The ruined city offered few safe places, but Kairis had learned to spot opportunity.
The house was small, but intact. Light flickered faintly from a cracked window where electricity still ran. Water flowed from a damaged pipe in the kitchen, dripping into a basin. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
He pushed open the door, peering inside with sharp, calculated movements. Dust hung in the air, thick and dry, but the place was secure. Walls solid, doors barricadable, and enough space to set traps if needed.
> [New Base Acquired: Temporary Stronghold]
He moved quickly, scavenging the remnants of the house—canned food, broken furniture that could be repurposed, old blankets. He stocked the cupboards, filled jars with water, and even rigged a few simple noise traps near the entrances.
This will do… for now.
Elyra and Aeren watched silently from the corner, trusting him without question. Kairis didn't smile. He didn't need to. His presence alone was enough to keep them in line.
Once the siblings were settled, Kairis turned his attention to his blade. The system had upgraded it automatically:
> [Graviton Edge – Lv.2]
[Effect: Bends space more efficiently. Pulls targets closer, increases cutting weight, and can tear through dense objects with precision. Dark Matter absorption upon kills initiated.]
He practiced first on broken furniture. Chairs, a table, and a shattered door all bent unnaturally toward the blade before splitting in half. A grin touched his lips.
Good. This is power.
The real test would be monsters. He moved outside as dusk fell, the city's shadows lengthening. A low growl emerged from the ruins nearby—a small pack of Aberrants, nothing enormous, but fast and vicious.
He didn't hesitate. The first struck at him with claws like curved knives. Kairis sidestepped, slashing with the Graviton Edge. The blade bent space around the claw, pulling it slightly toward him while simultaneously cutting through it. One Aberrant went down. The next came. He slashed again, pulling it off balance and absorbing the faint, black shimmer that dark matter left behind.
> [Dark Matter Absorption: +0.5%]
[Graviton Edge Lv.2 → Lv.2.1]
The system's subtle pulsing in his vision gave him feedback. He could feel power filling him, every kill refining his instincts. The monsters weren't just food—they were fuel.
By nightfall, he had cleared three of the small packs. Scars of blood and black ichor streaked the streets, the air heavy with the smell of burnt and fresh blood. He didn't flinch. He never flinched anymore.
This is survival. This is training. This is living.
He returned to the house, wiping the blade clean. That's when he sensed her.
Kaiyara. The girl from the network.
She stepped from the shadows, confident, eyes glowing violet. Her system shimmered faintly in the dim light. She didn't attack. She didn't speak. She just watched.
Kairis's grip on the Graviton Edge tightened. Every muscle coiled, every instinct screaming danger. He didn't trust her. He wouldn't. Not yet.
Their gazes locked.
> Kairis: Silent, assessing, piercing. Brown-black eyes with a faint purple glow edging the iris. A predator sizing up another predator.
Kaiyara: Confident, aware, but careful. She didn't back down.
The air between them was heavy. No words were exchanged. Kairis didn't blink. He didn't move. Every detail was analyzed: posture, pulse, energy signature. She was strong. She was fast. And she was unknown.
He knew the game.
Don't trust. Observe. Prepare.
Kaiyara tilted her head slightly, a small smirk touching her lips. She understood. She wasn't here to fight… not yet. But she was curious. And she had orders.
Kairis's mind raced. He didn't move. He didn't speak. He just stared, unflinching, letting the tension stretch.
Because he knew one thing:
No one got close to him. No one threatened his siblings. No one walked into his domain without consequence.
And he wasn't afraid of consequences.