The hallway reeked of rot and fear. Jiang Yuan's phone cast a narrow blue light ahead, turning the dark corridor into a twisted tunnel.
[Danger detected: 8 meters ahead. Hostile entity: "Corrupted Stalker." Weak point: back of the neck.]
The text on the screen was clear, a lifeline in the chaos. Jiang Yuan gripped his fruit knife, his knuckles white. The temporary strength boost still coursed through his veins, sharpening his reflexes.
A low, gurgling growl echoed from around the corner. The Corrupted Stalker emerged, its body a patchwork of oozing black flesh and exposed bone. It moved with a sickening, jerky gait, its head swiveling as if sniffing the air for prey.
Jiang Yuan pressed himself flat against the wall, his breath shallow. The phone's warning pulsed in his hand.
[Threat will turn left in 2 seconds. Now is your chance.]
He didn't hesitate.
In a burst of speed, he lunged from the shadows, the fruit knife raised high. The creature turned, its red eyes locking onto him, but it was too slow. Jiang Yuan drove the blade into the soft, vulnerable flesh at the back of its neck.
A high-pitched shriek split the air. The Stalker convulsed, black blood spraying from the wound, and then collapsed to the floor, motionless.
Jiang Yuan panted, staring at the corpse. The metallic taste of blood was in his mouth. He'd just killed something. He'd survived.
The phone screen flickered.
[Host has eliminated first hostile entity. Evolution points +10.]
[Danger Prediction usage restored to 3/3.]
He wiped the black blood from his knife on the creature's rags. There was no time to process the horror. The supermarket was 14 minutes away, and two more threats waited ahead.
He stepped over the corpse and continued forward.