---
[Critical Hit!]
[Crawler Paralysis: 100% Confirmed.]
[Mobility: Offline. Combat Function: Terminated.]
[Weapon Durability: 20% -> 0% – PIPE DESTROYED.]
---
The Crawler's limbs went rigid. Its scream died, and it slumped to the floor in a twitching heap. Jin stumbled back, chest heaving, the bloody, bent pipe clattering to the floor, now useless.
A moment of silence fell, broken only by Jin's ragged breathing.
"…You actually pulled it off," Sera said from behind him, her voice a mix of awe and grudging respect.
"Y-yeah…" Jin struggled to breathe as exhaustion started to overtake him, the effects of his Fatigue and Hydration debuffs hitting him hard.
Suddenly, the hall trembled. Then the shrieks began.
SKKKKRREEEEEEEEE-CHAK-CHHK!!
Jin turned his head and saw the shadows move—too many limbs, clambering over the walls like a tide of living nightmares.
'Warning: Apex variants detected—rear quadrant breach. 13 confirmed signatures. Estimated contact in 35 seconds,' Asha's voice was urgent.
"GO! GO! Don't look back!" Jin shouted, his heart hammering.
They ran. The toolkit was clutched tightly in Clara's hand as she struggled to keep pace. Rosa was out of breath, a trickle of blood staining her cheek from a minor cut. Sera held her plasma rifle firmly, her silver hair damp with sweat.
A Crawler's shriek echoed from the vent above. "GO TO THE LEFT! At the junction now!" Jin roared.
They turned, metal screeching overhead as a Crawler slammed into the ceiling grate, denting it inward inches from where Rosa had passed.
"They're above us—they're in the GODDAMN CEILINGS!" Rosa panted, terrified.
"Asha—w-where do we go!?" Jin's HUD flared.
---
[PATHFINDER MODE: ACTIVE]
> Command Wing – 92 meters. Right Corridor. Hazard: Partial Collapse. Debris Detour Initiated. Estimated ETA: 33 Seconds.
---
As they ran desperately, Clara felt her legs wobble. Just as she was about to fall, Jin reached back, his grip firm and reassuring, pulling her forward.
"I-I'm slowing you down, l-leave me—!" Clara gasped.
"Not a chance! Just hang on!" Jin lifted her onto his shoulder, gritting his teeth against the pain of his injuries as they continued to run.
Another shriek—closer this time. SKRRRRRAK! SKITTER-CLACK-CLACK!
Sera twisted, firing blindly behind them. The plasma lance shrieked, lighting up the corridor. KA-BAAAAAAAAAAAAM! A cacophony of anguished screams erupted from the Crawlers hit by the blast.
"I'll buy you time—you better make them count!" Sera shouted, breathless.
Jin slammed his hand against the Command Wing door panel—it didn't open. "Secondary lock still active. Recommend: Clara to manual override required. 15 seconds before contact."
"Clara! It's still locked, Asha said you need to manual override! 14 seconds before they get here!" Jin yelled.
"I-I—o-okay—just keep them b-back!" Clara dropped to her knees beside the locked panel, her hands trembling but only for a second. She yanked a bypass cable from her toolkit and jammed it into the corroded access port. "O-okay… old V-vault-Tec firmware... Please don't fry…" Her fingers flew across the manual keypad, striking keys in rapid succession.
'Subject Clara's typing speed exceeds 110 keystrokes per 10 seconds. Suggest nickname: 'Code Witch,' Asha noted.
Jin glanced back—the Crawlers were almost on them. One was clinging to the ceiling, its claws carving deep furrows into the steel as it prepared to leap.
"Come on… Come on, you ancient rust-bucket, open up!" Rosa gritted her teeth.
'Jin, 5 seconds before contact!' Asha's voice was sharp in his mind.
"THEY'RE COMING!!" Rosa screamed.
"Got it!" Clara shouted, slamming her palm on the final key.
The door slid open. Jin forcefully pushed Clara through, then grabbed Rosa and Sera, tossing them into the room. Just as he was about to leap in, a razor-sharp claw swiped at the door frame, leaving a searing, hissing gash. With a final, desperate effort, he dove inside, the door slamming shut behind him. BOOM. BOOM. Metal groaned as something slammed into the other side.
Clara collapsed to her knees, panting, then offered a weak smile. "Current survival probability has risen from 12% to 38%. Congratulations. You're only mildly doomed," Asha quipped.
Jin leaned back against the cold steel, chest heaving, eyes darting to each of them—all alive and terrified. But they made it. As the adrenaline faded, a wave of notifications washed over his vision.
---
[LEVEL UP!]
[You have reached Level 6!]
[+250 EXP Awarded: Survival of the Fittest]
[EXP: 250 / 1000]
---
[STATUS SCREEN – UPDATE COMPLETE]
[Jin - Subject-01]
Level: 6
EXP: 250 / 1000
HP: 82 / 392 Stamina: 61 / 392
Core Attributes:
STR (Strength): 14.31 → 16.00
DEX (Dexterity): 3.66 → 4.00
AGI (Agility): 10.50 → 11.50
END (Endurance): 12.00 → 14.00
RES (Resilience): 11.40 → 12.00
PER (Perception): 12.60 → 14.00
Skills:
Night Vision (Passive Lv. 1)
Stealth (Passive Lv. 1)
Tsundere Radar (Passive Lv. 1)
Basic First Aid (Active Lv. 2 → 15%)
Melee Weapon Mastery (Improvised) (Lv. 5 → 25%)
Athletics – Basic Strength Feats (Lv. 1 → 5%)
Mutated Fauna Combat Basics (Lv. 1 → 5%)
Combat Art: Desperate Strike (Cooldown: 01:00)
Instinct Surge (Active Lv. 1)
Accidental Harem Magnet (Passive – Max Lv. 5)
Natural Leader (Passive)
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED]
Predator Instinct (Passive Lv. 1 – 5%)
Developed through high-adrenaline survival in predatory combat. Alerts users to concealed enemies and ambush patterns. Slight time dilation during critical threat detection.
Group Affinities:
Seraphina Valerius: 32 → 40 / 100
Clara Vance: 27 → 45 / 100
Rosalie Thorne: 36 → 38 / 100
Morale: 90%
---