Andrew held the sphere in his palm, feeling its faint pulse of light. Simply touching it conveyed its purpose, almost instinctively. Within moments, he understood exactly how to use it.
Clenching his hand, the sphere flashed softly. When the glow faded, a bow appeared in Andrew's grip.
[Fire Bow: Its power is sufficient to pierce the defenses of nearly all creatures below Level 50 and is highly compatible with fire-type magic users. Generates magical fire arrows. Equipping this bow increases Strength by +20 for fire users, +10 for non-fire users.]
The bow was dark gold, engraved with countless runes and intricate symbols that exuded an air of mystery. Andrew tried to decipher the inscriptions, but the language was beyond his understanding.
He shook off his daze with a nod of satisfaction. He had never used a bow before, yet now he held a weapon that allowed him to strike enemies from a distance without putting himself at risk.
And just by holding it, his Strength had surged by twenty points. The power coursing through him was intoxicating—he could feel himself capable of defeating even the Level 15 Zombie with ease.
Curious, he opened his status window.
[Andrew Walker –
Race: Human
Level: 8
Status Points: 16
Job: None
Title: None
Strength: 30 (+20)
Agility: 18
Health: 19
Stamina: 20
Mana: 120
Magic Affinity: 120]
With fifty Strength points, Andrew was nearly as strong as five ordinary people combined before the Evolution Register System had appeared. Seeing his growth quantified filled him with a strange satisfaction, even amid chaos.
Since the floor was clear of zombies, he allowed himself a brief rest. Physically, he was fine, but mentally he felt drained. Manipulating fire required tremendous focus, especially after the effort against the Level 15 Zombie. Ten minutes of rest were enough to recover before he pressed onward.
Outside, the campus resembled a hellscape.
Students ran in panic, chased by zombies, giant insects, and massive mutated animals. The creatures hunted indiscriminately, but they also preyed on one another. The defeated were devoured, their remains fueling the evolution of the victors.
Screams, blood, and terror filled every hallway and courtyard. Andrew's grip on the Fire Bow tightened. He wasn't coldhearted, but seeing his fellow humans devoured was unbearable.
"Humans kill pigs, sheep, cows, goats, and countless other species to survive," Brunhilde said, her voice soft but cutting through the chaos. "Now that the world has changed, humans are no longer the only hunters. Accept this. Survival will be easier if you do."
Andrew stayed silent. Her words were true, yet he could not shift his mindset in a single moment. Still, he knew his first priority: surviving and finding his family.
A girl screamed as a monstrous rat—nearly one and a half meters tall—pounced toward her. Within seconds, it slammed her to the ground.
Before the creature could tear her apart, a flash streaked across the air. The rat froze. Seconds later, it ignited. Smoke curled from its fur.
The girl didn't scream. She stared, wide-eyed, at her savior.
Of course, it was Andrew.
[You have acquired Soul Power of Mutated Rat Level 11. Agility +4, Stamina +4]
"Get up and follow me if you want to survive! Move!" he barked. Without hesitation, he drew another arrow from the Fire Bow, sending it through a giant bee attacking another student. The creature burst into flames.
The girl scrambled to her feet, terror guiding her movements. She followed him without question.
Other students, equally shocked, quickly joined the group, grateful but silent. Andrew led them toward the gymnasium—the only place he judged reasonably safe.
He wanted to find his family, but he understood the importance of gathering information first. Rushing blindly into danger would be fatal.
Along the way, he saved more than fifteen students from mutated animals and insects. Those bitten by zombies were already lost.
Zombies were slow, predictable, and clumsy compared to mutated animals or giant insects—but even a minor scratch could mean death.
A group of three students ran as ten zombies pursued them. As they rounded a corner, another ten zombies blocked their path.
Panic set in. One student froze, unable to move. Another scratch, another bite, another instant of terror.
Then came the sound of arrows slicing the air. In ten seconds, all thirteen zombies were incinerated.
"Strong!" exclaimed Matthew, a student about 1.7 meters tall. "Is there really a skilled archer at our university? Look at all the people he's saved!"
A female student added in awe, "I didn't know anyone here could fight like that!"
Andrew didn't respond. He hadn't practiced archery, yet the Fire Bow made him deadly. He could aim at zombies as if he were an expert marksman.
After dispatching the thirteen zombies, he felt the mental strain of drawing multiple fire arrows. Since leaving the dormitory, he had killed roughly eighty zombies, ten giant insects, and three mutated rats.
This brought him to Level 9. While stronger than ever, his stamina was waning. If surrounded, even now, he could die.
He turned to a small group and pointed at the student who had been scratched.
"You can't stay. You need to leave."
Shock and outrage flashed across the student's face.
"What!? Why me!?" he shouted.
"You were bitten," Andrew said coldly. "You know what will happen."
The student's face paled, but he stubbornly denied the truth. Andrew didn't argue. He simply turned and strode toward the gym.
The group followed without hesitation, including the reluctant student.
Andrew moved with calculated precision, his aura sharp from over a hundred zombie kills and the lingering stench of blood. No one dared challenge him.
"This human pleases me more every passing minute, hehe…"
Brunhilde observed from a short distance, her lips curling into a seductive, amused smile. Yet no one noticed her.
Andrew's focus was on survival—and nothing else.