Kael's grip tightened on the cold metal pipe. It was surprisingly well balanced, an extension of his arm that felt almost natural despite its crude nature thanks to his passive skill. His internal HUD, a subtle overlay, tinged with a faint red border around his vision as Asha's voice cut through the tension.
Asha said, "Multiple Unknown Organism signatures merging on your position. Estimated eight to ten hostiles. Quadrupedal,approximately thirty kilograms each. Heightened heart rates and aggressive biomarkers detected. I hypothesize these are the mutated vermin we formerly theorized. Prepare for engagement."
Before Kael could fully process the situation. "30 kilograms each," which sounded alarmingly big for "vermin," the first one burst out of the shadow.
It was a rat the size of a small dog, its fur mangy and patchy, exposing some slightly tumorous, pulsating growths on its grey skin, its eyes white and devoid of pupils, looking intensely at Kael. Its mouth twitched, revealing a long yellow fang. Horrifyingly fast on all fours, powerful thighs as it lunged forward.
He gave instinctive shout as he swung with the pipe.
[Improvised Melee Weapon Skill: Crude Swing - 1.2% Proficiency]
The metal pipe had struck flesh and bone with a twack. The impact traveled through Kael's arms. The rat let out a nerve-grating high-pitched shriek, its skull almost visibly dented, dark viscous blood and brain matter splattering against the corridor wall. It crumpled to the floor twitching; by the time it fell, three more leapt from the darkness, their claws screeching against the metal flooring.
Asha: "Hostile 1 neutralized. Three more immediate threats, flanking. Two additional signatures approaching from the rear access conduit 7B." Red triangles highlighted each creature on Kael's HUD, lines tracing their probable attack paths.
One lunged for his throat. But Kael, acting on pure reflex, slammed the end of the pipe upward in an extremely violent manner, catching the creature under its jaw with a brutal crack. As its momentum carried it away, its claws raked at his chest, tearing through the thin cryo-suit.
[Damage Taken: Minor Lacerations - Chest. Suit Health: 12%]
[Pain Level: Moderate. Adrenaline Surging.]
Screaming in pain, Kael shoved the creature off and began to swing the pipe wildly, striking another rat that was flanking him and sending it tumbling with a yelp, but a third held on for it's dear life and sank its teeth into his leg all the way through.
[Critical Alert: Deep Puncture Wound - Left Calf. Severe Bleeding Detected!]
[Phoenix Protocol: Attempting localized pain suppression. Minor success.]
Asha: "Kael, your left leg is crippled!! Prioritize disengagement from Hostile 3!! Rear threats are close!!"
He could barely hear Asha's voice over the ringing in his ears and that of the beasts growling. Pain in his leg was burning. Blood was everywhere; the coppery scent of it choked him. These things wanted to tore him apart.
Somewhere inside Kael, something , snapped. His breathing thickened, and his pulse raced.
"Aaaaarghh...!!" A guttural sound or rage. He dash channeling every trace of his fear and desperation into raw strength. He brought the pipe down onto the head of the rat that clamped onto his leg. Once. Twice. Three times. The skull shattered like rotten fruit with guts and blood splattering all over him.
[Hostile 3 Neutralized. Improvised Melee Weapon Skill +1.5% Proficiency. Strength Attribute +0.01 (Combat Exertion).]
Two more rats from behind him, even bigger than the others and with eyes faintly lit with luminescence, approaching him down the corridor from where he had just come.
Kael (gasping, blood streaming down his leg): "Asha... Help me locate their attack paths.." His eyes turn serious, and his attention shifts to the red glowing arrow on his HUD.
Asha: "Two Alpha-class signatures detected. This one has higher resilience and increased aggression. Kael, your current strategy of direct confrontation against superior numbers is leading to a rapid decrease in combat practicability. Tactical retreat to a defensible position is advised. The Med Bay door is 15 meters ahead, to your current position."
His instincts screamed at him to stand and fight, but the burning pain in his leg made it hard for him to concentrate, and his vision started to blur.
Kael: "Asha was right." He staggered back, swinging the pipe to keep the remaining rats at bay. One of the Alphas lunged faster than he'd expected; he tried to dodge, but his injured leg collapsed. The claws razed across his arm.
[Severe Laceration - Right Forearm. Minor Arterial Bleed Detected!]
