Apocalypse Transmigration - The Card Captor System

Leo stepped out of the bathroom, leaving a trail of damp footprints as he headed straight for the small kitchen area. Today, he had no intention of bothering Linda or waiting around for her to make breakfast. He had too much on his plate. Grabbing a few ingredients from the cabinet, he threw together a simple meal for himself. As the food sizzled on the stove, his gaze drifted toward the storage area at the back of the truck, his expression lost in thought.

...

Outside, Nina bounced on her toes in front of Rex.

"Finally!"

"I’ve got the materials I’ve been waiting for!"

She clenched her fists.

"Just wait."

"I’ll finish it today."

Rex leaned against the side of a nearby vehicle.

"You’re happy now, right?"

Nina gave a firm nod.

Rex waved a dismissive hand.

"Then don’t come bothering me again."

"If you need anything else, go bother the Captain."

Nina scoffed.

"Don’t act so high and mighty."

She crossed her arms.

"If I hadn’t gone along with your ridiculous plans yesterday..."

"You wouldn’t have gotten those supplies."

A deep frown settled on Rex’s face.

"What ridiculous plan?"

"That was a perfectly executed operation."

"See you even got the materials you needed because of it"

Footsteps crunched on the gravel before Nina could reply. She turned to face the newcomer.

"Morning, Sister Valentine!"

Valentine offered a warm smile.

"Morning."

Her gaze shifted between Nina and Rex.

"I hope Rex managed to get everything you wanted."

Nina agreed.

"Yes."

"More than enough."

Valentine shifted her attention to Rex.

"So?"

"How did things go with Bear yesterday?"

A loud laugh erupted from Rex’s chest.

"You should have seen his face!"

"He had no idea what was happening."

He stepped back to mimic the encounter.

"He was standing there completely dumbfounded."

He widened his eyes and dropped his voice to a low, mocking pitch.

"What? Apologize?"

Nina hid her face behind her hands.

"Stop embarrassing yourself."

Rex brushed off the comment.

"If I had a little more leeway yesterday..."

"I would have made him grovel at Atlas’s feet and apologize."

Valentine raised an eyebrow.

"Then why didn’t you?"

Rex’s boastful posture broke.

"...Because I’m a reasonable person."

Both women stared him down in deadpan silence. Rex cleared his throat.

"Anyway."

Valentine just shook her head before asking,

"What did the military say afterward?"

All traces of humor vanished from Rex’s features.

"The war with the aliens will begin soon."

His tone grew heavy.

"They want us to participate."

"And in exchange, they’re offering a generous reward."

Valentine took a slow breath, nodding.

"We should participate."

"Even with the supplies we have now, we don’t know how long they’ll last."

Rex murmured his agreement. Valentine continued,

"I’ll inform everyone."

"We should move the ordinary people and children of the convoy away from Rendell City first."

Rex nodded.

"What about you?"

"I’ll take care of the remaining arrangements."

Leaving the conversation at that, Valentine headed off. Nina jogged to catch up.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Rex stood alone, watching them leave. The quiet settled over him until a rich scent caught his attention. He sniffed the air, his gaze drifting toward Danny’s tent. The distinct aroma of cooking food drifted through the fabric. Narrowing his eyes, Rex padded over to the tent without a sound. Time for breakfast.

...

Back inside the truck, Leo had finished eating. He stood in front of a mirror to inspect his gear. He was armed to the teeth today. Two katanas rested across his back, their hilts jutting out over his shoulders. Hidden beneath his jacket were several heavy-caliber guns, while combat knives clung tight to his tactical vest. A row of grenades. A holstered pistol. Everything was ready.

The robotic voice of the system echoed in his head, breaking the silence.

[Host, are you sure?]

Leo gave a slight nod.

"Yes."

[This is an Epic Upgrade Card.]

"I know," Leo replied.

"Can it be done or not?"

A brief pause stretched in his mind.

[The idea is feasible.]

[But the system recommends that the host use the Epic Upgrade Card to improve the host’s personal strength.]

Leo shook his head.

"This is also my personal strength."

The system fell quiet, processing the command.

[Calculating the required materials...]

[...]

[Upgrade path confirmed.]

