Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 105: Arrival at the Base

Chapter 105: Arrival at the Base

My trusty light truck races along the mountain road.

To the left and right are the steep sides of the mountain.

No abandoned or wrecked vehicles lie ahead.

Man, it’s running smoothly.

The engine’s in top shape too.

“The breeze feels nice, doesn’t it, Tanakano-san?”

“Woof! Wan!”

Kanzaki-san, in the passenger seat, narrows her eyes contentedly as the wind blows in through the window.

Sakura, perched on her lap, sticks her snout out the window, looking thrilled.

Her wagging tail thumps softly against Kanzaki-san.

“The weather’s good, which helps. At this rate, we’ll reach Ryugu soon.”

I reply, lighting a cigarette.

I inhale, and the exhaled smoke drifts out the driver’s window to the rear.

Ahh, delicious.

Sakura’s not on this side, so it’s safe.

…Though I feel a bit bad for Kanzaki-san.

According to the GPS, we’re almost at the boundary between Shiiya and Ryugu.

Our destination this time… Takayanagi Transport is about five kilometers from there.

Thank goodness the GPS is still working.

If zombies had made it to space, we’d be screwed.

The route I chose starts from Shiiya, cuts through the mountains, and enters Ryugu.

There are other paths, but this one’s the safest.

The highway was visibly clogged with traffic from a distance.

The national road connects to the bridge where we found Shin and the others before, so that’s a no-go.

So, I opted for the old road, rarely used these days.

It’s also the shortest route to the destination.

The road’s a bit narrow with plenty of curves, but so far, it’s clear.

I’d like to reach the base by noon and grab some food.

“Sakura, we’re almost at the villa.”

“Wan!”

It’s not exactly a new home, so “villa” feels about right.

“I hope it’s in usable condition when we get there…”

“Well, even if there are zombies or weirdos, Kanzaki-san’s got it covered, right, Sakura?”

“Kyuuun!!”

Sakura lets out a bark that sounds like, “I’m here too!”

“You’re right, Tanakano-san. With you around, we’ll be fine… hehe.”

Kanzaki-san chuckles softly, pulling a protesting Sakura into a tight hug.

…She looks different without her usual camouflage uniform.

No helmet either.

“Uh, did you leave your SDF helmet behind?”

“Yes, but I prepared something else. The SDF gear stands out too much.”

Makes sense.

Unlike Shiiya, we have no idea what’s going on with the SDF in Ryugu.

All the undercover SDF members sent there went missing.

Wearing SDF gear might make us targets.

Someone might even attack us for our guns.

I know I’m being paranoid, but even in Shiiya, there were tons of idiots who didn’t listen to reason.

Better safe than sorry.

“…Ah.”

While lost in thought, a sign catches my eye.

“Kanzaki-san, we’re entering Ryugu. Look, Sakura, check it out.”

A weathered sign by the roadside reads, “Welcome! To the historic city of Ryugu!!”

Hmm, being an old road, it’s probably not well-maintained.

It’s rusty and slightly tilted.

Talk about too much history…

It feels a bit post-apocalyptic.

It reminds me of that game series I’ve played more than any other.

Well, that’s set after a nuclear war, so it’s not quite the same.

Man, I’m glad we’re only dealing with zombies here.

No giant bipedal lizards or super-fast shriveled zombies like in that game.

…Though we do have raiders.

At least they’re not all armed with guns, which is something.

Crossing the boundary doesn’t change the scenery much.

It’s still a mountain road.

But as we keep driving, houses start appearing here and there.

“…All abandoned, huh? No signs of people.”

“This area’s been depopulated for a while. It’s pretty serene, isn’t it?”

Overgrown rice fields.

Old-fashioned houses.

Is this really a prefectural capital?

Well, even the outskirts of Shiiya are more rundown.

“If there were people, food production wouldn’t be an issue.”

“How much longer, I wonder… First, we need to deal with the zombies.”

Zombies… zombies, huh.

Kanzaki-san’s stories only deepen the mystery.

How does a human suddenly turn into a zombie?

No wonder the damage is so widespread.

And the part about getting bitten and turning into a zombie is straight out of a movie.

“What even are zombies?”

“…We have too little information. Research might reveal something eventually, but for now…”

“We’re too busy surviving. I’ll leave the brainy stuff to the smart folks.”

Using my head for anything other than headbutts isn’t my thing.

Good luck, competent protagonist types out there somewhere.

I’m busy enough keeping myself safe.

The future of humanity’s in your hands.

※

“Let’s see, this road leads here… That’s it!”

