Day five? Six? Seven of questing? I don’t know anymore.

I sprinted through the empty streets, my footsteps echoing like ghostly whispers. The damned Riftspawns were everywhere, lurking in the shadows, ready to strike. I had a quest to do: fix that goddamn radio tower.

Why? Fuck if I know. Why the hell did a radio tower need fixing when there’s literally no one and nothing around in this damn city to use it for. What—is it gonna broadcast commercials to whatever SCAVs are left in the city? This didn’t make any sense.

The other day I did a quest where I had to take the trash out of all the rooms in an entire apartment complex and put them all in the dumpster outside. Why? Because the quest said I was the garbage man. The sad part was that the quests gave decent EXP and rewards so I was stuck doing all that nonsense.

I leaped over a pile of rubble, boots crunching on broken glass. The tower loomed ahead like a skeletal sentinel stabbing at the sky. Almost there. Almost.

Then they appeared. A pack of Riftspawns, their forms twisted and grotesque. They had elongated limbs, jagged spikes protruding from their bony frames, eyes that burned with an iridescent glow, and faces peeled ba—Oh shit, it’s those hyena-men from the other day. Goddamn it.

They were fast, closing the gap between us like a pack of rabid…hyenas.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath, my fingers tightening around my SMG. No time for subtlety now. I skidded to a halt, turned, and opened fire. Bullets ripped through the air, slamming into the Riftspawns. They shrieked, an unholy sound that sent shivers down my spine, but they kept coming.

I gritted my teeth and focused, calling upon my Umbrakinesis. Shadows rippled around me, coiling like serpents, and I unleashed a Shadow Blast. The dark energy tore through the Riftspawns, throwing them back. “Yeah, get fucked!”

I sprinted towards the tower again, my muscles screaming in protest. The Riftspawns regrouped, their twisted forms contorting as they channeled their own sickening powers. They unleashed a barrage of energy bolts and I cursed as I dove for cover. "The hell? I didn't know they could do that! Did they just get stronger?!"

The world exploded around me, debris raining down as the Riftspawns' attack obliterated the street. I rolled, narrowly avoiding a chunk of concrete the size of my head. No time to waste. I scrambled to my feet, SMG ready, and returned fire. The Riftspawns howled in pain, but they were relentless.

I spotted an opening, a narrow alley between two crumbling buildings. A chance, maybe.

I bolted, my legs pumping like pistons, and I could feel the Riftspawns closing in behind me. Their twisted forms cast monstrous shadows on the cracked pavement, and I knew I wouldn't make it. Not without a little help.

"Shadow Launch," I whispered, and the shadows answered. They coiled beneath me, a dark spring ready to snap, and I soared through the air. I cleared the alley, the Riftspawns snarling in frustration below, and I crashed down on the other side. Pain lanced through my body, but I gritted my teeth and kept moving.

The Riftspawns were on my tail again, their unnatural limbs scrabbling over the rubble like insects. The radio tower was just ahead, but I wasn't out of the woods yet. They were right behind me, their energy bolts searing the air, and I knew I had one shot.

"Shadow Wall," I growled, and a barrier of darkness surged into existence behind me. The Riftspawns' attacks slammed into the wall, the force of the impact making the ground tremble, but it held. For now. But just in case, I erected another Shadow Wall behind the first…and then another.

I sprinted the last few meters to the radio tower, my lungs burning, and I could feel the Riftspawns' fury at my back. I knew I couldn't hold them off for long, but maybe, just maybe, I'd bought myself enough time to get the job done.

I reached the tower and climbed over the chainlink fence surrounding it. At the base of the tower, my fingers fumbled with the latch on the control box.

The Shadow Wall trembled, cracks spreading through the darkness like spiderwebs.

I yanked the box open, wires spilling out like entrails. My heart pounded, a desperate drumbeat in my ears, as I tried to remember the instructions on the quest details. Red wire, green wire, then blue.