[Vital Signs Critical! Phoenix Protocol initiating Emergency Trauma Response... Stamina Drain Impending!]
A strange warmth, and a surge of energy momentarily dulled the pain flooding Kael's system.
He charged. With a desperate, animalistic roar, he met the Alpha head-on, the pipe swing in motion. He smashed the pipe into the Rat Alpha's mouth, and again into its exposed neck as it recoiled and went down gurgling. The other Alpha rat hesitated for a fraction of a second, caught off guard by the sudden ferocity of Kael.
That moment of hesitation was all Kael needed; he lunged, momentarily ignoring the burning pain, and swung down with everything he had left onto the last Alpha's skull. The sound was a sickening crunch against the ringing silence.
[All Hostiles Neutralized.]
[Combat engagement: 57 seconds.]
[Phoenix Protocol: Emergency Trauma Response active. Warning: Sustained activation would lead to systemic collapse. Medical attention is immediate.]
[Skills Gained:
Combat Art Unlocked - 'Desperate Strike' (Level 1 - low chance to inflict critical damage when Health is low).
Survival Skill - 'Mutated Fauna Combat Basics' (Level 1 - Basic understanding of aggressive mutant attack patterns).]
Kael stood swaying, drenched in his own blood and foul liquids from the mutated rats. He was tired now and seeing double, and the pipe was slippery in his shaking hands. The adrenaline was beginning to fade.
Kael (weak): "Asha... Med Bay... now..."
Asha: "Understood. Ahead are controls for Med Bay Gamma-7. Unfortunately, my scans tell me that it is - shall we say - a mess. However, it is your only immediate option for now."
He shuffled forward, leaving bloody footprints on a grated metal floor. Each step sent sharp stabbing pains through his body. Finally, he reached the Med Bay door. Fortunately for him, the access panel still responded to the bloody mess of his handprint on the scanner with a hiss as it slid to one side.
The Med Bay was... a disaster. Wheelchairs and stretchers lay overturned; medical equipment shattered and smashed on the floors, and dried bloodstains decorated the floor. In one corner, a single diagnostic bed and a supply cabinet were still untouched.
Kael barely made it to the bed before his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto it, the world spinning into adarkness.
[Status: Unconscious. Phoenix Protocol diverting all available energy to Life stabilization.]
---
"Kael!"
"Kael!"
"Kael! Kael, get up! All sectors are about to go critical due to a power failure, and you have to wake up this instant!'
Kael's eyelids twitched before snapping to life on the diagnostic bed.
He tried to sit up, "Ughh!" Every muscle fiber in his body screamed in pain. His HUD flared a red in warnings that made his head spin even more.
[CRITICALLY ALERT: Blood Loss- Severe]
[WARNING: Multiple Lacerations. Risks of Infection: High ]
[SYSTEM ALERT: Left Calf Mobility: Critically Impaired - Muscular & Tendon Damage]
[SYSTEM ALERT: Right Forearm Strength: Significantly Reduced - Deep Tissue Trauma]
[PAIN LEVEL: Acute- Combat Effectiveness Severely Affected]
"Asha...? What... what's ... happening right now?" He applied pressure to his throbbing head, the other hand holding anhis injured leg.
Asha: "The geothermal conduit is either malfunctioning, or the primary Vault power core has undergone terminal collapse. The effect remains the same: stasis field stability for all dormant cryo units is decaying at an accelerated rate. My projections were total failure-and subsequent biological demise of the 14 remaining Phoenix Cohorts-in about nineteen minutes."
These words hit Kael harder than any other blow he had endured. He thought of the sleeping girls. Their faces in their cold-sleep they're gonna die because he had not been strong enough..
Kael: "It can't be." He lifted himself up from the diagnostic bed ignoring pain sending to his body. "No, we can still do this.. I can't let die. We need to fix it Asha!"
Asha: "The vault's systems are in stream of failure at the moment, Kael. Our previous intervention was a first-aid applied over a severed artery, but its not a solution. The failure in the primary part of the circulation system in this facility has happened currently. We must act with immediate urgency."
Kael swung his legs over the side of the bed, his injured calf sending jolts of pure pain up to his leg, making him clench his jaw, he sweating really hard. He could feel the weakness in his body now exhausted.
