"This is bad," Daryl said as he paced around the large tent. "Really, really bad. Awakening an Origin and some skills is painful enough, but this?" He gestured to Isaac. "I don't even know what to say… Are you one hundred percent sure that everyone has to go through that?"

Isaac rubbed his brow, leaning harder into his armchair. "No. But it's still a possibility you have to consider. The Legacy Web is created using the connection to Origin. Everyone has it, so the odds aren't really in our favor. Unless of course, the process depends on what Origin a person has."

"Right, right," Daryl muttered, resuming his pacing. "Yours is blood, and you regenerate fast. That could be why it went so hard on you… Maybe you're onto something, kid." He then rounded on the people standing a bit behind Isaac. "You two. How far away are you from level ten?"

"Too far, sir," Marie answered, stepping forward. "James and I just hit level seven after finishing the Quarantine Site."

Daryl clicked his tongue. "Crap…"

"I think y'all are worrying way too much about this," James commented as he casually leaned against some stacked crates. "Just tell people to find a safe place after they feel the power rush from their tenth level and leave it at that. Sometimes not knowing is just better. I for sure would have preferred to be left in the dark."

"If only it were that simple," Daryl mumbled, dropping onto the chair next to Isaac. "Keeping information like this away from the public can quickly turn into a mess. It might be temporary, but for now, Tyler, Cooper, and I are the leaders here. People put their trust in us. If we break it…"

He trailed off, letting the unspoken words hang in the air.

"You're overthinking it," Isaac broke the silence. At Daryl's look, he shrugged. "Trust or no trust, you don't owe these people anything. You've already done enough by organizing them and giving them a place to sleep. Just spread the word that unlocking a Legacy can be painful, and that's it. I see no point in causing mass panic."

"And think of it this way, sir," Marie added. "If you tell them what happened to Isaac, you might lose dozens, if not more, fighters. They could jump to conclusions and assume the awakening process is lethal."

"It could be," Daryl countered.

She nodded. "Maybe. But there's no way to know for sure yet. I think we can all agree that basing everything off Isaac's experience isn't smart."

James snapped his fingers. "She's right. Sorry boss, but you ain't a good test subject."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Oh no, poor me…"

Daryl, meanwhile, glanced between the three of them and chuckled. "What an interesting group you three make. Maybe there are some things to gain from the end of the world after all."

"What can I say?" James beamed, throwing his arm over Marie's shoulders. "Those two just couldn't resist my charm. We're all best buds now, eh? United by fighting and my handsome face."

"God save me," the only woman in the tent muttered but didn't try to push James away.

"I see…" Daryl said, still chuckling. "In any case, what to do next isn't just my decision. Once Cooper and Tyler get here, we will talk this through. I will, however, mention what you all told me; don't worry."

"Have fun with that," Isaac commented. "Got anything for us, though?"

The older man scoffed. "As if I would send you anywhere in this state. Go rest for a bit, all three of you. If everything goes according to plan, we'll be moving out soon."

"Aye, aye, chief," James saluted. "We will make sure this one doesn't run off."

What am I? A child? Isaac grumbled internally as his teammates helped him up and led him out of the tent. Just you wait until I recover…

Current progress: 33% | Your contribution ranking: 1st | Time left: 39h:32m:42s

Not bad, Isaac thought, waving away the message and lying down on his assigned mattress. Half of the time might be almost gone, but the pace is picking up. We might have a chance after all.

Even if seven percent wasn't much, it was still more progress than he had expected to see during the night. As for Galt? It was only nine in the morning at this point, and with the last school cleared, the city was mostly safe now. Sure, there were still some stragglers walking around and some buildings left to be checked, but that could be fixed later.

And all that with only a couple thousand survivors, most of whom don't even want to fight. Looks like Tyler was right after all. With teamwork and enough willing people, anything is possible.

He sighed and closed his eyes. Now, the big question was, what next? Where should they all go? Who should they help? And what about Galt and the people who refused to stand against the Wretched?

Daryl and the others sure have their hands full. Now—

"Isaac, we're back!" James' voice filled the small tent as he and Marie stepped inside. "Brought you food too. It's a soup. Don't ask me what kind, though—I have no idea."

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Isaac opened his eyes and sat up, taking the offered bowl of steaming food. He glanced at the contents and arched an eyebrow at the older man. "Looks like normal chicken soup."

"I already told him that," Marie grumbled. "He refuses to believe it."

James crossed his arms. "Excuse me if I have standards. I mean, it wasn't bad, but it's got nothing on my mom's soup."

"Momma's boy," Marie muttered, only to get flipped off in return.

Isaac shook his head and took a sip.

Still better than anything I had eaten in the last week.

"Right, Isaac. We forgot about this with all the Legacy mess, but here's your split from the school," Marie said, placing a brand new Blueprint and a couple of Inferior Virality Gems next to his mattress.

Isaac paused mid-bite. "You sure? This looks more like a lion's share, not a fair split."

"Just take it, man. After last time, I am fine with just some gems. And Ari isn't leaving empty-handed either."

