Morning light filtered through the makeshift curtains we'd hung over the windows. I was already awake, having taken the last watch of the night. The house had remained quiet, with only distant goblin shrieks occasionally breaking the silence.

  Walter emerged from upstairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Any trouble?" he asked in a hushed voice.

  "Nothing close," I replied. "How's Lily?"

  "Still asleep. She's adjusting better than I am—falls asleep almost instantly." He sank into a kitchen chair, looking older in the pale morning light. "Used to be the opposite. Before all this, she'd stay up reading with a flashlight until midnight. Always worried about missing something exciting."

  I nodded, understanding the irony. Lily's talent for spotting things seemed to have transformed a once-anxious child into someone confident in her awareness of the world around her.

  "We should wake her soon," I said. "Better to travel during daylight."

  Walter nodded, his expression turning more serious. "I've been thinking about what you said last night. About the sanctuary to the east. Are you sure about this? Moving through open terrain with monsters about..."

  "Staying put isn't safer in the long run," I pointed out. "Resources will run out. And if there really is a settlement with high-level people providing protection, that's our best chance."

  Before Walter could respond, small footsteps pattered down the stairs. Lily appeared in the doorway, her dark hair a wild tangle around her face, eyes bright with excitement.

  "Are we going on an adventure today?" she asked, bouncing on her toes.

  Walter's face softened instantly. "Yes, sweetheart. We're going to travel east with Erik. Remember what I told you about staying close and being very quiet?"

  Lily nodded solemnly, though her eyes still sparkled. "I'll be super quiet. Like a ninja." She made a chopping motion with her hand.

  "Good," Walter said, rising. "Let's eat something and pack what we can carry."

  We prepared quickly, dividing the supplies among us. I carried most of the weapons and heavier items, Walter took most of the food and water, and Lily insisted on carrying her own small pack with a few "treasures" she'd collected—colorful stones and a small toy soldier she'd found in one of our hideouts.

  Before leaving, I checked my status once more:

  [Character Sheet: Erik Persson] [Level: 3] [Experience: 125/1000] [Health: 110/110] (Fully Rested) [Mana: 75/75] [Stamina: 65/65] (Fully Rested)

  [Attributes:] [Strength: 8] [Agility: 11] [Vitality: 8] [Intelligence: 16] [Wisdom: 11] [Charisma: 9] [Available Points: 2]

  [Skills:] [Basic Blunt Weapons (Level 3): You have developing knowledge of how to fight with clubs, staves, and similar weapons. +15% to accuracy and damage with blunt weapons.]

  [Unique Talent: Mormor's Prodigy]

  The two attribute points remained unspent. I'd decide later, when I better understood what we were facing.

  We left the house cautiously, scanning the street before emerging. Walter held Lily's hand tightly, his other hand gripping a kitchen knife with white knuckles. I led the way, axe ready, guiding us toward what I hoped was east based on the rising sun.

  "Which way?" I asked Lily quietly, once we reached an intersection.

  Her eyes narrowed slightly, scanning our surroundings. After a moment, she pointed confidently down a street that appeared marginally clearer of debris. "That way has less monsters hiding. See the blue shimmer in the air? That means it's safer."

  I didn't see any shimmer, but Walter nodded as if this was familiar behavior. "She sees things we don't," he explained. "Patterns, weaknesses... something about how the System integrates with her perception."

  We followed Lily's direction, moving cautiously through the ruins. The buildings here were more spread out than in the area where I'd been before, suggesting we were moving out of the dense central district into what might have been suburbs or a commercial zone.

  After about an hour of walking, Lily suddenly froze, tugging at my sleeve. "Monster," she whispered, pointing toward a collapsed storefront ahead. "Two of them. They're eating something."

  I couldn't see anything from our position, but I'd learned to trust her perception. "Stay here with Walter," I whispered. "I'll check."

  Creeping forward, I eventually spotted them—two goblins crouched over what might have once been a dog or some other animal. They were focused entirely on their meal, tearing at the flesh with sharp teeth.

  [Goblin, Level 2] [Goblin, Level 2]

  I could try to avoid them, but they were directly in our path. Better to eliminate them now than risk them following us or alerting others.

  I retreated to where Walter and Lily waited. "Two goblins, level 2. I should be able to handle them, but I'll need to be careful. Two at once is riskier."

