2025-06-24 18:19:40Lucas jogged down the street, pipe in hand, breath heavy in his throat. The city around him looked like a war zone—broken signs, shattered windows, overturned cars. Smoke rose in the distance. Fires burned in silence.
His system beeped again.
[Time Left Until Nightfall: 04:17:42]
He had less than five hours to find shelter. And nightfall? It felt like death itself.
Every few steps, he glanced around. One mistake could bring a swarm of those things.
He turned a corner and spotted an old gas station. The glass doors were broken, but the walls still stood. He crept closer, pipe raised. No sound.
Inside, dust covered everything. Broken shelves, empty fridges, candy wrappers blown across the floor. But no movement.
Lucas stepped inside slowly, alert.
[Location Discovered: Broken Fuel Point]
[Loot Chance: Medium]
He searched quickly. Behind the counter, he found a flashlight with low battery, a lighter, and a half-eaten granola bar. He stuffed the items in his backpack.
Then, he heard it.
A low growl. Close.
He spun around. A crawler—its legs twisted, body half-decomposed—dragged itself from behind a shelf.
Lucas stepped back, heart pounding.
The thing hissed and lunged.
He swung hard, hitting its skull with a loud crack. It dropped, twitching, then went still.
[+30 EXP Gained]
[Painkillers Found x1]
[Infection Level: 0%]
“Not today,” he muttered.
He cleaned the pipe and checked his system screen.
[Health: 68/100]
[Energy: 51%]
Still holding together, but not for long.
Outside, clouds were gathering. The air grew colder. Time was running out.
He moved fast, avoiding open roads, sticking close to walls and alleyways. Every sound made him flinch.
Finally, he saw it.
A small apartment building—mostly intact. Metal gate out front. A “Help Us” sign hung from the window.
Lucas checked his system.
[Shelter Chance: High]
[Danger Level: Unknown]
He approached slowly, pushing the gate open with a creak. Inside the courtyard, dried blood marked the ground, but no bodies.
He climbed the stairs, careful with every step.
On the third floor, he found a door slightly open.
Lucas pushed it with the end of his pipe.
Creak.
Silence.
He entered.
The room looked untouched. A couch, a broken TV, books on the floor. Curtains moved slightly with the wind.
He checked each room. Empty.
Then he found it—a locked bedroom door. Scratches all over it. Deep claw marks.
He stared at it.
His system chimed.
[Warning: Possible Threat Behind Door]
[Decision Time: Open or Leave?]
Lucas tightened his grip on the pipe. "Let’s end this."
He kicked the door.
The wood cracked and swung open.
Inside, the room was dark. The smell hit him instantly—death, rot, and blood.
A woman sat on the floor, head hanging low, hair covering her face.
She twitched.
Lucas took a step back.
"Are... are you okay?"
She raised her head.
Her eyes were blood red.
Then she screamed and charged.
Lucas had no time to think. He blocked with the pipe, fell back, rolled away.
She moved fast—too fast.
He swung again and again.
She clawed his arm.
[Damage Taken: -12 HP]
He kicked her into the wall, then slammed the pipe down on her head with all his strength.
She dropped.
Silent.
Lucas panted, chest heaving.
[+120 EXP Gained]
[Special Infected Eliminated – Level 2]
[Key Item Found: Survivor’s Journal]
He looked at his bleeding arm. The system scanned him.
[Infection Level: 0% – No Exposure Detected]
Relief.
He sat down, wiped his face, and opened the journal.
Inside were pages of drawings, maps, and writings.
“The city fell fast. They said it was a virus, but it felt like something more. We tried to escape. Some of us mutated. I locked myself here. I’m losing control. If anyone finds this... survive. Find Safe Zone Echo. Don’t trust the military. They're hiding something.”
Lucas closed the journal.
He had a direction now—Safe Zone Echo.
But no trust left in anyone.
He checked his system:
[Mission Completed: Find Shelter Before Nightfall]
[Bonus Unlocked: Survivor’s Journal – Clue to Main Storyline]
[Level Up: 1 ➤ 2]
Stats increased.
