Chapter 3

Carys POV

"I refuse," I said out loud.

Evander kept his eyes on the road. "Did you say something?" he asked.

"Just thinking out loud," I replied. "Keep driving."

I stared at the flashing blue ultimatum in front of my face. The system demanded an answer. Return to the apartment to save my toxic family, or permanently lose my sense of taste. The system was trying to force me back into the role of the tragic forgiving martyr. I looked at Evander. He was focused on driving the heavy truck. He was unaware of the holographic screen terrorizing my vision. I refused to go back to that apartment. Losing my taste in a world where I would soon eat canned beans and dry rations was a small price to pay for my freedom.

"I reject the quest," I whispered.

I mentally selected the reject option on the screen. A sharp burning sensation shot across my tongue immediately. A metallic numbness filled my mouth. I stayed silent and swallowed hard. I defeated the system trap, but I knew the punishments would only get worse from here.

We arrived at a massive abandoned warehouse district on the edge of the city. Evander parked the truck near a rusted shipping container hidden inside one of the larger buildings. His contact, a shady dealer named Silas, stood outside. Silas smirked when he saw Evander. He clearly recognized him from the viral news clips that mocked his predictions.

"Look who it is," Silas laughed. He leaned against the metal wall and crossed his arms. "The crazy bug guy. You actually think the world is ending?"

"Just give us the solar generators and water purification systems," Evander said. He ignored the insult. "We have the cash right here."

Silas shook his head. "The price just went up. Triple the standard rate. Take it or leave it, crazy man."

"We had a deal," Evander argued. "You named your price on the phone."

"Things change," Silas sneered. "Pay up or get out."

I stepped forward and slammed my hand on the metal table between us. The loud noise echoed in the quiet warehouse.

"We are paying fifty percent of the standard rate," I said loudly. "Not a penny more."

Silas looked at me and scoffed. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"Someone who knows your secrets," I replied. I leaned closer. I used the exact knowledge from the original novel. "I know about the illegal unregistered weapon shipments you receive every single Thursday. I also know you are sleeping with the police chief's wife."

Silas turned pale instantly. The arrogant smirk fell off his face. His eyes darted around the room in panic.

"How do you know that?" Silas demanded. His voice shook.

"If you don't give us the discount," I continued, keeping my voice cold and steady. "I will make an anonymous call to the chief right now. Let's see how long you survive when he finds out."

Silas swallowed hard. He quickly reached into his pocket and threw a set of forklift keys at Evander.

"Load the crates yourself," Silas muttered. He took a huge step back away from us. "Just take the stuff and leave me alone."

Evander climbed into the forklift and started the engine. "Remind me never to make you angry," he called out over the loud motor.

"Just focus on the crates," I shouted back.

While he lifted the heavy boxes toward our truck, a sudden violent tremor shook the concrete floor beneath us. The overhead lights flickered and exploded in a shower of hot sparks. The early acceleration of the apocalypse was already triggering environmental collapses.

Then I heard it. A wet tearing sound came from the shadows near the container.

"Hey!" Silas yelled. "What are you doing over there?"

One of Silas's large security guards was hunched over on the floor. The man convulsed violently. Before Silas could walk over to check on him, the guard's spine snapped backward with a sickening crack. Thick black veins bulged from his neck. The virus Evander warned the world about had already mutated a human host.

The guard turned around. His eyes were solid white. Thick blood dripped from his open mouth. He lunged straight for Silas. The monster tore its teeth right into Silas's throat. Silas fell to the floor and stopped moving almost instantly.

"Silas!" Evander yelled.

Evander dropped from the forklift and grabbed a heavy metal wrench from his tool belt. The mutated guard dropped Silas and turned its terrifying speed toward Evander. The monster moved far too fast for a normal human to react. The system was spawning enemies beyond our current survival level just to punish my plot deviations.

I saw the mutant leaping through the air. It aimed directly for Evander's blind spot. I didn't think twice. I grabbed a heavy steel crowbar resting against the wooden crates. I swung the weapon with all my strength and smashed it directly into the side of the mutant's skull.

The creature crashed to the ground with its head caved in. I stood there panting. My hands gripped the bloody crowbar tightly while Evander stared at me in shock.

"You just saved my life," Evander breathed out.

My victory didn't last long. The blue system screen violently materialized in the dim warehouse.

[VIOLATION: Heroine has performed a 'Protector' action strictly reserved for the Male Lead. Penalty: Temporary physical paralysis applied.]

A wave of freezing numbness shot up my right leg instantly. The crowbar slipped from my hands and hit the floor. I collapsed to the cold concrete. I couldn't move my lower body at all. Before Evander could reach me, a second mutated guard dropped from the warehouse rafters and locked its dead eyes directly on me.