The timer in Ted's vision ticked mercilessly.
*[25:12 remaining.]*
His bite wound throbbed with a cold fire that no normal injury should feel. The veins along his forearm had turned a sickly dark purple, spreading like cracks in ice. The dead infected lay at his feet in the dimly lit stairwell, its skull split open from the fire extinguisher blows. Grayish brain matter glistened under the emergency lights.
Ted's stomach twisted. Part of him, the old, human part wanted to vomit. The other part, the cold whisper growing louder in his mind, urged him forward.
"This is insane," he muttered, voice cracking. "I'm not... I can't..."
But the System didn't negotiate.
*[Reminder: Failure to complete the quest will initiate Full Decay. The Necro-Virus will claim the host completely. Become a mindless shambler or evolve. The choice is yours, Ted Harlan.]*
A fresh wave of hunger hit him. Not for the synth-food from the cafeteria. This was deeper. Primal. His senses sharpened unnaturally, he could smell the faint rot emanating from the corpse, mixed with the coppery tang of blood still dripping from his arm. And beneath that... something else. A spark of lingering energy.
Outside the stairwell door, the chaos of Neo-Horizon Academy intensified. Gunshots cracked in the distance probably security teams responding. Screams rose and fell like a broken siren. Moans and wet tearing sounds echoed closer.
Ted glanced at the door. If he ran now, he might find other survivors. Maybe medical help. But the numbness was climbing higher, and the System's warning felt too real. The pendant around his neck pulsed again, warmer now, almost encouraging.
"Damn it... just this once. To survive."
He dropped to his knees beside the body, hands shaking. The infected's head was already damaged, it wouldn't take much. Ted grabbed a jagged piece of the broken extinguisher canister, using it like a crude scoop. His mind screamed in protest, but the hunger overrode everything.
He forced himself to act quickly, blocking out the disgust. The moment he consumed the brain matter, the texture, the taste,something shifted.
A surge of cold energy flooded his body. The bite wound stopped bleeding instantly. The dark veins retreated slightly. Strength returned to his limbs.
*[Quest Completed: First Feeding]*
*[Reward Granted:]*
*Level Up! You are now Level 1 (Necrotic Host - Stage 1)*
*+5 to all base stats*
*Skill Unlocked: Basic Undead Regeneration (Passive - Low)*
*Necro Essence +20*
The blue text flashed brightly. Ted felt his body change in subtle ways. The pain dulled to a manageable ache. His vision cleared, colors sharper even in the poor lighting. He flexed his fingers, the bite marks were closing, flesh knitting together at a visible rate, though the skin remained paler than before.
**Updated Status:**
**Host: Ted Harlan**
**Level: 1**
**Strength: 12**
**Agility: 14**
**Vitality: 16**
**Necro Essence: 20**
**Skills:**
- Basic Undead Regeneration (Passive): Slowly restores health over time. Accelerated by consuming necro-energy. Drawback: Increased hunger if overused.
**Passive:** Hunger Sense (Basic) - Detect nearby life force or infected within 20 meters.
Ted stared at the window, breathing heavily. "It... worked." He touched his arm. The wound was now just a faint scar, already fading. But the hunger hadn't vanished, it had merely quieted, waiting.
A new notification appeared.
*[Daily Quest Unlocked: Feed the Hunger]*
*Absorb necro-energy from 3 Infected (killing or partial consumption counts). Must remain undetected by survivors.*
*Reward: +15 Necro Essence, minor random stat boost.*
*Failure: Hunger Frenzy debuff (stats -30% for 24 hours, risk of losing control).*
*Timer: Resets at midnight.*
"Undetected..." Ted whispered. That meant no witnesses. No one could see him like this.
He stood up, testing his new strength. He felt lighter, faster. Picking up the fire extinguisher again, it felt less heavy in his grip. The System wasn't making him a superhero yet, he was still far from the Awakened bullies like Marcus, but it was something. A fighting chance.
The stairwell door rattled. Ted froze.
Moans filtered through. At least two infected on the other side, drawn by the noise earlier.
He could run upward, try to reach the roof or higher floors where survivors might gather. Or...
Hunger Sense pinged faintly. Two weak life-force signatures, no, not life. Infected signatures, cold and pulsing with that same necro-energy.
Ted's jaw tightened. If he wanted to level up, if he wanted to stay in control, he needed more essence. Hiding forever wouldn't work.
Gripping the makeshift weapon, he eased the door open a crack.
The hallway beyond was a nightmare. Overturned lockers, blood smears on the walls, a few bodies, some still moving weakly. Two infected shambled aimlessly, former students in torn academy uniforms. One had half its face missing.
Ted's heart raced, but the new regeneration kept his breathing steady. He slipped out quietly, sticking to the shadows.
The first one turned toward him too slowly. Ted moved faster than he expected, agility boost already showing. He swung hard, caving in the skull with a single decisive blow. Before the body hit the ground, he quickly absorbed what he could, the System greedily converting it.
*[Necro Essence +8]*
One down.
The second infected lunged with more speed. Ted dodged, barely. Its nails raked his shoulder, tearing fabric but only grazing skin. He countered with a kick, stronger than any he'd ever delivered, sending it crashing into the wall. Another strike finished it.
*[Necro Essence +7]*
*[Daily Quest Progress: 2/3]*
Ted wiped his hands on his pants, disgusted but focused. The hunger eased further. He felt... better. Almost good.
But voices approached from the far end of the corridor.
"Clear this section! Survivors, call out if you're alive!"
Security team, three armed guards in tactical gear, rifles up, flashlights cutting through the dim emergency lighting. One of them spotted the fresh corpses Ted had just dealt with.
"More of them here. Looks like someone fought back."
Ted ducked behind a row of lockers, pulse quickening. If they saw him with blood on his hands, or noticed how fast his wounds healed...
He held his breath. One guard walked closer, boots crunching on debris.
"Come on," Ted thought. "Just pass by..."
The guard paused near the bodies, then continued. "Probably students who got lucky. Let's move to the next block. Command says the main shelter is holding for now."
They passed without noticing him in the shadows.
Ted exhaled slowly. Close call.
*[Daily Quest Progress: 2/3. One more needed. Be careful, Host. Exposure risks everything.]*
He needed one more infected, but the floor was getting dangerous. Gunfire echoed from below, the outbreak was worsening rapidly. Neo-Horizon City wasn't just facing a school incident; this was spreading city-wide.
Ted checked his status again. Level 1 felt like a start, but he knew it wasn't enough. Not against whatever this virus truly was. Not against people like Marcus, who were probably already using their enhancements to carve a path to safety.
And not against the growing voice in his head that wondered how much "human" he still was.
He slipped toward a side stairwell leading down, riskier, but more infected likely there. One more feeding, then find a way to blend in with survivors. Pretend to be normal. Hide the System. Hide the changes.
The pendant pulsed once more against his chest, as if agreeing.
As Ted descended, a new System message appeared faintly at the edge of his vision.
*[Main Quest Line Initiated: Rise Among the Fallen]*
*Objective: Reach Level 10 before the city fully collapses.*
*Reward: Unknown evolution path.*
The apocalypse had begun, and Ted Harlan was no longer just an ordinary student.
He was something new.
Something hungry.