Night had settled over Faultline, but Jaden stood wide awake near the outer perimeter, eyes fixed on the ruined skyline. The wind carried distant howls—remnants of a world forever changed.
He tapped open his system interface in the darkness.
Still no stat gains from the previous run.
Still no loot from weaker foes.
He needed more.
The kind of enemies that pushed him to the brink—the ones that counted.
Inside, the others rested. Tess was still recovering from her arm injury, and though Kira's healing had helped, it would take days before she could lift her rifle again. Marcus and Raya had been running back-to-back patrols. They all needed rest.
But Jaden?
He needed pressure.
He needed progress.
He left without ceremony—just a note taped to the wall of the common room.
"Gone scouting. Solo run. Back before sunrise. Don't follow me — J."
With only his jacket, knife, and combat instincts, Jaden slipped into the shadowed streets. Every step felt like peeling back a layer of comfort. No backup. No healer. Just him and the silence.
And the system watching.
The area he'd chosen was north of the old freeway—an Eclipse-blighted zone no one dared explore since the outbreak. Rumors of high-tier creatures, twisted experiments, and collapsed labs haunted its name.
Exactly the kind of place the Lock System would take seriously.
As he stepped into the district, the air grew heavier—colder. Buildings stood jagged like broken teeth. Strange markings were painted on old concrete—warning signs in red, clawed into the walls.
He opened his status, just to check.
Name: Jaden Knightley
Attributes:• Strength: 46 (+8)• Endurance: 42 (+6)• Agility: 51 (+7)• Perception: 38 (+5)• Reflex: Enhanced +24% (Temporary)
Skills:• Adrenal Core (Active)• Reflex Pulse (Active)• Phase Trigger (Active)• Shadow Bind (Active)
Locks Owned:• #001 Adrenal Core• #007 Reflex Pulse• #012 Phase Trigger• #014 Shadow Bind
Inventory:• Folding Knife (Uncommon)• Energy Bar ×2• Bandage ×1• Energy Drink ×1• Steel-Tipped Combat Knife (Rare – Weapon)• Reinforced Tactical Jacket (Uncommon – Armor, +2 Defense)• Reinforced Bone Plate (Rare – Armor Component)• Mutated Muscle Tissue Sample (Rare – Crafting Reagent)• Corrupted Energy Core (Unique – ???)• Lock Fragment (Unstable) (??? – Lock Material)• Map Fragment – Red Zone Sector 9 (Key Item)• Adrenal Booster ×2 (Consumable)• Energy Ration Packs ×4
A shriek cut through the air.
Then came the heavy thud of something large moving.
From the shadows emerged a beast—twisted, plated in bone, its limbs wrapped in torn black bio-flesh. Not quite a General-tier, but definitely an evolved elite.
Jaden didn't hesitate.
He activated Reflex Pulse.
His vision sharpened, the world slowing down. Every twitch, every breath of the monster—telegraphed in advance. He flicked his Phase Trigger, his body blurring through the air, striking with precision.
The fight was brutal—harder than anything he'd faced alone. Every mistake cost him blood, but each strike he landed felt satisfying. Smart. Calculated.
He dodged a cleaving swipe and activated Shadow Bind, locking the beast's legs in a dark grip. The zombie shrieked in frustration, immobilized for seconds—just long enough for Jaden to end it with a clean, devastating strike to the brainstem.
The system flared.
Enemy defeated: Mutated Heavywalker (Elite-Class)+2 Strength+1 Endurance+1 Agility+1 Perception
Loot Acquired:• [Stabilized Mutant Bone Core] – Rare Component• [Hardened Tissue Sample] – Crafting Material• [Emergency Combat Stimulant] – Consumable
Jaden stumbled back, chest heaving.
Then he smiled.
He hadn't just survived.
He'd grown.
The Lock System had acknowledged the challenge.
He opened his inventory and stored the loot, watching the glowing icons flick into place next to the rest of his arsenal.
Hours later, as the sun began to creep above the buildings, Jaden returned to Faultline, bruised but alive.
Tess was waiting for him, arms crossed.
"You didn't listen," she said.
"I did. I said I'd be back before sunrise."
Marcus glanced at the blood on Jaden's sleeve. "What happened out there?"
Jaden just smiled.
"I got stronger—a little bit."