(POV - 3RD)

Before he knew it, a year has passed and it was already 1907.

A single year, that's how long of a time which passed ever since Kiryu descended into this new world, a single year and he found himself making a miniature base out of the abandoned bunker built underneath the equally abandoned and desolate city of Yekaterinburg.

The exact cause of the city's state was unknown but he knows it has something to do with those oddly colored creatures that attacked him on sight alongside the zombies that lingered around, he had considered capturing some to make closer observations but he digressed.

Last thing he needs is a bunch of unhinged monsters running around his own safehouse.

During the year, he had to endlessly overwork himself to make his current residence a fully functioning shelter with a power source and that was not at all easy when you're stuck in a city that is abandoned and completely stripped of power.

However, until he gets a full bearing of his current situation then he won't be interacting with any nearby settlements and that is also until he gets a proper identification to temporarily help with his case of misplacement.

Anyway, creating an entirely new power source was not easy since Yekaterinburg was empty and because the power station was operating at an unknown duration of time, it won't be permanent nor will it be a viable source for the coming days.

He had briefly considered using his own power as a source for this place but that would mean exposing himself to danger more if the Tiga Suit was going to function as a battery instead.

Which is why he turned to using the endlessly blowing winds of the city as a source of power and with enough materials and hardwiring from various e-wastes scattered around, Kiryu made his first wind turbine that was erected right on top of the train station that he resided in.

Admittedly, the final outcome of the giant windmill wasn't completely up to his ideal design when he first planned it but at least he now has a shaky source of power running.

The entire process took several months which meant this single wind turbine is the result of staying in this forsaken place for an entire year but the results it gives out currently outweighs the problems posed by his place of residence.

Since he has power now, he can start renovating the entire train station and bunker.

First, since this is the city of Yekaterinburg and despite its abandoned state, there are far more resources hidden and left in surprisingly pristine conditions which allowed him to successfully scavenge some useful materials for his next projects.

So long as he continues making the most of the entire city's remaining resources, he should be able to create a possible base of operations that will hide him away from the rest of the world until he decides to make the first contact.

Secondly, if he recalls an old map he found from one of the train station's offices, there was also an airport near the city so if his luck stays around then he might be able to salvage some beneficial hardware from any leftover engines or even some power inside that hasn't vanished.

...From the way he plans this, he sounds like a castaway...

Well, technically he is a castaway because he's completely stranded in another world without any means to contact Babylonia but that isn't important right now.

Now that Kiryu managed to build a functioning power source that will last longer than the old power station, the next steps he took was quite simple which was securing food.

He could go and scour the areas for said food, most preferably canned but because he doesn't know how long this city had been abandoned for, he cannot assume that any food he finds will be in perfect conditions or are even safe to consume.

Unfortunately, that means he'll need to start hunting for live animals.

He had to admit, he'd never eaten venison before but the taste was just slightly different than any other meats he ate though he isn't complaining at all. Unfortunately, this comes with the problem of preserving the remaining meat and right now, he doesn't have a fridge.

He cannot salt them since he doesn't even have a single pinch of said ingredient or any other similar resources so he can only smoke the venison into dry jerkies, not the best way to properly preserve food but that's the only option he has right now.

Kiryu's next step was also simple, gather water and with a literal giant blanket of snow covering the entire city, he only needed to procure a large clean container for him to store the melted water with him underneath in the bunker.

It wasn't hard when you have a city filled to the brim with abandoned stuff, that also goes for the nearby stores and malls which once again, conveniently led him to roll a large water tank down into the bunker full of melted snow water with a cart.

Now with the food and water issues currently solved for now, the Commandant can focus on gathering more materials to renovate said bunker and if he was to guess the percentage, he still has yet to even explore up to at least 10% of Yekaterinburg.

If he wanted to turn the train station into a completely functional base of operations then he needs multiple resources ranging from cables to wiring to more hardware, followed by a workshop and laboratory where he can repair his arsenal or build it up.

Preferably, he would also need some technology to acquire data and scout the world beyond his location but that means he'll need to establish a satellite and that may be the most difficult part when he wants to remain unknown and unseen until he deems appropriate.

Realistically, this entire plan looks and sounds impossible when conditions are unfavorable in a place like this but Kiryu isn't one to give up, if he wants to go home then he'll need to do everything and anything to achieve it.

Speaking of home... a year passed by so quickly it was almost frightening, sadly it also meant the young Commandant was put through a mild case of homesickness even though this world's condition is a thousand times more better than his own world.

Despite being invaded by those white creatures, nature remained dominant in the ecosystems and animals and plants still frolicked around unlike his own Earth where the Punishing Virus ravaged everything in sight without any mercy.

Plants withered, animals went extinct and the world went to hell and it was as if everything in the universe was spitting on their efforts, the Corrupted and Hetero-creatures were spawned to counter humanity's desire to reclaim the Earth.

Kiryu sighed before swallowing the last bit of venison jerky and then standing up to open a locker where he stored any clothes that can still be worn and although this city was ruined, there were some places that stayed in remarkable conditions.

