Eli focused on the red dots on the map, trying to get more information.
[HOSTILE REVENANT DETECTED]
[CORRUPTION LEVEL: 87%]
[CLASSIFICATION: ALPHA REVENANT]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: EXTREME]
[ESTIMATED COMBAT CAPABILITY: CAN FIGHT 3-4 RANK E AUDITORS SIMULTANEOUSLY]
[SPECIAL TRAITS: ENHANCED SPEED, ENHANCED STRENGTH, CORRUPTION AURA (CAN ACCELERATE NEARBY SOULS' CORRUPTION)]
Alpha Revenant. That was a new classification.
'The higher the corruption, the more dangerous they become. And this one can speed up other souls' corruption just by being near them.'
That was a problem.
If an Alpha got close to the safe zone, it could corrupt the barrier itself. Speed up the degradation of lower corruption revenants, turning them hostile faster.
Eli pulled up his status.
[RANK: D]
[COMBAT CAPABILITY: CAN ENGAGE 3-5 STANDARD REVENANTS SIMULTANEOUSLY]
[ESTIMATED SUCCESS RATE VS ALPHA REVENANT (87%): 45%]
[RECOMMENDATION: AVOID ENGAGEMENT OR BRING SUPPORT]
"Forty five percent," Eli muttered. "Coin flip odds."
But if he didn't deal with it, that Alpha would eventually find the safe zone. And when it did…
He looked at the soul attuned M4 in his hands. The weapon specifically designed to damage souls directly.
Maybe that would tip the odds.
[SOUL ATTUNED WEAPON BONUS VS HIGH CORRUPTION TARGETS]
[ESTIMATED SUCCESS RATE: 45% -> 62%]
Better. Not great, but better.
"Eli?"
He turned. Marcus had climbed up to the roof, carrying his own rifle.
"Couldn't sleep?" the kid asked.
"Daily quests reset. It woke me up."
"What are they this time?"
"Building focused. We need to gather construction materials, build defensive structures, and clear more corrupted souls to expand territory."
Marcus nodded. "Makes sense. We're fortifying."
"Yeah."
They stood in silence for a moment, watching the city.
"There's something out there," Eli said finally. "A high corruption revenant. Really high. 87%."
Marcus's eyes widened. "Can you handle that?"
"Maybe. With the new rifle, maybe 60-40 odds in my favour."
"Those aren't good odds."
"No. But if I don't deal with it, it'll eventually come here. And it can speed up other revenants' corruption. Turn the whole area hostile."
Marcus went silent, glancing at the rifle in his lap. "So what do we do?"
Eli considered. "We prepare. Build the barricades first. Fortify the safe zone. Then, when we're ready, we hunt it."
"We?"
"You've gotten good with that rifle. And I'll need someone watching my back.'
Marcus grinned despite the danger. "Hell yeah."
"But not today. Today we build."
*******
As the sun rose, the safe zone stirred to life.
Linda was first up, checking the supplies they had brought back yesterday. Her eyes kept drifting to the medical kit, the antibiotics, the surgical supplies.
"This is professional grade," she said to Eli when he climbed down. "Where did the system get this?"
"No idea. But it's real."
Sophie woke next, immediately going to the generator. "Can we turn it on? I want to see it work."
"Not yet," Eli said gently. "We need to set it up properly on the roof for the solar panels. Maybe by tonight."
Mr. Chen was already awake, studying the reinforced barricade blueprint with a critical eye.
"This is good design," he said. "Whoever created this understood defensive architecture. We'll need lumber, sheet metal, bolts… Most of that we can scavenge from the surrounding buildings."
"That's today's first quest. Gather construction materials," Eli said.
"How much do we need?"
"Twenty units, whatever that means. The system will probably let me know when we've collected enough."
Mr. Chen nodded. "I'll come with you. I know what to look for."
*******
They organized into teams.
Team 1 consisted of Eli, Marcus, and Mr. Chen would scavenge for construction materials.
Team 2 would be Linda and Sophie would organize the safe zone, set up the water collection system blueprint (which required less materials), and keep watch.
Linda's two younger kids would stay with Sophie, safe inside the corruption barrier.
"Radio check," Eli said, pulling out two walkie talkies he found in the police station supplies.
He had forgotten about them until now. Another oversight.
"Channel 7," Linda confirmed, testing hers. "If there's trouble, we'll call."
"And if we don't respond within 19 minutes, lock everything down. Don't come looking for us."
Linda's face tightened, but she nodded. "Understood."
They geared up. Eli wore his tactical vest, carried the soul attuned M4 and his Glock. Marcus had his AR-15 and a hunting knife. Mr. Chen took one of the Remington shotguns and a crowbar for prying material loose.
"Alright," Eli said, checking his corruption map one last time. "The nearest hardware store is three blocks east. Should have lumber, tools, and sheet metal. We go in, load up fast, then get out. Twenty minute operation."
"And if we run into hostiles?" Marcus asked.
"Avoid if possible. Fight if necessary. The goal is materials, not combat."
Mr. Chen pumped the shotgun once. "Let's move."
*******
The streets were quieter in the early morning.
Most revenants were still docile, shuffling aimlessly. Eli's Soul Sense picked them up before they got close.
Seven green dots, two yellow dots between the safe zone and the hardware store.
They avoided the yellow dots entirely, taking a parallel street.
The hardware store was called "Thompson's Hardware & Supply." The front window was smashed, the door had one big hole in its center.
[QUEST UPDATE: SECURE ADVANCED RESOURCES]
[LOCATION DETECTED: HARDWARE STORE]
[ESTIMATED MATERIALS AVAILABLE: 15-25 UNITS]
"Straight jackpot," Eli murmured.
They entered carefully, weapons raised.
Inside was dark, dusty, and surprisingly intact. Most looters had gone for grocery stores and pharmacies, not hardware stores.
"Spread out," Mr. Chen said quietly. "Lumber in the back, tools along the left walls, sheet metal and roofing supplies in the right section. Fill the bags, but keep it balanced. We need to carry this back."
They worked efficiently.
Eli found 12 pieces of 2x4 lumber, each eight feet long. He used rope to bundle them together.
Marcus located tool sets—hammers, saws, manual drills, screwdrivers, and levels.
Mr. Chen pulled down sheet metal panels used for roofing. Those were lightweight corrugated steel, perfect for reinforcing barricades.
[MATERIALS COLLECTED: LUMBER X12 UNITS]
[MATERIALS COLLECTED: TOOLS X5 SETS]
[MATERIALS COLLECTED: SHEET METAL X8 UNITS]
They were loading the last bundle when Eli's Soul Sense flared.
[WARNING: HOSTILE REVENANT APPROACHING]
[CORRUPTION LEVEL: 54%]
[DISTANCE: 30 METERS AND CLOSING]