Elyno stared at the half-broken window, watching the chaos outside with hollow eyes. Monstrous creatures of every kind roamed the streets, tearing into homes, devouring anyone too slow to hide. The screams came in waves—high, thin, almost unreal.
He swallowed, feeling his throat burn.
I have enough food here, he told himself, trying to steady his shaking hands. If I stay quiet, I'll survive. For now.
It sounded logical. Sensible. Yet something inside him knew it was just fear in disguise.
That was when the blue panel flickered again.
A bright red icon pulsed in the corner of the screen, casting an eerie glow across his face.
[NEW QUEST]
Kill 10 Level 1 Parasitic Zombies within 3 hours.
Failure to complete this mission will result in death.
The words blurred as panic surged through him.
"No…no, no, no—" he whispered, stumbling back from the panel as if it were something alive.
His heart hammered against his ribs. He clutched the kitchen knife tighter, his palms slick with sweat.
I'm going to die.
He dared to peek through the door's cracked frame—just in time to see a massive shape lurching toward the building. Its bloated, gray skin split in places to reveal writhing parasites.
A Level 3 zombie.
The front door exploded in a spray of splinters as the creature crashed through, its milky eyes locking onto him.
Elyno screamed.
He fell back, the knife slipping in his grip. He squeezed his eyes shut and swung wildly, feeling warm blood spray across his cheek—
—and then, impossibly, silence.
He forced his eyes open.
The zombie's head lay several feet away, oozing dark sludge. Its body slumped lifelessly across the threshold.
For a heartbeat, he could only stare.
Then the panel chimed again, lines of text scrolling in quick succession:
[+2 Stat Points Acquired]
[+346 EXP]
[+46 Yang]
Elyno's breath came ragged and shallow.
He wiped his face with a trembling hand.
Somehow, in his panic, he had decapitated a monster three times stronger than him.
And against all reason, a tiny spark of courage flared.
If I can kill that… maybe I can survive this.
His hands still shook, but he stepped outside.
The air was sharp with the reek of decay and blood. Parasitic zombies crawled along the pavement, pale worms wriggling from their mouths. The nearest one turned, letting out a gurgling hiss.
Elyno hesitated only a moment before lunging.
The fight was nothing like the first. Every strike felt clumsy. Every step cost him more energy. It took nearly twenty minutes to finish the thing, and when it finally collapsed, he was gasping for breath.
[+12 Yang]
He moved on. One kill became two. Two became three. His muscles burned. His vision blurred with exhaustion and horror. But with each death, his panel recorded another line of progress.
When he reached the sixth zombie, something flickered in the corner of his vision.
[LEVEL UP!]
[Level 2 Reached]
[+3 Stat Points]
His heart thudded with grim satisfaction. He had survived this long—he could last a little longer.
By the time the final parasitic zombie collapsed, Elyno's hands were numb, his arms streaked with dark ichor.
The panel bloomed to life again.
[QUEST COMPLETE]
[+2 Stat Points]
[+830 Yang]
He stared at the total: 7 stat points. 830 Yang.
And still…
[Viewers: 0]
A bitter laugh broke from his lips. All around him, others were already boasting about their new powers, their bright panels filled with followers and comments.
And I'm still invisible.
But then—
[Viewers: 1]
He froze. A single number glowed in the corner of the screen.
His heart skipped a beat.
A message appeared.
[Message from ???]
What will you do with your stat points?
His throat went dry. For a moment, he wondered if he was imagining it. But no—the panel pulsed, waiting for his answer.
He swallowed hard.
Maybe… if I put them all into Intelligence, I'll think of something. Some way to get ahead.
But before he could confirm, another message flashed.
If you want to escape alive, put them into Agility.
His mouth went dry.
Whoever this was… they were watching him.
He hesitated, then exhaled shakily.
"All right," he whispered. "Agility."
He felt the change immediately—his body lighter, his legs coiled with sudden strength.
He took one shaky step. Then another.
Thank you, he thought. But the viewer sent no reply.
He was about to check the panel again when a shape blocked the end of the street.
Elyno's breath caught.
A giant zombie—twice the height of any he had seen. Its crown of bone plates gleamed in the firelight.
[Boss Detected: Zombie King – Level 10]
Panic surged up his throat as the creature's hollow eyes locked onto him.
"Shit—"
He spun and bolted, sprinting into a side alley. His heartbeat roared in his ears.
Hide. Just hide—
He slid behind a crumbling wall and crouched, forcing himself to breathe silently.
His panel flickered. He opened the store with trembling fingers, scanning the list of weapons.
Most were absurdly expensive. Legendary swords, enchanted armor—far beyond what he could afford.
But near the bottom, a simple dagger glowed faintly.
Ordinary Dagger – 120 Yang.
He bought it. Clutched it like a lifeline.
Please, he prayed, just walk away.
The alley was quiet—until a shadow fell across him.
He looked up.
The Zombie King was staring straight at him.
And then it charged.