Time inside the house seemed to stop.
Outside, the snow fox mauled at the arm that trapped it, but its attacks weren't registering as Rusty's health continued to show question marks.
Meanwhile, Rusty himself was beating it with his 1 HP punches. It would have taken him longer to kill the fox if not for his flames, which dealt 3 to 6 damage per second.
Still, it took him an agonizing 8 seconds to kill the fox.
[+ 225 xp]
In shock, only Vincent noticed the notification. That was a clear sign that this entity was indeed Rusty from their party, but Vincent couldn't help but continue debating whether they were friend or foe.
He watched as Rusty got up and took a step forward—and a bunch of people immediately stepped back.
Even his brain was telling him he shouldn't trust this creature, but something within him fought back, saying the opposite—that he didn't need to be afraid.
The soul link was also taking effect. Somehow, Vincent could tell where Rusty was in relation to the world. When he took a few seconds to focus on it, he could see Rusty's figure in his mind and about a meter around him.
The sensation of having a sort of split screen within his mind was disorienting. He wasn't used to it and felt his stomach lurch.
"I-Is that really Rusty?" Daniel was the first to question. He had a lot of trust in Vincent, but his mind struggled to wrap around it.
"Ain't that a zombie…?" Jackson commented.
"That thing… is wearing Rusty's clothes." Theo's voice shook. His hands were clenched tight until they were as pale as his face. "B-Boss, can I go out and check?"
Vincent was startled, but he understood Theo's state, as he would have probably reacted the same way. "Wait."
Checking his profile and skills tab, Vincent found no information to tell him exactly what was happening. He could only blame it on his mutation, and he mourned his bugged existence.
"Let me check."
Angel snorted right away. But instead of voicing her opposition, she grabbed Daniel's shotgun, stole all his bullets, and reloaded her revolver.
She handed half of the ammo to Vincent afterward. "I'm coming with."
Vincent's lips twitched. Seeing her stubborn eyes, he knew he had no way of convincing her otherwise.
Rusty appeared taken aback, taking half a step back when Vincent and Angel came out.
The blizzard had been tied to the snow fox all along. After its death, the wind gradually calmed, and the cold no longer bit their exposed skin. The snow also stopped falling, revealing buildings and their location.
Vincent held his gun with both hands forward, but the closer he got to Rusty, the safer he felt.
'Strange.'
"...Rusty?"
Rusty's shoulders jolted. He had almost forgotten that he had no head, taking a beat longer to answer as he tried to nod. Instead, he started swinging his hands up and down.
When he saw that the people behind Vincent looked alarmed, he panicked and started making an "X" with his arms, then pointed to himself.
Proper communication seemed impossible, but Vincent was already convinced that he was indeed Rusty.
"...Maybe if I gave you a part of my health, your head would grow back?"
The words came out naturally, but they sounded so foreign to his ears. Before he could question himself, his intentions were registered by the system, and a prompt appeared.
-----------------------------------
-Borrowed Health-
Rusty: [Enter Amount]
-----------------------------------
Vincent only had 12 HP. Without knowing if it would take from his maximum or current, he said 5 in his mind.
A confirm button showed up right after, and he locked it in.
In an instant, Rusty's pale skin turned healthier, and a part of his neck started to grow. But it stopped there, and Vincent noticed that he still had 12 HP, but his maximum had dropped from 43 to 38.
Confident, he changed the amount to 15. The question marks disappeared and displayed that number.
Then, they watched as bones, muscles, and skin regenerated before them—a grotesque yet mesmerizing process.
Rusty was the youngest in the homeless crew. He was 23 years old with long black hair and white skin, looking even younger with his features.
Rusty's lungs filled with air as soon as his nose was healed, granting him the ability to talk. "Boss! Oh my god, I can talk! It's me! It's really me!"
His bare eyeballs shook, almost popping out before settling into place. Even his hair was regenerating.
"Rusty!" Theo screamed from inside the house, sprinting toward them.
