Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Life inside the warehouse had become a grim, disciplined routine. Each morning began with a detailed assessment of the surrounding area, ensuring the horde was still thin and manageable and no one had infiltrated their little slice of heaven in the zombie-infested world. They had turned the upper levels into a fortified observation post, taking shifts to monitor the undead and any potential threats. It wasn't just about survival anymore; it was about maintaining a sharpened edge in the world of the unknown.

Guldrin's system was a silent companion throughout, offering rewards for persistence and skill. Each day's sign-in brought new supplies, skills, or information. Some were minor conveniences: ammunition crates, additional rations, or maintenance kits for their weapons. Others were game-changers, schematics for advanced traps and defenses, a Viasat Tactical SATCOM systems setup, a reinforced metal shutter for one of the weaker entry points, and a boost to Guldrin's already prodigious abilities and attributes thanks to his Gluttony being fulfilled daily.

For a full month, they trained rigorously. Rika took the lead, drilling the group on sharpshooting, stealth tactics, and situational awareness. Kohta, eager to prove himself, absorbed everything like a sponge. His enthusiasm was infectious, even if his eagerness sometimes led to clumsy mistakes. Rika's sharp reprimands were balanced by Guldrin's more patient approach, creating a dynamic that kept Kohta improving daily. 

Of course, Guldrin gave Kohta what he wanted and taught him CQC, or it would be better described as kicking his ass for a month. The first day, Guldrin knocked him out by accident, Shizuka scolded him, but he explained this isn't a simple martial art, it was designed to disable, and to learn, you must suffer; so she reluctantly gave him the go-ahead, but she was there for every training session. By now, he could kick Takashi's ass three times over, he even slimmed down some, he would have had to with the Hell he had been put through.

Shiro, on the other hand, was an enigma. She spent her days quietly observing, only stepping in when necessary. Her intelligence was unmatched, and her understanding of strategy and resource management made her invaluable to the group. She worked alongside Guldrin, optimizing their defenses and ensuring their supplies would last indefinitely. Lately, her pet project has been to set up the Viasat Tactical SATCOM systems, she said it would be invaluable to be able to communicate with the world.

Alice, Rina, and Akane, their youngest members, brought a strange sense of normalcy to the grim environment. They had bonded with everyone, their cheerful disposition a reminder of what they were fighting to protect. Even Rei, still haunted by her unresolved feelings about Takashi's death; yes they told her, at first she cried, cursed, and screamed, but when she learned of what he had become, she softened around the girls, but Guldrin received the full brunt of her anger, which he welcomed. The revelation that Takashi had handed Alice to Shido had stirred something in Rei, a simmering anger that made her less inclined to mourn his loss; since Takashi wasn't there to vent her anger, then Guldrin who killed him would suffice.

As the days turned into weeks, the group grew closer, their camaraderie was a shield against the horrors outside. Even Rei, who had initially kept her distance, began to integrate more fully. Her anger at Takashi's betrayal had transformed into a steely determination to protect Alice and ensure the group's survival, the girl had become a little sister to her, much more than the others had.

Kohta's training bore fruit, his marksmanship reaching near-professional levels. Rika, ever the perfectionist, still pushed him hard, but even she couldn't deny his progress. The young man had gone from a jittery amateur to a reliable sniper, his confidence bolstered by his growing skillset.

The warehouse had become more than just a shelter; it was a fortress after all the upgrades and improvements. The kill corridors and sniper nests Guldrin and Shiro had designed previously had proved invaluable. Each time the undead ventured too close, they were methodically picked off, their numbers never allowed to swell. The group had turned defense into an art form, their efficiency unmatched.

But peace was fragile.

One morning, Guldrin stood atop the roof of the warehouse, a blunt in one hand and a coffee in the other, surveying the distant cityscape. The month of training and preparation had honed him into something sharper, more deliberate. His body felt stronger, his mind clearer, and his abilities had evolved in ways he couldn't fully understand. The piece of the abomination he had consumed a month ago still resonated within him. He finally began to understand the new ability he received from that reckless decision.

 According to what he understood, Abyssal Insight had grown into a double-edged sword, granting him unknown knowledge and secrets, but at the cost of a gnawing hunger that he fought to keep in check after each use; depending on what he learned or tried to learn, the hunger and effect would fluctuate.

Shiro joined him, her silent presence grounding. "You're thinking about the next step," she said softly.

Guldrin nodded. "The system's mission is complete. The rewards are generous, but it's not enough to just stay here. This world isn't stable. Sooner or later, something will force us out of this fortress. We have given them a great start, and with Quiet… I mean Rika, they will be in good hands… It is time to return home… We can even buy supplies, and anything the warehouse needs while we are gone. The worlds will sync, and we will be able to jump between worlds whenever we wish. This world will be our hub, but now that we completed the quest, the time has already synced if we don't leave practically now, Mom and Mia will panic when they see we are missing."

