The tiny Fairy suddenly launched herself at Dai Zen with lightning speed. Before he could even blink, her slim fingers gripped his sleeve with a strength that belied her delicate appearance.
"Release this princess from captivity!" She shouted, her lips red with fury.
Dai Zen was about to crush this presumptuous mosquito into oblivion when he realized that there was not even a hint of force behind her push. She pulled and pushed with all her might but could only move his clothes—she lacked the strength even to move a single hair on his body.
"How can a human being reach such heights of power?!"
"Size correlates directly with strength."
"Stop your nonsense and explain yourself!"
"Nothing to explain. And if you don't want to become food for those creatures..." His eyes slid towards the dark beasts approaching from behind, with a murderous aura swirling around them: "Get out of my way."
"What–"
The Fairy turned, her beautiful face growing cold at the sight and sound of the monsters. She raised a hand to conjure an attack, but Dai Zen grabbed her as easily as plucking a flower, throwing her aside as if she were an annoying pebble.
"Hik~"
Without giving the Fairy another glance, Dai Zen grabbed a nearby chair and threw it over his head. His strength had increased exponentially, so he was unwilling to waste his Mana in situations where his strength was sufficient.
The chair passed through the monster's skull as if it were nothing more than a rotten melon.
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 3]
<+1 Resistance>
...
The table was thrown aside as if it were child's play. A strong wind swept through the room, tousling Dai Zen's hair as other Badly Evolved rushed towards him. Dai Zen backed up and assumed a fighting stance. It seemed he had no choice but to go all out.
—Bam!—
A powerful blow sent the Badly Evolved flying like a piece of paper. Dai Zen's eyes shone with fighting spirit.
But the next moment, his expression froze. After being thrown, the Badly Evolved crashed into the wall but was completely unharmed. It turned, a strange light flashing in its eyes as it faced Dai Zen once again.
A chill ran down his spine. This monster's defense and resistance were even more terrifying than he had imagined. If he couldn't even pierce its defense with all his power...
Just as his thoughts raced at double speed, a melodious voice sounded next to him: "Calm down. Its defense is not invincible."
He turned to see the Fairy fluttering beside him, her eyes shining with disdain.
"While its resistance is extraordinary, a precise attack on a vital point can still kill it. And the vital point of the Badly Evolved is its head."
"Okay..."
As he had done so far.
The enemy moved towards him. With the strength concentrated in his right leg, Dai Zen ran and jumped, delivering a brutal kick to the Badly Evolved's head. The skull exploded in a cloud of blood and brains, and the body collapsed like a rag doll.
The 19 points in Strength were not just for show, as with those points that doubled the strength of a normal human, he could be considered a superhuman before the apocalypse.
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 6]
<+3 Resistance>
<+2 Strength>
[You have leveled up to Level 3!]
[You gain +3 Stat Points to distribute]
...
"This Badly Evolved is stronger than the previous ones."
"Of course." The Fairy crossed her arms under her almost non-existent chest: "I see that Mana has just arrived in this world, granting everyone the ability to evolve. And although monster beasts and Badly Evolved don't have a System, they possess a different evolutionary path. That means the more crystallized energies of their enemies they devour, the more powerful they become."
Dai Zen nodded slowly, processing the information: "So this Badly Evolved has devoured more than the previous ones. It's stronger and more resistant."
"Exactly." The Fairy flapped her wings and flew up into the air again, her thin pale legs swinging in the air as she turned to face him completely: "It seems that they have only been evolving for a few minutes, so they have not yet reached their full potential."
Dai Zen clicked his tongue. With the chaotic situation of the apocalypse, the Badly Evolved would not stop in their evolution, devouring and accumulating power without end. If he couldn't prepare and strengthen himself quickly, he would be surpassed in the blink of an eye.
At that moment, a dark green sphere shot out from the lifeless body, bouncing on the ground until it rolled toward his feet. Dai Zen leaned down to pick it up, examining it with curiosity.
It was a smooth and polished object without any cracks or textures, almost as if it were made of glass.
"It's a Common Grade Soul Sphere." Said the Fairy, perching on his shoulder to stare at the object: "You just have to break it to get what's inside. Depending on your luck, you may get an item that is helpful or not for the beginning of the apocalypse."
Dai Zen nodded, tightening his fingers around the sphere. He had nothing to lose, and any advantage he could gain in this situation could save his life. He exhaled slowly and clenched his fist tightly.
