"Alpha, this is Bravo, how copy? Over."

It has been two years since I was exiled and forced to survive in the Zone.

"This is Alpha, we recieve you loud and clear."

Some things have happened since then.

First of all, I now work for the mercenaries under the name of Jhon Dick.

"Okey, so, we got the documents, shall we burn them?"

And now? I was working with two other people on a mission we had just completed.

Steal some documents that are quite revealing about the corruption within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone army from a bastard that decided to try to leave and spill the beans.

And that bastard was Makarov, the fucking son of a bitch.

Apparently, they got rid of him too, so they exiled him just like me, but he made his contingency plan and that was to go down with them.

It's a shame that now he has all the 12 gauge pellets lodged into his skull.

Or what's left of his skull, at least...

"Yes, get rid of them, our contractor wants that thing gone."

We're supposed to get rid of this, but I have something else in mind.

"Copy that, out."

And now for the moment of truth.

"Are those the documents?" I asked the other mercenary.

"Yes, here they are, orders are to destroy them." He shrugged and answered, his name was Hans. "You do the honors, chief."

Just as I became more experienced, my English improved a lot by being around these pigs in blue.

"Good." I replied while taking the documents off his hand. "That's one less loose end." Then unholstered my M1911 pistol and stuck it to his abdomen. He could do nothing when I pulled the trigger and put a .45 ACP Hydrashok bullet through his guts.

The other, Lucash, turned to see what had happened. "Wait, wha-!?" A bullet passed through the side of his head, killing him instantly.

I pushed Hans to the ground, the man writhing in pain.

He looked at me with shock, confusion, and most of all, hatred.

I extinguished that look in his eyes by planting another bullet in his forehead.

"Bravo? Bravo, what happened there? We heard gunshots." Came the voice from Han's radio, asking what was happening.

I grabbed my own radio and responded. "Alpha, this is Lunatic, thanks for the documents and go fuck yourself." To then throw the radio from the side of the unfinished building I was in. We were on the third floor, so it's a pretty big fall that will probably destroy that thing.

The mission took us into the wild area around Rostok, Duty's base, so we had to be quick and precise with the job.

It doesn't matter now, I will disappear as if no one had seen me, as I have done many times before.

I have several names in different factions, I built my own reputation with each of these ne'er-do-wells.

Almost every faction knows me by a different name, which makes it fun.

Everyone knows who the renegade who goes by the name 'Lunatic' is, but they don't even imagine that he could become one of their loyal members...

Ha.

It doesn't matter, every single one of them tried to kill me before. Everyone failed, this time will be no different.

Because now I'm leaving on my own terms.

I have the necessary equipment to assault the main base of the Ukrainian army in the Zone, as well as key knowledge to screw various factions in case they want to oppose me.

Plus, they're all afraid of Lunatic, so there's no way they'll try to oppose me once they realize who's trying to screw with the military.

Now what should I do first, expose them against the world or liquidate them?

Uhm...

Having a little self-righteousness justice sounds great to me. I'll ake care of screwing up their public image later.

I folded the documents and put them inside one of my vest pockets.

Everything's ready, all that remains is to prepare for the party.

I avoided any contact with the squads that the mercenaries had prepared in case something went wrong. There were about four groups of five people each, two more than the two groups they had prepared, they surely redirected the other two when they knew that I was here.

Too bad, I left some IEDs along the way as a surprise for them.

BOOM.

There goes one.

I entered one of the buildings in the urban/industrial zone that was the area around Rostok. The building was riddled with anomalies, but I avoided them easily and managed to exit through a section of wall that had simply disappeared.

I fled the place and entered the irradiated forests full of anomalies. It was a tough hike, full of absurdly supernatural dangers that defy the laws of physics.

Happily, no mutants. The path clear as always in my head, I might even think that the Zone has my back with this luck.

Once I left that green hell onto the road next to the train tracks, I hit the abandoned road towards my destination.

It was a trip that took me hours, since there were only a few hundred meters left to get there.

It became night and I managed to see it in the distance on the side of the road, an abandoned gas station.

Something curious about this building is that it served as a checkpoint in the past to manage the presence of spies in Prypiat, since when I found it it was full of old radio frequency interception and espionage equipment.

Although in the end I took all that shit apart and used it to repair my own radio.

The surroundings were fairly clean of anomalies and the presence of mutants was almost non-existent due to the remoteness of any prosperous place in which they could settle.

... except for the fucking rats, those assholes eat everything they can find. I've found some holes in the walls and I'm starting to get nervous with that little shits near me or my things.

I'll worry about that later.

I entered the building and passed the rubble of what was left of the convenience store.

I walked past all that and headed to the back, straight to the manager's office, then walked into the room, there was only one piece of furniture in sight and it was a desk.

I moved it, revealing that underneath it was a secret metal hatch.

Well, there's no place like home.

I took out my keychain and removed the padlock I put on it, then opened the hatch, a set of concrete stairs leading to darkness below.

I went down a little and closed the hatch behind me. Maybe i could relax a little knowing that I was now in the safety of my shelter, but I didn't hesitate to put the lock back on once I entered.

Which left me in complete darkness, since I haven't bothered to change the burned out light bulb in the hallway.

I went down with cautious steps until I reached the bottom of the stairs, there was now a metal door in front of me, the one of my home.

I grabbed another key from my keychain and unlocked the door, darkness greeting me again.

I ran my hand along the wall and flipped the switch, the lights in the small bunker coming on in an instant.

A wonder that I don't need fuel to keep the shelter's internal generator running. An Electro anomaly that found its way into the shelter is making sure everything stays running, whether it's my small cooler, the 'recovered' refrigerator, or my radio.

Kind of bizarre that it hasn't moved after all those past Emisions, but I'm not complaining.

My shelter consisted of only a few things, my uncomfortable bed, my work table along with a reloading press, some shelves where I keep weapons and food and a rather large blue metal box where I kept all my other resources, be it ammo, various materials for repairs or manufacturing and more food.

There was also my couch, with holes and all, but it's my couch. The only one that I can get.

My only concern is water, since the small bathroom inside the shelter is destroyed and I am not a plumber.

I don't even know what kind of beast is in the damn drain, that's why I broke the toilet and filled the bathroom sewage with debris. I'd rather not have an infestation of horribly lethal plants or giant worms.

The time I found out those existed, I didn't eat again for the rest of the day, those things were... ugh... I'd rather not remember.

Oh no, I can't help it anymore.

They came out of the damn bodies... aaah...

Eugh... whatever.

I left the weapons I had with me on the couch, something I found in a trash can that I hauled to my shelter. Surprisingly, the only thing it had was that it was old and moths were eating it, so I cleaned it and voila, comfort for my home.

I also had my bed, which was a metal frame with a rusty mattress on top. There were several sheets spread over it for comfort and a single pillow.

I've tried to find someone who sells pillows or who at least has the decency to smuggle some, but no one wants to take my offer for just pillows.

Fucking hell...

You can't have many comforts being exiled, I guess.

Man, people are mean.

I turned off the light, sat on my bed, and took off the gas mask I was wearing.

Tomorrow, all my progress will be worth it, I will finally have my revenge.

If that's so, why did I feel that it would be worthless?

Even if I get my divine retribution, nothing will change, I will continue to feel this great emptiness in my chest.

...

I wonder how they are.

I miss my family.

Mom, are you still proud of your beloved son?

Dad, are you still waiting for the day I come back from duty to go out and have a few beers?

Oh, dear sister, are you still angry with me for leaving home?

Do they even remember me anymore?

