“Daryl,” Isaac repeated, a hint of surprise in his voice. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon… or at all, if I’m being honest.”

  The man on the other side of the line laughed, though the sound carried clear relief. “You ain’t the first one to tell me that today, kid. Though, you’re still only the fifth one to answer since I began calling everyone on my contact list…”

  Isaac winced. If there was one thing he remembered, it was that Daryl knew a lot of people in Galt. It wouldn’t surprise him if he had half of the town in his contacts. Although, to be fair, depending on how the man had him listed, he might have been one of the first people called.

  He didn’t ask, though; there were more pressing matters to worry about. “How is it going on your side?” he said instead.

  “I should be the one asking that, kid. You’re trapped in the middle of the city, right?”

  A frown crept onto Isaac’s face as he nodded. “Pretty much. I’m bunkering inside my apartment for now.”

  “Damn it,” Daryl cursed. “One of the guys I called told me how bad it is over there. Everybody is scared to go out with so many mo—“

  “Hold up,” Isaac cut in, still trying to keep his voice low. “Are you saying there are fewer Wretched where you live?”

  A heavy sigh came from the other side. “That’s right. A couple of people around the neighborhood still transformed, but it’s manageable, if quite rough on those who have already lost someone close… It also helped that not many people were out when the virus hit.”

  “Right...” Isaac muttered. Even if it was early when he went shopping, this part of the city was anything but empty when he went out. He had passed at least a dozen people on the way and saw a bunch more, be it in the distance or driving down the streets.

  “How is your family?” he asked after a moment.

  “Good, very good. We were damn lucky,” the older man said, relief obvious in his voice. “Mia didn’t have work today, and Laura has been sick for the past two days, so no school for her. God… I never thought I would be happy that my kid is sick, yet here we are.”

  “Wait,”—Isaac’s eyes widened just a bit—“the schools.”

  By the time the virus hit, they all had to be full of students. So many people, so many bodies in one place. It was a recipe for disaster in a setting like this.

  “Ah yes, the schools…” Daryl muttered. “No one is answering the phone over there—not the students, not the principal’s office. That’s one of the reasons why I’m calling everyone. We need to find out what’s happening.”

  Isaac closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. “I’m afraid I won’t be of much help to you then. I’m kinda in a pickle myself.”

  “Don’t worry, kid. Like I said, that’s only one of the reasons why I’m calling—well, other than just to check on ya. The schools are an issue, a big one, but I’m not about to ask you to risk your life going there. The other parents here and I will somehow handle it.”

  “Good luck then. You guys will need it.”

  Daryl chuckled, though the sound was hollow. “Don’t I know it… Listen, about the other reasons… I just wanted to let people know that the outskirts are mostly safe. I know it’s probably impossible for you to move right now, but if you ever get a chance to make a run for it without risking your life? Head to my place. We will be setting up a camp around here for all survivors.”

  A small, faint smile tugged at Isaac’s lips. For the most part, he didn’t believe in selfless kindness, but people like the old man, Daryl, and even Mrs. Harper, sometimes made him question that belief. Not for long, though—humanity’s worse side always reared its ugly face sooner or later.

  Still…

  “Thanks, I will remember that.”

  “You better,” Daryl said firmly. “And don’t give up, kid. Maybe try to find other survivors close to you. Times like these are always easier with more people around. Oh, and remember to charge your phone. We will be busy trying to reach the schools for now, but later, we will try to come for ya all trapped in the city. Until then, stay safe.”

  “You too,” Isaac answered and let out a heavy sigh when the call disconnected.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Daryl’s promise. He just doubted they would reach the area near his apartment anytime soon. Galt had a population of over twenty thousand, and if even half of that had turned into monsters… Well, it wasn’t a pretty thought.

  Unless the power-up and rewards from fully unlocking the Interface are something out of this world. That… that could turn the odds back in our favor.

  Once more, a flicker of something ignited within Isaac at the idea of facing the Wretched. It was subtle, like a faint, burning sensation in his blood that didn’t hurt at all.

  He wanted more of that.

  Without even realizing it, he stood up, the pain in his leg almost forgotten. He looked toward the door leading to his bedroom and nodded. He couldn’t stay here any longer, but first, he had to prepare.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Current progress: 3 out of 20 | Rewards claimed: 61 out of 500

  Almost twenty more than the last time I looked, Isaac thought as he stopped in front of his barricaded front door. Doesn’t matter. I won’t be left behind anymore.

  It took him some time to dig through his closet to find proper clothes for fighting monsters, but in the end, he found something suitable. His lower half was now clad in two pairs of pants—one snug and the other loose and baggy. It wasn’t the most comfortable fit, but it didn’t restrict his movement and just might save his legs from further serious injuries.

  For the upper body, he threw on a thick, long-sleeved shirt and a leather jacket that the old man had bought him over a year ago. He considered putting on another shirt or two, but even though it was only April, it was still California. Sweating like a pig wouldn’t do him any favors.