Health: 80/100
Strength: +2
Speed: +1
Energy: +10%
Infection Resistance: +5%
He laid back on the couch, exhausted.
Outside, the sky turned red.
Night had come.
But for now, he had shelter.
Lucas didn’t sleep much.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw red eyes and screaming faces. The infected woman from the bedroom haunted his thoughts. Her scream, her speed… it wasn’t natural.
He sat by the window, flashlight off, staring at the dark streets below. Fires flickered in the distance. Sirens no longer screamed. The city was truly dead.
His system blinked softly.
[Nighttime Status: Safe Shelter Located]
[Current Buff: +10% Rested Energy Recovery]
He’d made it through the first day. Barely.
But tomorrow?
He knew it would be worse.
His stomach growled.
He pulled out the half-eaten granola bar and chewed slowly. It wasn’t enough. He needed supplies—food, water, batteries, and something stronger than a rusty pipe.
And then there was the journal.
“Find Safe Zone Echo…”
He turned its pages again. A map was sketched in rough pencil—highlighting a subway tunnel that could lead out of the dead zone. But it was days away.
His system chimed.
[New Objective Unlocked: Reach Subway Tunnel – Sector 12]
[Distance: 3.4 km – Estimated Danger: High]
He closed the book and stood up, stretching his arms.
Suddenly, something howled in the distance.
Not human. Not like the moans of regular infected.
This was... guttural. Deep. Loud.
Then another howl answered. Closer.
Lucas froze.
His system beeped again.
[New Threat Detected: “Howlers” – Pack-Based Mutants]
[Warning: Avoid Engagement at Night]
His heart raced. He backed away from the window and turned off the system screen.
Silence.
Then…
Clink.
Metal hit the ground outside the apartment.
Clank. Clank.
Heavy footsteps. Fast. Coordinated.
He moved quickly, grabbing his backpack and flashlight, staying low.
Something was out there. And it wasn’t alone.
Suddenly, the building shook. Something slammed into the front gate.
BOOM!
Lucas fell to the floor as dust rained from the ceiling.
Another howl—this one deafening.
He peeked through the crack of the apartment door.
Shadowy figures sprinted into the building courtyard. They moved on all fours, muscles rippling under stretched gray skin. Eyes glowing faint blue.
Howlers.
He locked the apartment door and shoved the couch against it.
[Lockdown Mode Activated – Noise Suppression: Enabled]
He could barely breathe. The system kept pinging with red alerts.
[Hostiles Nearby: 4]
[Stealth Recommended]
But one of them was already climbing the stairs.
He heard nails scratching the hallway floor. The sound of something sniffing.
Closer. Closer.
Then—THUMP—a loud impact hit the apartment door.
Lucas held his breath.
Another THUMP. Then claws scraping the wood.
The thing knew he was in there.
Lucas turned to the bedroom. Maybe he could escape out the window?
But as he stepped toward it, he heard another sound—this time inside the walls.
A quiet voice.
Whispering.
“Don’t move… They can’t see if you don’t move…”
Lucas froze.
He looked around.
No one. No voice. Just him.
The whisper came again—faint and inhuman.
“Don’t... move...”
Then silence.
The creature at the door sniffed again… then stopped scratching.
Lucas dared to peek through the peephole.
Nothing.
But just as he backed away, the ceiling cracked above him—and the beast dropped straight through.
He dove aside as the floor exploded in splinters.
The howler stood up, over six feet tall, head twitching side to side. Its arms were long, ending in knife-like claws. Its mouth hung open, teeth dripping with black ooze.
Lucas didn’t wait.
He threw a chair at it and ran toward the kitchen.
The creature lunged, crashing into walls, shrieking.
He ducked under the sink and kicked open a small service door leading into the maintenance ducts.
Too tight for the howler.
He crawled through the space, metal groaning under his weight. Behind him, the howler howled again, furious.
He crawled fast.
After what felt like hours, he emerged into another apartment.
Empty.
He collapsed on the floor, covered in dust and blood.
His system beeped.
