PIERCE IT
Before leaving, Jon realized there was no easy way to slip out unnoticed. Instead of sneaking past the others, he took a different approach.
With a burst of speed and the use of Shadow Steps, he became a blur, vanishing from sight. Most of the survivors hadn't even unlocked their status screens yet, making it easy for him to disappear.
Normally, he would have informed Jenny and Cynthia about where he was going, but his trust in others was still fragile.
This was something he needed to do alone.
Deep down, he knew he would lose in a fight against Jenny or Cynthia. His high physical stats were carrying him, but it wasn't enough. He needed something more.
As the other survivors were still watching the locations where the fighters had gone, Jon was already sprinting towards the boys' dormitory. There wasn't any specific reason, just instinct. Perhaps he could also retrieve some of his old belongings along the way.
However, after covering about 300 meters, he was forced to stop abruptly.
A sharp pulse from his earring alerted him, and he instinctively swung his spear to the side.
CLANG!
The impact jolted him back a step. His attacker, a zombie.
But this one was different. Its skin was red, its eyes gleamed with intelligence, and its claws shimmered with metal. That was what had clashed against his spear.
Strong. The force behind the attack confirmed that this wasn't an ordinary zombie, it had some kind of metal-related ability.
Jon didn't hesitate. Using the momentum from the strike, he adjusted his stance and launched a counterattack. Activating Shadow Steps, he disappeared and reappeared behind the red zombie. His Moon Gaze skill pinpointed a weak spot, and he thrust his spear forward, infused with moon energy.
CLANG!
To his shock, the spear barely left a dent. The zombie staggered slightly but remained unharmed. It grunted, clearly annoyed.
KARRRGH!
The zombie twisted unnaturally and delivered a powerful kick to Jon's chest. Its metal-covered leg struck his spear, sending him skidding backward. He barely had time to recover before the creature lunged again, claws slashing toward him.
SHNG!
Jon dodged, his mind racing. The deep gouges left in the ground made it clear, one hit would be fatal.
"My speed is fine, but I need more strength," he realized. His strength stat was lagging behind compared to his other attributes. He had neglected it.
He made a decision. "Add 13 points to strength."
A surge of power rippled through his body.
[STRENGTH: 83]
Though still lower than his agility and stamina, the improvement was noticeable. He steadied his grip on the spear and dodged another incoming swipe.
Then he slammed the spear into the ground.
Rumble...
The ground vibrated, throwing the zombie slightly off balance. Seizing the opening, Jon thrust his spear forward, moon energy crackling around the tip. This time, the strike dented the metal skin slightly.
BANG!
The zombie screeched but quickly regained its footing. It moved faster, its claws swiping with relentless aggression.
Jon activated Shadow Steps again, aiming to get behind it, but the zombie twisted its body at an unnatural angle, dodging his strike. It retaliated instantly.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
They clashed repeatedly.
The battle was brutal, each strike pushing Jon to his limits. But as the fight continued, he began adapting. His movements became sharper, his stance more fluid. His Soldier Physique was guiding him, refining his combat style in real time.
Yet, something inside him kept urging him toward a single move, the piercing thrust.
Every time he executed it, a strange sensation stirred within him. Something deep inside wanted to awaken.
A flame.
It flickered faintly within him. Jon tried channeling mana into it, nothing. He attempted moon energy, still nothing.
"What else can I use?" he wondered, frustration mounting.
Then it hit him. Willpower. His Mind World.
Focusing all his will, he reached for the flame.
It shifted slightly. He was close, but the zombie wasn't going to give him time to figure it out. Its attacks became even more ferocious, forcing him to rely on Shadow Steps just to stay alive. His danger sense blared continuously.
The truth was, the zombie wasn't actually getting faster, Jon was just slowing down, too focused on unlocking whatever was inside him.
However, the flame wasn't moving the way the way she wanted.
"No... It can't end like this."
Something inside him roared in defiance.
"I WILL NOT DIE HERE!"
His voice boomed with determination. "I WILL PIERCE THAT BODY!"
In that instant, the flickering flame within him ignited.
A surge of energy coursed through his body. He felt it now, his core.
Just like when he first learned to use mana, information flooded his mind, guiding him.
Jon leapt back, narrowly dodging another lethal swipe. He channeled the flame into his spear.
A notification popped up, but he barely noticed it.
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED REQUIREMENT...]
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED...]
[MARTIAL EXPERT...]
The only thing that mattered was the power surging through him.
His body tensed, his muscles brimming with newfound strength. At the tip of his spear, a thick concentration of white energy formed.
Jon's eyes widened. He recognized it immediately.
Aura.
Something he had only read about in novels, something that was supposed to take years to master. Yet, here it was, manifesting before him.
"The Soldier Physique must have pushed me to the brink of unlocking it," he realized.
Then, an idea struck him.
"What if I combine it with moon energy?"
The moment he infused his aura with moon energy, the spear's glow shifted to a brilliant blue hue. Its power magnified exponentially, at least four times stronger than before.
A reckless grin spread across Jon's face as he muttered, "You're so dead."
The red zombie hesitated, sensing the shift in power. Its confidence wavered.
Jon moved.
WHOOSH!
SLASH!
THUD!
The zombie's head hit the ground before Jon even realized what had happened.
He stared at the headless corpse in disbelief, then at his spear.
"Huh?... Why was that so easy?"
He didn't have time to dwell on it as the notifications poured in.
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED LEVEL 25 METALRED ZOMBIE REMAINS]
[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]
[YOUR LEVEL HAS INCREASED]
And then, finally, the message he had been waiting for:
[YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 25 UNRANKED REALM. YOU NEED CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS TO ADVANCE YOUR REALM.]
Jon's grip tightened around his spear. He had taken his first step into something greater.
And he wasn't stopping now.