Clothing stores and some warehouses were a testament to how mankind can develop objects that will hold against the flow of time, so that it was continuously suit their needs.

Kiryu stepped out from the tunnels of the train station, garbed in a newly fashioned outfit that he combined with the set of clothes found in the various crates of the bunker, thick enough to retain warmth and keep himself mobile alongside a cloak to keep out the biting winds.

This was the outfit that he had been using throughout the year, though he mostly avoided fights with the zombies and some of the smaller white creatures, there were still some wear and tear found on it that required mending.

Further exposure to more damage prompted him to start incorporating some Kevlar found from the bulletproof vests left behind in the crates, he had also sown some pouches onto his chest to store anything small or essential such as bullets or hard drives.

Kiryu sighed to himself as he went over his equipment once again before he continued trekking into the blizzard, searching for anything that can be of use to him and his bunker.

Today's exploration will be long and so will tomorrow's.

=====================================

Kiryu monotonously wondered if he'd somehow turned his body on autopilot since all the routines he performed were done almost without him realizing.  

Sometimes, he couldn't help but think that time may be going too fast for its own good, like a fistful of sand leaking out of his hand no matter how hard he clenched because another year went by once more and 1908 felt the same as the previous year.

Renovating, scavenging, building, surviving, hunting and repeat.

He managed to use the materials he'd gathered up and made another wind turbine to fuel his bunker which was looking less and less abandoned by the days as he took some time to clean away the entire underground facilities.

Sadly, he had underestimated how big the entire place was.

And even more unfortunately, he failed to find any blueprint or even a basic layout of the bunker which meant he had to sketch out the entire place by himself, it was rough but he isn't making art right now so it doesn't matter as long as he got the basic outline and plan.

There was no doubt that some of the bigger room such as the storage and laboratory were meant to accommodate hundreds of people since this is Yekaterinburg but because this entire place was abandoned and leaving him the only individual here, he was free to use them all.

The tunnel led from in and out of the bunker, most likely for vehicles carrying supplies and the exit itself was hidden inside another bigger tunnel on the outside that was "closed". 

Most of the facilities remained unchanged expect the mess hall which was remade into the laboratory or at least, it will be one in the distant future as long as he secures more materials that will assist him in building more equipment for him to use.

The bunker base itself was just a huge garage and unfortunately, there wasn't any other vehicles inside save for the Humvee he had found in the entryway when he first discovered this place which was both out of fuel and neglected after years of abandonment.

Looks like he'll need to put some time into fixing that up but first, the conditions of the rest of the facilities remained as best as an abandoned bunker could for unknown number of years.

The utensils and tools in the kitchen were all in need of replacing except for some that were still wrapped up and packaged, the beds and blankets in the infirmary needs to be checked for any wear and tear from the age itself along with the furniture in the living quarters.

Most importantly, the plumbing system in the bathroom/WC was clearly not working which meant he'll literally need to get his hands dirty if he wants a sanitized base and that also goes for the electric room which he had hastily connected the power to and from the wind turbine.

Speaking of turbine, his venture into Yekaterinburg's nearest airport had yielded some helpful results that being the few to tens of planes left behind to rot in the hangars.

He was somewhat fortunate to have come across multiple discarded jet engines but time itself was clearly not lenient with it as the entire thing looked like it could fall apart at any moment though the insides remained just slightly better than the exterior.

That had been one of the things on his mind recently and that was to convert and remake the jet engine into a generator that creates electricity which will then supply his bunker since it wasn't a guarantee that the winds of Yekaterinburg will blow on forever.

He won't bore anyone with the exact procedure on how to make said generator but he won't be giving up quickly if the chances are slim yet possible and furthermore, this means he'll have to continued with his expeditions into the city for more resources.

At this point, his life is on repeat and autoplay and he wasn't sure if he liked that.

=====================================

Year 1909 and Kiryu discovered something eerily peculiar, he was supposed to be aging into his early adulthood and had expected more facial hairs or at least some bodily changes but so far he felt and saw none, either he was changing very slowly or he had stopped aging.

He'd rather believe the former since it wouldn't make sense for the latter to be true though he did find himself getting thrown into another world with another alien invasion so the second suggestion might hold some merits into his body state.

Anyway, the conversion of the jet engines into turbines that can provide a steady and stronger source of energy has been successful which made all the explosions and scars and tiny burns he'd suffered in countless experimentations worthwhile.

He still isn't going to explain anything because he had better things to think and focus on without getting any unnecessary headache with all the science and logic and equations behind it when Lee and Asimov were better suited for the subject.

Kiryu also took some opportunities when they presented themselves to further clean up the bunker and the facilities inside, discarding anything that are either expired or useless as well as continuously exploring the city and hunting for more food.

Speaking of which, his food supplies are running low again.

He knows he's not suppose to be picky in a situation like this but eating dried venison jerkies or plain roasted venison steak without any seasonings? He needs to at least find salt before he gets food fatigued- actually, he's already food fatigued after 2 years of eating the same thing.

