Alex awoke to the sound of distant groaning and the stench of rot thick in the air. His head throbbed, and his vision blurred as he struggled to process his surroundings. The floor beneath him was cold and sticky, smeared with blood that wasn't his. Nearby, faint shafts of light slipped through broken windows, revealing the wreckage of what appeared to be a convenience store. Shelves were toppled, products spilled everywhere, and flies buzzed around decomposing corpses scattered across the room.
He sat up slowly, his hand instinctively brushing over his chest and stomach. No wounds. That was a miracle in itself, considering the scene around him. His last memory was of running — running from the chaos that had engulfed the city. Then darkness. And now this.
The groaning grew louder. Alex turned his head sharply to see one of the corpses twitch. Its arms, mottled with decay, jerked unnaturally as it began to rise. The creature's head lolled to one side, its milky eyes locking onto him. It let out a guttural snarl, its rotting mouth snapping open as it lunged forward.
Instinct kicked in. Alex scrambled to his feet, grabbing the closest thing he could find — a broken piece of metal piping. As the zombie closed the distance, he swung with all his strength. The pipe connected with a sickening crunch, sending the creature staggering back. But it didn't fall. It came at him again, relentless, as if pain meant nothing.
"Stay down!" Alex growled, slamming the pipe down onto the zombie's skull. Again. And again. Finally, with a wet squelch, the creature collapsed, its head reduced to a pulpy mess.
Breathing heavily, Alex stared at the unmoving corpse. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, but something else stirred within him — a strange warmth spreading from his chest, accompanied by a faint, otherworldly voice.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED.] [Welcome, Host. Initiating Devourer Protocol.]
"What the hell?" Alex muttered, clutching his head as a sudden influx of information flooded his mind. It was like someone had flipped a switch, opening a door to something incomprehensible.
[First Essence Absorbed. Analyzing...] [Subject: Infected Human — Type I.] [Abilities Extracted: Minor Strength Enhancement, Basic Endurance Boost.]
Alex blinked, his confusion only growing. "What is this? A game? A hallucination?" But the warmth in his chest didn't lie. He could feel it — a subtle but undeniable change in his body. His muscles felt tighter, stronger. His breathing steadied faster than it should have after such a fight.
Before he could process it further, another groan echoed from the back of the store. Then another. The noise grew, a chorus of deathly hunger rising from unseen corners.
"Shit."
Alex tightened his grip on the pipe and darted toward the shattered window. Glass crunched under his boots as he climbed out, landing awkwardly on the cracked asphalt outside. The streets were a nightmare. Cars sat abandoned, many of them burned-out husks. Bodies littered the sidewalks, some motionless, others twitching as they reanimated. Buildings were either ablaze or boarded up, the once-bustling city now a graveyard.
He didn't stop to take it all in. Survival was his only thought. He needed a safe place, somewhere to regroup and figure out what was happening — not just with the world, but with himself.
The First Kill
Alex's escape led him to an alleyway between two towering apartment complexes. He pressed his back against the cold brick wall, gripping the pipe tightly as he caught his breath. The groaning of the undead was distant now, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. The city was crawling with them.
"Okay," he whispered to himself, trying to steady his nerves. "Think, Alex. What's the plan?"
His mind raced. Food, water, weapons — he needed all of it. But more than that, he needed answers. The voice, the "system," whatever it was, had given him something. Power. He didn't understand it yet, but he wasn't about to waste it.
[System Update: New Objective Acquired.] [Survive. Adapt. Evolve.]
"Easier said than done," he muttered. But the message gave him clarity. This wasn't just about running anymore. If he wanted to survive, he needed to fight. And to fight, he needed to understand this new power.
The opportunity came sooner than he expected. A low growl made him turn his head. At the far end of the alley, a figure shambled into view. It was another zombie, its flesh riddled with wounds, one arm hanging by a thread of muscle. Unlike the one in the store, this one moved faster, its jerky steps closing the distance with alarming speed.
Alex didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, swinging the pipe in a wide arc. The zombie ducked, surprising him with its reflexes, and lashed out with its remaining arm. The blow caught him in the ribs, sending him staggering back.
"Damn it!" he hissed, regaining his footing. The creature was on him again, jaws snapping. He sidestepped at the last second, bringing the pipe down onto the back of its neck. Bone cracked, and the zombie collapsed, twitching.
Before it could rise again, Alex drove the pipe through its skull, pinning it to the ground. The body went limp, and that familiar warmth returned, stronger this time.
[Second Essence Absorbed.] [Subject: Infected Human — Type II.] [Abilities Extracted: Enhanced Reflexes, Minor Agility Boost.]
Alex's breathing steadied as the warmth spread through him. He flexed his fingers, marveling at how responsive his body felt. It was as if his muscles had been fine-tuned, his movements sharper and more precise.
"This is real," he murmured, a cold smile spreading across his face. "And I can use it."
A Ruthless Survivor
The next few hours were a blur of survival. Alex moved through the city with calculated precision, avoiding large groups of undead and picking off isolated stragglers. Each kill brought more power, more understanding of the Devourer System. He learned to identify the different types of infected: the slow, lumbering Type Is and the faster, more dangerous Type IIs. Both provided valuable enhancements, but they were only the beginning.
[System Update: Skill Unlocked.] [Skill: Predator's Instinct — Increases awareness of nearby threats and enhances reaction time during combat.]
By the time night fell, Alex had secured a small apartment on the outskirts of the city. The building was mostly abandoned, save for a few corpses he'd dispatched on his way in. He barricaded the doors and windows, using whatever furniture he could find, and set up a makeshift sleeping area in one of the bedrooms.
As he sat on the edge of the bed, his pipe resting across his lap, Alex allowed himself a moment to reflect. The world had changed overnight, and so had he. The timid, aimless man he'd been before the outbreak was gone, replaced by someone colder, sharper. This new world demanded it.
But survival wasn't enough. Alex wasn't content to merely scrape by. He'd seen what the infected were capable of, the power they held. And with the Devourer System, that power could be his.
"Adapt and evolve, huh?" he muttered, staring out the window at the darkened city. "Fine. Let's see how far I can take this."
Unbeknownst to him, others were watching. Hidden in the shadows of the city were survivors who had also adapted, each with their own agenda. And some had already taken notice of the lone man carving a path through the undead with ruthless efficiency.
The hunt had only just begun.