The admin building loomed like a skeletal giant in the pale moonlight, its shattered windows and gaping doorways casting jagged shadows. The surrounding silence was oppressive, broken only by faint scuttling sounds from within. Kade stood at the edge of the group, her sharp gaze scanning the building’s perimeter. A crooked sign still clung to the wall by a single bolt that read Department of Retention. The rest of the team crouched low behind a crumbling wall, their weapons ready but held loose, conserving their energy for what lay ahead.
Myers gestured to the crude map he had spread on the ground.
"Alright," Myers whispered. "The main entrance is here. It leads to a central stairwell. Our target is on the top floor, on the far side. If the layout hasn’t changed, it’s an old secure records room."
"And if it has changed?" Lawson asked.
Myers shrugged. "Then we improvise. But if you’ve got another plan, Lieutenant, I’m all ears."
Kade watched the exchange with faint amusement. Myers wasn’t just eager; he was itching to contribute, to prove himself to the group. For his part, Lawson seemed content to let him take point in the briefing, though the glint in his eye suggested he had his own contingencies ready.
Sergeant Briggs grunted. "Improvise? That’s the plan? Great. Nothing’s ever gone wrong with that."
One Marine snorted softly, earning a glare from Briggs that Kade suspected was mostly for show. It was the kind of banter she expected from this crew. A mix of gallows humor and unshakable trust.
"What about the occupants?" she asked. "Any recent activity?"
Myers nodded. "Signs are all over. Rat people, definitely. Gnawed wood, trails in the dust, bits of cloth. Haven’t seen them out in force yet tonight, but that doesn’t mean they’re not watching. As for the fish people…" He paused, glancing toward the waterline. "None spotted recently, but I wouldn’t bet against them showing up. If they’re not in the building, they’re probably nearby."
Kade absorbed the intel without comment, her mind already mapping routes through the building. Rodentia inside meant tight spaces, ambush points, and a need for discipline. The fish people were a wildcard, but she hoped their larger size would make them easier to contain in the hallways. She made a mental note to see if she could get an actual name for the monster because fish people wasn't cutting it in her mind.
"We’ll go in quiet," Lawson said, "Minimal noise. Priority is securing the stairwell. Second is clearing a path to the top floor. Briggs, you’ve got the lead with Myers and the two Marines. Kade and I will follow with Olsen and Tanner."
Myers blinked. "You want me out on point?"
"Problem?" Briggs asked.
"No," Myers said quickly, "No problem. Your team knows what they’re doing. Just figured you would have stuck me in the back so as not to interfere."
"Good," Briggs said. "I wouldn't put you up front if I didn't think you could handle it. Don't prove me wrong."
The other Marines stifled a laugh, and Myers gave a small, wry smile. Despite his inexperience with this group, the rhythm of their camaraderie was infectious. Even Kade felt the faintest tug of a grin before forcing her focus back to the building.
"Final checks," Lawson said.
He moved down the line, tapping each team member on the shoulder as they adjusted their gear. Kade watched him work, her own mind ticking through contingencies. The rodentia’s erratic movements, the potential for reinforcements, the ever-present threat of structural collapse. It all added up to a fragile balance of risk.
Olsen, one of the security officers, fumbled with a knife strapped to his belt. "I’m telling you, Tanner, this is insane. We’re not soldiers."
"No, we’re not," Tanner replied without looking up from his crossbow. "But we know this building. That’s why we’re here. So shut up and do your job."
Kade stepped toward them. "Tanner is right. You’re not here to fight. Guidance is your role. You let us handle the hard parts."
Olsen swallowed hard. "Yes, ma’am."
A slight breeze stirred the air, carrying with it a faint scent of decay. Kade turned her head from side to side, scanning the shadows one more time. The scuttling noises had stopped. That wasn’t good.
Shadows of the Administration
Quest Notification! Infiltrate the administration building under the cover of darkness to retrieve critical intel hidden on the fortified fifth floor. Avoid detection and navigate a maze of traps, hostile occupiers, and deadly surprises. The objective is clear: secure the documents and escape without leaving a trace.
Difficulty: Medium
Completion Conditions: Retrieve information regarding Block Island Station or Operation Catalyst
Rewards: 50 Gold, Experience, One Magic Item
Accept? Yes/No
The quest notification was a bit of a surprise, but so far, the rewards for completing tasks they were already on a mission for had been pretty good, Kade thought, looking down at her cutlass. She quickly selected yes.
"Move out," Lawson said.