Though he did get tired of eating the same thing over and over again, him keeping himself busy with fixing up and building his bunker had managed to keep his mind off his food issue.

Now, with a running generator for power and a considerably functioning base of operations, Kiryu is feeling the full brunt of three years worth of endless work falling onto his body.

Honestly, he just feels like lying on his makeshift bed for a while but the Commandant knows better to let procrastination get to his mind as he soon got up with a sigh.

Donning his outfit again, Kiryu left the bunker before slinging a small sled onto his back which he had been using to drag the deer carcasses he'd hunted in the nearby forest.

The snow outside crunched underneath his feet as he walked through the billowing winds that enveloped Yekaterinburg towards the forest that he usually hunted his preys but unfortunately, the forest itself was quite a walk away from the city.

A single hunt for a single deer usually equated to at least an hour and the longest he had stayed out for was three hours but that was when he didn't know the procedures of hunting a deer especially when the animal is known for extremely jumpy at the slightest noises.

Since he was a Commandant that led Constructs against the Corrupted, he obviously had no experience in ambushing a deer which the first times he started hunting caused him to go on a wild goose chase around the forest until night fell.

Sure, he could technically use the Tiga Suit to ease the burdens but he wasn't sure if the carcasses he had hunted would remain in pristine conditions even if he held back his firepower.

"Heh, the Gray Raven Commandant, now hunting deer for his life... Vanessa will never let me live this down if she heard about it." Kiryu remarked to himself.

The Chief Commandant was all but kind to her fellow peers, snide and cruel in both words and look towards Constructs and commandants but especially Constructs, demeaning them to mere "toys" or "tools" as if they were never once human in their past.

Constructs, no matter how machine they are or look for as long as they show signs of humanity, they will always be as human as they want to be in Kiryu's eyes.

Though Kiryu does not know exactly why she holds an animosity towards everyone, particularly including himself but their outlooks on Constructs and outward behaviours often clashed rather heatedly, resulting in a growing argument that was passive yet aggressive to no ends.

Kiryu has no clue whether their relationships will ever improve beyond what it is now but that is an issue he can address when he finds a way home... and after hunting this deer he finally found.

A single footstep onto the ground caused the deer to snap its head up, looking around the vicinity as Kiryu froze in place, silently taking out his GUTS Hyper with a silencer attached as he knelt down into the snow and took aim.

While a shot into a vital area of the body is fine, the most ideal shot would be the eye as it was clean and quick but that mostly depends on the place he is kneeing at.

The Commandant breathed in and out, quietly and smoothly as his finger gingerly landed onto the trigger as his iron sight locked in onto the deer's head, the quicker he gets this over with the less pain the animal will go through before death.

In less than a second, the trigger was pressed and a brief flash of light lit up the area before the bullet found itself shooting through the animal's head, leaving a clean hole in its place.

Like a puppet on strings, the deer collapses before twitching a few more times and then falling still with Kiryu walking up to the carcass as he grabbed it by the legs to drag it back to the sled.

However, the Commandant stopped in his track as his eyes snapped up to the sky just a streak of white and purple flashed through the air which prompted the former to quickly drop the deer before raising his handgun in defense, looking all around the area.

Kiryu wasn't certain whether that was one of those alien creatures he saw before but with only several deer roaming alongside birds, the forest was practically empty as far as he knew so it could only mean one thing much to the former's trepidation.

He grabbed the carcass again before setting off in the direction of the airborne creature after making sure there was none possibly surrounding him in the forest.

The walk took him further up to a plain where it snowed harder than it had in Yekaterinburg but all the whiteness of the empty tundra wasn't enough to dispel the perpetual glow of the alien creatures that was seen in huge numbers.

Kiryu ducked down before lying flat across the snowy plains as his body further sunk deeper into the snow with his head peeking out from his hole as he zoomed in on the scenery with his helmet's vision, seeing a huge group of the white glowing creatures.

The airborne units were all hovering around but never really touching onto the ground while its grounded counterparts roamed across the snow but never straying far from the area for some reasons unknown and if he's correct, their hostility to him means a hostility to other humans.

There were no humans visible in that area nor are there any structures to shelter any individuals unlucky enough to find themselves trapped between the huge horde of alien creatures.

The fact that the flying ones did not ascend further into the sky can only mean whatever their attracted to are buried deep in the earth... or they're just stationed there for no reason.

Honestly, he might be overthinking this and if he was then attacking this horde would be the dumbest move he'll ever make which is the Commandant simply hefted the deer up and left.

He'll need to make observation on this particular case but for now, home.

=====================================

This story will mostly revolve around MC surviving the world at least about a century before the mainline story begins so there will be multiple timeskips to compensate for the lack of thrilling plot, and no; I will not logically explain how MC turned all the scraps of metal he found into something like a wind turbine or generator because it frankly wouldn't make sense but this is a fanfiction so it doesn't matter, at least to me.