  Lily tugged at my jacket, her expression earnest. "I can help. I can see their weak spots."

  Walter immediately shook his head. "Absolutely not. You're staying back with me."

  "But—" Lily began to protest.

  I knelt to her level. "What if you tell me where to hit them from here? You can be my spotter."

  Her face lit up at the compromise. "The one on the left has a weak spot on its neck, right under its ear. The right one has a crack in its chest armor—hit it hard right in the middle."

  I nodded, surprised by the specificity. "Stay here. If anything goes wrong, run and hide. Don't wait for me."

  Walter nodded grimly, pulling Lily closer to his side.

  I approached the goblins from an angle, hoping to take at least one by surprise. The scrap metal axe felt solid in my hands as I closed in. When I was about three meters away, one of the creatures stiffened, sensing my presence. It turned, baring blood-stained teeth.

  No time for subtlety. I charged, swinging the axe at the first goblin, aiming for the neck spot Lily had identified. The blade connected with a sickening thud, cutting deep. The goblin dropped instantly, dissolving into blue light before it even hit the ground.

  [Critical Hit!] [Experience Gained: +50]

  The second goblin leaped up with a shriek, brandishing what looked like a broken pipe. It struck out wildly, forcing me backward. I circled, looking for an opening, remembering Lily's instruction about the chest armor.

  The goblin lunged, and I sidestepped, bringing the axe around in a powerful arc. It connected solidly with the center of the creature's chest. There was a loud crack, and the goblin staggered. A second blow finished it.

  [Experience Gained: +45] [Item Acquired: Broken Pipe]

  I gathered the dropped weapon into my inventory, though it was inferior to my current one, and returned to Walter and Lily.

  "You did it!" Lily exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. "Right where I said, right?"

  "Exactly right," I confirmed. "Your talent is incredibly useful, Lily."

  She beamed with pride while Walter looked torn between relief and concern. "That's my girl," he said, ruffling her hair. "Always had an eye for detail, even before..."

  We continued onward, making better progress than I'd expected. Lily's guidance helped us avoid several goblin patrols, choosing paths that seemed identical to my eyes but which she insisted had "less monster smell" or "safer energy."

  Around midday, we stopped in what had once been a small park. Little remained of the greenery, just withered trees and dusty ground, but it offered good visibility in all directions. We shared some of our food and water, sitting in a tight circle.

  "How did you survive the first few days?" I asked Walter as we ate. "Before you understood what was happening?"

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  He was quiet for a moment, absently breaking his protein bar into smaller pieces. "Pure luck, mostly. We were in our hotel room when everything... shifted. The building partially collapsed, but our floor remained intact. We were trapped for the first day, just trying to find a way out." His voice grew distant with the memory. "I heard people screaming. Saw strange lights through the cracks in the walls. When we finally got out, the world had already changed."

  "Grandpa was really scared," Lily added matter-of-factly. "He kept saying bad words."

  Despite everything, I found myself smiling. "I think that's understandable."

  "We just ran," Walter continued. "Found places to hide. Avoided the monsters when we could. It wasn't until the third day that..." he gestured to the blue lines on his arms. "These appeared after I had to... to kill one of those things that cornered us. That's when the status window appeared, telling me what level I was, what my attributes were. It all seemed insane."

  "Like a video game!" Lily piped up. "Like the ones Daddy plays."

  Walter nodded, a shadow crossing his face at the mention of Lily's father. "Lily took to it immediately. She understood the system better than I did. When her talent manifested, it saved our lives more than once."

  "What about you, Erik?" Lily asked, brushing crumbs from her shirt. "Were you alone when the monsters came?"

  "I was with my friends," I replied. "Marcus and Sofia. We were walking by a lake when it happened. When I woke up, I was alone in a store not far from here." I didn't mention the terror of those first moments, the disorientation, the desperate search for familiar faces. "I'm hoping they're out there somewhere. Maybe at this sanctuary we're heading toward."

  "We'll find them," Lily said with absolute confidence. "I'll help look. I'm good at finding things."

  Her simple certainty was strangely comforting. I nodded my thanks, unable to find the right words.

  As we prepared to move on, Walter pulled me aside. "She still doesn't understand," he said quietly, watching Lily as she carefully packed her treasures back into her bag. "She thinks this is all some kind of adventure. That people aren't really dying, that the monsters aren't really... killing."

