Marcus spent the first hour on that fire escape trying to convince himself he was dreaming.
He had pinched himself seventeen times, hard enough to leave marks. He had closed and re-opened his eyes until they watered. He had even tried slapping himself, which only suceeded in making his cheeks hurt and the infected below more agitated by the sound.
The System window remained stubbornly visible, hovering at the edge of his vision like a persistent pop-up ad.
The sun was setting now, painting the devastated city in shades of orange and red that looked too much like blood. The infected below had multiplied. What started as three had grown to nearly a dozen, all milling about the alley with that unsettling, jerky movement. Waiting.
Marcus's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and his water bottle was in his backpack, which was currently somewhere in the ruined church. His throat felt like sandpaper.
"Okay," he said quietly, addressing the System window directly. "If you're real, then help me understand. What are you?"
The blue screen flickered, then new text appeared:
[System Query Detected]
[The System is a multiversal construct designed to facilitate rapid adaptation to mana-saturated environments. Think of it as... a user interface for reality itself.]
[You may interact with the System through thought, speech, or gesture. Mental commands are recommended in combat situations.]
Marcus blinked surprised. "You can answer questions?"
[Within parameters. The System is not sentient but can provide guidance on mechanics, skills, and quests. Lore and history must be discovered through exploration.]
That was... actually helpful. Marcus sat up straighter, ignoring his protesting muscles. "Show me my status again."
The window expanded:
[USER: Marcus Chen]
[CLASS: Faith Keeper (Epic)]
[LEVEL: 1]
[EXP: 0/100]
[STATS:]
[Strength: 8]
[Agility: 7]
[Constitution: 9]
[Intelligence: 14]
[Wisdom: 12]
[Charisma: 13]
[Faith: 20]
[SKILLS:]
[Divine Amplification – Rank F]
[Minor Heal – Rank F]
[Sanctuary Sense – Rank F]
[FAITH POINTS: 0/100]
[BELIEVERS: 0]
Marcus studied the numbers. Most of his physical stats were mediocre, no surprise there. But Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma were decent, and whatever "Faith" meant, his was notably higher than the others.
"What does Faith do?"
[Faith determines the strength of your class-specific abilities and the maximum number of believers you can support. It also affects your resistance to mental corruption and despair effects.]
"Despair effects. Great. Just another thing I don't understand."
Movement below caught his eye. A new figure stumbled into the alley, a survivor, not one of the infected. A young woman in a barista's apron, her dark hair dirtied with dust and blood. She clutched a baseball bat in trembling hands.
She didn't see the infected behind her.
"Hey!" Marcus shouted without thinking. "Behind you!"
The woman spun, and the infected lunged. She swung the bat wildly, connecting with one creature's skull with a sickening crack. It went down, but two more were already reaching for her.
Marcus's body moved before his brain caught up. He scrambled down the fire escape ladder, some distant part of his mind screaming that this was suicide, but a louder part refusing to watch someone die when he might be able to help.
His feet hit the alley floor, and instinct took over.
"Divine Amplification!".
Golden light burst from his hands, stronger than before, more controlled. It washed over the woman, and suddenly her movements became faster, more precise. She ducked under grasping hands and brought the bat around in a perfect arc, dropping another infected.
[Skill Activated: Divine Amplification]
[Target: Unknown Female – Combat effectiveness increased by 10%]
[Faith Points: -5]
[Warning: Faith Points critically low]
Marcus felt the drain immediately, a sudden exhaustion that made his knees weak. But the woman had gained an advantage. She pressed it, using her enhanced speed to create distance and take down the remaining infected with brutal efficiency.
When the last one fell, she turned on Marcus, bat raised.
"Wait!" He threw his hands up. "I'm not, I'm human! I helped you!"
She stared at him, chest heaving, eyes wild. Slowly, recognition filtered through the adrenaline. "You...what did you do?. I suddenly felt stronger."
"System thing," Marcus said, gesturing vaguely at the air. "You got one too, right? When everything went crazy?"
The woman lowered her bat slightly. "Yeah. I'm a... Combat Specialist? Whatever that means." She looked around the alley, at the bodies of the infected, and laughed shakily. "I worked at a coffee shop this morning. This morning. Was that today? It feels like ages ago."
"I know the feeling." Marcus extended a hand. "Marcus Chen. Failed seminary student."
She hesitated, then shook it. Her grip was strong. "Elena Vasquez. Apparently not a failed barista anymore." She glanced at the bodies again. "Are they dead? Really dead?"
"I don't know. I don't know anything." Marcus said. "I've been hiding on that fire escape trying to figure out what's happening."
Elena nodded slowly. "The whole city's like this. Probably the whole world. I saw the news before the power went out. Same things happening everywhere, the rifts, the infected, the System."
[Quest Update: Survive Your First Day – 15% Complete]
[New Opportunity Detected]
[Optional Quest: Find Your First Believer]
[Reward: 15 EXP, Faith Points +50, New Skill Unlock]
[Accept?]
Marcus's eyes widened as he read the prompt. He looked at Elena, who was studying her own System window with a confused expression.
"Hey," he said carefully. "This is going to sound crazy, but my class is Faith Keeper. I get stronger when people believe in me, trust me. I think... I think we might be better off together."
Elena met his gaze. In the dying light, he could see the fear there, but also the calculation. She was weighing risks, same as him.
"Well, You saved my life just now," she said finally. "That gold light flash from your hands. you could have stayed hidden, but you helped me." She took a breath. "Okay. I'll stick with you. But if you try anything stupid, I've got this bat and apparently enhanced combat skills now to smash your head in"
[Optional Quest Accepted]
[Elena Vasquez has placed preliminary trust in you]
[EXP: 15/100]
[Believers: 0 → 1]
[Faith Points: +50]
[Congratulations! You have gained your first believer!]
[New Skill Unlocked: Protective Aura – Rank F]
[Protective Aura: Create a small barrier that reduces damage to nearby allies by 15%]
Warmth flooded through Marcus, washing away the exhaustion from using Divine Amplification. The Faith Points restoration felt like drinking cold water after a long run, refreshing and energizing.
"Whoa," he breathed. "That's... that's really something."
Elena frowned. "What happened?"
"You just made me stronger. Literally." Marcus grinned despite everything. "I think I'm starting to understand this class."
A howl echoed through the streets, deeper and more resonant than the rasping sounds the infected made. Both of them froze.
"That sounded big," Elena whispered.
"Yeah." Marcus checked his System window. The sun was nearly gone now, and darkness was spreading across the city like a stain. "We need shelter. Somewhere defensible."
Elena nodded. "I know a place. My apartment building has a reinforced basement. We used to joke it was a Cold War bunker." She paused. "It's about six blocks from here."
Six blocks through a city full of monsters, in the dark, with no real combat experience between them except what Elena had gained in the last ten minutes.
"Well," Marcus said, trying for a confidence he didn't feel. "At least we're not alone."
"Yeah. I guess ." Elena hefted her bat. "Stay close. If anything jumps out,you do your gold light thing and I'll hit hard."
"Deal."
They moved toward the alley exit, and Marcus couldn't help but glance back at the fire escape, his safe space, abandoned for the dangerous unknown. He was either very brave or very stupid.
Probably stupid, he decided.
But at least he won't be dying alone.
[Quest Progress: Survive Your First Day – 20% Complete]