Kael (gritting his teeth, his voice shaking): "Okay, Asha. What ... what do we do?" He cast a glance around the Med Bay.
The dim flickering emergency lights of Med Bay Gamma-7 did barely anything to illuminate the area.
Asha: "Your Phoenix Core is trying to stabilize significant bleeding in your body, but sustained hemorrhaging is still ongoing. System energy is helping your life thereby narrowing our operational window. You have to handle your bodily injuries right now."
His HUD changed, a new overlay surfaced. This was a simplified anatomical representation of himself, with red zone pointing to his several injuries. Apart from it, the important statistics pulsed:
KAEL – SUBJECT PHOENIX PRIME
HP: 32/110 (Critical - Moderate Blood Loss)
STAMINA: 15/90 (Damage Trauma from Severe Injuries)
SYSTEM ENERGY (PHOENIX CORE): 45% (Rapid Depletion - Trauma Response Active)
Severe bleeding (left calf)
STATUS EFFECTS:
[Minor bleeding (right fore arm)]
[Pain: Acute (-25% to All Physical Attributes, -15% Cognitive Focus)]
[ Infections Risk: High ]
Kael (swallowing hard)"Okay... okay, Asha.. Find the supplies." Looking at his hurt body on his HUD, he endures stinging pain all over.
Asha: "The primary medical supply cabinet in this bay appears relatively intact. Coordinates highlighted on your HUD. Probability of viable antiseptics, coagulants, and sterile bandages: 68%. This constitutes an immediate, critical objective, Kael."
A new notification pinged on his HUD,
[NEW QUEST RECEIVED -- CRITICAL]
(FIELD MEDIC: SELF)
Your physique is damage. Use Med Bay Gamma-7's resources to handle severe injuries and stabilize your state.
TIME LIMIT: 00:04:00 (Before Phoenix Core diverts all other energy to life support lock, leaving you immobile.)
[HIGH DIFFICULTY] (limited resources and physical debuffs)
Rewards (Potential - Based on Difficulty):
* HP Restoration
* [Bleeding] Status Removal
* Temporary [Pain] Debuff Reduction
* Skill Progression: Basic First Aid
* Minor System Energy Recovery
Failure: Rapid decline to unconsciousness, subsequent biological demise.
His HUD showed the timer already counting down. Kael stumbled toward the pointed cabinet, his hurt leg ache as he fumbled it open. Inside, a messy medical packs, some quite intact and others are damaged.
Kael: "Asha, what do I grab? It's... literally a mess." His sight was blurry his mouth was very dry; his thirst tears his throat. The hunger he feels after waking up in cryo-sleep is now unbearable.
Asha: "Prioritize: Hemostatic agents – look for packaging labeled 'QuikClot' or similar. Broad-spectrum antiseptic solutions – 'Chlorhexidine' or 'Povidone-Iodine.' Sterile compress bandages. Nutrient paste and hydration solution packs are also highly advisable for stamina and HP regeneration if time permits after addressing the critical bleeding."
Kael's shaking hands discovered a packet of jelly granules, an antiseptic spray, and a few big bandages as Asha called out with visual cues. Though his Basic First Aid skill guided his clumsy but desperate attempts, He poured the gel on his bleeding calf; the feeling was an unusual combination of severe stinging and now fading pain.
[Basic First Aid Skill Applied: Hemostatic agent application partially successful]
Bleeding (left calf) status adjusted to: minor]
[HP: 35/110]
Gritting through his teeth at the pain, he sprayed the antiseptic on the cuts in his chest and arm.
[Basic First Aid Technique Used: Antiseptic Application - Successful]
[Infection Risk: Moderate]
For his right arm, wrapping the bandages was difficult, one-handed task, but he still got through. The quest timer read: [00:01:30] remaining
Asha: "Sufficient for now; the bleeding is now stabilized. My scans indicate two nutrient paste tubes and one hydration bladder within your immediate reach. Consume them right away; your stamina is critically low."
Kael grabbed them. The nutrient paste was a thick greyish color, and tasted faintly of metal but he forced to gulp down. The water from the bladder was lukewarm and feels recycled, but it was the best thing he'd ever tasted.
[Nutrient Paste Consumed. HP +5, Stamina +10]
[Hydration Solution Consumed. Stamina +15. Minor [Pain] Debuff Reduction.]
