Ten Days Later
In a forgotten corner of a desolate forest, the natural sounds had been completely silenced. The whisper of the wind had given way to brutal noises, the sharp clang of metal striking metal, followed by dry cracks, like wood splitting under brutal force. The air was heavy, saturated with the scent of cut sap, upturned earth, and the acidic sweat of tension.
Leaves flew like shrapnel, and branches were hurled away as if a storm were raging at the forest's heart. Deep marks scarred the ground, some with grooves far too wide to be from human feet. It was a scene of chaos, of battle.
At the epicenter of that turmoil, a solitary figure stood firm: a young man with black hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, his breathing ragged and heavy. His skin was marked with superficial cuts. In his hands, a katana, its blade stained with freshly coagulated blood.
His eyes were fixed ahead.
There, between the mist and charred trunks, four bestial creatures glared at him. They resembled wolves, but time and distorted mana had taken their toll: their bodies were larger, disproportionate, and each jaw bore three rows of dagger-like fangs. Their fur was black as the densest night, and from their amber eyes emanated a primal, almost intelligent hatred.
They growled lowly, their claws digging into the earth like living blades. At the center of their formation, a glowing space shimmered with ethereal fragments of golden light, the remains of the pack's fifth member, who had fallen moments earlier to the boy's blade.
[ +1 Level ][ +5 Attribute Points ]
The collective rage of the monsters seemed to grow by the second. The air between them was about to shatter with the next move.
And yet… the boy didn't back down.
With blade in hand, feet planted firmly in the ground, and eyes lit by a crimson glow radiating from the mana core in his chest, he exhaled slowly.
"Let's end this..."
In his eyes, the creatures' stats flashed:
[
Level: 8
Name: Shadow Lupin
Strength (STR): 14
Stamina (STA): 12
Constitution (CON): 9
Intelligence (INT): 8
Charm (CHA): 4
Mana: 10
Skills: (Hunter's Howl – D), (Shadowfire – C), (Shadow Step – D)
]
The mist was thick, but for Noah, the night was no longer an obstacle. His eyes filtered shadows like glass, revealing every detail around him: the sinister glint in the Lupins' eyes, the tense muscles beneath dark fur, the way their paws pressed into the ground, ready to spring.
They didn't wait.
Three came at once, in a coordinated arc. The fourth slipped through the shadows, trying to flank him. Noah reacted at the right instant, instincts sharp as blades. With a forward step and a spinning slash of his katana, he dodged one beast's fangs and slashed its side. The wolf howled, but didn't retreat.
"The flanker… there."
With vision adapted to the darkness, Noah saw the fourth Lupin moving through the tall grass. He gritted his teeth and activated his skill, [Dash]. His body responded like an arrow, speed increasing in the blink of an eye. Zigzagging with precision, he dodged a second attack, spun in midair with his katana, and slashed the neck of the ambushing Lupin.
Dark blood sprayed, hot like steam. The body fell, writhing. Three remained.
Before he could breathe, another struck him from the side. Noah flew, slamming into a tree. The impact knocked the air from his lungs and made him cough blood. His muscles ached; a rib was likely cracked.
But he felt it.
His [Regeneration] skill kicked in. The pain began to fade, and the gash in his leg was already closing slowly. It was superficial, but would've cost him dearly without the skill.
"I can't hold out much longer..."
He gripped the katana in his right hand, the spear in his left. One Lupin lunged with claws out. Noah spun the spear and drove it into the ground at the last second, propelling himself upward. He leaped over the monster, and in midair, brought the katana down in a powerful arc, slashing the creature's back hard enough to leave it limping.
Another already leaped at him.
Noah had no choice. He let go of the spear and drew the small knife from his waist, his emergency blade.
With both arms open, he blocked the Lupin's jaw with the katana and stabbed the knife into its neck. The body convulsed, claws nearly reaching his face, but the creature collapsed, foaming.
"Two..."
The remaining two Lupins charged together.
Noah gritted his teeth. He was wounded, exhausted, Dash still on cooldown, but his eyes shone with resolve. With the katana in his right and the knife in his left, he stepped forward, ignoring the throbbing pain in his side.
He waited for the perfect moment.
As they closed in, he leapt sideways, spinning powerfully. The katana slashed in an arc, opening the first one's neck. Before the second could react, Noah spun again and stabbed the knife directly into its left eye.
They fell almost simultaneously.
[
{Attention!}
Would the Host like to Extract a Skill or Collect Experience?
]
"It's over..."
he murmured, lowering his weapons. He stood for a moment, breathing heavily, as blood slowly dripped from the blades.
The wolves began to vanish, their forms dissipating into the air, leaving the forest in absolute silence, broken only by a whisper:
"Regeneration."
Noah's superficial wounds began to close before his eyes, healing rapidly, leaving only the fresh Lupin blood.
His gaze fixed on the message floating before him:
[
Skill Acquired: Shadowfire – C
Description: Conjures a black flame that consumes the enemy, burning them to extinction.