[Escape Successful – +150 EXP]
[Level Up: 2 ➤ 3]
Strength +1
Stamina +2
Stealth +1
He wiped his face and sat against the wall, breathing heavily.
Then he saw it.
A body.
Not moving. But… not fully dead.
He approached slowly.
It was a teenage girl—maybe sixteen. Dirty, thin, but alive. Her leg was bandaged, and she held a makeshift spear.
She opened one eye.
“Back off, or I stab you.”
Lucas raised his hands. “I’m not infected. I swear.”
She didn’t lower the weapon.
“Who sent you?”
“No one. I’m surviving. Same as you.”
The girl studied him for a moment, then lowered the spear.
“I’m Riley. You?”
“Lucas.”
Riley looked him up and down. “You’ve got system access?”
Lucas nodded.
“Then you’re one of us,” she muttered. “That means you can help me get to the safe zone.”
Lucas blinked. “You know about Echo?”
She pulled a torn piece of map from her pocket. “My brother was a scout. He didn’t make it back. But he left this.”
Lucas showed her the journal. “Looks like we’re heading the same way.”
For a second, hope flickered in her eyes.
Then another howl echoed in the distance.
Riley stood up. “We move at first light.”
Lucas nodded.
They had a goal now.
But reaching Safe Zone Echo would take more than luck.
They’d have to survive the night—and everything that hunted in the dark.
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Latest Chapter
Episode 19: The Silent Dominion
The Snow Fell Like Ash In The Dim Light Of The Arctic Sky As Zeyad Stood On The Observation Deck Of Borealis Station Staring Out Over The Frozen Expanse That Seemed To Stretch Into Infinity The Wind Howled But Inside The Station The Silence Was AbsoluteLaila Joined Him Her Breath Visible In The Cold Air That Somehow Still Managed To Creep Through The Reinforced Walls Despite The Heating Systems Running At Maximum Capacity There Was A Stillness In The Station That Set Her Teeth On Edge A Stillness That Felt ManufacturedWe Should Not Be Alone Here Zeyad Said Finally His Voice Low As If Afraid To Disturb The QuietLaila Nodded I Keep Expecting A Door To Open Or A Voice To Speak Or Something But Nothing Happens This Place Feels Like A Trap Built From TimeThey Had Explored The Lower Levels Already Storage Rooms Filled With Supplies That Were Too Pristine Too Untouched Medical Bays Still Stocked With Equipment Screens That Blinked With Old Data But No Signs Of Human Life No Blood No Bodi
Episode 18: The Frost Does Not Forgive
The Sky Was Bleeding Orange As Zeyad And Laila Emerged From The Lower Sector Of Borealis Station Their Faces Covered In Frost Their Eyes Burning With Exhaustion And Fury Behind Them The Sound Of Metal Screaming Against Metal Echoed Through The Ruins Of The Northern Corridor Where The Remnants Of Another Failed Hybrid Had Just Collapsed Into Steam And BoneThey Had Come Seeking Refuge Clarity AnswersInstead They Found Secrets Buried In IceThey Moved Through The Outer Courtyard Of Borealis Station Past Dead Terminals Broken Barricades And Snow Covered Corpses That Had Long Frozen Into Statues Of Horror None Of The Lights Inside The Station Were Functioning Naturally Everything Here Ran On A Faint Internal Pulse Like A Failing Heartbeat That Refused To DieLaila Pressed Her Hand Against A Panel And The Door Shuddered Open Not With Power But With Something Else Something Like ObedienceZeyad Noticed It Too This Place Was Not Responding To Technology It Was Responding To ThemThey Stepped
Episode 17: Rebirth From Ashes
