A special forces unit? Hans's hands trembled slightly as he reached the Scout's remarks at the bottom of the interface.
Special forces were the best of the best. Being able to train something this close to that role so early made him wonder what the higher-tier units would look like.
A thousand Gold did not feel nearly as expensive anymore. For a Scout that could handle reconnaissance, infiltration, and a ridiculous list of tools, it almost looked cheap.
He'd be working ahead of everyone else. One stupid mistake out there and Hans could lose a thousand Gold in seconds...
"Dmitri, can you really drive any vehicle?"
"Not any vehicle, Commander. If I can unlock and start it, I can operate most ordinary land vehicles and some simple aircraft. Heavy armor and complicated aircraft are outside my proficiency."
That sounded more reasonable. If Dmitri could bring every machine to life just by touching the steering wheel, Hans would have started questioning the System again.
"My armored SUV outside?" Hans took out the golden key and held it up. "You can drive that?"
"Not a problem for me, Commander."
"What are the limitations of your lockpick kit?"
"Mechanical locks are easy enough, Commander. Ordinary electronic ones too. Anything that needs proper authentication might stop me."
"How about vaults? Bank safety-deposit areas?"
"Depends on the vault. I can attempt the lock, but some will take time. If the door itself is too heavy after I bypass it, I will need additional hands to open it."
Hans smirked. Time was one thing he could afford if the reward was a bank vault, jewelry store, or anything else capable of turning into Gold.
"I'm planning to send you out with Rex. Thoughts?"
"Rex can accompany me, Commander. His nose can detect things I cannot."
"What kinds of things?"
"Scents, hidden movement, and threats outside my normal senses. My eyesight and hearing are better than average, but they are still human senses."
Dmitri looked toward the dog. Rex answered with a short bark, apparently satisfied with the arrangement.
Hans was curious about Rex too and opened the Attack Dog's information.
------
[ Name: Rex ]
[ Unit: Attack Dog ]
[ Tier: 0 ]
[ Star Promotion: 0-Star | 0 / 1,800 ]
[ Primary Weapon: Bite | 1.5 m melee range | 300 PSI bite force | Armor-piercing against biological tissue ]
[ Abilities: Detection Instinct | Pursuit Mode ]
[ Detection Instinct: Detects invisible or cloaked infected within 50 m | Can sense extreme hostility from nearby living beings toward Commander or allies ]
[ Pursuit Mode: +20% movement speed when chasing hostile infantry ]
[ Protective Vest: Flexible bite-resistant vest | Preserves mobility ]
[ Feeding: System nutrient paste every 12 hours ]
[ Sleep: Hibernation state after 6 hours of idleness ]
[ Collar Tag: System ID | Respawn available if kennel storage exists | Cooldown: 1 week ]
[ Remarks: Fast, agile combat and support animal. Immune to infection. Treat this dog well, and he will be your best friend for life. ]
------
Huh? Immune to infection? And it can respawn once I have a kennel?
Hans stared at Rex.
Scratch me? Vest.
Get through that? Immunity.
Kill me? Surprise, I'm back.
That was ridiculous.
"We can execute the mission anytime, Commander," Dmitri said. "We await your order."
Dmitri's voice pulled Hans away from mentally testing how many ways Rex could refuse to stay dead.
"How strong are your close-quarters combat skills? Can you handle infected in a hallway?"
"Five ordinary infected at once under favorable conditions. Anything abnormal depends on the situation."
"Abnormal?"
"I do not have enough information to classify them yet, Commander. Something faster, armored, or concealed would change the engagement. I would not assume the same limit."
That was fair. Hans had already learned what happened when an infected stopped behaving like the others.
"Ask Adam for the details from the lower floors before you leave. You can start today."
"What is the reconnaissance mission, Commander?"
Hans grabbed a slightly crumpled sheet of bond paper and a pencil, then sketched the apartment complex from memory.
"The parking lot, the three other apartment buildings, the manager's office between Buildings Two and Three, the convenience store, and the gasoline station. We also saw survivors signaling from one of the apartments. Adam has the better report."
"Engagement rules for survivors?"
Hans looked at the rough map for a moment.
"Just watch them first. If they don't want anything to do with us, leave them alone. If they try something against you or Rex, defend yourselves, but don't be the one starting it."
"Understood."
"And keep it quiet. You're checking the area, not trying to clear the whole damn place by yourself. Give me a rough count of the infected, entrances, blocked routes, where the survivors are, and anything else that looks useful. If you see valuables, just mark them unless grabbing them is easy."
Dmitri studied the paper and the boundaries Hans had marked.
"If contact becomes necessary, words first?"
"Yeah. Words first. If somebody wants to trade or offers something useful, use your judgment and tell me when you get back."
Dmitri smirked. "Leave that to my assessment, Commander."
Hans snorted. At least Dmitri had already figured out what usually got his attention.
"Anything else you need before you go?"
"Has the rooftop been opened?"
"No. It is locked, and I never found the manager's or janitor's key. I did not bother forcing it."
"I would like an elevated view before I leave the building."
"Then use your kit and open it." Hans handed him the rough map. "That should be everything. Go when you are ready."
"We'll take our leave, Commander."
Dmitri saluted and whistled for Rex. The dog barked, then followed him out with its ears perked and its tail swaying behind it.
Hans watched the man and dog disappear down the corridor. The pair reminded him of a famous movie from Earth, one that apparently never received an Aurelia version.
He stood there for another moment before closing the door.
His lunch things were already clean from earlier, so Hans pulled out his black ballpen and the thick blue notebook he had been using for plans.
Not having enough Gold left to train an Army Soldier did not bother him much. Twelve Conscripts, one Scout, and one Attack Dog were already enough for what still felt like the opening village of a game.
Farther down the Infantry tab, he could still see other entries he could not train yet. Guardian GI, Engineer, Sniper. Their exact requirements could wait; their prices were what worried him.
The early System units were already more expensive than their game equivalents. At this rate, a Sniper costing 2,000 Gold would not surprise him at all.
The War Factory, tanks, and the Mobile Construction Vehicle would probably hurt even more. The numbers might end up taller than Burj Khalifa in meters.
Even 100,000 Gold might not be enough...
Hans looked at his remaining 221 Gold again, and his expression fell.
"Gold, gold, gold. I need more Gold, more resources! Damn it, where are all the rich people at?!"