Sarah's feet burned with each step on the broken asphalt overgrowing with moss and fresh grass. Two hours of walking had left her skin raw, but she forced herself to keep moving. The morning sun cast long shadows through the transformed city, turning familiar streets into an alien maze of massive trees and erupting vegetation.
Her eyes drifted to Irvin's back as he led their group. He wasn't that different from all of them, but his display of strength both attracted and unnerved her. She wrapped her arms tighter around her chest, trying to preserve what little dignity remained.
He saved us, she thought. But what does he want?
Every so often, his gaze would sweep over her body. Not predatory like some of the others, but with an unmistakable interest that made her skin prickle. She caught Dave doing the same thing, his eyes lingering on Melissa's curves. Tom at least tried to be subtle about it, keeping his looks brief.
They're all looking. Can they not control themselves? She shifted uncomfortably.
The group spread out along the street, carefully picking their way around fallen debris. Lisa stumbled, wincing as she favored her injured ankle. Sarah steadied her, they kept switching with Melissa to help he move with the group.
"Thanks," Lisa whispered. "I hate this. Being naked, they keep watching."
Sarah nodded, understanding perfectly. The discomfort went beyond being naked - their whole world had been stripped away, leaving them at the mercy of basic instincts and whims of others.
Can I trust any of them? Her gaze returned to Irvin. He's different from the others - colder, more controlled. But is that better or worse?
They hadn't encountered another living soul since morning. The silence pressed in around them, broken only by their footsteps and labored breathing. Sarah's mind wandered to her coworkers, her family, her friends. How many had survived the initial chaos? How many were still alive?
There should be more people, she thought, scanning the empty streets. Where did everyone go?
A root caught her toe and she stumbled, biting back a curse. The concrete had buckled and split, with thick vegetation bursting through the cracks. Her feet were filthy and starting to bleed in places. She'd never walked this far without shoes before.
Keep moving, she told herself. One foot in front of the other. Stay close to Irvin. Despite her misgivings about him, she felt safer in his presence. His strength and decisiveness had already saved their lives multiple times.
But that same strength made him dangerous. She'd seen the cold calculation in his eyes, the way he assessed situations - and people - with detached precision. If he decided she was a liability rather than an asset...
Sarah shivered despite the warm morning air. I need him to survive, she realized. But I can't let him know how much.
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Quest?
This could be huge, he mused, weighing the risks and potential benefits of following the new dormant memory. If there's something out there that can give me an edge...
But the experience of their battles was still fresh. The screams of the dying, the sickening crunch of bones breaking under monstrous claws. Irvin's hand unconsciously moved to the gash on his back, a stark reminder of how dangerous this place become.
I can't go alone, he realized. That would be suicide.
The group's progress slowed to a crawl as they encountered a particularly treacherous stretch. What had once been a bustling intersection connecting the city was now a yawning chasm, bridged only by twisted wines the size of his torso.
As they inched across the precarious span, Irvin considered the next direction. I need to steer us to south east after this, it might take longer but I should get closer to whatever the place in my head is.
After what felt like an eternity, they reached solid ground. Irvin took a moment to catch his breath, his eyes scanning the horizon.
Finally, after more than three grueling hours, they exited the tree line and saw the river glistening in front of them. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the group.
The group stumbled toward the river's edge, their exhausted feet dragging through overgrown grass. A cluster of men sat near the water, some washing themselves while others kept watch with makeshift clubs. Their heads snapped up at the newcomers' approach.
Irvin's stomach clenched. Finally people, but what happened to them? He counted ten men, most older and fitter than his group. Their postures shifted from relaxed to alert, bodies tensing.
"That's far enough," their leader called out. Muscled and tall, he gripped a length of wood in one hand. "This spot's taken. Find somewhere else."
Mike stepped forward, hands raised. "Come on, man. We've been walking for hours. There's plenty of river for everyone."
"Not interested in sharing." The leader's eyes looked over the people behind Irvin. "You guys can move along. The ladies can stay if they want."
Irvin stepped forward, positioning himself between the men and his group. "No need for trouble. We'll head upstream, leave you to it." His casual tone belied the tension coiling in his muscles.
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The leader's eyes narrowed, tracking their them with predatory focus. His group spread out, forming a loose semicircle. One man hefted a metal pipe, tapping it against his palm.
Tom edged closer to Irvin, his voice dropped to barely a whisper. "They won't let us leave peacefully."
This is about to explode, Irvin realized. His augments could give them an edge, but these weren't monsters. They were people with weapons, desperation, and the advantage in numbers. This could get someone killed.
His thoughts were interrupted as Mike stepped forward, hands still raised. "Come on, guys. We don't want any trouble. Let's just—"
The bearded man's fist connected with Mike's jaw before he could finish. The sickening crack echoed across the riverbank as Mike crumpled to the ground.
Chaos erupted. The other group surged forward, their faces twisted with cruel anticipation. Screams filled the air as Irvin's companions realized what just happened.
Fuck, Irvin thought. This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. Bunch of fucking morons not knowing when to shut it.
He watched as Derek took a hit into his belly being shoved roughly aside. The women's earlier bravado had evaporated, replaced by raw terror as they realized the gravity of their situation.
I need to think, Irvin told himself, forcing down his own panic.
