Apocalypse City
This game contained an expansive storyline.
There were major plotlines, of course.
But the smaller, branching narratives were just as vast.
Those smaller stories were ultimately the personal dramas of individual survivors.
Among them was the tale of a research director who studied the mutants and attempted to create a vaccine.
[It’s just a hypothesis, but right before mutation, it might be possible to stop the transformation.]
[Ah, now that I think about it, that’s impossible too. The electromagnetic pulse would’ve fried all the machines…]
At the time, the community had gone wild over this clue, considering it crucial.
A way to prevent mutation.
Couldn’t it be used on infected survivors?
That was the shared thought among players.
But it failed spectacularly.
Because the speed of mutation differed between the infected and the mutants.
Unlike mutants, turning into an infected could take as little as a few minutes—or at most, less than an hour.
The research director had already heavily implied that time was a limiting factor.
Those fragmented memories came back to me now with surprising clarity.
“Are you sure?”
There was no need to lie about this.
“Not entirely. It’s just a workaround.”
“I see.”
Dissatisfied with the answer, Gael let out a hollow laugh.
At the same time, he coughed up blood.
“Hack—!”
‘It’s already progressed quite far.’
“What’s this ‘treatment method’ you mentioned?”
“There should be a medical capsule on the top floor. Something made for the CEO—of course it’d have a hibernation function.”
“…Right.”
“You just need to enter hibernation.”
Gael seemed to struggle with the idea but eventually nodded.
His expression was still doubtful.
“Is that all? It doesn’t seem that simple.”
“For you, it is. For me, not so much.”
“If I go into hibernation, my metabolism will drop drastically… So it’s a stopgap to slow the mutation. And you’re the only one who knows the real cure?”
He still wasn’t convinced.
Distrust lingered in his eyes.
To get him to choose hibernation, I’d have to explain in detail.
“I’m not hiding anything. I plan to use two methods to revive you.”
“Two methods, and yet you’re not certain… That’s depressing.”
His voice grew heavier.
The shadow of illness darkened around his eyes.
“First, there’s injecting an NH-03 neutralizer from Bizen Pharmaceuticals.”
“Hmm.”
“And the second method… is transplanting your brain into an android or a brain-dead patient.”
Unlike the first, this was an extreme solution.
Gael’s pupils shook.
But he nodded slowly.
Given his worsening condition, he didn’t have many options.
“…That would be the most realistic approach.”
Two methods.
Both were solutions the research director had proposed for the mutation symptoms.
The first one, honestly, I couldn’t guarantee.
I’d never tested it.
The second method wasn’t foolproof either, but the odds were much higher.
‘At least it’s worth a shot.’
“There’s only one medical capsule. Is that why you dismissed my guards?”
“Yes.”
“You planned this from the start…”
Gael let out a dry chuckle.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason, but it worked in my favor—raising his estimation of me.
But that wasn’t the important part.
What mattered was that Gael now seemed more at ease as he continued.
“I’ve got nothing to lose.”
As if making up his mind, he pushed himself up from his seat.
Then—
Beep—Click!
He began operating the androids.
“Frankly, I still can’t fully trust you. Like I said, I can’t gamble on even a 1% chance. I have too much at stake.”
His hands trembled, but they moved swiftly.
“Right now, there are only two undeniable truths. My body is failing, and I’m not the only one suffering from this condition.”
“Yes.”
“Truth is, I already knew… that I was inevitably going to die.”
Gael’s late confession came with no attempt to hide his exhaustion.
He looked utterly despondent.
“So here’s what we’ll do. I’ll give my androids two commands.”
“…”
“First, protect me and this top floor. Second, if your hypothesis is wrong, wake me from hibernation.”
His words and careful touch showed how he regarded his androids.
“And I’ll assign the security chief and the guards who haven’t taken NH-03 to you.”
Before I could react, he typed something into a keypad.
Likely sending a message to the guards outside.
“As watchers, I assume?”
Maybe the question was too pointed.
His fingers paused.
