Chapter 2: The First Taste of Power
The moment the subway doors hissed open, Li Wei's enhanced senses, still raw from the system's initial boost, were assaulted by a cacophony of sounds and smells. The metallic screech of the train fading behind him was drowned out by ragged screams and the sickening squelch of something wet and tearing. The recycled air of the subway car was replaced by a wave of putrid stench – a cloying mix of decay and something acrid, almost chemical.
The platform was a scene of carnage.
Two more of the grotesque Precursors, their green eyes burning with that unnatural light, were tearing into the flesh of fallen commuters. Blood painted the tiled floor in gruesome patterns, and the air thrummed with a primal terror that Li Wei could almost taste. These weren't the slow, clumsy undead he remembered. These were predators.
[System: Alert. Multiple Enhanced Mutation Strain Hostiles Detected.]
His mind raced. This was a far more aggressive and evolved outbreak than in his previous life. The month's reprieve he thought he had might already be shrinking.
One of the Precursors, its meal interrupted by the opening of the doors, turned its attention towards the new arrivals. Its elongated jaw unhinged in a silent snarl, revealing rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. It moved with that same unsettling speed, a blur of unnatural motion.
Li Wei didn't hesitate. The surge of energy from the absorbed Spirit Core still coursed through him, a potent cocktail of adrenaline and something… more. He gripped his crowbar tighter, the cold steel a familiar comfort in this nightmare.
"System, any tactical assessment?" he thought, his eyes locked on the approaching Precursor.
[System: Hostile Organism Analysis: Enhanced Speed, Strength, and Sensory Perception. Weak Point: Cranial Structure. Recommend Prioritize Spirit Core Acquisition.]
Right. The core. The key to survival.
The Precursor lunged, its claws aimed for his throat. This time, Li Wei was ready. His enhanced senses allowed him to track its movements with a clarity he hadn't possessed moments ago. He sidestepped the attack, the creature's claws scraping against the air where he'd been a fraction of a second before.
Using its momentum, he swung the crowbar in a wide arc, catching the Precursor on the side of its head. The impact was sickening, and the creature staggered, its green eyes momentarily losing their focus.
He pressed his advantage, bringing the crowbar down again and again, targeting the fragile skull. Bone cracked and splintered with each brutal strike. The Precursor shrieked, its unnatural vocalizations cut short as its body finally collapsed onto the blood-soaked tiles.
[System: Mutated Organism Eliminated. Spirit Core Acquired.]
Another crystalline shard materialized in his hand, pulsing with that same eerie light. But there was no time to absorb it. The second Precursor was upon him, its movements even faster and more erratic than the first.
This one lunged with a terrifying agility, leaping across the fallen bodies. Its claws raked across Li Wei's arm, tearing through his thin jacket and drawing a searing line of pain.
He grunted, stumbling backward. This was a different level of threat. His crowbar felt inadequate against such speed and ferocity. He needed more power, more control.
His gaze flicked to the terrified commuters huddled against the wall, their faces pale masks of despair. They were lambs to the slaughter.
A cold resolve hardened within Li Wei. He wouldn't let them die. Not if he could help it. This second chance wasn't just about his survival. It was about preventing the horrors he remembered, about protecting the innocent.
He made a split-second decision. He couldn't fight both Precursors effectively in his current state and protect the others. He needed to create an opportunity, to draw their attention.
With a defiant yell, he charged towards the second Precursor, ignoring the searing pain in his arm. He feigned a wild swing with his crowbar, forcing the creature to dodge. Then, in a move born of desperation and a flicker of his past life's brutal experience, he grabbed a discarded metal trash can and hurled it with surprising force towards the other Precursor, which was just recovering.
The trash can clanged against its head, momentarily disorienting it. It was a small window, but it was all he needed.
He spun back towards the second Precursor, adrenaline coursing through him. He wouldn't try to kill it with the clumsy crowbar. He needed its Spirit Core.
He ducked under its wild swipe, his senses guiding him, and slammed his shoulder into its chest, sending it staggering backward. Before it could react, he reached out, his fingers finding purchase on its grotesque face. Ignoring the slick, unnatural texture of its skin, he twisted its head with a brutal snap.
The creature shrieked, a sound that abruptly cut off. Its body went limp, collapsing onto the platform.
[System: Mutated Organism Eliminated. Spirit Core Acquired.]
Another Spirit Core materialized in his hand. The air around him was thick with the stench of blood and fear. The surviving commuters stared at him with a mixture of terror and dawning hope.
[System: Ambient Spiritual Energy Density: Low. Multiple Hostiles Approaching.]
The system's warning was clear. More were coming. He couldn't stay here.
Without a word to the stunned survivors, Li Wei swallowed the second Spirit Core. The rush of energy was even more intense this time, building on the first. His muscles felt stronger, his reflexes quicker.
[System: Spirit Core Absorption Successful. Integration Sequence Progressing.]
[System: Host Status Update:
* Strength: Increased (Moderate)
* Speed: Increased (Moderate)
* Cultivation Level: Foundation Establishment - Stage 2 (Minor Fortification)
[System: Passive Skill Enhanced: Enhanced Sensory Perception (Level 2)]
The world sharpened further. He could now discern individual droplets of blood on the tiles, the frantic pulse of the survivors, the subtle vibrations in the tunnel indicating the approach of more of the undead.
He had to get out of this station. It was a death trap.
He turned to the survivors, his face grim. "Follow me," he commanded, his voice rough but carrying a newfound authority. "If you want to live."
He didn't wait for their response, turning and sprinting towards the exit, his crowbar held ready. The addictive taste of power was a dangerous lure, but survival, and perhaps something more, was his driving force now. The subway station, his initial proving ground, was about to become a stage for a desperate escape.