The Hunt Begins

Riko moved swiftly through the ruined streets, his steps silent against the cracked pavement. The distant scream had long faded, leaving the town in an eerie, suffocating silence.

He didn't like it.

It wasn't just the emptiness—it was the feeling of being watched. Every shadow felt deeper, every broken window a potential hiding spot for something unknown.

"Alright focus Riko Focus, my first priority should be shelter and then if possible a weapon. With this in mind.

He scanned the buildings around him. Most were in complete disrepair, doors hanging from rusted hinges, walls caved in from neglect. He needed somewhere defensible—somewhere with few entrances and a high vantage point if possible.

His eyes landed on a small, two-story apartment building. The windows were intact, the front door still closed. That was a good sign.

Carefully, he approached.

The handle turned easily.

Riko tensed, pushing the door open inch by inch. The hinges let out a soft creak as he slipped inside, immediately pressing his back to the wall, scanning the space.

It was a lobby—small and abandoned, a dusty couch pushed against one side, a staircase leading up. Mailboxes lined the opposite wall, their metal doors rusted shut. A single, dim light flickered overhead.

More importantly, it was quiet.

He moved deeper inside, keeping his footsteps light as he reached the staircase.

Creak.

Riko froze.

The sound wasn't from him.

The sound had come from upstairs.

His fingers twitched at his sides, instinct urging him to reach for a weapon that wasn't there. Instead, he crouched low, pressing his body against the railing, waiting.

Silence.

Then—another creak, followed by the slow shuffle of movement.

Someone—or something—was up there.

Riko took a slow breath, steadying his heartbeat. He had two choices: confront it or leave.

"The system haven't told us eliminate threats—just to survive. But this is the best place i could find and i might not be a le to find a better place to hide, i need more information"

Keeping his steps controlled, he ascended the stairs one at a time. His ears stayed sharp, picking up every faint noise, every shift in the air.

As he reached the second floor, he crouched low. The hallway stretched before him, doors on either side. Some were open, others shut tight. Dust coated the wooden floor, but one set of footprints stood out and it was fresh.

"Someone else is here."

The prints led to a door at the end of the hall.

Riko sharpend his focus and approached, keeping his back to the wall. His fingers brushed against the frame before he slowly leaned in, listening.

Breathing.

Slow, controlled—someone was waiting

"They know im here, but sense when could these things think to wait for and trap people unexpectedly" Riko had no intention of being caught off guard.

Instead of entering through the door, he scanned for an alternative.

The window beside him at the end of the hallway was cracked but still intact. He peered outside—there was a narrow ledge running along the building's exterior.

"Risky, but better than walking into a trap."

Without hesitation, he climbed through, gripping the ledge tightly as he edged along the wall. The air was sharp and cold, his footing unstable on the crumbling concrete.

"this reminds me of a mission i did when i assasinated a fat fuck that woulnt leave his room" the thought brought him joy, he was still relatively new to this type of work back then.

As he reached the next window, he peered inside.

A Young man stood near the door, his body tense, a rusted pipe clenched in his hands. Giving a quick look at the rest of the room.

Riko narrowed his eyes.

This guy wasn't a monster—he was another player.

But that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous. Infact it might make him more dangerous.

The window was already slightly open and Riko continued to open the window further and as quietly as he could.

Then Riko slipped inside. His movements were precise, and soundless. The man's back was still turned, all focus on the door.

"This guy is making it too easy… well i cant blame him he probably thinks it's one of those zombie things and he's really focust on the outside of the door, fool" with that thought Riko moved fast. Not letting the guy get a chanse to react

His arm wrapped around the guy's throat, locking in place before he could react. The pipe clattered to the ground as the man thrashed, gasping in shock.

He instantly tried to pry open the chokehold.

"Keep struggling, and I'll snap your neck." Riko's voice was calm, devoid of emotion.

The man instantly froze.

"…Shit."

Riko held firm for a moment longer before loosening his grip just enough to let him breathe.

"Who are you?"

The guy coughed, wanting to rubb his throat. But Rikos arms wont let that happen

"T-Takeshi… I'm just—damn it, you don't have to choke me out, man!"

Riko remained silent, analyzing him. Takeshi didn't seem particularly dangerous. He looked more like a regular college student —messy brown hair, slightly lean build, but his eyes were sharp, cautious.

"A survivor." With that thought Riko let him out of his deathgrip.

"Are you alone?" Riko asked.

Takeshi started caughting after the hard choke and adusted himself while hesitated.

"…Yeah."

Lies.

Riko didn't call him out on it. Instead, he reached down, grabbing the rusted pipe. Not the best weapon, but it was better than nothing.

Takeshi eyed him warily. "You one of those 'kill first, ask later' types?"

Riko twirled the pipe once before gripping it tightly. "If I was, you'd be dead."

Takeshi exhaled, shoulders relaxing slightly. "Great. A ray of sunshine, aren't you?"

Riko ignored the sarcasm. "You heard the scream earlier?"

"…Yeah." Takeshi frowned. "It was close. I wasn't gonna check it out, though. Whoever that was? Is Probably dead."

Riko agreed. The scream hadn't lasted long.

"I'm staying here for the night," Riko said simply.

Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "And what, I don't get a say?"

Riko turned to him, expression blank. "Do you want to fight me for it?"

A long pause. Then—Takeshi sighed. "Nope. Keep it." He leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples. "Man… this is really happening, huh?"

Riko didn't answer. He had accepted it from the moment he landed. Wasting time questioning things wouldn't help him survive.

And night was approaching.

And something was going to change.

The apartment was eerily quiet.

Riko sat near the window, pipe resting across his lap, only his eyes locked on the streets below. He had closed the window fully, The sun had dipped below the horizon, swallowing the town in shadows.

The system message hadn't lied.

Something was different.

The silence was too conplete—as if the world itself was holding its breath. The air felt heavier, charged with something unseen.

Then, in the distance—

A low, inhuman wail.

Takeshi stiffened. "…The hell was that?"

Riko didn't answer but he eyed Takeshi as if to tell him to Shut up, and he imidediately understood, taking his focused back on the street.

They where moving.

The creatures from before—slow, mindless during the day—were now running.

Their movements were erratic, limbs twitching unnaturally as they sprinted through the streets, others moved on all fours, sniffing the air.

Their eyes glowed faintly in the dark.

Takeshi backed away from the window. "Nope. Nope. Fuck this." With his heart beating at superspeed because of fear.

Riko remained still, watching and oberving the situation.

"they are faster, and stronger. But.. they don't look much smarter." Riko's grip on the pipe tightened.

"…We need to barricade the door."

Takeshi didn't argue.

Because those things outside would rip them to shreds.