Kael remained behind the overturned vehicle for several minutes.
He listened.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No roaring.
Only the distant sounds of a city that no longer felt like home.
He slowly stood.
His body was exhausted, but something had changed.
The exhaustion wasn't as overwhelming as it should have been.
Kael opened his status.
[STATUS]
Name: Kael
Race: Human
Level: 2
Experience: 72 / 200
[Attributes]
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Vitality: 9
Endurance: 9
Perception: 10
Unassigned Attribute Points: 0
[Skills]
Enhanced Hearing — Level 1
Proficiency: 18%
[Titles]
None
[Unique Trait]
Adaptive Evolution
Adaptation: 0.08%
Kael focused on his skill.
"How do I increase proficiency?"
The system answered immediately.
[Skills increase in proficiency through repeated usage and practical application.]
Kael nodded.
"So the same rule applies to everything."
He closed the status window.
Then he heard something.
A faint metallic sound.
Clink.
Kael immediately turned.
Someone was nearby.
He activated Enhanced Hearing.
The world became clearer.
Footsteps.
Three people.
Coming from the alley behind him.
Kael tightened his grip on the metal rod.
Three survivors appeared.
Two men and a woman.
All three looked exhausted.
One of the men was holding a baseball bat.
The woman had a backpack.
The second man carried a kitchen knife.
They stopped when they saw Kael.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the man with the bat raised it slightly.
"Don't come closer."
Kael lowered his weapon.
"I'm not looking for trouble."
The woman looked at him suspiciously.
"Are you alone?"
"Yes."
The man with the knife looked around.
"Did you see that monster?"
Kael nodded.
"Yeah."
"You fought it?"
"No."
Kael decided not to mention how long it had chased him.
The man with the bat relaxed slightly.
"Good."
Kael frowned.
"Good?"
"You'd have to be insane to fight a Level 7."
Kael looked at him.
"You can see its level?"
The three exchanged confused looks.
The woman answered.
"Everyone can."
Kael realized something.
The System wasn't unique.
Everyone had received it.
Everyone could see the same basic information.
The woman opened her status.
[MIRA]
Level: 3
Strength: 12
Agility: 11
Vitality: 10
Endurance: 10
Perception: 12
Skills: Basic Healing
Kael was surprised.
"You're Level 3 already?"
She nodded.
"I killed two small creatures."
The man with the bat opened his status.
[DAN]
Level: 4
Strength: 17
Agility: 13
Vitality: 14
Endurance: 13
Perception: 9
Skill: Heavy Swing
The third man was Level 2.
Kael suddenly understood how quickly people could grow.
If someone was brave enough—or desperate enough—to hunt monsters, they could increase their level rapidly.
Then Dan asked:
"What's yours?"
Kael hesitated.
There was no reason to hide his level.
"Two."
Dan's expression changed.
"Only two?"
Kael nodded.
Dan lowered his weapon.
"Then stay behind us."
Kael almost laughed.
He wasn't sure whether that was an insult or an offer.
Before he could answer, Mira suddenly raised her hand.
"Quiet."
Everyone stopped.
Kael activated Enhanced Hearing.
There.
Something was moving.
Not one creature.
Several.
Footsteps came from the alley ahead.
Dan tightened his grip.
"How many?"
Mira closed her eyes.
"Five."
Kael listened.
His enhanced hearing gave him another answer.
"Six."
Everyone looked at him.
A second later, six creatures emerged.
They looked like large black dogs.
Their bodies were covered in hard plates.
The system immediately identified them.
[MONSTER INFORMATION]
Species: Blackhide Hound
Level: 2
Classification: Mutated Beast
Evolution Stage: Stage 0 — Ordinary
Strength: 11
Agility: 15
Vitality: 12
Endurance: 13
Perception: 17
[Skills]
Pack Coordination — Level 1
[Ability]
Blackhide
Dan's expression hardened.
"Six Level 2 monsters."
He raised his bat.
"Stay together."
The creatures spread out.
Kael noticed something.
They weren't attacking randomly.
They were surrounding them.
"Left!"
One hound lunged.
Dan struck it.
THUD!
The creature flew sideways.
Mira moved behind Dan and activated her healing skill.
The others attacked.
Kael faced the remaining hound.
It lowered its body.
Kael remembered the Ironhorn Bear.
Watch.
Learn.
Survive.
The hound charged.
Kael stepped sideways.
Its claws missed.
He swung the metal rod.
THUD!
The creature staggered.
Kael attacked again.
The hound recovered faster than expected.
It snapped toward his arm.
Kael pulled back.
Its teeth barely missed.
His heart raced.
The system flashed.
[Threat Detection activated.]
[Predatory movement detected.]
Kael suddenly understood the creature's next movement.
It would attack from below.
He moved before it did.
The hound missed.
Kael brought the rod down.
The creature collapsed.
[Blackhide Hound defeated.]
[Experience gained: 45]
[Skill acquisition opportunity detected.]
Kael stared.
A skill acquisition window appeared.
[Available Skill: Blackhide]
[Acquisition Probability: 31%]
Kael selected it.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
[Skill acquisition successful.]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
Blackhide — Level 1
Temporarily reinforces the outer layer of the body, increasing resistance against physical attacks.
Proficiency: 0%
Kael smiled.
His first defensive skill.
But then the system gave him another notification.
[Combat experience has increased.]
[Threat Detection proficiency: 7%]
[Enhanced Hearing proficiency: 23%]
Kael's eyes widened.
He hadn't just gained a skill.
His existing skills had improved through combat.
Then another message appeared.
[Achievement completed.]
[First Skill]
Requirement: Acquire your first skill from a mutated lifeform.
Reward: 1 Attribute Point
Kael immediately assigned it to Vitality.
[Vitality: 9 → 10]
The improvement was small.
But Kael could feel it.
His body was becoming stronger.
And then—
[Adaptive Evolution activated.]
Kael froze.
A strange warmth spread through his body.
The system displayed:
[Repeated physical combat detected.]
[Analyzing combat stress...]
[Adaptation acquired: Impact Resistance.]
[Adaptation: 0.08% → 0.11%]
Kael slowly clenched his fist.
He had gained another adaptation.
Without leveling.
Without spending a point.
Without receiving a reward.
His body had simply learned.
Kael looked at the remaining monsters.
Then at his new skill.
Then at his status.
For the first time, he wasn't merely trying to survive.
He was beginning to understand how to grow.
And the world had just given him his first lesson.
There was more than one path to power.
Kael looked toward the dark streets ahead.
Somewhere beyond the city were stronger monsters.
Higher levels.
Better skills.
Greater achievements.
And countless opportunities for his body to evolve.
He tightened his grip on the metal rod.
The apocalypse had only been underway for a few hours.
Yet Kael already knew one thing.
He couldn't afford to remain Level 2 for long.