"...Omg."

Eleven days. You slept for a whole, fucking, eleven days.

You conjecturing things is one thing, but hearing it from someone's lips was still shocking.

It took you a bit of time to digest this information.

After some time, you partially recovered from the shock, just enough to start worrying about the consequences of this long slumber.

"Eleven days. I went missing for eleven days. There is no way Mateo and my family wouldn't notice anything about it. If they think I went missing and went to the police to report me as a missing person..."

Reaching that point, a wary smile formed on your lips.

"The police would search my house within hours, and they would see all the things placed in my house, including all the items I looted from that shop. Also, the gangsters would quickly notice my disappearance if it is reported to the police, and they will immediately suspect me." - You thought warily.

And that was only the problem in your world. You were still in hot water in this post-apocalyptic world, as well.

"I have many things to ask, but first thing first..."

"Miss, I am called Iver. How may I address you?" - You introduce yourself before asking politely.

"I. Aleshanee." - The woman replied weakly, trying to form an awkward smile.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Aleshanee. May I ask you several questions?" - You ask politely, taking in her awkward performance.

"It seems that she doesn't interact using speech much. Do the infected rely on their crystals or something to communicate? Or do they use another language? But she does seem to know English." - You deduce.

"I. Answer. What. Can." - Aleshanee hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Seems like there are some things she can't talk about." - You note to yourself.

"Thank you, Miss Aleshanee. First, I would like to ask, do you know how I collapsed?" - You ask the biggest unanswered question in your heart.

"Lord ShadowClaw. Venom. Capture. Bring. Here." - Aleshanee hesitated for a moment before telling you.

"Wait, you're saying that this Shadow Claw guy poisoned me, captured me, and brought me here?!" - You ask with a hint of dread.

Without any time to react, you were taken down and captured. It was indeed a scary thought.

"Lord ShadowClaw. No. Shadow Claw. And, Yes." - She replied and even corrected your words, seemingly offended about how you addressed the guy.

"Oh, my bad. So, this Lord ShadowClaw. Do you know why he captured me?" - You ask, hoping to shed some light.

"Iver enter. Lord ShadowClaw Den. Take things. No Permission. Normally, Kill everything inside. Only spares when Chief commands it. Only he can control it." - Aleshanee explained.

"Wait, what?! The tool shop was that local tyrants house?! I almost died?!" - Your face drained of color.

Only now did you realize how close you were to getting killed without even knowing it.

It took you some time to calm down and understand your situation.

"So, I was almost killed by this Lord Shadowclaw, but this Chief guy intervened, saving my life. If what Aleshanee said is the truth, even though the Chief ordered my capture and probably has an ulterior motive, I owe him my life now." - You realize your situation.

In this other world, there is no law or order, only the law of the jungle rules. That means no law can protect you from being killed or even eaten.

In retrospect, you barged into their turf and broke into one of their houses while armed to rob stuff. In your world, in California, Castle Laws apply in this scenario, and the owner is in the right to shoot to kill. Capturing you is a great mercy, not to mention taking care of you for eleven days in Humane conditions, even placing this beauty with you in bed, or at least that is what you assume he did.

You are not an ungrateful wretch. As long as that Chief doesn't have excessive demands, you were willing to compensate.

After reorganizing your thoughts, you continue your questions.

"Miss Aleshanee, who is this Lord ShadowClaw?" - You ask.

"Lord ShadowClaw is Kin. Very Strong." - Aleshanee explained.

"What is a Kin? Do you mean the mindless Drones outside?" - You ask to confirm, although you were pretty sure of your guess.

"Drones. Corrupted One word. We Ascended, call Husks. Husks are lowest of Kin." - She said, three new words adding to the mix.

"So A-type infected are called Kin, B-type infected are called Ascended, and Drones are called Husks." - You note.

"Then, how strong is Lord ShadowClaw, then? It must be stronger than the evolved Husks outside, right? Did it evolve a second time?" - You ask.

