I crouched in the abandoned restaurant, 1.5 kilometers away from the supermarket. After realizing the grave situation ahead, I plan to retreat and cool my head first, thus I had chosen this spot carefully, selecting a location that provided a good view of the surrounding area while remaining hidden from prying eyes.
'For now, carefully planning the step ahead is the most important'
As I hid in the shadows, I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. I knew that I had to be focused, and need to take a considerably safe approach to face the danger ahead.
I began to check his preparations once again, making sure that his weapon and armor were in the right condition.
I examined my javelin, running my fingers over the cold steel and checking the sharpness of the tip. I nodded to myself, satisfied that it was battle ready. Next, I checked my armor, making sure that there are no holes in the leather, and the plates properly attached.
As I completed checking all the things that needed to be checked, I felt my mind begin to calm. I knew that I had done everything I could to prepare for the battle ahead, and now it was time to use my head, and began planning for the upcoming battle. I sat down on the floor, not far from the restaurant door, and began to brainstorm.
With the weight of my death and life's fate hung heavily on my shoulders, I feel like my brain worked harder than ever before. my eyes scanned the room, searching for any inspiration that might come. my thoughts were jumbled with ideas, each one formed upon the last, as I tried to come up with a plan to take down the mutant dogs.
As I am turning my brain forcefully, a cold sweat began to appear on his forehead.
my heart was racing, my pulse began pounding in my ears as I tried to outthink his enemies. I knew that I had to be clever, I had to overplay the one controlling mutant dogs if I wanted to survive.
But as I continued sitting and brainstorming, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something. I felt like I was overlooking something. frowned, my brow creasing in concentration as I tried to find out the solution.
I began to formulate one plan after the others, each one leading to a dead-end. I had tried to think of a strategy, but every path I took led me to more questions than answers. I didn't know anything about the mutant dogs or the mysterious being who controlled them.
When I realized that, I couldn't help sighing, lamenting my lack of knowledge about the enemies, as the Quest gave me no clue for it.
Frustrated and defeated, I let out a deep sigh. I rubbed my temples, trying to massage away the tension that had built up in my head. I laid my head on the wall behind me, and tried to relax my body a bit, to no avail.
With a heavy heart, I stood up and moved my gaze around the restaurant. my eyes landed on a box of cigarettes that was already half open, leaving behind on a nearby table. I walked over to it, picked it up, and examined the pack.
Without thinking twice, I decided to take one to smoke. I needed something to take my mind off the seemingly impossible task ahead. And so, I made my way to the veranda of the second floor, where I could observe the situation outside while I smoked.
As I stood on the veranda silently, enjoying the gentle breeze of the wind, puffing on the cigarette between my fingers, I felt my mind begin to unwind. The nicotine was a welcome distraction, and I let out a slow breath as I gazed out at the deserted streets.
From my vantage point, I could see the supermarket in the distance, its barricade of scrapped cars a jarring reminder of the danger that lay ahead. But as I stood here, watching the wind blow through the empty streets, I felt my tension eased slowly. Maybe it was just an illusion created by nicotine, even so, I will welcome it with open arms, as being calm is what I desperately need right now.
After puffing for some more, my mind began to clear. I realized that I had been thinking too much, trying to force a solution that wasn't coming.
As I smoked, my gaze wandered, taking in the sights and sounds of the abandoned city which had its majestic appearance, slowly crumbling with the approaching apocalypse. I watched as a thin stray cat prowled through the alleys, its eyes scanning the ground for scraps.
And then, it hit me. A small, insignificant detail that had been lurking in the back of my mind, finally began to show itself, something that could change everything.
As I watched the stray cat prowl through the alleys, a plan began to form in my mind. I thought about the mutated rats that roamed the city, their big bodies and the feral appearances, which made me remember the mutation that slowly encroached the creatures in this city.
'What if it's not only Rats and dogs?After all, even the insects are mutated, so there is a fat chance that it is also affecting the cats right?'
'And if I could somehow manipulate these mutated cats into clashing with the mutated dogs who had claimed the supermarket…. Hehe' smiling creepily, my mind began to think about the possible scenario that would happen.
'The dogs, with their organized pack mentality, were a formidable foe. But the cats also not lose to them if they become more feral after the mutation, take the tigers and lions as example, they were called the king of the jungle for a reason, and cats are the same feline family as them, it's more than possible if the mutated cats could give them a hard time., right? Hehehe, come to think of it, I used to play the silly game of cat and dogs who throw thin cans and bones to fight?'
My eyes narrowed as I thought about the possibilities.I remembered the analogy of the cicada and the oriole from the Chinese novel I used to read, two birds that were unaware of the mantis stalking behind them. I could be the fisherman, reeling in the benefits of their clash.
I took a deep breath, my mind racing with the implications. I would need to find a way to provoke and lure the cats into the Supermarket territory, manipulate them to cross paths with those darn mutant dogs to fight with each other. And then, I would need to be ready to capitalize on the chaos that ensued.
With a newfound sense of determination, I turned back to the restaurant, my eyes scanning the rooftops for any sign of the mutated cats, but found none. Seems like they might be hiding somewhere within the city.
I walked back into the restaurant first floor, my mind racing with plans and strategies. I knew that I had to act swiftly, as the time was not on my side, the time limit only giving me a day to complete my quest.
As I sat down at a table, I began to think back at the thin cats that I had seen in the alley. They had been scavenging for food, their eyes scanning the ground for scraps and leftovers. And then, I remembered about the rats I had seen along the way, scurrying through the shadows and hiding in the crevices. These fat rats also seem wary of something.
A light bulb lightened inside my head, as a sudden surge of ideas flooded his mind.
'Maybe, just maybe, I could lure the mutated cats by using the fat rats. It was a roundabout way as I only plan to use the cats, but it was worth a try'
my eyes sparkled with excitement as I began to plan my experiment. I would need to lure couples of a few rats, and then use them as bait to lure the mutated cats into the open. It was a risky plan, as the mutated cat could have targeted me instead of the fat rats, but it was the only plan I had at the moment, and I feel like this plan is worth a try.