The corridor sloped downward, a concrete throat leading into the guts of Sector C-3: Command Wing. Condensation dripped from fractured coolant pipes overhead, the sound a steady, maddening *plink... plink... plink...* that echoed the anxious beat of Jin's heart. The air grew colder, thick with the metallic tang of ozone and the faint, acrid scent of burning insulation.
Jin moved at the point, his steps unnaturally quiet, a gift from his growing Stealth skill. His eyes, enhanced by the Phoenix Core, traced the shadows, searching for irregularities. He felt a prickle on the back of his neck, a primal instinct honed by a century of sleep and a few days of brutal reality. A feeling of being watched as he checked his status in HUD:
---
[STATUS SCREEN]
[Subject 01 - JIN]
Level: 5 EXP: 0 / 500 XP (total): 1,360
HP: 336 / 336 Stamina: 336 / 336
Core Attributes:
STR – Strength: 14.31 (Passive)
Governs melee damage, lifting, breaking. Affects physical attack potency.
DEX – Dexterity: 3.66 (Passive)
Influences hand-eye coordination, ranged accuracy, tool handling.
AGI – Agility: 10.50 (Passive)
Determines evasion, movement speed, dodge success.
END – Endurance: 12.00 (Passive)
Affects stamina recovery, resistance to physical fatigue, and HP regen rate.
RES – Resilience: 11.40 (Passive)
Resistance to toxins, disease, mutation effects, and status ailments.
PER – Perception: 12.60 (Passive)
Governs awareness, HUD detection radius, weak point targeting, early warning systems.
CHARM: +10 (Passive — Accidental Harem Magnet)
Status Effects:
• Hunger (Moderate): −10% Cognitive Function, −15% Strength (applies to checks and combat where cognition is required)
• Fatigue (Minor): −5% Agility (small movement / evasion penalty)
• Hydration (Low): −5% Endurance (reduces stamina regen & HP regen)
• Phoenix Protocol (Active): Resurrection Sub-Routine available — Cooldown: 72:00:00 (hours)
• Phoenix Resilience (TEMP): +8% Damage Resistance — Duration: 00:30:00 (nanite reboot) ← (temporary from resurrection; applied where text indicates)
• Resurrection Sickness (if active in-scene): −10% to all attributes (duration tracked in text when present)
Skills / Combat Abilities:
• Night Vision — Passive Lv.1
Amplifies low-light visibility; faint target outline. Minor energy drain.
• Stealth — Passive Lv.1
Reduces noise, heat signature and movement visibility. Improves evasion in shadowed areas.
• Tsundere Radar — Passive Lv.1
Interprets contradictory social cues from tsundere-type individuals. Low base success; may trigger blunt/awkward outcomes.
• Basic First Aid — Active Lv.2
Heals minor wounds, reduces bleeding. Small stamina cost. Usable mid-combat.
• Melee Weapon Mastery (Improvised) — Lv.5 — 10.0%
Increases attack speed, precision, follow-up combo potential with bladed/blunt improvised weapons.
• Athletics — Basic Strength Feats — Lv.1 — 1.3%
Enables above-average lifting, prying, and throwing. Bonus to break checks.
• Mutated Fauna Combat Basics — Lv.1 — 2.0%
Recognize patterns/weaknesses in mutant enemies. Minor bonus to damage and evasion vs those enemies.
• Combat Art — Desperate Strike (Active)
Reckless high-damage strike activated when below 25% HP. Leaves user exposed.
Cooldown: 01:00 (usable as described in your combat rules).
• Instinct Surge — Active Lv.1
Temporarily enters desperation mode: +30% STR, +30% AGI, +30% PER for 10s.
Cooldown: 05:00.
• Accidental Harem Magnet — Passive (Max Lv.5)
• Charm +10 (passive stat shown above)
• +25% trigger rate of ecchi/awkward bonding scenarios (narrative; can cause attention events)
• +15% affinity gain during interactions (applied to affinity increases when interaction events grant affinity)
• Harem Synergy Pulse (Active): +5 to all tracked affinities (useable; Cooldown: 24:00:00)
• Natural Leader — Passive
Improves team coordination and small tactical bonuses during group actions (see Group Status).
Affinities (Current):
• Seraphina Valerius (Sera): 32 / 100
• Rosalie Thorne: 36 / 100
• Clara Vance: 27 / 100
(Other minor affinities tracked in private log; +15% affinity gain from Accidental Harem Magnet applies to future increases.)
