Chapter 26: A Knife in the Dark
The deal was done, but the feeling of unease hadn't left.
I stood in the watchtower long after the scavenger group had disappeared into the storm, scanning the frozen wasteland beyond our walls. The wind howled through the night, carrying the scent of ice and death. The sky was moonless, swallowed by heavy clouds.
My breath fogged in the cold air as I exhaled slowly. Something felt off.
System Notification:
Scanning…
Unusual movement detected.
Location: Eastern Perimeter (Shadow Proximity)
Recommendation: Investigate with caution.
I frowned. Eastern perimeter. That was near the old collapsed section—where our defenses weren't fully reinforced yet.
Grabbing my rifle, I activated the thermal scope and scanned the area. Nothing. Just the swirling snow. But the system wouldn't warn me without reason.
A soft crunch of snow behind me made my grip tighten on the gun.
I turned—fast.
Daniel stood there, arms crossed, his expression grim. "You feel it too?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
He shifted, glancing toward the perimeter. "Think they're coming back?"
"Maybe. Or something else is watching."
Neither of us said what we were both thinking.
The scavengers might not be our only problem tonight.
---
Shadows in the Snow
We moved quickly but silently. The facility's outer wall stretched out before us, coated in layers of frost. The cold bit at my exposed skin as I adjusted my grip on my rifle.
Alice met us at the halfway point, already geared up. "System pinged me too," she whispered. "Something's out here."
We reached the eastern section of the perimeter, where the metal fencing gave way to a half-buried wreckage of old shipping containers. It was a natural weak spot—a place we hadn't fully secured yet.
Daniel raised his rifle, scanning the area. "You see anything?"
I switched my visor to night vision. The world turned to shades of green.
At first, nothing. Just wind. Snow.
Then—a flicker of movement.
Low to the ground. Moving too smoothly. Not human.
A chill crawled down my spine. "We're not alone."
Then the system chimed again.
---
System Warning:
Hostile Signature Detected.
Void Stalker – Stealth Variant.
Adaptive intelligence. Extreme caution advised.
Void Stalker.
A rare apex predator. One that could learn, adapt, and hunt with terrifying efficiency.
I barely had time to register the name before—
SNAP.
A blur of black shot from the shadows.
I fired.
The muzzle flash lit up the night, revealing a sleek, nightmare-black creature with elongated limbs and pitch-black eyes reflecting the light like mirrors.
The bullet hit—but didn't stop it.
Alice cursed. Daniel fired next, his rounds sparking off the creature's unnatural hide.
It moved like liquid shadow, circling, testing us.
Then—I saw it.
A second one.
"Two of them!" I shouted. "They're flanking!"
Daniel adjusted his aim. "Goddamn things are learning—"
A sharp click echoed.
One of the Stalkers disappeared.
Not ran. Vanished.
The cold turned suffocating as my system screamed a warning.
---
System Override:
Stealth Signature Detected!
Warning: Void Stalker Camouflage Engaged.
---
It was invisible.
I spun around, heart pounding. The sound of footsteps—no, claws—crunched softly in the snow behind me.
Alice turned too slow.
It lunged.
I tackled her out of the way as black talons ripped through the air where she had just stood.
Too close.
We hit the snow hard, breath knocked out of me. Alice gasped, rolling aside.
Daniel shouted and fired another round, the bullet grazing the creature's shimmering outline before it fully vanished again.
We couldn't fight what we couldn't see.
I gritted my teeth. "We need to counter their stealth!"
The system responded instantly.
---
System Suggestion:
Deploy Tactical Disruptor: High-Frequency Soundwave
Effect: Disrupts stealth-based creatures by destabilizing sensory perception.
I didn't have time to question it.
Reaching into my dimensional storage, I summoned a small, experimental sonic device I had salvaged earlier. It wasn't much, but it was something.
I jammed it into the snow and activated it.
A pulse rippled through the air.
For a second—nothing.
Then—a piercing, unnatural shriek.
One of the Stalkers flickered into view, writhing, its camouflage failing against the interference.
Daniel didn't hesitate. He fired.
A clean headshot. The creature collapsed.
The second one let out a guttural growl before retreating into the darkness.
We stood there, breath heavy, adrenaline still spiking.
Snowflakes drifted onto the Stalker's lifeless body.
Alice exhaled sharply. "Jesus. That was close."
Daniel nudged the corpse with his boot. "If this thing was testing us, more will come."
I looked down at the experimental disruptor. We got lucky.
But luck wouldn't last forever.
---
System Notification:
Survival Efficiency Increased: +2%
New Task Unlocked: Develop Advanced Sensory Disruptors to Counter Apex Threats.
I took a deep breath. If the creatures were adapting—so would we.
I turned to Daniel and Alice. "We're upgrading our defenses. Now."
Because next time?
We might not get another chance.
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