"But I just got the coms system up and running, did you have to kill that last zombie from up here? You could have just waited, but no… You had to be a badass and shoot a zombie from the roof with a pistol… Ugh… Fine, I have missed our world anyways… Miki can handle the coms while we are gone, okay…" She took a deep breath and calmed down, "Alright, we will go to the meditation room and lock ourselves in after informing Rika," 

They had explained to Rika that this wasn't their real home and that they would have to return at some point; she took it much better than either of them expected. She said she would handle things when they needed to leave, and after evolving, she could handle anything that was thrown at her. 

It was a real surprise for Guldrin when Rika regained her special abilities from when she was Quiet after absorbing the crystal. Being her cheeky self, she grinned, and her eyes darkened as she went invisible and knocked Guldrin flat on his ass as she straddled him and became invisible again and gave him a sultry look before Shiro pulled her off. It was a fun day, she went around trolling the base, and it gave Guldrin flashbacks to Quiet when she was on the Diamond Dogs' base.

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The minutes before their departure had dragged on in the warehouse like so many before it, a slow passage of time marked only by the steady rise and fall of breath, the soft creaking of reinforced metal, and the lack of any zombie movement, a stark reminder of their progress of the month. Bodies had been burned daily, thankfully no infections had occurred, and they hadn't lost a single soul; each survivor in the warehouse had undergone their first evolution, and the main group had finished their second, the red crystals no longer assisted them in providing any kind of growth anymore.

But today, something felt different. There was a palpable tension in the air, a sense of finality that hadn't been there before. Guldrin and Shiro had been preparing themselves for this moment, and now, with his mind honed by weeks of battle, he knew that it was time to move on. The training was complete, the supplies gathered, and the group had become a well-oiled machine of defense and survival. But the thought of staying here forever felt wrong; impossible, they couldn't, wouldn't leave Letty and Mia in the dark as to their whereabouts, so they had to return.

Rika, as always, seemed to sense his unease. She had joined them on the roof, her footsteps silent against the steel surface. The wind pulled at her hair, but she remained as composed as ever. The silence between them was comfortable, neither of them needed to speak to understand what the other was thinking.

Guldrin flicked the blunt away and stood a little straighter, the weight of the decision pressing down on him like a heavy cloak. "It's time," he murmured, more to himself than to everyone else. "We've done everything we can here. It's time to leave."

Shiro didn't respond immediately, her eyes scanning the horizon, the distant city barely visible through the layers of haze and smoke. She was still thinking, processing everything they had discussed in the previous days. 

The Viasat Tactical SATCOM systems were almost fully operational, and the warehouse had become a fortress, a safe haven in a world that had lost its grip on sanity. But even with all the advancements, even with the undeniable strength they had gained, it was becoming clear to her that this world wasn't going to offer them much more. If they were to improve, they would have to do it by bringing what they couldn't get from their world or the next world they traveled to.

"You're right," she finally said, her voice steady but not without a hint of something else. She glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "This world isn't stable. We're not going to survive here forever like this, and we all know it."

They had become so accustomed to the grind of survival that the idea of leaving, of stepping into the unknown once again, was disorienting. But Guldrin felt it deep within him, the sense that they had done what they could here, that their purpose was no longer to hide in this fortress but to move forward, to take the fight to whatever came next.

With a sharp exhale, Guldrin nodded. "We'll give Rika the final briefing, then head to the meditation room. We'll leave the rest to her."

"Hey! Don't just ignore me, you brat!" Rika huffed,

Shiro's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "You're trusting her to hold down the fort?"

"Not you too! Damn it, you both are insufferable, I am right here!"

"For now," Guldrin replied with a smirk, though there was an underlying seriousness in his eyes. "She's stronger than she thinks. We've seen it. Besides, it'll be good practice for her."

Rika crossed her arms, her sharp eyes narrowing at Guldrin and Shiro. "Practice? I'm not some rookie, you little punk! I'll do more than just hold down the fort. I'll make sure this place thrives while you're gone."

Shiro chuckled softly, her usual calm demeanor breaking for a moment. "We're counting on you, Rika. You've got this."

Guldrin placed a hand on Rika's shoulder, his expression softer now. "We mean it, Rika. You're not just backup. You're the heart of this operation while we're gone. If anyone can keep this place safe, it's you."

Rika sighed, shaking her head but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "You've got a weird way of showing faith in people, kid. Fine, go play hero or whatever it is you two do in your other world. Just don't make me regret letting you leave."

