The extraction point shimmered like heat haze at the far end of the corridor—a flickering blue rift humming with low energy. Yu Ren didn't trust it, but they didn't have many options. The floor was covered in torn limbs and streaks of dark blood. The air stank of metal, decay, and ozone.
Kai limped beside him, his body clearly at its limit. The way he winced with every step, the subtle tremble in his fingers—Yu Ren saw it all. But Kai never said a word.
[Extraction Window Remaining: 02:37.]
"Go first," Yu Ren said, his voice hoarse.
Kai gave him a look. "No. We go together."
The flickering rift buzzed louder as they approached. It reminded Yu Ren of a camera flash frozen in mid-discharge—energy stuck between blinking and burning.
As they stepped into it, everything shattered.
---
They didn't fall, but the world shifted.
Yu Ren blinked and found himself standing in a completely different place. The corridor was gone. Instead, they were inside what looked like a broken-down train station, buried under ash and dust. Benches lay twisted. The roof had caved in, exposing rebar like ribs. Everything was grey, silent, and still.
[Safe Zone – Temporary. Duration: 00:30:00.]
[Wave Delay: 30 minutes.]
[System Booting Local Module: Camp Protocols Enabled.]
Kai exhaled. "That's… convenient."
Yu Ren dropped onto a nearby bench, arms throbbing. His crowbar was still clenched in one hand, sticky with drying blood. His body was bruised and raw, but it was the mental fog that hit him hardest now that the adrenaline was gone.
"I feel like I've been chewed up and spit out."
"You were," Kai said.
There was a short silence before they both chuckled. Just a little.
Yu Ren looked at the ash coating the floor. "This… was a station?"
"Suburban rail hub," Kai confirmed. "I think we're a few miles from the Archive now."
"You think this zone is safe?"
"For now. These safe zones are a side effect of the system's interference. Think of them as checkpoints."
Yu Ren raised a brow. "What kind of system gives checkpoints and giant monsters at the same time?"
Kai didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled off his coat and sat down heavily, revealing the soaked-through shirt beneath. His shoulder was worse than Yu Ren thought—the gauze had long since given up.
Yu Ren immediately stood. "Let me look at that."
"You know first aid?"
"No, but I have hands and you look like you're dying."
Kai didn't argue. He leaned forward, silent, as Yu Ren began peeling back the ruined dressing. The wound was deep, angry, but not infected yet.
"Looks like the claws missed the artery," Yu Ren murmured. "Barely."
"Lucky."
Yu Ren pulled out what little was left in their med kit. A single antiseptic pad, two strips of bandage, and a mystery vial labeled with old military code.
"This was all in the emergency pack?"
Kai nodded.
Yu Ren looked at the vial. "Injectable?"
Kai tilted his head slightly. "Experimental. Don't use it unless I'm dying."
"You're bleeding all over the floor."
"I'm not dead."
Yu Ren rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if you keel over, I'm using it whether you like it or not."
"Noted."
They worked in silence. Kai's breathing was shallow, but he didn't flinch when the alcohol hit the wound. His pain tolerance was absurd. Either that or he'd gone completely numb.
Once the bandaging was done, Yu Ren leaned back and stared at him.
"You okay?"
Kai didn't answer at first. He looked down at the ash, then back up at Yu Ren.
"Back there," he said, voice low. "You offered to be bait."
Yu Ren shrugged. "You were hurt. I wasn't."
"You didn't even hesitate."
"Would it matter if I had?"
Kai studied him. "You shouldn't be this calm."
Yu Ren laughed bitterly. "You're right. I shouldn't. But panic won't help."
Kai's gaze lingered. Then, quietly, he said, "You're not the same person I met outside the shelter."
Yu Ren met his eyes. "Neither are you."
The system interrupted the moment.
[System Alert: Trait 'Adrenal Surge' Eligible for Evolution.]
[Initiating Evolution Tree...]
Yu Ren blinked. A strange warmth bloomed behind his eyes.
[Evolution Tree Branch Detected:
—Option A: Survivor's Instinct – Increases dodge and reaction time during near-death situations.
—Option B: Combat Drift – Allows limited prediction of enemy movements for 5 seconds after activation.]
Kai leaned over, curious. "What will you pick?"
Yu Ren bit his lip. "Prediction sounds cool, but instinct might keep me alive longer."
Kai nodded. "Survivor's Instinct suits your current style. You're reactive. Fast. Still learning."
Yu Ren made his choice.
[Selected: Survivor's Instinct.]
[Adrenal Surge has evolved into: Survivor's Instinct – Tier 1. Passive trigger upon HP < 35%. Dodge rate increased by 40% for 15 seconds.]
A hum passed through his skin. Like a second heartbeat.
Kai stood again, testing his shoulder. "We've got twenty-five minutes before the next wave hits."
"We can't stay?"
"No. Safe zones collapse. We need to find a permanent shelter."
Yu Ren looked around. "You think this place has anything we can use?"
Kai pointed to the far side of the ruined station. "Service tunnels. There might be storage or access hatches. Some stations had panic rooms built post-Outbreak."
Yu Ren followed, scanning the shadows. "I hate tunnels."
"Then you'll love this next part."
They descended broken stairs into darkness. The air grew colder. Ash clung to every surface, drifting with every step.
Yu Ren's flashlight flickered.
"Kai—"
"I know."
They reached a rusted metal door.
Kai pressed his hand against the lock pad.
To Yu Ren's shock, it beeped.
"You have clearance for this?"
Kai didn't answer.
The door opened.
Inside was a compact chamber—bunk bed, supply cabinets, faded maps. Everything was dusty but intact.
[System Notice: Shelter Acquired – Tier 0.]
[Sanctuary Registered. Upgrade Available Once Criteria Met.]
Yu Ren stepped inside. "This… this is perfect."
"It's not much," Kai said, sitting down on the lower bunk. "But we can hold here. For now."
Yu Ren sat opposite him. For the first time in days, there was quiet.
No howling.
No claws on metal.
Just the hum of static, and the man sitting across from him—wounded, unreadable, and slowly thawing.
Yu Ren let his eyes close for a second.
Just a second.
Then the voice came.
Not from the system.
Not from Kai.
But inside his own head.
"You found him. The subject lives. The link is active."
Yu Ren's eyes snapped open.
"What—"
[Error. System Glitch Detected.]
[Memory Fragment Surfacing: Do you wish to view? Y/N.]
Yu Ren stared at the prompt, blood running cold.
Kai saw his face. "What is it?"
Yu Ren hesitated.
"…I think someone just spoke to me. In my head."
Kai froze.
"Describe it."
Yu Ren's hands trembled. "They said… 'you found him. The subject lives. The link is active.'"
Kai's expression changed. Subtle—but it changed.
"What the hell does that mean?" Yu Ren whispered.
Kai didn't answer immediately.
Then he said, carefully, "It means someone's watching."
Yu Ren's heart dropped.
"Watching me?"
"No," Kai said slowly.
"Watching us."
---
To be continued.