The Daily Life of the Demon King

Chapter 198 - 198: Setting Up at the New Base

While the survivors carried supplies into the bank's vault, Alex and his robo-dog, GIR, inspected the building to determine where defenses needed to be strengthened and where barricades would be most effective. Alex noted an important detail: the bank was a standalone structure, not connected to any neighboring buildings. This significantly simplified their task. If the bank had been attached to other structures, fortification and defense would have been far more challenging.

Reaching the back of the bank, Alex discovered a fence and a parking area previously used for armored cars. Peering inside, he saw no vehicles but realized the space would be perfect for parking their bus. Particularly useful was the indoor loading area where armored cars had once driven in for loading and unloading.

"What do you think? If we completely barricade the front doors and use only the back exit, will it work?" Alex asked, turning to GIR.

The robo-dog tilted its head toward the parking lot, then looked back at Alex.

"It should work. If done right, this parking area could serve as an excellent evacuation point if necessary," GIR replied after a brief pause.

Alex nodded and continued inspecting the building, asking GIR to record all his suggestions and analyze possible improvements. He was particularly concerned about the power and water supply systems. Electricity could go out at any moment, and the risk of contaminated corpses affecting the water supply was a serious threat that couldn't be ignored.

"We need to gather data on the zombies and set up surveillance cameras," Alex mused aloud. "It's unclear how soon they'll start mutating. Additionally, we need to organize autonomous power. We can install solar panels and wind turbines on the roof, but we'll need to find the equipment first. Water's easier—I'll create a magical filter to prevent contamination."

After circling the building, Alex encountered Kohta and a group of police officers finishing their patrol of the area.

"Anything unusual?" Alex asked as he approached them.

"A couple of stray undead, nothing serious. You?" one of the officers replied.

"I'm thinking we should completely barricade the front entrance and use the back parking lot for our operations. It'll simplify things, especially if we need to send out teams to look for survivors," Alex explained.

"Great idea," Kohta agreed. "It'll give us better control over the situation."

"When the fortifications are done, start reaching out to your colleagues and families. Some of them might also be in tough situations. But remember, things could get much worse," Alex added, looking at the officers.

"How much worse? It's already practically the end of the world," Matsuki said skeptically.

"Zombies could start mutating and become even more dangerous. Plus, we could lose access to electricity and water at any moment," Kohta replied before Alex could. "For now, the stations are running autonomously, but that won't last long."

The officers fell into thoughtful silence. Alex understood that time was short. They needed to study the zombies, prepare for potential mutations, and, most importantly, evacuate the survivors to expand their group and make tasks easier.

On the way back, Alex spoke with Kohta, asking about his training in America. Kohta explained that he had been a firearms enthusiast and, while living with his parents in the U.S., had trained under a retired Navy SEAL. The police officers listening to the conversation were surprised; they had previously thought of Kohta as just a school kid who knew his way around weapons. Now they saw him in a new light.

"This 'chubby guy' clearly knows what he's doing," the officers thought.

Alex, Kohta, and the police officers returned to the bank's main entrance, where the survivors were still carrying supplies into the vault. Rebecca sat atop the bus, keeping a sharp lookout for any threats. Brunhilde, Saeko, Rei, and Saya guarded the bus, ready for any surprises if zombies appeared.

Alex waved to the women, signaling that everything was fine, and headed toward the bus to help unload the remaining supplies and finally move the vehicle off the street.

While helping move boxes into the bank's vault, Alex noticed Kyoko checking the inventory list.

"How long will our supplies last for the group?" Alex asked as he approached her.

"About two to three weeks if we ration carefully," Kyoko replied, quickly estimating the amount of food and water available.

"Then tomorrow, we'll start scouting nearby houses for more supplies. The group will grow, and we'll need more food. We need to stock up before the evacuation," Alex said thoughtfully, nodding in thanks.

Leaving the vault, Alex stepped into the courtyard and noticed Shizuka tending to the children, checking them for injuries or illnesses. She carefully treated any cuts or scrapes she found.

"Are the kids all right?" Alex asked, drawing her attention.

"Yes, aside from being a little shaken and having a few minor wounds. But we'll need more medical supplies for potential illnesses or infections," Shizuka replied, finishing her check-up.

"I'll prioritize that," Alex assured her with a faint smile.

When they reached the bus, Alex lit a cigarette and scanned the street, contemplating how to utilize the abandoned cars. An idea struck him: to salvage the car batteries for electricity and use the vehicles themselves as barricades against zombies. He began evaluating how best to organize the defense, planning to finalize his thoughts before implementing them.

Lost in thought, Alex paused in the middle of the road, massaging his temples. He needed to consider everything: the potential migration of zombie hordes from Tokyo and the time required to gather enough survivors.

Saya watched him from a distance, wondering what he was planning. Though she considered herself a genius, she admitted that she couldn't have come up with anything as brilliant as Alex's ideas, let alone his creation of two intelligent robo-dogs.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, walking up to him.

"About how to use this street. If we set up barricades, they'll slow the zombies. But if we do it wrong, we'll have hordes gathering here every morning, and we'll have to clear them out. I'm also considering booby-trapping the street for emergencies," Alex explained, sharing part of his plan.

"Trapping the streets is a good idea. But what if it blows up prematurely? And where are you going to get explosives?" Saya countered, serving as the voice of reason.

"You're right. What would you suggest?" Alex turned to her, curious about her opinion.

"We could reinforce the cars with spikes to slow the zombies. As a last resort, we could set up an electric fence," Saya suggested, brushing her hair back with an air of sophistication.

