Chapter 2

The First Kill

I crouched low, pressing myself against the cold concrete wall. The air in the basement was thick with dust, I breath shallow as I strained to listen.

Above me, the footsteps grew heavier. Slow. 

It's hunting me.

I gripped the reinforced blade, feeling its weight in my hands. This was different from scavenging or running. This time, I wasn't just surviving—I was about to fight.

A guttural growl echoed through the ruins, and then a sharp thud as something leaped into the basement. Dust swirled in the light, and when it cleared, I saw it.

The fox-mutant.

Its metallic fur shimmered like liquid silver, its three tails swaying like blades. The glowing blue eyes locked onto me, unblinking, filled with hunger.

It knew I was cornered.

I have to move first.

I lunged.

My new blade slashed through the air, aimed directly for the creature's throat. But the mutant was fast—faster than anything I had ever seen. It twisted mid-air, dodging my attack with terrifying precision.

A split second later, its claws lashed out.

I barely managed to duck. The claws sliced through the concrete wall behind me as if it were paper. If that had hit me—

No. I couldn't let fear win.

I gritted my teeth and pivoted, swinging my weapon in a tight arc. The reinforced blade hummed with energy, its vibrating edge enhancing its cutting power.

This time, I didn't miss.

The blade connected, slicing through one of the mutant's tails.

A high-pitched screech tore through the air as the creature stumbled back, black ichor dripping from the wound. The severed tail twitched on the ground before dissolving into ash.

My eyes widened. It worked.

The fox-mutant snarled, its form crouching lower, muscles tensing. It was furious now.

I braced myself. Come on, then.

The beast lunged again, faster than before. I barely had time to react—I twisted, throwing myself to the side, but pain exploded across my shoulder as its claws raked against me.

I hit the ground hard, gasping. Warm blood trickled down my arm.

Keep moving. Don't stop.

I rolled to my feet just as the creature pounced again. Instead of retreating, I charged forward, blade angled upward.

At the last second, I dropped low and thrust the weapon into the fox's chest.

The blade sank deep.

The fox-mutant choked out a guttural sound, its glowing eyes flickering in shock. I pushed harder, driving the reinforced blade in until I felt it pierce straight through.

For a moment, the mutant trembled. Then, its entire body went rigid before dissolving into dark mist.

Silence filled the basement.

I stood there, panting, my hands slick with a mixture of blood and sweat. My body ached, my shoulder throbbed, but I had won.

I had killed a Mutabeast.

[Battle Complete]

A new notification appeared before me.

[First Kill Bonus: Skill Unlocked – Blueprint Analysis]

My vision blurred for a moment, and then a surge of knowledge filled my mind.

Blueprint Analysis?

I focused, and instinctively, information about my blade appeared before my eyes.

[Reinforced Blade]

[Durability: High]

[Sharpness: +50%]

[Special Effect: Vibration Edge]

[Upgrade Potential: Moderate]

I exhaled. So that's what this does. It allowed me to see details about items, possibly even improve them.

A small smile formed on my lips.

I wasn't just surviving anymore. I was evolving.

With my wounds slowing me down, I knew I couldn't stay in the basement. The noise from the fight might have drawn other creatures—or worse, humans with powers looking to prey on the weak.

I forced myself to move, stepping over the ashes of the defeated fox-mutant and climbing back through the hole I had fallen into earlier.

The city above was quiet. The sky had darkened the Havenbrook into an endless twilight. Fires still burned in the distance, remnants of the world's collapse.

I pulled the straps of my backpack tighter, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. I needed to find a safer place to rest, tend to my wounds, and figure out my next steps.

As I moved through the ruins, something glowed in the debris ahead.

I approached cautiously.

It was a crystal, pulsing with faint blue energy—the same color as my system's interface.

[Meteor Fragment Detected]

My breath hitched.

Meteors were what started all of this—the mutations, the powers, the destruction. And now, a piece of one was right in front of me.

I reached out, my fingers barely brushing against it when my system reacted.

[New Blueprint Discovered: Energy Core (Requires: Meteor Fragment, Power Core, Conductive Metal)]

My heart skipped.

This… this could be valuable.

If I could craft an Energy Core, it could power stronger weapons, maybe even create something that gave me an edge against powered humans.

My fingers closed around the crystal.

For the first time since the world ended, I had a future worth fighting for.