Survival is unlikely; will you be willing to trust a terrifying stranger for a slightly better chance?

! Post apocalypse, Violence, Drugs, Politics, Zombies, Blood mentioned, Survival, Betrayal Mentioned _________________________________________________________________________________________

The capitalist world pushed nature to the brink of collapse. The wealthy kept all their fortunes and suffered none of the consequences. Ordinary people worked like slaves from dawn to dusk, only to live like dogs. Eventually, resentment erupted into violent uprisings. Governments were overthrown, monarchies were slaughtered, and billionaires became the first prey in this merciless witch hunt. An unimaginable number of lives were lost in the name of building a better future for the generations to come.

Now, if you're wondering whether that future ever came to pass... it depends on who you ask.

The world is now an anarchy—not the romanticized kind, of course. To survive, people must steal, hunt, hide, and kill.

The climate varies from region to region, but it is relentlessly destructive everywhere. Nature has reclaimed the planet, and there is no middle ground. One day you'll be swallowed by a sandstorm, the next by a blizzard, as the Earth still struggles to cleanse itself of the fumes left behind by the old oil refineries. The air itself is difficult to breathe, assuming you care about keeping your lungs intact.

By now, most people have been born into this reality, and the few survivors of the Digital Age have often become the leaders of cults, worshipped as living gods.

Cities still exist, despite the fact that many people live as nomads. They survive through smuggling, bartering, and, above all, the trade of mind-altering substances, which have become unbelievably popular. The most infamous of them is Cruor-Gel, aka the Bite. A thick, heavy, dark crimson gel extracted from the sap of the "Blood Root," or Cruor Radix. It is most commonly injected using pneumatic syringes, though some smear it directly onto open wounds for immediate absorption.

The first effects are a rush of pure adrenaline, unnaturally heightened reflexes, and hysterical strength. The real danger begins with an overdose, which triggers a mutation that is rarely reversible. Veins swell beneath the skin, turning thick and pitch black. The heart pounds at an unbearable pace, pumping the gel straight into the brain. The eyes become completely bloodshot, while a milky white film spreads across the pupils, covering them. The jaw locks shut, and the saliva thickens into a reddish foam. The victim's mind deteriorates, giving way to the loss of reason, blind rage, and an overwhelming chemical hunger... for living flesh.

In short? A literal zombie. Because apparently the apocalypse wasn't bad enough already.

Still, life in the countryside is often safer. You run into fewer psychopaths out there. Before you, your tiny family—and now only you—wandered the prairies of what was once Minnesota, deep within the Misquah Hills, surviving there until today.