Hope is not lost

Zak backed up against the alley's wall when the six wolves surrounded and closed in on him.

'If I shoot three, it'll take too much time. By then the others will eat me,' He contemplated.

Strangely enough, the wolves growled and bared their fangs but they had not yet pounced on him or devoured his flesh.

What were they waiting for?

'If I shoot the one to the right corner three times, I can slip out past it and run.'

Zak gripped the Glock pistol firmly and fired three rounds at the wolf to the right corner. The mutt howled and squealed when one of the bullets penetrated its eye.

He booted the creature aside while it struggled to regain its balance and sprinted past it.

"You're quite smart for a human," An unearthly voice commented.

Zak halted in surprise and slowly turned around. He observed the pack of six wolves as they divided themselves to create a path for a wolf much larger than them that emerged from behind.

'Alpha,' Zak took a wild guess based on the way the other wolves lowered their heads.

"You've been running all around the City," The Alpha spoke. "We watched you."

"Why the hell can you talk?" Zak's eyes widened at the deep tone, and coherent manner in which the wolf conversed. "I knew I wasn't seeing things," He recalled the sly movements he had noticed on the buildings' rooftops earlier.

"Look around you," The alpha made a gesture with its head. "What do you see?"

While it might have been utterly ridiculous that he would take orders from a monstrous creature that would soon devour him whole, the sheer intimidation from the Alpha made him comply.

He briefly glanced around the alleyway, only to discover scattered corpses of the fallen dead, creature and human alike.

He had been so focused on fleeing, that he hadn't even noticed the strong presence of death around him.

"Your tactics entertained us," The Alpha stared intently at Zak. "But your human toys won't kill us."

It had barely been a day since the blast wave, how did this creature become so evolved and intelligent?

"The wolves you see here," The Alpha gestured to the six creatures and said, "Not too long ago, they were human. A simple bite was all it took. And the nature of what the wave changed inside me did the rest."

"Human?" Zak attempted to process the situation. "What do you know about the wave?"

"You won't survive. Take the bite. Become one of them."

"Like hell I will," Zak swore and spat on the ground as he prepared to run.

The Alpha sensed his intentions and was quick to pounce on him. Zak laid flat on his back while the Alpha's face drew closer to his own.

"I warned you," The Alpha growled and sunk its canines into Zak's right shoulder.

The soldier let out a pained scream as the Alpha's canines pierced through vein and bone. There was the sound of an audible crunch while Zak kicked away at the ground, but his efforts were in vain.

The Alpha's mass and strength were far too superior.

He gritted his teeth but the Alpha further sunk its canines which tore through muscle and tendons.

One of the other wolves came forward at the twitch of the Alpha's ear. The creature's canines clamped down on Zak's right leg, thus his struggles ceased.

Was this his fated end? Why the fuck did they not just eat him in one bite?

Unfortunately, it did not appear as if his agony would draw to a conclusion any time soon.

His vision became hazy but there was suddenly a vague emerald glow that hovered above the Alpha's head.

Zak kneed the creature in its gut, however the weak attempt was not enough to make the creature budge.

'What is that?' Despite the unbearable sting and burn from the bite, Zak forced himself to focus on the emerald glow.

The glow gradually became a little clearer to form a diamond-shaped jewel that hovered in the air. The jewel lowered itself directly onto the soldier's chest and dispersed into scintillating specks which flowed into his body.

[Suitable Host Has Been Discovered]

A mechanical voice sounded in Zak's head.

Did the Alpha not notice the object?

'Now what?' The soldier couldn't contain his pain any longer and released an antagonizing scream.

[Analyzing Host's Compatibility]

The robotic voice that seemed to have belonged to a female buzzed in his head again.

[Compatability check successful]

[Compatability: 93%]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the Apocalyptic Survival System!]

[Initiating system integration...]

The two wolves released the soldier from the brutality of their canines and slowly backed away.

[System Integration successful!]

[Basic Survival Shield Has been Activated]

A crimson sphere of energy suddenly enveloped the soldier's body which immediately forced the wolves back. And a red bolt of energy shot out at the creatures when they attempted to penetrate the barrier.

The others slowly retreated into the shadows of the alley.

"A shield?" The Alpha wolf's predatory gaze narrowed.

Zak inhaled a deep breath to steady the flow of blood in his body. He had lost too much blood. And fast at that. At this rate, he would bleed to death.

[Calculating Host's Statistics]

A blue digital menu reflected on the soldier's retina with strange numbers and words.

[Host's Position has been defined]

- Name: Zak Nigil

- Class: Necromancer

- Level: 1

- Rank: undefined

- Title: None

[Current Statistics Calculation Successful]

- Strength:9/(15)

- Agility: 8/(10)

- Mana capacity:50/(20)

- Health: 4/(10)

- Stamina: 3/(10)

-Exp: 0/(15)

-Necromantic Energy: 40/25

Zak felt a surge of energy that had begun to course through his body but the connection was rather faint.

[Skill class Necromancy has been unlocked]

[Level 1 (Active) Necromancy skill acquired: Ray of Enfeeblement]

The Alpha wolf sensed a sudden change in Zak's aura and flow of energy.

"The bite...it should have worked," It studied the human soldier carefully.

'Necromancy skill? What is that? Will it save me?' Zak questioned the robotic voice. 'Do I extend my hand or something?'

[Level 1 Necromancy skill: Ray of Enfeeblement info:]

- Range: 60 feet

- A black beam of enervating energy springs from the caster's palm towards a creature/target within the stipulated range.

-Damage intensity is subject to the caster's strength and mana capacity.

'So hand it is,' Zak deduced from the information.

The soldier grimaced as he forcibly urged himself up and blinked a few times to adjust the clarity of his vision. He moved his left hand towards the small barrier and lightly touched it.

The barrier made a slight electrical sizzle sound but it did not inflict any form of harm or injury.

'If I concentrate, I wonder if I can navigate this thing...' Zak clutched onto his injured shoulder. 'But first I need to stop the bleeding.'