Chapter 2

Karma glances back at the stat window still hovering in front of him.

"If my stats are letter-graded, the highest rank is probably S… or maybe even triple S. Man, I hope everyone starts at the same level, but that's unlikely. If that were the case, all my stats would've been at F instead of some being slightly higher. It probably varies depending on the class assigned."

A sharp, blood curdling shriek cuts through the air. His head snaps toward the sound, his red hair swaying as he instinctively turns away from it. He darts into a nearby alleyway, keeping his steps light against the cracked pavement.

"This world… What the hell happened to it? It's all so stupid."

His thoughts drift to the shadowy figure from before.

"That thing was right. I don't care about my life. If something kills me, I probably won't even put up a fight. Dying doesn't scare me… but Mom and Dad wouldn't have wanted that, would they?"

He exhales sharply, rubbing the back of his neck as he shakes his head.

"Fine. I'll at least try to find something worth living for. Mom, Dad… I hope you can accept that from your useless son."

Karma climbs onto a rusted dumpster, using it to hoist himself over a tall metal fence. He lands lightly, rolling his shoulders before turning his head to scan the area.

And then he sees it.

In the middle of the street stands a grotesque creature—its elongated, bottle-like torso twisting unnaturally. Silk-like appendages slither from its body, writhing like sentient tendrils. A woman struggles in its grasp, but her muffled screams are cut short as the tendrils force their way into her mouth and eye sockets. Her body spasms violently before going limp.

Karma clenches his jaw.

"Yeah. It's way too dangerous out here. If I want to survive, the smartest thing to do is find a secure location with supplies… The mall is my best bet."

With that in mind, he moves swiftly, weaving through another alleyway until he reaches the edge of a tall brick building. Pressing his back against the wall, he peeks around the corner.

The mall stands about 200 meters away. He scans the area. No creatures in sight. A clear shot.

"Wait… my stats. They've definitely impacted my physical ability. Even if it looks clear, can I actually make it there in time?"

His grip tightens into a fist.

"I guess we're about to find out."

Karma sprinted toward the mall, his arms and legs pumping furiously as his breath came in ragged gasps. His heart pounded against his ribs, and despite the chaos, a small grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I'm going to make it… really, I am."

The thought barely had time to settle before a searing pain tore through his chest. A thin, whip-like tendril of silk pierced through his torso in an explosion of blood, twisting violently before yanking itself free. The impact sent him stumbling forward, his vision swimming as the world around him blurred.

Karma collapsed onto the cold pavement, his body skidding across the rough asphalt. Through the haze of pain, he looked up, his breath shallow. The lanky, nightmarish creature loomed over him, its grotesque, elongated body twisting unnaturally. Its many appendages wriggled like serpents, slick and glistening in the dim, flickering light of the ruined city.

He tried to force himself to stand, but his limbs refused to obey. A crushing exhaustion weighed down on him, and the warmth of his own blood pooled beneath him. The pain was distant now, drowned out by the familiar feeling of helplessness—a sensation he had known for far too long.

"What was I thinking? That I could change? That I could actually find a reason to live? Just because of some stupid pep talk from a faceless freak?"

His fingers twitched weakly, but his body wouldn't move.

"This concrete… it's warm. It's... comfortable. I should just sleep."

His eyes fluttered shut.

The creature's tendrils reared back, ready to strike again—this time aiming to end him for good. With a sudden, ear-piercing screech, it launched its appendages straight toward Karma's head.

Then, everything shifted in an instant.

A powerful force yanked Karma from the ground just as the silk tendril slammed into the pavement, creating a crater where his skull had been moments before.

His blurry vision caught a glimpse of a figure carrying him—tall, muscular, with wild black hair streaked with dust and sweat. His grip was firm but urgent, his breath coming in ragged bursts as he sprinted through the ruined streets.

"Damn it! Stay with me, kid!" the man grunted, dodging another lashing strike from the creature. His voice was strained, desperate. "Just a little longer!"

Karma could barely process what was happening, his consciousness teetering on the edge. The man ducked and wove between debris, each movement fueled by sheer determination.

"Please… at least let me save one." The man's voice cracked, almost like he was pleading. "Whoever's up there… just one!"

The creature let out a guttural screech and lunged again, its tendrils slicing through the air. With a sharp pivot, the man tried to evade—but he wasn't fast enough. The silk appendages raked across his back, tearing through his jacket and carving deep, crimson gashes into his flesh. He gritted his teeth through the pain but lost his footing, tumbling forward and slamming hard into the side of an abandoned car.

For a moment, everything was still.

The monster twisted its head unnaturally, its eyeless face locked onto them. It glided forward, its grotesque limbs writhing hungrily as it closed in for the kill.

Then—nothing.

The space where the man and Karma had been was suddenly empty.

The creature hesitated, its tendrils twitching in confusion.

Karma's body was dropped gently onto a worn-out mattress inside a dimly lit room. His breathing was shallow, his skin pale from blood loss.

"Clara!" The black-haired man staggered forward, gripping the doorframe for support. His voice was urgent, raw with desperation. "I have one—he's on the verge of death!"

Within seconds, a small girl with blonde and blue hair burst into the room, her eyes widening at the sight of Karma's mangled body.

"Oh my god—what happened to him?!" Clara gasped, immediately dropping to her knees beside him. Without hesitation, she pressed her hands together, and a soft blue glow ignited between her palms. Wisps of light spread over Karma's wound, pulsing as if breathing life back into his torn flesh.

The room was silent except for Karma's labored breaths and the distant sounds of the creatures roaming outside.

Then—he screamed.

A raw, gut-wrenching sound tore from his throat as the healing energy forced his body to regenerate at an accelerated rate. The pain was unbearable, his nerves igniting like fire as muscle and bone rapidly knit back together.

Leo, the black-haired man, quickly reacted, shoving his thick forearm into Karma's mouth to muffle the sound. "Bite down, kid! You gotta stay quiet, or those things will be on us in seconds!"

Karma's nails dug into the mattress, his body convulsing as Clara continued her work. The blue aura twisted and morphed into thin, ethereal threads, which she delicately wove over his wound, stitching him back together.

Beads of sweat formed on Clara's forehead as she worked tirelessly. "His vitals are stabilizing," she murmured. "But he's still weak. He'll need time before he regains consciousness."