[Location: University Cafeteria Storage, 3 Days After The Event]
Hunger was a physical weight. It sat in Ren's stomach like a stone, grinding against his ribs.
Three days.
It had been three days since the sky turned that bruised purple color and the screens appeared. Three days since the screaming started and never stopped.
Ren sat in the dark, his back pressed against the cold metal shelving of the storage closet. The air smelled of dust, dry pasta, and the metallic tang of old blood seeping under the door.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Something heavy dragged itself past the door. The sound was wet—like a mop soaked in sludge being pulled across linoleum.
Ren held his breath. His hands were shaking, not just from fear, but from the low blood sugar crashing through his system. He was going to die here. If the thing outside—the "Variant," the news had called them before the broadcasts cut out—didn't kill him, starvation would.
He looked at the only weapon he had: a serrated bread knife he'd grabbed from the counter before diving in here. It looked like a toy.
Ding!
The blue holographic screen appeared in his vision, illuminating the dusty closet with a ghostly light.
[Global System Announcement]
[Survivors remaining: 3,402,118,922]
[Mana saturation increasing.]
Ren swiped the notification away. "Useless," he croaked, his voice dry and cracking.
Everyone else got cool skills. He'd seen a guy on the first day throw a fireball. He'd seen a girl jump three stories high.
Ren? He opened his status window.
[Name: Ren]
[Class: Civilian]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 4 (Malnourished)]
[Agility: 5]
[Mana: 0]
[Unique Skill: Gluttony (F-Rank)]
[Description: You can digest things others cannot. Resistance to food poisoning +10%.]
"Food poisoning resistance," Ren whispered, a bitter laugh bubbling in his throat. "Great. If I find a moldy sandwich, I'm the king of the world."
Scritch. Scratch.
A noise from the vent above his head.
Ren froze.
The metal grate rattled. Then, with a screech of tearing metal, it gave way.
Something fell onto a sack of flour with a soft whump.
It wasn't a zombie. It was a rat. But not a normal rat. This thing was the size of a cat, its fur matted and falling out in clumps, revealing pulsing red muscle underneath. Its eyes glowed with a sickly yellow light, and its teeth... its teeth were serrated needles, dripping with green saliva.
[Mutated Sewer Rat (Lvl 2)]
The text floated above its head.
The rat hissed, locking eyes with Ren. It smelled the fear. It smelled the meat.
It lunged.
Ren didn't think. Panic took the wheel. He threw his arm up, the bread knife flashing in the blue light.
The rat bit into his forearm.
"Ahhh!" Ren screamed, the pain white-hot and searing. He felt teeth hit bone.
He stabbed. Once. Twice. The knife sank into the rat's wet, squishy flank. Black blood sprayed onto Ren's face. It burned like acid.
He stabbed again, screaming through the pain, driving the blade down until it hit the concrete floor. The rat squealed, thrashed, and then went limp.
Ren panted, his chest heaving. Blood—his red blood and the rat's black blood—mixed on the floor.
He kicked the carcass away, clutching his arm. The wound was deep. He was losing blood fast. The dizziness hit him like a hammer.
He was going to die.
[Warning: Health Critical.]
[Hunger: 98%. Starvation imminent.]
The hunger roared back, louder than the pain. It wasn't just a need for food anymore. It was a command. A primal, violet impulse that started in his jaw and spread to his brain.
Eat.
Ren looked at the rat.
It was repulsive. It smelled like sewage and sulfur. The flesh was twitching even in death.
Eat.
His F-Rank skill pulsed in his mind. It didn't feel weak. It felt... demanding.
"I'm going to die anyway," Ren whispered.
His hand moved on its own. He grabbed the rat by its tail. It was heavy, warm, and disgusting.
He brought the exposed, muscular leg to his mouth.
He bit down.
The texture was rubbery and tough, exploding with a vile, copper taste. He gagged, but his throat forced him to swallow.
Gulp.
Then, the magic happened.
It didn't hit his stomach like food. It hit his stomach like fuel. Heat—pure, boiling heat—exploded in his gut and raced through his veins.
Ding!
[Skill Activated: Gluttony]
[devouring target...]
[Extracting genetic code...]
The pain in his arm vanished. Ren looked down. The bite marks were closing. The skin was knitting itself back together right before his eyes.
[Notification]
[You have consumed: Mutated Sewer Rat (Lvl 2)]
[Vitality +2]
[Agility +1]
[New Passive Acquired: Night Vision (Low Grade)]
The darkness of the closet suddenly peeled away. The shadows turned into clear, grey outlines. He could see the dust motes dancing in the air. He could see the grain of the wood on the door.
He felt... stronger. The lethargy was gone.
Ren looked at the half-eaten rat carcass. He didn't feel disgust anymore. He felt possibility.
He looked at the door. He could hear the heavy dragging sound of the larger monster outside again.
Before, it sounded like death.
Now?
Ren gripped the bread knife tighter. His stomach growled, a low, predatory rumble.
"It sounds like dinner."