NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Taking the Opportunity to Run Away
After the Griffin commander and his T-Dolls left the tavern, the owner, who was wiping glasses behind the bar, immediately put down his work and retrieved a large suitcase from behind the counter.
He donned a combat uniform and armed himself, transforming from a tavern owner into a soldier. Glancing to the remaining patrons, then towards the "butcher", he said,
"We're leaving. This place is yours. Do whatever you want with it. Goodbye. Or rather, it's best not to meet again."
The prepped truck waited outside the back door. The "patrons," prompted by the owner, quickly boarded the vehicle with their meager belongings. While some grumbled about the situation, simply having a way out of this desolate area was a blessing; a comfortable bus ride was a luxury they couldn't afford.
With the departing truck's engine fading, the man the owner called "Butcher" remained the sole occupant of the tavern. He surveyed the empty space with a stoic expression. It was inevitable; just a matter of time.
This town lacked a quarantine wall, and the only Sangvis Ferri stronghold that ensured their survival had been obliterated by Griffin's intervention. The previous Griffin commander, while enthusiastic against Sangvis Ferri, lacked the ability to hold off infected hordes. They breached the stronghold's defenses quickly, claiming the commander and the town itself soon after.
The "Butcher" finished his water and approached the bar to search for food and water. With the town overrun by infected nearly a month ago, existing supplies had dwindled. The remaining items had been loaded onto the departing truck by the owner.
His hope was to find any overlooked supplies. Otherwise, he'd have to venture out and forage for roots and bark.
But wait... what's this? A large stash of metal boxes stacked near the door!
These looked just like the ones he recalled containing compressed rations. He opened the top box, revealing the manufacture and storage dates printed on the lid:
December 28th, 2037, to December 28th, 2040.
Expired? He believed the year was closer to 2060 or 2061. Regardless, these rations were two decades past their expiration date. No wonder the boxes looked old. Were all the boxes like this?
It didn't matter. As long as there was no mold and the packaging was intact, they were edible. He wasn't picky - his stomach could handle it.
Beyond the expired rations and poorly stored wine, not even a drop of water remained. These individuals were thorough in their scavenging.
However, when the infected swarmed the town, the residents wouldn't have had time to gather supplies. The items they took likely came from a safe zone established after the initial wave of infected was cleared.
Most areas in the town remained untouched, including the central mayor's mansion and the central block, where significant supplies might be stored. Clearing these areas of infected could allow him to survive for a while.
Though it might sound unrealistic, for Renault, a veteran transmigrator, it wasn't an insurmountable challenge. After all, he was alone, and even if infected charged at him, eliminating them one by one would still take time.
Yes, Renault was a transmigrator. His full name, Renault Nuo, differed entirely from Jim Raynor.
His name likely originated from his father's love for the Star Wars series. He had previously encountered Jim Raynor during another time jump, but their interaction was merely casual.
These details were irrelevant to his current predicament. He could no longer return to his original world, and his next destination was beyond his control.
He had accepted this fate. After countless years of traversing fantastical and mundane worlds - from becoming a pinball ball in space to an expendable soldier getting mowed in by a guy in the Three Kingdoms era in China - he finally destroyed the system that repeatedly lied about taking him home.
The system offered no real benefits, only a string of lies, new and dangerous realities, and unbearable situations.
In his final journey with Jim Raynor, he discovered and dismantled the system thanks to Xel'Naga technology. Even if he landed in a garbage dump, freedom from the system was worth it.