The Tyrant's roar hit them like a wall, a force that pressed down on their chests. It was a raw, wild anger that made the air around them tremble.
At the end of the hallway, it loomed, a huge mass of red skin and twisted muscle. With a heavy thud, its enormous arm scraped along the linoleum, leaving a deep mark as it took a slow, deliberate step forward.
Jun stood there, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. He had no plan, just a blank slate before him. He gripped the knife tightly, Rebecca, his partner, her eyes wide with fear.
The hallway felt like it was closing in, a trap ready to spring. The pounding from the barricaded office door behind them had ceased, the Lost Children seemingly cowed into silence by the presence of a greater predator.
They were trapped between two nightmares, and one was already moving.
"Jun…" Rebecca's voice came out soft and fragile, almost lost in the shadow of the monster looming nearby.
"...the incinerator," Jun said, his voice steady, his gaze fixed on the massive machine. His Threat Sense blared like a siren, but his Enhanced Reflexes kicked in, swiftly analyzing the monster's slow turn and the arc of its swing.
"This is the only way we can go, Rebecca," he said, his brow furrowing. "We can't take them together unless we figure out how to use the incinerator and lead them into that thing."
The Tyrant stepped forward, its head swiveling as if it could sense them, even without sight. It raised its hammer arm, the mass of bone and flesh blotting out the dim ceiling lights.
"Tch, Now!" Jun yelled.
He stayed put. He dashed ahead, veering to the Tyrant's left, toward the smaller, working arm. It was a reckless leap, a bet on his newfound speed against the creature's sheer strength.
The arm swung down like a hammer.
The world around Jun felt like it was moving in slow motion, and he could feel a fresh surge of energy coursing through his muscles.
He didn't just see the arm coming down; he noticed how it moved through the air, the ripple of energy that followed in its wake.
He pushed off with his back foot, his body a blur as he slid forward and to the side. The hammer crashed down into the spot he had just vacated, barely a heartbeat ago.
The explosion shook the ground, sending debris flying everywhere. The floor tiles exploded upward, steel reinforcement beneath groaning in protest.
The shockwave slammed into Jun, knocking the breath from his lungs. He didn't hesitate, darting past the creature's hip.
With a swift motion, he brought his combat knife down, slicing through the thick muscle of its thigh, even if it was more a statement than a real attack. The blade traced a thin line, a tiny mark on the elephant's skin.
However, it was sufficient.
Enraged by the miss hit and the insignificant sting, the Tyrant roared again, turning slowly and deliberately so that its back was to the incinerator hallway, the direction Jun had desired.
"Go, Rebecca! To the incinerator!" His voice cut through the ringing in his ears as he yelled.
She didn't freeze. The monster was completely focused on the flickering, stinging insect that was annoying, so she ran past its blind spot. She vanished into the utility hallway's shadowy mouth.
Jun held his position for a moment, ensuring the creature was focused entirely on him. The Tyrant moved forward, its heavy footfall echoing in the air. It raised its massive arm, ready to swing in a wide arc that would crush him against the wall.
This was the dance. This was the test.
He held on until the very last moment, feeling the breeze from the swing tousle his hair. He crouched low as the massive limb swept overhead, the sheer force ripping plaster from the wall behind him.
For a brief moment, he found himself within its grasp, feeling its watchful presence around him. He thrust the knife upward, targeting the tender flesh of the inner arm, just below the armpit.
The blade pierced through, a sharper ache this time.
The Tyrant roared, his voice thick with raw anger, echoing through the air. It swung its smaller arm back, a quick and fierce move.
Jun's quick reflexes pulled him back just in time. He noticed the movement start and quickly threw himself back into a roll.
The creature's knuckles brushed against his chest, hard enough to bruise his bones and take away his breath.
He sprang to his feet, breathless, the world whirling around him for a moment. He moved quickly, but he wasn't beyond reach.
A direct hit would mean it was all over.
Without wasting time, Jun quickly turned and sprinted after Rebecca, the thunderous footsteps of the enraged Tyrant pounding behind him. He caught its eye. He had to guide it to the trap now.
The utility hallway felt tight, its walls crowded with pipes and bright warning signs. The air turned sweltering, heavy with the scent of ozone and singed chemicals.
At the end stood a heavy, reinforced door, its window revealing the fiery orange glow of the incinerator chamber beyond.