The group rose as one, their movements fluid. Kade took her place behind the Marines, her cutlass drawn but held low. The faint gleam of moonlight caught the edge of the blade, a reminder of how close they were to violence. As they approached the building’s entrance, the faint sound of claws against stone echoed from somewhere deep inside.
Kade crouched behind a crumbling planter outside the admin building, her cutlass gripped tightly in her hand. The faint scent of decay that lingered in the air was heavier near the entrance, a reminder that nothing here was safe. In the dim light, the two rodentia sentries skittered nervously near the doorway, their small, wiry forms twitching at every shadow. They were just a few paces from Briggs, who was crouched near a mangled bush still clinging to life.
[Analyze] Rodentia Fighter | Level: 2 | Status: Hostile | Class: Fighter
[Analyze] Rodentia Fighter | Level: 3 | Status: Hostile | Class: Fighter
Briggs signaled silently to the rest of the group, a quick motion of his hand. One sentry fell first, its sharp squeal cut short as Briggs burst from the bush to drive his knife deep into one sentry's neck. The other spun to react, its beady eyes widening before a Marine’s pike pole thrust cleanly into its chest. Kade rose quickly, motioning the team forward. With the two sentries dead, they were now on the clock to accomplish their mission before discovery.
The main door groaned on rusted hinges as they pushed inside, their boots crunching against the layer of filth coating the lobby floor. The air was thick and damp, carrying the scent of something far too alive for comfort. Kade moved into the lobby just behind the breaching Marines, her enhanced vision cutting through the shadows as she scanned for movement.
Then she saw them.
Four rodents gathered near the far side of the lobby, gnawing at scraps of unidentifiable flesh. They turned as one, their glowing eyes narrowing as guttural screeches filled the air. They were larger than the sentries outside, their bodies clad in patchwork armor that glinted faintly in the dim light.
[Analyze] Rodentia Fighter | Level: 3 | Status: Hostile | Class: Fighter
[Analyze] Rodentia Fighter | Level: 3 | Status: Hostile | Class: Fighter
[Analyze] Rodentia Fighter | Level: 4 | Status: Hostile | Class: Fighter
[Analyze] Rodentia Fighter | Level: 4 | Status: Hostile | Class: Fighter
"Contact front!" Lawson barked, raising his axe as the rodentia charged.
The first one closed the gap in an instant, leaping toward Briggs. He met it with a swift upward thrust of his blade, the creature collapsing in a heap at his feet. Another lunged for Myers, who ducked to the side as a Marine intercepted it with a brutal swing of his pike. The sharp crack of the blow echoed through the space.
Kade stepped forward, cutting down a third rodentia that clawed its way toward Olsen, it's gnashing teeth inches from his arm. The fourth darted around the chaos, weaving between the team. Kade swore as she saw its target.
"Bell!" she shouted, her voice sharp over the fray.
The rodentia reached the rusted bell hanging near the stairwell and struck it with a clawed hand. Through the lobby and into the halls, deafening clangs reverberated. The team froze for half a second, the realization sinking in. The alarm had been raised.
Kade winced. So much for subtle. Her record with stealth missions remained tragically unblemished.
Rage of the Administration
Quest Name Change! Quest Update! Well, so much for subtlety. Since stealth apparently isn’t your strong suit, it’s time to go totally barbarian. Fight your way through the rodentia-infested building, dodge traps, and battle your way to the fifth floor. Grab the intel and get out before the entire place collapses or worse, the enemy regroups. Just try not to break everything while you’re at it.
Difficulty: Hard
Completion Conditions: Retrieve information regarding Block Island Station or Operation Catalyst
Rewards: 50 Gold, Experience, One Magic Item, One Box of Crayons Minus Orange Ones
Kade surged forward, her cutlass slicing through the creature before it could strike the bell a second time. It fell with a choking hiss, its body convulsing before going still. The echoes of the bell lingered, bouncing off the walls like an accusatory shout.
"Ma'am, the stairwell is over there," Tanner said, point down a side hall.
"Move!" she ordered, "Stairwell. Now."
The team regrouped quickly, their movements honed by instinct. Lawson motioned the Marines to cover their flanks as Myers and the security guards followed, their faces pale but determined. Briggs took the rear with the rest of the Marines, his weapon raised as he scanned the now-silent lobby.
Olsen led them to a side stairwell, the door hanging off its hinges.
Kade peered inside, her enhanced vision sweeping the shadowed space. It was clear, at least for now.