Together, they made their way down from the rooftop and into the depths of the warehouse. The once-bustling storage area had long since been transformed into a near-impenetrable stronghold. Metal shutters clanged into place as they moved through the corridors, the echoes of their footsteps bouncing off steel and concrete. 

The trio descended, and the rest of the group gathered near the warehouse's central hub. Everyone from the main group had been briefed about Guldrin and Shiro's unique situation over the past month. The concept of interdimensional travel was still a hard pill to swallow for some, but after everything they had seen them do, their trust in the duo outweighed their skepticism.

Kohta was the first to approach, his usual enthusiasm muted but still present. "So… this is it, huh? You're heading out?"

Guldrin ruffled his hair with a smirk. "Yeah, but don't think this is goodbye forever. We'll be back, you've got the skills now; time to put them to use. This isn't going to be goodbye, it is see ya later. This world is more than just s mission to us, we intend to use it as our hub of operations, a staging point for anything to come. Trust me, I feel this world still has much to offer."

Kohta straightened up, trying to mask the sadness in his expression with determination. "You've taught me a lot, Guldrin. I won't let you down."

Rei stepped forward next, her eyes hard but glinting with something akin to respect. "Don't get yourself killed out there. You're… annoying, but you're good at keeping us alive."

Guldrin chuckled. "High praises from you. Don't worry, Rei. I've got too many people to annoy to go dying anytime soon."

Alice clung to Shiro, her small voice breaking through the tension. "You'll come back, right?"

Shiro knelt, brushing Alice's hair back gently. "Of course. We'll always come back for you, Alice. Just stay safe and listen to Rika, okay?" Shiro locked eyes with Rika, her voice calm but firm. "Keep everyone inside, especially Alice, Rena, and Akane. They're young, they need protection. No one leaves unless absolutely necessary. We will come back periodically, and I don't want to see anyone lost when we return," Rika gave a mock salute and everyone laughed.

"Kohta, make you move on Asami, she isn't going to make it herself, be confident, you are no longer that Pudgy otaku, you are a confident warrior," Guldrin clapped his shoulders, but as soon as he was about to respond Rika broke the atmosphere, "He will always be our Pudgy, fat or lack thereof, it will be his call-sign till he earns something else." Kohta groaned but knew it was going to stick.

The group watched as Guldrin and Shiro made their way to the meditation room. The heavy steel door clanged shut behind them, the sound reverberating through the warehouse like a final farewell.

Inside the meditation room, the air was heavy with anticipation. Guldrin took a deep breath, his gaze staring at the return to the 'main world button', and the 'receive reward that flashed in his and her vision.

"Ready?" she asked.

Guldrin nodded. "As I'll ever be."

With a thought, they mentally pressed the button, and the room was bathed in an ethereal light. The sensation was disorienting, like being pulled through a tunnel of swirling energy. Guldrin's heart raced, the familiar rush of the unknown coursing through his veins.

Before they could leave, however, a sudden chime from the coms system broke the tense silence. A low, almost imperceptible hum filled the air, followed by the abrupt crackle of static. It was followed by a wideband broadcast. It was a message that was far from local.

*Static*

*Buzz*

*Twang*

The voice of an unknown male was heard, "I know you're out there, I can see you. Running, hiding, killing, surviving… I have seen it all. Season tickets to the zompocalyse… And I got to tell you people, we've been getting our asses kicked. Well, today's the day that all that changes. That's right. I'm not just watching anymore. It's time to kick some zombie ass. This is Citizen Z broadcasting live via, broadband, low band, VHF, UHF, Skynet. If you can get a signal, then you can find me, thanks to our friends at the NSA. Now all I need is somebody, anybody, EVERYBODY to get back to me, 'cause that's how it starts! If you're still alive, you're probably some kind of… genetically predisposed badass, and all we gotta do is get organized, and the zombies don't stand a chance. "

"Now, if you are outside the USA let me tell you folks, you have been lied to, the world around you has been suffering from this virus after the first meteor shower 3 years ago, it started in the USA and has since spread… We don't know what caused this outbreak following the shower, but make no mistake, the world is falling apart, WELCOME TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE PEOPLE! My latest radar has shown that Japan was the latest addition, hello to all my red suns, if you are alive, and can hear this, you aren't alone!"

"On a lighter note, here is a little something for all you out there with 3000 miles of bad roads between you and home… I hope you can hear it." The sound of an electric guitar follows, and they can hear 'Jason Gallagher, Have Mercy' and that is the last Guldrin and Shiro hear before they disappear and arrive back in their original world in their shared room.

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)