Irvin stood amid the carnage, his makeshift weapon dripping with blood. The adrenaline that had fueled his frenzy began to ebb, leaving him shaken and nauseous. He glanced up at Tom, who was still perched in the tree, eyes wide with shock and fear.

  "We need to move quickly," Irvin called out, his voice hoarse. "You should come down, before they come out again."

  Irvin stared at the mangled bodies of the creatures, going through their options. They couldn't return empty-handed after losing two people.

  "We need to bring one back." He pointed at the least damaged carcass. "At least we'll have something to show for this."

  Tom climbed down from his perch, legs shaking. "What about Alex? We can't just-"

  "He's gone. The other guy too. Nothing we can do now for them. I though you were the rational one?" Irvin grabbed one end of the beast. "Help me with this."

  They dragged the heavy creature through the transformed streets, their naked bodies covered in blood and grime. Tom remained silent, his face pale and drawn. Every shadow made them flinch, expecting more monsters to emerge.

  The return trip was grueling. Irvin struggled with the carcass, the creature's weight testing the limits of his strength. While Tom was scouting ahead to prevent them from running into any more monsters.

  After what felt like an eternity, they finally caught sight of their makeshift camp. It had taken them over three hours to make the journey back, though they could only guess at the actual time that had passed.

  The park came into view as the sun dipped toward the horizon. Sarah spotted them first, her gasp drawing everyone's attention. Irvin and Tom dropped the carcass with a wet thud.

  Mike stepped forward, his face twisted in anger. "Where are the others?"

  "Alex is dead." Irvin's voice cracked. "Peter... we lost him in the chaos. The place is overrun with these things." He kicked the monster's corpse. "We barely made it out."

  Whispers rippled through the group. Someone started crying.

  "You were supposed to protect them," Mike's hands clenched into fists. "You convinced them to go on this suicide mission."

  "I didn't force anyone-"

  "But you led them there!" Mike's voice rose. "You acted like you knew what you were doing. Now Alex is dead because of you."

  The others drew back, their eyes darting between Mike and Irvin.

  "We all agreed to go," Tom spoke up, his voice weak. "The monsters... we couldn't see it coming. We're lucky anyone made it back."

  Mike jabbed a finger at Irvin. "Lucky? Tell that to our dead colleagues!"

  His accusations hung in the air, each word stoking the fire building in Irvin's chest. The blood from their earlier fight still caked his skin, a reminder of what they'd lost. What he'd survived.

  "You weren't there," Irvin said through gritted teeth. "You have no idea what happened."

  "I know enough." Mike stepped closer, his naked body tense with anger. "You convinced them to go against my advice. Now Alex and Peter are dead-"

  "Shut up." The words came out as a growl.

  "We're all in this together," Mike said, stepping closer. "You can't just do whatever you want, man. This isn't just about you."

  Something snapped inside Irvin. The stress, the fear, the constant pressure of survival - it all came crashing down. His vision narrowed, focusing solely on Mike's face.

  "Who do you think you are?" Irvin's voice came out low, dangerous. "You think I wanted any of this? You think I asked to be stuck here with you people?"

  Mike opened his mouth to respond, but Irvin cut him off.

  "I didn't cause this." His fists clenched at his sides. "I didn't make the world end. I didn't ask for any of this bullshit."

  "That doesn't give you the right-"

  "The right?" Irvin stepped forward, staring at Mike. His arms trembled with the urge to strike, to silence the constant criticism. "I'm the one who brought back food. I'm the one who fought those things while you sat here safe here."

  Mike didn't back down. "And how many died for your food? How many more will die because you can't follow simple-"

  Irvin's fist rose before he realized what he was doing. The urge to connect, to feel bone crack beneath his knuckles, was overwhelming. His augmented strength would make it so easy.

  Mike flinched, taking a step back.

  The moment stretched, Irvin's fist hovering in the air. The camp had gone silent, all eyes fixed on the confrontation.

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  Reality crashed back in. Irvin's arm trembled with restraint as he forced himself to lower it.

  "I'm done with this," he spat, turning away from Mike's accusing stare. His feet carried him between the ever growing trees, away from the whispers and stares.

  Sarah watched Irvin's retreating back, her heart racing. The group remained frozen, the tension from his confrontation with Mike still thick in the air. Her gaze drifted to the massive bird carcass lying in their midst - their only real source of food since this nightmare began.

  Lisa inched closer to her, arms wrapped tight around her chest. "What are we going to do?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "Is that really the only food we have? Can we even eat it?"

  Few of them tried to pry off some of the feather or cut into the hide with sharp stones, but they didn't even manage to scratch the surface.

  Sarah studied the creature's tough hide and dense feathers. Her hands still ached from the effort.

  "We have to do something with it," Sarah said, keeping her voice steady despite the gnawing worry in her gut. She picked up another stone, its edge somewhat sharper than the others, and tried to saw at the creature's softer parts. The stone skidded off uselessly.

  Tom shook his head from where he perched on a fallen branch. "None of us have enough augments to handle that thing. Not without proper tools." He flexed his fingers. "Even with my increased agility, I can't get through that hide."

