Morning was gray and silent.
Ethan continued his journey through the living forest while moving westward as mist covered the warped ground. He reached a ridge after several hours of walking before he stopped completely.
A deep and wide chasm spread out before him as if the earth had split during the apocalypse. The deep abyss dropped into thick fog that consumed all audible sounds.
The only way to cross was an ancient suspension bridge that extended across half a mile. From a distance the bridge seemed on the verge of collapse.
"Great, just great". He grimaced.
He had no choice. If he wanted to continue his journey west, he had to cross the bridge. "I have to do this," he muttered.
He could feel his stomach tightening as he approached the bridge, but he fought his fear and pushed forward.
The bridge wasn't empty.
Clinging to the bridge were bone-white scavenger beasts. Some clung to plank surfaces, others cables and rusted support beams.
Their limbs were not like normal beasts. They were bent in unnatural ways, allowing them to crawl sideways through the bridge and to hang upside down like monstrous arachnids.
As if that was not enough, serrated spines jutted from their backs. Their glowing amber eyes stared blankly into the mist.
'Damnation!' Ethan cursed.
The creatures moved with stiff unnatural movements while they devoured dead bodies that covered the bridge including animals and humans. The bridge surface displayed pieces of armor together with torn backpacks and broken weapons which served as cautionary signs to potential crossers.
Ethan gulped.
He hid and peeked from behind a rusty barrier. His stomach churned with nausea, leaving him irritated. The odor oozing from the nest could knock out a Bull!
Also, a deep guttural chittering noise came from the heart of the swarm that kept Ethan feeling on edge.
The option to turn back became impossible. The chasm reached into infinity in both directions. The bridge served as the sole western route.
Turning back meant death. Yes, he may survive for a time, days, weeks, even months. But sooner or later, Ethan knew that his luck would run out here in the wild. But at least, by going forward, he had hopes of reaching the quarantine zone.
His gaze hardened right as the system interface lit up.
DING!
~----~
[System Advisory]
[Hazardous Zone: Nest Entity Detected]
>Estimated Lethality: 78% without improvisation.
…
Ethan muttered, "Seventy eight percent… practically a coin toss".
The wheel spun.
…
[Improvisation Draw: Phantom Step Harness]
>Reduces noise and visual signature while moving along unstable surfaces. Grants limited wall-walking ability for 60 seconds.
~----~
The harness materialized, shimming like woven shadow.
Ethan took a deep breath. "Here we go," he strapped the harness on, checked his grapple launcher one last time, and whispered.
"Sixty seconds. One mistake, and I'm bones like the rest".
Ethan stepped onto the bridge. His weight caused the wooden planks to creak but the harness minimized the noise and his boots produced only faint contact with the irregular floor.
The scavengers continued eating their carrion without immediate response. Ethan waited for the scavengers' jerky movements before he moved forward.
A forceful wind struck the bridge which made it shake violently during his journey.
Ethan flattened his body against the planks as he held onto them because the rusted cables were producing loud groaning noises above him. A strong sniffing motion took over the beast's head. The animal's amber eyes searched the bridge until it reached the exact spot where Ethan lay flat on the planks.
He held his breath. Time dragged on like a relentless succession of endless hours. Ethan silently prayed as perspiration accumulated on his forehead.
Ethan found relief in the fact that nothing occurred. The animal let out a hiss before continuing to eat together with its fellow scavengers.
Ethan used the harness wall-walk ability to connect with a side cable after he reached the end of the bridge while there were thirty seconds remaining on the timer. The depths of the abyss produced a distant roaring sound from winds that no one could see while mist moved like a living entity.
The alpha scavenger raised its massive head while letting out a menacing snarl at Ethan who stood just before the final section.
The harness began to lose its stealth capabilities as the creature's eyes turned into blazing orbs that fixed onto him.
'Oh sh*t…!'
Ethan's pulse spiked.
The grapple launcher launched its cable towards a distant steel wire as the alpha beast attacked while Ethan swung across. The planks behind him shattered into pieces because the alpha scavenger clawed at the bridge while Ethan sprinted with his heart racing wildly.
Ethan struck the ground firmly before jumping up and using the explosive noise to protect himself from the bridge which then erupted into a series of loud screeches. All scavengers remained within their nest despite the massive swarm.
DING!
~----~
[Bridge Crossing Successful! Improvisation Points +4]
[Total IP: 4]
~----~
Ethan collapsed against the rocky ground, chest heaving, sweat running cold down his neck. He gazed back at the bridge which was now home to a furious swarm of beasts.
The alpha creature climbed the cable before unleashing a blood-curdling scream while its eyes remained fixed on him from across the chasm. A brief spark of triumph emerged in Ethan's expression when he looked at the alpha even though his jaw remained locked.
His heart still hammered though.
This wasn't just wilderness scavenging. These creatures had received training or suffered some form of stimulus that made them gather at this location to attack anyone attempting to pass through.
After taking a deep breath the ground started to vibrate slightly. A massive force emerged from the misty void below as a deep rumbling growl rose from the depths to match the distant sounds of thunder.
Ethan gripped his crowbar and whispered, "If that's what's under the bridge… I'm not sticking around to meet it".
With the harness fading into smoke, he shouldered his pack and continued west, every step heavy with exhaustion but burning with resolve.
For every nest, every apex predator, every trap this new world laid…
He would improvise.
He would adapt.
And he would survive.