Chương 5: No Snacks

The groundhog's front paw pressed against the glass door. Jack went still for a second, the handgun gripped tightly in his hand. Outside the door, the thing was several times larger than any groundhog he remembered. Its body was round and plump, but its limbs were ridiculously thick. Its claws were long and hard, and its gray-brown hide looked like tough leather worn down by years of wind and sand. The creature lowered its body.

Its front claws scraped against the door, two oversized front teeth showing at the corners of its mouth. A low rumbling growl came from its throat. Jack tightened his grip on the gun, finger hovering near the trigger. Just then, the system's voice sounded.

"Mutated burrowing mammal detected. It is attacking the convenience store. Emergency mission issued: resolve the current threat within twenty-four hours."

"Mission failure: the convenience store will suffer catastrophic damage. Human, your odds of becoming barbecue will rise to eighty percent. Mission success: basic supply permissions will partially unlock. You may choose one existing resource and convert it into an unlimited supply. Mission countdown: twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes."

"Shit." Jack rubbed a hand over his face. Outside the glass door, the mutated animal suddenly moved. Its sharp claws scraped across the glass, and the piercing screech instantly made Jack's expression change. A shallow white mark appeared on the door. The other two mutated animals also moved closer. One pressed its nose near the gap of the door and sniffed. The other circled to the side, lowered its head, and scratched at the ground twice. Jack raised the handgun again.

The system's voice came in at just the wrong time.

"Human, if you want to speedrun your own death, go ahead and shoot." Jack stopped.

"Whether that gun can even hurt something with skin that thick is one thing. But if you shatter the glass door yourself, how long do you think you'll last?"

"Also, these creatures live in groups. When one shows up, there are usually more nearby. Three is the bare minimum. They are also good at digging and can move through tunnels under the sand. Fortunately, there are only three this time, so for now, you don't need to worry about one suddenly popping up behind you. But if you mess this up, next time, there may be a lot more than three." Jack lowered the gun. The system had a point.

The glass door was still intact, and for now, it was the only thing keeping those creatures outside. If Jack broke it himself, he would be doing their job for them. He set the gun on the counter within reach, then turned toward the shelves. If shooting was off the table, the door needed backup. Jack hauled several cases of bottled water to the entrance, then stacked a few bags of rice behind them. He added several boxes of canned food on top for good measure.

When he stepped back, the entrance looked a little more secure. Outside, the three mutated animals backed off a few steps. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Jack barely had time to feel relieved before one of them lowered its head and started clawing at the ground. Sand and dirt scattered with a loud rustle. It dug fast. In just a few movements, it had already scraped out a shallow pit in front of the door. Jack realized the pile in front of the door would not be enough.

Those things could dig around it. He watched the creature scrape at the ground outside, trying to think. The barricade wasn't going to solve this, and the gun was still a bad idea. If he let them keep digging, sooner or later they would find a way in. Jack looked across the shelves, searching for anything that might help, until his eyes landed on the snack aisle. Groundhogs were omnivores back on Earth, right?

Jack had no idea whether that still applied to these oversized versions, but he didn't have a better option. He turned and rushed to the shelves, grabbed several packs of crackers, then picked up two bags of bread. When he ran back to the glass door, he tore open the packaging while keeping his eyes locked on the creatures outside. As soon as the package tore open, all three creatures snapped their heads toward him, their eyes locking on the food in his hands. Jack barely had time to react before they lunged. Bang!

The glass door shook hard. The cases of bottled water, rice bags, and canned food piled near the entrance trembled with it. The top box of cans nearly fell off. Jack jerked back, nearly dropping the crackers.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"You want food? Then stop smashing the door!" The three mutated animals stopped. For a second, nothing moved. Jack held the half-open pack of crackers in one hand and stared at them. Outside the glass door, the three oversized groundhogs stared back. Jack blinked. One man and three groundhogs stared at each other through the glass for a long moment. Jack's brain almost failed to keep up.

"Wait… you guys understand me?" The three mutated animals kept staring at him. Jack didn't move. After a moment, their eyes clearly started to show impatience. The one at the front let out a low sound, revealing its two oversized front teeth again. Then it raised its claw, looking like it was ready to start working on the glass door again. Jack caught himself.

"Okay, okay. Hold up." He raised the crackers where they could see them.

"I've got food. But if you hit the door again, no snacks." He had no idea how much of that they actually understood, but the mutated animal that had raised its claw did pause. Jack looked from the food in his hands to the three creatures outside the door. His pulse was still racing, but there was no better option. He made sure the handgun was still within reach, then started moving the cases and bags away from the entrance. The three mutated animals leaned forward at once.

"Back up," Jack said, raising the torn-open bag of bread.

"Come on. Just a little." The one in front stared at him. Jack stared back and tried very hard not to look as nervous as he felt. After a moment, that mutated animal actually took half a step back. Jack breathed out.

"Good. See? That wasn't so hard." Jack opened the glass door just enough to push the food through. He shoved the bread and crackers outside, then pulled the door shut again. The three mutated animals went for the food at once. Jack expected them to fight over it, but they didn't. The one in front took a piece of bread first, and the other two waited before moving in for the crackers. Jack stared.

"They actually have manners?" The bread and crackers disappeared quickly. The three mutated animals raised their heads again. They were still staring at Jack, but the look in their eyes had changed. At least they weren't throwing themselves at the door anymore. Jack got the message.

"You want more?" None of them moved. They just kept staring. Being stared at by three oversized groundhogs was not a comfortable experience. Jack went back to the shelves and grabbed more crackers and bread. After a second of thought, he added two bags of nuts as well. When he returned to the door, all three creatures followed every movement of his hands. Jack had to admit, it was almost funny. Almost.

He tore the packages open, cracked the door just enough to toss the food out, and shut it again before any of them could get too close. The three mutated animals gathered around the food quickly, but this time, they didn't eat right away. The one in front picked up a bag of bread in its mouth, while the other two each took crackers and nuts. Then they turned and started walking away. Jack stared.

"You're taking it to go?" The three mutated animals carried the food in their mouths and backed away from the door. They did not run. They moved slowly, almost carefully, as if they were afraid he might change his mind. A few yards out, the one in front stopped and looked back. Jack kept one hand on the lock and watched it. After a moment, the creature turned away and followed the other two into the darkness. Jack waited until their shapes disappeared completely before letting go.

Then the system's voice sounded in his head.

"Emergency mission progress updated." Jack stopped.

"Current threat unresolved."