Chapter 13: The Wounds of the Past

The room was in chaos.

The air was thick with dust and the acrid smell of burning wood. The once silent, eerie hideout was now a battleground. Debris scattered everywhere, sharp shards of metal glinting in the light, and the echoes of a blast still rang in Adam's ears. Monica's voice was barely audible over the cacophony, but her eyes met his, filled with urgency.

"Adam, we need to move!"

Adam nodded, his grip tightening around the machete as he assessed the situation. The door had been blown apart, and in its place, two massive figures emerged from the smoke. They were humanoid, but far from human in any recognizable sense. Their skin was mottled with patches of discolored flesh, like the remnants of a once-normal body now tainted by the virus. Their eyes glowed, burning with a malevolent intelligence.

Mutated zombies—things that had evolved beyond simple flesh-eating monsters. These were not the mindless horrors that roamed the streets. These were something far worse.

Adam's mind raced. He had faced plenty of enemies before, but nothing like this. Not at this scale. These creatures radiated power, and the air around them shimmered with an unnatural energy. They weren't just killers—they were predators. And they were closing in fast.

"We don't have time!" Monica snapped, her voice sharp, commanding. She pushed him forward as she took up a defensive position, her gun aimed squarely at the lead creature.

Adam's mind was still processing, trying to think of a way out, but the figures in front of him left little room for hesitation. He had to act, and act now.

He looked down at the glowing symbol on his wrist. The system—his system—had been silent for a while. But now, it hummed with activity, as though it sensed the imminent danger. Adam's heart skipped a beat. He knew what that meant. The system could help, but at a price.

"Monica, stay close," Adam muttered, his voice steady. He wasn't about to let these creatures overpower him. He had come too far, and he wasn't going to die in some forgotten corner of the world, surrounded by mutants. Not today.

Monica gave him a curt nod and adjusted her stance, her gun pointed at the mutant on the left. "Just don't get any ideas, Adam. We're in this together."

Adam barely heard her words. His mind was already running through possibilities, calculating risks and rewards. If he triggered his system now, there was no telling what kind of power boost he'd get, or what the consequences would be. Every time he used it, it left a mark on him. But this was different. These creatures weren't just enemies—they were predators, stronger than anything he'd faced before.

Adam's hand hovered over the system interface. He didn't have time to second-guess himself.

He activated it.

A rush of energy flooded his body, as the system responded to his will. The familiar surge of power coursed through his veins, faster than before. The world around him sharpened. Every detail—every movement—became crystal clear.

The two mutants lunged.

Adam didn't hesitate. He raised his machete with precision, his body moving on instinct as the first mutant's claws swiped toward him. He sidestepped, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to dodge with a grace he hadn't possessed before. The creature's claws scraped the air where he had been just moments earlier. Before it could recover, Adam swung the machete, a smooth arc that cleaved through the air with deadly force.

The blade met its mark.

The mutant let out a guttural roar, its body jerking back as the machete struck deep into its shoulder. But the creature didn't go down. Instead, it twisted, swiping its other claw at Adam's midsection.

Monica fired off a shot, hitting the creature square in the head. The mutant's skull exploded, but it didn't die. It staggered, its glowing eyes fading for a moment before reigniting with fury. The creature's resilience was unnerving.

"Damn it!" Adam cursed. He had to end this quickly.

Another surge of power from the system, and his body moved faster, more fluidly than before. His machete was an extension of his arm now. He swung again, the blade cutting clean through the mutant's throat, severing its jugular. Blood—black and thick—poured from the wound. The creature let out a strangled hiss before collapsing in a heap at Adam's feet.

But there was no time to celebrate. The second mutant was already closing in on them.

Adam turned just in time to see the second creature's massive form charging at him, its claws extended, its teeth bared in a vicious grin. He didn't have much time. He reached for his system again, but this time, his hand trembled. He had used too much energy. His mind was clouded, and he could feel the toll it was taking on him.

"Monica, get back!" he shouted, barely managing to sidestep as the second mutant's claw grazed his arm. He could feel the deep cut, but there was no time to tend to it. The creature was relentless.

Monica wasn't waiting for orders. She fired again, this time at the mutant's legs. It stumbled, but didn't fall.

Adam's grip tightened around the machete, his eyes narrowing. This time, there was no avoiding it. The system surged again, this time in a wave of raw power. His vision blurred, but he saw the creature coming, saw its mouth opening wide in a snarl, ready to swallow him whole.

In a flash, Adam was on top of it.

With a single, powerful strike, he drove his machete through the mutant's skull, piercing all the way to the brain. The creature's body shuddered and went still.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Adam stood over the fallen creature, his breath ragged, his body shaking with the aftereffects of the system's power boost. He glanced at Monica, who was still holding her gun, her face tense with caution.

"We're not done yet," Adam said, wiping blood from his face. "There's more coming."

Monica didn't respond. She was already scanning the room, her eyes narrowed, as though she could sense the danger before it even appeared.

Adam turned to the remains of the first mutant, his mind already calculating the next steps. The battle wasn't over. It never was.

They had survived this round, but the price of power had been steep. The toll on Adam's body was significant, and he could feel the weight of the decision pressing on him. He had used his system again—taken another step into the unknown.

And yet, despite the power, despite the victory, Adam couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Something far worse was coming. And whatever it was, Adam knew it would demand an even greater price.