Xander's consciousness drifted in and out, a foggy haze clouding his senses. There was pain—a dull, throbbing ache that pulsed through his body. He tried to move but his limbs felt heavy, unresponsive, as if anchored to the floor.
A voice broke through the haze, sharp and urgent. "Xander! Stay with me!"
His eyes fluttered open, vision swimming before gradually focusing on Laura's face hovering above him, her expression tight with worry. Her hands were pressed against his shoulder, blood smeared across her fingers. It took him a moment to realize the blood was his.
"W-What... happened?" he croaked, throat raw and dry. His head throbbed, fragments of memory flashing before him—the frozen battlefield, the lights, that horrifying anomaly..."You tell me," Laura said, forcing a shaky laugh. "One second you were gone, the next you're crashing into the stairwell like a ragdoll. All four of you, just... appeared out of nowhere." She looked over her shoulder. "Greg's still unconscious, and Mike... he's breathing but it's shallow. Jared hasn't moved at all."
Xander's gaze followed hers. Greg was sprawled nearby, his arm bent at an awkward angle. Mike was against the wall, chest rising and falling in erratic, shallow breaths. Jared lay unnaturally still, face pale, shadows clinging to him like wisps of smoke.
His heart skipped a beat. "They're alive?"
"For now," Laura confirmed, her voice tight.
"But I don't know how long that'll last if we don't get out of here. Whatever did this... it's still out there, isn't it?"
Xander's stomach churned. The flickering lights. The growing brightness. That impossible feeling of something watching him inside his own Time Stop. He tried to sit up, a wave of nausea crashing over him. Laura steadied him, concern etched into her face.
"You looked like you were fighting something even while unconscious," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I couldn't wake you. None of you. It was like... like something was holding you all down."
Xander's jaw tightened, eyes lingering on his fallen friends. Guilt coiled in his chest, heavy and suffocating. He'd thought he was prepared—that he knew what they were up against. But nothing could've prepared him for... that.
"As you saw , there were three of them," he began, his voice rough and unsteady. "Stronger than the last ones we fought. Faster too. moving like they were... coordinated, like they could anticipate our attacks before we even made them."
Laura's eyes narrowed , they had all experienced the dread those three brought - just holding them back for a couple seconds had left the four strongest people in the group crippled or comatose.
"At least we gained some useful information," she said, wiping Xander's blood from her hands. "Those 'elites' can't leave their floor. If they could, they would've chased us up here. And with most of the grunts taken care of, we won't have to worry about a surprise attack. We regroup, patch everyone up, and go in smarter next time. If we hit them fast—"
"No."
The word came out sharper than Xander intended, his voice cold and flat.
Laura blinked, her mouth snapping shut as she looked at him, confusion flickering across her face.
Xander forced himself to sit up, every muscle screaming in protest. He looked at her, his eyes hollow, exhausted.
"You don't get it. It doesn't matter how smart we fight. It's hopeless."
Laura's face tightened. "Hopeless? What are you talking about? We just have to—"
"They were toying with us," Xander cut in, his tone bitter. "They weren't fighting seriously. They didn't even see us as a threat. If they wanted to, they could've killed all of us... easily." He swallowed, the memory of that pulsing light burning in his mind. "You didn't see it , even if we scrape a victory against those 'elites' , all that awaits us is a harrowing end"
She opened her mouth to argue but stopped, eyes widening as she registered the fear in his voice. Xander never gave up. Never admitted defeat. Hearing him now... it shook her.
"We're not strong enough," Xander continued, his gaze distant, haunted. "And if we go back down there... we won't be coming back."
Silence hung heavy between them, the weight of his words sinking in. Laura looked away, fists clenching as the fragile hope she'd been clinging to shattered. For the first time since this nightmare began, she had no idea what to do next.
Xander turned to the mission panel.
[Mission Updated]
Secure the office building and assist any survivors inside.
[Floors searched: 2/3]
[Survivors found: 15/15]
He felt a hollow emptiness settle in his chest. There was no hope left. Up until now, he'd operated under the belief that they could escape at any time, that abandoning the mission was always an option. But after seeing what lay on that final floor... it was clear. This building would be his tomb.
