Chapter 7
Before heading back inside, Risa made her way to the water pump outside. She rinsed off the blood splatters, scrubbing her hands and arms until only faint stains remained. Running wet fingers through her hair, she exhaled slowly before straightening up.
With the night still pressing in around her, she took a moment to scan the area.
Satisfied, she stepped back into the cabin and secured the door behind her. She dragged a heavy wooden chair against it, jamming it under the handle—a makeshift barricade, just in case. She did the same to the other door before finally heading toward the bedroom.
Before checking on Amelia and the kids, she stored away the items she had looted, making a mental note to go through them later.
Risa pushed the door open. The soft creak of the hinges made Amelia glance up from where she sat at the foot of the bed, arms wrapped protectively around the twins.
The twins were wide awake, their terrified faces staring at her. They looked like they were doing their best not to cry.
Risa gave them a small, reassuring smile as she stepped further inside. She barely had time to sit at the foot of the bed before the twins tackled her in a hug, both of them crying.
They clung to her tightly, small arms wrapping around her as if afraid she might disappear.
Risa stiffened at the sudden contact, caught off guard by the way they latched onto her. But after a moment, she let out a quiet chuckle and hugged them back.
The twins couldn't remember the last time their mother held them like this. Aside from the earlier events, there were no other memories of warmth or closeness. But now—right now—it felt nice. It felt safe.
"Were you both scared?" she murmured.
Airi sniffled, nodding against her. "There were loud noises..."
Riko's grip tightened. "But you came back."
Risa swallowed. Something about those words made her chest feel uncomfortable.
She held them a little longer, trying to comfort them.
Eventually, their small bodies grew heavier in her arms, exhaustion finally overtaking their fear. As their breathing evened out, Risa carefully shifted, glancing toward Amelia.
The white-haired woman watched in silence, her expression unreadable. Eventually, she helped Risa move the kids into a more comfortable position on the bed.
As they settled the now-sleeping twins, Risa shifted, looking like she was about to leave, but Amelia suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Where are you going?" Amelia whispered, careful not to wake the kids.
Risa looked back at her and replied, her voice just as quiet. "I was planning to take a nap on the couch. Just a quick rest, then I'll keep watching again and maybe figure out our next move."
Amelia stared at her, as if trying to read her mind, which made Risa a bit uncomfortable—especially since Amelia was still holding onto her.
"You don't have to sleep on the couch," Amelia said after a pause. "The bed is big enough for all four of us."
Risa raised an eyebrow. Amelia hesitated before nodding toward the empty space beside her. "There's room."
Risa stared at her for a moment.
"You sure?" she asked quietly.
"You've been... busy today. I think you should rest properly." The white-haired woman finally let go of her and adjusted herself, lying down beside the kids.
Risa hesitated. Instinct told her to decline, to just take a short nap and continue keeping watch. But she wasn't invincible. And now that the adrenaline was fading, she could feel the exhaustion settling deep in her body.
Finally, she sighed and moved carefully to the edge of the bed. She lay down on the left side while Amelia was on the right, with the kids nestled between them.
Risa glanced at the twins, still curled up against their mother, their small faces peaceful despite everything.
She felt... strange.
She wasn't sure what to do with this unfamiliar warmth in her chest.
Deciding to ignore it, she exhaled softly, closed her eyes, and let sleep take over.
It was almost morning when Risa woke up. She checked on the three people beside her—Amelia and the twins—finding them still fast asleep.
Moving carefully, she slipped out of bed without making a sound and walked out of the bedroom.
Fatigue still clung to her, but with the current situation, she needed to stay alert. She wished she had some coffee.
Settling onto the couch, she exhaled and let her mind drift back to the night before. Everything still felt bizarre, like she was caught in some twisted dream.
Shaking the thoughts away, she focused on something more tangible. She tried accessing the Status Interface from before.
A familiar blue-glowing screen materialized before her eyes.
[Status Interface]
Name: Risa
Level: 2
Experience: 15 / 200 (Next Level)
Attribute Points: +1
Stats Attributes
Strength (STR): 6 Agility (AGI): 8 Endurance (END): 7 Perception (PER): 5 Intelligence (INT): 6 Willpower (WIL): 8
Before she could analyze her stats further, the screen flickered, and a new prompt appeared.
[Updating…]
Hostile (Unknown) Eliminated: 2 × 30 EXP = 60 EXP
Total EXP Earned: 60 EXP
(Level 2 → Requires 200 EXP to level up)
[SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE]
Name: Risa
Level: 2
Experience: 75 / 200 (Next Level)
Attribute Points: +1
She stared at the glowing numbers. Her kills from last night had given her a decent EXP, but she still had a long way to go before reaching the next level.
At least now she knew for sure—this system was real. And it was keeping score.
Risa exhaled, dismissing the glowing interface with a thought.
Her body still tired from last night's fight, but there was no time to dwell on it. They had survived the night, but that didn't mean they were safe.
She stood up from the couch and made her way to the pile of loot she had gathered before heading to bed.
The weapons were her biggest concern.
She crouched down, pulling out the shotgun she had taken from the dead men outside. The metal was cold, the weight of it solid in her hands. She checked the ammo count—only four shells left. Not great, but better than nothing.
Next, she picked up the machete. The blade was sharp but slightly rusted along the edges. It would do for now.
There was also a knife, smaller but still deadly in close quarters.
Risa frowned. She couldn't carry everything herself—not comfortably, at least. She needed to decide how to distribute their weapons.
Her gaze flickered toward the bedroom door.
Would Amelia even know how to use a gun?
Risa wasn't sure, but if another fight happened, they couldn't afford to rely on just her. She'd have to talk to Amelia about it when she woke up.