Year Z100, June 28: You stayed hidden at the Doomsday Squad base, doing the same things as yesterday.
Year Z100, June 29: Another safe day hiding at the Doomsday Squad base.
Year Z100, June 30: Yet another safe day at the Doomsday Squad base.
Year Z100, June 31: You were about to start your training when you realized June doesn't have 31 days. You discovered that the pre-apocalypse collector's edition calendar Captain Tristian bought was a fake.
Year Z100, July 2: You had grown accustomed to the calm and safe life at the Doomsday Squad base. You didn't have to worry about your life being in danger. All you had to do was train and watch your strength grow steadily, albeit slowly.
On this particular day, something unusual happened, all the members of the Doomsday Squad gathered at the base.
Captain Tristian, Vice-Captain Whitney, and members Ryder, Tevin, and Tabitha were all present, along with you, the squad's mascot.
Captain Tristian asked if you had any prophetic visions recently. You shook your head, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
Then, you learned why everyone had gathered. They were preparing for a mission.
Captain Tristian was leading the team to hunt down the Scarlet Cyclops, a top-ten ranked interdimensional creature known for its extreme danger.
The Doomsday Squad had to approach this mission with utmost caution.
Fortunately for you, as the mascot, you didn't have to go. You just had to see them off.
The base was left with only you.
Before leaving, Captain Tristian reminded you to be careful.
You politely responded that you understood, but internally, you shook your head. The captain really didn't know you well. Was there anyone more concerned about their own safety than you?
After all, you had already experienced death three times.
Not wanting to experience a fourth time.
July 3, Year Z100: You were training alone at the Apocalypse Squad base. As you walked past the hallway drain, you suddenly sensed something unusual from within it.
Curious but cautious for your life, you took two steps back. Suddenly, a tentacle from a Scarlet creature shot out from the drain, aiming straight at you.
The tentacle was covered in sharp teeth. Despite stepping back, you couldn't avoid it. The tentacle bit your nose, and tiny blood vessels burrowed into your skull.
As the tentacle sucked the life out of you, you were drained dry!
In your final moments, you had one question: Isn't this inside the city?
How could an interdimensional creature appear in the sewer?
Moreover, it was a creature far stronger than you.
The Infinite Life Simulation ended, and Bertram was left stunned.
Even hiding in the Apocalypse Squad base, he still died young, not even surviving ten days.
"How is this possible? This is inside the city. How could I die at the hands of an interdimensional creature?" The question from the simulation Bertram had now transferred to the real-life Bertram.
"The Doomsday City has existed for a hundred years. Over this century, it has been continuously fortified. The walls and the underground are impenetrable.
No interdimensional creature has ever entered the city!"
"That's why this place is the only safe haven for humanity after bloody battles outside. It's the last refuge!"
"But in the life simulation, an interdimensional creature broke in??!"
Although it was just a tentacle, its form was unmistakably that of an interdimensional creature.
"Does this mean the defenses of Doomsday City have a breach?" Bertram felt a chill run down his spine.
If Bertram hadn't already experienced three life simulations, he probably wouldn't believe such a thing.
After all, for so many years, humanity had grown too dependent on and trusted this city.
Bertram, an orphan, had survived to the age of sixteen solely due to the protection of this post-apocalyptic city.
"The Scarlet Tentacle emerged from the sewer…" Bertram said, pushing open the door and looking at the sewer outlet in the hallway.
In his life simulations, the Scarlet Tentacle had emerged from this very drain and drained him dry.
Just standing there sent a chill running up Bertram's spine.
"It was just a tentacle that killed me, and the rest of its body is still hidden in the sewer!"
"Wait, even though the tentacle killed me on July 2nd, could that otherworldly creature have already infiltrated the city's sewer system?"
Just one tentacle was enough to instantly kill the current Bertram, indicating that the creature's power far surpassed his own.
Expecting Bertram to deal with this otherworldly being would be a fool's errand.
Fortunately, Bertram was now a part of a team of powerful individuals. He could call for help when needed.
When Bertram burst into the meeting room, Tristian, Whitney, and the others were discussing tactics.
The Doomsday Squad was a combat team with complementary abilities. They constantly researched how to best collaborate to maximize their overall strength.
Bertram didn't need to participate in these tactical discussions since he was more of an accessory to the team.
However, Bertram's importance lay in his ability to capture prophetic visions.
Once he did, the entire Doomsday Squad's battle plans would revolve around his visions.
"What's going on, Bertram?" Five pairs of eyes turned to look at Bertram, who had just burst into the room, halting their work.
"I think I just had a vision…" Bertram said, playing his role as the naive newbie perfectly. He knew how to evoke the protective instincts of the Doomsday Squad members by acting clueless.
Bertram felt no shame in this tactic.
After all, with his F+ ranking, why shouldn't he let a bunch of C+ and even B-level big shots protect him?
"What?!" The members of the Doomsday Squad stared at Bertram in shock.
Historically, prophetic abilities were known to be random, usually appearing after some interval. But with Bertram, the frequency seemed unusually high.
"What did you see?" Tristian couldn't help but ask.
"I saw a Scarlet Tentacle, with a ring of teeth!" Bertram quickly replied.
"A Scarlet Tentacle with a ring of teeth? Could it be the Devil's Blood Octopus?" Whitney, the vice-captain and the team's encyclopedia, immediately spoke up. She was well-versed in interdimensional creatures.
"It's an extremely stealthy, fast, and ambush-capable interdimensional soft-bodied creature that loves to suck blood! Where did you see it?"
Since Bertram could see it, it meant that the Devil's Blood Octopus was somehow connected to one of them. It was very likely related to their mission.
It couldn't be that Bertram, who spent all his time at the Doomsday Base, would randomly encounter a Devil's Blood Octopus, right?