Chapter 5: The Search for Shelter and Echoes of the Past
Kaelen didn't hesitate for a moment after the Armored Crawler fell. He pulled his bleeding hand from the falling debris and extended it to the girl. "Come on, no time to waste!" he said in a firm voice, the intensity of shock in his eyes fading, replaced by cold determination.
The girl, who seemed to have awoken from a nightmare, weakly clutched his uninjured hand. She could barely stand on her feet due to her injured arm and the shock that overwhelmed her. "Where... where do we go?" she mumbled, her eyes searching for a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.
"The underground labs," Kaelen answered curtly. "They might be safer. And I know the way."
The two began to move slowly and cautiously. Kaelen led the way, using his heightened senses and Dimensional Vision to scan the area for any new threats. The sounds around them were changing; no longer just human screams, they were mixed with the roars of monsters emerging from the rifts, distant explosions, and metal twisting under the weight of larger entities.
As they crossed a small, almost deserted courtyard filled with broken trees and parts of a crumbling fence, a faint blue glow emanated from the girl's body. The girl saw nothing, but Kaelen saw an information box appear above her head for a moment, then vanish.
[System Activation Commencing...] [Analyzing Host Compatibility...] [Host: Emily. Affinity: Life (Medium)] [Awakening Detected: Minor Regeneration (Dormant)] [World Conversion Protocol Initiated: Level 1]
This meant that Emily, whose name he barely knew now, had also awakened some abilities. "Minor Regeneration"? That could be very useful. More importantly, she was now "connected" to the System, just like him.
Kaelen said nothing about it. It wasn't the right time to explain the complexities of the System. They first needed to reach a safe place.
They finally reached the back entrance of the old lab building. It was a heavy steel door, half-buried under rubble. "Wait here," Kaelen told Emily, then carefully began pushing away the debris. It was a daunting task, but his Strength gained from the Attribute Points he had received began to make a difference. He felt a newfound solidity in his muscles that hadn't been there before.
After several minutes of strenuous effort, he managed to open the door enough for them to squeeze inside. Inside the building, darkness was absolute, broken only by the faint light coming from outside through the opening. The air was heavier, carrying the scent of dust and old metal. The stairs leading downwards seemed like a path to the unknown, but at least they were away from the chaos above ground.
"We might be safe here for a while," Kaelen said, helping Emily slowly descend into the darkness. But as her feet touched the first step, he heard another sound, not from outside this time. A faint rustling sound coming from the depths of the darkness below. It wasn't the sound of a monster, but the sound of... human footsteps.
Emily's exhausted body trembled when she heard the sound. "Who... who's there?" she whispered, barely audible, clutching Kaelen's uninjured arm tightly.
Kaelen hesitated. Was this a good move? Human voices meant survivors, but they could also mean new danger in a world with no rules. His senses sharpened, but his Dimensional Vision revealed nothing in the dense darkness.
From deep within the stairs, a faint glow appeared. It was a swaying light source, slowly advancing upwards. The light was followed by one shadow, then another. They were two men.
"Who are you?" a firm voice echoed in the darkness, followed by a stronger flash of light directed at them. They were two men in civilian clothes, but one carried a rusty metal rod, and the other held what appeared to be an old flashlight. Their faces looked tired and covered in dirt, but there was a vigilant, fearful look in their eyes.
Kaelen instinctively took a step back, pulling Emily slightly with him. "We're students, looking for shelter," he replied calmly, trying to appear non-threatening.
The two men stopped a few steps below them. The man with the metal rod was shorter but seemed more robust, his eyes fixed. "Students?" said the other man, the one with the flashlight, in an uncertain tone. "I thought no one survived that chaos."
Kaelen looked at the two men, then at Emily trembling behind him, fear evident in her eyes. "What about you two?" he asked. "Are you... from here?"
"Yes, we used to work here," replied the man with the rod, before adding in a cautionary tone, "The place isn't perfectly safe, but it's better than outside. There are more of us downstairs."
"More?" Kaelen mumbled, feeling a mix of relief and caution. A group might offer safety, but it could also bring new problems. He had to think fast.
Kaelen didn't wait long to make a decision. The situation outside was worsening, and staying alone with the injured Emily wasn't a smart option. At least, a group meant more strength and potential resources. "Can we come down with you?" Kaelen asked, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and apprehension. "Her arm is injured and she needs help."
The two men exchanged glances. The man with the rod slowly nodded. "Come on then, but move quietly. There are some things you need to understand."
The three began descending the old, crumbling stone stairs. The humidity and cold increased as they delved deeper. The only light came from the flashlight, which trembled in its owner's hand, casting strange shadows on the bare walls. Kaelen heard more faint sounds now, murmurs, and sometimes a suppressed laugh, but it wasn't a joyful laugh.
After a few minutes of descending, they reached a long, dark corridor, from which closed doors branched off. At the end of the corridor, a faint light came from a large opening, and from there, the human voices became clearer.
"Stop here for a moment," said the man with the flashlight, and he moved towards the opening. He bent down and spoke in a low voice with someone inside. Kaelen heard some fragmented words: "Survivors... students... injured girl."
Moments later, another man emerged from the opening. He was taller than the first two, with a powerful build, but his face held a grim expression, and his eyes were sharp and cold. He carried no weapon, but his presence exuded strength. He looked at Kaelen and Emily with an examining gaze, as if assessing their value as a threat or a resource.
"Welcome to the shelter," the man said in a gruff voice, devoid of any warmth. "I am Commander Harun." This place, the underground complex previously used as an old storage and laboratory area, had quickly transformed into a temporary, unorganized shelter for the first survivors of the catastrophe.