The sun was still low when the expedition group left the base. For a moment, they walked together in silence, but after a few minutes, Grzywacz stopped and nodded to Nira.
"We'll head to the supermarket. Check the entrances and the back of the building. If they're locked, we try the roof."
He then looked at Adam and Sareth.
"You two go to the pharmacy on Zielna Street. We'll meet back at the base this evening. Stay sharp."
Adam and Sareth nodded and split off, turning into a narrow alley that led toward the city center. The city looked dead. Quiet, suffocated by dust, full of traces of former life and new dangers.
They didn't speak. Every zombie they encountered was eliminated without hesitation—Adam from a distance, manipulating nearby objects with Void Manipulation to strike with surprise and precision. Sareth hurled energy knives with blinding speed, each one slicing through the air with a glowing pulse and hissing as it hit its mark. Bodies dropped one by one, none even daring to approach.
After several kills, they stopped near one of the corpses.
"How do we even prove we killed them?" Sareth asked, glancing at the filthy body with a punctured throat.
Adam shrugged.
"I've been thinking about that. Maybe… cut off their ears?" he offered after a moment.
Sareth grimaced.
"That's… disgusting."
"Or take pictures?" Adam added. "Though we don't have a smartphone."
"What about dragging them back to base?" Sareth sighed, then looked at the corpse. "Pointless."
They stood in silence for a moment.
Sareth sighed heavily, staring at the dead body again.
"You know… maybe the ear idea isn't that bad," he muttered reluctantly. He was about to step forward when he hesitated. He frowned, looking at the corpse's pale green skin, then turned to Adam.
"Hey… what if… touching them is dangerous? Could we get infected or something?"
Adam fell silent. He looked at the corpse, then at his hands.
"I don't know," he said at last. "The system never mentioned it. But… it didn't say it's safe either."
They stood still, unsure if their fear was paranoia or intuition.
"Alright," Sareth straightened. "Let's leave it for now."
They sighed and moved on.
They reached the pharmacy without trouble. Inside, it had been partially looted, but there were still plenty of medicines, bandages, and basic supplies. Adam immediately began stuffing everything useful into his backpack. Sareth secured the entrance and took out a few sluggish zombies that had wandered in through a broken window.
After a few minutes, their packs were nearly full.
"Still some room left. Should we keep going?" Sareth asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Yeah. While we still have energy, let's find a market or grocery store."
They headed down a side street. After a few minutes, they came across a small, local shop. The windows were shattered, but the door still hung on its hinges. Adam raised his hand to signal a halt. They entered slowly, one step at a time, through the window.
Inside, silence.
And then—
Something shot out from the left. Sareth had just enough time to turn his head before it struck.
Adam reacted instantly. He lunged forward, forming a Void Manipulation barrier. The blow hit it with brutal force, throwing him back several steps.
Before he could get up, Sareth rebounded off a shelf and struck at the shadowy attacker. He connected—someone grunted and retreated into the aisles.
"Stop!" Adam shouted. "It's not a zombie!"
A hoarse voice answered from the shadows:
"Stay away!"
They froze.
"It's a person," Sareth whispered.
Adam stood slowly, hands raised to shoulder height.
"We don't want a fight," he said calmly. "We're from a base. We're looking for supplies. If you're human, we can talk. Please, don't do anything stupid."
A figure emerged from the shadows. An older man with a gray beard and a tattered coat, swaying slightly. One of Sareth's energy knives was still embedded in his arm, glowing faintly. The man hissed in pain.
"Great, just great. First you scare me, then you stab me, and now you want to talk?" he groaned theatrically, like a bad actor.
"You attacked us first!" Sareth snapped, stepping forward. Adam raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't get snippy, boy. What's next, you gonna say it was self-defense?" the man grumbled, wincing.
"Enough!" Adam cut in firmly.
He stared at the old man.
"What are you doing here? Are you alone? Anyone else around?"
The man sighed and leaned against a shelf.
"Alone. For a few days now. I holed up here—it doesn't smell like corpses, and there's food."
Adam glanced at Sareth, then at the knife stuck in the man's arm.
"We need to get that out and treat it… but first, we'll make sure you're telling the truth."
Adam and Sareth split up and searched the shop. Behind the counter, in the backroom, even the cold storage. No one else. Just empty boxes and dust.
"All clear," Sareth called. "Looks like he was telling the truth."
He walked up and yanked the blade out without ceremony. The man howled dramatically and dropped to one knee.
"Ah! Such brutality! Where's the medicine? The empathy? Respect for your elders?!"
Adam was already kneeling beside him, pulling out a bandage and disinfectant.
"Sit still," he said curtly. "And quit whining."
The old man grumbled but let himself be treated. His complaints never ceased:
"Used to be young folks gave up their seats for the elderly. Now they throw knives! Civilization's truly dead."
When the dressing was finished, Adam looked him in the eye.
"Come with us. We have a base, shelter, people. You'll get care, food, medicine."
"Pfft!" the man scoffed. "I'm fine here. It's quiet, food on the shelves, no drama."
"A zombie or starvation will get you," Sareth interjected. "This isn't a place for solitude."
"Solitude is a luxury, boy."
Adam sighed, staying calm and logical:
"We have medicine. People who can help. You can help us in return. You won't be safe here forever."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Help? An old man like me?"
Adam snorted, shaking his head.
"Old man… And that strike that threw me back several feet—any old man can do that, huh?"
The old man looked at him with feigned disdain.
"Of course not. Only someone like me's still got that kind of strength at this age. Talent and experience, kid. Talent and experience."
Silence followed. For a moment, it seemed he might argue again, but he just sighed deeply.
"Alright…" he muttered grudgingly. "But only because you pissed me off. And someone carry my bag—I've got rheumatism!"
Adam and Sareth looked at each other and chuckled.
Still, deep down, Adam felt he might regret this decision. The old man was unpredictable—stubborn, irritable, and likely to be a headache. But then again… anyone with even a shred of combat ability was valuable. And Adam couldn't afford the luxury of turning away potential allies.