Surviving in a dead world

"Everyone calm down! It's not the end of the world! I know we're all hungry, but we can't just panic like this," Henry was trying his best—he really was—but the other survivors were panicking.

He understood why. They were afraid and hungry. It had been three days since anyone had eaten or drunk anything. It was quite literally a miracle they hadn't died yet.

"Leave them be! Those morons are too busy cowering in fear and barricading themselves in instead of looking for supplies! You think we're not hungry too?! We're the ones going out and trying to find something! And here you are, in all your splendor, begging an old man and two children for food! Aren't you ashamed?"

Henry snapped his head toward Damian, who had just spoken those words.

"Damian, don't! They're already agitated—let's not—" Before Henry could finish his words, Damian stepped forward.

"No. I told you yesterday, they'll either die in fear, huddled in their houses… or go out there and maybe survive. So... what will it be?" Damian was smiling. His words were meant to agitate, to hurt, to scare. (Come on then... let's see which one of you sorry lot is actually somewhat useful!)

This was his plan. He needed to get subordinates, and this might be the only way to access the full strength of his class. His [Command] and [Ruler] skills were the key. (Those two skills work together—I know it! I just need willing test subjects! So come on… step forward!)

The crowd shouted, yelled, and cursed at Damian. Yet he didn't step back—not an ounce of fear on his face.

Then someone from the crowd stepped forward. It was a man—Kevin, or something like that...

As Kevin stepped forward, the crowd was shocked. Then they began to shout and curse at him. They didn't know why, but they didn't stop to think about it. Soon, four more people stepped forward—three women and another man.

Damian smiled and closed his eyes. (Perfect.) He clapped his hands and turned around."Great! Now the eight of us will be going out and saving your sorry asses. So the rest of you should just stay put and look pretty. Now then—let's go! We don't have all day!"

"It was using magic… how? No—that's a stupid question. If I can, then what's stopping it from doing the same? Hell, maybe it also has a system..." Alex was sitting far away from Henry and Damian, who were speaking to the crowd.

He didn't pay much attention to them. His mind was focused on figuring out a way to kill the undead knight. He sighed and closed his eyes, then took a deep breath. Slowly, the sensation of icy cold water submerged him, drowning out all other sounds and feelings, leaving only magic and cold behind.

He raised his hand. Slowly, he felt the air around it get hotter. At first, it looked like he was about to make another fire marble, but then he forced the feeling to change—focusing on creating a new spell.The feeling of wind in his hair… a slight breeze as he lay in a meadow… the destructive waves of a hurricane… Then he remembered the knight. The undead knight's magic attack was like a blade of air. He forced all his attention on that attack, remembering how it felt as it shredded through the earth, the sound it made…

Soon he opened his eyes, and in front of him was…

A ball.A simple ball of air the size of a tennis ball. It was bigger than his fire marble but still small enough to fit comfortably in his palm. The ball of air spun slowly. He had failed to recreate the spell the undead knight used—but instead, he had managed to make another spell.

[New skill unlocked!]: [Air Ball]A sphere of air. This spell does not have any real means of damaging opponents; however, it is in no way useless.

Its description was different from the others—far simpler in nature and offering barely any real use to him.

"In no way useless… huh? I guess we'll see what that means." Alex sighed and stood up, noticing that Damian and Henry were walking toward him—Damian with a satisfied expression and Henry with a conflicted one. Behind them were five people.

---------------

"Alright then! Since you five decided to join us, it's up to us three to show you the ropes!" Damian clapped his hands. "So, I have an idea—each of us, that's me, Alex, and Henry over there, will take a few of you and form smaller teams. That way we can teach you and cover more ground. I'll take Kevin. Henry, you take Brad and Sabrina. And Alex, you'll take Rachel and Mandy. How does that sound?"

On paper, Damian's suggestion was sound. He, Henry, and Alex had already explored a fair bit of the town and had at least some combat experience. With the help of the newcomers, exploring more of the area could increase their chances of finding food and water.

