The heat from the explosion still lingered in the air, the acrid stench of burning flesh and gasoline filling August’s nostrils. The bridge had partially collapsed behind them, cutting off their escape route back to the city. Flames flickered in the growing darkness, casting long, eerie shadows across the ruined landscape.

August tightened his grip on his crossbow, his heart pounding. The system’s HUD flickered to life again, highlighting the massive, burning corpse of the Bridgebreaker. But as he scanned the scene, the words Threat Neutralized refused to appear.

“Stay alert,” August warned, his voice low. He knew better than to let his guard down. This thing was tougher than anything they’d faced before, and until the system confirmed its death, he couldn’t afford to assume the fight was over.

Jude groaned, clutching his side as he leaned against a car. His bat dangled limply from his hand, and blood trickled through his fingers. “That... was not fun,” he said, managing a weak grin.

Cara, breathing heavily, knelt beside him. “Let me see,” she said, her voice firm but laced with concern. She pulled his hand away from his side, revealing a deep gash that oozed blood. “It’s bad, but not too deep. We need to clean it and stop the bleeding.”

“Later,” Jude muttered, wincing as she pressed a cloth against the wound. “That thing’s not done yet.”

As if on cue, the flames consuming the Bridgebreaker flickered unnaturally, and a low, guttural sound rumbled through the air. August turned sharply, his system HUD highlighting movement within the burning corpse.

“No way,” Cara whispered, standing and raising her rifle.

The Bridgebreaker’s massive arm twitched, and its grotesque body began to shift. Pieces of charred flesh sloughed off, revealing sinewy muscle and glinting bone beneath. Its head, half-melted and seeping with pus, turned toward them. The glow in its eyes reignited, brighter and angrier than before.

The system chimed in August’s mind: New Feature Unlocked: Weak Spot Detection. Target weak points to maximize damage.

“Great timing,” August muttered, feeling a faint surge of energy as the feature activated. His vision sharpened, and the HUD began to outline specific areas on the Bridgebreaker’s body—joints, the base of its skull, and a swollen mass near its chest that pulsed with a sickly green light.

“Focus on the glowing spots!” he shouted, raising his crossbow.

The Bridgebreaker let out a deafening roar, shaking the ground as it rose to its full, terrifying height. It staggered forward, its massive hammer-like arm swinging wildly, crushing cars and sending debris flying.

“Move!” August yelled, diving behind a nearby wreck. The others scrambled for cover, Jude wincing as he forced himself to his feet.

Cara fired her rifle, aiming for the pulsing mass on the creature’s chest. The bullets struck true, causing the mass to rupture slightly and ooze a toxic-looking fluid. The Bridgebreaker roared in pain, its movements growing more erratic.

“It’s working!” Cara shouted, reloading quickly.

August peeked out from behind his cover, his crossbow loaded with one of his last explosive bolts. The system highlighted the mass on the Bridgebreaker’s chest again, flashing a warning about its instability. He aimed carefully, his breath steadying as he lined up the shot.

Before he could fire, the creature swung its massive arm toward him, smashing through the car he hid behind. The force of the blow sent him sprawling, his crossbow skidding out of reach.

“August!” Cara yelled, firing again to distract the creature.

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Jude, despite his injury, lunged forward with his bat, striking the creature’s leg. The attack barely made a dent, but it drew the Bridgebreaker’s attention long enough for August to recover.

Scrambling to his feet, August reached for his crossbow. His hands trembled as he reloaded, the system flashing warnings about his dwindling stamina. He could feel the strain of relying on its features, but there was no other choice.

“Jude, get back!” he called, raising the weapon again.

Jude staggered away, his face pale and slick with sweat. “Make it count,” he muttered.

The Bridgebreaker charged toward August, its glowing chest exposed. This was his chance. He steadied his aim, the system’s targeting reticle locking onto the weak spot.

“Come on,” he whispered, squeezing the trigger.

The bolt flew true, striking the pulsing mass and detonating on impact. The explosion sent a spray of toxic fluid and shrapnel flying, and the Bridgebreaker let out a final, guttural roar. Its massive frame collapsed, the ground trembling as it hit the asphalt.

The system chimed: Threat Neutralized. XP Gained: 1500.

August let out a shaky breath, lowering his weapon. The fight was finally over.

Cara approached cautiously, her rifle still trained on the creature’s remains. “Is it... dead?”

The HUD confirmed it, but August didn’t trust the system completely anymore. “For now,” he said, scanning the corpse one last time.

Jude slumped against a car, his face twisted in pain. “Well, that sucked,” he muttered.

Cara rushed to his side, checking his wound again. “We need to treat this now,” she said, her tone urgent.

August nodded, pulling a small medkit from his pack. He handed it to Cara, who began cleaning the wound with practiced hands. Jude winced but didn’t complain.

“How bad is it?” August asked, kneeling beside them.

“It’s not deep, but it’s jagged,” Cara said, her voice tight. “And there’s something else...” She trailed off, frowning as she examined the edges of the wound.

“What?” Jude asked, his tone sharp.

Cara hesitated. “The tissue around it looks... infected. But not like a regular infection. It’s... darker.”

August’s stomach dropped. He opened the system’s interface, searching for any information about infections or the virus. But the system’s response was maddeningly vague: Infection detected. Status: Inconclusive.

“Of course, it can’t confirm anything,” August muttered, frustration bubbling to the surface.

Jude’s eyes widened. “Wait, you think it’s... the virus?”

“We don’t know,” Cara said quickly. “It could just be from whatever was on that thing’s claws.”

“Or it could be the start of something worse,” Jude said, his voice rising. “What if I’m—”

“Stop,” August said firmly, cutting him off. “Panicking won’t help. We’ll treat it, keep an eye on you, and figure it out as we go.”

Jude glared at him, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned back and let Cara finish bandaging the wound.

As the adrenaline of the fight faded, exhaustion set in. The group huddled near the wreckage, the faint glow of the fire casting flickering shadows across their faces.

“We need to find shelter,” Cara said, breaking the silence. “Somewhere safe, where we can rest and figure out our next move.”

August nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. The system’s HUD highlighted a potential location nearby—a small service station just off the bridge. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.

“Let’s move,” he said, helping Jude to his feet. The injured man leaned heavily on him, his weight a stark reminder of how fragile their situation was.

They made their way toward the service station, the night pressing in around them. The battle with the Bridgebreaker had been a victory, but it felt hollow. Jude’s wound was an ominous question mark hanging over them, and August couldn’t shake the feeling that the system was keeping something from him.

As they reached the service station and secured the doors, the system chimed softly, a new notification appearing in August’s vision:

Mission Update: Ensure the safety of your party. Infected status of party member pending.

August stared at the words, a cold knot forming in his stomach. The system’s ambiguity was becoming a pattern, and he didn’t like where it was leading.

Jude sat heavily on a bench, his face pale and drawn. Cara busied herself checking their supplies, her movements tense and deliberate.

As August stood guard by the door, his mind churned with questions. Was the system truly on their side? Or was it manipulating them for its own purposes? And most pressing of all—was Jude infected?

The night stretched on, the answers remaining just out of reach.

In the quiet darkness of the service station, Jude suddenly convulsed, his eyes snapping open and glowing faintly green.