[Estimated completion time: approximately twenty-four hours.]

Leo nodded.

"Good."

"The materials should be enough right"

[Affirmative]

His features hardened.

"And you’re certain about the Annihilation Bullet?"

[Confirmed.]

[The Annihilation Bullet is a special grade law ammunition.]

[Anyone below Stage Three has an extremely low chance of surviving a direct hit.]

A sharp glint flashed in Leo’s eyes.

"Good."

"Then begin the upgrade."

[Ding!]

[The Epic Upgrade Card has been activated.]

[...]

[Estimated completion time: 23:59:59.]

Smoothing out his jacket, Leo turned his attention to the door.

"Now..."

"It’s time to hunt."

A chilling calm settled over him.

"Let’s end this Chapter once and for all."

Without wasting another second, he pushed the truck door open and stepped out into the morning air.

...

Right as he emerged, an amusing sight greeted him. Rex crouched low beside little Lily, his fingers creeping inch by inch toward the breakfast sitting on her plate. The little girl caught the movement in a heartbeat. Her eyes blew wide, and she wrapped both short arms around her bowl to shield it.

"No!"

Rex froze in place.

"What?"

Lily shot him a fierce glare.

"Mie!"

Pulling his hand back, Rex put on an innocent face.

"I wasn’t taking it."

Lily didn’t buy a word of it.

"I was merely inspecting it."

She clamped her grip even tighter around the rim of the bowl. Testing his luck, Rex reached out a second time.

"NO!"

"Mine!"

Rex let out a long sigh.

"What a selfish child."

Leo stood near the truck, watching the standoff in silence until Lily finally caught sight of him. Her entire face brightened.

"Big bwother!"

The others turned to look. Danny scrambled to his feet.

"Sir."

"Breakfast is ready."

Leo shook his head.

"I already ate."

"You carry on."

Danny dipped his head in acknowledgment. Rex pushed himself up from the ground, taking in Leo’s heavy loadout. A spark of curiosity lit his eyes.

"Going somewhere?"

Leo gave a single nod. Spotting the twin katanas resting over Leo’s shoulders, Rex leaned against a nearby crate.

"Be careful."

"The military has become very interested in you."

"First, you stole their spoils of war."

"Then you raided their supply depots."

A wide grin split Rex’s face.

"You’re becoming quite famous."

Leo neither confirmed nor denied it. He kept his gaze locked on the man.

"I need information."

A smug smile found its way to Rex’s lips.

"Ask away."

"I’m feeling generous today."

"For you..."

"No charge."

Leo brushed past the joke.

"Have there been any strange disturbances inside the city?"

A crease formed on Rex’s brow.

"What kind of disturbance?"

Leo kept his voice even.

"More specifically..."

"Has anyone encountered a strange mutant creature?"

"It looks like a zombie."

"But its behavior is completely different."

The playful demeanor vanished from Rex’s face, his eyes going round.

"You mean..."

"The creature carrying a child zombie on its back?"

Leo’s fingers curled into tight fists. Rex kept talking, connecting the dots.

"The Captain ran into it yesterday."

"Apparently, they fought."

"The creature lost one of its arms."

"But our Captain didn’t fare much better."

Rubbing a hand over his chin, Rex recalled the details.

"Ultimately, it escaped."

The air around Leo seemed to drop a few degrees. The mounting suspicions in his gut were solidifying into facts. William... Rex caught the subtle shift in Leo’s posture and narrowed his eyes.

"You know that creature?"

Silence was Leo’s only answer. Rex held his gaze for a long moment before understanding dawned on him.

"...I see."

"Last I heard, it was in the western zone."

"I don’t know whether it’s still there after yesterday."

"But if you’re looking for it..."

"That’s the best place to start."

Leo took the information with a curt nod. Without wasting another breath, he spun on his heel and strode away. Rex’s voice carried over the morning breeze.

"Hey!"

"Leo!"

Halting his steps, Leo paused.

"Be careful."

When Leo glanced over his shoulder, he saw Rex standing completely rigid, stripped of his usual carefree attitude.

"That thing isn’t normal."

Meeting the warning with a blank stare, Leo turned back around and resumed his march. His only thought was—

William...

Let’s end this once and for all.

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