However, both Henry and Alex seemed to disagree with the plan—though for different reasons.

Henry was the first to speak. His tone was disapproving."Look, kid, I get the idea, but why only take one person? We don't need to cover more ground when we've barely finished exploring the places we have been to. Not to mention, none of these people have any real combat experience. We don't even know if they're suited for fighting. We should stick together."

Damian nodded as if acknowledging his point, then casually brushed it aside."I get where you're coming from—but you're wrong! The fact that three of us barely managed to explore those areas is why I want to split up. One team explores, one loots, one handles any threats. Trust me, old man—I thought this through."

Henry let out a tired, exasperated sigh.

Alex, on the other hand, looked completely incredulous."Wait, hold on! Hold on! You want me to lead these people?! Are you insane? What kind of moronic plan is this?! Also, aren't the teams a bit... lopsided? My class might not be combat-focused, but I'm still the only one with the ability to fight multiple undead at once! Henry's class is some type of berserker, so he actually benefits from working alone—he's faster, stronger, and having two newbies with him will only slow him down. And why are you only taking one guy? I don't even know what your class is! Just because you know how to swing a sword? If it weren't for Henry, you'd have been dead by now! You clearly work best in larger groups!"

Before Alex could continue his tirade, Damian cut him off."Alex, buddy. Just lead the two ladies and make sure they don't die, okay? As for your concerns—well, the fact that you've survived this long and figured out the undead's weakness is proof that someone better than you—no offense—will do even more. Come on, don't look at me like that!" Damian added with a smirk. "Most people would think spending time alone with two girls is a dream come true, so I don't see the issue here."

Damian shrugged. He knew he had to take a different approach when dealing with Alex. Henry was smart and tactical—probably due to his military background—but deep down, he was extremely emotional. Alex, on the other hand, seemed emotional and overly cautious, but in reality, he was surprisingly logical. Probably some sort of coping mechanism. Henry ran on emotion veiled as logic. Alex ran on logic veiled as emotion.

And Damian? Damian would use that—manipulate both of them in just the right way to get what he wanted.

Damian smiled as Alex's face contorted into a grimace. (His words were dismissive—very different in tone from the ones he'd used in the previous days. Alex's mind is a bit of an enigma, but the fact that he operates on logic makes this surprisingly easy. His disapproval of my plan doesn't come from a lack of leadership ability—no, it comes from his perception of himself and his own capabilities.

His true thoughts were likely something along the lines of: "I don't think I can work with people I barely know. Our teams aren't evenly balanced, and I'm probably going to end up in the exploration group instead of the fighting one. Henry's team will be combat-oriented, at least until we completely split off into separate parts of the town. After that, we'll be left to our own devices and skills."

Hah… who knew Alex's thoughts were so complicated—and so logical? I'm starting to think he's the real manipulator here. Honestly, I have zero doubt he'll survive. It's Henry I'm worried about.)

The others were oblivious to Damian's thoughts as they finally stepped beyond the borders of the safe zone and headed into the town proper.

-----------------

"Sooo, hey!! You're Alex, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Rachel! And this is Mandy. Say hi, Mandy... Yeah, she's a bit shy. Anyway, you're our boss till the end of the day, right?"

Rachel was... energetic, to say the least. Her nonchalant attitude was rather odd, considering the circumstances.

Mandy, on the other hand, was... "..."Well, Rachel's description wasn't wrong—Mandy was really, really quiet. Alex could barely hear her footsteps. It was like she had zero presence.

"Right, well... yeah. I'm your leader until the day ends, or until we find food and water, or until we get chased by undead—whichever comes first. So, mind telling me your class and skills? You don't have to if you're uncomfortable sharing, but—actually, wait—do you know what that is? Am I gonna have to explain this again?"

Alex was trying his best to step into his newly acquired leadership role.

