The silence inside the control room stretched, heavy and thick.
Yu Ren sat slumped against the far wall, legs sprawled, arms resting on his knees. His crowbar lay beside him, damp with something he didn't want to identify. Across from him, Kai checked his side, peeling back blood-soaked cloth to inspect the wound he'd taken during their earlier scuffle with the crawler.
"Still bleeding?" Yu Ren asked, voice low.
Kai gave a quiet grunt of acknowledgment. "Not as bad. The system is slowing it. But infection's likely. We'll need supplies at H7-B."
Yu Ren stared up at the ceiling. It was cracked open in places, water dripping steadily down from rusted pipes. Every creak made him flinch.
He hated this. The constant dread. The silence that followed chaos, as if the world were holding its breath just to see what would kill them next.
He tapped his interface.
Status: Stable
[Survivor's Instinct II] Active
Mental Load: Moderate
Inventory: Crowbar (Worn), Knife (Utility), 2x Nutrient Ration (Poor Quality), 1x Flashlight (Half-Charge), 3x Binding Tape
System Tip: Consider rest. Cognitive performance degrading. Minor hallucinations possible if threshold exceeded.
Yu Ren squinted. "Hallucinations, huh. That explains why I thought the fungus winked at me earlier."
Kai looked over with a raised brow. "It wasn't hallucination."
Yu Ren sat upright. "I'm sorry, what?"
Kai pointed at a dark purple smear on the wall. "That species mimics human expressions. Defense mechanism. Or hunting tactic. No one's sure."
Yu Ren's skin crawled. "This planet sucks."
"We're still on Earth," Kai reminded him.
"Then Earth sucks."
Kai gave a faint smile and adjusted the torn fabric around his torso.
Yu Ren hesitated. Then he stood, dug around in his pack, and tossed over his last binding tape roll. "Here. Use this."
Kai caught it mid-air with practiced ease. "You'll be out of supplies."
"You're bleeding," Yu Ren said. "And I'd rather not haul your dead body through a death tunnel."
Kai looked up, studying him for a moment, then nodded once. "Thanks."
They didn't talk after that. Not for a while.
---
It took another hour to reach the outer perimeter of the H7-B zone.
According to the updated system map, they were now beneath what used to be the Administrative District—a place once packed with high-security offices, disaster shelters, and logistical command posts. H7-B was registered as a secondary safehouse, possibly prepped with low-tier defense measures and emergency protocols.
Yu Ren wasn't optimistic.
They reached the sealed door an hour later.
It looked intact.
A wide steel barrier stood embedded into the transit corridor, nearly three meters tall and covered in dark scorch marks and old bullet impacts. Faded paint still read:
EMERGENCY SAFEHOUSE – H7-B
Entry Requires Level-3 Clearance
Power Status: STANDBY
Yu Ren stepped forward, eyeing the dusty panel beside the door. It blinked to life at his touch.
Power Detected – Auxiliary Battery
Clearance Check: [INCOMPLETE]
Emergency Override Available – Skill Required
"System," Yu Ren said aloud, "can I override the door?"
SKILL CHECK: [System Integration – Basic]
Success Rate: 29%
Tools Required: Multitool Interface or Equivalent
Yu Ren groaned. "And what if I just… kick it?"
Kai, standing beside him, shook his head. "That's a blast-sealed door. We're not kicking anything open."
Yu Ren stared at the terminal. "Then we need a tool. Something to connect."
Kai glanced at his gear, then frowned. "My port interface is damaged. It got hit in the Observer attack."
"Then we're locked out."
"Unless…" Kai trailed off, then looked at Yu Ren. "You said the system upgraded your class after we escaped the lower levels, right?"
Yu Ren blinked. "Uh, yeah. I think so."
"Try again. Now."
Yu Ren nodded and focused. He reached toward the panel and tapped into the system with his mind, calling up his interface. A new option shimmered briefly.
Hidden Trait Unlocked
[Instinctive Interface Link] – Basic
Description: Enables raw, low-level handshake with pre-Fall systems. High risk of error.
Warning: May cause feedback or mental strain.
Attempt Override?
[Yes] [No]
Yu Ren swallowed.
Then tapped [Yes].
The screen pulsed. His vision flickered, as if the hallway lights dimmed. A cold current ran up his spine.
> Connecting...
Identifying user...
Identity Fragment Detected: [Error: Record Corrupt]
Proceeding with Partial Clearance...
EMERGENCY ACCESS GRANTED
Safehouse H7-B Unlocking…
With a loud clang, the massive door creaked and began to open.
Yu Ren stumbled back, panting.
Kai caught his shoulder. "You okay?"
"Fine," Yu Ren gasped. "That just… felt like sticking a fork in a socket."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't have been able to do that. That interface class—it's supposed to be rare."
Yu Ren rubbed his temples. "Maybe I'm just special."
They stepped through.
—
The inside of Safehouse H7-B was… intact.
Dusty. Dim. But intact.
Metal walls lined with faded yellow stripes curved into a circular hallway, which split into several chambers. Emergency lighting glowed overhead. No mold. No blood. No mutated limbs.
It was the first place they'd seen in weeks that didn't look like a war crime.
Yu Ren nearly cried.
A voice crackled overhead.
SYSTEM ONLINE
Welcome, User [ERROR]. Emergency protocol in effect.
Survivors detected: 2
Medical facilities unlocked.
Power level: 42%
Food storage: 17% capacity
Water filtration: ACTIVE
AI assistance: LIMITED
Kai exhaled. "We made it."
Yu Ren gave a shaky smile. "First bath, then food. Then maybe I'll finally sleep without a dead thing breathing in my ear."
They wandered through the chambers, checking each section. A small medical bay still had sealed medkits. Bunk rooms were dusty but usable. Even the mess hall had a few sealed protein bars and—miraculously—canned coffee.
Kai tossed one to Yu Ren.
"Catch."
Yu Ren fumbled it but grinned. "This might be the happiest moment of my life."
Kai cracked his open and leaned against the wall. "We rest here. A day, maybe two. Then plan the next move."
Yu Ren looked up from the can. "You really think there's more? After this?"
Kai didn't answer immediately.
Then, quietly, he said, "There's always more."
The lights overhead flickered, and somewhere deep in the system, another pulse ran through Yu Ren's interface.
NEW OBJECTIVE UNLOCKED
[Locate Project Halcyon Site-0]
Reward:Unknown
Risk Level: Undisclosed
Note: The stars remember what the earth has forgotten.
Yu Ren stared at it.
Halcyon.
He didn't know what that was. But somehow, he had the feeling everything was about to get worse.
Again.
---
To be continued.