LOGINThe Price of FailureMira had barely descended halfway down the ladder when the mountain suddenly lit up.She stopped.A crimson glow flashed across the valley, so bright that even the rain seemed to disappear beneath it.Then another light appeared.And another.Mira raised her head.The crimson pillars scattered throughout mount mist, the valley and the city below were glowing intensely. Their light stretched into the sky, illuminating the surrounding mountains and buildings."What now?"Before she could take another step, a deep rumbling sound rolled across the mountain.BOOOOOOM!Every crimson pillar erupted at almost the same time.A powerful shockwave swept across the valley.The ladder shook violently beneath Mira's feet."Shit!"She grabbed the metal railing with both hands as the force rushed past her. The nearby trees bent, their branches snapping under the pressure. Loose stones scattered across the gravel road, while the windows of Villa No. 1 rattled violently.For a mome
A Difficult DecisionThe moment Mira stepped through the entrance of Villa No. 1, she closed the door behind her.The sound of the rain became muffled.She stood there for a few seconds, looking down at her wet clothes. Although the crimson rain hadn't harmed her, that didn't mean she wanted to walk around the villa dripping water everywhere.She removed her jacket and hung it near the entrance before placing the handgun on the small table beside her.Then she checked the mission notification.[MISSION IN PROGRESS][TARGET: UNSTABLE AWAKENED][TIME REMAINING: 49 MINUTES 31 SECONDS][REWARD: SPATIAL STORAGE EXPANSION +10m³][PENALTY FOR FAILURE: SPATIAL STORAGE SYSTEM LOCKDOWN FOR 72 HOURS]Mira stared at the timer."Forty-nine minutes."She had less than an hour to make a decision that could determine whether she kept control of her storage.That storage contained almost everything she needed to survive. Food, water, medicine, fuel, weapons, spare equipment and the energy crystals sh
CHAPTER 36An Unwanted VisitorThe zombie was getting closer.Mira watched it through the crimson rain, her attention moving between the approaching figure and Leo, who remained suspended inside the pillar of energy.The infected dragged one foot along the gravel road. Its clothes were torn, and patches of darkened skin covered its neck and face. Every few steps, its head jerked to one side as though it were struggling to recognize its surroundings.It wasn't moving particularly fast.But it was moving toward the villa.Mira clicked her tongue."Can't you people leave me alone for five minutes?"She glanced at Leo.He hadn't moved.His head remained tilted slightly backward, and his arms hung loosely beside his body. The crimson energy continued circulating around him, occasionally producing those strange blue sparks beneath his skin.Mira narrowed her eyes.She wanted to understand what was happening, but the approaching infected was becoming a distraction.Activating her spatial per
CHAPTER 34The Cost of an AwakeningMira stood at the open observation hatch, watching the crimson rain pour over Mount Mist.The droplets struck the iron railing, leaving behind thin trails of dark red liquid. Every few seconds, a faint sizzling sound followed, accompanied by wisps of gray smoke.She should have closed the hatch already.Instead, she extended her gloved hand into the rain.A large droplet landed directly on the back of her glove.Nothing happened.Mira frowned.She waited, watching the spot where the liquid had touched. There was no burning sensation, no smoke rising from her skin, and certainly no sign of the violent reaction she'd witnessed in the valley.Slowly, she removed her glove.Another droplet landed on her bare palm.She felt the coldness of the liquid, but nothing else."...Interesting."Mira turned her hand over, examining her skin.In her previous life, she'd seen people die within seconds of coming into contact with this rain. Others survived only to s
Mira stood dead motionless on the observation threshold, her boots frozen against the cold iron track.The wind outside howled through the open bulkhead, carrying misty red spray directly against her face, but she didn't wipe it away this time. Her dark eyes were completely glued to the orange system prompt hovering directly before her vision.[TIME REMAINING FOR MISSION: 57 MINUTES 24 SECONDS][PENALTY FOR FAILURE: SPATIAL STORAGE SYSTEM FORCED LOCKDOWN (72 HOURS)]The text pulsed with a sharp, rhythmic glow, beating in exact sync with the giant countdown clock burning overhead in the clouds.Seventy-two hours...Mira’s fingers slowly curled tighter around the cold iron grip of her carbon steel crowbar, leather straining against metal with a dull, dry creak.A three-day lockdown didn't just mean losing access to her extra weapons. It meant her entire reserves—the thousands of gallons of stored diesel, the dry rations, the
Down in the lower district of the valley, three miles from Mount Mist, a neon-lit convenience store sign flickered violently before exploding into a shower of yellow sparks.Inside the shattered storefront, three men in bloody leather jackets were pinned against a fallen shelf, their breath coming out in ragged, terrified gasps."The rain! Don't touch the water!" one of them shrieked, his voice breaking as he pointed toward the ruined doorway.Out on the street, the crimson downpour was pooling over the asphalt. A lone survivor in a blue raincoat had tried to sprint across the open road five seconds ago. The moment the dark red liquid soaked through his boots, his body had jerked violently to a halt.His eyes had rolled back, turning a blinding, unnatural red as thick black veins bulged out from his neck like tangled cables. Now, his spine snapped backward with a horrifying CRACK, and he tore through his own throat with bare, mutated claws,







