Unparalleled Rise

The situation was far from ideal, but Laura knew what to expect. Even though she had chosen the Summoner class, she couldn't use her summoning abilities just yet. She was still Unawakened.

The first two waves of the apocalypse were meant to weed out the weak—a brutal selection process where only those who could adapt and survive would gain access to the true power of their chosen or given classes.

Right now, everyone was limited to basic functions, with access to little more than their inventory. It was a cruel introduction to the end of the world, forcing people to rely on raw instinct and whatever they could find.

Laura had experienced this before, in her previous life. She had watched people fall one by one, unable to grasp the reality of the situation or use their newfound abilities in time.

But she was different. She had prepared for this.

Switching to her Hoarder class before the apocalypse began had been a strategic move. Although the Hoarder class didn't offer any combat skills, it came with certain perks that gave her an edge. The most valuable of these was the rapid rate of experience gain, allowing her to level up faster than those with other classes. While others struggled to gain 3 EXP per kill, Laura was already receiving 4 EXP for each creature she took down. It wasn't much of an advantage, but every little bit counted in a situation like this.

Another benefit of the Hoarder class was its heightened perception. Laura could spot items and hidden objects that others couldn't see, a subtle glow catching her eye now and then.

She also noticed that the drop rate of useful items increased significantly. Her knife had already been coated in a faintly glowing ichor from one of the slain creatures, providing a makeshift poison that enhanced her attacks.

Moving silently through the train station, she stayed out of sight, taking down creatures one by one whenever an opportunity presented itself.

The kangaroo-like monsters and reptilian beasts were vicious, but they were also predictable. Laura's familiarity with their attack patterns allowed her to strike first, targeting vulnerable spots and eliminating them quickly before moving on to the next target.

Her twelfth kill brought a familiar notification:

Ding!

[You have leveled up!]

[+2 on all attributes and +5 unallocated points.]

A faint rush of energy surged through her body, boosting her strength, agility, and senses. She immediately noticed the difference—her limbs felt lighter, her reflexes quicker, her breathing steadier.

Ding!

[You are the first to level up! Your name has been recorded in the Records of Time!]

[Calculating rewards...]

But there was no time to relish the feeling. The station was still crawling with monsters, and the screams of dying people echoed through the halls.

Laura glanced at the system interface and quickly allocated the unassigned points, focusing on agility and vitality.

[Status: Laura Whitecroft

Class: Hoarder (Dual-Class: Summoner)

Level: 2

Exp: 4/100

Attributes:

- Strength: 6

- Agility: 9

- Vitality: 8

- Mana: 12

- Luck: 10

Unallocated points: 0]

She needed to be able to move swiftly and endure the physical toll of combat. She had no delusions about her situation; she was still just a level two fighter in a rapidly worsening apocalypse.

As she slipped behind a support pillar, a new monster entered her line of sight. This one was different—a large, multi-legged creature covered in a thick, scaly hide, with an unnervingly human-like face embedded in its torso.

It was tearing apart a fallen man who had likely just received his random class, trying in vain to fend off the beast. Laura's grip tightened on the knife. This would be a good test of her enhanced abilities.

She approached cautiously, waiting for the creature to turn its back as it fed on its latest victim. When it finally did, she darted forward, her movements faster than before.

She drove the knife into the soft spot at the base of its skull, and the creature let out a guttural screech, its many legs flailing in a final spasm before it collapsed in a heap.

[+4 EXP!]

[+4 EXP!]

The notifications came quickly as she moved through the station, dispatching creatures and gaining experience at a rapid pace. Each kill brought her closer to the next level, and with every level gained, she could feel herself growing stronger. Her movements became more fluid, her strikes more precise. But even as she cut down monster after monster, the death toll among the humans continued to rise. She saw bodies everywhere—people who had been crushed, torn apart, or simply overwhelmed by sheer terror.

Laura gritted her teeth, pushing down the emotions threatening to break through. There was no time to mourn the fallen. She needed to stay focused. The first wave would be over soon, and then the real challenge would begin.

Glancing at the clock on the station's digital board, she saw that only ten minutes had passed since the apocalypse began. The chaos felt like it had lasted an eternity. She knew the next wave would arrive in less than twenty minutes, and it would be far worse than the first.

Larger, more aggressive creatures would emerge from the rifts, driving the weaker monsters away and causing even more destruction.

Her level continued to rise, reaching level three and then four as she kept up the relentless pace. Her increased stats gave her more confidence, but she remained cautious. One wrong move, and she could still end up as just another casualty.

Just as she was about to pursue another creature, a flash of movement to her left caught her eye. She spun around to see a young man, barely out of his teens, struggling to fend off a creature with jagged claws. His eyes were wide with fear, and he swung a broken metal pipe in desperate, clumsy arcs.

"Get away!" he shouted, his voice cracking as he stumbled backward. The monster lunged, its maw opening wide.

Laura moved on instinct, her knife arcing through the air. The blade sliced across the creature's neck, severing its spine. It collapsed at the young man's feet, twitching once before falling still.

The boy looked up at her, his chest heaving. "Th-thank you," he gasped, his hands shaking as he dropped the pipe.

She nodded curtly, scanning the area for more threats. "Don't thank me. If you want to live, start fighting. Find a weapon, and watch your back." She didn't wait for a response. There was no time to babysit anyone right now.

Her eyes flicked to the notifications as she made another kill.

[+4 EXP!]

[+4 EXP!]

The steady stream of notifications was satisfying, but Laura couldn't afford to get complacent. The clock was ticking down, and she was determined to reach at least level five, possibly even level six, before the second wave hit. She needed every advantage she could get before the real monsters showed up.

She checked her status briefly, noting that she was closing in on her next level. It wouldn't be long now.

[Status: Laura Whitecroft

Class: Hoarder (Dual-Class: Summoner)

Level: 4

Exp: 184/200

Attributes:

- Strength: 10

- Agility: 13

- Vitality: 12

- Mana: 16

- Luck: 14

Unallocated points: 10]

She pushed herself harder, her movements swift and calculated as she cleared the platform of any straggling creatures. She could feel herself nearing the threshold for level five.

"Almost there," she whispered, gritting her teeth as she plunged her knife into the skull of another reptilian beast. She pulled the blade free just as the creature fell limp, earning another surge of experience.

There was no time to waste. The air around her seemed to vibrate with an almost unbearable tension, as if the very world itself was bracing for what was coming. She could feel it—just moments away.