Shadow and I crouched on top of an abandoned bus at the exit of the underground parking lot.
Hidden in the shadows, looking through the high-powered scope of the Compound Bow, I saw clearly what was happening three hundred meters away.
It wasn't a chase. It was an execution.
In the clearing, four modified motorcycles and a pickup truck formed a circle. Headlights blazed, illuminating the center like a stage.
In the middle of the circle lay five or six bodies. They wore matching grey windbreakers, clutching broken pipes or machetes. They had fought hard.
Standing among the dead was a lone woman.
She wore a bloodstained tactical vest, gripping a dulled Tang Dao (inferior quality to my Judgment Blade). Her hair was messy, face smeared with blood and grime. Her left arm hung uselessly at her side, clearly broken, but her right hand gripped the sword deathly tight. Like a wounded lone wolf, facing down the pack of thugs.
Outside the circle, a bald brute sat on the hood of the pickup, toying with a shotgun, looking at her with a mocking grin.
"Captain Quinn, stop struggling."
The bald man spat a glob of phlegm. Tone full of ridicule. "Look around you. Your loyal subordinates are all dead. What are you holding on for?"
"Tanaka!" Quinn's voice was raspy, laced with bone-deep hatred. "Black Shark said this mission was to scavenge supplies! Why attack your own people?!"
"Own people?"
Tanaka laughed. "Quinn, you really think you're somebody? Boss has wanted you gone for a long time. Always yapping about 'rules' and 'bottom lines,' opposing robbing other survivors, secretly giving food to the weak... do you know how much profit you've cost the brothers?"
"So... this is a setup?" Quinn trembled.
"Correct." Tanaka grinned savagely. "Boss said people like you are a liability. But you're a Combat Captain, after all. Killing you openly might chill the brothers' hearts. So..."
He pointed to the darkness where zombie groans echoed faintly.
"Today, your squad's mission was 'Horde Clearance.' Regrettably, due to intel error, you encountered a Variant and were wiped out. Only I, risking my life, brought back the news of your death."
"Shameless..." Quinn gritted her teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
"Don't look at me like that." Tanaka hopped off the truck, shotgun in hand. "Actually, Boss wanted you dead immediately. But I couldn't bear it. With a body like yours... if we break your limbs, the brothers and I can have some fun. When we're bored, we'll toss you into the horde. You'd make top-tier 'Bait' for high-level monsters."
"Do it! Hamstring her! Don't kill her, keep her breathing!"
At his order, four thugs with chains and knives closed in, grinning lewdly.
Quinn looked at her dead comrades in despair.
She wasn't afraid of death. But she refused to die like this. She wanted to take one down with her, but her blood loss was too severe. Vision blurring. Sword heavy as lead.
"Looks like... this is it..."
She laughed bitterly inside, preparing to end her own life at the last second.
However, just as the thug with the chain reached for her.
THRUM!
A faint, yet incredibly powerful vibration sound came from the darkness above.
Not a gunshot. The unique hum of a high-poundage bowstring releasing kinetic energy.
Next second.
Tanaka, face full of lust and cruelty, snapped his head back violently.
A pitch-black carbon fiber arrow, shining with cold light, kissed him like the Grim Reaper. It entered his right eye with precision, exited the back of his skull in a spray of red and white, and nailed him to the truck door behind him.
The fletching on the arrow tail was still vibrating.
Thud.
Tanaka didn't even scream. His expression froze. His body stiffened and fell like a rotten log.
Only when the corpse hit the ground did the shotgun slip from his hand with a crisp clack.
Silence.
Dead silence.
The noisy execution site turned into a graveyard instantly.
The four thugs froze. Grins still stuck on their faces, but eyes filled with terror.
"B-Boss?!"
"Who?! Who's there?!"
Panic. They waved their machetes and chains at the darkness, trying to scare away the invisible death.
"ROAAAARRR!!!"
Answering them was a roar that sounded like a prehistoric beast.
A golden lightning bolt leaped from the roof of the bus.
Shadow.
After resting in Reality and System upgrades, he was bigger, more muscular. Golden fur flowed like liquid metal under the headlights. A golden lion.
"Wind Blade!"
Mid-air, he whipped his tail. Two half-moon cyan blades shrieked out.
Shunk! Shunk!
Two thugs reaching for their guns were sliced in half at the waist. Blood sprayed, painting the ground red.
"M-Monster!!!"
The remaining two lost their minds. Scrambling toward the motorcycles to flee.
"Leaving so soon?"
I stood on the bus roof, watching coldly. Drew the Compound Bow again.
With [Agility Enhancement] and [Basic Blade Mastery] (distance and force control apply to all weapons), these guys moved in slow motion.
Thwip!
Second arrow flew.
One guy straddling a bike took it in the back. Pinned to the gas tank.
The last one started his engine. Revving madly, charging into the dark.
I didn't shoot.
"Shadow," I whispered.
"Got him."
Shadow landed, claws digging into the asphalt. Launched like a cannonball. The bike was fast, but the mutated dog was faster!
Seconds later, a scream echoed in the dark. Skidding tires. Crashing metal. And... the crunch of bone being bitten.
Moments later, Shadow trotted back elegantly, blood dripping from his muzzle.
"Done." He spat out a piece of rag. "Tastes bad. Sweaty."
I slung the bow. Jumped down. Walked into the light.
Quinn was still in a defensive posture, leaning against a tire, staring blankly.
Less than a minute.
Tanaka's gang, who just slaughtered her team, were... wiped out?
