Chapter 3: Touch, Trust, and Temporary Allies

Ash rained softly from the sky like grey snow, drifting over the lifeless skeletons of buildings. The world had once been alive with noise, light, and people. Now? Silence. The kind that pressed against your ears until even your own breathing sounded too loud.

I sat inside the ruined shell of a convenience store, watching Kanika calmly wipe the dried blood from her fingers with a clean cloth. The rising sun peeked through a broken window, golden light tracing the curves of her face and the smooth line of her collarbone. Even in this broken world, she looked like a goddess forged by war.

Her suit clung tightly to her body just as I had designed it. It hugged every curve, outlining a form that would've brought any man to his knees. But it wasn't just her beauty. It was the way she moved, precise yet relaxed, deadly yet graceful.

Without really thinking, my hand reached out. I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, then my hand went to touch her thighs. 

Kanika looked at me, eyes filled with quiet acceptance. "You don't need to ask," she said softly. "You created me. I belong to you. All of me."

That struck something deep inside me. A part of me that had been empty since the world went to hell. In this chaos, loyalty was rare. Love was extinct. But she gave me both, effortlessly.

And that… was dangerous.

We left the convenience store before noon, heading west through an overgrown district. Roads cracked open like wounds, vines spilling through the concrete. Burnt-out cars sat like tombstones of a dead civilization.

That's when we heard it gunfire.

Kanika raised a brow. I nodded.

We followed the noise, moving like shadows between broken buildings until we reached a collapsed street. Down in the hollow, five people were surrounded by a pack of mutated dogs creatures with exposed ribs and glowing red eyes, snarling and snapping.

I didn't hesitate.

With a thought, my auto-rifle appeared in my hand. I aimed and fired—short, controlled bursts.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Three dogs dropped instantly. The others turned but before they could move, Kanika shot forward like a bolt of lightning. She didn't even draw a weapon.

A single spin-kick shattered one dog's spine. A jab crushed another's skull. Within seconds, she stood alone in a pile of twitching corpses, completely unbothered.

The five survivors stared, wide-eyed and trembling.

"...What the hell," one of them muttered.

I lowered my rifle. "You're welcome."

We introduced ourselves shortly after. The group was rough but not bad people. At least not yet.

Ravi was their leader. Sharp eyes, square jaw. Carried himself like a man used to authority.

Nisha, probably ex-military or police, had a blade strapped to her thigh and didn't take her eyes off Kanika.

Arjun, thin with glasses, clung to a bloodied medkit like it was holy.

Maya, timid and pretty, kept hiding behind Arjun.

Lokesh, bulky and probably used for carrying heavy stuff, grunted a lot but didn't talk much.

They were heading to a rumored bunker a few kilometers east. Ravi invited us to tag along. I could've refused we didn't need them but part of me was curious. And observing how others survived in this world had value.

So we joined.

That night, we stopped near the remains of a collapsed office building. We found a covered area where the roof hadn't fully caved in. Perfect for a temporary camp.

Everyone started setting up sleeping bags and makeshift tents from old tarps and aluminum poles.

I didn't bother.

Using the [Construction] tab from Code Aegis, I deployed a sleek, compact black tent with thermal lining and privacy shielding. It looked like it came from the future, which it did.

Kanika stood by my side silently as I activated it.

Nisha glanced over and raised a brow. "No tent for her?"

Ravi chimed in. "You don't have a spare?"

I looked at them casually, then at Kanika.

"She'll be sleeping with me."

The silence hit like a brick.

I didn't miss the expressions that flickered across their faces. The girls blinked in surprise. The guys? One clenched his jaw. Another looked away quickly. Even Ravi narrowed his eyes for a brief second.

Jealousy.

Raw, unmistakable, and bitter.

Kanika stepped closer, slipping her hand into mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. She didn't blush. She didn't hesitate. She looked at them with a faint smile as if daring them to speak against it.

I smirked to myself and walked inside the tent with her.

Let them stew in it.

