Seeing the shelter, the house wasn't big—more like an apartment. The door was made of steel, and the windows were covered with planks of wood, though light still managed to seep through.
With the lights on, staying here seemed like the best idea. In an unknown area where I could be killed at any moment, this was far better.
Sitting down, I remained alert. There was only silence and darkness, where you could barely see anything. Anything farther than ten meters was just a blur.
As I sat waiting for morning to come, I felt that familiar boredom. But having wasted most of my time on games and sleep in my previous life, this was nothing new.
I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't. I still needed to be on guard. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a humanoid creature again—but this one was different.
It looked like a child, its head twisted and bearing a creepy smile that sent a shiver down my spine.
It had a very long nose, and its hands were made of knives. In one of them, it held a severed head.
It was gruesome. The head was still fresh. The creature had only one leg, yet it looked extremely fast.
The rest of its body resembled wood. My face twisted in horror as it looked in my direction.
Trying to calm myself with slow breaths, I noticed it getting closer and closer. When it was just a few meters away, the light began to flicker.
The light dimmed more and more, but the humanoid creature didn't stop.
However, its movements began to slow the closer it came, as if it were hesitating.
Even though the light seemed to be fading, it was still strong—almost as if someone was controlling it.
Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a muscular, beautiful woman wearing a crop top. Her face was striking, though scarred, and her long hair cascaded over her shoulders.
In her hand was a green ball, no bigger than a piece of candy.
She threw it at the creature. It exploded silently, just enough to kill it without drawing attention.
She looked at me, her face filled with confusion and interest.
Her voice, deep and alluring, asked, "How are you still alive?"
My face twitched slightly, remembering I had already died once. "Maybe luck. Miss, can you help me out here?"
Honestly, I was shocked by the weapon she had just used. A silent bomb, so small yet so powerful.
Her beautiful face twisted into a mocking smile. "Why would I help a stranger?"
Sighing helplessly, I made up a story about living in an underground bunker, running out of food, and coming out to explore without knowing anything.
She nodded, clearly not believing it fully, but still gestured for me to enter her home.
Her place was filled with weapons, bombs, and many blue, ore-like stones.
Sitting on the ground, I asked, "Can you at least give me a general idea of what's going on?"
She sat in a chair. Her body wasn't huge, but she was clearly muscular. If not for her strong presence, she could easily be considered sexy.
She introduced herself as Lorraine, and I introduced myself as Cyrus.
She spoke in a low voice. "There's a lot to cover. Let's start with mutations. Most of the people who are still alive have been mutated. Some gain super strength or speed."
She continued, "There are more bizarre abilities. I'm mutated too. I have the strength of an elephant."
My jaw dropped, but I tried to keep a straight face and listened.
She pointed at the blue ores. "They produce light that kills most monsters when they get close—but the light fades over time."
"And don't get any ideas—I'm not babysitting you. You've got arms and legs; survive on your own. But since you look helpless, I'll give you a little push." She handed me a piece of bread that looked fine and edible.
I smiled gratefully, nodding at her every word. "Then I'll stay here for the night. Thanks."
Finding someone kind in a world like this was rare. And to give me food—I was truly grateful.
She nodded, a bit cold. "Hmm. There are about three more hours until morning. Nights last sixteen hours. Mornings only about eight."
I nodded. It felt normal, considering how long the nights were in my first life. I'd spent hours just looking for shelter.
She continued giving me information. There was a gang called the Phantoms.
They were cruel and showed no mercy. If ordered, they'd carry out tasks without hesitation.
All of them had mutated and usually took over the city during daylight hours.
She also taught me about the armory and how to get ores from mining around the cave which the location is far away and monster also lurks inside the bigger the stronger the ore.
Their technology was also very advanced—like the silent grenade she used earlier.
After about an hour, she let me rest. I slept on the floor.
In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed. She woke me up. I was still tired, but through sheer determination, I got up. I ate the bread—it wasn't much, but it was enough.
She gave me fresh water too. Then I left.
Eventually, I saw some people, but most looked ruined—shells of who they once were. Lorraine was the most normal person I'd met so far.
I didn't speak to anyone. I just focused on finding a shelter. I had eight hours of daylight to build or find one.
My eyes grew colder with focus. I realized building a shelter would take too long.
I explored the area around my spawn point. Not far away, I found a house. Its door was open, and inside was an old man, clearly on his deathbed.
My gaze turned cold. He didn't seem cautious. When he stepped out, I slipped in.
Inside, I saw an axe. My heartbeat quickened. I grabbed it, gripping it tightly.
Hours passed. My body trembled, but there was no hesitation in my eyes. I had to be ruthless to survive.
I waited behind the door, axe ready. When the old man returned, I struck.
The axe slashed across his neck, and his eyes widened in fear and shock as he was beheaded. But something strange happened.
He smiled—as if relieved.
I collapsed, clutching the axe as his head hit the floor with a smile still on his face.
In his hand was a pack of jerky—three packs total. Around the house, I found enough supplies to survive seven weeks.
There were seven bottles of fresh water and a few blue ores.
I vomited from the horror of what I'd done. My mind spun in chaos, but I pulled myself together. I needed to survive.
Ruthlessness was a requirement now.
As I touched the warm corpse, a system notification appeared:
[Would the host like to absorb the mutation power from this corpse?]
Surprised, I nodded. The corpse's blood and head vanished into my palm—like it had never existed.
Unfortunately, I didn't gain the mutation.
[You have absorbed a corpse with a mutation. 100 points added.]
I tried to buy a lottery ticket, but nothing happened. When I asked about the tickets, the system replied:
[Bronze Ticket – 10 points
Scrap Ticket – 100 points
Black Ticket – 1,000 points
Silver Ticket – 10,000 points
Golden Ticket – 100,000 points
Diamond Ticket – 1,000,000 points
Ruby Ticket – 10,000,000 points]
[Host may only purchase one ticket per loop]