I'd already checked my stats and skills, but then I remembered the one tab I hadn't touched in too long—Missions. Buried under everything else, I'd nearly forgotten it was even there.
But after everything, the women, Marco's death, Nadia's schemes, I needed to see if it had changed.
The list blinked open:
Active Quests
Conquer the Goblin Maw
Objective: Clear the dungeon of goblins and secure the area. Find any special items or bosses within.
Requirements: Complete the dungeon's main objectives and defeat the goblin pack.
Progress:40% (Floors 2–5 cleared. Food Court + Dungeon Boss remain.)
Rewards:
Experience
Loot
Special System unlocks
Barrier falls
Reach Level 10
Objective: Level up to 10 by gaining experience through combat, exploration, and quest completion.
Requirements: Gain experience to reach Level 10.
Progress:80%
Rewards:
Unlock Class Specialization
Access to higher-level skills
Investigate the Disappearance of Women in the Mall
Objective: Investigate the strange disappearances of women in the mall. Look for signs of unusual activity and possible leads that could explain the mystery.
Requirements: Explore the mall for signs of where the women have gone. Collect evidence or talk to witnesses who may have seen something suspicious.
Progress:65%
Rewards:
Experience
I stared at the glowing lines, my stomach tightening.
Forty percent. That wasn't failure; it was a reminder of our progress. We aren't finished—not until the Shaman lies dead on the altar and every cage is broken. We need to kill every single goblin, yet I'm surprised the percentage isn't higher after clearing every floor except one. This means there may be more dungeons hidden on the remaining floors, or their forces have gathered on the first. We may face an army of goblins while we are barely 50 strong.
I let out a shaky sigh, forcing the panic back. No time for fear. We just had to keep killing, keep moving, or we'd all die.
The second quest glared at me. Level 10. Only two levels away, close enough to haunt me. The system dangled its promises—a class, higher skills, more power, a chance to live longer. I wanted it, needed it. But every fight dragged, every breath felt borrowed. Close, but still out of reach.
The last quest was what made me linger. Sixty-five percent. Almost there. But it didn't feel like progress—just a descent into something uglier. Every detail I uncovered painted a darker picture: the ritual, the disappearances, women dragged screaming into shadows. The system didn't care about the screams, the bodies—it only cared about evidence. Which meant if I wanted that bar filled, I had to see it myself. And I already knew what that meant for the others. When they saw what was happening to those women… it would break something in them. I feared it. I raged at it. And I knew exactly what waited in the shadows.
I closed the menu and forced a slow, steady breath, holding the restlessness down.
Two levels remain. Thirty-five percent unfinished. One boss ahead. And too many lives I couldn't let slip away.
Time clawed at me, every second scraping away what little room we had left. Time was running out.
The camp gathered at the barricaded storefront, the lanterns throwing shaky light across the concrete. Logan adjusted the strap of his rifle, face calm but lined with the weariness of command. Beside him, Mitch fidgeted, nineteen but carrying himself like a man twice his age, his jaw set tight.
Their departure should've been routine, just another mission, but no one treated it that way.
Sloan was the first to step forward, crossing his arms. "Logan, I don't like this. You've never gone into a scouting op without one of us." His voice was steady, but I could hear the strain beneath it.
Briar nodded, her jaw tight. "He's right. Usually it's me, Sloan, Hirose, hell, even Nicole, but not this time? You're pairing with a kid?"
Mitch stiffened, but Logan raised a hand before he could snap back.
"It's not about age," Logan said calmly. "It's about who can move quietly. Mitch can. He's fast, and he knows how to keep his head down. That's what I need tonight."
Nicole stepped in, her voice softer but no less firm. "You've always had one of us at your side, Logan. Always. Sloan, Briar, Hirose, Jordan—we've been your team for years. You're asking us to sit here while you walk into the dark with someone else. You know why that's hard."
The names hung in the air like ghosts. Sloan, Briar, Hirose, Jordan, Devan, Laney, Giselle, Liam, they weren't just teammates. They were family.
Hirose spoke next, her words clipped, her worry hidden in precision. "If something happens out there, we can't cover you. That's the problem. Not the mission. Not Mitch. Just that you won't have us."
Logan gave her a faint smile. "You'll cover me by being ready when I come back. That's all I need."
From the other side of the room, Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets, glaring. "Easy for you to say. Mitch is the one you're dragging with you."
Amber snorted, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah, our fearless leader decides to go ghost-hunting in the middle of the night. Real smart."
Jesse's voice cracked, anger born from fear. "You can't walk out there and expect us not to worry. You're not invincible. You've kept us alive this long,don't ruin it now."
Mitch's shoulders tensed, but he didn't snap back. Not this time. His crew's voices carried weight in a way no one else's could.
Logan looked between the two groups, the hardened operators who'd fought beside him for years, and the gang kids who'd followed Mitch through hell before the apocalypse ever started. Both camps wore the same expression: worry disguised as anger.
Nicole broke the silence, her voice carrying across the room. "The mission's important, yes, but the most important thing is that you both come back alive. If the intel's wrong, we figure out another plan. If the timing's bad, we wait. No information is worth your lives."
The words settled over them like a blanket. Logan gave her a slow nod, his face unreadable but steady. Mitch glanced back at his crew, his chin lifting slightly in a silent promise.
Neither offered flowery words nor reassurances. They didn't need to. The silence said enough.
And then, without another word, Logan and Mitch turned and slipped into the dark, the shadows swallowing them whole.
Nicole let out a long, exhausting sigh, and I stepped to her side, rubbing her back once. "They'll be fine," I murmured.
Her shoulders eased, just barely.
I turned back to the others, raising my voice. "Get some rest. Tomorrow comes fast."
The groups broke apart, voices fading as people settled into corners, rolled out bedrolls, and checked weapons one last time.
I stretched out in my own sleeping bag, the ache in my body settling like lead. Just as I closed my eyes, a quiet shuffle came beside me. Sol crawled over and slipped under my arm.
I tilted my head toward him. "How're you holding up?"
He hesitated before whispering, "I'm nervous. This'll be… my first real battle."
I pulled him into my embrace, tucking his head under my chin. "That's normal. But I trained you for this, for defending yourself, for surviving. And you're not alone out there. Everyone has each other's backs. We're a team. That goes for all of us."
Silence hung for a moment until Karen's dry voice cut in from across the room. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Liam answered before I could. His voice carried steady conviction. "Of course, we'd protect each other. Sure, it's only been a few days, but we've got each other's backs. If it comes down to it, I'll personally protect everyone here."
Amber snorted. "You? Protect us? Please. You'll just get in the way while I save your ass."
The laugh that spread through the room was genuine, breaking the tension that had strangled us all day. Even Sol melted slightly against me, his small shoulders softening as if he could breathe again.
I kissed his curls and whispered, "See? You can depend on everyone here. Just try your best, and have their backs too. I don't care how many goblins fall tomorrow. My only victory is you walking back alive."
"Okay," he murmured.
"Good. Now go to sleep."
"Goodnight," voices echoed around the camp.
With Sol's warmth against me, I shut my eyes and surrendered. The darkness pulled me down fast—comforting, but edged with the fear of what might wait when I woke.