Chapter 1

Camille's POV

The ground trembled beneath my feet. Cracks splintered, swallowing abandoned cars and crumbling buildings. The once-great city of Havenbrook is now a graveyard of twisted metal and collapsed ruins. 

Smoke and dust choked the sky, turning the sun into an orange. Somewhere in the distance, a volcano molten rock, its glow illuminating the shattered ground.

I pressed myself against the remnants of a concrete wall, her breath shallow, ears straining for any sign of movement. The earthquakes had become more frequent, and with them came horrors beyond anything humans had ever faced before.

The mutations had started weeks after the meteor shower. At first, people thought it was just radiation poisoning or some strange virus.

 But when animals began fusing together—wolves with wings, deer with scales—and some humans gained supernatural abilities, it became clear. The world wasn't ending. It was changing.

And I'd nothing.

No powers. No mutations. No strength. Just a twenty-three-year-old woman with a survival knife, a torn backpack, and a stomach that hadn't been full in days.

I clenched my fists. No use dwelling on it. The strong survived, and the weak were devoured. I refused to be weak.

Creeping through the remains of what used to be an apartment building, I scanned the area for anything useful. 

Water. Food. Weapons. Anything. But scavenging had become harder. The powered survivors hoarded supplies, and the mutated creatures hunted relentlessly.

A soft rustling caught my attention. I froze, fingers tightening around the hilt of my knife.

Then, from behind a rubble, it emerged.

A fox—no, not just a fox. Its fur was a metallic silver, shimmering as if woven from liquid mercury. Its eyes glowed an unnatural blue. 

But the worst part? Its tail split into three, each tipped with razor-like barbs.

My pulse skyrocketed. I'd seen one of these before. Faster than a bullet, stronger than it had any right to be, and worst of all—it liked to play with its food.

Backing up slowly, I searched for an escape route. The nearest alley was blocked by fallen debris. I was trapped.

The fox-like creature's ears twitched. It sniffed the air, eyes locking onto me with sounds of intelligence.

Then it pounced.

I barely had time to react. I dove to the side, rolling across the dirt-covered floor as claws slashed where I'd just been standing.

 Scrambling to my feet, I ran, dodging broken furniture and rusted metal beams.

The fox snarled and lunged again. I spun at the last second, thrusting my knife forward. The blade scraped against its metallic fur but didn't even leave a scratch.

Shit.

I bolted for the only opening I could see—a gaping hole in the floor. Without thinking, I jumped.

My body crashed through layers of debris before slamming onto a pile of old mattresses in what used to be a basement.

 Pain exploded through my ribs, but I was alive. Gritting my teeth, I tried to push myself up.

Above me, the fox-creature peered down, its glowing eyes piercing through the darkness. It let out a low growl, then turned away.

My breath came in ragged gasps. I had survived. Barely.

And I was still powerless.

I slammed my fist against the concrete floor. It wasn't fair. People were out there wielding flames, controlling the wind, lifting cars with their bare hands. 

Meanwhile, I was a scavenger, running for my life like a rat in the ruins.

My frustration was cut short when something flickered in the air before me.

A glowing blue screen.

[System Initialization Complete]

[Welcome, Camille. You have unlocked the Blueprint System.]

My heart pounded. A system? I'd heard of a few people awakening something similar, but none of them had powers like fire manipulation or enhanced strength. 

They were rare, mysterious, and always unpredictable.

[System Function: You can analyze materials and create blueprints for new inventions.]

A new notification popped up.

[New Blueprint Unlocked: Reinforced Blade (Materials Needed: Iron, Carbon, Power Core)]

I blinked. This… this was something. Maybe it wasn't super strength or lightning-fast reflexes, but if I could create weapons, defenses, anything that could keep me alive…

I exhaled slowly.

Maybe I wasn't powerless after all.

 The First Blueprint

I stared at the glowing screen hovering before me, my heart pounding.

A system?

I had spent weeks feeling like an outsider in this new world—watching others manifest superhuman strength, manipulate fire, or control the winds while I ran, scavenged, and barely survived.

But now?

[Blueprint System Activated]

[New Blueprint Unlocked: Reinforced Blade]

[Materials Needed: Iron (0/2), Carbon (0/1), Power Core (0/1)]

My mind raced. If this was real—if I could actually make things—then maybe, just maybe, I had a fighting chance.

I pushed myself up from the pile of ruined mattresses, wincing as pain shot through my ribs. That fall hadn't done me any favors, but at least I was still in one piece.

The basement was dark and damp, but in the light shining through the collapsed ceiling, I could see what remained of an old workshop. Rusted shelves lined the walls, and broken machinery lay scattered across the floor.

If I was lucky, I could find the materials I needed.

I moved cautiously, my knife still in hand, scanning the debris. The system had said I needed iron, carbon, and a power core.

The first two? Manageable. The last one? That might be a problem.

I crouched near a rusted workbench and ran my hands over the scattered scrap metal. With a thought, I focused on the blueprint, wondering if the system could guide me.

A soft chime rang in my mind.

[Scanning Nearby Materials...]

[Iron (1) detected.]

My fingers brushed against a jagged piece of metal. The moment I touched it, another notification appeared.

[Iron acquired. (1/2)]

I exhaled. So that's how it works.

This system wasn't just showing me the blueprints—it was helping me collect materials.

I searched deeper, rummaging through broken pipes and shattered tools until another prompt flashed.

[Iron acquired. (2/2)]

Two down. One to go.

I kept moving, eyes scanning for anything that could serve as carbon. In the corner of the room, I spotted a pile of old wood, partially burned from the chaos that had consumed the city. I grabbed a piece and waited.

[Carbon acquired. (1/1)]

My pulse quickened. Just one more item left.

The power core.

That wasn't going to be easy. Power cores weren't something you just found lying around. They were rare, mostly salvaged from high-tech military equipment or old-world machinery.

My eyes drifted toward the rusted remains of an old generator against the far wall. It looked ancient, its casing covered in dust and grime, but if there was even a small chance it had a power core inside…

I hurried over, pulling out my knife. I wedged the blade into the metal panel, forcing it open. With a screech, the cover gave way, revealing a tangled mess of wires and circuits.

I scanned it, hoping.

[Analyzing…]

[Power Core detected.]

My breath caught. Yes!

With careful hands, I reached inside and tugged at the small, cylindrical device nestled within the wiring. It took effort, but finally, with one last pull, it came free.

[Power Core acquired. (1/1)]

The moment the final material was collected, my system light up.

[All materials acquired. Do you wish to craft: Reinforced Blade?]

I barely hesitated. Yes.

The air shimmered. In front of me, the materials I had gathered began glowing, rising into the air as if an invisible force was shaping them. 

The metal twisted, melted, and reforged, aligning itself into the form of a sleek, curved blade. The power core embedded itself into the hilt, pulsing with energy.

A moment later, the glow faded.

A new weapon rested in my hands.

[Item Created: Reinforced Blade]

[Durability: High | Sharpness: +50% | Special Effect: Vibration Edge (Increases cutting power)]

I turned it over, feeling the weight. It was perfect—light yet sturdy, with an edge so sharp I knew it could cut through flesh, maybe even some of the tougher mutants.

A grin spread across my face. For the first time in weeks, I had an advantage.

But survival wasn't just about having a weapon. I needed food, water, and shelter. And more than that—I needed a plan.

Just as I was about to turn and leave the basement, a noise echoed from above.

Footsteps.

My body tensed. The fox-mutant hadn't given up after all.

I gripped my new blade and took a slow breath.

This time, I wasn't running.