Rebecca stood there, wrestling with a big, red wheel lock. She frowned, her brow furrowing as she tugged at it, her fingers gripping tightly.
"It's stuck!" she shouted, her voice trembling with urgency.
Jun came to a sudden stop next to her, the Tyrant looming in the hallway behind them. Its shoulders scraped against the walls, slowing it down but making it feel even more inevitable, taking up the whole passage.
"Together!" he said, sheathing his knife and covering her hands with his on the cold metal wheel.
They pushed hard, their muscles tight, the metal creaking under the pressure. Just behind them, the Tyrant loomed, twenty feet away, then fifteen.
Its massive hammer arm scraped against the ceiling, ripping down light fixtures and pipes, sending sparks flying in all directions.
With a sharp twist, the wheel clicked open. Jun pulled the heavy door wide, and a wave of scorching heat hit them like a wall.
The room ahead looked like a nightmare—a huge, bright pit in the middle of the floor, flames dancing and crackling eagerly inside.
The Tyrant loomed just ten feet away, its massive hammer-arm drawing back, ready to deliver a final, devastating swing that would slam them both against the door.
Jun glanced at Rebecca, then at the incinerator pit, a wild, desperate thought igniting in his mind. It wasn't about setting it ablaze. It was all about making use of the surroundings. Every giant creature had one weakness: gravity.
"When I say," he shouted, his voice struggling against the crackling flames and the creature's growls, "we go left, then jump, alright?!"
She nodded, her face a mix of seriousness and trust.
The Tyrant took one last step, its shadow swallowing them whole. The hammer-arm swung forward, ready to crush anything that stood in its way.
"Now!"
They lunged to the left, their bodies pressing against the scorching metal wall. The hammer-arm swooshed by, sending the massive creature lurching ahead, its feet tripping at the brink of the incinerator pit.
For a heart-stopping moment, it wobbled on the edge, its arms flailing wildly to regain its footing.
With one last, thunderous roar of anger and chaos, the Tyrant fell forward, disappearing into the flames below. The crash faded away, swallowed by the crackling fire.
"Haa... Haa... Haa..." Jun and Rebecca leaned against the wall, breathing heavily in the sweltering heat, the warmth burning in their chests.
They had made it through. Not by overpowering the monster, but by outsmarting it, using its own weight and speed to turn the tide.
"!" Jun felt a sharp, clear chill sweep through him, as if the System was nodding in approval of a lesson he had finally grasped.
Power wasn't merely about being strong; it was about how you used that strength. It was the exact way to apply pressure.
[Tyrant Neutralized. Points +300.]
[Mastery Acknowledged: Environmental Takedown. Bonus: +50 Points.]
He had done more than just score points. He had just finished a test.
•••
The incinerator roared, a steady, hungry growl that echoed in the stifling heat of the room. Jun heaved himself off the hot floor, wincing as pain shot through his body from the narrow escape.
He reached out to Rebecca, helping her up with a gentle tug. Her face glowed with warmth, and her eyes widened as she gazed into the pit where the Tyrant had disappeared.
"You... you turned its own weight against it," she said, her eyes widening as the realization hit her.
It wasn't just relief; it felt like a fresh wave of respect washing over him.
He hadn't triumphed through sheer firepower or brute force. He had triumphed with a clever scheme.
"That's all you can do against something that size," Jun said, his voice gravelly. He brushed the sweat and dirt from his forehead.
"You can't hold back a tidal wave. You just need to step aside and let it fall," he said, his hands gesturing as if to push the idea away.
He glanced at her, a spark of that familiar, sharp glint in his gray eyes. "Are you okay?"
She shook her head, trying to catch her breath. "No. Just... out of breath. Also, I felt like I had just stepped out of an oven." She offered a faint, trembling smile. "Looks like your shopping list just got a bit longer, huh?"
He chuckled lightly, the stress of the fight fading into the background. "Just what you're thinking." He looked down the empty hallway. The loud danger had vanished, but now the heavy silence of the facility crept back in, feeling even more threatening than it had before.
"We can't stay here," he said, glancing around nervously. "The noise will have caught the attention of everyone in this wing."
He walked ahead into the utility hallway, carefully stepping over the debris left by the Tyrant's path. His mind buzzed with activity, sorting through the fresh possibilities the points presented. 350 points felt like a sudden blessing.
