He patted down the tattered clothes, his fingers brushing a pocket. Something small and metallic shifted. Sid pulled it free, two shells, still intact despite the years. He clenched them in his hand, whispering under his breath.

"You held onto these. Maybe you couldn't… maybe you couldn't do it to her. So you saved them. Damn… I get it now."

Sid rose slowly, shotgun slung across his shoulder. His jaw tightened as he looked at both father and daughter, their tragedies now spread before him. With grim determination, he muttered.

"No. You're not staying here. Not like this."

He worked outside the cabin, sweat dripping as he dug into the earth behind it. Every shovel of dirt felt heavier than the last, like the weight of their story pressed down on him. When the graves were finally deep enough, he carried the bodies out one at a time. First the father, then the daughter, his hands steady despite the ache in his chest.

Kneeling between the two mounds, Sid pressed his palm against the soil. His voice was rough, almost breaking.

"You didn't deserve this. Either of you. At least now, you're together. That's… that's something."

He sat there for a long while, silent except for his breathing. Finally, he stood, gripping the shotgun tighter.

"Rest easy. I'll carry the fight for both of you…"

He wiped his tears.

"What the heck? Why am I getting emotional over NPCs? Well, enough of that. If I let it go, I'll get soft. Time to deal with these 'unresolved desires and necrophilic urges' the system keeps harping on. Time to settle this with the Zombie Bunny Bride."

He sighed and finally turned away, walking back into the cabin. Dropping into the broken chair, he pulled up his inventory list.

"Breakfast of champions…"

He muttered, scanning the options. His stomach growled low, reminding him he hadn't eaten since yesterday. He tapped the table with his finger, weighing his choice.

"Tomato soup… nah, too early for that. Instant oats? Feels too bland. Canned beans? Nah, don't wanna gas myself up in a locked cabin. Beef jerky… tempting, but not yet. Energy bar's too small to count as a meal. Tuna it is. Protein. Keeps me moving… Inventory: Canned Tuna."

The canned tuna appeared on his hand. He pulled the lid back and took a long breath of the salty smell before shoveling it in with his fingers.

"Not bad. Not good either. But hey, beats starving."

He chewed slowly, eyes drifting to the shotgun leaned against the wall, then summoned a bottle of water and downed it in one long gulp.

"Gotta ration this stuff. I trained myself for this… skipped meals nearly a full day from gaming, so missing one won't kill me."

After finishing, he wiped his hand on his pants, stood, and moved toward the gun. He picked it up carefully, cradling it in both hands.

"Two weapons now… pocket knife for close calls, shotgun for when things get ugly. Cheapest damn loadout I've ever had. Back in the game, I'd strut around with legendary gear, golden skins, spinning blades, the works. Flashy as hell. But this?"

He glanced at the weapon's scratched metal, heavy in his grip. His voice dropped.

"This isn't about looking cool anymore. This one has weight. Real weight. This one belonged to someone who made a choice. And now… it's my turn."

He loaded the shells into the chamber with a slow click, his jaw tightening.

"No showboating. No highlight reels. Just purpose."

He slung the shotgun across his shoulder again, pocket knife secure at his side. His eyes swept the room one last time before he muttered to himself

"Alright. Time to move. Time to see what this confrontation is about… and time to face the Zombie Bunny Bride again."

Sid blinked twice, and the HUD flickered alive across his vision. The familiar digital grid expanded in front of him, and his map came into focus. He zoomed in until the markers were clear. There it was, the cathedral… highlighted by a glowing blue exclamation point, the same symbol that always marked a main mission.

He frowned when he saw the rest of the map around it. Blank tiles stretched out like fog, waiting to be filled in.

"Oh yeah, empty… I gotta walk it myself."

He tapped the symbol, and a faint line traced across the map, drawing a route from his location straight toward the cathedral. His eyebrows lifted.

"Huh. Didn't know this path existed. In the game, I always ran the straight route again and again, grinding for speed, never looking around. Guess I missed half the world just by rushing."

He exhaled, gripping the shotgun strap.

"Not this time. Let's see where this takes me."

He followed the path, pushing through a tangle of vines until the trees opened up. The deeper he went, the more the city faded away, swallowed by the forest. The sound of distant wind was replaced by buzzing insects, bird calls, and the steady crunch of his boots on damp soil.

He caught sight of rabbits darting across the underbrush, squirrels scrambling up trunks, and even a fox slipping silently into the shadows.

A sudden rustle made him pause. His shotgun half-raised, but when he turned, a deer stood in the clearing ahead, the same one that had led him to this cabin days ago. Its ears twitched, but it didn't run. It just looked at him, calm, before trotting ahead down the path. Sid exhaled slowly, lowering the weapon.

"Guess you're still watching out for me, huh Bambi?"

The deeper he walked, the greener it became. Sunlight poured through the gaps in the canopy, lighting up clouds of insects that buzzed lazily above flowers and damp grass. Birds sang in bursts, their calls sharp and bright, nothing like the silence of the ruins he'd come from. For a moment, Sid almost forgot he was in a zombie-ridden city. It felt more like some untouched wilderness.

Then he noticed the shapes. Metal poles, half-buried in weeds. A plastic slide, cracked and faded. Swings hung limp, their chains rusted but still swaying slightly in the breeze. Sid blinked, realization dawning.

"A park… This was a damn park. I'm standing in the middle of a city, and nature just swallowed it whole."

[SYSTEM MESSAGE!]

[NEW LANDMARK DISCOVERED: Nexus Green]

[Added to Map Database]

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