“Can’t deny that.”
But then Gael smirked and resumed typing.
“If things unfold as you predict, someone will need to take responsibility and see this through. If it’s too much for you, the security team can handle the cleanup. They might seem stiff, but they’re sharp.”
From Gael’s perspective, this was a no-lose deal.
In fact, it was perfect.
His willingness to hibernate showed that much.
Still, his words left me with a slightly bitter taste.
At least, until I checked the next prompt.
“What do you want as an advance payment?”
Ding!
[Duplicate Choice]
[(Persuade) + (Deceive)]
[Result: Stress Level +10]
[+Gael’s Reward]
[+Trait: Actor]
【Actor】
You can freely change your expressions and emotions.
Increases success rates for persuasion, intimidation, and deception.
The tension eased.
Unconsciously, I glanced at my damp palms.
Sweat had soaked them completely.
The Reward
I didn’t outright ask for the reward.
Partly because I doubted he’d give me what I really wanted anyway.
“…I’m not doing this for a reward.”
“Even so, if I don’t compensate you at all, my conscience would be too heavy, don’t you think?”
There was no prompt this time.
But this was still a critical juncture.
“If you insist… then let me take some useful supplies from Weyris.”
“Useful supplies…?”
“Humanity might be on the brink of extinction. Food, weapons—anything that could help would be valuable.”
“No androids.”
He shut that down firmly.
Not that I wasn’t tempted, but…
The androids had to guard the top floor. That was non-negotiable.
This was just a precaution against unforeseen circumstances.
“…That’s a bit disappointing.”
“As long as it’s not androids… take whatever you need.”
Take whatever you need.
Those words made my lips twitch.
Gael Weyris would never guess—
That I knew where his hidden private library was.
Or what was inside it.
He didn’t know me the way I knew him.
Unaware of that critical gap, Gael simply gave a bitter smile.
“Is that really enough?”
“Like I said, I’m not doing this for compensation.”
A calm voice.
A resolute expression.
A solemn atmosphere.
The three elements blended together seamlessly.
The newly acquired 【Actor】 trait was working flawlessly—no need to even check.
It was fascinating.
Just gaining this trait had smoothed out my expressions so naturally.
‘It was a great trait in the game, but this…’
But regardless of my thoughts, Gael’s face remained stiff.
A brief silence passed.
For some reason, this one felt longer.
Then, abruptly, Gael took off his glasses.
“Hypothetically speaking.”
“…”
“If everything you’ve said is true, and I survive because of you…”
At the same time, he strode forward and held out his hand.
“I’ll apologize. For doubting you.”
His eyes already seemed to be apologizing.
“Let’s stay friends.”
I shook his hand reflexively.
Despite the trembling, his grip was firm.
‘This feels awkward… but it’s fine, I guess.’
I didn’t bother with an embarrassed reply.
I had no immunity to cringe-worthy conversations like this.
“We don’t have much time. You need to enter hibernation as soon as possible.”
“Right, of course.”
Having settled on hibernation, Gael Weyris unhesitatingly handed over his glasses.
“One last thing. Take these. Consider them my token to you.”
Gold-rimmed glasses.
With Gael’s wealth, he could’ve easily corrected his vision surgically. But I knew he wore these for more than just style.
So I couldn’t help but smile.
‘I was planning to take these anyway.’
“Thank you.”
+ [Weyris Custom Glasses]
I put them on immediately—to check the trait.
Ding!
– [Trait: Poor Eyesight]
+ [Trait: Eagle Eye]
Mmm!
【Eagle Eye】
Corrects vision.
Expands field of view.
Easily discern distant targets.
The glasses did more than just fix my eyesight.
They widened my vision and functioned like miniature binoculars, letting me spot faraway objects clearly.
Thanks to them, the negative 【Poor Eyesight】 trait vanished, replaced by 【Eagle Eye】.
‘These pair perfectly with firearms… Well, anything’s better than nothing.’
As I adjusted the glasses, Gael smirked.
“They suit you.”