After driving a bit longer, the surroundings start to look like a small town.

I knew the location from the map, but seeing it in person, it’s pretty far out in the suburbs.

In the distance, I spot a sign for “Takayanagi Transport.”

Almost there.

Takayanagi Transport is surrounded by a two-meter-high concrete wall.

A moat encircles the perimeter, with access via small bridges at the front and back gates.

It’s nicely isolated from the surrounding houses.

Not bad. No wonder Hanada-san picked this as a base.

I pull over to check the interior.

Time to scout.

“Sakura, you stay here for a bit.”

“Kyuuun…”

“I’ll be right back, don’t worry.”

I pat Sakura, who flattens her ears in understanding, and step out of the driver’s seat.

My gear this time: a sword-machete and the kama-yari spear I got from occhan.

“No signs of people around. Let’s go in through the front.”

“Right… Oh, is that your new helmet?”

Kanzaki-san approaches, wearing a helmet she must’ve grabbed from the truck bed.

…It’s the same as mine.

She’d look good in a full-face, but she went with a jet type.

Her other gear… a handgun, a knife, and… is that a baton?

“Hehe, we’re matching, Tanakano-san.”

She seems a bit pleased.

I get it—new gear’s exciting.

We got the gate key from the company president via Hanada-san, but opening it might make noise.

If there are zombies inside, that’d be trouble.

So, I’ll climb over the front gate.

I grab the gatepost and hoist myself up.

Plenty of footholds make it easy.

Kanzaki-san’s on the next post.

I peek over, scanning the compound.

A wide parking lot, a large warehouse, and a square two-story office building with a rooftop.

Wow, it’s spacious.

Good visibility too.

Two medium-sized trucks are parked in the lot.

No other vehicles, no people.

The warehouse shutters are down.

Zombies don’t have the smarts to open windows or doors, so nothing should jump out.

The back gate looks untouched.

“No issues in sight, right?”

“Right, but we need to check blind spots and the office interior.”

Let’s start with the warehouse and the back of the office.

I hop down from the gatepost, scanning the area.

Kanzaki-san lands silently, of course.

…Is she actually a ninja?

I draw the kama-yari from my belt, holding it in my right hand.

The leather-wrapped handle feels better than a wooden sword, fitting my grip perfectly.

It’s slightly front-heavy but seems easy to swing.

“A kama-yari… First time I’ve seen one in person.”

“Same here. Gotta thank occhan for this.”

Unlike a wooden sword, this won’t break.

Should work on people and zombies alike.

We move along the warehouse wall, approaching the back.

I lock eyes with Kanzaki-san.

I’ll go first.

I pull a mirror from my pocket to check.

…There they are.

Two zombies, backs to us, wearing matching uniforms—probably company employees.

I see Kanzaki-san draw her handgun from its holster and attach a suppressor from her pocket.

“(I’ll take the closer one, you get the farther one.)”

“(Got it.)”

Kanzaki-san racks the slide, chambering a round.

I take a deep breath, gripping the kama-yari tightly.

“(Three… two… one… Now!)”

I charge out—and what!?

Why’s the closer one facing me!?

Did it hear my footsteps?

Damn, these zombies have sharper ears than the ones in Shiiya!!

“AAAAAHHHH!!”

The male zombie roars, charging at me with outstretched arms.

…It’s moving faster too!

Are its senses sharper!?

A faint pass—Kanzaki-san’s gunshot.

No time to look.

“Tch!!”

No time to raise the kama-yari high.

I crouch, stepping forward, and swing diagonally down at its face through the gap in its arms.

My movement mimics an upward swing.

A crunch reverberates as the blow lands.

The zombie’s speed, my strength, and the kama-yari’s weight cave in its forehead.

Its eyes pop out, and it collapses.

…Phew, that was tough.

Good thing I heard Hanada-san’s intel.

If I’d gone in blind, I might’ve frozen.

“You okay, Tanakano-san?”

“Yeah, you?”

“No issues.”

I look over—the other zombie lies on its back, right eye shot out.

…Damn, her aim’s unreal.

“But that zombie reacted to sound faster than the ones in Shiiya.”

“You noticed too? This makes it likely the zombies here are just stronger, not some mutation.”

“Right, let’s stay sharp.”

The warehouse perimeter’s safe now.

The doors, besides the shutter, are locked tight.

We’ll check inside later and focus on the office first.

Approaching the office, I check the first floor.

It doesn’t look ransacked, and no zombies are visible.

The second-floor blinds are down, so I can’t see.

I unlock the front entrance.

