From Weakest to Building a System That Made the World a Game

Chapter 5: Red Hollow

The barrier sealed shut behind them with a sharp crackle, fading into silence.

The squad spread out onto the ruined street, their boots crunching over glass and rubble. The weight of the Zone pressed down on them — heavy and laced with Aether. Every breath carried a stale dampness, like the place had been sealed off for centuries.

Hart's voice crackled over their comms, clipped as always.

"Stick together, no glory runs and remember, survival is always the priority. Are you clear?"

"Yes, Sergeant," the squad echoed. Their voices were uneven, some tight with nerves, and others forcing confidence.

Daniel adjusted the strap of his pack. He didn't bother replying, even at this stage he hadn't interacted much with his squad mates. He instead focused more on the ruins ahead and the information he could glean from them.

The formation settled quickly: Owen up front, armored plates clinking as he marched like he owned the street. Kade swaggered a few steps behind, rifle swung loose, with the same usual smirk plastered on his face. You could almost forget they were already in a danger zone.

Sera walked in the middle, Tomas close behind her, clutching his drone case like a lifeline. Maya hovered a step behind Owen, rifle ready, scanning rooftops and alleys with steady focus.

Owen muttered loud enough for all to hear. "First one to drop a feral owes us drinks."

Kade snorted. "You'll be broke before we're halfway in. Or dead. Same thing."

Owen slowed just enough to glare over his shoulder. "Say that again, pretty boy."

"You heard me."

Before fists could fly, Daniel cut in. "Keep shouting. You'll draw them quicker."

The words stopped them cold. Even Kade shut up, though his smirk didn't fade.

Sera gave Daniel a brief, approving glance, then turned forward again. "Eyes up. If the Zone's this quiet, it's because something's waiting."

Tomas's voice cracked. "Waiting? You mean they can hear us already?"

"They can smell us already," Maya said. Her tone was level, though the words seemed meant for Daniel. "What about you? You think we make it back?"

Daniel's gaze met hers for a second before he looked away. "If we're careful, maybe. If we're not… you've seen the walls."

She didn't press, only gave the faintest hint of amusement in her voice. "Fair enough."

The squad moved further into Red Hollow.

The streets looked like a warzone that never ended. Buildings leaned against each other, broken and half-collapsed, their frames barely holding. Roads split wide where Aether storms had ripped through. Ash and scraps of paper swirled in the air, stirred by a wind that never settled. The silence carried its own threat, the air warped with faint distortions.

This was what Wild Zones did. Where Aether storms hit hardest, they twisted the land itself and everything that lived inside it.

Half a block in, the first reminder waited for them.

Shredded packs. Armor plates scored deep with claws. A rifle bent clean in two. Blood dried on a wall in a single handprint, dragged downward.

Sera knelt and brushed away dust from the markings. "This was recent," she murmured.

Tomas's throat bobbed. "The last squad…"

Kade smirked, though it faltered at the edges. "Guess they weren't good enough."

Daniel studied the wall. His voice was low, almost to himself. "The claws raked down, not up. They weren't fighting when it hit. They were dragged."

Maya's eyes fixed on him this time. Not surprised by his deduction, but still measuring him.

Hart's voice broke in through the comms. "Keep moving. If you want to join them, stay still."

The squad obeyed, but the mood shifted. Even Kade's smirk dulled, his rifle tucked tighter to his shoulder.

Then came the first growl.

Low and guttural, coming from the alley to their right.

Another came from ahead.

The squad froze.

Shadows moved. Shapes slinking free of rubble. Ferals.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. He'd read about them, seen them from afar. But up close, they were worse.

They had started as dogs. Maybe wolves. The Zone had twisted them into something else entirely. Limbs too long, joints bent at angles that didn't fit. Muscle pulled thin under patchy fur. Jaws split wide with too many teeth. Eyes burning with hunger that wasn't natural.

Tomas whispered, "Gods…"

Owen gripped his pipe in both hands, holding it ready. "Finally."

Daniel's breath slowed. He watched them, every twitch of muscle, the way they fanned out in a curve.

"Left," he said, voice steady. "Three of them. They'll hit first."

Kade scoffed. "You playing scout now—"

The ferals lunged from the left. Exactly as Daniel said.

Chaos hit all at once.

Owen roared and swung his pipe in a brutal arc, smashing one into a wall with bone-crunching force. Sera's rifle fired, the shot precise, punching a clean hole through another's skull.

Tomas scrambled to release his drone. The machine shot up into the air, lights sweeping the street, beeping rapid warnings as it tracked movement.

Kade laughed as his rifle thundered, rounds chewing through a third feral in a spray of blackened blood. "Now we're talking!"

Daniel didn't fight hardest, but he fought smartest. He yanked Tomas back an instant before claws slashed where the boy had been standing. He shouted to Owen — "Duck!" — just in time for Sera's bullet to clear the space over his shoulder. He shifted with precision, filling gaps in the chaos, positioning himself where the others' recklessness left them open.

Maya's burst dropped another feral cleanly, her rifle held firm. Her storm-grey eyes caught Daniel's in mid-motion — surprise flashing there, brief but clear.

But the pack wasn't finished.

More shadows slithered free of the rubble. Growls multiplied, vibrating against the walls. Dozens of yellow eyes gleamed in the dark.

Hart's voice snapped sharp across comms. "Formation! Hold the line!"

The squad tightened ranks, backs nearly touching. Tomas's drone whirred frantic overhead, lights marking too many targets to count.

Kade's smirk finally cracked. "That… that's a lot."

Owen spat on the ground and hefted his pipe. "Good. I like it this way."

Sera muttered under her breath, "Idiot."

The growls swelled into a chorus, claws scraping concrete. The ferals circled tighter, their shapes sliding in and out of shadow.

Daniel's pulse didn't spike. Fear never hit first, calculation did. He tracked their movements, counted their rhythm, marked where they'd strike.

The squad braced.

And then the street erupted as the pack charged from every side.