Miles stood in front of a unit with the number 112 hung on the door. His hand reached for the door handle, and with a twist, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
His steps were silent and steady, his hand clamped around the handle of his M17.
The room was pitch dark, the window blinds were closed, so no light could slip in. He had activated his night vision, and the room glowed in full green.
He could see everything inside clearly.
A floorboard groaned under his boot as he took his first step deeper into Unit 112; The air here was thick, carrying a metallic tang that mixed with the familiar stench of decay.
His night vision picked out dark smudges on the walls-too irregular to be paint, too dark to be anything but dried blood.
Miles swept his M17 slowly across the space, tracking every shadow, every overturned piece of furniture. A overturned study table lay near the far wall, its surface scored with deep gouges that looked like they'd been made by claws.
He moved toward the bedroom doorway, his tactical boots making no sound on the cold tiles floor. As he neared, he caught the faint growl inside.
His grip on the M17 tightened, finger finding the trigger guard as he pressed himself flat against the wall beside the doorway.
The growl rumbled louder now-low and guttural, punctuated by wet, snapping sounds.
Slowly, Miles leaned forward to peer through the narrow gap in the door.
Through the opening, he could see the creature's exposed back as it tore frantically at what looked like a heavy bag.
After confirming the cursed position, he took a deep breath. Because, his next action is dangerous.
He must be quick, and precise or cursed from outside. Would surely, be attracted for sure.
Miles' eyes locked straight through the door, the cursed position is locked in his mind.
Then, without any hesistation. He pushed the door open and swiftly raised his M17 to the air and aim the muzzle of the pistol into the creature's head.
He squeezed the trigger, the M17 flashed to life with a silenced pew. He barely felt the recoil as it jolted against his palm.
He didn't stop at one shot. Two more rounds followed in quick succession, striking the creature in the chest and shoulder.
But, it was still not enough; He fired the final shot found its mark, hitting the creature square in the head.
As it fell onto the ground without being able to muster any reaction at all. The creature crumpled to the floor with a dull thud.
Miles moved forward immediately, sweeping his weapon across the room to confirm there were no more cursed remained.
After securing the entire unit, Miles reached out for the buzzing phone in his pocket.
He pulled out the device, and its screen lit up with bright blue with a pistol in the background.
[Tutorial Mission 1: Secure Your Immediate Area]
- Eliminate all Cursed within the boarding house vicinity.
- Current Completion: 98%
[Mission Milestone Reached]
- Completion has exceeded 95% - Tutorial Mission may be marked as complete..
[Claim Reward?]
- Yes = Mission reward will be distributed immediately.
- No = Mission will continue until 100% completion is achieved.
Miles stared at the screen for a long moment, his thumb hovering over the options.
Although, he was stunned by the milestone's completion, he didn't think much about it; his focus was already on what lay ahead
If he accept the reward, the tutorial mission may disappear along with the potential greater rewards.
Afterall, 2% is all that remained before completion. After thinkig it through, for a minute.
He tapped, No.
"Perhaps, this is the better choice."
Yes, he didn't accept it and who would be dumb enough to take it.
It was only 2% left, yes danger lingers even though everything went smoothly.
But, perhaps.
This is also a tutorial for something else entirely.
Brushing everything aside, Miles walked outside Unit 112. The entire apartment building might be clear, or perhaps some of the cursed still lingered.
After all, he had left the locked unit behind. Like Room 103 and the other units upstairs -where he'd heard a human voice.
For now, he'll try to close the main door without attracting those cursed beings into the street."
With that thought settled, he turned and headed out of Unit 112, moving down the corridor toward the main door with purposeful steps.
The corridor stretched quiet and empty before him, save for the faint drip of water somewhere in the distance.
Miles kept his M17 raised, its barrel tracking smoothly. The pressure and danger intertwined with each step he took, although he had already cleared the entire apartment-room by room, floor by floor, clearing cursed each floor.
But he was still an ordinary person. A student, at worst.
No matter what training he'd received in the last few hours, no matter how steady his hands had become when pulling the trigger, he'd walked these very halls just last week carrying textbooks instead of a pistol.
He knew that every Cursed he'd eliminated had once been someone's neighbor, someone's friend, transformed into something unrecognizable by forces he still didn't understand and perhaps would never know.
The weight of that truth settled heavy in his chest as he reached the main door.
Through the main door, he could see them stumbling on the street outside, walking limply, their movements jerky and unnatural, like marionettes with frayed strings.
Some wore work uniforms, others casual clothes; one woman still had a child's backpack slung over her shoulder.
Miles pressed his back against the cool wall, his breath fogging the surface.
-
Outside, the light of the sun is slowly dawning as the night slowly descends into the falling world.
The sky bled purple and orange over City's skyline, the usual morning bustle was gone, and replaced only by the shuffle of the Cursed as they drifted aimlessly through the empty streets.
A gust of wind carried the acrid smell of smoke from somewhere nearby, mixing with the metallic tang that still clung to the air.
Miles knew he couldn't stay here forever. The building was secure for now, but leaving the main door even slightly ajar risked letting the Cursed wander inside and endangering himself or the remaining survivor.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, keeping his M17 trained on the street as he reached for the heavy metal door.
His fingers wrapped around the handle, cold and slick with condensation. With careful, deliberate movements, he began to pull it closed.
The sound of the hinges creaking was loud in the silence, drawing the attention of a few Cursed nearby.
They turned toward the building, their heads tilting at unnatural angles as they started to drift closer.
Miles worked faster now, his muscles tensing as he pushed the door the rest of the way shut.
The deadbolt slid into place with a solid clck, but not before one of the Cursed lunged forward, its clawed hand scraping against the glass pane, leaving deep gouges in its wake.
Stepping back, he pressed his palm against the door, feeling the faint vibrations as more figures bumped against it from outside.
The building was sealed tight now, but he knew it wouldn't hold forever. He must claim the complete this tutorial mission, it may be the only one that increase his chance of survival.