Rachel looked at him, then chuckled."You're kinda cute. Kinda reminds me of that chihuahua you had, Mandy."

Alex blinked.(Ch... chihuahua...? Someone please kill me. I don't want this. Goddamnit. Is it 'cause I'm short? What—who said that? I'm not short. I'm perfectly average height!)He sighed and turned away, noticing that both Henry's and Damian's teams were already leaving, apparently having had better luck connecting with their new members.

Mandy, finally speaking, looked at Alex and said, "He really does look like Mom's chihuahua... He even does that weird nervous shiver it did... Are you sure your name isn't Mr. Wiggles?"

Her words were off-putting.Mostly because she said them completely deadpan.

Her dark hair fell over one eye, and her pale stare made her look like the cold, emotionless type—but her personality was something else entirely. Alex had a sinking feeling she'd be the most troublesome member of the group.

Rachel, on the other hand, was her complete opposite: loud, mischievous, and clearly enjoying herself. Her dirty blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her eyes sparkled with a constant, playful glint.

"Right... let's get back on track. What are your classes and skills? If you don't want to say, just stay silent. If you don't know what a class or skill is, ask—I can explain."

Alex was once again interrupted—this time by a pfft from Rachel.

He gave her a wide-eyed look, and she burst into laughter."Haha! Sorry, sorry. It's just... you look like the biggest nerd I've ever seen. Hahh, I needed this. My class is Adventurer. My skills are [Tough as Wood], [Forager], and [Treasure Sense]. Pretty self-explanatory, right?"

She grinned, then looked over at Mandy.

Mandy stayed silent for a moment before answering, "Assassin. That's my class. My skills are [Hidden Strike], [Silent as a Cat], and [Butchering]. That last one's from working with my dad—he owned a butcher shop, I used to help him a lot. You don't need to explain anything—we used to play MMOs all the time. We're familiar

"Nerd…"Alex's eye twitched."This... is gonna be a long day. Alright, let's go—we're already pretty far behind."

[You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Five experience awarded to all combat participants!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Five experience awarded to all combat participants!]

"Alright, that takes care of those two... How are you guys doing—uh, I mean, gals," Alex corrected himself as he glanced between the corpses. Two were ones he'd killed, two belonged to Mandy and Rachel.

He sighed.The teams were now officially separated—his group completely alone in their sector of the town—and he was responsible for all three of them.

Well, more like two.Rachel and Mandy didn't really feel like subordinates. More like... toddlers with knives.

Rachel had bludgeoned one of the undead into submission, slamming its head repeatedly with a heavy club until it finally stopped twitching.

Mandy killed hers with unnerving efficiency—one quick strike straight through the head. Probably using her [Hidden Strike] skill.

Suddenly, Rachel let out a horrified scream."OH NO!"

Alex's eyes widened and he rushed toward her."WHAT HAPPENED?! Were you hurt?! Bitten?! Quick, let me—!"

Before he could finish, Mandy let out a small laugh.

Then Rachel grinned and held up her hand dramatically."OH NO, BOSS—I BROKE A NAIL!"

She burst out laughing."Pfft—haha, sorry, did I scare you? Nerd. I mean, I'm so sorry. I'll be more careful from now on."

Alex stared at her. Then at her perfectly fine hands.His eye twitched. Again.

He turned away as they started walking deeper into their section of the town.

Mandy passed by him quietly and muttered, "Nerd."

Alex let out a long, tired sigh."I'm gonna kill Damian when I get back."

-----

"That's... interesting."Alex was kneeling at the edge of a dirt street, squinting down at the ground in front of him.

The road ahead wasn't dirt—it was marble.Just like back at the Sanctuary. The safe part of town.But what caught his attention most was the way it had been broken. Deliberately. Tools had clearly been used to shatter the marble.

Someone had destroyed this road on purpose.

Why?

