With a sigh, Jay closed the library door as the last survivor stepped inside.
They had made it, barely. Thankfully, they'd run fast enough that the wasps hadn't caught up before they returned.
If they had… things could've turned ugly.
"You're back?" Alex asked as he opened his eyes, watching the breathless survivors stumble in and collapse to the floor.
"Hmm." Lexie nodded, set her rifle down, and dropped into a chair.
"Another fight?" Alex frowned. Judging by everyone's condition, the return trip hadn't been smooth.
"Yeah. A bunch of oversized bugs. We handled it," Lexie replied, unwilling to give too much details.
Alex didn't press.
Damn. He clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside. If he'd moved faster. If he'd dodged instead of blocking when the mantis attacked. All this wouldn't be happening.
"It wasn't a big deal," Lexie reassured, sensing his mood. "We had the situation under control."
"Here. Have some water." Chloe offered her a bottle of water.
"Oh! Thanks." Lexie smiled and emptied it in one long gulp. "Phew. I needed that."
"You should rest," Alex advised, concern written all over his face.
Lexie had tried to play it cool, but he wasn't fooled. Her ragged breathing, the sweat-drenched clothes, and the disheveled hair made it clear how intense the situation had been.
Lexie didn't respond. Instead, she called up her status panel.
HP: 126/140
SP: 46/130
She sighed. The last few hours were stressful and some rest would be nice.
She'd prioritized Strength, Agility, and just enough Perception to stay quick on her feet.
It was working.
But she just didn't have the stamina to match the kind of physical output she was forcing out of her body.
She was burning through her reserves faster than expected. And her body was beginning to feel the toll. Every muscle ached. Her joints throbbed.
Even her heightened Perception was starting to feel like a burden rather than a strength. There was too much input and it was getting harder to process everything.
I'd better adjust my attributes.This isn't a game. She made a mental note to review her attributes soon. Every attribute had its value, ignoring even one would be asking for trouble.
Meanwhile Jay was checking on the other survivors.
"How is it?" Jay asked, approaching Angela.
She was crouched beside the young man who'd been hit during the ambush. The sharp barb had already been removed, and she was carefully cleaning the wound.
Still, he looked bad. His shoulder was swollen and purplish. He was sweating heavily and struggling to breathe.
"I did what I could." Angela sighed, standing up and pulling off her gloves. "I don't have any antivenom, and even if I did, I doubt it would work on whatever stung him. We just have to hope he makes it."
A heavy silence fell upon the room.
Angela didn't have to say it. Everyone knew—he wasn't going to make it.
They had just left the arena and someone was already going to die. It hadn't even been during a direct confrontation.
Just one stray hit, from one of those monsters, and now he was on death's door.
They didn't even know the guy that well. But it didn't matter.
He was one of them. A fellow survivor.
It could have been any of them in his place.
"Maybe we should've stayed in the arena," someone whispered quietly.
Jay didn't react. His eyes remained on the man.
If he was still conscious, they could at least check his status. Maybe they could still act. Maybe.
"He should've listened to me." In Jay's eyes, the man brought this on himself.
"You can't really blame him," Damian argued. "Even I froze for a second."
Jay voice was cold. "I warned all of you." "Toughen up. Listen when I speak. This world won't wait for you to grow a spine."
Angela sighed and shook her head.
"It's not that simple," she shook her head. "You, Lexie, and Alex, you three are different. I don't know what you went through before all this, but normal people don't adapt that fast. You can't expect them to move at your pace."
It was already good if someone didn't have a heart attack when faced with that kind of monster.
Louisa nodded, hugging Sylvi. "Still, he's right... This crazy world won't wait for us."
Angela didn't respond. It was true, but that didn't make it easier to hear.
Jay looked at the mourning survivors. He knew it was still hard for them to accept what he was saying.
Sometimes, there was no need or time to understand. You just had to do what you have to.
I learned it the hard way.
He turned away. "You've got another patient waiting."
"Brother, we have to get stronger," Ian mumbled, eyes lingering on Jay's retreating back. He didn't want to finish like that other guy.
"You right, we have to. We will," Hendrick nodded.
As for Angela, thoughtful, she followed behind Jay. It was time to prove her worth.
She approached the table where Alex lay. He was pale and clearly weak, but far more relaxed than she'd expected.
"Doctor, you're here," Alex greeted with a faint smile. "Sorry to bother you."
"No, don't," Angela replied, her eyes softening.
They make it looks easy. But she knew it wasn't. It took a lot of efforts to stay sharp and not let themselves be overwhelmed like everyone else. And she was grateful they were able to manage that.
The least I can do is make things easier for them.
She took a deep breath and stepped closer.
"You seem to be handling this just fine." She started her examination.
"Chloe took good care of me." Alex nodded toward her.
"Hello, Doctor," Chloe stepped forward and gave a crisp summary of what she'd done so far.
