Chapter 20: The Depot Raid
The distraction team moved into position on the south side while we circled to the north. Through binoculars, I watched them set up, trucks positioned at the entrance, speakers ready, weapons loaded for covering fire.
"On my mark," Lucas spoke into his radio. "Three... two... one... mark!"
Music blasted from the speakers, loud, aggressive rock music that echoed across the entire depot. Every zombie head turned toward the sound.
Then the horde charged.
It was like watching a flood. Hundreds of zombies, all moving as one toward the noise. The distraction team had already started retreating, leading them away from the depot grounds.
"Now," Lucas said. "Move."
Our strike team , Lucas, me, Marcus, and Sarah, slipped through the north fence where zombie density was lowest. A few stragglers noticed us, but we took them down quickly and quietly.
Inside the compound, we split up. Marcus and Sarah headed for the supply building, marked on our map, hopefully full of weapons and ammunition. Lucas and I went for the main building where the Tier-4 commander waited.
"Twenty minutes," Sarah reminded us via radio. "Then we're gone with or without you."
"Understood," Lucas said.
We entered the main building through a side door. Inside was dark, silent except for our footsteps. My Night Vision skill activated automatically, turning the darkness into gray-scale clarity.
"Stairs," Lucas pointed. "Commander is on the roof. Four floors up."
We climbed quickly but carefully. Each floor had zombies, Tier-2s mostly, drawn by the commander's presence. We avoided most, killed the ones we couldn't avoid.
My Danger Sense kept pinging, constant low-level warnings about nearby threats. It was like walking through a minefield where every step could trigger an explosion.
Third floor. Fourth floor. Then the roof access.
Lucas paused at the door. "I'm looking ahead. Give me a second."
His eyes went distant, precognition activating. After a moment, he blinked and refocused.
"The commander isn't alone. It's got six Tier-3s as bodyguards. They're positioned around it, waiting."
"Can we take them?"
"If we're smart. I'll handle the commander. You deal with the Tier-3s."
"That's six against one," I pointed out.
"You've got a legendary sword and more skills than most level 10s," Lucas said. "I believe in you."
Before I could respond, he kicked open the roof door and charged.
The Tier-4 commander stood in the center of the roof , a massive, armored zombie that looked more like a boss monster from a video game than a former human. Its red eyes locked onto Lucas immediately.
The six Tier-3 bodyguards moved to intercept us.
I activated Power Strike and met the first Tier-3 head-on. Stormbreaker cleaved through its skull like it was made of butter. Lightning arced to a second Tier-3, stunning it long enough for me to follow up.
[TIER-3 ZOMBIES KILLED: 2]
Four left. They were fast, faster than Tier-2s, with actual tactical intelligence. They tried to flank me, coordinate attacks, use their numbers.
But I had skills they didn't account for. Danger Sense warned me of attacks from behind. Enhanced Stamina let me keep moving without tiring. Silent Steps let me reposition without them hearing.
I danced through them, Stormbreaker singing with each strike. Lightning, blade, precision. Three more fell.
[TIER-3 ZOMBIES KILLED: 5]
The last one charged desperately. I sidestepped and took its head off with a horizontal slash.
[TIER-3 ZOMBIES KILLED: 6]
Meanwhile, Lucas was fighting the Tier-4 commander in what looked like a choreographed dance. His precognition let him see every attack three seconds before it happened. He'd dodge, strike, retreat, advance, all with perfect timing.
But the commander was level 10 with extreme durability. Lucas's sword barely scratched it.
"Ethan! Lightning!" Lucas shouted.
I understood. I activated Stormbreaker's Chain Lightning ability, releasing a massive bolt toward the commander.
The lightning struck its armored chest, crackling across the metallic surface. The commander roared in pain but stayed standing.
Lucas used the distraction to close distance. With his precognition, he saw exactly where to strike, a gap in the armor under the arm, barely visible.
His sword punched through.
The commander staggered. Lucas pulled the blade out and struck again. And again. Each hit precisely placed in weak spots his precognition revealed.
Finally, the Tier-4 commander fell.
[BOSS DEFEATED: TIER-4 ZOMBIE COMMANDER]
[MASSIVE POINTS AWARDED]
[ETHAN: +600 POINTS]
[LUCAS: +800 POINTS]
We both stood there breathing hard for a moment. Then Lucas's radio crackled.
