Chapter 2 - First Contact

Adam's feeling at that moment was one of extreme restlessness, the gloomy atmosphere and the icy breeze that he felt only made things worse and stunned any rational thought that he wanted to have. However, it was precisely this pain caused by the cold that made him finally notice something that he had not taken into account all this time. The other three people who shared his confusion had something in common, and that is that they all had completely different and everyday-looking clothes, the long-haired girl was wearing what clearly were pajamas and she also was wearing slippers, the woman, on the other hand, had a casual dress and still had a bag full of groceries that she had surely been buying before arriving at that place, and finally, the second guy, the blonde with short hair, was wearing a school-looking uniform and even had a tiny backpack as well.

This contrasted greatly with the other two remaining men's outfits, both with thick, long-sleeved jackets, pants that seemed to be military due to their design, thick black hiking boots, and a large, bulky backpack on their shoulders... It was as if both of them were prepared in advance for what was going to happen, and, judging by the words that one of them had previously said, this hypothesis could be the correct one.

Without wasting any more time, both men started walking quickly in a seemingly random direction, causing everyone else present to start keeping up with them as best they could despite being still quite confused, which was already quite complicated with the footwear they had, not suitable for the rocky and uneven terrain of broken asphalt and rotten vegetation.

“ねえ、ちょっと待って！”

(TL: Hey, wait!)

Despite her appearance, the most energetic member of the group seemed to be the small Japanese-speaking girl. Her face was now uncovered and red from the cold that afflicted them, but she still hastened her pace as much as she could to try and catch up with those in front. She tried to ask them something again, this time using slightly broken English.

“Where… place… is? *cough* Where going?”

The scarred man didn't turn to look at her, but he did respond calmly without slowing down.

“It's never a good idea to stay in the same place where you arrive, much less in such an ambiguous setting like this, just stay quiet and follow us if you don’t want to get lost.”

Setting? Once again, the use of terms that didn't make sense in the current situation, Adam's head was a whirlwind full of questions. He wasn't accustomed to such uncertainty and lack of data, not to mention that he didn't understand why the man wasn't being clear with the information he obviously had. After all, whenever he had any doubts, they had always been resolved by asking a teacher or personally searching for information, something he clearly couldn't do here.

Without really knowing how to approach the subject, and without any signs that they were going to say anything else for the moment, the group continued walking for about ten minutes, so Adam used this chance to observe his surroundings as meticulously as possible, and to think about what the robotic voice had told them before being transported to that place. Luckily, his memory had been trained since childhood, so he had no trouble remembering every word.

As far as the eye could see, it was a common suburban area, a zone he was used to seeing every time he went to and from university. However, these were destroyed and showed signs of long-term abandonment. Withered plants covered part of the ruins of what would have once been houses, shops, and even the occasional abandoned car. What had happened in this place? The voice had narrated the introduction to an intriguing story, one that took place after a phantom outbreak, leaving the world devastated with only a few survivors still breathing. It somewhat matched what he was seeing right now, but it was unthinkable that this could be real or that they really were there, but then…

“Stop!”

The man with the scar abruptly stopped and exclaimed for everyone to halt, which they all did with a jolt, expecting him to say something more. However, all he did was stretch his arm forward while his companion seemed to survey the surroundings as if watching out for someone else. That was strange, but even stranger was the second appearance of that female voice in everyone's head, along with another weird-looking window appearing right in front of the man.

⌠Notice: Standard-class Plot device: “Flashing Arrow” has been used⌡

Then, to the surprise of everyone, or at least of the four rookies, a huge red arrow shot out from his position into the sky and disappeared among the ruins that blocked the view. Adam was stunned to the point where he began to doubt what he had seen. However, his disbelief was interrupted when suddenly an image came to his head out of nowhere. For some reason, he knew perfectly the point where that red arrow had gone, a place that was relatively far from his position, and it pointed to a rusty metal door that seemed to belong to a bunker but was hidden among vegetation and debris.

“Bien, esto no podría ser más simple, sabemos a dónde ir.”