The Shadow Wall shattered, Riftspawns pouring through the breach like a tidal wave of nightmares. I swallowed hard, my hands shaking as I worked. Time was running out, slipping through my fingers like sand.

The Riftspawns were upon me, their twisted forms looming like specters of death around the fence. I gritted my teeth, my fingers dancing over the wires. Red, green, blue. One last connection, and the radio tower would come back to life.

A Riftspawn lunged over the fence, its elongated limb slicing through the air like a blade. I barely dodged, the wind from its attack ruffling my hair. The creature snarled, its iridescent eyes burning with hate, and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer.

"Shadow Grasp," I hissed, the shadows obeying my command. Tendrils of darkness lashed out, coiling around the Riftspawn's limbs like steel cables. It shrieked, thrashing and snapping, but I held it fast.

I dove back into the control box. The Riftspawns clawed at the air, their powers crackling around them, but I was so close. So damn close.

I made the final connection, my fingers slick with sweat, and the radio tower hummed to life. The Riftspawns howled in frustration, their twisted faces contorted in rage. I stumbled back, my legs weak, but I wasn't done yet.

"Shadow Spike Trap," I whispered, my voice barely audible. The Riftspawns charged, their forms a blur of jagged spikes and deadly intent, and I braced myself for the impact.

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But it never came. The Riftspawns' screams filled the air as they were impaled on the shadowy spikes, their bodies convulsing in agony. They writhed, their limbs flailing like broken puppets, and I knew I had them.

I raised my SMG, my finger tightening on the trigger. One by one, I put them down, the gunshots ringing out like a funeral dirge. The Riftspawns crumpled to the ground, their twisted forms dissolving into the darkness from whence they came.

I stood there, my chest heaving, surrounded by the corpses of my enemies. The radio tower's light flickered above me. It was done. The quest was complete. Fucking…finally.

My muscles ached, and I could feel the bruises already forming, but I couldn't rest. Not yet. After grabbing the quest reward from a cache half-buried in debris, I left the radio tower and began the long journey to the next quest.

It didn’t take long for me to understand the questing cycle. If I did a quest, I may or may not have to fight monsters. If I had to fight them, I needed to use bullets and my Psionic powers. Ammo goes down, mana goes down, health goes down, but eventually, if I complete a quest then I may get some of that back. Otherwise, I gotta find quests that give some of those back until there’s a net positive. Then the cycle continues.

So the next part of that cycle right now…was getting medical supplies.

I chuckled to myself, then suddenly realized something. “Connor, why the hell are you saying the name of your powers before you use them?”

Because I want to feel like a protagonist...or I was starting to lose my mind.

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The hospital loomed before me like a concrete monstrosity, its ruined facade a testament to whoever the dumbass was who designed the building. Goddamn eyesore. My architect senses trembled in rage at the sight of it...but enough of that. Focus.

"Alright, Connor," I muttered to myself, "in and out, no heroics. Just find the meds and get the hell out."

I slung my SMG over my shoulder and gripped the combat baton tightly. The shadows seemed to pulse around me, as if they were eager to be put to use. As I stepped through the shattered entrance, my Interface pinged a map of the hospital into my vision.

The pharmacy. That's where I needed to go. High alert, I moved cautiously, creeping through darkened hallways reeking of decay. Claw marks marred the walls, and my gut twisted with each crunch of broken glass beneath my boots.

At a junction, faint skittering echoed from the left. I froze, straining to pinpoint the noise. Suddenly, a Riftspawn lunged from the shadows—a writhing mass of tentacles and teeth. Instinct took over, and I whipped my baton through the air, catching the creature mid-lunge, sending it sprawling. It screeched, chilling my blood. I didn't hesitate to finish it off with a Shadow Blast to its mangled head.

"Holy hell," I gasped, my nerves shot. I had to keep moving. The pharmacy was close now, and I prayed that the worst was behind me.

