The Threshold of Change

Inside, Kenji felt a deep pain as the poison coursed through his neck veins, making him feel as if he were intoxicated. Although an antidote was available, he couldn't bring himself to take it to relieve his suffering.

Suddenly, an alert appeared before him: 

["You are adapting to the pain. You gain one point in stamina."]

["You are adapting to the pain. You gain one point in stamina."]

Despite the overwhelming agony, Kenji gritted his teeth and fought against the waves of discomfort.

["You are adapting to the pain,"] the system repeated.

Kenji kept on trying to endure the agony. Each wave of discomfort threatened his resolve, yet he clung to the hope that he would find a way out of this nightmare. The shadows in the room danced around him, and he could almost hear the distant echoes of a life he once knew.

But as he lay there, the room began to blur. The edges of his vision darkened, and despite his desperate attempts to stay awake, the pain finally overwhelmed him. With a final gasp, Kenji succumbed to the darkness, slipping into unconsciousness.

The last thing Kenji saw before darkness took him was a bright system notification hovering before him.

["Congratulations! Your Adapt skill now includes poison resistance. You have an overwhelming resistance to goblin poison."]

It was morning, and the bright sun warmed Kenji's face. He held a colourful lollipop in his right hand, its sweetness a comforting presence. Kenji was short for his age, but his spirit was vibrant. With his left hand raised high, he clasped a soft, pale white hand that perfectly matched his skin tone.

Young Kenji looked up, captivated by the woman before him. She appeared youthful yet had an air of wisdom about her. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back like a shimmering waterfall, each strand glistening in the sunlight. It framed her face beautifully, enhancing her gentle features.

As she smiled down at him, Kenji felt a sense of wonder at her beauty, the warmth of her presence wrapping around him like a comforting embrace.

"Wake up, my dear," she said, her voice soft and inviting, the smile on her face illuminating the moment.

As Kenji slowly awakened from the darkness, he found himself in the same room filled with the bright light of cleaning tools. Now, however, it was cloaked in an unsettling atmosphere. The air was thick with a sharp, acrid smell reminiscent of rusted iron and a sickly sweet hint of decay. The once-familiar scent of cleanliness had transformed into a heavy, nauseating odour that clung to his senses, making it difficult to breathe.

Kenji stood up, feeling as if he had regained his energy. He glanced down at the floor where he had lain, now stained with a dark liquid that exuded a deeply uncomfortable odour.

"My body dispelled the poison," he thought, staring intently at the black substance pooling beneath him.

Even his clothes reeked of that foul scent, a lingering reminder of the ordeal he had just endured.

Kenji opened his system interface to check his progress. The screen lit up before him, displaying notifications and updates about his abilities and status.

Player Info after

Name: Kenji Mochizuki

Level: 5

Class: Novice

Yin: Locked

Stats/Attributes:

Agility: 18/18

Strength: 19/19 (+1)

Stamina: 18/18 (+2)

Intelligence: 13/13

Unique Skills: Adapt, Heightened Senses

Accumulated point awaiting distribution: 2

Kenji first noticed the bracketed points on his system display, but then he recalled the benefits of his Adapt skill. He retained a portion of the system points earned with every battle he fought, steadily enhancing his abilities.

As he continued to explore his progress, a sudden pang of hunger gripped him, his stomach grumbling in protest.

"I need food," Kenji thought as he moved slowly toward the door. Opening the door, it was dark.

Kenji began to explore the goblin corpses, hoping to salvage some equipment. But, as he inspected them, he saw that someone had looted them all, even the goblin crushed under the shelf.

He found a battered shield, but the blade was nowhere to be seen. The shield was in poor condition, showing signs of significant damage from the recent battle. Disappointed, he realized there was nothing of value left to gain.

"Someone was watching me during the battle—a student," Kenji thought, a frown crossing his face.

He wasn't entirely pleased about it but couldn't deny that he had benefited from the encounter. He gained experience points that helped level his stats and acquired a sturdy sickle blade. Though it was a standard, low-level weapon, it was far better than what he had before.

More importantly, he had gained insight into the awareness of the surviving students around him.

"In this world, where foolish rules don't bind people, one can never be too careful. A human's instinct to survive is unpredictable," Kenji reflected, his mind racing with the implications of his situation.

Kenji's stomach rumbled again, a frustrating reminder of his hunger. Determined, he set his sights on the cafeteria. He navigated through the lonely halls, his senses heightened and ready for any threats that might emerge.

