Doomday Engineer

We didn't waste time. The depot was cleared, but the feeling of being watched hadn't left. Something else was out there.

Daniel adjusted the rifle he had taken, checking the magazine. "We heading back now?"

"Yeah," I said, keeping my voice low. "But we need to be careful. That thing wasn't alone."

I led the way, stepping cautiously over the bloodied remains of the creature we had just killed. Even now, I wasn't convinced it was truly dead. The way it had absorbed bullets… it wasn't normal.

Neither was this island.

The cold wind howled through the depot's shattered windows as we pushed open the exit. Snow was falling heavier now, reducing visibility. It would cover our tracks, but it also meant we wouldn't see anything coming.

We started moving.

Every step crunched against the frost-covered ground, and every gust of wind sounded like a whisper in the dark. Daniel's breathing was heavy, but he pushed through, his limp slowing him down.

My system chimed softly.

System Notification:

Hostile presence detected. Multiple signals. Distance: 600 meters… 500 meters…

They were coming.

I grabbed Daniel's arm. "We need to move. Now."

He didn't question me.

We broke into a run, cutting through the frozen terrain. The facility wasn't far, but with Daniel's injuries, it felt like we were moving through sludge.

Then—something shifted in the distance.

A shape moved through the snow, too fast, too low to the ground. And then another.

System Identification:

Adaptive Predators – Hunting Pack

A pack.

They were learning.

I yanked Daniel toward a half-buried wreckage, throwing us behind cover as I scanned the area. Shapes flickered through the whiteout, circling. They weren't attacking yet. They were waiting.

Testing us.

Daniel wiped frost from his face. "What the hell are they doing?"

I kept my rifle ready. "Herding us."

His expression darkened. "Like prey."

A deep clicking sound echoed through the storm. The pack was closing in.

I weighed the options. We couldn't outrun them. Fighting in the open was suicide.

We needed an opening.

Then, my system provided one.

System Notification:

New Feature Unlocked – Dimensional Cache (Tactical Deployment)

I focused on the new function, feeling a slight shift in my perception. My inventory wasn't just for storage—I could now deploy certain items instantly.

And I had just the thing.

Reaching back, I pretended to dig through my backpack while summoning two high-yield grenades. A second later, they were in my hand, their cold metal surface pressing against my palm.

Daniel's eyes widened. "Where did you—"

"No time," I cut him off. "Cover your ears."

I pulled the pins and hurled them toward the shifting shadows.

BOOM.

The explosions tore through the snow, sending debris and fire into the air. A piercing screech followed—one of the creatures had been hit.

They didn't expect that.

I didn't wait to see how many were left. "Go!"

Daniel and I sprinted toward the facility. The moment of chaos had bought us time, but I could still hear them behind us, their guttural clicks now filled with fury.

The facility's outer wall came into view. Almost there.

—