(TL: Okay, this couldn't be simpler, we know where to go.)

The new confusion in the gaze of the others present was interrupted by the words of the man who had used that 'thing,' but at the same time, his companion seemed a bit irritated by what had happened.

“Are you out of your mind? Remember the plot of the story; it's definitely more dangerous than the last one. We don't have the resources to defend ourselves in case another ambush happens. We need to find the simplest way to end this and get back.”

Those were another batch of strange statements that made no sense. However, Adam was gradually piecing together everything that was happening. Even though he didn't want to admit that any of this made the slightest bit of sense, everything indicated that they were indeed in the setting of that summary they had read in the white room. The only difference was that the two men called it a "story" and that they somehow had to complete it.

“¿Y acaso tienes alguna idea de como hacer eso? No habrá problema si nos apuramos, además recuerda que aún tengo "eso".”

(TL: And do you happen to have any idea of how to do that? There'll be no problem if we hurry, besides, remember I still have "that.")

"That", huh? Intriguing, to say the least, but it certainly managed to calm down the man in the hat a bit, although he still didn't seem entirely at ease.

“Don't get too comfortable; we only have one, and as far as we know, the outcome can vary depending on the situation. The worst-case scenario would be to use it to defend ourselves if…”

But his words were cut off by a deep scream coming from behind them. When everyone turned around, they noticed that the source of the scream was the woman in the group, who had had the most difficulty keeping up with them, so she was panting a bit. At the moment she tried to catch her breath after seeing the vision of the arrow, she also noticed something moving among the rubble, until those shadows leaped forward at full speed.

The sight was horrifying. Three... beings, if they could even be called that, with an appearance similar to a deformed humanoid skeleton but with a strange texture that made them seem made of gas, slithered through the pieces of concrete and withered vegetation like snakes, approaching the woman with their arms outstretched.

There was no time to do anything; Adam himself reacted just like the young blonde man and the Japanese girl, instantly startled and even instinctively stepping back a few steps, none of them thinking of helping even though they wanted to. Were those the things that the "plot" had referred to as the ghosts haunting that world? It seemed so, and three of them were just a few centimeters away from reaching their victim. However, before any of them could do more than just a single scratch on the woman, three loud shots reverberated in the area. Astonished, those present witnessed how three bullets pierced the monsters right in their deformed heads, causing them to emit a chilling scream as their lumpy bodies dissolved until they disappeared.

“Jaja, parece que esto será más fácil de lo que pensaba, no pensé que realmente fuese a tener ventaja en este escenario.”

(TL: Well, it seems this will be easier than I thought. I didn't expect to have an advantage in this scenario.)

After those words, the young Adam turned his gaze once again to see how the man with the scar on his face had two pistols, one in each hand, both still emitting smoke from the shots fired. A closer inspection revealed that they were two revolvers, and although his knowledge of weapons was not his strong suit, he did know that this type of gun was quite difficult to handle, especially for consecutive shots. Moreover, it seemed as if his eyes were playing a new trick on him, as he could have sworn he saw them sparkle for a moment.

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“Alright, let’s move on!”

The man said, addressing everyone else, lowering his hands and, to Adam's new surprise, making his guns disappear into thin air like a magician. This had been the final straw; indeed, nothing that was happening made sense, however, it surely had an explanation. This was something the boy would seek at some point, whether he had to ask politely or not. He simply couldn't carry on like this; "not knowing" was a terrible feeling for him, to the point where it could cause him distress.

“Wait! Please wait!”

Adam put in all the effort he could muster at that moment. Despite his shaking legs, he pushed forward until he caught up with the two guys leading the group.

“Those things were... Ghosts, just as the text we read before coming to this place described? How did he manage to make them disappear with just shots? In classical fiction works it shouldn’t be possible unless…”

The young student might not have been familiar with popular culture, but he did know what it meant to be a ghost according to traditional lore, and it made no sense for those creatures to be defeated by regular guns. However, his words were cut short by the sudden reply from the man, who didn't even look at him and just kept speaking without pausing.