  "What else do you propose then?" Vera paced in a small circle, her eyes scanning looking at Tom. "We need to figure something out before night falls, or that thing is going to spoil. We'll lose whatever chance we had."

  The women exchanged glances, the weight of their situation pressing down on them. Sarah's stomach tightened, reminding her how long it had been since she'd eaten. The monster bird represented their best chance, but without Irvin's strength, it might as well have been made of steel.

  Lisa shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe we could-"

  "I'll talk to him," Sarah cut in, surprised by her own voice. "We need him to do something."

  Her heart fluttered as the others turned to look at her. She didn't want to approach Irvin, not after witnessing his outburst. The image of his shaking fist, trembling with barely contained rage, flashed through her mind.

  But what choice did they have? They needed food. They needed his strength. And somehow, despite everything that had happened, she felt she might be able to reach him.

  Sarah took a deep breath, steeling herself, the patch of trees where Irvin had disappeared looked more threatening with each passing second.

  Irvin stared at his trembling hands, flexing his fingers in the filtered sunlight beneath the twisted trees. The rage still coursed through him, an electric current that made his muscles twitch. He'd come so close to smashing Mike's face in. The thought sent another surge of anger through him.

  He closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. The human silhouette interface flickered in his mind and he assigned two more points to constitution.

  Augments: 0

  Head [Intelligence] 0

  Heart [Charisma] 0

  Hands [Spirit] 0

  Belly [Strength] 5 — [Constitution] 4

  Legs [Agility] 0

  The familiar warmth spread through his core, but it did little to calm his nerves. The amount of augments I get slowed down a lot. He wondered how many monsters he has to kill for each augment at this point.

  What will happen when constitution hits five? Another augment? Or can I get past the ceiling and go beyond five?

  "Hey."

  Sarah's voice cut through his brooding. He glanced up, then immediately regretted it. She stood awkwardly a few feet away, one arm crossed over her breasts while the other hand covered her front. The sight of her naked body sent an unwelcome heat crawling up his neck. He looked away, fixing his gaze on a particularly gnarled root.

  "We need your help," she said, trying to keep her voice calm, but it was laden with embarrassment. "That carcass... it's all we've got. But we can't do anything with it. We don't have the tools, or the strength. You brought it here... could you—"

  Irvin looked over, narrowed his eyes, noting how she struggled to maintain eye contact. She shifted her weight, turning slightly to the side in an unconscious attempt at modesty that only pushed her hips and ass to a better view for him.

  The vulnerability of the moment struck him – here they were, stripped of everything that made them civilized, reduced to this state. Something about her discomfort tugged at him, an echo of sympathy he hadn't expected to feel.

  He let out a long breath, pushing himself to his feet. "Yeah, I'll see what I can do," he muttered. As he moved past her, his hand accidentally brushed against her stomach. She tensed at the contact, and he caught a glimpse of her expression – relief mixed with wariness.

  Irvin circled the dead bird-creature, its massive form casting long shadows in the fading light. The twisted mass of feathers and mutated flesh posed a challenge - where to even begin? He spotted a few jagged stones scattered near the carcass, products of the city's violent transformation. One caught his eye - sharp enough to possibly pierce the thick hide.

  "Need help with that?"

  Derek approached from behind, his lanky frame casting an even longer shadow. Despite his nakedness, he carried himself with a casual confidence that Irvin found both irritating and funny.

  "Could use an extra pair of hands," Irvin said, keeping his tone neutral. He'd noticed Derek watching him earlier during the fight, but it was hard to judge what was going on in his mind.

  Irvin gripped the sharp rock, its edges biting into his palm as he dragged it across the creature's hide. The tough skin resisted, forcing him to saw back and forth with increasing pressure. His hands ached from the earlier fight, muscles protesting each movement.

  Derek knelt beside him, working in companionable silence. Unlike Mike's bristling hostility, Derek's presence felt... uncomplicated. The lanky man grabbed another section of hide and pulled it taut, making Irvin's cutting easier.

  Blood and other fluids leaked from the growing gash, but they kept at it. Inch by inch, they peeled back layers of feathers and skin, exposing the dark meat underneath. The smell hit them – gamey and strange, but not entirely unpleasant.

  Irvin wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, leaving a smear of blood. "You got any idea how to start a fire?"

  Derek paused his work and shot him an amused look. "You're kidding, right? No way we're starting a fire with just rocks and sticks. This isn't a survival show."

  Heat crept up Irvin's neck. He shrugged, focusing back on the carcass. "Figured it was worth a shot."

  Derek scratched his head, flicking bits of gore from his fingers. "You know, ... I saw this thing in a video once. Some people eat meat raw. It's doable, even if it's risky. We could try it with this."

  Irvin's hands stilled as he considered it. Raw meat from a mutated monster didn't sound appetizing or safe. But with their clothes gone, no tools, and night approaching, how much of a choice did they have? The gnawing in his stomach reminded him it had been whole day since he'd eaten anything.

  The rock scraped against bone as he continued cutting. Better to have questionable food than none at all.