"Inside," she hissed, motioning them forward.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
The team filed in, their breaths heavy but controlled. Briggs closed the door behind them as quietly as he could, the faint scrape of metal on the tile the only sound. Kade pressed herself against the wall, her ears straining for any sign of pursuit. The building remained unnervingly quiet.
"That quest update was downright rude," Kade said.
Lawson moved to her side. "No immediate response to the alarm. Why not?"
"They’re organized," Kade said, her eyes fixed on the faint light filtering through a crack in the stairwell door. "And from what we’ve seen, they’re defending something. If the rodentia are manning defensive positions, their priority might not be rushing to aid the defense, but fortifying in place."
"Could have thought the alarm was for an external threat," Briggs muttered. "Or they think the bell’s a false alarm."
"Doesn’t matter," Kade said firmly. "We use the time they’ve given us. Top floor is the objective. Stay tight, keep moving. Everyone keep your head on a swivel. They may not be looking for us yet, but they are certainly alert now and it will not take them long to figure out that this isn't a threat outside the building."
With weapons ready, the team moved silently. The bell had sounded, and they had lost the element of stealth, but they still didn't want to go barreling through the building. The building knew they were here, just not specifically where.
"Let’s move," Lawson said. "We’re not stopping until we have what we came for."
Climbing the stairs as quietly as possible, the team came to a blockage preventing them from proceeding higher than the third floor. The stairwell from the third to fourth floor almost looked as if a giant hand had swiped through the exterior wall and staircase. Several layers of concrete and twisted rebar filled the space.
"There is another stairwell on the other side of this floor. Down the hall outside this door, first left, then second right," Tanner said from the back of the group.
They entered the third floor with no other option but to look for another way up. The air inside the third floor was stifling, thick with the stale scent of mildew and something sharper, metallic. Kade motioned the team forward, their steps deliberate and soundless.
Ahead, the hallway stretched into darkness, broken only by faint shafts of moonlight filtering through shattered windows. Jagged shadows played across the walls, shifting with the faint breeze outside. The building seemed alive, its creaks and groans like a predator’s slow exhale.
The first trap was crude, but effective. A tripwire strung low across the floor, its trigger connected to a cluster of glass bottles filled with an acrid-smelling liquid. Briggs gestured for a halt as one Marine spotted it, their hand raised in a silent signal. Before the Marine could fumble with the wires, Myers stepped forward.
"Got it," he muttered. In a few deft motions, the tripwire was severed, and the bottles set aside. No time for thanks. The team moved on.
Each step forward brought a new challenge. The slightest pressure caused a rotted floor panel to give way, revealing spikes beneath its jagged edges. Sharp, rusted hooks, rigged to swing out from the wall when a nearby tile was pressed, were also present. The Marines called out each hazard in silence, their hand signals and sharp eyes keeping the team from falling into chaos.
When the traps became more complex, Myers stepped in again. His hands moved steadily, his focus unwavering. Kade noticed Briggs’s occasional glances toward the sergeant. Nothing overt but enough to recognize grudging respect. Myers wasn’t flashy, but he was effective, stepping up when the Marines lacked the skills for the task without rubbing it in their faces.
Though the team's progress slowed, they controlled it. Kade could feel the weight of every second ticking by, but the surgical precision of their movements left no room for haste. The team disarmed the traps, leaving the rodents unaware.
Until they weren’t.
A patrol of three rodentia emerged from a side corridor just as the team cleared another hazard. The creatures froze for a fraction of a second, their beady eyes moving between the humans and the disarmed trap. They hissed, their claws scraping against the floor as they surged forward.
Briggs and Tanner were on them before Kade could issue a command. A crossbow bolt from another Marine thudded into the chest of the lead rodentia, sending it sprawling, while Briggs’s blade flashed under the dim light, cutting down a second. The third leapt at Myers, but a sharp blow from a pike pole sent it crashing to the ground, where Kade’s cutlass finished it.
The hallway fell silent again, save for the faint drip of blood from the rodentia pooling on the floor. All the team seemed to hold its breath as it waited to see if more rodentia would appear.
"Clear," Briggs said, already wiping his blade on a scrap of cloth once he was sure no one else was approaching.
The traps grew sparser the farther they moved, replaced by heavier signs of occupation. Nests of shredded fabric and discarded scraps, faint claw marks on the walls, and the unmistakable stench of unwashed bodies. When they reached the end of the hallway, a single, heavy door blocked their path. Grime smeared its handle, and metal bands reinforced the door. Kade stepped forward, testing the handle. The door was locked.
She turned back to the team, her gaze settling on Myers. His face already showed determination. Without a word, he stepped forward, pulling out a pouch of tools from his backpack and kneeling before the lock as the team fanned out to secure the area.
