Chapter 12: Riftborn Nightmares

The weight of the katana at my waist was reassuring, but the questions in my mind felt heavier.

Zhao Yue adjusted her grip on the shotgun she had looted earlier, her eyes scanning the desolate street ahead. We'd been walking for hours, and the silence of the once-bustling city gnawed at the edges of my mind. Buildings stood as lifeless husks, shattered glass littered the roads, and the distant groans of zombies echoed like the whispers of the damned.

She glanced at me. I could tell she was troubled. I was too. The pieces weren't adding up.

The news station recording we found wouldn't leave my mind. It played over and over, the voice of the reporter frantic with fear.

Zombies appearing through rifts.

The sky tearing open, bringing forth monstrosities from another realm.

This wasn't a pandemic. This wasn't some lab experiment gone wrong.

Something—someone—was pulling the strings.

"You're thinking about it too, aren't you?" Zhao Yue's voice cut through my thoughts.

I nodded, adjusting the strap of my backpack. "Yeah. The zombies… they aren't just a virus. They're soldiers."

Zhao Yue's jaw tightened. "And with time, they're evolving. The ones we fought yesterday were slow, predictable. But today? Those mutants were faster, stronger, more aware."

"The beginning of the end." The words left my mouth before I even realized I had spoken them.

The world had changed. And survival meant adapting—fast.

A shrill scream cut through the night air.

"HELP! SOMEONE, DO SOMETHING!"

Zhao Yue and I exchanged glances before rushing toward the sound. As we turned the corner, we found ourselves facing a peculiar scene.

A young woman, dressed in what once had been an extravagant designer dress—now torn and dirtied—stood surrounded by three ragged-looking men. Her arms flailed as she kicked uselessly at them. The men grinned at each other, their weapons glinting in the dim light.

"Please! I'll give you anything! My father is rich, he'll—"

One of the men smirked. "Your father's money won't mean shit in this world, princess."

I sighed. A spoiled lady in the apocalypse. Great.

Zhao Yue cocked her shotgun. "What's the plan?"

I didn't answer. I stepped forward, my presence alone enough to make the thugs pause. The one in front sneered. "Walk away, buddy. This doesn't concern you."

I simply smiled—a dangerous, knowing smile. Then, in a blur, I moved. My fist collided with the thug's jaw, sending him sprawling to the ground. Before the others could react, Zhao Yue fired a warning shot into the air, making them freeze.

The last remaining thug tried to run, but I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him into a nearby wall. "Who put you up to this?" I demanded, my voice cold.

"No one! We—we were just trying to survive!" the man stammered.

I let him go, watching as he scrambled away in terror.

The spoiled lady straightened her posture, brushing dust off her dress as if she hadn't just been on the verge of a breakdown. "Took you long enough."

Zhao Yue scoffed. "You're welcome."

I studied the woman carefully. Despite her attitude, she wasn't completely helpless. She had the defiant look of someone who refused to be broken. I had a feeling she'd either be a burden—or an asset.

Before I could decide, my system interface blinked to life.

[You have subdued a human opponent. Special reward granted: B-Rank Skill - Shadow Step, Katana of the Crimson Moon, +10 Stat Points.]

A katana? My fingers twitched with anticipation. The system never gave me anything useless. This would be good.

I quickly allocated the points, feeling my strength surge. Whatever was coming, I'd be ready.

And as I looked at Zhao Yue—who still stood by my side, unwavering—I realized something.

Maybe, just maybe, I hadn't lost all of my humanity after all.

The journey continued as the night deepened. The spoiled lady, who finally introduced herself as Ning Xue, walked slightly behind us, muttering under her breath about how unfair life was. Zhao Yue exchanged an amused glance with me but said nothing.

"You know," I said, my tone dry, "if complaining was a survival skill, you'd be immortal by now."

Ning Xue shot me a glare. "Excuse me for not being a heartless killer like you two."

"I'm not heartless," Zhao Yue chimed in. "I just don't care about rich girls who think the world revolves around them."

Ning Xue gasped. "How dare—"

I cut in, pointing at a half-eaten corpse by the side of the road. "That guy probably thought the world revolved around him too. Look how that turned out."

Ning Xue turned green but said nothing. Zhao Yue smirked.

As we walked further into the city, the distant howls of mutated zombies sent shivers down my spine. Every step was a reminder that we were no longer just fighting for survival—we were unraveling the truth behind this apocalypse.

Eventually, we reached an abandoned train station, hoping to find some supplies. As we stepped inside, the eerie silence sent a wave of unease through me. Old luggage lay scattered across the floor, dried blood stained the walls, and broken monitors flickered weakly.

Zhao Yue turned to me. "Do you really think this all started because of another dimension?"

I exhaled slowly. "The news report… the portals… the sudden outbreak… it's too much to be a coincidence."

Ning Xue crossed her arms. "So, what? Some alien gods decided to throw zombies at us for fun?"

My expression darkened. "Or something worse."

Before anyone could respond, a deep growl resonated through the station. The temperature seemed to drop as something large moved in the shadows.

A mutated zombie emerged from the darkness—its body twisted with grotesque muscles, its eyes glowing red, and its claws razor-sharp.

I readied my katana. Zhao Yue cocked her shotgun. Ning Xue gulped, clutching a small knife she had picked up earlier.

"Stay close," I said, my voice cold and focused. "This is going to be messy."