The square still stank of blood. Mutant corpses lay in heaps, their twisted bodies steaming in the night air. The shimmer of the barrier pulsed faintly around them, a curtain of heat-haze stretched across the cobblestones.
For the first time since the world cracked open, Ethan allowed himself to breathe.
We did it, he thought. We survived long enough to claim a place of our own.
Then the air shimmered again. A new screen flared into existence above the square — not in their minds, but hanging there for all to see. Golden light spilled across ruined stone as words scrolled like fire.
---
[Congratulations, mortals.]
You have secured a Safe Zone: Riverside Sanctuary.
Survivors may rest, recover, and prepare here.
Functions unlocked:
• Restoration: HP and essence regenerate twice as fast within this zone.
• Construction: Survivors may build, upgrade, or buy structures to improve survival.
• Defense: Fortify your zone with walls, traps, or guardians. Requires resources.
• Commerce: Establish trade, crafting, or markets here.
• Authority: Group leadership determines allocation of upgrades and resources.
[Optional Function: Broadcast]
Announce your safe zone's location to other survivors for a designated period.
Options: 1 hour / 6 hours / 24 hours
Effect: Beacon visible to all survivors within the city.
Warning: Allies may come. So may enemies. Cannot be cancelled once activated.
Note: Safe zones are not impregnable. Mutants and beasts may still enter under certain conditions. Protect your claim.
---
Somewhere in the stillness, a faint sound brushed their thoughts — half laugh, half whisper — too low for words, yet unmistakably amused.
Marcus stiffened. "Tell me I'm not the only one who heard that."
Ravi swallowed. "You're not."
The projection faded, leaving only the glow of the barrier and the group's stunned faces.
---
"Build? Buy? Upgrades?" Ravi's pencil scratched furiously in his notebook. His eyes shone with manic light. "This isn't just survival — it's structure. Resource loops, progression tiers, leadership roles—"
"Enough," Marcus cut in, quieter than usual. "Whatever it is, it's another leash. If we want to keep breathing, we build. Walls first." He glanced at the corpses. "Before they rot their way back in."
Keith's tiger paced the perimeter, tail flicking. "And don't think the gods won't test us. They build us up so they can knock us down."
Ethan frowned, remembering the echo of that mocking whisper. "Broadcast," he murmured.
The single word made everyone turn.
---
"Absolutely not," Marcus said flatly. "That's an open invitation to every raider and scavenger in the city."
Ravi shook his head. "Or an invitation for allies. Shared resources, trade — the system might reward cooperation."
Keith barked a dry laugh. "Or it just wants to see us tear each other apart over scraps."
Maya hugged herself, voice barely above a whisper. "But… what if someone's out there waiting? Someone alone. What if that signal saves them?"
The square fell silent. Eyes drifted to Ellie and Jamie.
Lena cleared her throat. She looked exhausted, hair clinging to her face, but her voice was calm, deliberate. "Ravi's right about the potential. Marcus and Keith are right about the danger. We don't push that button until we're ready. No walls, no ration plan — we'll collapse before we're ever found."
Her tone carried quiet authority. The group listened. Even Marcus didn't argue; he just gave a small, reluctant nod.
Ethan felt it then — the way everyone unconsciously looked to her. Coordinator, he thought. That's who she's always been.
---
A smaller screen shimmered into view.
---
[Safe Zone Resource Account Created]
Currency: Godshards — earned from mutant kills, milestones, and system bonuses.
Current Balance: 5,000 Godshards
Bonus: First safe zone in this city sector secured — additional 2,000 Godshards granted.
Available Purchases – Defense
• Wooden palisade walls (basic) – 2,500
• Stone walls (upgrade required) – locked
• Watchtower (basic) – 1,000
• Gate reinforcement – 500
Available Purchases – Shelter
• Wooden shelter (basic, housing up to six) – 1,000 each
---
Ravi nearly dropped his notebook. "It's a communal pool. Shared currency."
Marcus scanned the list, jaw tightening. "Then we spend it. Walls first, gate second."
"Two shelters too," Lena said. "If more people arrive, we'll need beds, not cobblestones."
Ravi did the math, muttering. "Two shelters, one wall, one gate… five thousand exactly. It fits."
Ethan exhaled. "Because of the bonus. The gods want us to build."
Keith's smile was bitter. "Or fatten us up before the culling."
Marcus lifted his chin. "Doesn't matter. We build."
All eyes went to Ethan. The system pulsed faintly in his chest — Authority. He didn't ask for it, but he felt it.
He nodded once. "Approve all."
---
The barrier hummed.
The ground shuddered, light coiling around the square. Ghostly scaffolds took shape — translucent outlines that solidified plank by plank. Within moments, sharpened timber palisades ringed the sanctuary. At the gate, heavy boards slammed into place with a thunderous crack. Two small shelters rose near the river's edge, doors glowing before settling into solid wood.
When it ended, dust hung like fog in the air.
Maya whispered, "It's like we're standing inside a game."
Keith's lion growled low beside him. The man's eyes stayed on the wall. "No," he said quietly. "We're not players. We're pieces."
---
The awe faded into action. Marcus ran his palm along the wall, testing its weight. "Solid enough. Won't stop everything, but it's a start."
Ellie's shout came from one of the shelters. "Beds! Real beds!"
For a moment, everyone stood a little straighter. A wall, a roof, a river. It was more than survival. It was hope.
---
Lena claimed command without ever announcing it. She chalked a crude schedule on the mechanic's floor.
"Three groups," she said briskly. "Marcus and Keith, first watch. Ethan, Kira, and Ravi second. I'll take third with Tina and Maya. Ellie and Jamie sleep through."
Marcus arched a brow. "Since when do you give orders?"
"Since someone had to," she replied evenly. "You'd rather build walls than plan watches."
He opened his mouth, then closed it, almost smiling. "Fair."
Ethan watched her, quietly proud. The world might be broken, but Lena still held it together.
---
The barrier pulsed once more, the voice of the system falling like distant thunder.
[Global Countdown: 9 hours remaining until beast mutation.]
The words lingered in the air.
Ethan lay back on the cobblestones, staring up at the shimmer overhead. He could hear Ellie breathing softly nearby, Jamie's quiet snores, Lena's pencil scratching ration notes, Marcus pacing the wall, Keith whispering to his beasts.
Nine hours. That was all they had before every creature in the city changed again.
He closed his eyes, exhaustion sinking deep. Tomorrow would bring new evolutions, new dangers. But tonight — tonight they had walls.
And for the first time in days, they had somewhere to sleep.