Kade stood with her back to the door, eyes scanning the hallway as Myers dropped to one knee behind her. She heard the faint clink of metal on metal, probably from his tools.
"Trap’s nasty," he said. "Looks like acid bottles rigged to blow if I mess this up."
She didn’t turn. "Don’t mess it up, then."
The rest of the team had spread into a rough defensive arc, their weapons ready. Their time had run out. The rodentia had finally figured out the threat was external, and the building was alive with sound now. Screeches, claws scraping against the floor, and the guttural chants of something darker filled the building.
Then they came.
The rodentia poured into the hallway in a wave of gnashing teeth and patchwork armor. Two in the rear stood out, their hunched forms draped in tattered robes, their clawed hands glowing with an eerie, sickly green light. One screeched a wordless chant, and the injured rodentia in front of it straightened, its wounds sealing as if time itself had reversed.
[Analyze] Rodentia Cultist | Level: 5 | Status: Hostile | Class: Dark Cleric
[Analyze] Rodentia Cultist | Level: 5 | Status: Hostile | Class: Dark Cleric
"Casters in the back!" Kade growled, raising her voice over the cacophony.
Briggs surged forward, a pike pole in his hands, skewering the first rodentia that lunged at him. He wrenched the weapon free with practiced ease, turning to backhand another attacker with the butt of the pole. Beside him, a Marine drove his boot into a rodentia’s chest, sending it sprawling before slamming the edge of an axe into its neck.
The team didn’t fight clean, and they didn’t fight pretty. One Marine dropped his crossbow to grab a rodentia by its matted fur, slamming its head into the wall before stabbing it in the eye with a blade he’d pulled from his boot. Briggs caught another by the arm, twisting until the bone snapped, and used its own weight to throw it into the claws of its companions. Blood splattered the walls and floor as the team held the line, the rodentia shrieking in fury as they pressed closer.
Kade darted forward, her cutlass flashing in the dim light. She hooked the blade under the chin of a rodentia mid-lunge, tearing through flesh before spinning to drive her elbow into another’s jaw. It staggered, and she finished it with a thrust to the chest.
"Watch the casters!" Lawson shouted as a bolt of dark energy shot past him, the Shadow Bolt sizzling into the wall with a burst of dark flame. Another spell struck a Marine square in the chest, throwing him back with a grunt of pain.
Kade’s eyes locked onto the robed figures. They chanted in unison, the air around them thick with a tangible, oppressive energy. A nearby rodentia, bleeding out from a gash in its side, suddenly snapped upright, its wounds knitting closed as one cleric raised its clawed hand. Healing magic.
"We’re going to need a healer of our own," she said grimly, slashing at another attacker. "If this is what we’re up against now…"
Another Shadow Bolt streaked toward them, forcing the team to scatter. Briggs hurled a dagger with deadly accuracy, catching one cleric in the shoulder. It screeched but didn’t fall, its free hand glowing as it healed itself.
Kade didn’t dare look back, but she heard the tools clicking behind her. The movement sounded faster now, more desperate. Then, a sudden pause and sharp intact of breath.
"Talk to me, Myers!" Kade shouted, cutting down another rodentia.
"Bottle shifted," he called out, voice tight. "One wrong twitch, and we’re all a puddle melting on the floor from acid."
Another Marine went down, a Shadow Bolt searing through his leg. Lawson pulled him back with one hand, his other swinging his axe in a wide arc to keep the attackers at bay.
"Myers now would be a good time!"
A sharp click cut through the chaos. Then a shout from behind.
"Done!"
Kade didn’t turn. A heartbeat later, something shattered behind her, followed by a hiss and the sound of Rodentia shrieking as if flayed alive.
Acid.
"Move!" Kade barked.
She shoved Myers through the now-open door. The team followed in a rush, dragging injured Marine as Briggs brought up the rear. Myers slammed the door shut behind them, twisting the lock with a satisfying snap. The rodentia’s furious pounding began almost immediately, but the heavy door held firm.
The team collapsed into the darkened stairwell, the sounds of battle fading behind them. Kade took a moment to scan the group before ascending the stairs. Although bloodied, battered, and bruised, they were alive.
The fourth floor was quieter than Kade expected, but the stench of rot and decay was increasing. It had been getting more pungent the higher up the building they went. The hallway stretched out ahead, lit faintly by a single flickering torch that cast uneven shadows across the walls. At the far end, the double doors loomed, flanked by makeshift barricades of twisted metal and scavenged wood. Rodentia guards moved behind the fortifications, their guttural chatter carrying faintly down the corridor.