  "Maybe that's better for now," I suggested. "She's adapting in her own way."

  Walter sighed. "Before this, she was such a cautious child. Afraid of her own shadow sometimes. Checked under the bed every night for monsters." He gave a bitter laugh. "Now she spots actual monsters and treats it like a game. Meanwhile, I—" He broke off, looking at his hands. "I was a surgeon for thirty years. Saved countless lives. Now I can barely bring myself to kill these creatures, even when they're trying to kill us."

  I considered this. "Your talents really are opposites of who you were, aren't they? She was fearful, now she sees everything. You were decisive, now you second-guess."

  "And you?" Walter asked.

  "I was... detached. Indifferent to most things." I thought about Mormor's death, how I'd retreated further into myself afterward. "Now my talent forces me to engage deeply with skills, to master them rather than just go through the motions."

  Walter nodded thoughtfully. "The System seems designed to push us out of our comfort zones. To make us become what we weren't. But why? To what end?"

  It was a question I'd been asking myself since I'd first understood my talent. Before I could respond, Lily called out to us.

  "There's monsters coming!" she warned, her voice urgent but not frightened. "Three big ones, from that direction!" She pointed down the street we'd been planning to take.

  We moved quickly, ducking behind a fallen concrete pillar. I peered over cautiously, spotting three goblin brutes marching in formation, each carrying crude but effective weapons—a spiked club, an axe similar to mine, and what looked like a sharpened piece of rebar.

  [Goblin Brute, Level 3] [Goblin Brute, Level 3] [Goblin Brute, Level 4]

  "We need to avoid them," I whispered. "Three at once, especially with one at level 4, is too dangerous."

  Walter nodded in agreement, holding Lily close. The child, however, was studying the goblins intently.

  "The big one with the stick has a bad knee," she whispered. "See how it walks funny? And the one with the club is blind in one eye. The middle one is the strongest, but it has a crack in its neck armor."

  I stared at her, amazed by the level of detail she could perceive. These weren't just weak spots—they were comprehensive tactical assessments.

  "That's very helpful, Lily, but we're still going to avoid them," Walter said firmly.

  She looked disappointed but didn't argue. "Okay. We should go that way then." She pointed to a narrow alley between two buildings. "There's a path through that the big monsters can't fit through."

  We followed her guidance, slipping through the alley and taking a circuitous route that added time to our journey but kept us away from the goblin patrol. The pattern continued throughout the afternoon—Lily spotting dangers before they became immediate threats, guiding us along safer paths, identifying potential resources hidden in the ruins.

  As the day wore on, I noticed Walter becoming increasingly withdrawn. He moved mechanically, following instructions, but his eyes were distant. When we stopped briefly to rest, I found him staring at his hands again.

  "Are you alright?" I asked quietly, while Lily explored a safe distance away (though still within sight).

  He looked up, startled. "Just... remembering. These hands used to repair damaged hearts, delicate vessels. Now they're meant to..." He trailed off. "My talent—Elder Wisdom—it fills my head with knowledge I never learned. Battle tactics. Survival techniques. How to efficiently kill these creatures. But my instincts fight against it. Every time I raise a weapon, something in me screams that I'm violating my oath to do no harm."

  I considered his words carefully. "These creatures are trying to kill us. Self-defense isn't the same as violence for its own sake."

  "I know that. Logically, I know that." Walter's voice was strained. "But forty years of conditioning doesn't disappear overnight. My talent pushes me to be what I never was—a warrior, a killer. I push back. And in that struggle..." He sighed heavily. "In that struggle, I'm less effective than I should be. Less able to protect Lily."

  "That's why we're together," I reminded him. "We cover each other's weaknesses. You provide wisdom and experience. Lily provides perception. I provide..." I hesitated, not entirely sure what I brought to our small group beyond my willingness to fight.

  "Purpose," Walter finished unexpectedly. "You have direction. A goal beyond mere survival. Finding your friends, understanding this world. Lily and I were just running, hiding. You're moving forward."

  His assessment surprised me, but before I could respond, Lily returned, her small face serious.

  "The sun's getting lower," she observed. "We should find a place to sleep soon. Monsters get meaner at night."

  We agreed and began searching for suitable shelter. The area we were in now appeared to be a residential district, with houses similar to the one we'd stayed in the previous night. Many were damaged beyond use, but Lily eventually pointed out a two-story home set back from the street, with intact walls and most of its roof.

