The morning sun filtered between the buildings.

  But the light didn’t bring the city back to life.

  If anything, it only revealed the destruction more clearly.

  Kaelion and Lucas moved through the narrow streets.

  They deliberately avoided the main roads.

  Kaelion chose paths that stayed in the shadows whenever possible.

  Lucas walked a few steps behind him.

  “You know,” Lucas said while looking around, “post-apocalyptic cities in movies always looked like this.”

  Kaelion didn’t respond.

  Lucas continued.

  “I never thought it would actually happen.”

  As Kaelion turned a corner, he answered briefly.

  “No one did.”

  Lucas shrugged.

  “Fair point.”

  They walked in silence for a while.

  Their footsteps echoed through the empty streets.

  The wind pushed against a broken advertising sign.

  The metal creaked loudly in the narrow alley.

  Lucas flinched.

  “Those sounds really get on your nerves.”

  Kaelion checked the street ahead.

  “You’ll get used to it.”

  Lucas let out a short laugh.

  “I hope so.”

  As Kaelion walked, that unpleasant smell reached his nose again.

  Blood.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Rotting flesh.

  Rust.

  Because of Rotten Smell, the scents were far stronger now.

  For a moment his head felt slightly dizzy.

  This ability is seriously annoying.

  Things he normally wouldn’t even notice now attacked his senses.

  Lucas noticed him slowing down slightly.

  “Again?”

  Kaelion replied without turning his head.

  “It’s nothing.”

  Lucas didn’t say anything, but he had noticed Kaelion’s strange behavior.

  At the end of the street was a small intersection.

  Kaelion slowed down.

  He carefully examined the area.

  Lucas stopped beside him.

  “What is it?”

  Kaelion pointed ahead.

  “That’s a main road.”

  Lucas leaned forward to look.

  A wider street was visible.

  Overturned cars blocked parts of the road.

  The window of a market had been completely shattered.

  Lucas frowned.

  “Are we going that way?”

  Kaelion shook his head.

  “No.”

  Lucas let out a relieved breath.

  “Good.”

  “Because I’m starting to hate open areas.”

  Lucas thought for a few seconds.

  Then asked,

  “Where exactly is the police station?”

  Kaelion pictured the map in his mind.

  “Near the city center.”

  Lucas looked around.

  “So we’ve got quite a walk ahead of us.”

  “Yeah.”

  Lucas pursed his lips.

  “And we’re doing it on foot… in this city.”

  Kaelion shrugged.

  “We don’t have another choice.”

  Lucas smiled slightly.

  “There are cars… but no keys.”

  Kaelion glanced at him.

  “And we don’t know if they’d even work.”

  Lucas nodded.

  “True.”

  They walked a little farther.

  The city seemed to be waking up.

  But it wasn’t a normal awakening.

  Somewhere, glass shattered.

  In the distance, something hit a metal surface.

  Lucas immediately stopped.

  “Did you hear that?”

  Kaelion lifted his head.

  “Yeah.”

  Lucas tightened his grip on the pipe.

  “Could be a monster.”

  Kaelion listened for a few seconds.

  Then shook his head slightly.

  “Far away.”

  Lucas relaxed.

  “Good.”

  At that moment a purple light appeared in Kaelion’s vision.

  Lucas saw nothing.

  But Kaelion did.

  The system screen had appeared.

  [New Quest Detected]

  Kaelion’s eyes narrowed.

  The screen expanded.

  Quest Activated

  Reach the Safe Zone

  Objective:

  Reach the Police Station

  Reward:

  EXP

  Skill Card

  Kaelion stared at the screen for a few seconds.

  So the system had recognized their destination.

  Lucas noticed that he had stopped.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Kaelion shook his head slightly.

  “I was thinking.”

  Lucas raised an eyebrow.

  “About what?”

  Kaelion pointed toward the intersection.

  “The police station.”

  Lucas nodded.

  “Yeah?”

  Kaelion spoke with a serious tone.

  “We need to reach it.”

  Lucas laughed.

  “We already talked about that.”

  “No,” Kaelion said.

  “I mean it.”

  Lucas looked at his face.

  Kaelion seemed completely serious.

  Lucas shrugged.

  “Works for me.”

  Then he added,

  “Right now that’s probably the most logical plan in the world.”

  Kaelion started walking again.

  Lucas followed behind him.

  But after a few steps Kaelion stopped once more.

  A strong smell had reached his nose.

  This time it was much clearer.

  Fresh blood.

  Kaelion’s gaze slowly shifted toward the narrow alley on the right.

  Lucas noticed immediately.

  “Again?”

  Kaelion drew his knife.

  “Be ready.”

  Lucas raised the pipe.

  “Great…”

  “So what’s coming this time?”

  Kaelion didn’t answer.

  But his eyes were locked on the dark corner of the alley.

  Because in that corner…

  something had just moved.