Marie nodded and unsheathed a short, curved dagger from her waist. It was dark as night, and despite its sharp, glinting blade, its surface seemed rough, unpolished.

"Got this," she said. "Nothing too special, but it can cut even through steel. I tested."

Next to him, James grimaced, his gaze on the short blade. "That she did. Now hide it before you harm someone."

"By someone, you mean you, yes?" Marie grinned. "Don't be scared, you big baby. I won't cut you again."

"For some reason, I don't trust that at all," James muttered under his breath.

Snorting, Isaac ignored the duo for the time being and absorbed the items they gave him. First, the gems, and then the Blueprint.

You have obtained a new skill, Viron: Regeneration.

[Viron: Regeneration | Grade: Normal | Tier I] A part of a basic filtering technique. It slightly enhances the recovery rate of Viron by your Virus.

That's two. One remaining. He smiled, pushing the message away.

His teammates continued to bicker, so he just returned to his meal, opting to eat it before it got cold. It wasn't until a couple minutes later that something interrupted the weird sense of peace.

"Isaac, are you inside?" A voice, a very familiar voice he hadn't expected to hear anytime soon, came from outside the tent.

His teammates paused their ongoing banter and glanced at him.

Hopefully, I won't regret this, he thought and cleared his throat. "Yeah. Come in, Elaine."

Just like that, the tent flap was pushed aside, and the woman stepped inside. She looked hesitant, her eyes darting between him and his teammates. Instead of approaching, she stayed near the exit, lacing her fingers together.

That's new…

Isaac frowned. Elaine was always so sure of herself, always knowing what she wanted. Hell, her frequent uninvited appearances at his place had proved that well enough. So to see her like this was… strange.

Marie must have felt that something was off, too, as she grabbed James by the arm and dragged him toward the exit. "Come on, you big oaf," she said. "We need to talk with Daryl anyway."

It was a bullshit excuse, but Isaac appreciated it nonetheless. Once the duo left, he turned to Elaine and gestured toward the garden chair close to her. She didn't move.

Okay then. He sighed. "Didn't expect to see you so soon. What was that about needing time?"

The woman grimaced. "I saw you returning to the camp. You didn't look too good, still don't," she said, ignoring his words.

"Elaine… Why are you here? We both know you didn't come to just check up on me."

"I did!" she protested, some fire returning to her eyes. "You said it yourself. It's time to move on from our shitty past. This is me trying."

Even if Isaac wanted to believe that, he knew this wasn't all. "I sense a 'but' coming."

That took the wind out of her sails. She exhaled heavily and sank into the plastic chair. "You're right. While I swear I really wanted to see how you were doing, I also wanted to ask you for help."

Isaac's eyebrows shot up. "Me?" He pointed at himself. "You want help from me?"

Elaine scowled. "Yes! Is it really so hard to believe?" She shot to her feet. "This was a bad idea. I should have stayed away."

Always so dramatic. He rolled his eyes and called out. "Wait. Sorry, I didn't mean anything by that. I'm just… surprised."

"Yeah? That makes two of us," she muttered, crossing her arms and retaking her seat.

"So?" he prompted. "What can I possibly help you with? Unless you need some Wretched killed, I probably won't be of much use."

"No, I can do that on my own just fine. What I need… is for you to vouch for me."

Isaac frowned. "What now? Why?"

Elaine looked away, looking almost sheepish. "I might have overheard some stuff from Mr. West's tent a few minutes ago. He and the other two leaders were talking about plans for today."

"Go on…"

"They want us to split into three groups. The first stays here for… whatever reasons. The second, the biggest one, will move on to nearby towns. And finally, the third group will go straight to Sacramento. I need to be in that group, Isaac."

His frown deepened. "So? Just ask Daryl. I'm sure he will let you go. I'm not seeing the problem here."

Elaine let out an aggravated sigh. "They're only taking the strongest in Galt. Apparently no more than ten people. I can handle myself well enough, but I only just got to level four. They won't take me."

"You don't know that," Isaac countered. "I doubt they will refuse a volunteer."

"And if they do?" she shot back, her eyes narrowed. "You want me to go alone? I already considered that, but even I know it would be suicide. Come on, Isaac, just vouch for me. That's all I ask for."

He mirrored her expression. "Let's say I do that. Why? Why do you want to go?"

Elaine's jaw tightened. "That's none of your concern."

Isaac opened his mouth to argue, only to stop himself. A week ago, he would never let her go without explaining herself, but now? Now, she was right. It was none of his concern. As long as she pulled her weight, her reason to go to Sacramento didn't matter.

"Fine," he said, and the woman perked up. "I will vouch for you. But only"—he held up a finger—"if you ask Daryl or one of the others first. Got it?"

Elaine nodded. "Got it."

With that, she stood up and headed for the tent's exit. However, before she stepped out, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. "Thanks, Isaac. You don't know how much this means to me. Get well fast. I will see you soon."

And just like that, she was gone.

Isaac collapsed on his mattress and closed his eyes.

I really don't get her…

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