Aleshanee nodded, then shook her head, "Lord ShadowClaw is Lord. Lord evolves three times or is not Lord. Much stronger than Soldiers and Guardians."

"Three times?! Oh, god. What divine luck did I have that the first place I broke into was a local tyrants house of all places?!" - You almost felt like crying.

"So, Soldiers evolved once, and Guardians evolved twice, yes?" - You continue and ask to confirm.

"Yes." - Alenshee nodded.

You nodded before asking about the last unknown term you heard.

"What are the Corrupted Ones? Enhanced Humans?" - You ask, although you could already guess the answer.

Aleshanee took a moment of silence, seemingly formulating her words, before replying.

"Enhanced Humans, another name for Corrupted Ones. They rule before the Great Change. We Ascended once Corrupted Ones, forcefully strengthened by technology. They refuse the Great Change, so they are Corrupted. We accepted it, so we Ascended. We try to make them accept. Make them Ascend. Some accepted, but most declined. They stick to aging technology and dying traditions. Try to exterminate us. We fight back. Corrupted Ones are Great Enemy." - Aleshanee said with bitterness and hatred.

You remained silent, but you understood the gist of things.

"So, it's essentially the clash between selfish interests. The Ascended want to change the rest of Humanity out of goodwill, while Humanity wants to remain pure and continue being itself for obvious reasons while regaining its birthright. This is a seriously fucked-up muddy grey area. I'm not touching that with a 60-foot poll."¹South Park reference

You are not from this world. You are a typical Human being from your world, one with a superpower, sure, but regular. As far as you are concerned, the Ascended are an evolved form of humankind, one of its potential branches of evolution. You don't have any sentimentalities or prejudices as long as their intelligence is not impaired, (Currently) not hostile to you, and can be negotiated with. And, as far as you are concerned, they fill the criteria.

After determining your neutrality, you ask another question. It was one concerning your safety.

"Miss Aleshanee, may I ask what you consider me to be? I am not a Corrupted One, and I am not an Ascended, so what am I in your eyes?" - You ask with great interest.

Aleshanee blinked her eyes before answering, "You are Pure One. Pure from corruptive enhancement, Pure from Great Change. Like small animals. Friendly. No threat. Harmless. Unlike Outsiders."

Another term popped up, but you had a clue as to what she meant.

"Are Outsiders mutated animals or even Humans?" - You ask to confirm.

"Yes. They are Pure Ones affected by Great Change. Eat Kin, Ascended, And Outsiders. Mutate, Evolve, Stronger. They are not Corrupted by fake strength. We recognize them, but not of us. They are Outsiders. They eat us. We eat them. Human Outsiders are usually allies, sometimes enemies. Neutral friendly. Trade sometimes. But they are rare." - She answered.

Even when she mentioned eating each other, it felt so natural. So neutral. As if talking about the weather.

This world runs on the law of the wilderness and has a different mentality than yours. Thankfully, as you were already mentally prepared for such an answer, you were not too shocked.

After taking another deep breath to calm down, you ask another question.

"Miss Aleshanee, may I ask where I am now?" - You ask.

Aleshanee remained silent for a moment before answering, "Tribe, Home. Called, Hospital, by Corrupted Ones."

"Hospital? Now that she mentions it, this room does look like a hospital room."

From the brief look around, you could see that this room was once a hospital room, albeit a futuristic one. It is white, looked relaxing to the eye, and despite being old, it appeared to be cleaned recently, likely to accommodate you in a healthier and more hospitable manner. You expected a hospital room to have hospital equipment, but aside from the inbuilt appliances on the walls, the room appeared empty except for a few chairs, a table, and the bed you slept on. The equipment was likely removed to convert it into a guest room.

"... Is it called Mercy General Hospital, by any chance?" - You ask weirdly.

"Yes. How. Know?" - Aleshanee asked back with intrigue.