Beyond the fractured marble, the makeshift houses ended. The ragtag buildings made of scrap and debris gave way to solid, elegant architecture. Marble walls. Marble pillars.

It looked like a piece of paradise—If paradise had bloodstains, undead footprints, and rotting entrails decorating the streets.

"Whatcha doin'? Feelin' constipated? Need a bathroom break? Can I watch?"

Alex flinched and turned to his right.Rachel was standing there, grinning ear to ear like she'd just won the lottery.

He groaned and facepalmed."No. God—what is wrong with you? That's a terrible joke. Please don't ever do that again."

Rachel tilted her head, completely deadpan."Who said I was joking?"

Alex stared at her in horror.

Then she broke into laughter."Sorry, sorry! But the look on your face was priceless! Haha!"She let out a smug sigh like she'd just completed her life's mission.

"You're funny."A soft whisper came from his left.

Alex turned his head and found Mandy standing there, staring at him with her usual blank expression.

He groaned again, this time more dramatically."You two are going to be the death of me. I just know it."

He shook his head, refocusing on the road ahead."Anyway... be prepared. Looks like we're about to deal with more undead than usual. When I say run—you run. Try to stay together, okay?"

The two girls looked at Alex, then spoke in unison.

"Awww, is boss worried about us? That's adorable!"

Alex sighed heavily and stepped onto the marble street.

[You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Five experience awarded to all combat participants!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Five experience awarded to all combat participants!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Five experience awarded to all combat participants!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!]

"Okay, okay—everyone run! I'll hold them off!"Alex shouted over the rising noise of the undead horde.

"Get back onto the dirt streets—into the old houses!""We'll funnel them through a doorway and take them out one by one!"

He turned just in time to see Rachel stubbornly standing her ground, club in hand.

"Rachel—I said back off and run! There are too many of them!"

He launched another fire marble into the crowd of undead. It exploded on impact, drawing their attention just long enough for Rachel and Mandy to retreat.

There were at least twenty of them. Alex had already taken down a handful, but they just kept coming...

He gritted his teeth and formed another spell, sweat running down his temple.(Come on… just a little longer...)

He threw another spell as he ran, the sound of screaming undead echoing behind him.

"Quick, that house!" he shouted. "Rachel, help me block the door! Mandy—look for another exit, anything we can fit through!"

As the three of them burst into the building, Alex grabbed a leather couch and slammed it against the front door. It was heavy—too heavy for the undead to easily push through—so he doubted they'd need to reinforce it much.

That didn't stop Mandy from dragging over several other pieces of furniture and piling them up just in case. Then, without a word, she disappeared deeper into the house.

Moments later, the undead arrived.

They began to gather at the blocked doorway, shuffling against the barricade. Some tried to climb over the couch, moaning and clawing. But each one that got close enough was met with either a crushing blow to the face from Rachel's club, or a fire marble to the chest courtesy of Alex.

The fire was spreading to the horde behind the zombies at the doorway. Soon enough, the sound of dozens of undead creatures filled the air—screaming, thrashing, and slamming into the walls of the house. Alex felt the whole structure shake for a moment, but thankfully, it held.

"...No exit," Mandy appeared beside him, speaking as loudly as she could—which meant her voice barely rose above a whisper.

Alex gritted his teeth.

(Can I kill all of them? Even if Damian and Henry were here, I doubt we could take them all. The fire's helping, but not all the undead were caught in it… some are still coming. Not all of them got burned—wait, that's it!)

He quickly raised his hand. This time, instead of forming the familiar fire marble, a ball of air materialized—lazily spinning in his palm.

He moved toward the nearest burning undead, which was thrashing and snarling as Rachel desperately shoved it back, keeping it from crawling over the couch.

These ones were tougher. They wouldn't go down quickly, even with fire.

Fine then. I'll make the fire stronger.

Once close enough, Alex thrust the air ball toward the flames surrounding the creature. The swirling sphere began spinning faster, greedily drawing in the heat and embers around it. The marble of air transformed—flames wrapping around it until it became a glowing, volatile orb.