We're outnumbered. Fighting is suicide. He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Look, we don't want trouble."
An attacker's fist connected with Irvin's cheek.
He barely felt it.
What the hell? Another swing came at him, driving into his belly, Irvin shut his eyes but the impact had little effect on him.
The realization put uncertain grin to his face. The augments. They're impacting us between humans as much as against monsters.
Irvin swung back at the men in front of him with full force, connecting with the mans ribcage and it caved in. Irvin felt his heart pumping on overdrive as the lifeless body went down.
Staring at his fist he missed another attacker with crude branch taking a swing at him, his arm prickled as the wood broke.
"What the fuck?" The attackers bewildered expression froze as Irvin grabbed the man's throat. He squeezed, intending to subdue the men. But something snapped beneath his fingers, the attacker went limp folding to the ground in the next moment.
Irvin stared at the body, a cold realization settling in his gut. I can kill them all. Just as easily as those monsters before.
A shout pierced through the chaos. Irvin spun around to see Melissa thrashing against a burly attacker grabbing her arm. Erik stood frozen nearby, his hands half-raised as indecision paralyzed him. Tom circled two others, keeping them at bay with stones.
Can't let them spread us too thin.
Irvin closed the distance to Melissa's attacker in three rapid strides. His fist connected with the man's spine, the impact reverberating up his arm. Bone gave way beneath his knuckles with a sickening crunch. The attacker collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, his grip on Melissa going slack.
At least I didn't bury my hand inside of him. Still, this is dangerous.
He glanced back at Sarah, Vera, and the other women who had clustered together. Their wide eyes fixed on him, faces drained of color. Sarah's hand covered her mouth, horror evident in her expression.
"Stay here," Irvin said, turning toward the remaining attackers. The survivors who hadn't fled yet took one look at their fallen companions - the crushed chest, the broken neck, the folded spine - and scrambled backward. Their bravado evaporated as they turned tail and ran.
Irvin watched their retreating forms. They could come back with more people. His fingers flexed, he felt the power humming through his muscle. But they are just men... that's different than monsters.
Derek approached Irvin with halting steps, his face ashen. He kept a careful distance, like someone approaching a wild animal. "You, how much strength do you have?"
"Five." Irvin shrugged, seeing no reason to hide it. "There's a limit to how far we can push these augments. I-." Should I tell them about the constitution? Its not like they wont figure it out sooner or later.
Tom cleared his throat. "I got some points after that first rat fight. Agility went up to three."
"Got two extra in strength from the first fight where we met you," Dave added from where he stood, still keeping his distance.
Erik raised his hand. "One point. From the rats."
Mike sat against a wall, holding at his bleeding nose with his fingers, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. The women remained silent, their expressions a mix of fear and shock. Sarah's eyes hadn't left the bodies on the ground.
Shit, Irvin thought. I really scared them this time. He looked at his hands, remembering how easily bone had crumbled beneath them. Did I had a choice?
"Listen," Irvin said, addressing the group. "This is important. These augments, they're not just numbers. They're changing us physically." He held up his hand, flexing his fingers. "I felt it when I hit that guy. It was like... he folded with no resistance."
As he spoke, .
"But that doesn't mean just us, but other survivors in the city have augments too." As he spoke, Irvin felt a surge of confidence, an idea began forming in his mind. His earlier uncertainty faded as the pieces fell into place.
This is it. This is how I convince them.
"If someone like them shows up again but with higher augments, then what?" That got their attention, shuffling in their place.
"When I hit strength five, I got a quest notification about advancement." He watched their faces, noting how they leaned forward despite their fear. "I think we need to check it out."
Erik crossed his arms. "Sounds dangerous," he grumbled, but Irvin could see the interest in his eyes.
Dave nodded eagerly. "I'm in. If we can get stronger, we'll be better off."
Derek shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know, man. Seems risky."
The rest of the group murmured their agreement with Derek, but Irvin could see the indecision on their faces.
"Look," Irvin said, his voice taking on more confidence. "We can't just sit here and wait. The world's changed. We need to change with it."
He straightened his shoulders. "Think about it - if there are quests tied to augment levels, there must be more to this system than just killing monsters. We could get stronger, maybe even unlock abilities."
Mike spat blood onto the ground, his face twisted with rage. "Are you fucking kidding me? You just killed three people with your bare hands, and now you're talking about quests?" He struggled to his feet, wincing. "What kind of monster are you? Their bodies aren't even cold yet and you're making plans?"
Irvin met his gaze, unflinching. The truth was, he felt nothing when he looked at the corpses. No remorse, no guilt - just a cold certainty that he'd done what was necessary. But he knew better than to say that out loud.
Mike's words hung in the air, heavy with accusation. The rest of the group shifted uncomfortably, caught between fear of Irvin's actions and the undeniable logic of his argument about survival.
"Exactly." Irvin gestured at the bodies around them. "We've seen what even low-level augments can do. Imagine if we could get more." And I need to know what happens when we complete these quests, he though. There has to be more to this than just getting stronger.
"The monsters aren't going away," he continued. "And neither are people like these." He kicked one of the bodies. "We need every advantage we can get."
He looked around the group, meeting each person's eyes. "I'm going. Anyone who wants to come, we will leave in ten minutes. Anyone who wants to stay, that is fine too. You can get shelter going or something."