His eyes closed unconsciously when the soft flash of light assaulted his senses. Upon opening them, he noticed that the sphere had been replaced by a sword with a black scabbard.
[You obtained
Item: Light Sword
Grade: Common
[Stats]
Strength: 30
[Description]: A sword obtained by breaking the materialized Soul Sphere of a Badly Evolved.
...
Dai Zen looked at the Light Sword in his hands. Although it only weighed one kilogram, he could feel the tremendous power it contained.
As he unsheathed the black blade, strange white engravings that ran through it were revealed. The blade was barely three and a half centimeters wide, while the total length of the sword was approximately 80 centimeters, including the padded black grip.
As he gripped it, his Strength attribute increased by 30 points. With such an increase, he could match the strength of five average humans.
What a terrifying weapon!
"How is it?" The Fairy fluttered towards him, her translucent wings shining: "The sword you obtained, although it is the lowest grade, with it, you will be invincible against these low-level Badly Evolved."
"It's strong."
Although he was curious about the origin of this strange Fairy taken directly from fantasy, he refrained from asking unimportant questions for the moment.
He made a few slashes in the air. Although he lacked experience wielding a sword, he felt satisfied that with it equipped, he could fight without risking his life too much.
Although his performance seemed casual, Dai Zen did not stop paying attention to his surroundings at any moment. There were still nine Badly Evolved in the classroom, and the others seemed to have gone out the door to chase those who escaped.
He tightened his grip around the Light Sword and prepared to face the three monsters limping towards him.
Dai Zen used the strength of his legs and, with speed impossible before the apocalypse, closed the distance between himself and the Badly Evolved.
As he extended his arm forward, the sword's blade sliced through the monster's neck without any resistance, almost as if he were using a hot knife to cut cheese.
From the corner of his eye, he saw a dark blur approaching his head.
He ducked just in time for the attack to pass over him and then took a step forward while pushing the tip of his sword. The monster's head was pierced.
To quickly get rid of the corpse and move on to the next monster, he lifted his leg and kicked the enemy's chest, throwing it back with force. The sound of the table legs sliding on the floor echoed. He approached the third opponent and decapitated it.
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 3]
...
Regaining his combat posture, Dai Zen shook the Light Sword, causing the putrid blood to splash on the ground in a straight line.
While he looked at the blue screen that had appeared in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"After defeating three Badly Evolved, the gains were zero. If this continues, it will be difficult to strengthen me."
The Fairy looked at him with a hint of disdain, as if saying: "You're a fool".
"Your strength has surpassed that of these monsters. That is, when your power level far exceeds that of your fallen enemy, the gains you get from defeating them are minimal. In this case, you have not gained anything, as your body and soul no longer benefit from the Existential Record of a Badly Evolved of this level. If you aspire to obtain more Stats, you will have to defeat stronger or different opponents."
Dai Zen remembered those games he had the opportunity to experience. In those games, the more one increased in level; the more experience was needed to advance to the next rank. In a way, the progress was similar to the mechanics of a game.
"I see," Dai Zen nodded with an understanding expression.
—Other opponents—. From those words spoken by the Fairy, he concluded that his enemies would not only be the Badly Evolved.
"Basically, finding stronger opponents and defeating them to become more powerful."
He placed some tables before him to serve as a barricade to block the Badly Evolved from passing. He watched as a monster passed through the space intentionally left between the tables.
The Fairy nodded: "The System forces us to face increasingly powerful opponents to evolve. No one knows the reasons for this trend. It's not an easy path to take, and few are the chosen ones who dare to travel it. Even the most gifted geniuses, now known as Divine Existences, progressed slowly for this reason."
"However, evolving is the only way to survive and thrive in this Universe." Continued the Fairy: "Those who don't improve decay and perish. That's the nature of things. If you aspire to live and become stronger, you must be prepared to take risks and measure yourself against enemies stronger than you. Only then can you truly benefit from the Existential Records and use them to weave your own path to greatness."
Although he didn't understand most of the Fairy's words, Dai Zen silently nodded at her encouraging speech while tightening his grip around the Light Sword. His red eyes reflected his will to survive as he took a big step forward.
In front, dark claws disturbed the air as they approached his face. However, he was much faster, dodging the attack and expanding his body flexibly.
—Plop!—
The head of the Badly Evolved was penetrated. Dai Zen withdrew the sword from his enemy's skull and watched the monster lose strength in its legs.
