The second sunrise wasn't warm. It slithered through the cracks of shattered train windows like a dying torchlight, covering dust and dried blood in a golden hue. Nobody moved for several minutes after it appeared. The survivors were awake, but no one spoke.
Aron sat near the back, watching Dan snore into the sleeve of his half-torn blazer. The train car still smelled like fear and melting plastic.
A faint ding caught his attention.
*--------------------------------------------------*
[MAIN MISSION: Leave the Wreck]
Objective: Reach the Outer Checkpoint within 60 minutes
Reward: +25 EXP, Random Item Chest
Time Remaining: 59:59
*--------------------------------------------------*
Aron flinched as the timer started.
A voice broke the silence from the center of the car.
"Alright! Everyone on your feet!"
Greg, again. He had tied his red bandana tighter and stood confidently near the broken emergency exit. "We can't stay here! Whatever attacked us is not coming alone. We move now."
No one objected. Not really. Just some shuffles, quiet groans, and rustling backpacks.
Aron didn't respond. He tapped the air, quietly bringing up his status screen.
*--------------------------------------*
[STATUS]
Name: Aron
Lv: 2
EXP: 10/500
HP: 100/100
STR: 4 | DEX: 3 | AGI: 5
DEF: 2 | PER: 7
Points Available: 0
*-----------------------------------*
He nodded slowly. Everything still matched. No new level-ups. He hadn't gained anything since last night's optional side mission.
He switched to his inventory.
*------------------------------------*
[INVENTORY]
Basic Sword (Dull, Weight 5) Cloth Shirt (Worn) Blank Phone (No signal)
* Broken Cog (Tier ??)
*------------------------------------*
Nothing useful. Nothing new.
He had gotten through the last fight on instinct, not strength. Now they were being told to leave.
His fingers twitched at the hilt of the sword he barely knew how to wield.
"I should've died last night," he muttered.
"Then stay behind and die in here," Sarah said beside him, her voice steady. She didn't sound suspicious—just practical. "But I'd prefer it if you didn't."
Aron blinked. "Right."
They stepped off the train in silence.
The world outside looked like a city, but it wasn't their city. Familiar yet wrong. It felt like someone had rebuilt downtown from memory and got half the details wrong. Cracked concrete stretched in every direction, tangled with vines that pulsed faintly like veins. Streetlights flickered in broad daylight. A distant bell rang from nowhere.
The checkpoint marker glowed faintly in their HUDs—about 300 meters away, down a fog-choked street.
They moved as a group. Sarah led the way, with Greg in the middle, shouting encouragement, while Aron brought up the rear with Dan, Yui, and Ben.
*-----------------------------------------------------------------*
[ALERT: MONSTER SIGNATURE DETECTED]
Category: Aberrant
Class: Urban Crawler
Behavior: Lurker / Ambusher
Danger Rating: Moderate
*---------------------------------------------------------------*
"Contact!" Sarah shouted.
The creature appeared near a crushed bus, dragging itself out of a manhole.
It didn't walk. It skittered.
Its limbs were too long, bone-white, and jointed backward like an insect. It had no face—only a mass of twitching tendrils where a head should've been. Its ribs were on the outside, scraping against the pavement as it moved.
Yui screamed. Ben froze.
Aron stumbled back, nearly tripping over Dan.
He couldn't move. He couldn't draw the sword. His legs felt paralyzed.
It hissed—almost like a squeal combined with a modem glitch—and lunged.
But it didn't reach him.
A flash of silver sliced through its front leg—Orochi, cutting with brutal precision. He didn't say anything. Sarah followed up, smashing its ribcage with the butt of her pipe.
The creature screeched and turned, whipping toward Yui.
Greg charged in from the side, jabbing a piece of rebar straight into its flank.
It collapsed, legs twitching.
Then it smoked.
It burned away into gray, greasy vapor.
*-----------------------------------------------*
[ABERRANT ELIMINATED]
Combat EXP awarded to: Sarah, Orochi, Greg
+0 EXP (Observer role – no contribution)
[MISSION PROGRESS: 76%]
Time Remaining: 41:28
*---------------------------------------------*
Aron could barely breathe.
His sword stayed in the sheath.
He wanted to thank them. He didn't.
They kept walking. No one mentioned what just happened.
When the checkpoint finally came into view—a glowing blue rift between two crushed office towers—everyone slowed.
The air nearby buzzed, like radio static and nerves.
Greg cleared his throat. "Okay, once we cross, the system says we'll be taken to a 'Safe Zone'... whatever that means. Everyone ready?"
No one responded. They just stepped through.
Light enveloped them.
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
[MISSION COMPLETE: Leave the Wreck]
Reward:
+25 EXP
+Item Chest: Stale Ration Pack (Use: Prevents starvation for 24 hrs)
[EXP UPDATED: 35/500]
[No Level Up]
*-----------------------------------------------------------------*
Aron emerged into the new Safe Zone—a rundown parking structure lit by flickering blue flames along the walls.
People spread out to rest. Sarah checked her weapon. Greg quickly claimed a corner and began shouting orders again.
Aron sat near Dan.
Ben walked by and muttered, "You're lucky. Didn't even have to fight."
Aron didn't respond.
His fingers tightened around the uneaten ration pack. Across the room, Greg laughed with the others and shouted orders, their voices sharp with the adrenaline of surviving. Aron couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed.
[HIDDEN OBJECTIVE PROGRESS: 18%]
The system is watching.