They retreated to a relatively intact room deep within one of the abandoned buildings. Fin barricaded the door with a heavy cabinet, while the girl slumped against the wall, clutching her injured side.
"We should be safe here, at least for now," Fin said, scanning the dusty space. Light filtered through cracks in the boarded windows.
The girl watched him warily, her hand never straying far from her weapon. "Who are you anyway?"
"Name's Fin. I'm from the Hunters Guild," he replied, settling down across from her. "And you?"
She hesitated before answering. "Juliana." She gestured at the ruins around them. "This was my home."
Fin's eyes widened. "You lived here? How is that possible? This is a dungeon that just appeared a few days ago."
She shook her head, confusion written across her face. "Dungeon? This city has been here for generations. I was born here." Her expression darkened. "And I watched it fall three years ago when that thing arrived."
"What thing?"
"We never saw it clearly. Something ancient that came from beneath the old temple." Her voice grew quiet. "It released a virus. Within days, people started changing. Those vines appeared under their skin, and they... they weren't themselves anymore."
As she spoke, her body trembled slightly. Fin noticed how her eyes darted to the shadows, as if expecting monsters to emerge at any moment.
"Everyone I knew turned. My parents, my friends..." She trailed off, lost in painful memories.
He moved closer, instinctively reaching out to comfort her. She immediately tensed and shifted away.
"Sorry," he muttered, backing off.
She composed herself. "Don't take it personally. I haven't exactly had good experiences with strangers lately."
"Fair enough." He glanced at her wound. "So why aren't you like them? The vines are inside you too."
She touched her side gingerly. "I don't know. Others turned within hours. I've been fighting this infection for a long time now. It spreads slowly, but it's spreading."
"Do you know why those zombies were trying to capture you instead of kill you?"
She shook her head. "No idea. This is new. Usually they just attack."
Fin considered this information. "Maybe it's because you're immune, or resistant at least. Maybe whatever controls them wants you alive."
"Controls them?"
"Those vines aren't random. Something's directing them, and I think it's coming from that tower." He pointed through a crack in the window toward the massive structure looming in the distance. "I can feel it pulling, a source of mana stronger than anything I've felt before."
Her eyes narrowed. "The Old Tower. That's where the temple was... where it all started."
They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in thought.
Finally, Fin stood up. "Well, I need to keep moving. I came here looking for my Guild members, but now I think that tower might have answers."
"You're going there? Alone?" She sounded incredulous.
"I don't have much choice. I need to find out what happened to my team." He checked his dagger and moved toward the door. "You should hide somewhere safer. Those things are still looking for you."
She didn't respond as he cleared the barricade and slipped out into the corridor. He paused, briefly considering asking her to join him, but decided against it. She clearly didn't trust him, and he had enough problems already.
"Good luck, Juliana," he said, then started down the hallway.
He made his way through the building cautiously, listening for any sign of the zombies. The street outside seemed clear, so he darted across to another structure, keeping to the shadows.
As he moved from building to building, working his way toward the tower, a sensation prickled at the back of his neck.
He was being watched.
He ducked behind a collapsed wall and waited. A moment later, he caught a glimpse of movement—Juliana, crouching behind a rusted car, following his path.
He suppressed a smile. Despite her distrust, she was trailing him. Probably figured he was her best chance of survival, or maybe she was just curious about what he'd do at the tower.
Either way, he pretended not to notice. If she wanted to keep her distance, that was fine. But it was oddly comforting not to be completely alone in this dead city.
He continued forward, channeling mana into his legs for the next leap, making sure that he doesn't leap too far so she can keep up.
He paused at a corner, peering around to scout the path ahead. His heart sank at what he saw.
A group of zombies blocked the route—five of them clustered around the remains of an overturned vehicle.
"Shit," he muttered, glancing back.
Juliana was about two blocks behind, ducking between buildings as she followed him. If she continued on this path, she'd run straight into the zombies. He couldn't warn her without revealing he knew she was there.
No choice, then.
He broke into a sprint, closing the distance fast. The zombies didn't notice him yet. He focused, channeling mana into his legs, and launched himself off the ground.
Mid-air, he twisted, dagger glowing green as energy surged through it. He came down hard, slicing clean through the first zombie's neck. Its head hit the ground with a wet thud.
He landed in a crouch, one hand steadying him, the other gripping the dagger. His aura flared—sharp, dangerous, like a blade cutting through the stale air. He smirked at the remaining zombies as they turned, their vine-wrapped bodies twitching.
"What's the matter?" he said, voice low and cocky. "Not used to someone fighting back?"
The zombies snarled, green vines pulsing, and charged. Fin didn't flinch. He'd fought enough of these things now. He sidestepped the first one, spinning low on one hand, and kicked upward, snapping its head off with a crack.
"Too easy."
Another lunged, claws out, but he rolled forward, popping up behind it. His dagger flashed, cutting through the vines at its spine.
It dropped instantly.
Two left.
They came at him together, fast and sloppy. He ducked under a wild swing, spun on his heel, and drove his blade into one's chest, twisting it free as it fell. The last one roared, rushing him.
He met it head-on, flipping over its outstretched arms, landing on its shoulders. A quick slash severed the vines at its neck, and it collapsed beneath him.
He straightened up, breathing steady, the glow of his dagger fading. Around him, the street was quiet again, just bodies and dark green stains. He looked back—Juliana still hadn't caught up yet.
"Guess I've got time," he said to himself.
He knelt by the nearest zombie, pressing a hand to its chest. His power kicked in, absorbing the mana from the corpse. It flowed into him, warm and sharp, filling his veins with a quick jolt of strength.
He moved to the next one, then the next, draining each one dry. The energy stacked, making his muscles hum, his senses keener.
When he finished, he stood, flexing his hands. Juliana was closer now, still keeping her distance. He didn't call her out—just turned and kept moving toward the tower, letting her follow if she wanted.
The fight had been easy, and he felt it: he was getting stronger. Not just luck anymore. Skill.
"Let's see what's next," he muttered, eyes locked on the distant structure. The pull of mana was stronger now, tugging him forward.
Whatever was waiting, it was bad news.
"I hope the guildmaster is there, if not, then I am just heading straight to my death."