"Strike team, this is distraction team. We're at fifteen minutes. Status?"
"Commander down," Lucas responded. "Heading to extraction."
We ran back down the stairs, jumped down the last flight, and sprinted toward the supply building. Marcus and Sarah were already there, backpacks loaded with weapons and ammunition.
"Got everything we can carry," Marcus reported. "Rifles, handguns, ammo, grenades. Good haul."
"Then let's move!" Lucas said.
We ran for the north fence. Behind us, the zombie horde was returning, the distraction team's music had stopped, and the zombies were coming back to the depot.
"Faster!" Sarah urged.
We hit the fence and climbed. On the other side, our extraction vehicle was waiting, a truck with Maya at the wheel.
"Go, go, go!" I shouted.
We piled into the truck bed. Maya floored it, and we roared away from the depot just as zombies reached the fence.
Mission accomplished.
---
We made it back to Green Lake by 8 AM. The coalition erupted in celebration when we unloaded our haul, military-grade weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, grenades, body armor. Enough hardware to equip the entire coalition properly.
"This changes everything," Sarah said, examining an assault rifle. "We're not just survivors anymore. We're actually armed."
Lucas found me after the celebration died down.
"You did well today," he said. "Took down six Tier-3s on your own. That's impressive even for level 6."
"The sword helps," I said modestly.
"The sword helps someone who knows how to use it. You've got talent, Ethan. Real talent." He paused. "I've been thinking. The coalition needs more leaders. People who can make decisions, lead missions, coordinate defenses. I want you to be one of them."
"Me? I've been in the apocalypse for two weeks."
"And in those two weeks, you've leveled faster than almost anyone, secured your own base, led successful raids, and proven you can think under pressure." Lucas smiled. "Level and time survived aren't everything. Leadership is about making good decisions when it matters. You've done that repeatedly."
It was a huge offer. Real responsibility, real authority in the coalition.
"I'll think about it," I said.
"Take your time. But we're growing fast. In another week, we'll have over a hundred people. We'll need more structure, more leaders. I hope you'll be one of them."
That night, I lay on my bunk at the Green Lake compound (we'd moved our main operations there for now, keeping Cascade View as a backup base) and reviewed my status:
[ETHAN CHEN - STATUS]
Level: 6 (Close to 7)
Health: 210/210
Stamina: 230/230
Points Available: 1,186
Skills:
• Basic Knife Fighting
• Inspect
• Power Strike
• Enhanced Stamina
• Night Vision
• Danger Sense
• Fast Healing
• Silent Steps
• Crafting Basic
Equipment:
• Stormbreaker Sword (B-Rank Legendary)
• Reinforced Leather Vest
• Coalition Armband
Titles:
• Reader (Hidden)
• Boss Slayer
• Tier-4 Slayer
• Coalition Officer (New!)
Two weeks ago, I was a scared transmigrator with nothing but fragmented knowledge and borrowed time.
Now I was a coalition officer with over a thousand points, multiple powerful skills, and a legendary weapon.
The apocalypse was brutal, but it also offered opportunities that the old world never had. Power, purpose, the chance to actually matter.
I pulled out my notebook, the one I'd started on day one , and wrote:
Day 14: Completed depot raid. Coalition armed and growing. Lucas wants me in leadership. Timeline completely diverged now—I'm not following the story anymore. I'm writing it.
Question: Is that a good thing?
I didn't have an answer. But I'd find out soon enough.
The apocalypse was just getting started.
---
[END CHAPTER 20]
Current Status:
• Ethan's Level: 6 (on edge of Level 7)
• Ethan's Points: 1,186
• Maya's Level: 4
• Lisa's Level: 3
• Coalition Status: 80+ members, well-armed, growing
• Position: Coalition Officer (Leadership role)
• Days Survived: 14 (Two Weeks Complete)
Days Since Apocalypse: 14 (Week Two Complete)
---
*Author's Note: Week two complete! The team has gone from independent survivors to coalition officers. Ethan has over 1,000 points saved up and is approaching Level 7. The General's Army conflict is heating up, the coalition is growing rapidly, and leadership responsibilities are increasing. Next arc will feature: coalition politics, larger-scale battles, new powerful survivors joining, and the question of what happens when the timeline completely diverges from the novel. Thank you for reading!*
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