The Harvest Festival massacre left Silver Rock in chaos. Word of the attack spread beyond the town as survivors shared stories of glowing-eyed monsters and the group that fought them off. Fear took root in the hearts of the townsfolk, who now barricaded their homes and avoided the streets at night. Silver Rock was no longer a quiet town; it had become a place teetering on the brink of collapse.

Ethan’s group returned to The Forge, their fortress of preparation, bloodied and exhausted. As they cleaned their weapons and tended their wounds, the weight of what they’d faced hung heavy in the air.

The Harvest Festival confirmed one thing: they needed stronger defenses. Ethan and Mason worked side by side, reinforcing The Forge with everything they could scavenge. Mason’s engineering skills turned the garage into a veritable stronghold.

* Reinforced Walls and Doors: Mason welded steel plates over the existing walls, creating an impenetrable barrier. The doors were fitted with heavy locks and reinforced frames to withstand anything short of a battering ram.

* Defensive Perimeter: Dakota took charge of the perimeter, laying barbed wire around the property and setting up trenches filled with sharp stakes to slow down attackers. He also installed lookout points on the garage roof, giving them a clear view of the surrounding area.

* Automated Defense System: Mason rigged motion-activated traps, including compressed-air cannons and flamethrowers salvaged from old propane tanks. The alarms they’d set now triggered not just lights but sound-based deterrents—high-frequency noises to disorient creatures.

Ethan oversaw every addition, his future knowledge guiding their decisions. “This isn’t just a base,” he told them. “It’s a fortress. And when the time comes, it’ll be the last line of defense

The glowing cores, once mysterious trophies, became the centerpiece of their strategy. With Ethan’s future knowledge as a former S-rank survivor, he began experimenting with ways to harness their energy.

* Energy Blades: Using the cores’ inherent power, Ethan created a prototype weapon: a machete-like blade with a glowing core embedded in its hilt. When activated, the blade emitted a faint hum and an electrified edge, capable of slicing through flesh and bone with ease. Testing it on a captured raccoon confirmed its lethality—the creature was severed in two with one swing, the core’s energy leaving a scorched wound.

* Core Grenades: Mason refined his earlier grenade designs, using cores to create explosives with devastating results. During a test, the grenade vaporized a pile of scrap metal, leaving a crater in the dirt. The group agreed these would be reserved for the most dire situations.

* Personal Defense Devices: Dakota worked with Ethan to create small, core-powered shock devices. When pressed against an attacker, the device delivered a jolt strong enough to incapacitate even the largest creatures.

“This changes everything,” Mason said one night, watching the glowing cores lined up on the workbench. “If we can figure out how to mass-produce these...”

“We don’t have time for that,” Ethan replied. “We focus on survival, not mass production.”

The group’s training regimen intensified. Ethan, drawing on his combat experience, introduced martial arts into their routine to refine their fighting techniques and improve their reaction times.

* Martial Arts Drills: Ethan taught them the basics of Krav Maga, emphasizing quick, brutal strikes designed to disable opponents. They practiced disarming each other, learning to react instinctively in high-pressure scenarios.

* Strength and Endurance: Dakota took charge of the physical conditioning, leading grueling workouts that included tire flips, sprint drills, and weighted squats. He also built an obstacle course behind The Forge to simulate battlefield conditions.

* Mental Preparation: Ethan began teaching mental resilience, using his memories of the future to warn them of the horrors to come. “You’ll see things that make you want to give up,” he told them during one session. “But if you stop, even for a second, you’re dead.”

Sparring sessions became bloodier as the group pushed themselves harder. One day, Mason landed a solid punch on Ethan during a drill, splitting his lip.

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“Finally learning how to fight,” Ethan said, wiping the blood with a grin.

“You’re not the only one who can hit,” Mason shot back, panting.

Kyle’s progress with the crossbow was equally impressive. By the end of the month, he could hit moving targets with deadly accuracy, even in low light.

Strange occurrences around Silver Rock grew more frequent and alarming.

A month after the festival, news broke that a search-and-rescue team sent to find a missing hiker had vanished. Their truck was found abandoned, the interior covered in blood and deep claw marks.

Ethan, watching the news, slammed his fist against the table. “They’re hunting in packs now.”

“What does that mean for us?” Mason asked, his voice shaky.

“It means we’re running out of time,” Ethan said. “And the attacks are going to get worse.”

Each night, the howls and screeches grew louder. The creatures were no longer content to skulk in the shadows—they were prowling closer to town.

One night, Mason heard scratching at the reinforced doors of The Forge. He froze, gripping his wrench as the motion detectors flared, illuminating three glowing-eyed coyotes pacing the perimeter.

“They’re testing us,” Mason whispered.

Ethan grabbed his machete and climbed onto the roof. From his vantage point, he saw more glowing eyes lurking in the distance. The creatures were circling, their movements deliberate and coordinated.

“We’re not ready for a siege,” Dakota muttered as he joined Ethan on the roof.

“We’d better get ready fast,” Ethan replied.

The group’s decision to scout the Silver Rock Water Treatment Plant marked the beginning of a larger escalation. The facility had been the site of strange sightings—mangled wildlife, eerie growls, and rumors of glowing-eyed creatures.

The approach was quiet, too quiet. The plant loomed in the moonlight, its machinery humming faintly. The group moved cautiously, their weapons at the ready.

“Stay close,” Ethan whispered. “And watch your corners.”

As they entered the facility, the stench of death hit them. Blood streaked the walls, and shredded pieces of clothing littered the floor.

“It’s a feeding ground,” Dakota said, his voice grim.

Before they could react, the first creature struck—a massive, mutated coyote lunged from the shadows, its glowing eyes blazing. Mason screamed as it knocked him down, its claws raking deep gashes across his chest.

“Get it off him!” Ethan roared, slashing at the creature with his energy blade. The blade hissed as it cut through the coyote’s side, blood spraying across the floor. Dakota finished it off with a brutal swing of his crowbar, shattering its skull.

The fight wasn’t over. More creatures emerged from the darkness—raccoons, coyotes, and a massive, glowing-eyed bear. The group fought savagely, their weapons carving through flesh and bone.

Ethan drove his machete into the bear’s throat, the core’s energy searing its flesh. The creature thrashed violently before collapsing in a pool of blood. Mason, despite his injuries, hurled a grenade into a cluster of raccoons, the explosion leaving a gruesome mess of limbs and gore.

When the last creature fell, the group stood amid the carnage, their breaths ragged and their weapons dripping with blood.

Time Until Cataclysm: 162 Days, 4 Hours, 37 Minutes.