave and only take what we can carry, what will happen to the remaining supplies?"
Sparrow grinned. "We’ll transport the rest back to the base."
The leader frowned, clearly feeling a bit reluctant. These supplies used to be theirs. If everything was taken back to the base and they had to work just to earn enough work points to access what once belonged to them, wouldn’t that be a lose-lose situation?
As if sensing his thoughts, Sparrow added, "I’ll send word ahead that your group is joining the base and bringing these supplies with you. That way, you’ll receive better accommodations and be assigned jobs with higher work point rewards."
"The rest of the arrangents will be handled by our City Lord, and I’m confident she won’t shortchange you. After all, this will count as a significant contribution to the base."
While Sparrow and Vulture both had a habit of hoarding supplies, even Sparrow knew it would be wrong to take everything without offering sothing in return. The warehouse had originally belonged to these survivors.
And although they were seeking refuge, the fact that they’d be bringing in thousands of tons of supplies was no small matter. They deserved so leeway and better treatnt for that.
Even though the base was currently well-stocked, with the marketplace and Supply Center now open to outsiders for trade, the outflow of goods had increased. To maintain balance and ensure sustainability, they needed to stockpile as many resources as possible, and this warehouse could help with that imnsely.
The leader fell silent for a mont, deep in thought. Then, he looked at Sparrow’s serious expression. Even though he still had many questions, he couldn’t deny the truth in what Sparrow had said earlier.
Sure, part of him wanted to claim all the supplies for their group, after all, finders keepers, right? And if the rules and laws outside had truly collapsed, then chaos ruled. That much was obvious from what they’d witnessed, the brutal way so people had attacked and even killed other survivors in the supermarket without hesitation.
If that was the world they were now living in, then Sparrow’s warning about being raided wasn’t far-fetched at all. And if a raid really did happen, there would be few outcos for them.
The first scenario, they’d be killed on the spot, while the won would be taken and forced to beco sex slaves, and in the worst case, all of them would be captured to beco slaves to perform hard labor under soone else’s rule.
Either way, it would be a grim fate, and not one he was willing to risk.
The best solution now was to seek refuge at the survivor base in the governnt office and follow the man’s arrangents. If they really were given decent accommodations and even contribution points in return for the supplies, then their lives wouldn’t be too bad moving forward.
But... could he really trust this man?
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