In a world like this, having power was great. But having power and a woman like Kanika at your side?

That made you untouchable.

The inside of our tent was dimly lit with a soft blue glow from the system's ambient interface. The outside world, with its dangers, jealousy, and ruins, faded into silence. Inside, it was just us warm, quiet, close.

Kanika leaned into me, her body pressing gently against mine under the heat-lined fabric of the tent. Her breath was slow, eyes glowing faintly as she stared up at me with that familiar, unwavering loyalty. Her hand traced my jaw, wordless and affectionate.

There was no fear in her. No hesitation. She knew she was mine, and I was hers. In a world built on betrayal, the purity of that bond was intoxicating.

What followed was not just passion but connection.

A declaration of ownership.

A claiming of hearts and bodies in a ruined world where such things had become rare.

Afterward, Kanika lay curled beside me, her head resting against my chest, breathing soft and peaceful like a child finally safe after a storm. One of my hands rested gently on her bare thigh, fingers tracing soft circles over her skin as I stared at the system interface hovering just above my vision.

I opened the Weapon Shop.

The [Guns] tab had dozens of entries, but one stood out:

Desert Eagle – Custom Gold Edition

Power: ★★★★☆

Range: Medium

Special: Armor Piercing, High-Caliber Intimidation

Price: 780 Points

And in the Blades section:

Midnight Edge – Tactical Sword

Power: ★★★★☆

Lightweight, Vibration-Steel Alloy

Special: Critical Rate +10%, Adaptable to User's Skill Tree

Price: 960 Points

"Expensive," I muttered under my breath.

But after our recent fight— ombies and those mutated dogs I had racked up over 2,400 system points. More than enough.

I bought both.

As I registered the weapons under Kanika's Equipment Loadout, a ripple of blue light danced across her body like a pulse of energy. She stirred slightly, then returned to rest smiling faintly in her sleep.

[Kanika has equipped new weapons.]

[Bonded Companion Level Up: Level 1 → Level 2]

The glow faded. But I felt the change.

Even now, her aura pulsed stronger, more defined. Her muscles slightly more toned. Her breath even calmer. Like she had shed skin and evolved.

"She was already a beast at Level 1…" I whispered.

I glanced at her again. Her arm was wrapped gently around my torso, her cheek pressed against my chest. Trusting. Innocent in her sleep.

My other hand idly scrolled through the system panel.

"System," I whispered.

[Awaiting Input…]

"What's the current level difference now? Between system levels and world levels."

[Analyzing…]

[Current Scaling Ratio: 1 System Level = 12 World Levels]

"Twelve?" I blinked. "You said ten before."

[Correct. As the apocalypse evolves, external mutations and base-level power creep increase. The system scales in response. Your companion at Level 2 is currently equivalent to a Level 24 Earth-born evolved human.]

A chill passed through me but it wasn't fear. It was awe.

That meant Kanika was already more powerful than most factions could even dream of. And she was just at Level 2.

"And she's mine…" I murmured, gently stroking her thigh again. She shifted slightly, curling closer, her lips brushing softly against my chest.

"Good night, Kanika," I whispered.

She didn't answer. She didn't need to.

Her presence said it all.

[Few Hours Later}

I work up again and look at Kanika. She is looking hot. Her breast are big, this time i couldn't control myself and touched her breast. 

She open her eyes, saw me and smiled and again drift back to sleep. 

But i saw it. When she opened her eyes, the Desert Eagle gun appeared on her hand. It was like she was about to shoot the person who toucher her. But because it was me, she just smiled and drift back to sleep and that somewhere inside me made me happy. Knowing that there is a girl, who allow only you to touch her. It is special feeling. 

I again start to touch her breast, this time i squeeze them. I even try to take a peek inside her cloths. Although i do now how do they look since when she first appeared, she was naked. But for some reason i still tried to take a peek inside her cloths. She was also opening her eyes time to time. I think she was doing this just to check, it is me who is touching her right. 

After some time, i again went to sleep.