  "That one feels safe," she declared. "And it has food inside. I can see the glow."

  Walter and I exchanged glances. Her perception continued to surprise us. We approached cautiously, checking for any signs of occupation—human or monster. Finding none, we entered through a partially blocked doorway.

  The house was remarkably intact. Dust covered everything, but the furniture remained in place, the stairs were solid, and the kitchen still contained cupboards full of canned goods and dried foods.

  "You were right about the food," I told Lily, who beamed with pride.

  "I told you! I can see the special glowy spots where good things are hidden."

  We secured the house as best we could, blocking the downstairs windows and the front door with furniture. After a meal of canned beans and dried fruit, we took stock of our progress.

  "We've been walking all day, but we're still in the city," Walter observed. "It's bigger than I thought. More like a metropolis than a town."

  I nodded. "We should reach the eastern edge tomorrow if we maintain this pace. Then we'll need to find this sanctuary the travelers mentioned."

  "What if it's not there?" Walter asked quietly, careful not to let Lily hear from where she was arranging her backpack contents on a side table.

  "Then we keep moving," I said. "Find other survivors. There have to be more people out there organizing, gathering resources. Safety in numbers."

  Walter studied me for a moment. "You really believe that, don't you? That there's a way forward through this madness."

  I considered his words. Did I believe it, or was I just telling myself what I needed to hear to keep going?

  "I have to," I finally replied. "If I don't move forward, I'll get stuck in what was lost. And then I'll never find Marcus and Sofia."

  He nodded slowly. "When I was younger—younger than you—I thought that way too. That sheer determination could overcome any obstacle." A faint smile crossed his lined face. "Maybe that's your real talent. Not just mastering skills faster, but the will to keep moving forward when others would give up."

  Lily rejoined us, yawning widely. "I'm sleepy," she announced.

  "Then it's bedtime," Walter said, his demeanor shifting instantly to gentle grandfather. "Let's find you a room upstairs."

  I offered to take first watch, positioning myself near a front window where I could see the street. As darkness fell completely, the strange stars appeared once more, slightly different from those I remembered from home. The slightly offset constellations were a constant reminder that this wasn't Earth—not exactly, not anymore.

  From upstairs came the soft murmur of Walter telling Lily a bedtime story. The normalcy of it in our abnormal situation was both comforting and jarring. Life continued, adapted, even in the aftermath of whatever cataclysm had merged our world with... whatever this was.

  I checked my status again, contemplating those two unspent attribute points. Intelligence was already my highest stat, and it seemed to be serving me well for planning and problem-solving. But perhaps Strength or Agility would be more immediately useful for combat and survival?

  The debate continued in my mind as I watched the empty street, listening for any sounds of approaching danger. Eventually, Walter came downstairs to relieve me.

  "She's asleep," he said quietly. "Out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow. You should rest too. I'll wake you in a few hours."

  I nodded, suddenly aware of how tired I was. We'd covered a lot of ground today, and tomorrow would likely be more of the same. As I headed upstairs, Walter's voice stopped me.

  "Thank you," he said simply. "For finding us. For helping us."

  "We're helping each other," I replied.

  He nodded, turning back to the window, knife held awkwardly in his hand—a surgeon's hand that had once healed, now forced to harm. The contradiction seemed to define our new reality: everything inverted, transformed into its opposite.

  I found an empty bedroom with a reasonably clean bed and laid down, axe within easy reach. Though exhaustion pulled at me, my mind continued to race, analyzing the day's experiences.

  Lily's talent was extraordinary—seeing weaknesses, safe paths, hidden resources. Walter's knowledge, though he resisted it, provided valuable context and strategy. And my own ability to master skills quickly would serve us well if I could focus on the right areas.

  Together, we were more effective than any of us alone. Perhaps that was the point of the System's talent distribution—to force cooperation, to create interdependence among survivors. But again, to what end?

  As sleep finally began to claim me, I thought of Marcus and Sofia. Were they together? Had they found allies as I had? Were they safe?

  Tomorrow we would reach the edge of this massive city. Tomorrow we might find this sanctuary, this gathering of high-level survivors. Tomorrow we might find answers—or at least a safer place to ask questions.

  For now, in this quiet moment between danger and dawn, rest was enough.