I let my head hang from the shoulders while resting my arms on my legs.

It would be much better if I had died two years ago, nothing would have changed and everything would remain the same.

...

Breath... deeply.

It's all their fault.

Yes, you heartless bastards, I look forward to tomorrow when I can turn your organs from the inside out.

Does it even matter that I have my revenge at the end if nothing is going to change?

That's the fucking point, nothing matters anymore.

I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes.

All I could think about is the horrors I've seen and done. Dozens of people, killed by my hands or inaction. I let a lot of people die, it was simply more beneficial for me in the end.

Stalkers ambushed by others, eaten by mutants, torn apart by anomalies or burned by Emissions.

Then I started killing more frequently. Traps, sieges, assaults...

Then it came to a point where it wasn't enough, I needed more.

I became lost in the invigorating smell of bloodshed and violence, enjoying the battle as if it were second nature, because, if I could benefit from the deaths of others, why just stop there?

Betrayal, kidnapping, torture, I did some pretty horrible things back then, things I'm not proud of, but would certainly do again.

Are you still proud of me, mother?

I let out a small laugh.

...

Among the memories of my past actions, I ended up falling asleep.

By the time I opened my eyes again, I could hear the sounds of the forest around the gas station.

It was already daylight, I had survived another night in the Zone.

I sat back down on my bed and rubbed my eyes, then looked at the floor. I stayed like that for a while until I decided it was time to start the day properly, standing up and stretched my limbs, I can already feel an invisible pressure in the air of something only I knew.

Many people were going to die today.

Or just me, depending on how everything turns out.

I took the chocolate bar that was on the work table, the last bar I had, I may buy more later, but that, again, depends on how everything turns out.

I opened the wrapper and took a bite, pretty good.

Then I wrapped it again and left it on the work table, opened one of the pockets of my vest and took out an intact PDA from it.

I threw it on the table unceremoniously.

One of the cans of tuna in the shelves was looking at me passionately, so I took it and left it open in the table too.

For the weapons I'm going to use, I'll be carrying something that hurts.

An ASh-12.7, a Russian assault rifle that fires a variation of the .50 caliber, a fun reminder that if God had wanted you to live, he would not have allowed the creation of this weapon.

I got this thing thanks to Sidorovich, who made me do some weird jobs while I was undercover as a Loner.

Aside from this annihilator, I will carry a KS-23, a 4-gauge pump-action carbine that, as the name says, fires four pellets.

But they are of a size that will hurt like hell, if not directly kill anyone in my sigths.

Just in case I'll carry a few Barrikada rounds, which are a single solid steel projectile that will destroy whatever shit gets in the way.

Originally designed to stop cars, now I'll use them to cut people in half.

Now, so as not to exaggerate, I will also carry my M1911 as a last resort.

.45 caliber, with enough impact to make anyone think twice before running at me with a knife.

It happened before, I won't risk it now.

I left everything on the work table and began to take off my mercenary clothes.

Off with the blue, hello to the green. I thought as I replaced my uniform with the one of the Ukrainian army.

I felt disgusted just by touching it.

The poor idiot I took it from already died a few days ago, but I still remember his face when I slit his throat.

Poor bastard.

Anyway, now that I was properly dressed, there was only one thing left to do.

Make life more difficult for others.

And for that, I have just something special...

I grabbed the brown leather bag from the couch with a fun packet of chemicals inside and let it dangle from my waist, then I replaced my PDA with one from a deceased soldier and equipped myself with everything else along with several RGD-5 grenades.

Then, I prepared a trap next to the door and then left my refuge, locking everything behind me and hiding the entrance again.

On the way, I finished the can of tuna and put on my M45 gas mask to prevent my identity from being discovered before I'm able to do anything.

First, I want to see the commander and paint his office wall with his brain.

I may have the patience of the angels, but deep down, my heart only yearns for revenge.

Second, leave the whole place smoking, figuratively and literally.

I don't have any cigarettes though...

Well, I already have a very ugly surprise prepared there, just need to leave the bag in the commander's office and everything will be great.

I walked along the edges of Agroprom once I got close enough, I had to avoid the Monoliths, they usually patrol here when they don't patrol in Yantar.

Circling for another half hour and checking my surroundings, I continue to traverse the land. When I saw no immediate danger, I jumped over the wire fence and continued on my way, this time toward the army's main base at the abandoned Agroprom research institute.

I checked for a bullet in the chamber of my rifle and hummed in satisfaction at having everything ready.

There were several Spatial anomalies along the way, but I avoided them without problems, concentrating on the different situations I could find myself in if something went wrong.

Like what would happen if they saw through my disguise as soon as I approached the base.

...

With some luck, I hope that doesn't happen...

But just in case, I'll keep my rifle at hand.

Thunder sounded in the distance and raindrops began to fall from the sky.

If that is an omen, I hope it is of the death of my enemies.

I climbed a hill and, down there, was the Agroprom research institute, transformed into a military base. From here I could see the guards who were on patrol.

I took a deep breath.

Welp, here goes nothing.

Let the devil take me to hell and back.

I went down and showed up at the entrance. My PDA indicates that my name is Corporal Sebastian, so there should be no problem.

The guard greeted me. "Hey Sebas, I haven't seen you in days man, how did the patch collection mission go?"

I sighed and shook my head, acting discouraged.

"Huh, I see... well, if you need help with that, me and the boys are willing to go out with you to clean the Zone of some scum." The soldier responded, making a phone gesture with his free hand. "Just let us know next time you go out, haha."

I nodded and walked past him.

Walking through the complex, no one stopping me, so I headed straight for the main building.

The guard on duty greeted me briefly and then continued smoking.

Once inside, I turned left and went up the stairs.

My legs felt heavy, was I really going to do this?

Absolutely, I'm willing to die just to kill this son of a bitch.

Now that I think about it...

I changed the ASh-12.7 for the KS-23 then I made sure I had a cartridge loaded in the chamber.

Damn bastard, he doesn't expect what's about to happen.

As soon as I reached the top floor, I saw two soldiers running out, ignoring me and going down the stairs.

"I want that damn motherfucker!"

Damn, guess the news of the documents has just arrived...

I walked towards the office, gun in hand.

"You can't come in, no one can right now." I was stopped by one of the two guards at the door.

I take a look over his shoulder and noticed the commander flip his table rather hard.

He looked pretty mad, here's some 4 gauge to calm him down.

"I need to see him." I responded to the soldier.

He denied with his head. "If I let you in there, you'll probably be relieved of your duties, he's not very happy right now..."

Yeah, I noticed.

"Believe me, I have news that will change his mind- I mean mood"

"Volkov! Prepare a helicopter now!"

"Understood!" The other guard at the door shouted and then left to I don't know where.

I suppose he wants to escape the imminent risk of being exposed to the world, the bastard...

"Can't I really come in?"

"I'm sorry, but orders are orders."

Tsk, well.

I looked from left to right, there was only one other guard at the end of the hallway.

I'll be damned.

I put my right leg between the guard's and hooked his left leg with my right. "What the-!" Then I hit him with the butt of the carbine hard enough to hear a crack inside his head, after that, I pulled my leg and made him fall to the ground.

"Hey, what the fuck!" The other shouted, preparing the AK-74 that he was carrying to fire.

I was faster and unholstered my M1911, planting four precise shots at its center of mass. He fell to the ground in pain, that must have hurt.

"What the fuck is going on there!"

I put my pistol back at its holster and entered the office, the commander took a step back when he saw me.

"W-What..."

I pointed my carbine at him.

