« That's not what I asked, and you know it. Do not take me for a fool, chimera. »
It was as if the invader was trying to teach him how to breathe.
Ridiculous. Of course Victor knew this method—he had understood it the very second he killed his first Fallen and leveled up.
« I wasn't finished, monkey. That is only the most basic step. Creatures whose societies revolve around morality—like yours—tend to take a long time to adapt to that truth. »
The invader narrowed his human eye again, looking Victor up and down.
« It seems I misjudged you. You already carry the blood of your own kind on your hands. Are you the one I heard about? The monkey who supposedly slaughtered his own people during his first trial? »
Victor's nerves tightened instantly at the creature's question.
His actions had apparently already spread, by some means he couldn't comprehend.
It was a problem—but one he was powerless to fix.
His mind adjusted, his nerves loosened.
After all, why worry about something you can't control?
It was as pointless as it was foolish.
Only idiots dwelled on problems beyond their ability.
« What price will you offer for that answer? »
« Hehe… your body gave me the information for you, monkey. You should learn to control it. A body without control is nothing but a defective tool. »
Victor didn't respond. He had let his body speak for him—his mistake.
The chimera continued, regaining a semblance of seriousness.
« You must also participate in the games. The more you do, the more the rewards will propel you to elevated levels of power. »
Victor nodded. He had reached the same conclusion earlier; however, coming so close to death during the last one made him hesitate.
But the topic wasn't relevant right now—he hadn't seen any of those dark cubes since then anyway.
« But most importantly, monkey, you must participate in the Clash. Remember that. »
« Clash? »
The chimera's smile widened as it waved a finger left and right.
« I've spoken enough. If you want more information, give me what I desire. »
Victor clicked his tongue, ready to retort—but when he looked at the timer, he stopped himself.
[1:31]
He had to get back to the others and prepare for the next wave, their survival—and more importantly his—came first.
« I'll be back. »
*
« I really need to take a shower. »
« Just one? I'll need at least five! »
They'd been waiting for over two minutes now for their new teammate to return.
Mary crossed her arms, her foot tapping rhythmically against the cold tiles.
« Jesus, what the hell is that kid doing… »
Daniel placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder before speaking, hesitating.
« You should calm down, Mary. I know these last few days have been… complicated, but— »
« Complicated?! »
She spun around, her blue eyes locking onto Daniel's with fury.
« You call this complicated? Stefan is dead, damn it! He died and we couldn't do anything! And now we're stuck in a damn store getting attacked by fucking undead monsters. »
Exhaustion and grief washed over her anger, her trembling lips releasing a weak breath.
« I'm tired, Daniel. Tired of fighting every day just to see the sunrise. Tired of watching people around me get killed like they're nothing. This isn't normal… none of this is fucking normal… »
Her voice cracked toward the end to the point she couldn't utter another word.
The three others stayed silent, their expressions heavy.
Mary had been the closest to Stefan—they knew each other before the apocalypse.
Daniel understood her pain; he had watched his entire family turn into those abominations.
Anna and Melissa had never lived through something quite like that, but just imagining the other getting hurt or killed was enough for them to understand the woman's crushing sorrow.
Victor arrived a second later. He had witnessed Mary's outburst.
He wasn't moved in the slightest.
The world had changed.
Sadness was nothing but a useless burden now.
It had no place here, especially not in the middle of a trial.
He waited, motionless, for the woman to pull herself together.
She shot him a piercing glare but stayed silent as she walked toward what Victor assumed would be the new place they planned to barricade.
Anna approached him, nudging his shoulder lightly, making the boy grimace.
Physical contact still repulsed him.
The brunette whispered softly enough that only Victor would hear.
« So? Did you find it? »
Victor didn't let anything show, continuing his march while staring straight ahead.
He hesitated—should he lie or tell the truth?
He decided to do both.
« Yes, but unfortunately it's too fast. Impossible to catch. »
Anna stifled a gasp.
« Faster than you? »
Victor nodded.
« Yes. But luckily it can't hurt us. We can forget the secondary objective, though. »
She exhaled in relief—before her expression suddenly shifted entirely.
Anna now wore pure malice, a bloodthirsty smile stretching across her face, revealing canines sharper than normal.
« You know what we used to do when someone was faster than us? »
Victor felt the atmosphere shift instantly, a cold chill raising the hairs on his arms. His instincts screamed at him.
He was no longer talking to the small brunette who played video games innocently.
He was speaking to a hunter—a predator he had allowed far too close.
« We set a trap for them. We break their mind. We twist every one of their thoughts until, inevitably, their life becomes ours. »
She paused, letting her words settle in Victor's mind before adding playfully.
« You could, for example… I don't know… lure enemies to him? »
Victor's blood froze as he snapped his head toward the young woman—who had already put back on her innocent expression.
But he still saw that faint glint in her eyes.
She knew.
No.
He turned toward Melissa, who wore a subtle smirk from the very beginning of the conversation.
They knew.
Victor's gaze sharpened, a dangerous glimmer flickering in his pupils as a sudden coldness engulfed the air.
He made sure Daniel and Mary were far enough ahead before whispering.
« And what are you planning to do about it? »
« Nothing in particular. Just… observe. Maybe participate, if whatever you're planning… aligns with our goals. »
The young woman didn't seem unsettled at all by the aura Victor was unintentionally emitting, replying as if this were the most normal conversation in the world.
He didn't respond, continuing to walk, as impassive as ever.
Anna's heartbeat hadn't changed once throughout their exchange—proof she wasn't lying.
At least theoretically. She could be an exceptionally skilled or trained liar.
And based on the aura she had released earlier, Victor leaned toward the second option.
« We're here. »
Mary stopped in front of a metal door marked with the familiar "Employees Only" sign.
« This is the camera room. Even if they don't work anymore, it's still the sturdiest room, and the door is reinforced. »
Everyone agreed—it was indeed the best choice. However…
« Don't forget we not only have to survive, but also defeat the waves. Hiding won't help in the end.»
The blonde sighed.
« I know, kid. But if we need time to rest or anything else, this is where we'll go. »
Victor nodded, agreeing.
Even with his powerful endurance—about five times higher than a normal human's—it was far from infinite.
And that was even more true for the rest of the group, who were undeniably weaker than him, though he had begun to doubt the true strength of the two sisters.
They were probably hiding their abilities—someone with an aura like theirs couldn't possibly be weak.
[1:25]
[Beginning of Wave 2]
As soon as the system message appeared, the same purple circles spread across the darkness surrounding them.
However, Victor could immediately notice a significant difference.
There were fewer of them—but they were more sophisticated.
Victor could now confirm it based on the creatures emerging from the violet glow.
They were different.
Stronger.
Their glassy eyes turned in perfect sync toward the group, watching them the way a starving dog watches a fresh piece of meat.
Smarter.
Their bodies moved together, none hindering the other as they rushed toward the humans, weaving between obstacles, eager to feast on fresh flesh.
And coordinated.