Smoke drifted over the ruins.
Liam stood frozen, heart pounding, breath ragged. The monster at his feet lay still, black blood steaming where it soaked into the cracked ground. Its massive claw was severed, lying a few feet away like a fallen tree limb.
He couldn't look away from it.
One moment, he had been running for his life. The next, a sword had appeared in his hand, and he had moved like someone else... someone faster, stronger… deadlier.
The woman watched him from a few steps away, her own sword lowered but ready.
"You killed it," she said.
Liam's hands still trembled. The sword he had wielded had vanished, fading into red sparks...
But the strength it gave him hadn't faded. His limbs felt lighter, his senses sharper... he could hear the crackle of fire beyond the walls, and even Rena's breathing seemed loud in his ears. It was like something inside him had been rewired.
"I didn't mean to," he said.
She took a cautious step closer.
"You used a system skill. I saw it. That wasn't normal."
Liam nodded slowly, not trusting himself to speak. His mind was still trying to catch up.
He remembered the monster charging him. He remembered the system's voice screaming at him to confirm something. Then the sword had appeared, and instinct had taken over.
And now… this.
> [System Alert]
First Kill Confirmed
Power Level Increased
Skill Unlocked: Blade Storm I
Cooldown: 60 seconds
First Wife Acquired: Rena
Bond Level: 5%
Territory Gained: Mall Fortress (Level 1)
Safe Zone Radius: 100 meters
Note: Increase bond to access system upgrades.
Bond Progression: Higher bond levels unlock advanced skills, shared abilities, and increased survival bonuses.
Liam blinked at the glowing text in his mind.
Wife?
His eyes flicked to the woman. She was watching him closely, her expression unreadable.
"Rena?" he said.
She nodded once.
"That's my name. And now, thanks to your system, I belong to you."
She said it flatly, but there was an edge in her voice... resentment, maybe. Liam didn't blame her. If their roles were reversed, he'd feel the same.
Liam stepped back, shaking his head.
"No. That's not… I didn't want that. I didn't even know what I was agreeing to."
Rena didn't move.
"It doesn't matter. The bond is active. I felt it. The system doesn't wait for permission. It chose me, and it chose you."
He opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out.
"What does this mean?" he asked instead. "What happens now?"
Rena turned away and gestured toward the mall ruins nearby.
"We find shelter before more monsters show up. Follow me."
Liam hesitated, glancing once more at the monster's corpse, then followed.
They crossed the open ground quickly. Fires still burned in places, casting flickering shadows against the broken walls. The air smelled of smoke, blood, and something foul... something rotten.
Liam stayed close behind her. He didn't know her, didn't trust her, but she had survived this world longer than him. That counted for something.
They entered the mall through a shattered side door. Inside, it was dark, but his eyes adjusted quickly. The system's energy seemed to linger here. Lines of faint light traced the walls and floor, forming patterns like veins beneath the surface.
"This way," Rena said.
She led him down a narrow corridor, past collapsed ceilings and overturned shelves, until they reached a security office. The door was cracked, but it still worked. She pushed it open and stepped inside.
Liam followed, shutting the door behind him.
The room was small but intact. A desk, a few chairs, some shelves with supplies. Rena moved to a corner and dropped her sword.
"You can relax," she said. "We're safe here. For now."
Liam stayed standing.
"I need answers."
"Then listen carefully," Rena said. "This place... your system's claimed it. That means monsters can't cross the boundary without a fight, but it won't last. Safe zones get tested. Always."
Rena glanced at him.
"You can start asking questions..."
He took a breath.
"What's happening to me? What is this system? Why did it choose you?"
She sat on the desk, arms crossed.
"You're new. Fresh. That system in your head gives you power, but it needs fuel. That fuel is me... or others like me."
Liam frowned.
"You're saying I have to… claim people?"
She shrugged.
"If you want to survive, yes. The more bonds you form, the stronger you get. The system gives you skills, territory, control. But it costs."
Liam rubbed his face.
"This is insane."
Rena didn't argue.
"Maybe. But it's real."
Liam stepped to the window. Outside, the mall grounds shimmered. The broken buildings had begun to shift, walls repairing, barricades forming. A dome of faint energy now covered the area.
The system was changing the world around him.
And he didn't know why.
Liam stared through the cracked window.
The mall's outer walls were shifting... broken concrete sliding into place, rebar twisting like roots as it reformed the perimeter. Soft blue light pulsed at the edges, outlining what looked like a dome, faint but visible. His system had done that.
He didn't know how. He didn't know why.
But it was his now.
He turned back to Rena, who was checking the shelves inside the small security office. She pulled out a water canteen and took a drink before tossing it to him.
Liam caught it, unscrewed the cap, and drank deeply. It was warm, but clean.
"Where are we?" he asked, wiping his mouth.
"This was Mall District Five," Rena said. "One of the safe zones before everything collapsed. Now it's just ruins."
"But the system… it's rebuilding it."
"Your system," she corrected. "Not mine."
Liam set the canteen down.
"You said others have systems too."
Rena nodded.
"Some. Most people died when the world fell. The ones who didn't either got lucky, or they got systems like yours. Different types. Combat. Territory. Taming. But I've never seen one like yours."
Liam frowned.
"What's different about mine?"
She met his eyes.
"Bonding. Claiming people. Turning ruins into territory. That's advanced. Dangerous, too."
He crossed his arms.
"What do you mean?"
Rena looked out the window.
"People kill for less. If someone finds out you have a system like this, they'll hunt you. Or worse, they'll try to steal it."
Liam shook his head.
"No one's taking anything from me."
A silence stretched between them.
Rena finally spoke again.
"I don't know where you came from. I don't know why your system chose me. But if we're bonded, then we survive together. That's the only rule now."
Liam nodded slowly.
"Then we make this work."
> [System Alert]
Bond Status: Active
Wife: Rena
Bond Level: 8%
New Feature Unlocked: Territory Defense (Basic)
Auto-Repair Active
Resource Scan: Initiated
Liam blinked at the text.
"The system… it's upgrading this place."
Rena stood beside him, watching the light pulse across the walls.
"Good. That means we have a base. For now."
Another alert flickered behind his eyes.
> [Next Target Identified]
Candidate: Ice Queen
Zone: North Wastes
Danger Level: SSS
Time Limit: 24 Hours to First Contact
Liam felt the tension rise in his chest.
"The Ice Queen? Danger level SSS?"
Rena's expression hardened.
"She's not someone you want to meet unprepared..."
... She's a legend out here. Frozen zones follow wherever she goes. Some say she commands beasts made of ice and bone. No one's survived a fight with her. Not alone."
Liam exhaled slowly.
"I have to. The system's forcing me."
Rena paced the room.
"Then we get you ready. Fast. You need more than one skill to survive that. And I need you alive if I'm stuck with you."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Touched by your concern."
She gave him a sharp look.
"Don't get used to it."
Liam almost smiled.
Almost.
Outside, the wind picked up. The sound of distant screeches echoed through the ruins. Rena moved to the door, peering into the dark hallway.
"We're not alone out here. And your system's activity probably attracted attention."
Liam stepped beside her.
"What kind?"
"Hunters. Raiders. Other system users. Take your pick."
He tightened his grip on the sword hilt that now shimmered faintly at his side. The weapon hadn't fully faded. It was waiting.
"So what now?"
Rena looked at him.
"Now, we prepare. Tomorrow, you hunt the Ice Queen. Tonight, we survive."
Liam nodded, his grip tightening on the hilt. He had a day to prepare for a nightmare... and maybe, just maybe, to turn this cursed system into something he could control.