Kael descended from the upper platform with controlled steps, his boots striking metal that still radiated faint warmth from the Furnace Devourer's death. The warehouse felt different now. The air was cooler. The oppressive pressure that had lingered in the upper level faded slowly, leaving behind only the smell of smoke and scorched steel.
The group noticed the change immediately.
Aaron was the first to react, straightening from where he had been loading supply crates onto a transport trolley. His eyes locked onto Kael, scanning him quickly, as if confirming with his own senses that the threat was truly gone.
You took longer than expected, he said quietly.
Kael nodded once. He did not explain what he had faced. Not yet. Fear was contagious, and unnecessary panic would slow them down.
Finish loading, Kael said. We move in five minutes.
No one argued.
They worked faster after that.
Crates were stacked carefully, prioritizing medical kits, compact food supplies, battery units, and water filtration equipment. Fuel containers were sealed and loaded last, strapped tightly to prevent leakage during transport. Mason and another officer reinforced the trolley with metal bars scavenged from broken shelving.
Kael kept watch near the warehouse entrance, his attention split between the dark streets outside and the Codex's faint threat indicators.
Environmental Threat Activity: Elevated
Urban Predator Density: Increasing
That matched what Kael already sensed.
The longer they stayed in one place, the higher the chance something would wander too close.
When the final crate was secured, Kael raised his hand and gave the signal.
They moved out.
The harbor streets were quieter than before, but the silence was deceptive. Smoke drifted between buildings, carrying faint echoes of distant roars and collapsing structures. The sky glowed dim orange from fires burning deeper in the city.
Kael positioned himself at the front, Mason behind him, with Aaron and the others pushing the trolley in the center of the formation. They moved along narrow service roads, avoiding wide intersections and open docks.
Halfway back to the shelter, Kael felt the shift. It was subtle. A change in the rhythm of the environment.
The Codex pulsed faintly.
Movement Pattern Anomaly Detected
Multiple Heat Signatures Converging
Kael slowed his pace slightly without stopping, raising a closed fist behind him. The group responded instantly, freezing in place and lowering their profiles.
Kael crouched near a collapsed container stack and peered down the side street ahead. Shadows moved between abandoned vehicles.
At least six figures advanced slowly from the opposite direction, their movements coordinated and deliberate. They carried weapons. Some held modified melee tools. Others carried crude firearms reinforced with metal plating.
The Codex identified faint bloodline signatures among them.
Hostile Group Detected
Bloodline Presence: Confirmed
Threat Level: Variable
Kael exhaled quietly. They were not scavengers. They were patrol hunters.
The kind that roamed the city looking for supplies, weak survivors, or both. Kael signaled the group to pull the trolley back slightly and reposition behind cover. They slid the cart quietly behind a stack of overturned crates and crouched low.
Kael studied the approaching group carefully. Two carried visible elemental traits. One had faint electric sparks flickering along his forearms. Another radiated heat similar to Aaron's, though far more unstable. The others relied on conventional weapons.
The leader spoke quietly to his team as they moved. They passed through here recently. Tracks are fresh. Kael felt a tightness settle in his chest. They were tracking the warehouse run. He considered their options quickly.
Engaging now would be risky. The group behind him was carrying supplies and lacked combat experience. Retreating silently might be possible, but the trolley limited mobility.
Kael made a decision. He lifted a small metal fragment from the ground and threw it toward the far end of the street. The object clattered loudly against a container wall. The approaching group halted immediately.
Over there, one of them said. Three of the hunters split off and moved toward the sound, leaving the remaining members behind to cover the street. That was the opening Kael needed. He turned toward Mason and Aaron and motioned for them to slowly shift the trolley backward toward a side alley. They moved carefully, inch by inch, trying to minimize noise.
Kael stayed behind, watching the remaining hunters. Just as the trolley disappeared into the alley, one of the hunters turned his head. His eyes narrowed. He raised his hand slightly. Kael knew that look. Suspicion.
Before the man could react further, a loud roar echoed from deeper within the harbor district. The sound shook nearby buildings, forcing everyone to pause instinctively.
A massive silhouette passed between distant cranes. Something far larger than anything they had faced so far. The hunters hesitated. Kael used that hesitation.
He slipped into the shadow of a collapsed structure and circled around, moving quickly but quietly. The Shadow trait masked his movement enough to let him close distance without drawing immediate attention.
He positioned himself behind the last hunter in line and struck.
The axe handle slammed into the back of the man's skull. The hunter collapsed without a sound. Kael grabbed the body and dragged it into cover.
He burst from the shadows and closed the distance in seconds. One hunter raised his weapon too late. Kael drove the axe blade into his shoulder, forcing him to drop his gun.
The third attempted to retreat, electricity flaring across his arms.
Kael sidestepped and kicked the man's knee sideways. Bone snapped. The hunter fell with a cry, electricity discharging wildly into the pavement.
The fight ended fast. Too fast. Kael stood still for a moment, listening.
The other three hunters were still distracted by the distant roar. He motioned sharply toward the alley.
The group moved immediately, pushing the trolley deeper into the narrow passage and accelerating their pace.
They did not stop until the shelter entrance came into view.
By the time they sealed the reinforced door behind them, everyone was breathing hard.
Supplies were unloaded quickly and stacked inside the storage section. Water units were connected. Medical crates were organized.
For the first time since entering the shelter, the room felt alive with activity instead of fear.
Kael leaned against the wall briefly, allowing his muscles to rest.
The Codex pulsed.
Group Survival Probability Increased
Shelter Stability Improved
Reputation Influence: Local Area Rising
Kael frowned slightly. Reputation. That was not necessarily good. Power attracted attention. Attention attracted conflict.
As if responding to that thought, the shelter's radio crackled again.
This time, the voice was clearer.
…multiple survivor hubs forming… armed groups consolidating territory… bloodline leaders emerging… resource control conflicts escalating…
Kael closed his eyes briefly. The city was reorganizing itself. Not around governments. Not around laws. Around strength.
Suddenly, the shelter lights flickered. Once. Twice.
Then stabilized.
The Codex activated sharply.
Unknown Energy Pulse Detected
Source: Subterranean Zone Beneath Harbor District
Signal Strength: Rising Rapidly
Kael's eyes opened slowly.
The floor beneath his feet vibrated faintly.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
And far below the shelter, something ancient shifted in its sleep.