"I... am looking for a lost family member. Someone who stayed here before the Great Change." - You formulate your words carefully.

"You? Alone? Foolish. Very dangerous. You are too weak. Seeking death." - She frowned and said bluntly in a reprimanding tone.

"I won't argue with that." - You agree with her words in your mind.

You are just a standard human, unenhanced by genetic engineering and armed with a shotgun. Sure, if you faced one or two regular animals, you have a chance, but anything else this world throws at you would be lethal.

This doesn't even consider that you need food and water, and that night here is dangerous.

Even with your ability to escape, get food and water, and travel only in the daytime, just one ambush almost got you killed, spared by the mercy of another. You realized your nativity and your need for help in this world.

Aleshanee viewing your actions as suicidal is justified, and you acknowledged her harsh words without complaint.

"Yes, I know. I desperately wanted answers, so I left my group to seek them here." - You lie.

"... As you will. Your life. Your decision. But your life, precious, rare, cherish it." - Aleshanee sighed and said, as if caring for you, a stranger.

"... I will keep that in mind. Thank you." - You thank her, feeling a bit weird.

Although you could guess she was being ordered, she did seem to care for your safety and life, although the reason for that was unknown to you. Perhaps it was an order, or maybe it was part of their beliefs and way of life, or possibly she was just that nice.

You both stayed silent for a few minutes, sharing warmth while listening to the birds chirping outside and each other's heartbeats.

You missed this feeling. Perhaps, with your ex, it was even less intimate than this.

After some time of enjoying this nostalgia, you ask a question you wondered for a while now.

"Miss Aleshanee?" - You ask hesitantly.

"Yes?" - She blinked her eyes.

"Why are we both naked, and why are you hugging me?" - You ask strangely.

Ever since you woke up, and likely for many days before, this woman has been hugging you in the nude. Not that you complain or anything.

Still, this did strike you odd, as you didn't see a good reason as to why she would do that.

Aleshanee blinked her eyes for a moment before explaining.

"You, sick. Very Sick. Cant produce body heat alone. Very Cold. Had to warm you or die." - She said and hugged you a bit tighter.

"I couldn't produce body heat?! I had hypothermia?!" - You widen your eyes in shock.

"Hypothermia? I don't know the word. Shaman said infection. Common in newborns. Weak immune system. I don't know the details. Ordered by Shaman to take care of you in turns with Byhalia until you get better." - Aleshanee said.

Hearing her words, you started having cold sweat, realizing just how fucked you are right now.

"Infection? Weak immune system? Common with newborns? Now that I think about it, that DOES make sense. This world is advanced by over a century of technology, and with it, the diseases here should be different and more advanced. To them, my immune system is like that of a newborn, perhaps even weaker. It's even possible I contracted it while walking on the street. Shit. Being captured was the luckiest thing that happened to me." - You gradually realize.

"But, wait a minute..."

"What about the venom, then? Didn't you say I was poisoned?" - You point out.

"Lord ShadowClaw Venom, paralytic. Causes unconsciousness. Lethal after 12 hours without treatment. Wise Shaman treats you. Gives cure. Infection is different. Not normal. Strange." - Aleshanee said with a puzzled look.

"Wait, so how did you treat me? Did you give me some medicine?" - You ask.

"Medicine? No. Medicine is too strong for you. Body rejects. You need something more gentle, something for newborns. I think you like it." - Aleshanee gave an ambiguous smile.

"Not medicine? Something for newborns? What do you— Gurgle*."

Just as you were about to continue asking, your stomach suddenly rumbled in protest, hungry for food.

Aleshanee's ambiguous smile widened, stretching one of her hands while gently stroking your belly with her slightly calloused hands.

"Iver is hungry now, yes?" - Aleshanee said with a motherly tone, her greenish-grey cheeks blushing with a yellowish tinge.

"W-What is she doing? N-No, wait a minute... Her tone, her words... She couldn't possibly mean to—"

And then, your suspicions were confirmed when—