The mall loomed ahead, silent and hollow.
Up close, it looked worse.
The glass doors had been shattered inward, jagged edges still clinging to the frame. Fragments littered the ground, crunching underfoot as they approached.
Marcus lifted a hand slightly.
"We move in slowly."
No one argued. They stepped inside.
The air hit differently. Stale. Warm. Carrying a faint metallic scent that didn't need explaining.
The front stores had been stripped bare.
Clothing racks lay overturned, some bent out of shape, others completely collapsed. Fabric was everywhere, scattered across the floor like debris after a storm. Shirts, dresses, jackets… many stained dark with dried blood. Some were torn. Others looked like they had been dragged.
Iris's gaze lingered, then shifted away. Further in, display cases had been smashed open.
The jewelry section was empty. Not a single piece remained. Benjamin exhaled quietly. "That was fast." No one responded.
It hadn't been long. Not long enough for this level of damage.
Everything of value was already gone. The silence pressed in again. Too deep. Too complete.
Iris's steps slowed, her eyes scanning the open space, the dim storefronts, the corridors stretching deeper into the mall.
It didn't feel empty.
It felt like something had already passed through. Or was still here. Waiting.
—
They chose a spot near a half-collapsed café to rest. It wasn't safe. Just… less exposed.
Daniel was laid carefully against the wall. His breathing was still uneven, heat radiating off him in waves.
Claire checked him again, her movements practiced but tight. "…Still high," she said, exhausted. "His temperature's too high. Even a cold compress isn't working."
No one said what they were thinking. They needed him awake. They needed everyone able to fight.
Iris flexed her fingers slightly, feeling the faint tremor in them. Her body was heavier now, fatigue settling deep into her muscles.
Not like before. Before, it had been panic. Chaos.
Now—
It was exhaustion layered over experience. They were learning. Even if it was the hard way. A faint sound cut through the silence.
A scrape. Then another.
Marcus's head snapped up.
"we are not alone." He said voice tight.
They were already moving.
Shapes emerged from the darker corridors. Slow at first. Then more.
Zombies. Not just one. A small horde.
"Get ready."
They came faster this time.
—
The fight was tighter than before.
The space worked against them.
Iris moved without thinking. Step. Slash. Cleaner .Faster.
Her blade cut through decayed flesh with less resistance than she remembered. Or maybe she was just stronger now.
A notification flickered briefly across her vision.
[+10 EXP +10 Copper]
She didn't have time to focus on it. Another lunged. She twisted, drove her blade forward—
It dropped.
Behind her, Benjamin moved with more control than before, his strikes precise, less wasted movement. Marcus held the line steadily, keeping the group from being surrounded.
Even Claire…
She hesitated less. They were changing.
Mid-fight, one of the dogs lunged forward, faster than the rest. It tore into a zombie's throat, dragging it down with surprising force.
For a split second—
It stilled. Something shifted. Then it moved again. Iris didn't catch it fully. But she felt it.
—
The last zombie dropped.
Silence rushed back in. Heavier this time. Breathing filled the space, uneven and strained. No one spoke immediately.
Then they heard it. Footsteps. It was faint at first. Then it was getting louder with each passing second. Not the dragging kind. Measured.
Every head snapped toward the sound. Weapons rose instantly.
"Who's there?" Marcus's voice was sharp.
A pause. Then figures stepped into view. A group of Humans.
They stopped the moment they saw each other. Tension locked the space. No one lowered their weapon.
Then—
"…Miss Iris." The voice wasn't loud. But it carried. Not hesitant. Not uncertain.
Just… certain.
Iris turned fully this time. The man who stepped forward wasn't what she expected. Not young. Mid-thirties, maybe older.
Clean posture despite everything. Shoulders steady. Eyes sharp, taking in everything without looking rushed.
Even now, he looked… composed.
"You might not remember me," he said calmly. "But we've met."
Something about his voice made it easier to listen.
No pressure. No rush. Just quiet certainty.
"…Under the bridge," he added.
That was enough.
A flicker of memory surfaced. The supermarket. The dogs. The man watching more than he spoke.
"…Elias."
His lips curved slightly. Not quite a smile.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
Before she could respond—
Movement. The dogs.
They moved fast, circling her, tails wagging, energy breaking the tension just slightly.
Up close—
They were bigger than before. Much bigger. The white one stood nearly at her waist now, its body dense with muscle beneath fur that should have been clean, but was instead matted with dried blood and grime.