The energy buzzed in the air, promising a real breakthrough, something more than just a small upgrade.
He felt a rush as his body moved with a new, smooth speed, like a wave crashing over him. He felt a growing desire for that feeling, understanding that it needed to become part of who he was, not just a passing thrill.
Yet, a deeper, more instinctual need was beginning to surface. The Tyrant's immense power hit like a hammer, leaving no room for doubt. Speed meant nothing if a single hit could break his bones.
His [Enhanced Regeneration] felt like a miracle, but it only kicked in when needed. He had to take more initiative, and he needed a foundation that wouldn't crumble so easily.
Toughness, he thought.
Unyielding strength, a testament to endurance and the skill to dodge a blow, but also to take one if necessary.
It might not have been as eye-catching as speed, but it formed the solid foundation for everything else.
A quick, delicate weapon shatters against the first tough target, yet he remains unbroken.
Rebecca observed him, noticing the familiar intensity settle back onto his face. "What is it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her brow furrowed in curiosity.
"I was just thinking about the foundation," he said, glancing down the corridor as if expecting trouble. "A house stands firm on its foundation, and I believe it's time for us to strengthen ours."
They crept forward, glancing around as they approached the T-junction. The door to the Head Librarian's office stood quiet, the barricade firmly in place. The way ahead, leading deeper into the east wing toward the comms room, was now open.
The hallway ahead was flanked by offices and tiny labs, each door slightly ajar, hinting at the activity within. The doors stood mostly shut, but one, labeled 'Specimen Observation,' had a cracked window that let in a sliver of light. Jun leaned closer, squinting into the darkness.
The room was a scene of chaos. Lab equipment lay shattered across the floor, and in the middle of the room, a creature was hungrily devouring a corpse dressed in a lab coat.
It stood apart from the rest—sleek, its surface a shiny black, with long, sharp arms that resembled blades.
It darted across the ground with a quick, jittery motion that made Jun's new reflexes flare to life.
The creature's head shot up, as if it felt his eyes on it. It had no eyes, just a smooth, chitinous plate, yet it seemed to focus right on him through the glass. With a sharp cry, it sprang toward the door.
Jun pushed Rebecca away, his hands firm against her shoulders. "We've got contact!"
The creature crashed through the broken door, sending shards of glass and splintered wood flying everywhere. It moved quickly, too quickly, its sharp arms slicing through the air, aiming right for Jun's neck.
His Enhanced Reflexes kicked in, but only just in time. He ducked just in time, the rush of the blades slicing through the air barely missing him.
He lifted his knife, but the creature was already shifting, moving in a wild, unpredictable dance. It moved quicker than he could react.
"Jun, I can't see the target!" Rebecca shouted, her hands shaking as she struggled to keep the shotgun steady, eyes darting after the frantic creature.
The creature hurried along the wall, then leaped at him once more. This time, Jun held back, choosing not to strike back. He concentrated fully on dodging, watching its every move.
He ducked and swayed, the blades tearing at his shirt, leaving sharp, stinging lines on his chest and arms. It felt like battling a buzzing saw, alive and relentless.
He stood there, tense and guarded, feeling the weight of defeat creeping in. He was being matched in speed, and his strength meant nothing if he couldn't land a hit.
He was searching for an advantage. He had to shake things up.
As the creature pulled back to strike again, Jun stood his ground. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs, and for the first time, he reached out with his [Threat Sense].
He didn't just listen for the warning; he felt it, sensing the creature's intent, searching for the heart of its predatory gaze.
There!
A heartbeat before it shifted, he sensed the urge flicker in its raw instinct. He could sense where it would spring.
He stepped forward, catching its lunge not by dodging, but by blocking it head-on.
He stepped aside as the blade swung by, and when the creature's body moved past him, he plunged his combat knife into the joint where its bladed arm connected to its torso.
The creature screamed in pain and fell to the ground, twitching, with one of its limbs hanging limply at its side.
Jun stood over it, panting, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't win just because he was faster; he won because he was always thinking ahead, using his mind like a sharp knife.
A sudden chill of clear understanding hit him, the System's approval cutting through the fog like a sharp knife. It appreciated being smart and getting things done quickly.
