"I thought you'd start by thanking me for saving your life," Thomas said, shrugging. He saw no point in beating around the bush. "You're the other personality, aren't you?"

The blood-smeared rabbit's crimson eyes narrowed. He gripped his saber tighter, a faint red tinge flickering within the otherwise yellow aura surrounding him on Thomas's minimap.

Thomas raised a hand. "Easy, I mean you no harm. I'm just here to offer you a choice." He gestured to the gaping hole in the rabbit's hideout. "Putting aside the fact that I just saved you, your hideout is compromised. Even if you repair it, a whole squad died here. More will come searching this station soon."

He met the rabbit's gaze. "Don't doubt me. You've seen how these refugees fight. They're different from the first Calamity. Do you think you can hide from the next sweep? Your hideout's location is fixed. And if you leave, how long do you think you'll last?"

Every word hit home. The rabbit knew all this. But could he trust this human?

A shift on the minimap wiped the smile from Thomas's face. As the rabbit noticed the change and took a cautious step back, Thomas smiled again. "Apologies, a rat needs dealing with. I suggest you stay inside."

He retreated to the pillar where the One-Eared Rat had died. Switching off his tactical flashlight and lowering his night vision goggles, he knelt, bringing his HK417 to bear on a shadowed corner.

As darkness returned to the station, the rabbit understood. He scrambled back into his damaged hideout.

On the minimap, a bat-like creature with leathery wings glided silently from the far tunnel, landing behind the very corner Thomas was covering. Its large, radar-like ears twitched, listening intently. It clutched a silenced assault rifle, seemingly aware of Thomas, waiting for its chance to strike.

The entire scene unfolded in utter silence, a mirror of Thomas's earlier ambush. Without the minimap, he would have been completely unaware of the predator lurking just feet away.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

But Thomas had the minimap. And through his headset, he picked up a faint, almost imperceptible sound – the ultrasonic chirps of the bat creature's echolocation, now visible as the twitching ears on his minimap.

He pulled the pin on a flashbang grenade, holding it ready.

From the hideout, the rabbit watched, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension in his crimson eyes.

Thomas's focus remained locked on the bat creature. A corner separated them. One wrong move, and Thomas would have his kill.

But the bat was cautious. It produced its own grenade, pulled the pin, and tossed it towards Thomas, clamping its hands over its ears.

Recognizing the grenade instantly, Thomas yelled, "Flashbang!" towards the rabbit, then tucked his head into his arm. As the flashbang detonated, he hurled his own grenade towards the bat's position on the minimap.

Bang…

Two seconds later…

Bang… Argh!

A scream echoed through the station.

Thomas rushed the corner. The bat creature writhed on the ground, clutching its head. Three shots followed – two to the chest, one to the head – the standard procedure. He watched on the minimap as the red blip vanished.

He crouched beside the dissolving corpse. In his hand, a stainless steel dog tag appeared.

[Dog Tag]

Name: Cloyd Gu

Race: Blood Bat (Bloody Planet)

Calamities Survived: 2

Faction: Survivor

Killed By: HK417 Precision Marksman Rifle

Killer: Thomas Smyth (Human, Blue Planet)

"Not a newbie, after all," Thomas muttered. Only a veteran would have been so bold.

Just as he thought it was over, a mechanical voice announced:

"Human survivor Thomas Smyth has killed a Blood Bat survivor. Reward: [Damaged Hideout Deed] x1."

"What?!"

A deed materialized in his inventory.

[Damaged Hideout Deed]

Race: Blood Bat

Area: 80 sq m

Killer: Thomas Smyth (Human)

Description: A Damaged Hideout Deed can only be used by the killer. It is the victor's spoils.

Effect: Fuse this deed with your hideout to expand its area and receive a random reward from the defeated race (including but not limited to facilities, blueprints, recipes, racial traits, knowledge, skills...).

"Holy crap… how is this possible?!" Thomas stared at the deed, stunned. His first thought was that the Apocalypse Game was deliberately stirring things up. No wonder the survivors saw each other as enemies. This explained everything. It was terrifying.

He forced down his emotions. This wasn't the time to dwell on it. He had more pressing matters.

The rabbit had witnessed everything from the safety of his hideout. When Thomas approached again, the red tinge in his aura had vanished completely.