  Isaac took a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s do it then.”

  For the time being, he put away the crowbar, a metal broom handle he found in his bathroom, and the long kitchen knife he had spent five minutes sharpening. He then pushed the small dresser blocking the door aside and unlocked it.

  The entire staircase was just as silent as before—save for the occasional muffled screeches echoing off the walls. Isaac put his weaponry on the dresser and heaved it up, taking the furniture with him into the corridor.

  Many would ask why he was dragging a heavy block of wood with him, but he had an idea—an idea that would hopefully work.

  Guess I will find out soon, he thought, placing the dresser close to the door of his first neighbor in a way so it blocked the path toward his own apartment. With that done, he hopped over it and knocked—hard.

  A second passed, five, ten, twenty. Still nothing.

  Isaac clicked his tongue. Makes sense. Ms. Yang is rarely home at this time of the day.

  Nonetheless, he grabbed the door’s handle and twisted it. Not even a budge. As expected, with the woman gone, the door was locked. He felt stupid for even trying to open it.

  Next then.

  He repeated the process for the other two apartments on his floor, ending up with more silence in return. A tiny part of him worried that everyone had been out when the virus hit, but another part suspected his neighbors might simply be ignoring him. He only really knew a handful of people in the building; the rest were just familiar faces in passing.

  That’s what I get for avoiding most social interactions, Isaac thought as he dragged the dresser to the floor below.

  Four apartments waited for him there. The first was as quiet as the others, but the second…

  The moment he knocked, it began—a low hiss followed by a sharp screech. It took only a few seconds for the monster on the other side to slam against the door. Thankfully, it didn’t know how to open it.

  Here we go.

  With another deep breath, Isaac twisted the handle. He didn’t wait to see if the door even opened and jumped over the dresser next to him. Still, the loud screech behind him told him all he needed to know.

  Landing on the other side of the dresser, he snatched the crowbar and swung it with all his might as he spun around to face the incoming beast.

  The Wretched—already in the process of reaching over the dresser—had no time to defend itself as the metal tool slammed into its neck. The impact sent it right into the staircase railing, a pained hiss leaving its lips as it collapsed.

  Isaac wasted no time. He leaped over the barricade again and plunged the sharpened kitchen knife into the Wretched’s heart. It stilled, the yellow glow fading from its eyes.

  Not bad.

  A small grin tugged at his lips. The burning in his veins also returned for a moment, giving him another taste of the weird but comforting feeling.

  If only it lasted longer.

  Soon, he promised himself, slipping into the now-open apartment and checking every room just in case. The layout was almost the same as his own, so it didn’t take long to confirm that the place was indeed empty. Though, the Wretched’s corpse still managed to disappear in the meantime.

  Job done, Isaac dragged the dresser toward the next door. There, he didn’t even need to knock. His short fight must have alerted the entire floor—the screeches coming from the other side were obvious.

  More than one. He frowned. If he remembered correctly, this apartment belonged to a middle-aged pair. Need a different plan.

  Despite not knowing if the door was even unlocked, he positioned the dresser almost right in front of it, leaving just enough space for it to open slightly. If he could leave the Wretched trapped inside while still being able to hit them…

  I doubt the dresser is gonna hold for long, though.

  Even then, Isaac didn’t back down. He grabbed the crowbar, hid behind the dresser, and tugged the door handle.

  It opened.

  Instantly, the door slammed into the dresser but didn’t do much more. Screeches filled the entire staircase, forcing Isaac to act as a bald head slipped out of the small gap in the entrance.

  Down you go, he growled, hitting the back of the monster’s head with the wedge end of the crowbar. It crumbled to the ground, still alive but at least stunned for the moment.

  Isaac didn’t get the chance to celebrate his success.

  The second Wretched slammed into the door again, forcing the dresser back and widening the gap. With nothing left to block it, the creature stepped over its fallen comrade and stumbled into the hallway.

  Yet, it still hadn’t spotted Isaac, who used the monster’s momentary confusion and rushed it with the metal broom handle. He didn’t swing it, though; no, instead, with the gathered momentum, he slammed into the Wretched and used the handle to shove it over the railing.

  Still, he didn’t wait for the inevitable thump of its fall. He spun on his heel, replacing his current weapon with the kitchen knife. The first Wretched was still groaning on the ground near the door.

  Without hesitation, he kicked it in the head, flipped it over, and stabbed it in the heart.

  Current progress: 6 out of 20 | Rewards claimed: 99 out of 500

  Both dead, he fought back a large grin as he yanked the knife out and entered the open apartment. As expected, there was no one else inside.

  He was tempted to search the place for more stuff he could use as a weapon, but for the time being, he had enough. Maybe if he knew that someone around here was hiding a firearm, he would reconsider. As it was, he couldn’t waste any more precious time.

  Fourteen left.