Angela studied her briefly and gave a nod of approval. "You did well."
"Thank you, Doctor," Chloe beamed.
"You know her?" Alex asked, watching as Angela strapped a bio-monitor onto his arm.
"She's one of my professors," Chloe answered proudly. "She's really nice."
Angela didn't respond. Her eyes narrowed. Something on the monitor didn't add up.
"Something wrong?" Lexie asked, stepping closer.
" Yeah… it's weird." Angela replied, frowning deeper. "Alex's vitals aren't normal. His temperature reads 38.5°C. That's high enough to incapacitate most people. But he isn't even feverish... it's like there is no problem."
She took his vitals again, just to be sure.
Jay and Lexie exchanged glances.
"May I?" Angela asked, turning to Lexie and gesturing toward the monitor. "I want to check something."
Lexie raised an eyebrow, suspicious, but nodded and let Angela proceed.
A few minutes later, perplexed, Angela turned to Jay. He sat down and offered his arm. Now, he was just as curious about what Angela was going to find.
A few moments later, Angela stepped back, staring at the screen.
"You all should be in bed right now," she muttered, raking a hand through her hair. "But here you are, looking like you could fight a bull."
"I got similar readings from Sylvi earlier. I had my doubts, but I guess this is the new normal."
"Whatever is going, it's incredible. I really want to understand how far you've changed."
For a moment, her voice was tinged with awe. All the years she'd spent studying medicine, it felt like it was meaningless.
But instead of despair, a deep, hungry curiosity surged through her. The urge to know and learn more.
Jay dodged her gaze slightly. "You might want to calm down and focus."
Angela blinked, and snapped out of her daze. "Right. Sorry."
She returned to Alex and began a series of quick diagnostic tests.
A few minutes later, she finished and turned to Jay and Lexie, her expression thoughtful.
"So, how is it?"
"There is good news and bad news."
"Let's start with the good one."
"His recovery rate is incredible. I checked the wound and it's hard to believe it happened not long ago. It looks like it's been healing for days."
"He could recover on his own in a few days," she added, adjusting her gloves.
Jay and Lexie exchanged a glance. Instinctively, they both looked down at their own arms, the shallow cuts from their fight with the mantis had already faded, leaving behind smooth, fresh skin.
So, we do have enhanced healing
"The bad one?"
"It's a mess," she started. "He will end up crippled if I leave his body do its own thing."
"Sigh." As expected, it couldn't have been so easy.
"His body is just healing faster. It doesn't matter if it is a simple injury." She pointed at Jay and Lexie. "However, with this kind of wound, the result won't change if he doesn't receive proper care."
"All right. What do you need?" Lexie asked, cutting to the point.
"First," Angela started, looking at them seriously, "can you tell me everything you know about the System so far? I assume you've added attribute points? How does it work?"
Jay exchanged a glance with Lexie, then sighed. He told her everything they'd figured out about the attributes so far. Lexie chimed in occasionally, providing her own insights and observations.
Angela opened her panel and fiddled with it, brows knitting as she compared what they said to what she saw on her end.
"Incredible," she murmured. "It's incredible how easily it modifies the body."
She looked up. "You were right to be cautious. From a biological standpoint, one stat can't affect just one function. Take Strength, it's not just arms or legs; it's the whole system. Stronger muscles mean greater power, faster movement, better support... There's overlap, and it should apply to all attributes."
She tapped her fingers against the table, thinking. "And the stats clearly support each other. Picture a sport car made of cardboard. Or a glass sledgehammer. High power with no durability? That's a recipe for self-destruction."
"You're smart." Lexie muttered, impressed despite herself. It had taken them a few tests to figure all that. And she did just by listening to them.
Jay gave her a thoughtful look. With her, a lot of things are going to get easier.
"Anyway, enough rambling." Angela refocused. "I think Vitality is the key. But there'll be a tradeoff, he'll burn through more energy than usual."
She paused. "I'll need a few things: basic trauma gear, IV kits and fluids, painkillers, a blood transfusion set and O-negative or type-matched blood bags, and anything for wound recovery.
"Actually, you should gather as many medical supplies as you can carry. We'll need them sooner or later."
"Okay, can you write that down for us?" Jay asked.
"All right," Angela nodded, "Chloe can you get me something to write?"
"On it!" Chloe dashed off.
"About the blood, I can give him some," Lexie proposed.
"No, unless you can't find any, I'd rather if we don't. That'd only weaken you, and we can't afford to lose another fighter," Angela shook her head.
Soon, Chloe returned with a pen and a piece of paper.
"Thank." Angela took them and started writing quickly.
"Write in a language we can understand… please," Jay commented, earning a glare from Angela.
"All right. So where to now?" Lexie asked.
"Your best shot is the Avery-Niels Medical center," Angela proposed. "But if it's anything like what we've seen so far, be ready. It won't be simple."