Then, instead of exploding like a regular fire marble, it stayed in his hand—streaming fire like a miniature flamethrower.

The burning undead screamed as the enhanced flames roared across its body, re-igniting it and catching several others behind it in the blast. The fire spread faster, hotter, fiercer.

"Fire and air! They support each other. What's a flame without oxygen!?"

Alex grinned as realization dawned.

This air ball wasn't useless at all. No—it was my strongest ability so far. Its applications are nearly endless!

He took a step forward, eyes focused and fire dancing across his palm.

"Let's burn them all."

-----

[You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Five experience awarded to all combat participants!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Five experience awarded to all combat participants!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!][You have killed: Undead Monster] = [Ten experience awarded!]

. . .

The messages flooded Alex's vision as he lay on the floor, motionless, Rachel and Mandy finishing off the stragglers that hadn't already been consumed by the flames.

(How many level-ups is that gonna get me?)

He grinned—then slumped back, his head hitting the wooden floor with a dull thud before everything faded to black.

"...WHAT TIME IS IT!?" Alex jolted upright, eyes snapping open as memory came rushing back.

He looked around quickly. Rachel and Mandy were nearby, huddled together in the corner of the room. Mandy was awake, staring at him with a tired gaze. Rachel was fast asleep, softly snoring beside her.

It was night. They hadn't made it back to the safe part of town… and they hadn't left him to die.

"You're awake... good evening," Mandy said, her voice quiet and hoarse.

She gave him a complicated look before adding, "Sorry… for calling you a nerd. Even though you are."

Alex stared at her for a second, then sighed and slumped back against the wall. His head was pounding, his throat dry, and his stomach growling. The mana exhaustion was real.

"Yeah, well… you two aren't so bad either. Thanks for staying."

Rachel groaned without opening her eyes. "Mmm… can't you guys be any quieter? I'm tired. Oh hey, boss is finally awake..."

Alex smiled faintly. "Hey Rachel. Yeah, I'm awake. You guys have any trouble while I was out?"

Mandy shook her head silently.

Rachel yawned and stretched. "Well, what should we do now? Stay here till morning or go out at night?" She looked to Alex for guidance.

He didn't hesitate.

"We wait till morning. We explored quite a bit already. Good job, girls."

Both of them seemed to straighten up a bit at that. Rachel grinned with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Aww geez, you're making me blush. You're not so bad yourself, boss. One might even say you were… hot."

Alex gave her a deadpan look. "I take it back. Burn in hell. Both of you."

The two girls burst into laughter.

soon enough both of them clamed down.

"Say, Alex…" Rachel's voice broke the silence, soft and thoughtful. "Why did you decide to go out and fight the undead? I mean, when you first appeared here. If I remember right, you three were the first ones to go out. No one told you to."

Alex blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Well… I made a deal with Damian. You know—the annoying one. So I joined up with him to explore the town. Then Henry and the others showed up, and, well… one thing led to another, and we ended up fighting. That was it. We kinda just… had to, to survive."

Rachel hummed at his answer, head tilted slightly in thought."Huh... Me and Mandy, on our first day, we thought this was all a dream. We didn't do anything. Just wandered around the safe part of town. That's where we found our weapons."Her tone shifted, becoming more introspective."But after the second day... when the hunger and thirst really kicked in... we realized it was real. We were actually stuck in this place, surrounded by monsters. No food, no water, no one—just each other."

She paused, eyes downcast.

"That's how most of the others are too. Once they realized this was real… they just shut down. They lost their families, their jobs… Who knows when we'll even go home? A few days here might be fine for some. Some'll lose their jobs, yeah, that sucks… but at least they'll live. And who knows—maybe they get to keep their powers when we go back."She gave a small chuckle, but it didn't last.