But where Rusty had his arms open for a hug, Theo grabbed his clothes and started shaking him violently.
"You motherfucker! I told you to take Cleric instead and stay in the back lines! Look what it got you! A snack for a motherfucking spider! You were torn apart like a drumstick, for fuck's sake!"
"Hahaha! You're looking good too, brother!"
"What looking good?! I found gray hair this morning because of your ass!"
Theo's mouth wouldn't stop. He ranted like his balls were on fire, and Rusty laughed with varying tones in response. Yet despite the anger in Theo's voice, the man was spilling tears, overwhelmed by relief.
Shoulders relaxed at the sight, but Vincent was reminded that they were still outside in a world overrun by mutated creatures.
"Let's talk inside. It isn't safe here."
The two froze at his reminder, nodding and scratching their heads.
It took them half an hour to settle down completely—sweeping the house, making room for the campfire, and checking on the unconscious.
Ben's last two heals were saved in case of an emergency, and all the windows of the house were covered for zero visibility.
Angel prepared food in the kitchen while Henry and Talia took care of the unconscious. The rest huddled around the campfire to start their discussions.
Rusty was animated as he recounted his experience.
"Chains of Oblivion? Demonic Contract?" Vincent held his aching head. He was starting to wonder if the system knew how much he hated the lack of information and was using it to mess with him.
"That's right, Boss! Or I guess I should start calling you Master…?"
Vincent shuddered. "Spare me the cringe. I'm tolerating 'Boss' as we speak. I'd prefer 'Guild Leader,' but since we aren't at that stage yet, let's talk about it then."
"What do you think? Is it just a second chance, or are we actually immortal as long as we're in your party?" Daniel crossed his arms, intrigued.
"Let's not bet on it and continue leveling. The goal right now is to get everyone past level 3 and gain mutations. It looks like that's this game's core mechanic. Meaning even the monsters are mutating. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them started talking."
Theo poked Rusty's cheek, frowning. "Undead basically means you're a zombie?"
"How were you on fire, by the way?! Your flames looked eerie." Jackson chimed in, the question gnawing at him.
"Well, I think I am a zombie," Rusty hesitantly confirmed. "And the flames were my skill. It looks like I'm registered as a weapon! Hahaha!"
The idea sounded silly, making the three joke about it, but Vincent and Daniel exchanged glances, concern flashing in their eyes.
'If the system registered you as a weapon, does it still mean you're alive?' Vincent pursed his lips and chose not to voice his thoughts.
Daniel also shut his mouth and distracted himself with his fourth attempt at Jackson's crossbow. He was actually getting better at it, and he figured that his sixth attempt should do it.
Ultimately, they both thought that 'Ignorance is bliss' and actively forgot about it.
Vincent decided to plan out their time at the University. With the party's rescue being successful, it was time to focus on leveling so they could take down the Frost Troll.
Though before that, they celebrated Rusty's new life, and along with their little celebration were the carefree greetings of "Happy New Year."
Vincent suddenly felt that he wasn't ready for 2026, but he was powerless against the relentless movement of time.
At that moment, he found the Quest tab incredibly useful. Having a clear goal stabilized his chaotic mind.
On January 1st, 2026, the group finally reached the University of Regina.
Some buildings looked disturbed, partially broken, and a few were ruined. Craters with a diameter of two meters were scattered about ten meters from the outskirts of the campus—obvious signs of the troll's rampage.
The only building Vincent and Daniel were actually looking forward to was the library. They had yet to give up on learning how to fix cell towers, and the library was bound to have the information they needed.
They entered through the Riddell Center, the Art campus. No sign of people yet, but the doors were smashed, just like the ones in Southland Mall.
It made the party wary, and they treaded through the place more carefully.
Passing the Art campus, they entered Archer's Library.
Everything was quiet in the spacious interior, but because of the deafening silence, it was easier to pick up the faintest noise.
And Vincent heard the faintest sound of music.