“I can at least give you credit for having a good eye; you may eventually prove useful, so listen carefully.”

After saying that, he raised one of his arms and one of those strange revolvers materialized in his hands.

“It just so happens that I have a pair of blessed pistols. They should normally just increase the damage they deal a little more and not rely on ammunition, but I never imagined they would be effective against specters. I guess it makes sense hahaha.”

The other man with the hat didn't seem very enthusiastic about his companion sharing that information, yet he remained silent and let him carry on.

“As I mentioned before, don't worry, and just follow me. Once we're done, I'll explain everything you need to know. Who knows, I might even get you a couple of these if you have enough points to buy them.”

Certainly, the man appeared much friendlier than before, perhaps due to the confidence of having an effective method to defend against what seemed to be lurking around them. However, would it be enough? Adam recalled that the story involved survivors, some friendly and others hostile; perhaps the latter posed a greater danger than the ghosts that had recently appeared. He turned his gaze back to the other three who had stayed behind, understanding that while there was no immediate gain in explaining what had just happened to them, it was still important for them to be informed to prevent anyone from separating from the group.

The Japanese girl continued to follow at her own pace just behind him, struggling to keep up with a faster pace, while the woman who had been attacked was walking with the support of the young blonde man. He took it upon himself to aid her and was now doing everything he could to make sure she did not fall behind after such a horrible experience, something not even Adam could blame her for, the poor thing was trembling and close to crying, at least her injury was something minor. However, while he was still thinking, the whole group heard another order to stop just seconds later.

It quickly became apparent that the reason for this was because, near one of the many destroyed houses, the heads of many people could be seen hidden behind them. It was a large group, making no effort to conceal that they were carrying high-caliber weapons such as shotguns and even assault rifles.

“Personas, huh? Sería más fácil si tan solo los elimináramos a todos.”

(TL: People, huh? It would be easier if we just got rid of them all.)

“Don’t be stupid, the last thing we want is to make things more complicated, besides, they could give us information, whether by force or not.”

Both men had a brief whispered discussion, making it clear that they would use this opportunity to gather some information about the place and the situation. But would it be as easy as they made it seem? After all, the other side didn't seem friendly and were heavily armed.

“*Sigh* De acuerdo… ¡Hey! Estamos perdidos, no tenemos suministros ni tampoco estamos armados.”

(TL: *Sigh* Alright… Hey! We're lost, we don't have any supplies, and we're not armed either.)

The man raised his arms in a gesture of surrender, speaking loudly after taking a deep breath, something he hoped would appease the other side, which Adam didn't see as very possible because, from his perspective, they had the upper hand not only in position but also in numbers and firepower. However, his surprise was great when a person among them, a young man with a pale complexion and very poorly cut hair, but dressed in a military uniform, emerged from hiding with a submachine gun in his hands, only to lower it once he took a few steps forward.

“Don't lie, we heard shots in the distance, and you're the only ones around here. For all we know, you could be part of the Chaos group we've been tracking.”

The man had made a very good point, and the truth was that Adam himself didn't understand why he had even bothered to talk to them. If they were also pursuing other dangerous individuals, it would have been better to disable the suspicious group first rather than engage in conversation. But in his consternation, the scarred man smiled and, without looking away or lowering his arms, said something to the student in a low voice.

“Listen, newbie, this is easy, if that guy is trying to dialogue first then it means he’s part of the original cast, probably a hero-type character, so he’s avoiding any kind of conflict with possible innocent survivors, those are the easiest to predict and manipulate at will.”

Hero characters? Was he referring to the archetype of the hero from classic books? But that was something that shouldn't occur in real life because it lacked sense. Did that mean those people were part of the story just like the ghosts? For the moment, Adam simply observed without saying or doing anything more.

“No tenemos nada que ocultar, ¡pueden revisarnos si así lo desean!”

(TL: We have nothing to hide; you can search us if you wish!)

“Okay, don’t try anything… Cover me!”

