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Chapter 2 - BLOOD BAPTISM.

The door didn't last long.

With a groan of rusted hinges and splintering wood, the barricade gave way under the weight of four—no, five—rotting corpses.

Maya was the first to move.

Her spear flashed forward, jabbing into the chest of the lead zombie. It staggered but didn't stop.

"Chest doesn't work!" Liam shouted, swinging the rusted pipe like a bat.

The impact cracked the second one's neck sideways, but it kept crawling forward on broken limbs.

"Head! Aim for the head!" Maya yelled.

Liam adjusted fast.

He ducked low, dodged a clawed swipe, and slammed his pipe into a zombie's jaw with a sickening crunch. Its head twisted back—then crumpled like wet paper.

[Enemy Eliminated: Class-E Undead]

[XP +25 | Combat Skill Progress: +4%]

[New Ability Path Unlocked: Blunt Weapons – Tier 1]

Another lunged for Maya, grabbing her spear with rotting fingers. She let it go and pulled a hidden blade from her boot, stabbing into the side of its skull.

The creature dropped instantly.

"Nice," Liam panted.

Maya didn't respond. Her focus was razor-sharp, eyes flicking between targets.

The last two zombies rushed them—fast for corpses.

Liam grabbed a broken chair leg and hurled it. It missed.

But Maya caught the distraction and plunged her blade into one zombie's eye. Blood sprayed over her cheek.

The final one leapt at Liam.

He dropped the pipe.

Instinct screamed.

He stepped left.

Too slow.

The zombie crashed into him, teeth gnashing, fingers digging into his chest.

Liam grabbed its skull with both hands and screamed, smashing it into the floor again and again.

And again.

And again.

[Enemy Eliminated: Class-E Undead]

[Bond Proximity Bonus Activated: +10 XP]

Liam panted, shaking.

The thing's face was a shattered mess under him. His hands were covered in gore.

Maya stepped back from the carnage. "You good?"

Liam looked at his trembling hands. "No idea."

"Welcome to the apocalypse."

[QUEST COMPLETE: Survive the First Night]

> Reward: [Stat Unlock], [Ability Tree Access], +200 XP

[NEW STATUS UNLOCKED]

Strength: 2

Agility: 3

Perception: 4

Willpower: 2

Affection Bonds: 1 (Maya)

> New Ability Path Available: Survival Instincts

Trait Acquired: Adaptive Resilience

A second window blinked open.

[System Note: Due to combat under stress and successful proximity bonding, host has unlocked the preliminary "Alpha Host Potential."]

> Do you wish to view the Ability Tree now?

[Yes] | [No]

Liam tapped Yes in his mind.

A translucent screen opened across his vision—faint blue lines forming a branching tree of skills.

🌿 [ABILITY TREE – TIER 1]

Combat:

Blunt Mastery [Locked]

Tactical Dodge [Locked]

Limb Break [Locked]

Survival:

Scavenge Boost [Locked]

Night Sense [Locked]

Silent Step [Locked]

Bond-Based:

Empathic Link [Unlocked]

Passion Surge [Locked]

Harem Link Tier 1 [Locked – 3 bonds required]

"Of course everything's locked," Liam muttered.

Maya leaned over, peeking at the empty store. "We should move before more show up."

Liam nodded. "Where?"

"There's a parking garage a few blocks west. I've been there before. If it hasn't collapsed, we can rest there."

She handed him a half-dented energy drink she'd pulled from a shelf.

He chugged it without thinking. It was warm. Fizzy. Tasted like moldy citrus.

Still better than nothing.

Ten minutes later, they were ducking through an alley, silent, slow, and alert.

Liam stuck close to Maya, heart still pounding.

"Were you with your family when this started?" she asked softly, not looking at him.

He froze for half a second.

"Sort of," he replied. "They… died. Same night I got here."

"You came from somewhere else?" she said, frowning.

Liam bit his tongue. The system's warning earlier echoed in his head:

> Do not reveal System Host status to non-bonded parties before 30% trust.

"I just mean it all happened fast," he said instead.

Maya didn't press. But her eyes narrowed slightly.

Smart girl.

They reached the garage just before sundown.

Inside was dark, but clear. No bodies. No rot. The scent of rust and oil filled the air.

Maya barricaded the entry with a rusted car door while Liam checked the second floor.

They settled on an old security office—half-burned, but with a locking door.

Maya sat cross-legged against the wall, cleaning her blade with a torn shirt. Her face was blank. Tired. Cold.

Liam sat nearby, trying to shake the images of skulls cracking beneath his hands.

"I killed things," he said suddenly.

Maya looked up.

"Back there," he continued. "They weren't people anymore. But they still looked like it."

"Yeah," she said flatly.

He waited for judgment. None came.

"I killed my first on day two," she said. "Old lady. She'd already turned. Still had her nightgown on. Hair rollers."

Liam flinched.

"I screamed after. Cried for a whole hour."

He blinked. That… surprised him.

"I don't cry anymore," she said, eyes distant. "Just kill or die."

A moment passed.

Then another.

"You want to survive this world?" Maya asked.

He nodded.

"Then stop waiting for it to make sense. It won't. There's no rulebook. No reset. Just instinct. Rage. Need."

Liam swallowed hard.

"What if I want something more?" he asked.

She gave him a long, unreadable look. "Then you're either stupid… or lucky."

Then she stood and lay down across the room, closing her eyes. "You get first watch."

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

[Bond Level: Maya – Tier 1 (Trust forming)]

[Dialogue Path: Unlocked – Emotional Wall]

> You've made the first step toward an emotional bond.

Keep interacting to increase affection and synergy.

Warning: This bond may impact others. Jealousy and rivalry systems will activate beyond Bond #3.

Liam sat alone in the dark, heart heavy, brain on fire.

The city outside was silent now. But not safe.

He looked at Maya. This cold, guarded girl who'd lived in hell and still fought with fire in her eyes.

One down. Forty-nine to go.

But that didn't feel right.

It wasn't about numbers. Not really.

It was about survival. About connection. About staying human when everything else turned to rot.

And whatever this system was…

It hadn't counted on Liam Carter wanting to feel everything.

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