Getting through a brute force attack was tough, but breaking down a fast-moving threat with care was a whole different challenge.
[Licker Eliminated. Points +75.]
[Mastery Acknowledged: Predictive Combat. Bonus: +25 Points.]
He met Rebecca's gaze, her eyes fixed on him, the shotgun resting at her side. Her eyes lit up with a new understanding, something deeper than just amazement.
It felt like she was realizing that the man beside her wasn't just surviving this nightmare; he was beginning to take control of it.
•••
Jun hovered over the twitching Licker, breath coming in quick bursts. Instead of checking his own stinging cuts, he turned to Rebecca. His gray eyes softened with worry as he searched her face for any hint of pain or fear.
"Rebecca," he said, his voice calm and steady amidst the chaos, "You're alright?"
She eased the shotgun down, her breath coming out in a shaky sigh as she pressed her back against the wall for support.
"I'm fine, just... my heart feels like it's trying to escape my chest," she said, forcing a small, thankful smile. Then, her eyes grew wide as she really took him in. "Jun, you're bleeding; look at you."
He looked at the cuts on his arms, treating them like a small bother, far less important than her safety.
"It's nothing, just scratches; they'll heal," he said, stepping closer, his eyes locked on hers. His voice softened, carrying a hint of regret.
"It was so quick; it slipped past my defense before I could react. I'm really sorry for putting you in a spot where you couldn't take a clear shot and had to just stand there and watch."
He apologized earnestly, his voice tinged with a frustrated protectiveness, wishing he could have kept her safe from the tension of the fight.
"Don't you dare apologize," she said, her voice steady and strong. She stepped closer, her medic's instincts kicking in. Gently, she took his arm, her fingers cool against his warm, blood-smeared skin.
"You were amazing; you had its full attention. You were like a whirlwind in that space." Her touch felt like a gentle, reassuring presence. "But still... we need to clean these properly. We can't have your incredible system battling an infection on top of everything else."
He allowed her to care for him, a quiet, deep connection flowing between them, a bond shaped by struggle and sacrifice.
"First, we find that comms room," he said, his voice soft yet steady, as if he were making a vow. "We'll get you to that console so you can take care of what you need to do. After that, I promise we'll find a proper medkit."
When he said, "I promise," it felt like a strong promise, and she nodded, her trust in him wrapping around them like a comforting warm blanket. "It's a deal."
As they walked down the hall, Jun kept close, like a shield of comfort around her. When they reached the secured comms room door, he noticed her shoulders droop in frustration at the complex lock.
He didn't rush her; instead, he stood quietly, taking in the disappointment that seemed to hang heavily around her.
"Let me try something for you," he said, his voice steady and comforting. He rested his hand on the door, not pushing, but with a quiet determination, connecting with the System not as a weapon, but as a key.
He concentrated on her need, on her hope to break free from this isolation, to escape the feeling of being utterly alone in this nightmare.
When the locks disengaged with a series of heavy, satisfying thunks, his resulting smile was warm and genuine, directed entirely at her. "See?" he said softly, the sound like a balm. "We're not locked out anymore."
A wave of satisfaction flowed through him from the System. It felt like a nod of approval, a sign that he had done well. This was his purpose: to use power to enable, to protect, to connect.
[Mastery Acknowledged: System-Assisted Bypass. Points +100.]
[Survival Objective Updated: Access the Comms Room - COMPLETE.]
In the soft buzz of the comms room, he stood by the door, alert and steady. She hurried to the console, and he let her have the space to reconnect with her past.
As her fingers danced over the keyboard, he noticed the spark of hope brighten her face. That moment, for him, was worth more than any points the System could offer.
Outside, the facility loomed cold and terrifying, but inside, with her, he had created a refuge, a small, warm space where shadows couldn't intrude.
For the first time since he had come into this world, or more precisely, since he had stepped into that forest, the air was clear of blood and decay. Instead, it held the fragrance of delicate, blossoming hope.
(To be Continued)
•••
Jun's Current Status:
Points: 950
Skills: Basic Strength, Lockpicking, Threat Sense, Enhanced Regeneration, Pain Suppression, Enhanced Reflexes
Equipment: Combat Knife, Benelli M3 Shotgun (Rebecca).
Bound Companions: None
Active Objectives: Ensure Rebecca's safety while assisting her with communications, and then search for an escape route.