But my prayers went unanswered. As I turned a corner, a grotesque Riftspawn, easily eight feet tall, lumbered into view. It was a hulking mass of muscle and sinew, its maw filled with jagged, razor-sharp teeth. Why the hell are all these Riftspawns so swole?

With a roar, the behemoth charged. I tapped into my Umbrakinesis, conjuring a Shadow Wall between us. The creature smashed into the barrier, sending shockwaves of dark energy rippling through the air. The wall held, but I knew it wouldn't last long.

I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a crushing blow as the Riftspawn shattered my barrier. I sprinted down the hallway with the creature in pursuit. I had to think fast. My eyes darted to the ceiling, spotting an overhead pipe. Desperation sparked a plan.

Shadow Launch propelled me upward, and I grabbed the pipe. Swinging my legs up, I narrowly dodged the Riftspawn's charge. It slammed into the wall, momentarily stunned, and I seized the chance.

I dropped to the floor and sprinted to the pharmacy, the Riftspawn's enraged roars echoing behind me. My hands shook as I fumbled with the door, my Interface projecting lockpicking instructions into my vision. I struggled to focus, knowing big chungus could suddenly loom over me and make the bad day worse.

Finally, the lock clicked open. I burst into the pharmacy, my eyes scanning the shelves for the precious cache of meds. I spotted them, tucked behind the counter, and sprinted to grab them.

The Riftspawn was nearly upon me, its thunderous footsteps shaking the floor beneath my feet.

I shoved the meds into my backpack, my fingers trembling with adrenaline. I had to move. I had to get out.

The Riftspawn smashed through the door, and I was half expecting it to shout ‘Oh yeah!’.

I glanced around the room, searching for an escape. An air vent. It was a long shot, but it was my only option.

Using Shadow Launch, I propelled myself upward and tore off the vent cover as the Riftspawn roared in frustration. I scrambled through the tight space and heard the beast tearing the room apart in search of me.

I knew I couldn't hide forever. I needed a plan. I needed a way to incapacitate the Riftspawn before it tore the hospital down around me. I focused, calling upon my Shadow Sense to study the creature's movements, searching for a weakness.

My Interface pinged, highlighting a weak point at the base of the Riftspawn's neck. If I could just land a solid blow, I could take it down. But how the hell was I supposed to get close enough?

I wracked my brain, trying to piece together a strategy from my limited arsenal. My gaze fell on my combat baton, and an idea sparked to life. It was risky, but I didn't have much of a choice.

I waited, my breath shallow and my nerves taut as the Riftspawn prowled below. When the moment was right, I unleashed a Shadow Spike Trap directly beneath the monster's path. The spikes erupted, impaling the Riftspawn's legs and causing it to roar in pain.

I didn't hesitate. I dropped from the vent, my baton raised high as I called upon my Shadow Launch to propel me toward the brute. Time seemed to slow as I soared through the air, my target in sight.

The Riftspawn thrashed, its eyes blazing with fury, but I was committed. I slammed my baton into its weak spot with all the force I could muster, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone and sinew.

It screeched, the sound deafening and pained, and I hit the ground in a roll. The Riftspawn staggered, its legs buckling beneath it, and I knew I'd struck true. But I couldn't afford to celebrate.

I sprinted from the room, my legs pumping furiously as I raced toward the exit. I could hear the Riftspawn's labored breathing behind me, its enraged roars echoing through the abandoned halls. But I was too close to give up now.

My heart thundered in my chest as the entrance came into view, daylight streaming through the shattered glass. I pushed myself harder, my muscles screaming in protest as I poured every ounce of strength into my escape.

I burst from the hospital, the Riftspawn's furious roars receding behind me. I didn't stop running until the big chungus was a distant memory.

A while later, I collapsed against a crumbling wall, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath. I'd done it. I'd completed the damn Medicinal Cache quest without using too much ammo or getting too injured. Net positive.

I slung my SMG over my shoulder and hoisted my backpack, the precious cache of meds weighing it down. With a determined nod, I set off, my thoughts already turning to the next quest, the next fight, the next victory.