[HP: 40/110]
[Stamina: 40/90]
The quest timer dinged: [00:00:03].
[QUEST COMPLETE: Field Medic - Self]
Rewards:
* HP Restored: +10
* [Bleeding] Status Removed
* [Pain] Debuff Reduced to: Moderate (-15% Physical Attributes, -10% Cognitive Focus)
* Skill Progression: Basic First Aid +15% (Now Lv. 2 - "Competent Application")
* System Energy Recovered: +5% (Now 50%)
[New Passive Skill Unlocked (Basic First Aid Lv. 2): Minor Wound Resilience - Slightly reduced impact from minor lacerations and abrasions.]
Kael slumped against the cabinet, his fead feels dizzy. He desperately fight the urge to fall unconscious.
Kael (breathing heavily): "Okay… okay, that's… better it still kinda hurts." He looked at his updated stats. "So, this Phoenix Core… really makes me stronger?"
Asha: "The Phoenix Core AI is linked to your unique genetic structure. Project Phoenix was about evolution and enhanced survivability for its prime subject – That's you, Kael. And my functions included I will explain now your potential growth parameters"
Her voice took on a more almost lecture-like tone, and Kael's HUD displayed in corresponding icons and brief descriptions:
Asha: "Adaptive Biometric Augmentation: As you've experienced, your physical attributes – Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Endurance, Resilience, Perception – improve through targeted training and practical application. The Core accelerates muscle development, neural pathway optimization, and sensory acuity beyond baseline human capabilities. What might take years for others, you can achieve in months or weeks with focused effort."
HUD shows his current stats:
STR 4.77
DEX 1.22 (-0.03 debuff active)
AGI 3.50 (-15% debuff active)
END 4.00, RES 3.80 (+0.1 from rat fight)
PER 4.20
Asha: "Skill Matrix: The system identifies, tracks, and enhances learned skills, from combat arts to technical proficiencies. Repeated successful actions create 'muscle memory' and cognitive pathways at an accelerated rate. New skills or 'Combat Arts' can be unlocked through specific achievements or attribute thresholds, as you saw with 'Desperate Strike'."
HUD shows his current skills:
Improvised Melee Weapon Lv. 5 (7.7%)
Athletics - Basic Feats of Strength Lv. 1 (0.5%)
Basic First Aid Lv. 2 (0.0%)
Mutated Fauna Combat Basics Lv. 1 (0.0%)
Combat Art: Desperate Strike)
Asha: "Regenerative Nanite Sub-System or what you called Nano-machines (Currently Basic - Requires Higher System Energy & Specific Bio-catalysts): Your DNA contains the blueprint for a colony of restorative nanites. At full potential, they can repair significant tissue damage. Neutralized any toxins entering your body, and even combat certain pathogens. They currently offer minor trauma mitigation and pain suppression, but their true capabilities are still unlocked."
Kael stared his eyes wide in excitement. Nano-machines? Those little machine's in his body!? Awesome!!
Asha: "Environmental Adaptation and Analysis: My sensors and your senses enable quick analysation of new settings. I can detect resources that will increase our chances of survival, as well as any type of flora and their other information. I can also conduct real-time research for unknown flora that are now existing in our surroundings. In addition to fauna, I can examine their habits and capabilities, as well as if they pose a threat to your living being. I am well-versed in all aspects of technology and structural information."
Asha: "Vast Information Archive & Tactical Support: As previously discussed, I am your direct link to pre-disaster knowledge and can provide ongoing tactical and strategic counsel."
Kael (slowly shaking his head, trying to process it all): "So… my parents… they made me into… like a super-human?"
Asha: "They made you into humanity's best hope. A responsibility I am programmed to help you fulfill. The Auxiliary Fusion Core in Sub-Level Engineering is our only path to secure that hope for the others. Now the clock is still ticking."
On his HUD, the main timer pulsed: [STASIS PODS OFFLINE IN: 00:14:22]
Kael (pushing himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the pipe): "So we have eleven percent chance, you said?"
Asha: "That was before the pre-treatment, Kael. With your wounds partially addressed, I have recalibrated. Current probability of success: 13.1%. Marginal, but it will improve depends on the situation."
Kael: "I'll take it." He looked towards the door of the Med Bay. "Which way to our destination, Asha? Let's go make that number bigger."