…It smells dusty.

No ventilation for a while, I guess.

The first floor’s a typical office—neat rows of desks.

There’s a sofa that looks like it’s for guests.

A door leads deeper in. Let’s check it.

I grip the kama-yari.

Wary of half-bodied zombies, I move through the empty office.

At the door, I glance back.

Kanzaki-san catches my look and quickly aims her handgun forward.

I half-turn, twist the knob, take a breath, and fling the door open.

…No zombies.

A staircase leads up, and there’s a door labeled “Break Room.”

Next to it… a bathroom.

I grab the break room’s knob and open it the same way.

Whoa! Break-room zombie alert!!

“Argh…”

A muffled gunshot.

A clink as a casing hits the floor.

A zombie with a hole in its forehead topples forward.

Phew, thanks, Kanzaki-san.

How does she nail headshots so fast?

I check the break room.

A fridge, a stove, a water heater.

Everything’s here.

Two six-tatami-mat spaces.

One’s for TV and relaxing, the other’s a nap room with futons in a closet.

Oh, another door. Gotta open it carefully.

Nice—a shower room!

It’s small but has a bathtub.

They said there’s a well here, so we should be set for baths.

We backtrack to the staircase.

The upper floor’s shrouded in darkness.

I flick on my helmet’s light.

Oh? Light from Kanzaki-san too.

…Nice, her handgun has an underbarrel light.

Like in the movies.

We exchange a glance and climb cautiously.

It’s just the second floor, so we’re there quick.

I turn the knob, opening the door silently.

This area’s bigger, so we can’t rush in.

If we get swarmed, we might get overwhelmed.

The door opens slowly, our lights illuminating the room.

…The second floor’s split into several rooms.

Left is “Archive Room,” right is “Meeting Room,” and straight ahead is “President’s Office.”

Let’s start close.

The archive room’s locked.

None of the president’s keys work.

Later, then.

I open the meeting room door.

It’s empty—just a large table, chairs in a circle, and a projector.

All clear.

The president’s office is locked, so I use the president’s key.

…Yup, standard president’s office.

Nothing special—just a fancy desk and chair.

Phew, second floor’s safe.

It’s dark, so maybe open the blinds?

“Wait, let’s leave them. The second floor’s visible from outside… light at night might attract attention.”

Kanzaki-san grabs my shoulder, stopping me.

Good point.

We don’t need weird survivors spotting us.

My bad, I got a bit complacent.

The rooftop’s next, but it’s locked from the inside.

Along with the archive room, we’ll search for keys later.

I knock on both doors—no response, so no zombies.

We leave the second floor and head outside.

We drag the break room zombie out too.

For some reason, these things don’t rot, but leaving them in sight feels wrong.

I’ll bury them in the yard later.

※

“…All clear, right?”

“Yeah, looks like we’ve got plenty of usable stuff too.”

We check the warehouse last.

Opening a side door, we find a single small truck in a spacious area.

Along the walls are probably goods meant for transport.

Metal shelves hold boxes.

It’s a small company, so not much stock.

Hope it’s not perishable…

I look around.

Tools and oil cans.

Oh, plastic tanks.

The labels say kerosene and gasoline.

Quite a bit—nice.

You can never have too much of this.

We’ll get more gas when we report back to Akizuki, but this is great for emergencies.

My generator from home will run too.

Alright, the compound’s secure.

Let’s get Sakura.

I call to Kanzaki-san, and we head to the front entrance.

※

“Woon! Kuuun! Kyun! Hyan!!”

“Whoa, sorry, Sakura, kept you waiting, huh?”

As soon as I open the driver’s door, Sakura leaps at me.

She buries her face in my stomach, whining excitedly.

Haha, cute little thing.

I calm Sakura, who won’t budge from my lap, and start the truck.

Kanzaki-san opens the gate, so I drive in.

Where to park… I wonder, when Kanzaki-san points to the warehouse.

Right—our weapons and ammo are loaded.

Let’s unload there first.

※

“Nngh…! Uooohhh!!”

The shutter’s electric, so I force it open with raw muscle power.

Made it… A bigger one would’ve been impossible.

I leave it open enough for the truck to pass.

No tall buildings around, and the wall should keep us hidden.

Kanzaki-san and I unload.

Sakura’s off exploring.

She’s thrilled by the big space but occasionally darts back to check on us.

She’s making sure we’re still here.

These ammo crates are heavy… though not as bad as the grenades or mortars.

Kanzaki-san’s inspecting that huge machine gun.

It’s like a different world over there.

“You taking that for scouting?”