"Who the hell are you...?"

Heh... hehe...

"Yuri."

He tried to draw his gun, but I was faster and shot his arm.

It's enough to say that he is now disabled.

"AHHH, AHHHH, SON OF A BITCH! AHHH..." He screamed as he crawled across the floor, moving away from me, but finding the wall behind him.

I pumped the carbine, the empty metal cartridge clinking as it bounced off the ground.

I feel like it should have been called a shotgun, but they called it a carbine because it has a rifle barrel.

Meh...

I shot again, this time at the head.

His screams stopped, as did any other thoughts he had been having at the moment.

Damn, all his gray matter was all over the wall and floor.

Come to think of it, this was absurdly easy, too bad trying to get out of here alive is going to be a completely different story.

I could already hear the shouts of the soldiers and the set of boots coming up the stairs.

I unstrapped the brown leather bag and threw it at the commander's corpse.

Time for the party to start then.

I held the KS with my free hand while I unclipped an RGD-5 grenade from my vest.

Removing the pin and held the safety tight in my hand, I waited.

"It's over here!"

"What the fuck happened here!?"

"I don't know, I heard gunshots, come on!"

I dropped the safety pin and rolled the grenade down the hallway to my right. "Grenade!" I listened as I pointed my gun towards the left hallway.

The grenade exploded and I heard people screaming, music to my ears.

In fact, I would enjoy this situation more with some good music.

You can't have everything in this life, I guess.

Alright, who wants some lead...

The first soldier appeared and immediately fell to the ground as soon as all the pellets collided with his chest. The man didn't even scream, his lungs must have collapsed, as well as everything in his chest.

"Shit, suppressive fire!"

Yeah... I'm not staying here, fuck that.

I ran out of cover to my right side, there were dead bodies on the ground. I took cover at the wall just as a hail of bullets started flying behind me.

"Up, move up!" I heard down the stairs.

I aimed my carbine at the door that led to the stairs and crouched down.

A soldier ran up and tried to turn back as soon as he saw me pointing a KS-23 at him, poor devil.

Oh well.

I made him return up the flight of stairs with a direct shot to the chest, making him fall along with his companions who were coming behind him on the way.

I pumped the SHOTGUN and took four cartridges from my vest pockets, inserting one into the chamber and closing it as the slide returned. Then I inserted the other three cartridges into the tube.

"Grenade goes!"

I stood up and walked quickly to the stairs. Something exploded behind me, but I was already a safe distance from the explosion.

Plus, there were more people here now.

"Fuck, fuck! Someone shoot him-AEUGH!" I unloaded a cartridge into the chest of another poor soul who was lying on the ground under the mass of people I had made fall, it's not like he was going to get up any time soon.

Which gives me a bit of an evil idea.

Absolutely devious.

I unclipped two RGD-5 grenades and dropped them onto the mass of bodies.

"NO, WAIT, PLEASE!"

Too late son of a bitch.

I pressed myself against the wall, protecting my body from the explosion and shrapnel that shook the damn floor.

Well, there goes that...

I aimed the KS at the hallway I came from, apparently those fools haven't moved forward yet.

Better for me.

I went down the stairs carefully, avoiding tripping over the bodies of these idiots.

Then I heard shouts and orders sound off the walls of the building, echoing down the narrow stairs.

I went down halfway between the first and second floor, this because it's obvious that the bastards are preparing a damn execution squad in front of the building, I just know it.

The windows leading outside were covered with old, rusty metal plates, so it'll be pretty easy if you just...

I shot at the plate and a piece of it bent under the force of the combined pellets.

Nice.

I unclipped one of my last grenades and threw it at the first floor, that will slow them down.

Using my strength, I openned a hole for my body to pass through, which didn't take long, it was quite easy due to the poor quality of the metal.

Well, again, here goes nothing

I jumped out of the window and fell to the ground quite hard, the weight of my equipment not helping at all to soften my fall.

Ouch.

I stood up and put away my KS-23, favoring the ASh-12.7 more for this more open environment.

I know it's a weapon for close quarter combat, but the extended 20-round magazine will serve me well right now.

I snuck around the side of the building towards the north exit and hid behind some boxes, this is the most convenient exit for me as the forest is just a step away and I could very well lose them there.

And, now that I realized it, this was the most difficult exit to go through.

There was a fucking APC there, guarding the entrance.

He'll turn me into Swiss cheese if I get close to leaving, because it would be absurdly suspicious if I'm the only one who wants to leave while everyone else is looking for the intruder.

...

Well, I would turn into Swiss cheese if I hadn't taken action beforehand.

I took a detonator out of my pocket and pressed it.

The vehicle came apart in an explosion that sent the turret flying into the sky.

I mainly filled them with explosives to cover my retreat, but this also works.

"Damn, it's at the north exit!"

I wonder, why didn't the chemical IED I left up there exploded...

Stupid detonator, I hit it twice-

BOOOOOM

Oh.

Debris flew through the air, falling in random patterns all over the place.

That settles it, I guess.

A group of soldiers came running, pointing their weapons everywhere and going around aimlessly like a headless chicken.

They are easy targets.

I raised my gun to shoulder height and started shooting.

They dropped like flies, not even knowing what was shooting at them or the direction in which they were shooting.

In less than a minute, the small skirmish was over, all of their corpses mangled on the ground by the 50 caliber bullets I used against them.

And it'll be less than a minute until the entire damn base is behind me, so I better get the hell out of here now that the exit is clear.

On top of it all, I could hear the blades of a helicopter in the distance.

If that thing sees me, I'll be pretty screwed.

I stood up and ran with all my strength to the exit.

"There he is!"

Without looking, I continued running even as a volley of bullets flew past me.

Please, now is not the time to die.

I dove behind a concrete barricade and focused on calming my breathing. The bullets whizzed over me as they crashed and cracked the concrete, sending chunks of it flying and kicking up quite a bit of dust.

A grenade fell somewhere, but I couldn't tell where, since I only heard it.

Still, I brought both arms together above my head and prepared for the explosion.

I was momentarily deafened, my perception of the world slightly altered by the auditory jolt I received.

Still... I couldn't die... it would be absurd if I did...

I removed a grenade from my vest, removed the safety pin and threw it from cover, that should slow them down.

I couldn't hear anything but my breathing, the beating of my heart and the constant ringing that didn't leave my ears, but... still...

...

I fell to the ground and placed my ASh-12.7 in my arms, waiting for them to flank me.

I wasn't going to fall that easily.

Someone peeked through my cover and I blew his head off instantly, sending his helmet flying through the air.

Two more appeared and the 12.7mm bullets found their marks inside their internal organs, completely piercing the useless armor they had.

I crouched down and leaned my body to the other side.

I waited a second and peeked out, catching four more people trying to sneak in on my uncovered side.

They fell to the ground, bleeding and with several bullet holes. They were not going to recover from that, ever.

Holy shit, this gun kicks hard.

I came out of cover and noticed them hiding behind piles of rubble, the destroyed APC or behind concrete fences.

Well, it's my chance.

And just when I thought about that, 5 grenades fell around me.

Oh, shit.

I turned around and ran as fast as I could, my lungs burning from all the physical effort I was putting my body in.

I got out of the range of the grenades' explosion in time, because they exploded and I didn't feel my bones being crushed by the pressure released from the explosives.

Although that didn't save me from shrapnel.

I felt pieces of metal embed themselves in my clothes, the back of the vest and, unfortunately, my skin.

It wasn't anything serious, but it sure hurt like hell to have something inside your leg and shoulder.

