The streets were deserted, bathed in the sickly yellow glow of failing streetlights. August's breath puffed in sharp bursts as he leaned against a rusted lamppost, his knees threatening to give out. His mind raced, trying to process what had just happened.
The blood. The body. The thing that wasn't human.
And the voice.
"System activated," August muttered, his voice shaky. He stared at his hands, still gripping the knife that had materialized out of thin air. The blade shimmered faintly, its glow pulsing like a heartbeat.
A heartbeat that wasn't his.
He had no time to figure it out.
A low growl echoed from the darkness behind him. August froze, his fingers tightening around the knife. Slowly, he turned his head.
Another figure emerged from the shadows, its movements jerky and unnatural, just like the one before. Its head twitched violently as it sniffed the air, zeroing in on him.
"No," August whispered, taking a step back. His mind screamed at him to run, but his legs wouldn't obey.
The thing lunged.
A jolt shot through August's body as the voice returned, calm and commanding.
"Hostile detected. Combat mode engaged. System synchronization at 75%."
Suddenly, the knife in his hand grew warmer, lighter. It moved almost on its own, pulling him forward as if it had a will of its own.
The zombie snarled, its bloodstained teeth snapping inches from his face. August reacted on instinct—or maybe it wasn't instinct at all. He sidestepped the creature, the knife slicing upward in a clean arc.
The blade cut deep into the thing's shoulder, black ichor spilling out like oil. It stumbled but didn't stop.
"Critical damage achieved. Target is not neutralized."
"Not neutralized? What do you—"
Before he could finish, the zombie lunged again. This time, August was ready. The knife drove straight into its chest, piercing whatever passed for a heart. The creature let out a guttural scream before collapsing at his feet, twitching once before going still.
The silence was deafening.
August stared at the corpse, his chest heaving. The blade in his hand stopped glowing, its faint warmth fading. He dropped it, letting it clatter to the pavement.
"What the hell is going on?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
The interface blinked into view again, hovering in the air before him. He flinched but didn't look away.
HOSTILE NEUTRALIZED. EXPERIENCE GAINED: 25 XP.
SYSTEM SYNC: 100%.
The text disappeared, replaced by a glowing map of the area. Blinking red dots marked several locations around him, each accompanied by a faint hum.
"What are those?" August asked aloud, as if the system might answer.
It did.
"Hostiles in proximity: seven."
His stomach sank. Seven? There were seven more of those things nearby?
Before he could think, a new notification popped up.
MISSION: SURVIVE.
"Yeah, no kidding," August muttered bitterly.
He needed to move. Standing in the open was asking to get torn apart. But where could he go? The map didn't show much detail, just the red dots and his own blinking blue icon in the center.
As he turned to look for an escape route, the voice spoke again.
"HUD tutorial available. Would you like to begin?"
"I don't even know what a HUD is," August said, exasperated.
The system didn't care.
"HUD tutorial initiating. Displaying basic functions."
The map expanded, zooming in on his location. A glowing path appeared, leading to what looked like a building nearby.
"Safe zone detected: 200 meters north. Path marked. Proceed with caution."
Safe zone? It wasn't much to go on, but it was better than staying here.
"Okay," August said, swallowing his fear. "Let's do this."
He moved quickly but carefully, keeping to the shadows as he followed the glowing path. The knife was back in his hand, its faint light illuminating the ground before him.
The red dots on the map shifted as he moved. Some drifted further away, but others seemed to be closing in.
A rustling sound to his left made him freeze. He pressed himself against a wall, holding his breath. The sound grew louder, closer. He gripped the knife tightly, his palms slick with sweat.
A figure emerged from an alleyway, its head lolling to one side. Its milky white eyes scanned the area, and for a moment, August thought it hadn't seen him.
But then it let out a guttural snarl.
"Damn it," August hissed, pushing off the wall.
The zombie charged, its movements erratic but fast. August barely had time to raise the knife before it was on him. He swung wildly, the blade slicing across its face. Black blood splattered onto his clothes, the stench making him gag.
The creature stumbled but didn't fall.
"Aim for the head," the voice instructed calmly, as if this were a training exercise.
"Easier said than done," August grunted.
The zombie lunged again, its clawed hands swiping at his face. He ducked and drove the knife upward, the blade piercing its skull with a sickening crunch.
The thing collapsed, lifeless.
"Hostile neutralized. Experience gained: 15 XP."
August pulled the knife free, wiping the blade on his already filthy pants. His hands trembled, but he couldn't stop now.
The map showed three more red dots moving toward him.
He broke into a run, the glowing path leading him to a small building with boarded-up windows. A rusted sign above the door read "COMMUNITY CENTER."
The system chimed in. "Safe zone confirmed. Enter immediately."
August didn't need to be told twice. He shoved the door open and slammed it shut behind him, sliding a heavy wooden beam across to bar it.
He collapsed against the door, his chest heaving. For a moment, he let himself breathe.
But the system wasn't done.
"Hostiles in proximity: four. User advised to fortify position."
August looked around the room, his eyes scanning for anything he could use. The space was small and cluttered, filled with overturned chairs and tables. A faint beam of moonlight streamed through a crack in one of the boarded windows, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
He spotted a stack of metal chairs in the corner and dragged them to the door, creating a makeshift barricade. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.
Just as he finished, the map updated again. One of the red dots was right outside.
A loud thud echoed through the room as something slammed into the door.
August gripped his knife and braced himself.
The system chimed in once more, its tone colder than before. "Warning: larger hostile detected. Prepare for combat."