The boy took the bait and approached while his companions emerged from their hiding spots and aimed their weapons, clearly waiting for someone to make a strange move to open fire. However, what caught Adam's attention the most was why the scarred man changed language so often when speaking. He knew Spanish was his native language, but for some reason, the other "characters" spoke English and had no trouble understanding him, just as the other man in the dark hat did.

“How? … How do you know they were capable of understanding Spanish?”

“Shut up, I told you already, I will explain everything after this is over, there’s a trick to it, you don’t need to speak in any particular language.”

That left Adam pondering, but since everything had been rather strange already, he preferred not to dwell on the matter and simply stayed still. True to his word, the armed man approached them and began to examine them one by one to ensure they were unarmed, even rummaging through the backpacks of the two men only to discover that they contained basic equipment such as binoculars, empty canteens, and a collapsible tent.

“Okay, you are clean… They are clean, people, come out!”

With a calmer atmosphere, the people, who had been aiming their weapons, lowered them and began to approach, and even a couple of them who seemed to be paramedics hurried to assist the woman, who was still trembling from the previous shock. Others were checking on the blonde guy and the pajama girl, curiously, they were all equally pale in comparison. All the while, the individual who had searched them positioned himself in front of Adam and the scarred man, who also lowered and relaxed his arms.

“Hello, my name's Dimitri Kuhlklay, and I lead this group of survivors. Where are y'all coming from, and where exactly are y'all heading?”

From what he had mentioned a moment ago about the aforementioned Chaos group, it didn't seem like he was saying everything about them, but oh well, it didn't matter for the time being; it was best to remain cautious.

“Que tal, mi nombre es Teo y lidero este grupo de sobrevivientes. Nos separamos de nuestros compañeros y nos quedamos sin raciones ni agua, pero sabemos claramente a donde ir. Es un suburbio a unos pocos kilómetros de aquí, agradecería que nos pudiesen indicar el camino más corto para llegar ahí.”

(TL: Hello, my name's Teo, and I lead this group of survivors. We got separated from our companions and ran out of rations and water, but we know exactly where to go. It's a suburb a few kilometers from here. I'd appreciate it if y'all could point us to the shortest way to get there.)

Finally, the scarred man mentioned his name, which made Dimitri feel more familiar with him. Dimitri couldn’t identify by memory the direction they had mentioned, so after a moment of consideration, he took out a map of the area from his backpack. At that moment, Teo was able to point out the place they wanted to go to. Everything seemed fine; it didn't seem as far away as they had previously thought. However, the expression on the "hero's" face changed and darkened slightly.

“Absolutely not! That point is within a red zone of spectral concentration. Not only is the number of spirits exceedingly high but there have also been sightings of Demon-type ghosts, which we know don't stray far from the undead empress.”

Unintentionally, that had been quite a bit of information, something that wouldn't go unnoticed by Adam, who was starting to piece together the puzzle they had in front of them. The story mentioned that the survivors would uncover information about the reason for the outbreak, and the fact that they mentioned an undead empress gave a clearer picture of what they might have to do.

“I told you it would be too dangerous. Forget it, we'll find another way to…”

However, the other individual, whose name he still didn't know and who had remained silent all this time while Teo spoke, raised his voice quite irritably but was quickly interrupted.

“Dimitri, we have serious trouble! ... They are not infected!”

Dimitri was immediately startled as if what they had been told was something too terrible, for his eyes widened, and an expression of terror overtook his face.

“What did you say?!”

Adam managed to think for just a fraction of a second, understanding that the extreme reaction was due to his group being "not infected." Infected with what exactly? Wouldn't that be a good thing then? His hypothesis faded away right at that moment as loud screeches began to echo all around them, and this time not just three, but a much larger number of those creeping ghosts appeared from every crevice of the ruins around them, all immediately lunging at the group of survivors without wasting any time.

Infected… Those words caught Adam's attention since he was studying to become a doctor like his mother. However, he would have to save any questions and speculations for another time, as if by some twist of fate, they began to be besieged by a remarkably high number of those frightening-looking ghosts.