Chapter 44: The Returns of Investment

The ruined street stretched ahead of them, lined with abandoned cars and buildings whose windows had been shattered during the outbreak.

Zarek walked at the front, while Elsa and Ayesha followed with their weapons ready.

"Stay alert," he told them. "And don’t assume a mutant is dead just because it stops moving."

Ayesha glanced at him. "You make it sound like they enjoy getting back up."

"Some of them might. You should ask one when you find it."

She gave him an irritated look, but Elsa let out a quiet laugh.

Their first encounter came less than ten minutes later.

A mutant wandered out from between two parked vehicles, its skin covered in dark patches and one arm hanging lower than the other. It spotted the three humans and immediately charged.

Ayesha raised her gun, but instead of planting her feet and waiting for the perfect shot, she moved toward the side of an abandoned car. The mutant changed direction to follow her, giving her enough time to aim before it reached her.

Her first bullet struck its upper chest. The creature stumbled, then continued forward, forcing her to move again. She waited until it exposed its head and fired a second time.

The mutant dropped.

Ayesha kept her weapon trained on it for several seconds before approaching cautiously to confirm the kill. When she returned, she looked a little less shaken than she had after her first fight that morning.

Zarek noticed the difference.

"Better," he said. "You moved before it reached you instead of waiting until the last moment."

"Was that supposed to be praise?"

"Don’t get used to it."

She rolled her eyes, though some of the tension had left her shoulders.

They continued through the surrounding streets, finding isolated mutants rather than groups.

Zarek made Ayesha choose when to engage and when to avoid a fight, refusing to tell her the answer every time she hesitated.

She wasted a few bullets on poor shots, and once she nearly trapped herself against a wall while trying to keep a mutant in her sights.

He corrected her afterward, making her explain what had gone wrong before allowing them to move on.

By the time she killed her fifth mutant, her arms were aching from keeping her weapon raised, and the repeated gunfire had left her ears ringing.

She had learned to create distance, use cover, and stop chasing a perfect shot when a good opportunity was already available.

It wasn’t enough to make her an experienced fighter, but it was a start.

"Five," Zarek said after she confirmed the kill. "You completed the assignment."

Ayesha lowered her gun and exhaled. "You say that like you expected me to fail."

"I didn’t know what to expect. That’s why I made you do it."

She wanted to argue, but the words died before leaving her mouth. She was tired, and she couldn’t honestly claim that she hadn’t learned anything.

Zarek turned toward Elsa, who had been watching the street ahead.

"Your turn. Keep going until you reach ten."

"Understood."

Elsa didn’t waste time complaining about the number. She had already spent plenty of time fighting alone, and the difference showed as soon as their next target appeared.

A lean mutant emerged from a damaged storefront, its claws scraping against the pavement as it rushed toward her.

She shifted out of its path, let it pass close enough to expose its side, and struck before it could turn around.

Her weapon hit with enough force to bring the creature down, and she followed through to make sure it wouldn’t rise again.

Ayesha watched the fight carefully.

"You make that look easy," she admitted.

"It isn’t," Elsa replied, checking the surrounding windows before approaching the corpse.

"You just learn not to hesitate when you can’t afford to."

They moved on.

Elsa’s progress was steadier than Ayesha’s, though not every encounter went smoothly. One mutant lunged from behind an overturned vehicle and nearly caught her before she noticed it.

She managed to turn aside, but its claws tore through the fabric near her shoulder. Her next strike killed it, leaving her breathing hard as she inspected the damage.

Zarek didn’t rush to help her. He watched until she had confirmed the kill and checked herself for injuries, then continued following her as she hunted the remaining targets.

By the time Elsa reached ten, the difference between the two women was obvious.

Ayesha had needed to think through nearly every movement, while Elsa had relied on experience to make decisions under pressure. Neither was invincible, but both had accomplished what he asked of them.

"Ten," Elsa said, wiping her weapon before putting it away. "Are we done?"

"For now."

"Good. I’m getting hungry."

"Then you should have finished faster."

Elsa gave him a flat look. "Next time, you can kill them yourself."

Zarek laughed. "Where would the fun be in that?"

The three of them found a quieter stretch of road where they could take a short break. Ayesha checked her remaining ammunition while Elsa examined the tear in her sleeve, confirming that the claws had only caught the fabric.

Zarek leaned against the side of an abandoned car and opened the system.

He had seen enough to judge their performance, but the results mattered more than his personal assessment.

Both women had used the training and equipment he had provided to accomplish something they couldn’t have managed as effectively before.

A familiar notification appeared in his vision.

[Investment Return Received.]

[Target: Elsa]

[Rewards: Permanent Physical Enhancement — Minor Strength Increase.]

[Additional Reward: Improved Blade Proficiency.]

Zarek read through the notification, satisfied with the result.

The strength increase was familiar by now, but he wasn’t about to complain about another permanent improvement. Every increase accumulated, gradually making his body stronger than it had been when he first awakened the system.

The blade proficiency reward was another welcome improvement. Combined with the earlier return from Elsa, it made his handling of bladed weapons noticeably better.

A second notification appeared.

[Investment Return Received.]

[Target: Ayesha]

[Rewards: Permanent Physical Enhancement — Minor Strength Increase.]

[Additional Reward: Improved Firearm Proficiency.]

Zarek’s grin widened.

Zarek’s grin widened. Two investments had produced useful returns, giving him another permanent strength increase alongside improvements to both his blade and firearm proficiency.

The system had rewarded him for developing two women with different strengths, and he was already wondering what their future achievements might bring.

He closed the notifications and glanced at the women.

Neither had any idea what their accomplishments had earned him. As far as they knew, they had spent the morning hunting monsters under the supervision of a demanding man who seemed to find their exhaustion amusing.

That suited him perfectly.

Zarek pushed himself away from the car and drew his steel sword.

He moved it through a few controlled swings, paying attention to how naturally his hands adjusted to each movement.

The difference wasn’t dramatic enough to turn him into a master swordsman, but his control felt more precise, and the blade followed his intentions with slightly less effort.

He checked his firearm next, paying attention to his grip and how naturally he brought it into position. The improvement was subtle, but he could feel the difference. He put it away before the women could interrupt his test.

The strength increase was easier to appreciate. When he straightened, his body felt more powerful than before, although the soreness in his ribs remained. Whatever the system had done, it hadn’t erased his injuries.

Zarek was genuinely pleased. He had entered the morning wanting to assess two women, and he was leaving with a better understanding of their abilities and two new rewards.

If this was what their progress could produce now, he wondered what he might gain once they became strong enough to handle more dangerous opponents.

"Let’s head back," he said, storing his weapon.

Ayesha looked relieved, while Elsa retrieved the supplies they had brought. Neither woman had much energy left for another round of fighting, and Zarek had no particular interest in exhausting them to the point where they became liabilities.

They started toward the apartment building, taking a route that kept them away from the densest clusters of abandoned vehicles.

As they crossed an intersection, Zarek noticed several figures moving between the distant buildings. He couldn’t tell whether they were survivors or something else, and one of them appeared to notice the trio.

He considered investigating, but the thought quickly passed. Curiosity alone wasn’t a good enough reason to wander into another uncertain situation, especially with both women exhausted.

Whatever was happening over there could wait.

"Keep moving," he said.

Ayesha glanced toward the distant street. "What about them?"

"What about them?"

"Aren’t you curious?"

"Of course I’m curious." Zarek continued walking. "That doesn’t mean I’m stupid enough to chase every interesting thing I see."

Elsa followed without arguing, and Ayesha eventually did the same. The figures disappeared behind the ruined buildings as the three continued toward their apartment.