The golden glow faded, but the strength remained. It felt like I was humming like my very cells were vibrating at a higher frequency.
[Level 2 Reached!]
[5 Unassigned Stat Points Available.]
[Please distribute points to continue.]
The blue screen hovered stubbornly in my line of sight.
"Tory? You're staring into space again," Shelton said, his voice laced with concern. He held his tablet like a shield, his eyes darting from me to the unconscious guards. "Your bio-readouts... they aren't just normal anymore. They're encrypted. My rig can't even read your pulse."
"I'm fine, Shelt," I said, though my eyes were fixed on the menu.
[Current Stats:]
Strength: 12
Agility: 14
Intelligence: 18
Constitution: 10
Perception: 15
In the Virals, I was the brains, but as the Alpha, I needed to be the force. If LIRI was sending 'Suits' now, I couldn't afford to be fragile.
'System, put 3 points into Agility and 2 into Strength.'
[Processing...]
[New Stats: Agility 17, Strength 14]
[Host physical density increasing... Alert: Caloric demand has tripled.]
A sudden, ravenous hunger gnawed at my stomach. It felt like I hadn't eaten in a week.
"We need to move," I said, my voice sharp. "LIRI will have a backup team here in less than ten minutes. Hi, can you jam their local GPS?"
"Already on it, Oh Captain My Captain," Hi said, his fingers flying across his handheld. "But we've got a problem. The 'Den' our bunker is six miles away. At the rate you're vibrating, Tory, you might make it, but Shelton's carrying thirty pounds of tech and I'm carrying... well, my own charm."
I looked at the quest window.
[Current Quest: The Den]
[Objective: Escort your Pack to safety (0/3)]
[Bonus: Reveal the System to a Pack Member (0/1)]
I looked at Ben. He was watching me with those deep, observant eyes. He knew. He didn't know about the screens or the stats, but he felt the shift in the pack dynamic. The tether between us the viral bond was pulling tighter.
"Ben," I said, walking over to him. "I need you to trust me."
"I always trust you, Tory," he replied instantly.
"No. I mean... I need you to really trust me. I'm going to show you something. It might hurt."
I reached out and grabbed his hand.
[Warning: Sharing System Interface will consume 50% of current Energy.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
'Yes.'
I felt a surge of electricity bolt from my palm into Ben's arm. He gasped, his knees buckling for a second as his eyes went wide. His pupils dilated until they were almost entirely black.
"Tory..." he breathed, his voice trembling. "What is that? The blue light... the words..."
[Bonus Objective Met: Reveal the System to a Pack Member!]
[Reward: Pack-Link Unlocked (Level 1)]
[Ben Blue has been designated: 'The Guardian'.]
"It's the virus, Ben," I whispered, watching as a smaller, silver screen began to flicker in front of his eyes. "It's evolving. And it's not just for me."
"Tory!" Shelton yelled, pointing toward the LIRI fence.
A low, mechanical drone was rising from the compound. Not a quadcopter this was a Hunter-Seeker. A heavy-class drone equipped with thermal imaging and tranquilizer turrets.
[Danger Detected: Level 5 Threat 'LIRI Hunter-Seeker' approaching.]
[Recommended Course: Tactical Retreat.]
"Too late for a retreat," I said, my new Agility stats making the world feel like it was moving in slow motion. "Ben, can you see the red lines on the ground?"
Ben looked up at the drone, then at the forest floor. A grim, predatory smile crossed his face. "I see them. They show where it's going to fire."
"Good," I said, crouching low. "Then let's show this drone why you don't hunt wolves."