The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the ruined landscape as August, Jude, and Cara trudged forward. Their destination lay to the north, where the system insisted Sabrina’s signal originated. But the outskirts of Cavite were a mess of collapsed infrastructure and zombie-infested ruins, and the only viable route was the old suspension bridge that loomed ahead.

The bridge had once been a lifeline for the city, connecting its fractured parts. Now, it was little more than a skeletal monument to what had been. Rusted beams jutted out at odd angles, some sections sagging precariously. Cars clogged the lanes in chaotic heaps, many of them burned-out husks. And there were zombies—hundreds of them—shambling aimlessly across the expanse.

August halted, raising a hand to signal the others. “This is bad,” he said, scanning the scene. His system’s HUD highlighted the clusters of undead, glowing red markers against the drab landscape. There were too many to count.

Jude stepped up beside him, his face grim. “No kidding. We’re supposed to get through that?” He gestured to the bridge with his bat, his knuckles white from gripping it so tightly.

Cara stood slightly behind them, her rifle slung over her shoulder. “If we try to go around, we’ll lose days,” she said, her voice laced with exhaustion. “And we don’t have days, do we?”

“No,” August admitted. The system’s urgency had been clear: Sabrina’s captors wouldn’t wait. He took a deep breath, trying to focus. “The system says this is the only way.”

Jude let out a bitter laugh. “Of course, it does. Always the worst option.”

The tension between them had been building ever since the system revealed Sabrina’s possible involvement in the virus. August could feel it simmering just beneath the surface, but there wasn’t time to address it now.

“We’ll need a plan,” August said, brushing off Jude’s comment. He toggled through the system’s interface, his vision filling with options and data. He hadn’t fully explored the “Skills” menu yet, but a flashing notification caught his eye.

New Skill Available: Precision Shot – Enhance accuracy and damage with ranged weapons.

The system offered a brief explanation of the skill’s mechanics, but it was the glowing “Unlock” button that drew his attention. He hesitated for only a moment before selecting it. A surge of energy rippled through him, and a faint blue icon appeared in the corner of his vision: a crosshair.

“What are you doing?” Jude asked, his tone sharp.

“Unlocking a new skill,” August replied, his focus on the interface. “It’s for long-range weapons. Might help us clear a path.”

“You’re just gonna rely on the system again?” Jude shook his head in frustration. “What if it screws us over?”

“It hasn’t yet,” August shot back, though he couldn’t entirely ignore the nagging doubt in his own mind. “We don’t have time to argue about this.”

Cara stepped between them, holding up her hands. “Enough, both of you. We’ll need every advantage we can get to survive this. August, if that skill works, prove it. Show us it’s worth the risk.”

August nodded, gripping his makeshift crossbow—a weapon they’d scavenged from a wrecked hunting store days earlier. With the new skill activated, the weapon felt lighter in his hands, more precise. He aimed at a zombie near the edge of the bridge, exhaled slowly, and fired.

The bolt struck true, piercing the creature’s skull. It crumpled to the ground, the glow of the system’s HUD marking it as “Neutralized.”

Jude raised an eyebrow, grudgingly impressed. “Alright, maybe that’s worth something.”

Cara smirked faintly. “Let’s hope you can keep it up.”

The group moved forward cautiously, sticking close to the shadows of abandoned vehicles. August took the lead, using the crossbow to pick off zombies that wandered too close. Each shot felt smoother, more natural, as if the skill was guiding his hand. But the system’s enhancements came with a cost—his stamina was draining faster than usual, and the faint hum of the HUD was starting to give him a headache.

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They reached the midpoint of the bridge without incident, but the path ahead was more treacherous. The wreckage grew denser, forcing them to climb over cars and debris. The zombies were more concentrated here, drawn to the noise of their movements.

“Keep it quiet,” August whispered, his voice tense. “We’re almost through.”

Jude nodded, swinging his bat silently at a nearby zombie, while Cara covered their flank with her rifle. They were making progress, but the air was thick with unease. August couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them.