Inventory (key items):
• Bloodied Pipe (Weapon): +5 Damage — Durability: 45%
• Synth-Cloth (x1): Utility — cleaning, temporary bandage, small craft uses
• Ration Packs (x2): Restores 20 Stamina, removes Hunger debuff
• Medical Kit (Basic) — heals minor wounds; limited uses (see chapter inventory notes)
Group Status:
• Morale: 92%
• Hydration Levels: Low (group-wide) — −5% Endurance applied to group
• Team Combat Readiness: 87%
• Group Synergy: Improving — Natural Leader passive is contributing to coordination checks
Affinity-derived / Conditional Team Bonuses (accumulated from chapters and current affinities):
• Seraphina (32): Minor Leadership Synergy active — approx. +10% Tactical Planning & Team Coordination (improves initiative and team action success chance while Sera is present).
• Rosalie (36): Agility Sync active — approx. +12% team evasion & flank bonuses when Rosalie is on-field.
• Clara (27): Technical Support threshold approaching — small +8% to tool/repair task speed when Clara is present (unlocked more fully at higher affinity).
---
"This corridor feels wrong," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Like it's holding its breath."
He saw the tension in Sera's shoulders as she moved behind him, a coiled spring of predatory grace. "Something's off," she agreed, her gold eyes cutting through the dark. "The silence... it's too heavy."
Clara hunched under the weight of her toolkit, her knuckles white on its handle. "C-circuit relays are destroyed… b-but there's still a residual charge.. something's draining the power…" she whispered, her fear a palpable wave that Jin felt.
At the rear, Rosa seemed to draw energy from the tension. Her purple hair shimmered in the dim red lights as she kicked a metal tray, the sharp *clang* echoing like a gunshot. "God, I love when it's this quiet," she purred. "Makes me feel like I'm in a horror game. It's exciting."
"Take this seriously," Sera snapped, her glare a physical force.
"I am," Rosa shot back with a wink. "This is how I focus."
Jin saw their different ways of coping—Sera's focus, Clara's fear, Rosa's thrill-seeking. He didn't chuckle this time. The feeling was too strong.
'Unknown organism detected. Biometric anomalies. Can't pinpoint the exact location, but it's just up ahead. Motions are irregular, non-human creatures. Recommend heightened awareness,' Asha's voice cut through his neural link, cool and clinical.
Panic flashed, hot and sharp. Jin took a single, steadying breath, forcing it down. He held up a hand, a clear, simple gesture. "Asha's got something. Ahead. Not human."
"W-what is it...? Is it the C-crawlers?!" Clara stammered, her face pale.
Rosa's playful demeanor vanished. "Guess I was right about the horror game part."
"Form up," Jin commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. He looked at each of them, making sure they understood. "Are they like the ones we fought, Asha?"
'Negative. They are far more dangerous. Quadrupedal movement. Irregular limb contact. Quite bigger in comparison.'
Jin exhaled slowly, his grip tightening on the bloodied pipe. The cold metal felt like the only real thing in the world.
The bulkhead ahead was their only way forward. Clara was at the control panel in an instant, her fingers flying across the flickering interface. "I-I can bypass the lockdown... just need to reroute the auxiliary power..." she muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"We've got your back, Clara," Jin said, his voice low and steady. He positioned himself to shield her from the corridor ahead, his pipe ready.
The door groaned, protesting after a century of disuse. With a final, shuddering hiss, it slid open.
The scent hit them first—a miasma of rot, decay, and industrial chemicals that made their eyes water. The air was heavy, stagnant, and wrong.
Sector C-3 was a scene of utter chaos. Overturned furniture and scattered debris littered the floor. Workstations lay on their sides, their contents spilled across the metal decking. Tools were scattered everywhere—wrenches, diagnostic tablets, even a child's worn teddy bear lying face down in a puddle. A torn HazMat suit hung from a broken console like a discarded skin.
But it was the walls that made Jin's blood run cold. They were smeared with something dark, a sticky, liquid substance that seemed to pulse with a faint, sickly light.
Jin took a hesitant step forward. "Asha, what are we looking at?"
'Caution: Unknown fungal traces consistent with Mutagen Class II detected on surrounding surfaces. Origin undetermined. Spores appear dormant but viable. Exposure risk: Moderate to severe depending on activation triggers.'
Jin's jaw clenched tight. "So... should we hold our breath?" he asked, his voice dry.
'Don't worry, Jin. I'll alert you to the precise millisecond you need to panic. Until then, try to breathe normally and refrain from touching the walls.'
"Gee, thanks Asha," Jin managed a grim chuckle. It kept his heart from racing off the rails as they stepped deeper into the chamber, his boots splashing through puddles of unidentifiable liquid.
The temperature dropped noticeably with each step, their breath becoming visible in the frigid air.
Rosa's voice cut through the silence: "Anyone else getting that 'we're-being-watched-by-something-that-wants-to-eat-our-faces' vibe?"
Sera scanned the dark corners of the room, her hand resting on the pistol at her hip. "Affirmative. Keep your eyes open."
