As the minutes passed, the laughter and smiles slowly faded until only the four of us remained at the bonfire—me, Ella, and my parents.
Eventually, after a few more moments of peaceful silence, my father stood up, stretching slightly before speaking with a teasing tone.
"Son, we're going to rest now. Have some private time with Ella, ehehehe."
"Alright, Father… Mom," I replied with an embarrassed voice.
They walked back toward the house, and I silently watched them go. Just before entering, they glanced back and waved at me with a knowing smile, then slipped through the door.
Once they were gone, I turned back to Ella. She looked especially beautiful tonight, her face glowing softly under the light of the fire. I instinctively tried to use my status skill on her—but as expected, it was immediately rejected.
Noticing my glance, Ella raised an eyebrow and said playfully, "Hey, were you trying to check my attributes? Or… were you just mesmerized by my beauty?"
Her words struck me, catching me off guard.
I stood speechless for a moment before answering honestly, "I did try to check your status window… but it wouldn't let me in."
It irritated me a bit—but the moment I looked at her radiant face, the annoyance melted away.
Hearing my smooth yet honest response, she furiously blushed and covered her face.
"Ahahaha… Don't be shy," I said gently, pulling her into a warm embrace. Our bodies leaned into each other as the fire flickered and the moonlight wrapped around us.
Then, as if every act of affection truly carried weight in this world, a system message appeared before me.
---
System Notification:
Due to the growing love and affection between you and Ella, you have acquired a new Passive Skill:
Interconnectedness (LVL 1):
You and Ella can now communicate telepathically within a 10-kilometer range.
---
"This… is amazing," I muttered, holding her a little tighter under the stars and glowing moon.
But the peace didn't last long.
Suddenly, an eerie, distorted scream echoed from beyond the walls—a voice crying out in intense agony. The sound chilled me to the bone.
Without hesitation, I sprang to my feet, rushing toward the source. Ella followed close behind, her face filled with confusion and worry.
When we reached the outer area, there was… nothing. No body. No blood. No sign of struggle. The place was untouched.
"What the hell…?" I muttered.
"Was it just my imagination?"
Still in disbelief, I approached one of the nearby guards.
"Did you hear that scream just now?" I asked, unease heavy in my voice.
The guard blinked, his expression puzzled. "No, sir. There's been no sound at all. It's been quiet."
I clenched my fists slightly. Was it really just a hallucination?
I stood there, lost in thought, until a soft voice brought me back.
"Jefford… You're probably just tired," Ella said gently. "Let's go get some rest. You need more time to recover after the big battle."
I looked at her—her caring face illuminated by the moonlight—and nodded silently.
We returned to the house and lay together, wrapped in each other's arms. A deep, comforting warmth filled me, and soon, sleep overtook my exhausted body.
But when I woke up… Ella was gone.
Anxiety immediately surged through me. I shot up, rushed to the door, and began searching the house—but she wasn't there. My parents were gone too.
A terrible feeling twisted in my chest.
Something had happened while I slept.
I ran outside—and that's when I saw them.
A crowd of survivors, crying. Surrounding a lifeless body sprawled on the cold, hard ground.
Each step I took felt heavier. Dread clawed at my heart, but I kept moving.
And when I got close enough to see clearly—I froze.
It wasn't Ella. It wasn't my parents.
But it still shattered me.
It was the young boy who had once pointed at me and called out, "The saviors are awake!"
Now he lay lifeless, his small body torn apart. His organs were scattered across the floor, and his head had been ripped open—his brain missing.
I stood in stunned silence, my hands trembling. A deep pit of sorrow formed in my chest.
As I knelt beside his broken form, a voice from above called out to me.
"Jefford! Come here, quickly!"
I looked up. On the fortress wall stood Ella, Melianne, and my parents.
Relieved, I rushed up the steps and climbed to the highest level.
But what awaited me there stole my breath again.
Dozens of guards… all lying in a straight line, their bodies covered in white sheets.
"What happened here!?" I shouted.
Melianne stepped forward, her face grim.
"It was this… monstrous thing," she began.
> "It had a hunched back so extreme its head nearly touched its chest. Its limbs were thin and unnaturally twisted, arms disproportionately long with clawed, gnarled fingers. The skin was pale and blistered, stretched tight over its bones, rotting and blood-soaked in places.
Its mouth hung wide in a mockery of a grin, teeth jagged and rotten. One eye was missing—replaced by a maggot-infested cavity. The other stared up blankly, milky and bulging."
The sight made my stomach churn.
Before I could speak, Melianne continued.
"This… hunch spawn zombie, as we're calling it, was able to leap incredible distances. It ambushed our guards, one by one… piercing their heads with its claws to devour their brains."
She looked away in pain. "One guard managed to kill it. Barely."
I stared at the twisted corpse of the creature, rage simmering in my chest.
Then the system window appeared again.
---
System Mission: A Life for a Life
Objective: Eliminate all zombies—including mutant variants—within a 100-kilometer radius of the subdivision.
Duration: 1 week
Reward: Fortress will no longer consume mana or HP. It will become permanent and be autonomously controlled by one of your companions.
---
My fists clenched.
Grief turned into fire.
Hatred burned deep in my veins.
This wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was war.