The streets were chaos.
Cars abandoned mid-turn. Fires crackling in trash bins and open windows. The sky was orange-gray with smoke and ash. Somewhere in the distance, helicopters hovered, but they didn't stop. They never stopped.
Jaden and Tess moved like ghosts—quiet, quick, alert. The Worn Sneakers he'd unlocked earlier muffled his steps, and Tess followed close behind, now wielding a crowbar she found in a busted police trunk.
They ducked into a shattered gas station for cover. The smell of gasoline and rot filled the air.
"Here," Jaden said, prying open a first aid kit behind the counter. "You're bleeding."
"It's just a scratch," Tess muttered, wincing anyway as he bandaged her arm.
"You saved my ass back there," Jaden said. "We're even now."
Tess snorted. "You call that even? You stabbed a zombie giant in the face."
He smiled faintly, but his mind was elsewhere. The System pinged quietly, still glowing in the corner of his vision.
Locks Acquired:
#004 – Basic Lock (Unlocked)
#005 – Basic Lock (Unlocked)
#006 – Basic Lock (Unlocked)
#007 – Rare Lock (Sealed)
#008 – Quest Reward Lock (Unopened)
#009 – Quest Reward Lock (Unopened)
He sat back and whispered under his breath, "Unlock #008."
A padlock shimmered and opened with a click.
[#008 Unlocked]
+1 Perception
Skill Acquired: Danger Sense (Passive - Lv. 1)
Loot: Energy Drink ×1
His heart skipped.
A skill, he thought. That's new.
Another padlock hovered beside it, glowing faintly.
He unlocked #009 next.
[#009 Unlocked]
+2 Agility
Loot: Folding Knife (Uncommon)
A sleek black knife materialized in his hand—sharper, faster, lighter than the one he'd been using.
System, he thought, Show me skill list.
[Skills]:
Danger Sense (Passive – Lv. 1)
• Briefly warns the user when an immediate threat is near.
He grinned faintly. "That could save my life," he muttered.
"Hmm?" Tess looked over, frowning. "You keep mumbling to yourself. 'Unlock' this, 'system' that… you okay?"
Jaden froze for half a second, then forced a casual shrug. "Adrenaline's messing with my head. Still hearing things."
She didn't push it—but she didn't quite buy it either.
Instead, she said something that made his blood run cold:
"You know… you're not the only one getting stronger."
Jaden kept his face still. "What do you mean?"
"I've heard stories. Before the radios cut out, some survivors on emergency channels talked about… Awakenings. They said people started getting powers after killing a zombie. One guy could teleport. Another woman could throw cars. Like something inside them unlocked."
Jaden nodded slowly. "And you believe that?"
"I didn't. Not until I saw a teenager flip a vending machine with one hand. No workout in the world makes that happen."
She glanced at him, cautious. "You haven't… felt anything strange? Noticed anything?"
He met her gaze. "Nothing I can't explain."
She studied him for a moment longer, then let it go.
They moved again before nightfall, eventually finding shelter in an old bookstore barricaded with overturned shelves and furniture. Someone had used it as a safe zone once. There were food wrappers, blankets, and a makeshift radio.
No people.
Jaden set up a small fire behind the checkout counter while Tess scavenged for any unopened cans.
When he sat down again, he opened his Status screen.
Name: Jaden Knightley
Level: 2
Attribute Value
Strength 7
Endurance 4
Agility 6
Perception 3
Skills:
• Danger Sense (Passive – Lv. 1)
Locks Owned:
• #007 (Rare – Sealed)
Inventory:
• Folding Knife (Uncommon)
• Energy Bar ×2
• Bandage ×1
• Energy Drink ×1
He frowned at the sealed Rare Lock still sitting in his queue.
Hint: Lock #007 requires Key Fragment ×1.
Elite enemies and quests may drop fragments.
"So I need to hunt the big ones," he muttered under his breath.
As the fire crackled, Tess returned with a can of beans and two plastic spoons.
"So what now?" she asked.
Jaden looked out the window. Somewhere across the street, something massive moved through the shadows—slow and deliberate. Not human.
He gripped the knife in his lap, the System interface pulsing softly in his vision.
"Now?" he said quietly. "We survive. We watch. And we make damn sure we stay ahead of whatever comes next."
Outside, a low, echoing screech tore through the night—something primal, something hunting.
The next level of danger had arrived.
And Jaden Knightley was ready.