"Agreed," Jin muttered. "Let's find what we came for and get the hell out. This place is giving me the creeps."
Jin crouched beside a ruptured vent. Something had melted its way through the reinforced steel, the metal warped outward, as if tremendous pressure had been applied from within. Claw marks scored the edges, too large and too symmetrical to be anything natural.
His boots slowed as he reached the edge of a partially collapsed corridor. His eyes narrowed, scanning the faint impressions on the dust-covered metal floor.
"Asha, analysis," he whispered.
'Trace detected: four-point claw pattern. Symmetry consistent with apex predatory motion. Pressure indentation depth suggests entity mass between 180 and 220 pounds. Estimated time of movement: 3.7 hours ago.'
Jin felt a chill crawl down his spine that had nothing to do with the temperature. "So... Is it still nearby?"
'Affirmative. Based on pattern analysis, the entity is wandering in the area.'
Jin slowly rose from his position, his grip tightening around his pipe. "Great. Another recipe for a bad day."
His HUD abruptly flickered, a deep chime vibrating in his ears, followed by a sharp pulse of light filling the edge of his vision.
---
[PRIORITY QUEST – STALKER IN THE DARK]
Classification: Reactive Encounter | Initiated via Passive PER Check
Objective:
Examine Sector C-3's claw marks and trail. Remain hidden, do not alert the unidentified entity, and arrive at the Control Room safely without coming into contact with them (optional). Survive and fend off the threat if engagement takes place.
Description:
In the depths of the Vault, something is hunting. Jin has seen the incredibly deadly claw patterns of an apex predator. It may already be aware of the group's movements. To avoid becoming its prey, the squad must move with extreme caution, employing stealth and cooperation.
Asha's Note:
"Assessment of threat: EXTREME. Engagement is not recommended unless absolutely necessary. Go ahead as if your mushy organs depended on it, since they do."
Success Conditions:
• Make it through the next encounter. All team members should arrive at the control room.
• Examine the entity's trail or try to trick it into falling into a trap (optional bonus).
Failure Conditions:
• Death of a team member.
• The entity launches a surprise attack after becoming fully aware.
• Loss of critical morale (less than 40%)
Progress:
✓Claw marks identified
✓Asha analysis confirmed threat
• Control Room reached
• Threat neutralized or evaded
Potential Rewards:
+250 EXP (Survival)
+300 EXP (Kill)
Unlock Passive Skill: Predator Instinct (Lv. 1) – Increased awareness of lurking threats and ambush patterns.
+Affinity Boost (with all companions if Jin protects them during ambush)
New Lore Unlocked: [The Crawler Variants – Origin Class]
---
Jin froze for a second, his eyes glazing over as he processed the wall of text. The quiet awe in his voice was unavoidable as he muttered under his breath, "A new skill... For real?"
The others looked at him curiously. Rosa raised an eyebrow. Sera's posture changed slightly, her focus entirely on him.
Jin rubbed the back of his neck with a faint, sheepish grin. "Nothing. Just... a bad feeling. Let's keep moving."
They reached another sealed door. Beneath the scorch marks and plasma scoring, the faded Vault-Tec insignia was hardly discernible, its once-bright face twisted into a grimace that seemed to be screaming in agony.
Clara moved forward. "S-stand back. I'll try the manual override. The keypad's… rusted, but still intact. I can crack it open."
In the tense silence came the metallic clack-clack-click of her tools. A few seconds later, the door clicked open with a grudging, shuddering groan.
Beyond was a small armory. Dust particles floated through the air shafts. Weapon racks, the majority of which had long since been emptied by scavengers or survivors, lined the walls. But Sera's breath caught when she saw what was embedded in the far wall, hidden behind reinforced transparent aluminum.
"Jackpot," she whispered. "That's military grade. Pre-war spec."
Behind its shield, the VX-07 Pulse-Lance shone with a deadly promise. Circuitry that pulsed with faint green bioluminescence was cradled in a matte black composite housing. Below, a power cell was nestled in its cradle, and indicator lights glowed a steady green, indicating it was at 28% charged—more than enough for a prolonged firefight.
Sera moved to the release mechanism, her movements sure and practiced. With a soft hiss, the rifle detached from its housing. She lifted it, the plasma rifle humming softly in her hands, its systems automatically calibrating to her biometrics and combat stance. For the first time since they'd entered this nightmare, she smiled, and it was terrifying.
'Model: VX-07 Pulse-Lance. Standard Vault combat plasma rifle. Current efficiency: 71%. Tactical assessment: Seraphina's combat effectiveness increased by 340%. Estimated kill potential: Catastrophic—assuming she maintains current emotional state,' Asha noted clinically.
Jin looked at Sera, at the newfound confidence in her eyes, and felt a small measure of hope return. They were still being hunted, but now, they had a way to fight back.