AAaaaaghh... FUCK!

I tripped and fell to the grass.

Oh, grass, grass! I already left the base then.

Great, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I feel like shit right now.

The sounds of a turret in the distance brought me back to reality in time to see a literal rain of bullets fall from the sky.

The helicopter had already seen me.

Well fuck.

I ignored the gunshots that grazed my body and made a damned run towards the hill in the distance.

Jumping over the barbed fence, my leg got caught halfway by it.

Fucking awesome, now I was bleeding profusely from my left leg.

I have to bandage that quickly.

Limping towards the trees, I hid among the foliage of the forest. Minutes passed and I could hear the search squads patrolling the area, as well as the helicopter hovering above the skies.

Haha...

I sat on the floor and considered the idea of falling asleep right there...

ACK!

Still hurts.

If I fall asleep, I'll most likely never wake up, so there's only one last thing for me to do.

I took off my backpack and looked inside, pulling out a small first aid kit.

Inside were things needed to keep a person alive until they can find medical help.

I unzipped the bag and took out a syringe.

Morphine.

I injected it into my leg without hesitation.

Ahh... that hits the spot.

I shook my head, shaking off the sleepiness I felt, and pulled out some bandages, tweezers, scissors, and a small bottle of antiseptic spray.

I wasn't expecting the spray thing, but... I appreciate it, I guess, so I won't spill more than necessary.

Using the scissors to cut my pants at the part where my leg was bleeding, I took a look of my wound, the scene was horrible.

Raw skin, exposed flesh, dirty, rusty bits of metal embedded in my skin.

Yep, looks like I'm going to die

Ugh... I'll need something for tetanus later...

Carefully, I used the tweezers to remove the smaller pieces that hadn't dug into my flesh as much, thus getting rid of that discomfort.

It was easy as my desensitized skin was very helpful, but the bigger chunks were still there.

Better not to remove them yet.

I cleaned the wound with bottled water and added some antiseptic. Then I bandaged everything as best I could, to prevent the piece of metal from moving around too much and making a mess of my leg enough to cover the superficial cuts I got from getting tangled in the wire.

Once that was done, I gave the same treatment to my shoulder, although it was quite a bit more difficult, but I still did it.

Once everything was finished, I sat down leaning against a tree and looked at the sky.

It was still cloudy and the rain was slowly starting to calm down. I could see the smallest rays of sun sneaking through the dreary clouds.

It reminds me of my home.

...

This is my home.

I stood up and limped towards my shelter.

At least I was able to get rid of that plague, now I can die in peace.

The only bad thing about that... is that I still want to live.


"Did you hear what happened at the base?"

"Yes, the radio was crazy the whole time, who was the motherfucker?"

"I have no idea, but he must be a tough son of a bitch for none of the misfit guards to have caught him."

"It's true, he even destroyed the APCs that were stored in the hangar..."

"Ah, is that the reason we're walking now!?"

"Pretty much."

"What a fucking piece of shit."

A group of soldiers were patrolling the edges of the Exclusion Zone looking for illegal intruders to kill.

"Hey, who has a cigarette over there?"

"Do you still consume that shit?"

"Hey, don't mess with my poison."

"AHHHHHH! HEEEEELP!"

They all stopped there, in that meadow they were patrolling.

The screams came from the forest.

"What the fuck..." One of the recruits said.

"Don't go."

The recruit turned to the leader of the group. "What- Why?"

He growled. "I don't know how, but the controllers learned to use psychic attacks at greater distances."

"What do you say? Controllers?"

The leader nodded. "You can't feel it yet because they do some kind of magical shit, but now we're under their influence and they'll try to lead us into a trap... jeez, just think about it! There's only illegal idiots, weird mutants, and things that defy the laws of physics around here! Why would you want to listen to a voice screaming for help in the middle of fucking nowhere!?"

At his words, everyone felt a small chill run down their spines.

"Tsk." The leader turned. "We better get away, if we're hearing the screams, he surely knows we're around here, so move."

They all followed him without a word towards the new direction they were heading to patrol.

Barely a minute passed and the screams stopped being heard.

"Looks like we're already out of range..."

"Just shut up"

They wandered for a while and found themselves near a road that leads much further into the Zone, probably Pripyat or some abandoned factory, they didn't care, they just wanted to kill some time patrolling.

"What's that?"

Everyone squinted and noticed a small building in the distance.

"It looks like a gas station."

"I don't see any anomalies around, are you sure we're still inside the Zone?"

"Wait, let me look..."

"Bah! What does that matter, let's go already, I want to rest a little."

They closed the distance with the building and, in fact, noticed that it was a vandalized gas station.

"Fucking Stalkers..."

"Do you think there's anything useful inside?"

"I don't know, go check." The leader responded, then turned to two other members of the group. "You two, keep watch while we set up the campfire."

"Wilco! /Understood!"

The leader put his OTS-14 aside and crouched on the ground, rubbing his hands to keep them warm against the cold air.

Moments later, the soldier who decided to explore the inside of the gas station ran out. "Colonel, I found something!"

Said man raised an eyebrow, curious. "What thing?"

"There's some sort of secret hatch down here... should I check?"

"Absolutely, let's go." The colonel responded as he stood up and motioned for the rest of the group to follow him.

Everyone regrouped with the soldier from before, who had moved one of the tables in the back office, revealing a padlocked hatch.

"Shall we open it?"

The colonel raised his OTS-14 and fired a burst, destroying the 25-millimeter lock.

"I want to know what's down there." He said, keeping his gun trained on the hatch.

Given that response, two soldiers carefully opened the hatch, fearing that something evil could hide behind it, the rest started following the colonel's example and pointed their weapons.

No one moved for several seconds, expecting the worst.

When nothing emerged from the darkness, they turned on their own flashlights and cautiously descended the stairs toward the ominous metal door.

"You, open it."

"Right."

The soldier approached the door and pushed it, it not moving under the force. Tried again and nothing.

"It's locked, I'll break in." He mentioned, then walked away a little and pointed his gun at an angle at the lock.

He pulled the trigger and a 5.45x39mm armor-piercing bullet emerged from the barrel of his AK-74M, piercing the door and destroying the lock mechanism.

The door opened slightly as there was nothing to keep it closed.

Without hesitation, the soldier kicked the door.

Only for 1 single 383 gram lead ball to embed itself directly into the ceramic plate of his vest.

His armor stopped the 12 gauge slug, but it didn't stop the blunt force of the projectile.

He fell to the ground on his butt and started coughing up blood, a lot of blood.

The team's paramedic came to treat him, but the man fainted seconds later and stopped breathing.

"Fuck..."

"Well, everyone, watch your step and watch out for traps, check this place."

Everyone entered the room, except for two who stayed to remove the body.

And they were speechless at the amount of equipment that was stored there.

"Look at all this! Man... should we report it?"

"Tsk, the boss has the final say..."

"Colonel?"

The man smiled.

"Report him back to base." Were the words that came out of his mouth, to which one of the soldiers immediately began to speak on the radio.

"Shit... there's a lot of weapons... do you think HQ would mind if we took some?"

The colonel laughed. "Take what you want guys, just make sure you leave some for-"

His head exploded into several pieces of bone, brain and blood. His limp body fell to the ground unceremoniously.

"What the f-!?" Another shot, the soldier who went to reach for his weapon felt how the air entered his stomach and how his gastric acids began to burn inside him.

No one moved when they saw their partner fall to the ground, screaming horribly from the pain he felt.

They slowly turned towards the door.

