.
Kai's pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything else. He didn't know how much longer he could keep running. His legs felt like lead, his breath shallow, but he couldn't stop. Not with the Scavengers hot on his heels.
The sound of footsteps behind him—sharp, deliberate—only grew louder as the girl closed the distance. He could hear her voice now, cutting through the tension in the air.
"There's nowhere left to run, kid," she called, her tone mocking. "We've got you cornered. This is the end."
Kai's heart thudded violently. He wasn't ready to die—not here, not like this. His hands were slick with sweat, his fingers trembling as they gripped the jagged edges of the tunnel's rusted walls. The dim green glow of the bioluminescent moss cast eerie shadows around him, the light flickering as his footsteps echoed off the metal surface beneath him.
He couldn't outrun her. Not now. His stamina was nearly gone, his legs unsteady from the exhaustion that was rapidly overtaking him. The Temporal Warp had given him a burst of speed earlier, but that skill drained him—left him vulnerable, even more so now.
There was no way he'd make it to the next chamber without collapsing. The girl would catch him.
He had to think.
The system flickered in his vision again, its diagnostics running in the background, but it offered no real help. He needed a way out, and fast.
[Warning: Health Critical. Remaining Stamina: 5%][Skill Cooldown: Temporal Warp – Unavailable]
His only hope now was to outsmart her. The system wasn't reliable, but his wits were still sharp.
Up ahead, a faint outline of a door appeared in the gloom—a maintenance hatch. The old metal door was just wide enough for him to slip through, if he could get there in time. He didn't know where it led, but it was better than facing the girl's wrath.
"Hey!" she called, her voice getting closer. "Stop running. This is pointless."
Kai swallowed hard and turned sharply, his feet skidding against the slick floor. He bolted for the hatch, putting every last ounce of strength into his legs. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable, but he pushed forward.
He reached the door. The control panel beside it flickered weakly, dead for the most part. Desperation surged through him as his fingers fumbled over the broken interface, the sluggish system refusing to respond.
[System Offline: Unauthorized Access Attempt Detected][Override Required: Access Denied]
He slammed his palm against the panel in frustration, nearly losing his balance in the process. The girl was getting closer. He could hear her footsteps, now joined by the heavy, calculated tread of someone else. The tall one. The leader. They were closing in together.
There was no time for finesse. Kai's body shook as he gritted his teeth, reaching deep within himself, forcing his hand onto the panel once more. His energy was nearly depleted, but instinct kicked in.
"Come on, come on..." he muttered under his breath, praying for any break.
Suddenly, the panel flickered again—just for a moment. A glimmer of life. Then, with a sharp, metallic snap, the door to the maintenance hatch groaned open.
Kai wasted no time. He dove through the gap just as the sound of footsteps thundered around the corner. The hatch slammed shut behind him with a finality that made his heart drop into his stomach.
The darkness of the small chamber swallowed him whole. His breath came in ragged gasps, and for a moment, all he could hear was the ringing in his ears. Sweat trickled down his face, and he wiped it away, trying to regain some sense of control.
He was safe—for now.
But he knew it wouldn't last. The Scavengers would find him again. They always did. His body shook with a mix of fear and exertion as he stumbled further into the darkness, away from the door.
The chamber he found himself in was cramped, filled with piles of rusted equipment and unused machinery. The air smelled damp, stale, and old. The soft hum of the city above, faint but present, was drowned out by the oppressive silence that hung in the air. The place had been abandoned for a long time—maybe even centuries. Not a single sign of life except for him.
[Objective: Evade Pursuers][Unlocking Path: Maintenance Subgrid Level 5][Warning: System Inactive – Signal Jammed]
The message flickered, then disappeared.
Kai's fingers curled into fists. He was alone now. He couldn't count on the system, not in this forsaken part of the city. It had done little for him anyway. He had to rely on his instincts and the meager resources around him to survive.
"Think, Kai, think..." he muttered to himself, his breath steadying. "What's your next move?"
The answer wasn't immediately clear. His legs ached. His head spun from the exertion. He had no weapons. No clear way forward. But there was one thing he could count on.
The one thing no one else had.
His mind.
Kai wasn't just some random player—some nameless soul lost in the chaos. He had a plan. A way to survive the madness of this world. The question was, how long would it take before he could start putting it into action?
In the distance, there was a low hum. The faintest sound of something mechanical stirring. A machine? Or something worse?
He pushed off the wall, his mind racing. The maintenance subgrid was a maze. It was a dangerous place—a place where those who ventured too far got lost to the abyss. But that was exactly why the Scavengers wouldn't bother going deeper. They knew the risks. And that meant it might be the perfect place for him to lose them.
He knew that as long as he stayed in motion, as long as he didn't make a sound, they might just pass by. It was a long shot. But what else did he have?
With a deep breath, Kai moved. Every step was careful. Every breath deliberate. The sound of his shoes on the cold floor was muffled in the damp air.
[Warning: Stamina Low][Health: 34/120]
He glanced down at his status window. The warning flashed, but Kai ignored it. The abyss around him stretched endlessly, and the weight of his situation pressed down on him harder than anything he had ever known.
In this place, survival wasn't about strength. It wasn't about power. It was about finding a way to outlast the inevitable. And right now, that meant taking his time. It meant hiding.
It meant waiting for the right moment.
And in this cold, silent abyss, that moment was coming soon.
[End of Chapter 4]