The red sky didn't fade.
Not after ten minutes. Not after twenty. It pulsed like a living wound in the heavens, as if the planet had been swallowed by a nightmare—and the nightmare refused to end.
Aiden Mori walked through it with blood on his hands.
The rusted pipe clinked softly against the sidewalk. He'd dragged it with him, though it was bent and sticky with black fluid. His hoodie was soaked through, and his ribs ached with every step.
> [HP: 11/120]
[Status Effect: Bleeding – Minor]
[Passive Skill Activated: Rapid Healing I]
Pain was constant, dull and grinding, but there was a strange peace in it now. Pain made him sharp. Real. Awake.
He passed a man slumped against a mailbox. His neck had been torn open. A cell phone lay at his feet, still flashing the words "Calling Mom."
Aiden averted his eyes and kept
The neighborhood wasn't safe. He knew that instinctively. The System didn't just spawn one creature and leave it at that.
This was the start.
A tutorial.
Which meant waves.
He needed shelter. A vantage point. Supplies. Bandages if he wanted to survive until dawn.
> [Quest Active: Survive the First Night]
Time Remaining: 05:42:17
Aiden's eyes darted around the streets. His vision felt… sharper somehow. Colors were more defined. Shapes clearer. He saw a flicker of movement two blocks down—something crawling on all fours. Too big to be a dog.
He slipped into the shadows between buildings and ducked behind a garbage bin.
> [Passive Skill: Instinct – Activated]
Threat Detected: Hostile Entity Nearby. Recommend Evasion.]
"Yeah, no kidding," he whispered.
Two blocks later, he found it: St. Agnes Church. The old building had stone walls, a tall bell tower, and—more importantly—a single entrance. Thick wooden doors, reinforced by iron bars.He pushed the door.Locked.
Aiden took a step back and smashed the door handle with his pipe. It splintered on the second blow. He kicked it open.
> [System Notice: You've Entered a Shelter-Class Zone. Temporary Safe Area Activated.]
Buff Applied: Passive HP Regen +10%
He slumped against the wall, exhaling.
Inside, the church was dark but intact. The air was cool and thick with incense and dust. The altar glowed faintly in the distance—system light, not candles.
Something shimmered near the front pew.
Aiden crept forward, wincing at every step. What he saw made him freeze.
It was a loot chest. Glowing softly in gold and green hues, like something out of a game. A message floated above it:
> [Beginner's Reward Chest – Unclaimed Quest Reward]
He tapped it.
The chest burst open with a soft chiming sound.
[Basic Combat Knife – Uncommon]
Damage: 1d6+1. Bonus: Bleed chance 10%.
[Worn Leather Armor – Common]
+5 Vitality, Minor Slash Resistance
[Minor Healing Potion] x2
Restores 50 HP over 10 seconds
[Map Fragment – Area Level: Coral Springs Sector 19]
Unlocks fog of war in local district.
+500 EXP | +1 Stat Point
Aiden changed out of his bloody hoodie and slipped into the armor. It was stiff, smelled like goatskin, and probably wouldn't stop a bullet—but it was better than nothing.
He downed a healing potion, sighing as the warmth spread through his chest and ribs.
> [HP Restored: 61/120]
[Status: Bleeding – Healed]
Outside, something howled.
He was halfway through studying the map when the door creaked open.
Aiden sprang to his feet, knife in hand.
"Whoa, whoa—don't stab me!" a voice said—a girl's voice. "I'm human. Probably."
She stepped into the flickering light cautiously.
She looked about his age, maybe a little younger—short, athletic, dark skin, braided hair, wearing a cheerleader's hoodie splattered in dried blood. She held a broken broom handle like a spear.
Behind her came a boy—a little one. Maybe ten years old. His arms were scraped up, and he clutched a toy robot like a shield.
"Please," she said. "We need a place to wait this out."
Aiden didn't speak. He didn't lower the knife either.
"I'm Tasha. This is Malik," she said. "We got separated from our group when those things came out of the school. I saw the System. We all got it. It's real, right?"
He nodded slowly.
"…You didn't pick 'Caster,' did you?" he muttered.
Tasha blinked. "No? Why?"
"Some kid in the parking lot picked Caster. Tried to summon fire. Lit himself on fire instead."
She flinched. Malik whimpered softly behind her.
Aiden lowered the knife.
"You can stay," he said. "But no loud talking. And if either of you turns into a monster…"
"I'll stab myself before that happens," Tasha muttered, dead serious.
Respect.
After checking the windows and blocking the door, they sat under a stained-glass image of St. Michael slaying a dragon.
Tasha pulled a protein bar from her backpack and shared it with Malik. Aiden updated his status screen.
> [Level: 3 → 4]
+5 Stat Points Gained
Total Unspent Points: 11
He put 3 points into Vitality, 3 into Agility, and the rest into Perception. Survivors weren't about brute strength—they were about staying alive.
> HP: 135
Passive Bonuses Enhanced: Instinct II unlocked
He glanced at the stained glass. The dragon's red eye glowed faintly in the light of the broken moon.A fitting symbol.
The church trembled. System text appeared again, faster this time. Urgent.
> [WORLD EVENT: NIGHT TIDE WAVE 1 APPROACHING]
[Estimated Spawn Radius: 2km]
[Monsters will begin hunting survivors. Boss Entity Arrival in 01:12:47]
Tasha read the message as it appeared in her vision. "Boss entity?" she asked. "Like a mini-boss?"
Aiden looked at her grimly.
"No," he said. "Boss boss."
They shared a look.
Malik curled up between the pews and whispered, "Are we gonna die?"
Aiden looked out the window. Red lightning danced across the sky.
And something massive howled in the distance. A deep, echoing roar that made the stained glass shiver.
Aiden gripped his knife tighter.
"No," he said.
He didn't know if it was true.
But he was done running.