Gathering Survivors

Laura and Eric emerged from their makeshift hideout cautiously, scanning the area for any remaining threats.

The notification from the system had informed them of the end of the second wave, but that didn't mean safety. Not yet.

The darkened sky still loomed overhead, casting long shadows across the ruins of the city, and creatures from the apocalypse lurked in the darkness, prowling among the collapsed buildings and shattered streets.

Eric wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and turned to Laura, who was assessing their surroundings with a practiced eye. "So, what's your level?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"Level 10," Eric answered, still sounding a bit dazed from the rapid progression. "The last few kills pushed me up after I finished off the variant. My attributes all went up by eight, and I've still got over 30 stat points to allocate." He hadn't decided where to put them yet; everything felt like it was happening so fast.

Laura nodded approvingly. "That's good. You've made great progress," she said. "Just remember, those unallocated points won't help you if you don't use them. Try to focus on boosting your agility and vitality—they'll help keep you alive." Her own stats had climbed rapidly; she was now sitting comfortably at level 12.

In her past life, it had taken her much longer to reach this level, and she had been significantly weaker by the end of the second wave. Now, she felt the strength coursing through her veins, and it was a welcome change.

Back then, after the second wave, humans had quickly become just as dangerous as the creatures that roamed the earth. The strong had preyed on the weak, and alliances had been fleeting at best.

Many survivors had formed gangs or militias, absorbing the useful and discarding the rest. Laura had barely made it through those early days, constantly struggling to stay alive. This time, she intended to stay ahead of the curve.

As they walked cautiously through the deserted streets, the weight of the apocalypse pressed down on them. The city was a landscape of ruin—collapsed buildings, scorched vehicles, and debris littered the path ahead.

Laura led Eric slowly, avoiding the eyes of the creatures that prowled the shadows. Their current levels gave them an advantage, but there were still too many beasts to take on directly. Hundreds, if not thousands, of monsters still roamed the city. They needed to be smart and stay out of sight.

A sudden notification appeared before them, the system's message breaking the tense silence.

[Calculating rewards for performance...]

Laura dismissed the panel with a quick flick of her hand, not wanting to waste time. She glanced over at Eric, who had done the same, and they continued moving forward. But as they rounded a corner, a desperate sound reached their ears—a cry for help.

"Help!"

It was faint at first, but it quickly grew louder, piercing the stillness of the ruined city. The voice was that of a young woman, and it was filled with raw terror. Her cries echoed off the broken walls and scattered debris, sending a chill down Eric's spine.

"She's running from something," Laura said, her voice low and tense. She turned toward the source of the sound, her senses sharpening as she tried to determine the direction the cries were coming from. It didn't take long to spot movement in the distance—a figure was stumbling down the street, clutching her side and looking back over her shoulder with wide, panicked eyes.

"Laura, what do we do?" Eric asked, his grip tightening on his dagger. The training they'd gone through had toughened him up, but he wasn't used to seeing another human in such desperate need.

The woman was clearly being chased, and they could already hear the guttural growls of the creatures closing in on her.

Laura weighed their options quickly. They were in a dangerous part of the city, where the density of creatures was high.

If they intervened, they risked drawing more monsters to their location. But if they didn't help, the woman would almost certainly die.

"We're going to help her," she decided. "Stick close to me. I'll take the lead."

They sprinted toward the woman, who stumbled and fell just as they approached. She scrambled back to her feet, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she tried to keep running.

The creatures chasing her finally came into view—three of them, with elongated limbs and distorted faces, their bodies twisted into grotesque forms. Their eyes glowed with a menacing red light, and their mouths were filled with jagged teeth that snapped hungrily at the air.

"Get behind us!" Laura yelled at the woman, who looked up in shock as Eric and Laura placed themselves between her and the monsters.

Skrrrrrr!!

The creatures screeched and charged forward. Laura stepped in front of Eric, her knife glinting in the dim light as she prepared for the attack. "Eric, stay focused. We need to kill them quickly before they attract more."

Eric nodded, setting his feet into a fighting stance. The lead creature leapt toward them, its claws outstretched. Laura ducked under its lunge and slashed upward, her blade slicing across its throat in a single swift motion.

The creature crumpled to the ground, twitching as its lifeblood spilled out.

The second creature lunged at Eric, who sidestepped and drove his dagger into its ribcage. Black blood sprayed from the wound, but the beast didn't go down easily.

It lashed out with a flailing arm, striking Eric across the shoulder. He grunted in pain but gritted his teeth, twisting the dagger deeper into the creature's flesh until it collapsed.

Laura moved on to the third, catching it as it tried to circle around them. She dodged its strike and buried her knife into the back of its skull. The creature spasmed and then fell lifeless to the ground. She glanced back at Eric, who was already pulling his blade from the second creature's body.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes scanning him for any signs of serious injury.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, though his voice was a bit shaky. "Just a scratch."

The young woman, still breathing heavily, stared at them in disbelief. "You… you saved me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Thank you… thank you so much."

Laura gave her a quick once-over. She was in her early twenties, with tangled hair and wide eyes that spoke of the horror she had just experienced. "Are you hurt?" Laura asked, keeping her tone calm and steady.

The woman shook her head quickly. "No, I… I think I'm okay. Just scared."

"Do you have a class?" Laura asked. She needed to know if the woman had any means of defending herself or if she would just be another liability.

"Yes," the woman said, still catching her breath. "I was assigned the healer class. I don't… I don't know how to use any of the abilities yet."

Laura's mind worked quickly. The healer class wasn't particularly strong in combat, but it did have its uses. "Stick with us for now," she said, glancing at Eric to make sure he was on board. "But stay behind. If you get in the way, we can't protect you."

The woman nodded fervently, her eyes filled with gratitude. "I will, I promise."

Laura led them forward again, keeping an eye on their surroundings as they moved through the rubble-strewn streets. The cries for help may have drawn other creatures, and they couldn't afford to be caught off guard. As they continued, she turned to Eric.

"Allocate your points when you get a chance," she reminded him.