Smoke rose into the sky from what used to be a convenience store. The windows were shattered, shelves were toppled, and the fridges hummed uselessly in the background. Adrian ducked inside, carefully stepping around the broken glass. Blood, not his, smeared the floor near the entrance.
He moved slowly, half-expecting another monster to jump out from behind the snack racks. But nothing stirred. Just silence and flickering emergency lights.
He let out a shaky breath and collapsed behind the counter.
His hands still trembled from the fight.
The rebar lay beside him, now blood-stained and bent. His knuckles were scraped raw. He tore off a strip from a polo shirt hanging near the store's lost and found and wrapped his hand as best as he could.
When he finally looked up, the System Interface was still there, floating patiently.
Inventory Tab Unlocked
He tapped it.
[Improvised Weapon +1: Rusted Rebar][Empty Slots: 19]
No food. No water. No healing items.
He had to change that.
But first, his Status Tab. He stared at it, trying to take in what he had missed earlier.
Name: Adrian Lock
Level: 2EXP: 0/200
MANA: 0/0
Health: 85/100
Strength: 1
Vitality: 5
Dexterity: 2
Endurance: 3
Magic: 0
Agility: 3
Wisdom: 1
Stat Points Available: 2
He hadn't used them yet. Not until he had a plan.
As he lay in the dark, memories clawed at his mind. The girl's eyes—how she looked at him when he ran. The disgust.
He wanted to say he was just being careful. That he wasn't ready. That he couldn't have helped.
But the truth gnawed at him.
He had been afraid.
And it hadn't been the first time.
After a while, when he was sure the area was quiet, he got up and began exploring the store. Step by cautious step.
Most of the shelves were emptied, but he found a few items: two energy bars behind the counter, three rolled-up bandages near the first aid box, and a kitchen knife in the store's tiny back room.
The Inventory Tab updated in real time.
[Energy Bar x2][Bandages x3][Kitchen Knife: Common Weapon +2]
A new notification appeared.
Achievement Unlocked: "Scavenger I"
Gather 5 survival items.
Reward: +1 EXP
Only 1 EXP.
He almost laughed. Even surviving had become a grind.
The store windows still provided a view of the ruined intersection outside. Adrian stepped closer, peeking through the cracks.
He froze.
A strange, shrill hum echoed across the street.
In the center of the road, a new rift formed. Not huge like the earlier ones, but large enough.
The air bent and shimmered. Blue light flared.
From the tear, a humanoid figure stepped out.
Not a monster.
She had pale blue skin, silver-white hair, pointed ears, and wore thin armor made of dark leather and feathers. A curved blade hung at her hip.
An Elf, like those we read in fantasy novels.
She glanced around with a sharp expression, then drew her blade.
Two dog-sized monsters scuttled toward her, emerging from a nearby alley. They had no eyes, only jagged mouths and barbed tails.
She didn't panic.
She moved like water.
Her blade shimmered with faint light as she dashed forward. Her movements were fluid and trained. One monster lunged; she parried, spun, and decapitated it in an instant. She ran through the second monster with a single upward stroke.
Adrian watched, slack-jawed. Her stance, her grace—it wasn't just beautiful; it was terrifying.
When it was over, she knelt by one of the corpses, placed a hand on the bloodstained ground, and whispered something in a language he didn't understand.
Language Deciphering in Progress...Estimated Time Remaining: 2h 34m
He didn't move. He didn't dare make a sound.
She wasn't human.
But she wasn't hostile either. Not to him. Not yet.
He wanted to approach. To say something. To ask for help. Anything.
But he didn't.
He backed away slowly and returned inside the store. The memory of the girl's disappointed glare still burned in his chest.
He couldn't handle another moment like that.
Not now.
He barricaded himself inside the freezer room with a few shelves and a broom handle jammed into the door. Cold air blasted down from the ceiling vents. He curled up under a stack of packaged blankets and finally ate one of the energy bars.
The flavor barely registered.
He opened the Status Tab again.
He still had 2 unused stat points.
He stared at them for a long time. Eventually, he tapped:
Vitality: 5 → 6
Endurance: 3 → 4
His health ticked up slightly.
Health: 105/120
If he couldn't fight well, he'd at least live longer.
He leaned his head back against the cold metal wall.
Outside, the world screamed.
But in here, in this freezer, he felt—if only for a moment—safe.
His final thoughts before slipping into uneasy sleep:
"I need to stop thinking like a victim. I'm not the same anymore. This world isn't the same. If I want to live, I have to evolve."