As he approached the storage area, he stumbled upon the lifeless body of an employee, her crucial card still clutched tightly in her cold hand. Oddly, he felt no remorse; the presence of corpses had become a grim part of his reality. Without hesitation, he pried the key card from her grasp and moved toward the storage room, driven by the need for food.

As Kenji reached the storage door, he inserted the key card. A green light flashed, indicating the card worked. He was surprised that the lights were still operational despite the darkness surrounding him.

Pushing against the door, he quickly realized it was blocked. However, Kenji's strength had increased significantly, and he summoned all his energy to force it open. With a determined shove, the door creaked and finally yielded.

Inside, a grim sight met him: piles of frozen meat blocked the entrance. As he moved deeper into the room, he discovered the body of another worker who appeared to have frozen to death.

"This was a very wrong place to hide," Kenji thought, glancing at the cold corpse with a mixture of sadness and practicality. He began to loot the frozen meat around him, carefully stowing away enough provisions for about a month in his inventory.

He didn't take everything—there was still a considerable amount left. He wasn't greedy and knew others might need food as well.

Survival was everything to him. But his dreams shaped his choices. His mother's warm smile filled his mind. It guided him to choose compassion amid his harsh reality.

Kenji moved cautiously down the hallway, inspecting the trail of blood that painted the floor. After a while, he discovered it led to a barricaded exit reinforced with piles of wooden debris. It wasn't just the exit; the goblins blocked every corner and potential escape route.

"Looks like the goblins come in through here to hunt," he thought grimly. 

"Humans have become their sources of food."

As he walked around, the grim reality of his situation settled in. 

He needed to understand what was happening to grasp the full extent of the danger surrounding him. Finally, he decided to head up.

"The rooftop view will be great," Kenji thought, registering it as his new destination.

The journey to the rooftop didn't take long at all; Kenji was already there in no time. He spotted a few goblins and, with stealth and ease, swiftly ended their lives.

Kenji's heightened senses detected the presence of students nearby, but he paid them no mind as long as they didn't attack him or try to take what was his. They posed no threat to him, but he remained cautious, aware of the possibility of a surprise attack.

As Kenji moved closer to the rooftop's edge, he was greeted by the breathtaking view of Tokyo. The city sprawled out before him, a vibrant tapestry of life. Towering skyscrapers glinted in the sunlight. Their glass facades reflected the sky's brilliant hues—a stunning blue and soft pink blend. Parks dotted the landscape, offering lush greenery in the concrete jungle. The iconic Tokyo Tower stood proudly, its red and white colour contrasting with the skyline.

However, as he took in the beauty, his heart sank at the sight of destruction. Where once there was bustling energy now lay chaos. Buildings were crumbling, smoke billowed from various spots, and streets usually filled with people were empty. The vibrant life of Tokyo had been replaced by a haunting silence, a stark reminder of the devastation that had unfolded.

Kenji's gaze swept over the remnants of a city he once knew, now marred by violence and despair. The contrast between the city's former glory and its current ruin weighed heavily on him.

Then Kenji turned his gaze toward the field where the monsters spawned.

Kenji observed the scene with a cold, calculating gaze. Camps were scattered everywhere, with the largest one dominating the centre, surrounded by several smaller encampments. Goblins moved about, laughing and playing, carrying human remains as trophies of war.

He noted the living humans nearby—captives who appeared to be potential food for their captors. One male student was dragged away, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded for mercy, but Kenji felt no warmth for his suffering. The man's cries echoed through the air, a desperate sound that barely registered with him.

As Kenji surveyed the scene, his gaze fell upon a group of women separated from the rest. Evidently, they faced a different fate, one far more sinister than mere captivity. Their clothing hung in tatters, the fabric torn and frayed, each shreds a reminder of their lost dignity.

He noted the lifelessness in their eyes, a haunting emptiness that spoke of violation and despair. They stood together, their bodies tense and vulnerable, as if bracing for the worst. Kenji's heart hardened at the sight, but he quickly steeled himself, pushing any flicker of empathy aside.

Kenji's eyes remained steely as he took in the sight of the huddled captives, consumed by despair. His logical mind recognized the grim reality of their situation, and he understood that emotions could cloud judgment. This was a harsh world, and he needed to stay focused on survival—his own and, if he could muster it, that of the others.