Chapter 37: The Floors Above

Zarek stood over the monster’s corpse, breathing through the pain in his ribs.

Blood covered the corridor, and the creature’s severed heads lay several feet apart. He had already stored the two crystals in his System Space. Whatever they were, he could examine them later.

That sudden surge of strength had come just as the creature was about to crush him. The timing was too convenient to ignore.

Elsa.

The system had rewarded him before when she achieved something using his investments. If his suspicion was correct, her latest achievement had triggered another return.

But what had she accomplished? Who the hell was she fighting?

He had left her with Ayesha at the apartment. He had no idea what had happened there since then.

A grin tugged at his lips. If Elsa’s progress could make him stronger, he wanted to find out how far that connection went.

He left the corpse behind and returned to the armory.

The armory was still open when Zarek returned.

He surveyed the equipment scattered across the shelves and racks. The place had proved useful, and he wasn’t about to leave its best supplies behind.

He stored the assault rifles, shotgun, their ammunition, and the best protective gear in his System Space. He added several other firearms and compatible magazines, keeping the most valuable equipment within easy reach.

Everything else worth taking went into a large, sturdy box: spare weapons, ammunition, medical supplies, and other useful equipment.

His ribs protested as he bent down. By the time he finished, he was breathing harder than he liked.

"Fuck. I need a proper rest."

Before the fight, Zarek had planned to kill everyone in the shelter once they stopped being useful. There were too many unknowns, and he had no intention of letting strangers become a problem later.

That plan no longer seemed quite so appealing.

The monster had nearly crushed him despite his sudden increase in strength. If he hadn’t found an opening, he would be dead now. And he still had no idea what other creatures—or people—might be lurking in the building.

The survivors could know things he didn’t. Some might have useful skills, supplies, or information about the changes taking place outside.

Killing them all before learning what they knew would be a waste.

He would recover first. After that, he could decide who was worth keeping around and who wasn’t.

He looked at the box and remembered his agreement with Mara.

Two-thirds of the weapons and ammunition, along with half the medical supplies, in exchange for investigating the missing team.

He’d made that deal before discovering what the armory contained. Mara had no idea what he’d found, and Zarek had no intention of handing over his best equipment.

For now, he secured the box and prepared to move it. His injuries made carrying it an unpleasant task, but leaving useful supplies behind would have been even more foolish.

Once everything was ready, he left the armory.

The apartment would serve as his base for now. With Elsa and Ayesha there, he had people whose abilities he could assess and a place to organize his resources. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to start with.

Then there was the building itself.

Nearly forty-two floors, and he’d explored only up to the twenty-third.

Who lived above him? Had survivors formed groups, or had monsters already taken over entire floors?

He had no idea. That alone made the upper floors worth investigating. He might find people with useful abilities, supplies he could take, or threats better dealt with before they reached him.

By the time Zarek reached the shelter entrance, his ribs ached with every breath. The box was heavy enough that he was eager to put it down.

He shifted it onto one arm and struck the gate with his free hand.

THUD!

A moment later, someone approached from the other side and opened the gate.

Zarek stepped through with the box.

"Finally," he muttered.

THUD!

The gate closed behind him.

The smell of blood followed him inside, drawing uneasy looks from those nearest the entrance.

Several survivors turned toward him. Their attention shifted from the box to his bloodstained clothes and bruised body.

"Jesus Christ. What happened to you?" a man near the entrance asked.

Zarek lowered the box to the floor.

"Had a little trouble downstairs."

The man glanced behind him.

"Where’s the bandaged guy?"

Nearby conversations faded. A woman stared at the blood on Zarek’s clothes, while someone near the stairs muttered a curse.

"He’s not coming back," Zarek replied.

Mara approached, her gaze moving from his injuries to the box.

"You’re badly hurt, and he’s missing. What the hell happened down there?"

Before Zarek could answer, someone near the back spoke up.

"Did you find the storage room?"

The question changed the mood almost immediately. Several people glanced at the box, and the concern on their faces gave way to expectation.

Zarek noticed the change.

Of course.

A missing man was troubling, but a box full of supplies could affect everyone’s chances of surviving the next few days.

"Found it," he replied flatly.

"What’s inside?" The man shouted.

"Take a guess."

The man frowned at his answer, but Mara raised a hand before he could say anything else.

"Let him speak." She kept her eyes on Zarek.

"We made a deal. You investigate the missing team, and you bring back what you find. I need to know whether we can still rely on that agreement."

Zarek almost laughed. She was worried about the agreement while he was standing there covered in blood.

Still, he understood her position. These people needed supplies, and she needed to keep them from turning against her.

A few survivors were still watching him, waiting for an explanation. Others kept glancing at the supplies, apparently more concerned about what he’d recovered than who hadn’t returned.

Zarek couldn’t blame them. Everyone here had something to lose.

A faint smile crossed his face.

"That’s going to be an interesting story."