Alex chuckled, considering her words. Her idea seemed promising and didn't require many resources.

He nodded, deciding to add Saya's suggestion to the to-do list. Smiling, he praised her idea, playfully ruffling her hair. Saya, clearly displeased, swatted his hand away.

"I'm not a child," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Got it, my bad," Alex laughed, watching her walk away while muttering about how rude it was to touch a girl's hair.

Returning to the bus, Alex saw that most of the supplies had been unloaded—only a few boxes remained. Once the last boxes were moved inside, he asked the girls to head into the bank while he and Rebecca moved the bus and motorcycle to the armored truck parking area. After completing the task, they rejoined the others in the building.

Inside, Alex immediately noticed the commotion as survivors worked to reinforce the entrance. Glancing around, he spotted a mix of guards and clerks among them. Approaching one of the guards, Alex asked to be taken to the surveillance room.

Once there, he began inspecting the equipment, assessing its condition.

"GIR, run diagnostics on the cameras and let me know what's needed to get them operational. I'll bring in some extra monitors," he instructed the robo-dog.

GIR gave a short nod and began connecting to the system. Meanwhile, Alex went off to find Stitch, who was entertaining the children with MIMI. They were trying to keep the kids distracted so they could feel safe.

"Stitch, let's go. I need your help," Alex called.

"Alright, Dad!" Stitch replied cheerfully, quickly climbing onto Alex's shoulder.

Alex glanced at the children, noticing their worried faces, and asked MIMI to play some cartoons to distract them. As he stepped into the main hall, everyone working there turned their attention to him.

"Those of you who aren't occupied right now, form groups and

"Therefore, I recommend splitting into groups now so we can start our raids tomorrow morning. The most important thing is that everyone has contacted their families, friends, or colleagues?"

"Some have already managed, but there are still those who haven't been able to reach anyone due to being busy," one of the officers replied. "Once everyone has made contact, I suggest we make a list of people to evacuate. It will help us act more efficiently."

"Great idea," Alex agreed. "Such a list will make the rescue operations easier. But first, we need a vehicle to move quickly and safely."

"We can use minibuses. They're spacious and suitable for transporting people and supplies," one of the security guards suggested.

Alex agreed and repeated important information for everyone:

"Don't forget to warn everyone you're contacting to be extra cautious during the night. Zombies become more active after dark. And you, officers, contact your colleagues to find out what's happening in other areas. Explain our situation and gather as much information as possible."

The discussion continued, and Alex asked for the map. He began marking locations where supplies could be gathered for raids. In these conditions, it was important to act quickly, before other groups beat them to it.

Alex understood that more weapons would be needed for protection, not just from zombies, but also from aggressive survivor groups. In apocalypse-like situations, people lose their humanity and discard social norms.

During the discussion, Alex suggested that the police train civilians on how to handle weapons. Some of them objected, thinking it was dangerous. Alex responded firmly:

"In these conditions, there's no such thing as 'civilian' or 'officer.' The survival of the group depends on every member. If we don't work together, everything will collapse before we have a chance to leave the city."

Despite the objections, most of the officers agreed with Alex's reasoning, understanding that civilians had to know how to defend themselves if none of the officers were around.

Before they all went their separate ways, Alex reminded them:

"Don't forget to make lists of necessary items and people who need to be evacuated. This will make future raids easier."

Then he turned to the only electrician in the group:

"Sakumo, you have a task too. Take a couple of people and check the electrical panels in the basement to prevent any power surges. Also, teach the guys what to do and how to do it. This will come in handy in the future."

"No problem, you can count on me," Sakumo replied with a smile and went off to find assistants. "I've already trained interns at my previous job, so I'll manage."

Alex nodded and told everyone to get a good rest before tomorrow—it would be an even more intense day than today. People began to scatter to spend time with their loved ones or friends. Alex headed for the observation room.

Entering the room, he found three local "gamers" still engrossed in playing video games, as if nothing unusual was happening. The day's commotion clearly hadn't affected them. Smiling to himself, Alex sat in the chair and began reviewing the footage from the cameras. Until the sun disappeared over the horizon, the zombies continued following their usual patterns, with no significant changes.

A few minutes later, Rebecca entered the room, drying her damp hair with a towel.

"What's up, handsome?" she asked with a grin, sitting right on Alex's lap.

"Reviewing footage from the cameras. How about you? Feeling refreshed? Alive again?" Alex smiled, briefly glancing away from the monitors.

"Not sure about 'alive,' but a hot shower is definitely the best thing that could happen," Rebecca replied, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning into him.

Alex softly kissed the top of her head and returned to watching the screens.

A couple of minutes later, Brunhilda entered the room with two mugs of coffee. She placed one in front of Alex, kept the other for herself, and took a sip with obvious enjoyment. Gradually, the other girls began to join, bringing plates of dinner with them.

"Thanks, girls," Alex said, starting to eat while keeping his eyes on the monitors.

At the same time, he was considering where to install new cameras to expand their coverage and gather more data. Information about the world they were in was critically important. The virus that turned people into zombies clearly couldn't have appeared for no reason, especially considering the mutations Alex had observed during experiments.

Two identical zombies could mutate completely differently, pointing to the virus's extraordinary adaptability. This meant that even more dangerous strains of the infected would appear soon.

"Tonight, I'll need to install additional cameras," Alex thought. "Maybe I'll even stumble upon something interesting or save some survivors."

To be continued...