Sid stared for a moment. With his blueprint vision active, the zombies looked different now. He remembered the tip the system gave him during his first tutorial:

[Tip: Scavenging from the dead is safer than searching abandoned buildings or malls. Supplies are limited, and open areas reduce ambush risk.]

"Argh, this must be what the system meant. Well... she’s right."

He glanced at the zombie fashion lineup and smirked.

"Of course. I tell them to groan another day, and the universe gives me denim and leather when I actually need it."

He checked his bag and cursed under his breath, it was already full. But this was too good to ignore.

"Well, I still have my hands. I can carry it home... so—"

With a sharp grin, Sid drew his knife and charged. Meanwhile, back in the cabin, the sun was fading. The light came in softly through the windows. Evelise was on the floor again, chalk in hand, her fluffy white ears twitching in focus.

She arched her back a little as she leaned forward, redrawing the faint chalk line that had started to fade since she woke up in Sid’s lap. Her tone was sharp as she muttered under her breath,

"Hmph! Does he really think that just because he followed my request and made this place look decent, I forgot about the personal space thing? Absolutely not. Humans like him get dangerous when they start feeling too comfortable. This is my second life— I know better than him."

She pressed the chalk firmly against the floor, her motions quick and precise, creating a clear divide between "her" side and Sid’s.

Still, after a moment, her movements slowed. She sighed softly, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.

"Although..."

She murmured, glancing toward Sid’s messy corner filled with scrap materials and tools.

"He really did a good job with this place. I never thought he could actually make it look this nice... Maybe he deserves a little reward."

She hesitated, biting her lip, then nodded as if convincing herself.

"Fine. I’ll make his personal space a little wider this time. But only because I’m generous, not because I care!"

Evelise stood up proudly, inspecting her work, but just as she admired her perfect line... she froze. A tiny black nose twitched right in front of her face. Her crimson eyes met a pair of equally red ones, and there, inches away, sat a small, pure black rat staring straight at her. For a full second, both remained still, eye to eye, unblinking. Then—

"KYAAAHHH!"

Evelise screamed, stumbling backward and landing on her tail. The rat squeaked loudly in panic, screaming in its own tiny voice before bolting across the floor. Her fluffy bunny ears shot straight up, and her cotton tail puffed in alarm as she pressed herself against the wall.

"W-What the hell was that?! A rat?! Is that the same one from earlier? Disgusting! Why does this place have so many pests?!"

But despite her disgust, her sharp eyes followed the rat’s retreat. It was thin, black, and fast, darting toward a small crack near the floorboards before disappearing into a hole. Evelise blinked, then frowned deeply.

"Wait a second... a hole?"

She muttered, crawling closer. She tapped the wooden floor with her knuckles, listening to the hollow sound.

"This... doesn’t sound right."

She stood and gave it a light kick. The same dull thud echoed beneath her feet. Her ears twitched again, and she crouched low, peeling back a worn-out carpet that covered the corner. There it was— a faint outline of something metallic. She brushed off the dust and gasped softly.

"A handle?"

Carefully, she gripped it and pulled. The old wood creaked and groaned until finally, a square hatch lifted open, revealing a dark passage leading downward. Cold air drifted out, brushing against her face like a whisper from below.

"A hidden way...? Don’t tell me this cabin has a basement."

She muttered, leaning over to peek inside. Her curiosity was battling with her instinct to stay away from creepy holes in the floor. Before she could decide whether to climb down, a sudden rustle caught her attention. Her ears twitched immediately, catching even the faintest movement outside.

"What now..."

She whispered, slowly standing and turning toward the window. She pushed the curtain aside just a little, her red eyes narrowing. And there, standing a few feet away from the cabin, was a.. deer.

It stared back at her with calm, dark eyes, its antlers half covered in vines, as if nature itself had claimed it. For a strange moment, neither moved. Evelise blinked in disbelief.

"A... deer?"

The animal tilted its head, its gaze steady. Something about it made her chest tighten, not fear, but... unease. She stood there for a long second, watching through the cracked glass as the wind stirred the trees behind it. Then, a sudden movement flashed near the deer.

Night had already fallen when Sid finally crossed the moss-covered bridge back into the Nexus Green. The air was cold, and the darkness buzzed softly with the sound of crickets. His arms were full, hugging the bundles of denim and leather strips tightly against his chest. He looked like a man returning from a long day’s hunt with spoils to please his waiting partner. He couldn’t help but smile.

"Heh... Evelise’s gonna flip when she sees this. Denim, leather, threads— hell, I could probably tailor her a whole damn wardrobe now. Maybe then she’ll stop calling me a useless human."

He chuckled under his breath, the image of her pouting face flashing in his head.

"Yeah... can’t wait to see her expression."

But his steps slowed, and his smile faded. There, on the path ahead... was blood.

He froze mid-step, eyes narrowing. The dark stain glistened faintly under the pale moonlight, fresh enough that it hadn’t dried yet. The cold air seemed to thicken, pressing against his chest. Slowly, he crouched down, touching the edge of the red smear with two fingers. It was still warm.

"No..."