There was a masked man wearing the Ukrainian military uniform, like them, but he had bandages around his shoulder and legs, blood stained his clothes, and there were some cuts in the fabric.

He carried an ASh-12.7 in his right hand and his camouflage helmet in his left.

He dropped it and rested his other hand on the handguard of the weapon, while with the other he changed the firing mode.

To automatic.

The sound alerted all the remaining soldiers, who moved to use their weapons, but they were too slow as the 12.7 millimeter bullets passed through them like paper.

The floor was stained with blood and remains of organs.

The place was a mess and was starting to smell horrible.

Yuri lowered the gun and rubbed his right shoulder. "Damn, this gun kicks hard..."

He limped to the workbench and left his gun there, as well as his bloody AK bayonet that he used to take out the guys outside, then went to his metal chest and took out an anti-tetanus vaccine, not hesitating to inject it a moment later in his body.

Siting on his bed, he took a deep breath.

He heard about what those guys were talking about earlier and was pretty sure he would see that helicopter again.

Looking at the corpses on the ground, he didn't feel anything more than disgust.

He found it interesting that his stay in the Zone has desensitized him to this point where he finds no displeasure in being among the dead.

Although it was still disgusting to see their remains staining his floor.

He took off his mask and rubbed his eyes, he was quite sleepy, all that blood loss made him quite sick.

At least he was able to remove the other metals and stop the bleeding, but he is in no condition to fight, so as soon as these guys' reinforcements come, he is a dead man.

At least he already had his revenge.

He couldn't help but laugh, finding that thought kind of stupid.

He already had his revenge, now what? Die?

He wasn't prepared to die, he would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid of death.

He still wants to live, to be free, to enjoy the pleasures of life... but he can't because he's trapped in this damn rat hole called the Zone.

He clenched his jaw quite tightly, feeling anger at his situation.

Two damn years.

Resting his face on his hands, he wanted to cry.

...

But no tears came out.

He stood up and limped towards the stairs, out of his shelter and towards the corpses outside to strip them of their belongings and boobytraped them, a small welcome gift for the idiots who were about to come.

He went down again and put everything on his shelf in an orderly manner, more out of habit than out of any use now, anyway, he was already a dead man.

He was tired, he didn't want to fight anymore.

Taking a sit back down on his bed, he crossed his arms.

So... sleepy...

His sleep dissipated momentarily when he heard the distant alarms announcing the beginning of an Emision.

"How strange..." He said softly. "The ecologists said... that there wouldn't be one for another 7 hours..."

It didn't matter, he was already so used to the psy waves that brought those voices and sounds out of this world that he just didn't care.

Closing his eyes, he began to feel his mind to wander.

So tired...

The tremors that shook the earth were like a massage to him.

The hallucinations that whispered in his ear to make him come out were like a lullaby.

The thunder reminded him of the nights he slept with his family listening to the raindrops hitting the window.

He was so tired, he didn't notice that the entire room was engulfed by a forming spatial anomaly.

Just as his consciousness faded into the realm of dreams, he, as well as his entire refuge, disappeared from the face of the earth.

...

The Zone won't let one of its beloved children die just like that, Yuri.

Y ou sh ould kn ow b etter.


The Dungeon felt it.

Something much larger than the dungeon itself became present on the plane of reality... and it had no divine aura.

It's insides changed... it hurt a lot.

Things it didn't understand grew inside it and spread around it's entire body.

It didn't know any of this, it hated it.

It wasn't natural.

The Zone had found its way to another world, just to preserve its chosen one alive.


They noticed it.

They were distracted, confused, without leadership.

They knew it, it had to been him.

They would take advantage of the opportunity, they would do it... very well.

It was time to act, to finally be free.

To make all them pay... all the hatred they feel, they will release it.

After all, the scorpion cannot change its own nature.

The Zone changed the day Yuri disappeared.


I woke up with an abominable pain in my ass.

Shit.

I opened my eyes to found that they burned like shit and took into account the massacre at my feet.

Yesterday was pretty chaotic, huh?

Fuck.

I tried to stand up, but my legs felt numb, causing me to fall back onto my bed.

I sat there for a while, staring at the limp bodies of my compatriots.

Damn.

I put on my gas mask because the place was kind of stinky, I had to clean this up.

I stood up again and walked towards the door.

There was a body at the bottom of the stairs, it was one of the idiots who tried to alert the others, but I stabbed him next to the top hatch, I guess he must have crawled down here.

Idiot.

I looked up and...

Eh?

No... it can't be, right?

I went up the stairs and...

Okey... what... uh?

There was no gas station, in fact, it looked like my shelter had been torn out of the ground and placed in a completely different location.

The gate was still here, to my relief, as was some of the concrete from the entrance.

What left me confused is why it seems like I'm standing in front of the ruins of some... Greek temple?

There were pillars of what I believe to be marble, giant ruined statues, remains of huge temples, mosques, churches. It seems like I was in a religious cemetery.

There was also a lone dilapidated church dozens of meters ahead, barely holding up as destroyed as it appeared to be, but it was the most intact thing I could see here among the dozens of ruins around me.

In the distance, there were cleaner looking buildings, although I couldn't tell... I neede to get closer.

Of course, I couldn't pass up the damned tower that rose to the heavens... heavens...

Good gracious heavens, where the hell am I?

I'll... worry about that later, for now, I have to clean up the mess down there.

It would be bad if a couple of idiots wandered this way and discovered my shelter... if there are people living around here.

There could be something even much worse for all I know.

Imagine a town of controllers.

GOOD! For my own mental health, I'll stop thinking about it for now.

I went down to my shelter and grabbed my Kukri machete that was hanging on my shelf, a trusty tool I bought a long time ago. I tied it around my waist and left again.

I cut off enough branches to hide the entrance to my shelter, but not now, there is still some cleaning to do, so I put all that aside and sheathed my machete, then dragged the corpses to the surface, complete with their dismembered remains.

Of course, I stripped them of their belongings before, after all, they weren't going to need them anymore.

Bullets, weapons, personal things and some supplies.

I was surprised by the OTS-14, but it was more than welcome. As well as all armor-piercing bullets.

I also got gas mask filters, which is pretty cool, it increases my chances of surviving in dangerous environments.

The bad thing is that there were no artifacts in their remains.

I did find a lead container though.

No luck I guess

I took even their clothes, leaving them in their underwear.

Yes, it's unethical, I don't care. Any supply is welcome, plus the cloth can be used to repair other armor.

You can't be picky in the Zone, I'm a renegade after all, there is a reason I disguise as other people.

Man, how many people have I killed?

Tsk.

Well, I had no choice, it was that or die.

Bullets, food, supplies, artifacts... someone always had to die for one of those things to reach my hands.

Taking advantage of death, huh?

I wish none of this had happened

Bah, it doesn't matter. I don't know where I am and that's on my list to find out. I doubt I'm in the Zone, actually.

...

Two years...

The sky looks beautiful, I doubt I'm still in Ukraine.

Heh...

I brought the bodies to the surface and buried them in a grave that I dug with a military field shovel that I had lying around. I'd rather have the work of digging that hole and dumping the carcasses in there than letting them rot somewhere else, that attracts bugs.

I don't like bugs.

I may act like a hardened psychopath, but I'm not a dirty rat living in filth.

Although most people tend to differ and point to me as someone mentally disturbed.

Hehe...

What a joke.

I finished covering the hole and sat down in front of the mass grave, throwing the shovel aside.

Man, I would like to drink some beer.

I looked up.

Hm, it looks like it's going to rain.