Soon, the chuckle melted into a tearful smile."But… what if it takes longer? A month… a year… a decade? What if we can't even go back? And worse, what if we do… and everything's changed? Our families… our partners… what if they've moved on or think we're crazy? Who'd believe any of this?"She wiped at her eyes."Some might end up homeless. Forgotten. So… they gave up. I did too. But when Damian spoke about dying here or trying anyway… I felt angry. At him. At this place. So Mandy and I decided to try our luck. And… well, you know the rest."

Her voice cracked at the end. The words were messy, half-coherent, more emotion than structure—a venting of everything she'd been holding in.

Alex looked at her seriously and said, "I see... But we will get home. I promise."

The girls looked at him, startled by the sudden conviction in his tone.

"I'm not just saying that," he continued. "I'll make sure you two—no, I'll make sure everyone gets home. Safely."

Rachel let out a choked laugh, tears still clinging to her hazel eyes."Haha… Alex, don't promise something you might not be able to do. Really, we're fine. We're not so weak that a couple days of starving and dehydration will break us."

Alex smiled back at her, tired but determined."I'm not just saying it. I promise. I feel it in my bones—we're close to something. A breakthrough. I just need to explore a little more. We'll find a way home."He smirked."And then maybe I can finally be free of the two of you."

Rachel burst into laughter as she wiped her tears away. Even Mandy, ever the quiet one, smiled.

For a moment—just a moment—it felt like hope wasn't such a foolish thing to hold onto after all.

-----------

"They're back! The three of them are back!"

"Oh my god, they're actually safe? Thank god… Becky, you owe me five bucks."

Cheers and murmurs of relief echoed through the makeshift town as Alex, Rachel, and Mandy walked through the newly fortified entrance. A barricade had been constructed from broken-down houses and scrap material, reinforced by watchful guards. It wasn't much, but it was something. Home—if only for now.

As they passed through the gate, Alex spotted Damian waiting just inside with his usual smug grin.

"Finally took you long enough," Damian said, arms crossed. "So, tell me—how many did you take down?"

Alex matched the smirk with one of his own. "Wanna go check? I bet I caught up to you."

Damian raised a brow but said nothing, falling in step as Alex led the girls across the camp and toward the Hall of Broken Statues.

"I already showed the other newbies how to level up," Damian said casually. "Let's see how your girls handle it."

They walked past rows of shattered monuments and half-toppled sculptures, echoes of another time. At the far end, the class statues still stood tall, glowing faintly with ethereal energy.

Alex turned back toward Rachel and Mandy.

"Alright, you two. Just find the statue that matches your class. Kneel in front of it—you'll get a message. Say 'yes,' and then you'll be able to allocate your stat points."

With that, Alex walked toward the familiar statue that symbolized the [Conduit] class. It was cracked but still pulsing with arcane energy.

He knelt.

[Level Up?]Yes.

[Fifteen points available.]

He paused to think.

(Okay... my magic's been doing well. I already planned to set five points into MP… but for the rest? Maybe more INT for spell strength… and the rest into END and STA to help me not collapse after every fight.)

He made his choices.

+5 INT → Increase magic potency and control.

+2 END → Increase general resilience.

+3 STA → Reduce exhaustion and increase physical endurance.

+5 MP → Raise maximum mana capacity.

[Stats Updated!]

[Current Stats]STR: 2END: 6STA: 6INT: 13MP: 180 / 180

Done.

He stood, feeling a subtle shift in his body—his mind felt clearer, and the air around his fingertips crackled faintly with potential. His heart was still pounding from earlier, but he could already tell the changes made a difference.

[Player: Alex]

Class: ConduitArchetype: Magically InclinedLevel: 4

Skills:

[Enhance]

[Fire Marble]

[Air Ball]

Stats:

STR: 2

END: 6

STA: 6

INT: 13

MP: 180

As he stepped aside, Rachel knelt in front of the [Adventurer] statue, her usual smirk faded into seriousness. Mandy, quiet as ever, moved silently toward the [Assassin] statue, disappearing almost entirely into the shadows as she knelt.

