The forest held its breath.
Still crouched in the undergrowth, Ethan held his breath as he watched the two hunters prowl the clearing like wolves. Each movement was purposeful and their heads turns seemed to be carefully planned.
These weren't civilians who had stumbled into survival. They moved with a fluidity that suggested that they had done this before.
The man kept his rifle ready as his eyes swept the tree line, while the woman twirled her spear lazily in one hand with a sharp and predatory gaze that never stopped scanning for movement.
Ethan's heart pounded against his ribs like a drum in the suffocating stillness. The grapple launcher hung at his belt, while the crowbar remained gripped tightly in his right hand.
One wrong move, and they'd have him in their sights before he could blink.
He had two options:
One, stay hidden, wait for them to pass, and vanish deeper into the forest.
Two, step out, force a confrontation, and find out exactly who they were and what they wanted.
If he slipped away, they might track him for days. That would be living life on the edge, and that was not a future that he wanted to live.
The footprints he'd seen earlier proved they knew the terrain. But if he stepped out, he was betting on improvisation to keep him alive against two people who had already decided he was prey.
The wheel glowed faintly in his vision.
DING!
~----~
[Situation Analysis: Hostile Intent Confirmed]
[Improvisation Recommended]
~----~
Ethan inhaled slowly, exhaled, and then made his choice.
"Looking for me?"
The words cut through the mist like a blade.
Both hunters spun instantly, weapons raised. The man aimed down the rifle barrel without hesitation. The woman's spear stopped spinning, point aimed straight at his chest.
Ethan stepped from the brush slowly, hands raised just enough to show he wasn't immediately attacking, but low enough that he could drop them in a second.
"I was wondering," he said evenly, "if all the survivors out here greet strangers by creeping up on them with weapons drawn… or if it's just you two".
The man's eyes narrowed. "You've been following us?"
Ethan tilted his head. "From the way you've been moving, I'd say it's the other way around".
The woman's lips curled into a smile; sharp, humorless. "He's got some spine. Shame if we have to break it".
They were trying to push him off balance and probe for weakness. Despite how tensed he felt, Ethan managed to regulate his breathing to conceal the increasing adrenaline that surged through his veins.
"You know," he said, "I've run into a lot of things out here. I've run into things with claws, teeth, and even acid for blood. None of them walked up and told me they wanted to kill me. You two? You're new".
The man didn't flinch. "We're not looking for conversation. We want to know what you can do".
"Why?" Ethan asked.
The man shrugged, the rifle never wavering. "If you're a normal scavenger, we will simply take your gear and let you walk. If you're… special, well, gear and whatever else your copse drops".
Ethan's jaw tightened, realizing what they meant. "Awakened".
The woman grinned wider. "Bingo. So… what's your trick?"
The wheel spun rapidly in Ethan's mind under pressure.
DING!
~----~
[Improvisation Draw Activated: Social/Combat Hybrid]
[Improvised Ability: Phantom Echo!]
>Projects a short-lived sound/visual decoy of the user within a 5 meter radius. Can mimic speech or movement. Duration: 8 seconds.
~----~
Ethan smirked faintly. "You want to see what I can do? Fine".
He shifted his weight subtly and activated the Phantom Echo. Immediately, a perfect double of himself flickered into existence five meters to his left, stepping out of the mist.
The hunters sprang into action at once as the rifle fired toward the double and the spear moved to block its path.
The echo duplicated Ethan's movements as it spoke through his exact words.
"Catch me if you can".
The woman lunged, stabbing her spear through the phantom's chest only for it to ripple and vanish.
Ethan had already reached the man before they understood what was happening.
Ethan used the crowbar to grab the rifle barrel before it rose quickly and pulled it into the air. A loud crack echoed through the treetops which sent a group of darkened birds flying in all directions.
The woman turned around with her spear aimed at his ribs but Ethan used his grappling hook to launch himself to safety before the spear could reach him.
He landed in a crouch, weapon ready.
"Awakened," the man growled, eyes blazing. "Knew it".
Ethan controlled his breathing while he observed their body language. Both were fighters; disciplined, experienced, but he had something they didn't… unpredictability.
"This is the part," Ethan said coldly, "where you decide whether you really want to find out what else I can do".
Silence.
For a heartbeat, no one moved. The three of them stood in the mist, every muscle coiled, every nerve ready to explode into violence.
Then the man slowly lowered his rifle. "You're good. But you're alone. Out here, that means death. If you want to stay breathing, maybe you walk with us instead of against us".
The woman didn't look convinced, spear still in hand. "Or maybe we just wait until he sleeps".
Ethan met her eyes, unblinking. "You can try".
The man slung the rifle over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. "We've got a camp a day's walk from here. Safer than this".
Ethan hesitated. Going with them could mean shelter and information… or walking right into a trap.
But if there were other survivors, other Awakened, this might be his only chance to learn how many were out there, and how dangerous they could be.
"Fine," he said finally, lowering the crowbar. "Lead the way. But I'm keeping my own watch".
The man smirked faintly. "Wouldn't have it any other way".
They moved west together, the mist closing behind them. On one hand, Ethan heaved a deep sigh of relief. He didn't have to make the crazy choice yet… to kill or not to kill.
But as Ethan walked, the wheel pulsed faintly in his vision, as if the system itself was whispering a warning.
DING!
~----~
[Caution: Alignment with hostile entities may result in unpredictable outcomes!]
~---~
Ethan's grip on the crowbar tightened. 'You just know how to spoil a good mood, huh, system?'
He wasn't joining them. Not really.
He was most likely walking into the lion's den with his eyes open.