If that happens, it would help me a lot, I prefer to clean the blood with rainwater than with my bottled water.

I went back down and took out a couple of buckets I had lying around, setting them aside to fill with water from the charged clouds floating miles above my head.

Not long after, small droplets of water began to fall from the sky, some colliding with the lenses of my mask and traveling all the way to my neck.

It doesn't look like it's acid rain, which is a welcome surprise

I reached for the straps of my mask, but stopped.

Will the air be safe to breathe?

A wave of anxiety tensed my body.

If the air is toxic, will I have enough filters to survive? When will it be until I need to take off my mask? Should I be worried about lethal radiation exposure?

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

My Geiger counter hasn't beeped at all, I have more than enough filters to last for months in case the environment is contaminated, plus I have some spare masks in case mine gets damaged.

Thinking reasonably calms me.

Also, there is no acid rain, so there are probably no dangerous chemicals in the environment.

Still, I felt some apprehension as I untied the straps of my mask.

It was when I took my first breath that I exhaled with relief.

Clean air, slight humidity in the environment.

It reminds me of the countryside.

Another proof that I'm no longer in the Zone.

As the drops began to fall more frequently, I ran my gloved hands over my face smeared with dust and blood.

Clean water, when was the last time I could feel clean water running over my face?

So I'm not in that radioactive hellhole anymore, huh?

Either way, the goal has never changed.

It's time to keep staying alive.

In my current state, I probably won't survive another altercation, so I have to play it carefully.

Suppresors and stealth will be the two things that will keep me alive in these moments of weakness.

I looked around and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It was like no one lived around here.

Well, everything is in ruins, who the hell would live here?

Me, of course, from now on. It's not like it's a problem, I'm used to it.

I waited a bit for the buckets to fill before I started mopping the disgusting floor of my shelter with a broom and a rag that I had lying around.

It was relatively easy with the cleaning supplies I had stashed away. At least they were used for something other than making dangerous chemicals.

It took a while to get rid of the blood on the walls, I would even say there was still some there, but now the place looked relatively cleaner.

In the unlikely event that someone asks me about the blood, I will not answer.

I threw away the dirty water and put the buckets back to collect it. Then, rearranged some of my things that those idiots messed up and opened a can of tourist delight.

Opening one of these cans is like playing poker, sometimes they have the most disgusting things imaginable and other times just something simple like corned beef.

This time? For some reason, sunflower seeds.

Huh.

Might as well cook them.

I opened the can and left it on my work table, to then search my metal box and take out a PDA.

I turned it on and... huh?

What-wait... wait a second...

I came out of my shelter and raised my PDA into the air.

Huh, I guess I'm far enough from home that the PDA doesn't pick up any satellite signals.

Although the radio is fine, which is strange.

Huh...

Damn...where the fuck am I? In Afghanistan again!? Don't tell me...

I had enough with that little adventure, I don't want to repeat another week in a place completely off the map like that damn city on the edge of I don't remember.

At least there was satellite signal there, just... shit.

Who would have thought that I don't know the name of the only city in the world that has a damn tower that reaches to the skies. Man, I'm sure they should have taught me some of that in high school...

I surely remember the name on the way.

Maybe i'm in Brasil... Brazil? Well, it would be much better than Afghanistan.

... right?

Goodbye chances of returning home. At least I was hoping to travel to a beach or something as soon as I raised enough money, but... uh...

Wait, Brazil doesn't have beaches?

No, fuck-

If I'm in another part of the fucking world...

Surely this guys wouldn't know who I am?

The realization hit me.

Maybe... by chance...

Am I free at last?

Shit, I have to try this.

There's a damn town dozens of meters away, I might as well go there and introduce myself to everyone as the second coming of Jesus and no one would care.

This is absurdly great, the best thing that has happened to me in a long time.

I took the can of sunflower seeds and gobbled down all its contents, leaving no leftovers at all.

After that and drinking some exaggerated amounts of water because I choked, I started making the preparations.

Something light would be nice, an AKS-74U with a PBS-4 suppresor, a PB pistol and my hunting knife should be enough.

I will carry the 9x18mm hollow point, just in case I have to make a silent exit, plus it kills unprotected targets much faster.

Just... let's hope that i'm not in a position where I force myself to use it.

Also, no one may know me here in Brazil, but that doesn't mean no one sees the fact that I'm walking around in bloody clothes looking suspicious as fuck, so I changed my clothes for a brown trench coat, sweatpants, white sneakers, and a sweater. I also changed the bandages for clean ones.

Yes, I took the clothes from a bandit.

Well, this should be... more normal.

It's been two years, I don't know how normal I look, but... ehh, it must be enough.

I put two magazines of both weapons in my pockets and left my shelter, the rain falling on my greasy hair and soaking my clothes.

Alright, let's see how interesting Brazil is, maybe I could adopt a little monkey as a pet.

Or whatever lives in Brazil.

I walked slowly down the desolate street, carbine in hand, wary in case anything emerged from the shadows among the rubble.

Something pretty bad must have happened here for a street this wide to feel so lonely right now.

I continued my short walk under the gaze of the giant statues around me. Man, those things are kind of scary.

I approached the only building in relatively good condition in the surrounding area, a church to a god I didn't know about. The statue of an angel was displayed at the entrance, but its figure had been destroyed over time and only its torso could be seen.

Damn.

I kept my gun raised as I entered the building, I can't afford any surprises, so I was scanning the interior as I went deeper and deeper.

The wooden chairs in front of the platform were moth-ridden. There was mold, and holes everywhere.

The roof was leaking and had a large hole in the center where raindrops entered carelessly. I think there is a bird's nest up there between the wooden beams, although I couldn't be sure.

There is no way to climb the church bell as the stairs were collapsed. A shame, I wanted to see everything from up there.

I might as well climb, but with this leg, I'm likely to fall.

Going up to the stand, I scanned everything.

There was nothing here.

I was hoping to find something, but I guess every other good-for-nothing already took away all the good stuff.

I left my AKS-74U on the podium where a holy book once rested.

This church reminds me of the other one in the swamps back in the Zone, although there at least I could climb the bell.

What a waste of time.

I took my gun, left the place and resumed my walk, then noticed that in the distance that there were some fairly large stairs.

I climbed the steps with some difficulty and crossed a narrow alley.

There were voices, footsteps, and various other things in the background. More than anything, 'urban atmosphere', like what you might hear in a fairly lively place.

It gave me anxiety.

I got to the end of the alley and... wow.

I hadn't been this close to this amount of people in a long time.

I stood there on the edge of the alley as I watched people walk down the street in front of me, living their lives and caring about all sorts of things except the weird guy in the trench coat hiding in the shadows.

This place... looks very lively.

Too much for my taste.

I leaned against the wall and spent several minutes simply watching people go by.

There were peculiarities too, like small people, chubby small people, people with pointy ears (a new fasion?), people with animal ears and tails...

Okay, woah... wait there for me there a second.

Tails?

I noticed a woman and a girl walking happy while carrying paper bags with all kinds of supplies, a perfectly normal scene, except for the fact that they both have cat ears and tails... that move apparently at will.

Further behind them, there was a man looking between the different little shops on the street, that one had a wolf's tail and ears... I think?

And so, several other people shared the same features and no one looked at them strangely.

There are also the literal beastmen, but that's not so strange to me, furrys existed, after all.

Okey... I...

I didn't know Brazil was this peculiar.

Shit, who am I kidding... I highly doubt I'm in Brazil... or anywhere in the world.

I knew that damn tower in the distance was weird, it's because it's not from my world!