Kade crouched with the team just beyond the doorway leading to the stairwell, her gaze fixed on the barricades.
"No way we’re fighting through that without getting shredded," she said. "We need them to come to us."
"They’re dug in and waiting for us," Lawson replied, leaning slightly around the edge of the doorway to get a better look. "If we make noise, they’ll either hunker down or call for reinforcements."
Myers shifted beside him, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the hallway.
"Not if the noise is over there," he said, pointing toward one of the side rooms farther down the hall. "If I can slip in unseen, I can make it sound like something big is moving around. They won’t risk ignoring it."
Kade considered the plan, her mind racing through the potential risks. If Myers was spotted, he'd be out in the open and too far away to come to his aid. But there weren’t any better options, and the alternative of a full-frontal assault was a death sentence.
"Do it," she said finally. "We’ll hold here and wait for your signal. Stay quiet."
Myers nodded, slipping into the shadows. The moments that followed were tense. Watching the rodentia at the barricades, the team huddled in silence. The guards paced nervously, their movements quick and twitchy, their weapons gripped tightly in clawed hands.
Then the noise started.
A series of loud, erratic bangs echoed from one of the side rooms. Pipes clanged against the walls, heavy objects thudded to the floor, and a faint scraping sound punctuated the chaos, as though something massive were moving just out of sight. The rodentia froze, their heads swiveling toward the noise. Harsh whispers broke out among the guards, their gestures sharp and frantic.
"They’re arguing," Briggs said. "Perfect."
After a few more moments of debate, the barricade doors creaked open, and someone shoved a guard into the hallway. It stumbled forward hesitantly, its weapon raised as it edged toward the source of the noise.
"Now," Kade hissed.
The Marines moved as one, their boots silent against the floor as they surged toward the barricade. Briggs took point, his pike pole flashing out to catch the guard in the chest, the force of the blow sending it sprawling. Before the other rodentia could react, the rest of the Marines were on them.
Kade followed close behind, her cutlass already humming with the faint energy of Tempest’s Edge. With a sharp intake of breath, she activated the Officer’s Command ability. A surge of energy rippled outward from the blade, its metallic blue sheen glowing faintly as an unseen force spread through the team. The Marines’ movements grew sharper, their strikes more precise, their confidence radiating in every motion. At the same time, the rodentia faltered, their eyes darting nervously as a faint shimmer of unease settled over them.
"Drive the wedge! Time to earn your pay, Marines!" Kade cried.
A rodentia guard fell to a Marine’s axe, its shriek cut short by a brutal downward swing. Another lunged at Lawson, only to be caught mid-strike by a crossbow bolt that buried itself deep in its shoulder. The Marines pressed forward relentlessly, their attacks coordinated and deadly.
Kade darted to the side, catching another rodentia off guard. Her cutlass sliced through its patchwork armor with a burst of force, sending it staggering into one of its allies. She didn’t hesitate, stepping forward to deliver a clean, finishing strike.
The remaining guards broke ranks, their morale shattered. One tried to retreat through the barricade doors, but Briggs was faster. He barreled through, his pike pole sweeping upward to knock the guard’s weapon aside before driving the tip into its chest. The creature collapsed with a choking gasp, its body crumpling at the foot of the barricade.
"Gate’s clear!" Lawson barked.
The Marines didn’t pause, immediately moving to secure the area beyond the doors.
Kade lowered her cutlass, the hum of Tempest’s Edge fading as the ability’s effect dissipated. She took a quick scan of the team. No major injuries, no losses. It had been quick, surgical, just as planned.
"Good work, everyone," Kade said. Noticing Myers returning to the group, she added. "Myers, solid distraction."
"Thanks, though it looks like I missed the fun," He replied.
"Boss, staircase to the fifth floor right over here," One Marine interrupted.
"Alright, form up. We're almost at the home stretch," Lawson said.
Tides of Ruin are fully written and already scheduled. Chapters will continue to release every Tuesday and Friday through the end of the year. You can read with confidence knowing there will be no hiatus.
If you are enjoying this series, you may also want to check out The Grand Crusade. It is another story set in the Surviving the Simulation universe. Same strange world, different cast, different location, and a whole new set of problems.
Finally, if you want to read ahead or see more of the background lore that shapes this universe, you can find that on Patreon. Both Tides of Ruin and The Grand Crusade have advanced chapters available there, along with exclusive lore that does not make it into the books. Your support helps keep this world alive and growing.