His shoulders sagged, a deep, suffocating despair pressing down on him. He looked over at the other survivors, huddled together in the corner, faces pale and hollow. Their supplies were dwindling. They had been rationing as best they could, but it wouldn't be enough.
A commotion broke out near the far wall. Xander's head snapped up, heart dropping as he saw one of the older survivors—Albert, an elderly just days away from retirement—kneeling over something. His fingers were smeared with dark, sticky blood as he tore at the charred flesh of a monster's corpse.
"Albert!" Laura shouted, rushing over. She grabbed his arm, yanking him away. "What the hell are you doing?"Albert's face was gaunt, eyes wild with hunger. "I... I was so hungry... I thought... if they eat us, then maybe... maybe we can eat them..." His voice was raspy, tears streaming down wrinkled face.
"I don't want to die here..."
Laura's expression softened, her grip loosening.
Xander stood over the charred remains of the fallen beast, the sickly scent of burnt flesh mixing with the staleness of the air. The thought of eating it made his stomach twist in disgust, but hunger gnawed at him relentlessly, pushing aside any hesitation.
He glanced around at the others, some of them barely holding on, their bodies frail and worn from days of starvation and fear.
It wasn't just the hunger that made him consider it. There was something strange about the monster's flesh. He couldn't put his finger on it at first, but looking at Albert—who had eaten from the corpse. The elderly man, who had once been pale and haggard, now stood straighter, his skin appearing healthier, smoother, the dark shadows under his eyes lifting ever so slightly. He looked almost... rejuvenated.
Xander's gaze narrowed as he observed the change in Albert. His once trembling hands were steady now, his posture more confident, more... alive. The man was no longer the frail, aging retiree that had stumbled through the days with a dull, defeated look. It was as though the flesh of the monster had given him something more than sustenance.
That was it—the flesh. There was more to it than just filling empty stomachs. Xander could sense it now, whatever was in that meat, it seemed to hold something far more potent than just nutrients. Something that could shift their odds, even if only for a brief moment.
With a grim resolve, Xander crouched beside the carcass. The heat still radiated from the remains, and the air around him seemed to hum, almost as if the meat itself was waiting. He wasn't sure whether to be repelled or intrigued, but the ache in his body—the weakness that clung to his limbs—pushed him forward.He reached for a chunk of meat, its surface blackened and burnt, but the inside still raw and vibrant.
The strange warmth from it made him hesitate for only a moment before he ripped it free and held it over the fire.
His thoughts flickered back to Albert. If it had made the old man look... well, better—maybe it could give them the strength they needed.
Eating monsters know , I guess
With a sigh , Xander threw the 'food' into his mouth.
The sharp edge of hunger had dulled to a manageable throb, but it was more than just that—he felt stronger.
His fingers flexed against the cold, familiar stone beneath him, his muscles a little less stiff, his mind a little clearer.
What was in that meat
Xander's gaze fixed on the system window.
[Xander Knox]
Title : Ward of [Redacted]
Time : (1200/1200)
Strength : 8
Constitution : 12
Intelligence : 15
Agility : 11
Innate abilities : Time stop, Time skip, Temporal shift, ???
His heart skipped. It wasn't a massive increase, but it was noticeable—his strength and constitution had both jumped, even agility had slightly improved. That was insane.
"Stats of 10 can be considered peak level human , if a consistent increase like this can be repeated for each of the survivors..."
Xander let out a dry laugh, the irony of it not lost on him. "Here we are, relying on the same monsters that have been hunting us. Couldn't be more twisted, right?"
He turned back to the survivors, his voice firm but carrying an edge of urgency.
"Alright, listen up. We're not getting out of here unless we adapt. That means using whatever we can, even if it feels wrong. The monsters' flesh... it can give us a boost. While its not guaranteed , there's a good chance this is the key to getting us all out of here"
He looked around, meeting each of their eyes. "We're going to keep fighting, but we need to be smart about it. Laura, get some of this meat into Mike, Greg, and Jared. We need them back at full potential ASAP"
Xander paused, taking a breath before adding, "The rest of you—" , a crooked smile grew on Xander's face ,"Dig in."