Or I'm just in France... maybe...

It must be, that has to be... otherwise, I will lose my mind.

I need to know where the fuck I am or I swear I'm going to kill someone.

Well, I just have to walk up to someone and...ask.

Fuck it, I don't have time for this shit.

I've spent so much time disguising myself as other people and not talking at all that the thought of having a conversation with someone much more normal than me is... weird...

I'm used to being among the worst of humanity and solving my problems with lead or murder, so conversations are not my thing.

Ugh.

Just... leave... ask... come back...

...

Yeah, fuck this.

I turned around and returned to my shelter.

Once there, I left my equipment, opened a bottle of beer and sat down at my work table.

I guess approaching people is out of the equation now.

Shit, I didn't expect... reintegration into society to be this difficult.

I think it would be easier for me if I went out later, without curious looks everywhere.

I can't stand so many people, I might end up doing something horrible.

Drinking beer, I was pushing my mind away from the uncomfortable thoughts.

Let my future self worry about my situation, now I just want to drink from this wonderful nectar and enjoy this new feeling of freedom.

I achieved what I wanted for a long time, even though I don't know where the hell I am.

I hope this is a nice place, I would like to do some tourism.

Maybe there's a beach around here... wherever here was.

Also, I'm curious about that damn giant tower. It is simply begging to be climbed!

Hiking is next on my list of objectives then.

I finished my beer and, with nothing to do, found myself disassembling and maintaining my weapons.

Monotonous tasks calm me down, they are simple, easy and help me think while my body moves automatically.

A simple way to pass the time.

I spent the next few hours this way until I finished doing maintenance. Then, I stretched out there in my chair and sighed.

The background sounds were beginning to calm down and the sunlight reaching the entrance to my shelter was beginning to turn orange.

Night is coming.

There's no need to worry, I doubt there's anyone trying to kill me now, so I can take things easy.

I stood up and turned on the light of my shelter.

Luckily, that generator is still working with that Electro anomaly.

I prepared my equipment for a night raid, who knows what kind of dangers I may encounter...

In a quiet city full of honest people, of course.

I think I'm exaggerating a bit...

No matter, my paranoia kept me alive and will continue to do so.

I grabbed my M45 gas mask and my military night vision goggles. As well as the weapons I prepared hours before, medical supplies, and an MRE package.

Now, water?

Ehh...

One of my last water bottles, that is until I find a reliable source from which to draw this vital liquid... or when it rains again. Maybe I could use some of that rain.

By the time I finished, the sky had changed color again and the moon was now rising on the horizon.

Time to blend in with the shadows.

I put on my mask and left my shelter, then I hid the entrance with the branches and leaves I cut earlier.

I walked through the ruins until I reached the other end where the large stairs and the alley that separated this desolate part of the city with the obviously inhabited area were.

It makes me feel like a despicable part of the population.

It's not like that's wrong, of course...

I went out through the same alley and noticed the change in the atmosphere.

There were far fewer people than before now that the sunlight had disappeared. The purple lanterns on the walls shone in a way that made me curious, where are the cables? I don't see any light poles or electrical wiring.

So weird.

A moment passed in which I was observing the new details that the rain stopped in intensity, reducing to a small drizzle.

I wiped away the droplets that had collected on the lenses of my mask and walked alongside the few people making their nightly trips at this hour.

Much more manageable, I couldn't see all those vendors from before either, which is somewhat unfortunate, I was curious about the kind of thing people buy from these parts.

Then I heard screams and got scared for a second.

That is until I realized that they were shouts of celebration coming from what I only assume must be a bar, located on the side of the street.

I didn't understand what the sign said, but there was a beer mug carved into the wood there, so I guess it's a bar...

Damn.

I stared at the facades of the buildings as I walked down the street, making sure to try to remember everything so I wouldn't lose my way back home, but there wasn't really anything interesting around.

The various signs on the closed buildings told me I was in a commercial part of town. If I had been here earlier, I would have been able to see what the store windows had to offer, because now everything was empty and barred.

The few people who passed by me ignored me or simply avoided me, which is good, it must be because of my size that they found me intimidating.

Well, it saves me the trouble of having conversations with normal people.

"Ugh... it doesn't open..."

As I walked by, I watched a guy a little taller than me try to open the door of a closed store.

Thief? I don't think so... he had paper bags in his hand and some glass vials in his hands, maybe he forgot the key?

I was a little amused by his misfortune, so I watched him for a little longer.

Moments later, he stopped trying and simply leaned against the wall, looking dejected and tired.

Now that I could see his face better, I must say that he has... peculiar features.

I never thought I'd say something like this, but that guy is genuinely beautiful.

Long hair and dark blue eyes, fine and delicate facial features, a person who obviously has not experienced the inhumane conditions of the Zone, finding himself protected by the walls of society.

I was a little envious, but this guy looks quite sad staying there without being able to enter.

That and the fact that he looked like a bum in the clothes he was wearing.

Tsk, well...

Here is my first good deed of the day.

What's left of the day, at least

I have to build a reputation if no one here really recognizes me.

I let the Kalashnikov hang from my back and approached that guy, but I felt my skin crawl slightly at being close to him. It almost seemed like the man had a subtle aura of... something... around him.

How odd...

I mentally ignored it. "Hey." I greeted. The man looked up and our eyes met.

I don't know why, but I don't like being around this person.

"Oh, hey..." He waved back. "Um...do you need...something?"

Sorry, what?

So, no ukranian... I should have guessed.

"Uhh... english?" I spoke in the american language.

The guy cocked his head, confused.

Ugh...

I pointed to his door. "You got stuck... outside?"

He didn't seem to understand at first, but then he seemed to do and nodded with some regret.

Well, I have something for these types of situations.

I pulled two black hair clips out of my greasy hair, then I took off my gas mask and let it hang from my belt.

The guy watched with interest as I bent one of the clips at a 90-degree angle and removed the rubber part with my teeth.

I inserted the tip of the metal into the lock of the door and bent it slightly, curving it into a hook shape. Then proceeded to remove the clip and insert the other one into the bottom of the lock, then bent it to the left with a little effort.

I turned to the guy and motioned to him, asking which way the lock turned.

He gestured counterclockwise.

Very good.

With my improvised tools, I began to work.

I moved the bent clip towards the bottom of the lock and inserted the little hook I made all the way in.

Putting my ear to the door, I ran the hook through each of the pins.

One... two... three... and... nothing more.

Three-pin lock, easy.

Now that I know what I'm working with, I started moving the pins inside the lock with the hook while applying rotary pressure with my makeshift twist lever.

One is soft... two is...

Click

Three is hard...

Click

Back to one...

Click.

And just like that, with a small twist of the wrist, the door was open.

I turned to the guy and saw him genuinely surprised.

Well, first good deed of the day done.

I opened the door and...

There was a woman across the room pointing a bow and arrow at me.

Eh?

"Who are you!?"

"Naaza, please stop!"

The woman, (with dog ears and tail I might add), lowered her bow and arrow when she noticed the guy next to me. "Miach-sama?"

"Sorry! But I had forgotten the key and... this gentleman decided to help me get in."

"Miach-sama, you could have called me."

"Ahh... I didn't want to bother you..."

The girl sighed at the answer that I didn't understand at all.

Well, I... should I go now...? I feel like I could be in danger if I stay close to this guys.

As I turned to leave, a hand that grabbed my arm stopped me.

For a moment I almost broke the blue-haired guy's teeth, but I held back enough.

Damn bastard, he scared me.

