Ethan stumbled through the broken streets, still processing what had happened. His heart was pounding, but the system interface floated calmly before his eyes.
[New Quest Available: Find a Safe Zone]
Reward: Unknown
He glanced around. The city was a graveyard. Buildings crumbled, cars overturned, and shadows lurked everywhere.
Then he spotted a faint glow from an alleyway. Following it, he discovered a small abandoned shop, surprisingly intact.
Inside, a notebook lay on a table. Opening it, he saw crude sketches of monsters and notes about survival strategies. Whoever had left it… had lived here.
[Skill Unlocked: Analyze]
Ethan examined the notebook. Numbers and stats appeared above every object in the room. This ability allowed him to estimate weapon effectiveness, monster weaknesses, and escape routes.
Minutes later, a growl echoed from the street. A smaller creature, faster than the first, entered the shop.
Ethan's hands shook. He gripped a chair as a weapon. [Quick Strike: Level 2 Unlocked]
With the new skill, he dodged and struck with precision. The system showed Damage 45. The creature stumbled, Ethan took a deep breath… and realized he was getting stronger.
[Quest Update: Find a Safe Zone — Progress 50%]
Outside, faint signs of other survivors glimmered. Ethan knew he wasn't alone. But he also understood the world had changed forever.
[Cliffhanger:] The notebook's last page showed a warning: "The Panels are only the beginning… a massive creature approaches tonight."