Type: Magic
Cost: 6 Mana
Cooldown: 0 seconds
]
Two days after the bloody battle against the Rattusks, Noah hadn't rested. During that time, he spent hours analyzing every move, every mistake and success of that fight. He crafted strategies, imagined alternate scenarios, trying to understand his limitations and what needed improvement. Determination burned in his chest. He needed to become stronger, he needed to improve.
So he wandered the streets of the empty city. Every alley, every corner, every abandoned building was explored in hopes of finding new monsters. But all he found were weak, low-level creatures. He still fought them, for training, but the experience and rewards were minimal, insufficient for rapid growth.
Reality imposed itself like a wall: in that city, at that time, truly dangerous monsters were rare. The apocalypse was still in its early stages, and the stronger creatures had yet to emerge or migrate there.
He was just lucky to have found those creatures with good skills… or maybe it was his Title at work.
Then, a new idea formed in his mind. To grow stronger, he had to seek more powerful monsters, not only in the city, but beyond. He had to roam the world, explore forests, mountains, ruins, and anywhere the corrupted mana might have spawned greater threats.
Now, Noah found himself deep in an unknown forest…
He paused for a moment, leaning against an ancient tree, his body still marked by battle. With a sigh, he fixed his gaze on the void ahead and whispered softly:
"Status."
[
Level: 7
Name: Noah Maxwell
Race: Arkhon
Age: 19
Titles: The First
Fragments: 1/6
STR: 15
STA: 14
CON: 17
INT: 15
CHA: 10
Mana: 29
Luck: 100
Attribute Points: 5
Skills:(Extraction – EX), (Assessment – EX), (Night Vision – D), (Dash – D), (Regeneration – C), (Shadowfire – C)
]
After some tests and attempts, Noah finally understood what each attribute truly influenced in his performance. He already had the theoretical knowledge, but understanding it in practice, feeling each effect in his body and mind, was a completely different experience.
Strength: Measures physical power, directly affecting actions like lifting heavy objects, delivering powerful blows in combat, and other tasks requiring brute force.
Stamina: Indicates dexterity and skill with hands and feet, affecting attack precision, movement agility, quick reflexes, and actions requiring body coordination.
Constitution: Reflects overall health, physical resilience, and stamina, determining one's ability to endure damage, resist harsh conditions, and recover from injuries.
Intelligence: Measures intellectual capacity, influencing the ability to learn and absorb knowledge, think quickly, solve complex problems, and use intellectual skills. Advanced and complex spells depend on high intelligence.
Charm: Represents the user's presence and influence, their ability to persuade, negotiate, and lead. It also affects physical appearance, making the user more naturally attractive or imposing. This attribute impacts social interactions—facilitating alliances, avoiding conflicts, and leaving strong impressions.
Mana: Indicates how much magical energy the user can store and withstand. The higher the mana, the more spells and abilities can be used and sustained. It also influences the body's resistance to magic fatigue, allowing prolonged use without exhaustion.
Noah took a deep breath, feeling the forest's cold air fill his weary lungs. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the quiet soothe his restless mind. Despite the silence, his attention remained sharp, he knew any strange sound could mean a new threat.
"Alter..."
he murmured, voice low and firm
"How can I level up faster...?"
Noah closed his eyes for a moment, his breath still heavy after the last battle. The harshness of that world forced him to face a brutal truth: to survive and protect those he loved, he had to be more than just strong… he had to be ruthless.
He knew deep in his soul that when humans returned to the ruined world, the old laws they once knew would no longer apply. The new rule would be the law of the strongest, those who dominated, dictated the rules, and imposed their will. And he didn't want to be the one who merely obeyed that new order, because too much was at stake, people too important, dreams that couldn't die yet.
With a hoarse voice, almost a whisper laced with determination, he said to himself:
"I have to be the one who sets the rules… not the one who blindly follows them."
Names of important people surfaced along with that thought, refusing to leave his mind, weighing heavily on his chest:
"Aunt… Ana..."
Their faces appeared clearly in his mind. He didn't know where they were now, how they were surviving, or what they were facing, but their images were what kept him going. His aunt and friend were the purest link left between him and the world he once knew, a constant reminder of what was worth fighting for.
The thought of them, of all they had lost and could still lose, haunted his every step like a shadow that followed him even in the silence of the forest.
["Calm down, Noah… Remember what our mother always said…"]
"Don't rush—always think before you act..."
Noah took a deep breath, trying to quiet the storm of emotions threatening to take over his mind. His mother's voice echoed in his memory like a beacon in the dark, reminding him that true strength came not only from physical power, but from wisdom and control.
With a calmer mind, he slowly stood, muscles still aching from the last battle. He knew exactly what needed to be done, there was no room for hesitation, no time for doubt.
Every decision from that point on could mean the difference between life and death—between protecting those he loved or losing them forever.In the new world that awaited him, there were only two options:
dominate or be dominated.