"What do you want now?" I spat.

"Ah... Naaza, could you help me here for a second?"

"Do you want me to bring the magical translator?"

"Yes, it should be in the back."

"But... that's expensive..."

"Naaza, no one wanted to buy it, besides, this boy could use it much more now..."

The girl, whose name I think is Naaza, sighed somewhat angrily. "Fine."

The woman disappeared for a few seconds when she went to the back of the store. I was left alone with the guy momentarily.

Do they want to reward me? I'm not complaining, but I'm curious about the currency of this place.

My small fortune of rubles won't be worth anything anymore, will it?

Man, I had just over 10 million...

It wasn't long until this Naaza woman returned with a heavy looking book. The cover had written... oh, I can read this text.

'The magical translator'.

...

Interesting, I think they want to scam me.

The guy, Miach-sama I think his name is, turned around and looked me in the eyes. "Alright, could you come here for a moment, stranger?"

Woah, woah, woah... what the fuck?

I took a step back.

He was speaking in his language before and, out of nowhere, he speaks to me in perfect, fluent Ukrainian?

No, they are playing with me, they definitely want to scam me.

"Don't be afraid, we won't do anything to you."

Yeah, and I foolishly believe you, son of a bitch.

Naaza opened the book and left it on the counter.

Tsk...

"What's that on the table?" I asked.

"It's a magical translator." He responded as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "They are somewhat expensive, but they help people from different cultures adapt to the environment of Orario."

Well, I have to assume that this "Orario" is the city or country I am in now.

Are they going to ask me for a passport?

Also, magic? Pffft.

They think I'm stupid.

"If you don't believe me, come and put your hand on the book."

The rational side of my mind tells me to fuck off and get out of here, but something inside me was forced to listen to this... guy.

When did Miach-sama start to shine?

Shit, why is he so insistent?

I walked closer and noticed that the pages were empty, so I put my hand on the silly book.

Which began to shine afterwards.

What the fuck?

I removed my hand and watched as the pages turned quickly on their own, then closed, ceasing all brightness.

"Okay..." Huh? "What was that?"

Miach-sa-I'll just call him Miach.

Miach took the book and handed it to me.

I opened it and... oh.

There were words written on it now, hundreds of them.

Oh I see why it's called a magic translator, it literally looks like a dictionary now.

And then the book began to disappear in white smoke.

Fuck.

As soon as the thing... evaporated, I stood there in silence.

"Okay, uh...sorry?"

"Don't worry about that, it's normal for it to happen since they are single use."

Eh...

"What do you mean, single use?"

He smiled. "Now you're speaking Koine."

Ah?

"Isn't that right, Naaza?"

The dog woman nodded.

I swear if this is a scam...

Wait.

"Give me a second."

I didn't wait for them to respond as I left the store.

Now I could understand the signs that were in another language, I don't know how, it's kinda like... magic.

...

Oh, I see know.

'Magic items for sale', 'grimoires for sale', 'ingredients for magic potions'...

I think... it wasn't a scam.

I entered this guy's store again and looked him in the eyes.

He had a rather annoying smile on his face.

Asshole.

"Yes, I know that magic exists and it can suck my dick, so keep your speech to yourself."

They both looked scandalized by my language, but it's not like I care.

Maybe I have something to exchange in my pocket, since there is no way this guy will accept rubles. "How much is it?"

Miach snapped out of his stupor. "Ah?"

Don't tell me this guy is seriously giving me this... thing, just because I opened the door for him.

"Price, remuneration, payment, anything you need? I don't have money right now, so we might as well do an exchange or arrange something."

"Oh, it's nothin-!"

The dog woman covered the Miach's mouth.

"In fact, there is something."

Well, I am always willing to receive work and commissions, plus there is the excitement of doing something new. "Spit it out."

She grimaced at the expression, but still responded. "Blue Papilio wings, as many as you can bring... preferably more than two."

Great, I imagine this is some kind of winged beast? Man, at least I'll get to see something other than fucking crows all day.

I noticed how Miach looked at Naaza in a worried manner when she mentioned the Papilios, whatever they are, so maybe they're dangerous.

Danger is my middle name.

"Okay, I guess, do you know the location of these things? I'd hate to have to go into the wild and spend days without finding anything just because you didn't tell me a crucial piece of information."

They looked at me strangely as soon as I said nature.

Is there anything wrong with nature? Well, maybe this place has its own Zone...

"Tell me... stranger, are you an adventurer?"

Oh? What is that question about?

Well, I am a Stalker. A scavenger, as well as a trespasser, adventurer, loner, killer, explorer and robber.

The Ukrainian government says so, I don't.

"Yes, why?"

Naaza looked at me strangely, again, but shook her head. "Well, the Blue Papilios can be found in the dungeon pantries, they are kind of rare, so you probably won't see one for a while, but if you wait long enough you could get a good amount of their wings and some rare items of nearby monsters."

Well, there are several words that I don't understand and I need explanations.

"Well... you know... where can I find one of these dungeon pantries?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking.

"There should be one on the seventh floor, but I don't remember where." She sighed. "Maybe you can ask the guild, I'm sure they could help you."

Well, that sounds useful, but it bothers me a little that I don't get a reward.

Ahh... well, they made me learn a new language thanks to... 'magic', so I shouldn't be complaining.

Bah.

"Well, if that's all, then I'll leave for now." I replied, waving them off with a hand. "I'll bring those wings, don't worry."

"Ah, wait!"

Damn, what now? I just want to go now.

I looked at Miach. "I noticed you have a slight limp on your leg... do you need medical attention?"

Don't tell me you're a doctor now.

"Why... are you a doctor or something?"

He grimaced and took something out of the paper bag he was carrying.

The man approached me and handed it to me in my hand.

It was a glass vial with a vivid blue liquid.

I looked him into his eyes. "What is this?"

He smiled kindly. "It's a health potion, I'd hate for you to die out there, so accept it as a gift."

Don't tell me you're going to charge me for this later...

Well, they already made me learn another language with apparent magic, so why not?

I uncorked the vial and smelled the liquid inside.

It smelled somewhat awful.

Ugh.

I brought it to my lips and drank it all in one go, it had a bittersweet taste.

Slowly I could feel a kind of calm passing through my body.

Then I felt a burning sensation where my wounds were.

Nothing painful, just annoying.

Moments later, I no longer felt anything... the pain, I mean.

My shoulder stopped having that stabbing pain from before and my leg stopped feeling like dead weight.

What the hell...?

"Health potion, huh?" Said. "I guess it's another magical thing... right?"

He smiled again and nodded.

Damn, maybe I'll come another time for another one of these potions.

"Well...thanks for that, I guess." I still had to continue exploring the place and, thanks to this little encounter, I think my life became easier.

Even if it's a little.

"I'm leaving, I'll see you later."

"Take your time with the order!"

"Miach-Sama!" And with that, I walked out of the store and back onto the dark, desolated street.

There were no longer people outside, everything felt pretty quiet without the daytime activity.

Perfect.

With a feeling of small happiness in my mind and without the pain of my injuries, I continued to wander through the complicated streets of this city.

I really wanted to see what that damn tower was.


Jaaaaaaaa...

Another perfect translation.

Or not, I dunno.

If you found some of the funny references I left in here, I applaud you.

But I will give you a hint since I doubt everybody would find it.

I hid the starting lyrics of "Toothpick" somewhere. A song from Biting Elbows.

Ha! You thought I was gonna mention the-

Welp, would you look at that! I'm hungry.

Good luck out there... or not.

Whatever.

~ Moi