Its eyes were… Too sharp. Too aware. Almost human.
The second dog, marked in black and white, stayed slightly behind. Leaner. Watching more than reacting.
"Easy," Elias said quietly.
They didn't stop. But they didn't go wild either. Controlled. That was the word.
"…They remember you," he added.
Iris let out a small breath.
"…I guess they do."
She reached into her space, pulling out a strip of jerky almost instinctively.
"Here—"
The white dog moved first. Too fast. Its jaws closed around the treat. And her finger.
"Ow—"
It wasn't deep. Just enough. A sting.
But—
Everything stopped. The dog froze. Completely. Its eyes locked onto hers. The air shifted. A faint pulse ran through her fingers.
Then—
A screen appeared.
[Battle Pet Contract Available]
[Would you like to form a contract with ???]
Yes | No
"…What?"
"Iris—" someone started.
More movement. Zombies. Again. No time.
"…Fine." She pressed Yes.
A faint circle of light formed beneath them, flickering once before dissolving like dust in the air.
The dog didn't move.
Then—
It stepped back. Like nothing had happened.
"…That's it?" she muttered.
No answer.
But something new sat at the edge of her vision. An icon. She opened it without thinking.
—
[Pet: ???]
[Name: ??? (Would you like to name?)
Age: 2
Level: 0 (5/100)
Life: 150/150
Spirit: 150/150
Physique: 31
Agility: 26
Defense: 14
Mana: 10
Skills:
Active: None
Passive: None
Elemental Affinity: Wood
Titles: None
Overall Rank: A]
"…"
What… was this?
The numbers didn't make immediate sense, but one thing stood out—
Its base stats were higher than hers had been at the start.
And the experience requirement…
Higher. A lot higher.
"Iris…!" Caleb yelled
She snapped her head up. More zombies. Drawn by the noise.
"Later," she muttered under her breath.
She switched weapons instantly. The plasma gun sputtered, low on charge.
"Fuck!…." She cursed
She dropped it and drew her long sword instead.
"Move!"
The fight resumed. Faster. Sharper. And now. She wasn't alone. The dog moved with her. Not perfectly. But instinctively.
—
By the time it ended, everyone was breathing harder than before.
Even standing felt heavier. No one relaxed completely. Not here. Not yet.
Silence returned slower this time. Like the mall was resisting it. No one relaxed. Not fully.
"We don't stay in one place," Marcus said. "We move."
No one disagreed. They pushed deeper into the mall. Shops passed them one after another. Clothing. Electronics. Cosmetics. All stripped. All empty.
Until…
Iris slowed.
"…Wait." She turned. A store partially intact.
Glass cracked.. but not destroyed.
Inside the store were Metal tables. Storage cases. Equipment.
"…Lab?" Benjamin frowned. "What is a lab doing in a mall?"
Iris stepped in without answering. Her eyes moved quickly now. Focused. Different. She crouched near a case, opening it. Inside were compact units. Foldable. Sealed. Portable.
Her fingers paused on one. "…These are usable." She muttered.
"Take them," Marcus said immediately instructing the other bodyguards that weren't assigning with the unconscious Daniel.
Iris stood up before the body guards could move. She didn't hesitate. One. Two. Three. She stored them into her space.
"…You don't need those." Benjamin said from behind her
She turned. Benjamin was watching her. Not disapproving. Just certain.
"…What?"
He stepped forward, reaching into his space. And pulled something out.
A case. Different. Sleeker. More refined. Not something you'd find here.
"…This is yours."
Iris frowned slightly.
"I mean… it's supposed to be," he corrected.
Veronica stepped closer. "We had it made," she said quietly. "Before… everything happened."
Silence.
"…For your birthday," she added.
That hit differently.
Iris froze. 'My birthday?'
She didn't take it immediately.
"You were always talking about plant structures… compositions… extraction methods," Benjamin said. "So we thought—"
"You'd make better use of something properly built," Caleb finished.
The case was placed in her hands. Lighter than expected. But it was not cheap. Not ordinary.
"Custom…made?" she asked quietly.
Benjamin nodded. Patting her slightly on her head. "There aren't many like it." He said gently
Her grip tightened around the sleek case.
For a moment… something in her chest shifted. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She didn't open it. Didn't speak.
Then—
A sound echoed deeper in the mall. Low. Wrong. Everyone stilled.
Marcus turned his head slightly. "…We're not alone in here."
"Not Again." Caleb groaned
Silence pressed in. And this time. It felt like something was watching back.