Ji-hoon stepped outside, blinking at the sky.
It was still that strange orange-yellow. Not exactly day, not exactly night.
His body ached from sleeping on the wooden floor. His arm still throbbed where the zombie had scratched him. But he was alive.
"I made it through the first night," he said quietly.
He looked around. The town was the same—silent, dusty, broken.
But something felt different.
He checked his status screen.
[Status Updated]
+1 Survival Day: Minor EXP Gained
His EXP bar was still far from the next level, but at least it moved. That gave him hope.
"So I can earn experience by staying alive. Maybe I really can level up like this."
Ji-hoon went back into the general store and gathered the rest of his supplies. He ate a little more jerky and filled his flask with water from a barrel behind the building. It tasted a little weird, but it was better than nothing.
Then he headed back to the signpost at the edge of town.
[South: Dustcreek Mines | West: Deadwood Canyon | North: Blackridge Town]
He stared at it for a while.
Blackridge sounded like a city. That might mean people. Or at least better gear. But it could also mean more zombies.
Deadwood Canyon? No thanks.
The mines felt dangerous too, but maybe there would be tools or weapons there.
He made a choice.
"South. Dustcreek Mines."
With his knife ready and revolver tucked into his belt, Ji-hoon left the town.
The path was rocky and dry. Cactus plants and dry bushes lined the trail. He saw buzzards circling overhead. The land stretched wide and empty.
After about twenty minutes of walking, he stopped.
Something ahead moved.
He crouched low behind a rock.
A man.
At least, he thought it was a man. But the figure was limping, twitching unnaturally. Its head jerked side to side. Its mouth hung open.
Another zombie.
But this one was different.
It wore a miner's helmet, cracked and bloody. Its arms were longer than normal, dragging slightly. And it was carrying something… a pickaxe.
Ji-hoon gritted his teeth.
"A zombie with a weapon? That's new."
He checked the revolver. Still only one bullet. He had to save it.
He picked up a rock from the ground and threw it far to the side.
The zombie paused… then slowly turned toward the sound and started walking that way.
Ji-hoon used the chance to sneak around. Step by step. Quiet. Careful.
He made it past without being seen.
"Okay… maybe I can avoid fighting if I'm smart."
Up ahead, the mine entrance came into view. It was a wooden frame built into a rocky hill. Signs around it were broken and unreadable. Old mine carts lay rusted on the tracks.
He stepped closer, listening.
No sound.
He peeked inside.
Darkness.
He lit one of the matches and held it near the entrance. It wasn't much light, but it was enough to see a bit.
The walls were damp. Wooden supports lined the tunnel. Cobwebs hung in the corners.
He walked in slowly, match in one hand, knife in the other.
Deeper in, he found a small storage room—broken crates, old tools, a few empty boxes. But inside one box, wrapped in cloth, he found something useful.
[Item Acquired: Sturdy Pickaxe (C)]
It was heavier than the knife, but stronger. He gave it a swing and smiled a little.
"Now we're talking."
He strapped it to his back and kept moving.
The mine was like a maze. He turned left, then right, trying not to get lost. Each step echoed. The deeper he went, the colder it got.
Then he heard it.
Whispers.
Not groans. Not growls. Whispers.
He stopped moving.
The whispers were soft… fast… like a bunch of voices speaking at once in a strange language. Goosebumps ran down his arms.
He turned around.
Nothing.
Then—clink.
A stone rolled near his foot.
He wasn't alone.
He backed away slowly, holding the knife in front of him.
Then, from the shadows, something lunged.
It wasn't a normal zombie.
It was smaller. Faster. Its eyes glowed faint blue in the dark. Its fingers were long, like claws. And it didn't groan—it hissed.
Ji-hoon barely dodged. It slashed past his arm, cutting deep.
He kicked it away and swung his knife. Missed.
It hissed again and rushed forward.
He pulled the revolver and fired.
BANG!
The shot echoed through the tunnels. The creature dropped, smoke rising from the bullet wound in its chest.
Ji-hoon stared at the body.
Its skin was pale gray, almost blue. Its face was twisted, not fully human. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth.
"What the hell…?"
He checked the system.
[Enemy Defeated: Cave Fiend - 20 EXP]
[You've Leveled Up! Level 2 Reached]
[New Trait Unlocked: Survival Instinct (F)]
His eyes widened.
"I leveled up."
He opened his status.
[Status]
Name: Klein Arkwood
Level: 2
Health: 60/110
Trait: Survival Instinct (F) - Slightly increases awareness and reaction time during danger.
Power: None
Money: 0
Inventory: Rusty Knife (D), Old Revolver (C), Pickaxe (C), Small Backpack
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
He grabbed a wooden torch from the wall and lit it with a match. Now with light, he went deeper into the mine.
He found more supplies—old bandages, a box with a single bullet, and a tattered map of the area. The map showed more than he expected.
Nearby locations:
•Abandoned Farmhouse
•Graveyard Hill
•Trader's Camp (??)
He folded it and put it in his bag.
Before leaving, he looked back at the cave fiend's body.
If those things were in the mines… what else was out there?
Ji-hoon stepped out of the cave as the sky above stayed that dull orange. The wind had picked up. Dust blew across the ground.
But he wasn't the same person who'd woken up scared and clueless.
He had a weapon. He had experience. He had leveled up.
He was surviving.
And now, he wanted answers.