Chapter 7 – Level Up
Dannie listened carefully to her surroundings. The scratching and screeching that had once rattled the walls were fading. The majority of the creatures had already flown away. Only a handful remained—four of them still trapped, their beaks jammed into the wooden door.
She exhaled slowly, her shoulders sagging in relief. For the first time since the bloody fight, she allowed herself to breathe.
Her hand brushed against the strange mark on her skin, and once again, the glowing screen appeared before her eyes. This time, however, a faint sound chimed alongside it—like a notification.
——
Name: Dannie Silve
Alias: N/A
Race: Human (100%)
Age: 16 years old
Sex: Female
Level: 2
Progress: 26%
Division: Soul / Spirit
Rank: B
Specialty: Beast Domination
Talent: Bee Evolution
Element: N/A
Attributes
Strength: 3
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 6
Constitution: 3
Points: 2
Core Skills
Bond Offering: 1
Obtained Skills
Weapon Mastery: 3
Observe: 2
——
"Ohh… it increased."
Dannie blinked, bewildered. The numbers had shifted. It wasn't a drastic change—just one digit here and there—but it meant something. The screen was reflecting her. Her body. Her growth.
But what was Beast Domination? Bond Offering? Or even Bee Evolution? The words left her more confused than before. Still, the fact remained: the system acknowledged her kill.
"Does that mean… killing those creepy birds can help me level up?"
The thought sent a shiver down her spine, half in dread, half in anticipation. In this ruined, terrifying world, perhaps strength was the only currency for survival.
Minutes crawled by. Her wounds still ached, but now another discomfort gnawed at her—thirst, followed closely by hunger. Her lips were parched, her stomach empty. She clenched her fists in frustration. She couldn't just sit here and wait.
Her eyes drifted toward the window again. She peeked out carefully.
And then… her lips curved into a small, dark grin.
Stepping back, she tightened her grip on her daggers and headed downstairs.
The corpses of the two birds she had slain earlier lay crumpled near the doorway, black blood staining the floorboards. But those weren't her goal. Her eyes locked onto the ones still stuck at the entrance, their grotesque beaks wedged into the wood and stone.
The moment they sensed her, the trapped birds thrashed violently. Their single crimson eyes glowed with fury, their wings beating frantically as they tried to force their way free. But they couldn't.
Dannie's grip tightened.
She approached cautiously, positioning herself so that their snapping beaks couldn't reach her. Her breathing steadied. Her movements grew precise. And then—
Slash. Stab. Thrust.
One by one, she drove her blades into them, finishing them off quickly and mercilessly. Black ichor splattered across her hands, dripping to the floor as the birds convulsed, then fell limp.
The sound chimed again in her head—notifications she didn't fully understand but welcomed nonetheless.
Her screen flickered with another increase. Her stats had shifted once more, her progress bar rising.
Strangely, she also felt it—subtle, but undeniable. Her body seemed lighter, quicker. Her grip steadier. Even the pain in her wounds dulled slightly under the rush of adrenaline.
A quiet, satisfied grin tugged at her lips.
"Yes… stronger," she whispered to herself.
Despite the fear, despite the hunger and thirst, she couldn't ignore the thrill bubbling within her chest. Killing the creatures not only kept her alive—it was the key to becoming more than what she was.
Still, she couldn't deny the unease creeping at the edge of her thoughts. She didn't like killing. But she had already accepted this reality long ago, back when she chose to become a soldier. She had seen enough death, even helped bury neighbors whose lives had been stolen in senseless massacres. Bloodshed was nothing new… but here, in this alien place, it felt different.
She swallowed hard as her eyes lingered on the black blood soaking the floor. A strange, forbidden thought whispered at the back of her mind—to taste it, to see if it could quench her thirst. She shook her head quickly. No… this world is dangerous enough. Better not.
After a moment's hesitation, she opened the door. With effort, she dragged the corpses inside, one by one, wincing at the unpleasant sensation of touching their twisted bodies. Still, she forced herself to continue. Maybe I can use them later… somehow.
But as she worked, a sound reached her ears.
Rustling.
Her blood ran cold.
It wasn't the flapping of wings, nor the screeching cries of the birds. It was heavier. Rhythmic.
Footsteps.
Her heart leapt. For a brief, fleeting moment, excitement sparked in her chest. Another person… finally. Someone I can ask for help.
But the thought faded almost as quickly as it came. Her grip tightened on her daggers, and her eyes narrowed with caution.
This world was not the same as the one she had left behind. Trusting blindly could be fatal.
She crouched low by the window, her breath steadying as the sound of footsteps grew closer.
Someone—or something—was coming straight toward her.
The figure emerged from the shadows—a tall man in dark, travel-worn gear. His steps were deliberate, steady, almost too calm for someone walking through a predator-infested ruin. A short blade hung at his side, but the way he carried himself told her he didn't need to flaunt it. His sharp gaze swept over the wreckage before finally settling on her.
"Well, what do we have here?" His voice was low, almost casual, but there was a weight behind it. "Didn't expect to see a fresh face still standing in this sector."
Dannie gripped her daggers tighter. "Who… are you?"
The man tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Relax. I'm not your enemy. Name's Jace. Scout. Assigned to this area—including this little corner you've been hiding in."
Her brows furrowed. A scout? Assigned? His words carried authority, as though this world already had rules—and people who enforced them.
Jace gestured lazily toward the bird corpses near the door. "Unranked beasts. Annoying pests. Most newcomers can't even handle them. Yet here you are—bloody, beaten, but alive. Not bad."
She stiffened at his wording. Newcomer. Freshly dropped. He knew.
"You…" Her voice was low, cautious. "You know what's happening to me? This place? This… world?"
Instead of answering directly, Jace crouched near one of the corpses. With gloved fingers, he poked at its feathers, studying the wounds she had left. Finally, he rose and brushed the black ichor from his hand.
"Everyone who shows up here starts the same way—confused, starving, fighting just to breathe. That mark on your arm, the screen you've seen… it's not unique. It's the system. Your only lifeline."
Dannie's heartbeat quickened. Relief mingled with suspicion. She wasn't alone—but could she trust him?
Jace extended a hand. His eyes, sharp and unyielding, never softened. "You want to live? Then stop wasting time on trash beasts. Follow me. Or don't. Makes no difference to me."
Dannie hesitated, staring at his hand.
He snorted. "If I wanted you dead, you'd already be bleeding out on the floor."
Her teeth dug into her lip as she looked around—at the ruined walls of her home, the corpses staining the floorboards, the emptiness pressing in around her.
"You don't need to bother with that waste," Jace added, his tone bored, eyes narrowing. "Unranked beasts like these have no value. Unless you plan to get stronger, they're nothing but garbage."
He turned his back without another glance. "Stay here if you want. Die here if you want. Doesn't matter to me."
And then he walked away.
Through the cracked window, Dannie noticed movement. More birds had circled back, but strangely, they didn't linger. They scattered, frantically fleeing the moment they sensed him.
Her heart pounded. Doubt clawed at her mind. Jace was arrogant, cold, and clearly dangerous. But deep inside, she knew he was right.
If she stayed here, she would starve. If she waited, the monsters would return in greater numbers. Sooner or later, she would die.
Her choices were cruelly simple: die of hunger, die to the beasts… or risk everything and follow him.
Dannie gripped her daggers, drew in a shaky breath, and whispered, "I don't have any other choice…"
Pushing aside her hesitation, she stepped out of the ruined building and followed after Jace.