The Earth Was Quiet For The First Time In Years. The Skies, Once Filled With Smoke And Screams, Now Shimmered With The Pale Glow Of A New Dawn. What Remained Of The Hive Had Fallen. The Orbital Uplink Was Gone, Reduced To Cosmic Ash. And Zeyad Khan, The Man Who Had Set Fire To The Sky, Was A Name Whispered In Reverence Among Those Who Survived.Laila Stood Alone On The Ridge Overlooking The Charred Wreckage Of Borealis Station. Her Clothes Were Tattered, Her Face Smudged With Soot, But Her Eyes Held No Defeat. She Had Witnessed The Death Of A God And Lived. And That Made Her something more than human now—a flame carried from the brink of extinction.A Week Had Passed Since The Sky Had Burned. The Signal That Once Controlled Millions Had Gone Silent. Infected Drones, Without Their Puppet Master, Had Collapsed. Some Fled Into The Wild, feral and lost. Others simply dropped where they stood, lifeless husks. It wasn’t peace—not yet. But it was the beginning of something better.Scavenger
Episode 16: The Frozen Chamber
The Air Inside Borealis Station Was Colder Than Anything Zeyad Had Experienced Aboveground But It Was Not Just The Temperature That Chilled Him It Was The Feeling That The Entire Facility Was Holding Its Breath Waiting For Something Or Someone That Had Finally ArrivedThe Doors Closed Behind Them Without A Sound And For A Moment All He Could Hear Was His Own Breathing And The Echoing Drip Of Meltwater From The Ice-Covered Pipes OverheadLaila Kept Her Blade Drawn Her Eyes Scanning Every Corner Every Shadow As If Expecting The Walls Themselves To Open Up And Swallow Them WholeIt Did Not Feel Like A RescueIt Felt Like A Trap Dressed In SilenceThe Lights Flickered Once Then Stabilized A Pale Blue Glow That Did Little To Comfort The Unease Building In Zeyad’s Chest His HUD Flashed Faintly Attempting To Map The Interior But The Signal Interference Remained Just As Strong As It Had In The HiveThey Are Jamming Even From Here He Said Quietly Either To Laila Or Himself But She Nodded Nonet
Episode 15: Ashes Of The Forgotten
The Sky Was Painted With Fire As The Sun Rose Behind Them But The Light Felt Hollow Like It Did Not Belong To This World Anymore Zeyad Adjusted His Pack And Looked Across The Charred Landscape That Stretched Ahead Of Them The Blackened Earth Still Smoked From The Collapse Of The Hive Behind ThemLaila Walked In Silence Beside Him Her Knife Now Dried Of Blood But Still Clutched Firmly Her Fingers White From Holding It Too Tight She Had Not Slept In Thirty Hours Neither Had HeThe Interface In Zeyad’s HUD Still Glowed With That Singular MessageRemaining Node Detected Sector Forty Seven Estimated Hostile Activity MaximumThere Were No Roads Anymore No Maps To Follow Just A General Direction And A Whisper In His Mind That Pulled Him Like A Magnet Toward The Final Heartbeat Of The InfectionThey Walked For Hours Through Burnt Forests And Abandoned Fields Once Teeming With Life Now Haunted By Silence Occasionally They Passed The Crumpled Remains Of Vehicles Devoured By Nature Or Corpses Fr
Episode 14: Ghost Protocol
Darkness Had Changed.Not Just The Sky Or The Air Or The Way Shadows Moved. Zeyad Could Feel It In His Bones As They Walked Away From The Smoldering Remains Of The Hive Core. Every Step Took Them Further From What They Knew And Deeper Into A World That No Longer Followed Rules.They Had Won A Battle — But The War Was Still Breathing.Smoke Drifted From Cracks In The Earth, Carrying With It The Bitter Stench Of Burned Flesh And Chemical Ash. Laila Moved Beside Him With Her Blade Drawn, Her Face Hard As Stone But Eyes Flickering With Something More Than Fear — Determination. She Wasn’t Going To Let That Thing Die In Vain.Not Without Ending It For Good.Zeyad’s Interface Flickered Again. The Message From Before Reappeared.“Threat Persisting. Secondary Nodes Detected. Estimated Number: Three. Locations: Unknown.”A Map Glitched Open, Then Collapsed In Static.Laila Peered Over His Shoulder.“We Knocked Out The Brain,” She Said. “But There Are Still Limbs. Claws. Teeth.”Zeyad Nodded, Wi
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