Then he quietly walked toward the medical capsule at the far end of the top floor.
“I’ve left a message for the security chief, so you won’t need to explain the situation. Like I said, take anything from Weyris—except the androids here.”
Luckily, he didn’t call the guards back in.
“Need any help?”
“Is that necessary?”
It was just a courtesy ask. Of course, it wasn’t.
All he had to do was step into the capsule and activate hibernation mode.
Should I say something before he goes?
With little experience in farewells, I had to think hard.
“Hmm, Kyle. Are you thinking the same thing I am?”
“Huh?”
“Hibernation isn’t a big deal, but given the circumstances, I feel like I should say something. Can’t quite figure out what, though.”
“Hmm.”
Then, as if struck by inspiration, he smirked.
“See you later.”
“See you… later.”
He lay down in the capsule.
I watched until the lid sealed shut.
A chill ran down my spine.
His final gaze was icy.
Like he knew everything.
Beneath the closing lid, Gael’s lips curled into a cynical smile.
And in that brief moment—
Bzzzt—Click!
A heavy silence fell, making the long conversation feel trivial.
No—
Had it even been that long?
Maybe it just felt drawn-out because I’d been tense the entire time.
But that exchange alone gave me a rough idea of who Gael Weyris was.
‘I’ll have to save him if I can.’
Of course—
Even if I did revive him, there was no guarantee he’d be friendly.
“Shall we get started?”
He might wake up thinking he’d been robbed blind.
But he’d said it himself—
Take anything except the androids.
“Gotta stock up on survival supplies.”
A dry laugh escaped me.
This was the moment I’d been waiting for.
‘This is why I sent the guards out.’
‘If there’s any problem, it’ll be the androids…’
I walked over to Gael’s bed.
Then felt around the back with my palm.
At a certain spot—
My finger slipped right in.
‘But I’m sure of it. The androids won’t stop me from entering the library.’
Bzzz—
As my hand was recognized, text appeared.
_̵̻̜̞̞͕͐̓͗́̇͗͞ _̧̘̲̺͇̄̽̾͑̍̃̈͛͌̀͜ _̸̖̥̪̤̯̖̰̏͛͐̚͟͞͡ _̨̡̩̼̖͇̊̉̍̒̐̈́ͅͅ
1̵̢̗̯̬̺̙̖̲̦̈́̅̿͒̉̂̾͡ 2̶̧͖̺̖̞̠̝̙̲͉̀͋͋̎̓͞ 3̷̢͈̼͇̫̎̾͟͝͠͠
4̟̻̺̼̳̪͉̀͌̉̾͊̏̃̅͞͝ 5̵̹̹̦̦̳̂͑́̅͛̇͒͢͠͞͡ 6̨̡̛̞̦̩̦̘̪͂̾̆̄̊̋͐̔
7̶̛̘̼̠̦̥͇̲̐́̇͑̓̉̚͟ 8̧͉̯͇̟̅́͒̎̿͘ 9̶̨̧̢̰̫̫̤̰͎̐̌̓̐̉
*̴̢̭̩̝̭̟̺̉̆̽̀̀͞ͅ 0̡̟̪̯̬͖̻̋͊̒͋̉̍͌͡ #̴̢̜͍̩̠͔̠̘̒̌̀͊̎̋̎͞͠
A twenty-digit password.
Not biometric—just classic text input.
Of course, thanks to the 【Dyslexia】 trait, I couldn’t read any of the buttons.
But my smirk didn’t fade.
‘You’d never imagine someone else knew about your secret library.’
‘Let alone the password?’
Just a little.
I couldn’t help but feel nervous.
What if—just what if—the password had changed?
Then I’d have to leave the city and resort to ‘Surviving on a Deserted Island.’
I couldn’t read the letters, but thousands of playthroughs had ingrained the code into muscle memory.
Beep beep beep beep.
Only four tones.
The twenty blank spaces were a decoy.
Gael’s private library password was four digits.
0111.
Gael Weyris’s birthday.