Alex crossed his arms and glanced toward Damian, who leaned casually against the wall.

"Told you they'd survive."

Damian gave a small smirk , impressed despite himself.

" they did more than survive."

Alex responded. He just watched the two girls go through the process, silently proud—and more than a little surprised at how far they'd come in just a day.

------

(Let's see… my stat screen changed slightly. Huh. Neat.)

Alex blinked. The interface floating in his vision was smoother now—more streamlined, easier to read.

(Probably because I increased my INT stat… This system is definitely connected to my mind. By boosting INT, I'm not just casting better magic—I'm also understanding the system better. It's adapting to me… or I'm adapting to it.)

His thoughts were faster, clearer. The haze that normally weighed on his mind was gone, replaced by crisp insight. Conclusions came quicker, patterns stood out more sharply, and he noticed something else too:

He could feel the mana in the air.

It wasn't a skill exactly—just a sense, an awareness. Subtle, but undeniable. Like the moment before lightning strikes, or the chill before a snowfall. The magic wasn't just around him—it was in him. Flowing. Icy. Alive.

And then… something caught his eye.

The descriptions for his class, archetype, and skills had changed.

[Class] = ConduitEmpower others, at the cost of one's MP/HP. This power was granted by a higher being. As such, it should be taken care of properly.

Alex squinted.

"...Huh. Weird. So someone gave me this class?" He stared at the message a moment longer."Wait—does that mean I could've had a different class?! Are you kidding me?!"

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration rising. The idea that he might've been handed this fate—this whole setup—by something or someone else rubbed him the wrong way.

[Skill] = EnhanceIf ordered to by someone perceived as a leader or figure of authority, this skill will activate and enhance both the user (to a lesser extent) and the person giving the order (to a higher degree).Be careful who you befriend.

Alex blinked.

"...Fuck off."

Of all the skills, that one felt the most intrusive. Like a hidden contract buried in fine print. What happened if he accidentally followed the wrong person?

[Skill] = Fire MarbleThis spell was created by you. Ability to shoot out a marble-sized flame, dealing fire damage and minor physical damage.

[Skill] = Air BallThis spell was created by you. Can enhance other spells and be infused with elemental energy. No direct damage on its own.

Alex stared at the last line.

(So… I really made these?)

A small, almost smug smile tugged at his lips.

(That means spell creation is possible… and more than that—scaling them, too. Maybe evolving them. Fire and air already work well together—what about water? Earth? Lightning?)

His mind was racing now.

(If I combine Air Ball with Fire Marble, it boosts both. But what if I create a new base spell built around combining them? Or make a spell that branches into different elements depending on input?).

Alex was already deep in thought, mind spinning with ideas for new spells.

(If I fuse air and fire more efficiently… maybe shape the fire like a blade, or make it erupt on impact… No, what if I create a vacuum first, then ignite it? That could work. Or—)

"Alex?"

He blinked, pulled from his thoughts by Rachel's voice. She and Mandy were standing nearby. Rachel had her hands behind her back, shifting slightly—unusually shy for her.

"So, uhh… can we go exploring again? In the future, I mean?"

Alex looked at them both. Rachel had her usual mischievous glint, though it was softer now, more genuine. Mandy stood beside her with her usual quiet expression, but he caught the subtle shift in her stance—expectant, hopeful.

He gave a small nod. "Sure."

The answer came easily. After spending the night fighting beside them, surviving the undead horde, and even talking through the lingering fear of never going home… he knew their abilities. More importantly, he knew he could rely on them.

Even if he'd have to grow a thicker skin to endure their endless teasing.

Rachel beamed. Mandy gave the smallest of smiles.

And for the first time, their little trio didn't feel like a thrown-together survival team.

It felt like the beginning of a real party.