“No, this is for base defense. It’s too heavy…”

“I thought you’d go full Rambo, ammo belts draped all over.”

“I’ve been wondering, Tanakano-san—what do you think I am?”

…A combat ninja?

“For scouting, I’ll take my handgun and this.”

She shows me a familiar rifle.

“…Huh? Isn’t that slightly different from before?”

The stock looks…

“Oh, this? It folds.”

She clicks it, and the stock folds, making it compact.

Cool, didn’t know that existed.

“It’s what my unit used. There was a spare at the base… For scouting, I’ll stow it in my pack and use the handgun mainly.”

Makes sense for hiding her SDF identity.

Wait, what about me with my sword?

I won’t scream SDF, but I’ll definitely look dangerous… Well, too late for that.

We store emergency ammo and explosives in a locked warehouse room and take the rest to the office.

I leave my fishing gear here too.

Won’t need it soon.

We move the truck and park by the office entrance.

We split up carrying food crates.

My DVDs too.

We’ll mostly live on the first floor.

The break room has futons.

I had to ditch my deluxe futon set from home to save space.

Brought Sakura’s blanket and my pillow, though.

Phew, finally settled.

Oh, gotta check the well.

The well’s behind the office.

It’s an electric pump type.

There’s a hand pump too, like at home.

I hook up the generator and start it.

Sakura, startled by the generator’s hum, clings to my knee.

“It’s working, Tanakano-san!”

Kanzaki-san pokes her head out the bathroom window.

Good, water’s set.

I ask her to wait until it fills.

The break room has a washing machine, so we’re set for a decent life.

We can dry clothes on the rooftop.

That’s it for today.

I’ll toss in a heating rod later.

※

“So, how’s the taste?”

“Delicious! So good! Right, Sakura?”

“Hyan!”

“Hehe, glad you like it.”

With work done, we eat in the break room.

The menu: SDF preserved rations.

Kanzaki-san prepared them quickly.

The portable stove makes boiling water easy.

…Half the unit’s dead, so there’s plenty of food.

The base probably has more, but it’s still zombie-infested and on hold.

Sakura’s happily munching her dog food.

I tried some out of curiosity before—tasteless.

Guess it’s perfect for a dog’s palate.

SDF food’s damn good, though.

Plenty of it, too. Satisfying.

My military nerd friend said it’s top-tier compared to other countries’ rations.

I get why.

Foreign military food in movies always looks gross.

※

Man, I’m stuffed.

That was great.

Good food’s essential for daily motivation.

Sakura’s sprawled on her back, snoring.

…They say sleeping kids grow, but what’s with that pose?

It’s cute, so it’s fine.

“You eat so eagerly, Tanakano-san. Watching you makes me happy.”

Kanzaki-san chuckles, handing me an after-dinner coffee.

“Thanks. Nah, I’m just a glutton.”

I sip the bittersweet coffee and relax.

Almost forgot we’re in a zombie apocalypse.

“So, what’s the plan? Start scouting the area tomorrow?”

“Right. Let’s use this as our starting point and clear the surroundings. This place can serve later groups too.”

“Got it. We move at dawn?”

I’ll check the local map later.

Might find something useful.

※

For some post-meal exercise, I bury the zombies we dealt with.

Using a shovel, I dig a hole in a corner of the compound.

I collect the name tags from their chests.

I’ll pass them to the president next time we’re in Akizuki.

“Phew, I’m getting good at digging. Hey, Sakura, stay back—it’s dangerous.”

“Waf!”

I call to Sakura, who’s running around, and bury the zombies.

…They don’t rot or return to the earth, but it’s the thought that counts.

When this mess ends, disposing of zombies will be a problem.

Probably have to burn them to ash.

At least no rot means no disease risk.

“Done. Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu…”

I clasp my hands over the mound, praying for their peace.

If there’s a next life, I hope they find happiness.

※

“Alright! Go fetch!!”

“Hyan! Hyan!!”

Afterward, I play with Sakura, making full use of the wide compound.

Her teary eyes and the ball in her mouth? Irresistible.

She hasn’t had much exercise today with all the moving.

“Mmph! Mof!”

Sakura races back, tail wagging furiously, ball in mouth.

“Smart girl! Good job! World’s cutest!!”

I take the ball and ruffle her head. She seems to grin happily.

Playing with Sakura means it’s bath time soon.

I’ll let Kanzaki-san go first.

I’ll bathe with Sakura.

Tomorrow’s the real scouting start.

These zombies seem different, so I gotta stay sharp.

With that in mind, I throw the ball again.