Then it happened. A low rumble echoed from beneath the bridge, a sound so deep and guttural that it seemed to vibrate through their bones. The zombies around them froze for a moment before turning toward the source, their groans rising in a dissonant chorus.

“What the hell was that?” Cara asked, her voice trembling.

Before August could respond, the bridge shook violently. A massive form burst from the water below, sending a spray of debris and rotted corpses into the air. The creature was unlike anything they had ever seen—a grotesque amalgamation of muscle and decay, its hulking body covered in barnacle-like growths. One of its arms was a twisted mass of bone and sinew, ending in a hammer-like appendage.

The system’s HUD immediately identified the threat: Bridgebreaker – Elite Class Mutant.

“Of course,” Jude muttered, his voice thick with sarcasm. “Because regular zombies weren’t enough.”

The Bridgebreaker let out an earth-shaking roar, its glowing eyes locking onto the group. It swung its massive arm, smashing through a cluster of cars and sending debris flying in all directions.

“Run!” August shouted, grabbing Cara’s arm and pulling her toward the far side of the bridge.

The group sprinted, weaving through the wreckage as the Bridgebreaker gave chase. Its movements were slower than expected, but each step it took sent tremors through the bridge, threatening to collapse it entirely.

August’s heart pounded as he tried to focus, the system’s interface flashing warnings and suggestions in his vision. He activated the Precision Shot skill again, firing bolt after bolt at the creature’s head, but the attacks barely seemed to faze it.

“We need a plan!” Cara yelled, glancing over her shoulder.

August scanned the area, his mind racing. The bridge was too narrow for them to split up, and the creature’s size made it nearly impossible to fight directly. Then he saw it—a gas tanker lodged between two crumpled cars, its metal shell battered but intact.

“If we can lure it toward that tanker, we might be able to blow it up,” August said, pointing to the target.

Jude hesitated, his face pale. “That’s insane.”

“It’s our only shot,” Cara said, gripping her rifle. “I’ll draw its attention. You two get ready to take the shot.”

“No way,” August said firmly. “It’s too dangerous. I’ll be the bait.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Cara snapped. “You’re the only one with the system. If you go down, we’re all screwed.”

August clenched his jaw, but there was no time to argue. The Bridgebreaker was closing in fast, its massive arm smashing through anything in its path.

“Fine,” he said reluctantly. “But be careful.”

Cara nodded and took off toward the tanker, firing a few shots at the creature to draw its attention. The Bridgebreaker roared and turned, its glowing eyes locking onto her. It lumbered forward, its massive frame shaking the bridge with every step.

“Jude, help me rig the shot,” August said, rushing to position himself near the tanker. The system highlighted weak points on the vehicle, guiding him to aim for the fuel line. He loaded his last explosive bolt, his hands trembling as he took aim.

Cara darted around the tanker, her movements quick and precise as the Bridgebreaker closed in. “Now, August!” she shouted.

August exhaled slowly, his finger tightening on the trigger. He fired.

The bolt struck the fuel line, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then the tanker erupted in a blinding explosion, the shockwave knocking the group to the ground. The Bridgebreaker let out a final, guttural roar before collapsing, its massive frame consumed by flames.

The bridge groaned under the strain of the explosion, and August scrambled to his feet, helping Jude and Cara up. “Move! The bridge is collapsing!”

They ran, the structure crumbling behind them as they reached the far side. Panting and covered in soot, they turned to watch as the bridge gave way, the Bridgebreaker’s fiery remains sinking into the water below.

For a moment, there was only silence, broken only by the sound of their ragged breaths.

“Nice shot,” Jude said, his tone begrudgingly impressed.

August didn’t respond. His mind was still racing, the system’s HUD flashing a single, ominous message: Threat neutralized. Mission progress: 50%.

He knew the worst was far from over.

As the group caught their breath, a distant, robotic voice crackled through a nearby radio. “Survivors detected. Commence extraction.”