Backlit, she saw a man walking over. Clean casual clothes (a luxury in the apocalypse), carrying an exaggerated bow. Beside him, the terrifying golden giant dog.
"Can you move?"
I walked up to her, looking down.
Quinn's eyes focused on my face. She didn't speak. Gripped her sword tighter. Instinct of someone who's been betrayed. Trust no one.
"Relax."
I pointed at Tanaka's corpse. "Just passing through. Saw this guy was too ugly, ruining the city view. Cleaned him up."
Terrible excuse.
But Quinn suddenly exhaled. Her sword clattered to the ground. Like her spine was removed, she slid down the tire.
"Thank you..."
Voice barely audible. "If you want supplies... the pickup has gas, the bikes work... take them."
"Not interested in scrap metal."
I shook my head. Looked at the grey-uniformed bodies. "Your subordinates?"
Quinn's eyes dimmed. Closed them in pain. Nodded.
"Bury them."
I said flatly. "Too much blood here. Horde will come soon. If you don't want them eaten by zombies, move fast."
Quinn opened her eyes. Looked at me in disbelief.
In the apocalypse, who cares about the dead? Not robbing the living is already a miracle.
"Who... are you?"
"New resident."
I pointed toward Sector C Shelter. "Just moved in. Need a guide. You have good skills. Brain is a bit stubborn, easy to get backstabbed by your own people, but at least... you have a bottom line."
I pulled an unopened bottle of Evian and a pack of vacuum-sealed beef jerky from my pocket. Tossed them to her.
"Eat. Then follow me."
Quinn caught the water and meat. Stared at the exquisite labels.
Evian? Imported beef?
Even Black Shark wouldn't dare eat this! Where did this man come from?
"Go where?" She asked instinctively.
"To a place with hot showers, soft beds, and no backstabbing."
I walked toward the behemoth parked in the dark.
"Shadow, bring the car around... wait, no, I'll drive."
When the Land Rover Defender's aggressive headlights turned on, and the V6 engine roared, Quinn's worldview collapsed completely.
Luxury car. Famous dog. High-end gear. Casual tossing of luxury food...
This man looked like a god who walked out of the prosperous Old World.
Thirty minutes later.
Sector C Shelter. Underground Control Hall.
As the heavy pneumatic valve closed slowly, sealing out the cold and dark, Quinn felt like she was dreaming.
She sat in the passenger seat, wrapped in a clean blanket I threw her.
"We're here. Out."
I cut the engine. Jumped down.
Quinn pushed the door open. Stepped down carefully. Limping on her wounded leg.
When she looked up and saw the scene, she froze.
This wasn't a shelter.
This was a small underground military base!
Spacious, bright hall. Lights blazing. Two brand new Honda Generators humming quietly in the corner, green lights steady.
Air purification system buzzing softly, blowing air that smelled of oil and... food.
And on one side of the hall, a mountain of supplies.
Cases of military MREs. Jugs of pure water. Stacks of cans... even boxes marked "Medical Emergency."
"Th... These..."
Quinn pointed, finger shaking. "All... food?"
In the Black Shark Gang, she had to fight tooth and nail just to get a few bags of expired rice for her men. Risking her life in the danger zones.
And here... food was piled like trash!
"Just a part of it."
I grabbed a medical kit from the shelf. Walked to her. "Sit. Treat your wounds. Antibiotics and sutures inside. You know how to use them?"
Quinn nodded dumbly. Took the kit. Opened it. All brand new, high-end meds.
Her eyes turned red.
Not from pain. From overwhelming grievance and relief.
If her brothers had these meds, had this food, they wouldn't have died so miserably...
"Why crying?"
Shadow trotted over, a ham sausage in his mouth. Chewing noisily. "Women are troublesome. Heal up fast. We don't feed idlers here."
Quinn wiped her tears. Looked at the talking dog (didn't understand dog language, but felt the intelligence), then at me adjusting the monitors.
"Boss."
She changed her address. Voice weak but firmer than ever.
She didn't treat her wound. Instead, she dragged her injured leg, walked behind me, and knelt on one knee. Thud.
"I am Quinn. Former Captain of Black Shark Gang's 3rd Search Team."
She looked up. Dead ash in her eyes replaced by the fire of vengeance and the will to survive.
"You saved my life. If you let me kill Black Shark, kill the traitors... from today on, my life is yours."
"I can use a blade. I can kill. I can take a bullet. Say the word, I'll go through hell."
[Survivor Allegiance Detected!] [Target: Quinn (Combat/Command Type. Potential: A-)] [Status: Heavily Wounded / Vengeful / Extremely Loyal] [Territory Quest Triggered: Recruit Survivor (1/1) COMPLETE!] [Reward: Territory Reputation +100, Blueprint: Basic Training Ground.]
I looked at the system panel. Corner of my mouth lifted.
This is the person I wanted.
Capable. Vengeful. Has a bottom line.
"Get up."
I turned and helped her up. "I don't like people kneeling. You joined, you're one of us."
I pointed at the red dot on the screen representing the Black Shark subway station.
"You want revenge? Good."
"Those two runaways definitely went back to report. Knowing Black Shark's greed, knowing there are supplies and a car here, he won't let us go."
"So, war is starting soon."
I picked up a sharp tactical dagger (from Reality) off the table. Handed it to her.
"Heal up. In two days, we send your old boss a big gift."
Quinn took the dagger. Gripped it tight. Felt the cold steel.
"Understood, Boss."
Her eyes turned ice cold. "I will personally... dig his heart out."