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 4]
...
Just as the other Badly Evolved advanced, Dai Zen kicked the corpse at his feet and placed it before the enemy, causing it to stumble and fall forward.
Dai Zen's eyes sparkled while he quickly advanced without missing the opportunity. Extending his arms forward, he mercilessly stabbed the head of the Badly Evolved.
The red eyes that shone with brutality lost their brilliance, and then it gave some disgusting spasms before falling lifeless to the ground.
Before the other Badly Evolved approached, he stabbed it in the eyes—a point where if the attack connected, finishing it off would be much easier.
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 3]
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 3]
...
"Three are coming towards you from your right."
The ethereal voice of the Fairy entered his ear. On his shoulders, the Fairy kindly warned him about his enemies.
Although Dai Zen found it strange that she didn't fall off his shoulder with all his abrupt movements, he didn't comment on it.
Dai Zen looked to the right. Although they weren't moving very fast, if they caught him off guard, he could only blame himself.
He quickly advanced with the strength concentrated in his legs and cut off the head of the first, the second, and finally the third, stronger than the previous ones.
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 3]
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 3]
[You have obtained the Existential Record of Badly Evolved level 4]
[You have reached level 4!]
[You gain +3 Stay Points to distribute]
...
The Fairy felt Dai Zen's aura increase by a small margin. Seeing his confused look at his sudden level up, she took the time to explain it to him.
"When I said you wouldn't get benefits, I referred to the established Stat Points, not experience or levels. Even when you kill a low-level existence, you absorb its Existential Record. This feeds your growth and allows you to eventually level up. However, since weaker enemy Existential Records are smaller, it takes time to accumulate enough and significantly increase your power. Your body and soul act as the container, and there is a threshold of power that each can sustain. Once that threshold is reached, you will level up and gain points to strengthen yourself."
Dai Zen nodded: "I understand. Thank you for the explanation."
"Hmph, I don't need your thanks. I only do it because my life is connected to yours."
The classroom was now empty, but Dai Zen still had his guard up. He could hear the distant growls and the screams of horror from the humans. Occasionally, he listened to the explosions outside the high school.
"I recommend that you leave this classroom right now. I sense the presence of many Badly Evolved heading this way."
The Fairy's tone of voice sounded unusually serious. To check, Dai Zen sharpened his ears, and indeed, he heard the footsteps and low growls heading toward his classroom.
"You're right. I think the most viable option is to head towards the terrace. Plus, I want to see the city's state to make my move in search of my girlfriend," Dai Zen said.
Although his face didn't show much concern, his heart seemed submerged in cold water. His girlfriend was the only important person he had in this world, and he couldn't afford to lose her.
"Just to remind you, the Badly Evolved are not your only enemies. If you want to expose yourself to an open place, you're likely to face more sinister enemies."
"I know." Dai Zen nodded with the Fairy's concern, although he knew she didn't do it for him.
Her destiny was tied to his survival, nothing more.
The terrace was one floor up, which meant ascending instead of descending three floors of stairs filled with monsters. Very few had access to the terrace, but Dai Zen was one of the lucky ones, thanks to the medical professor who took pity on him after learning about his tragic past.
He prayed that the door wasn't slightly open or all his precautions would be in vain.
He peeked his head out of the door to inspect the hallway. Among the growls and roars of the monsters, flickering lights cast a sinister glow on the devastated walls.
To the right, a crowd of Badly Evolved was heading towards Dai Zen's classroom. Others were devouring the flesh of their kind or students foolish enough to throw themselves into the midst of the crowd.
His gaze rested on a boy who pushed a woman towards the path of a monster to gain time for his escape.
"You should get used to these scenes." The Fairy commented, seeing Dai Zen's disgusted expression: "I don't know what kind of Laws they used in this world, but once the apocalypse started, the chains that bound human morality crumbled. Believe me when I say this situation is the least you'll see on your way to power."
Dai Zen knew this truth quite well from a harrowing experience, but seeing how cruelty unfolded right under his nose without being able to stop it still left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He shook his head and looked to the left. His classroom was the last one in the hallway, connected only by a paved staircase that led to the terrace.
He let out a deep sigh as he squinted his eyes. Then, with his renewed will, he ran towards the staircase.
The Badly Evolved noticed his presence. One particular beast burst out, massive and muscular. It rushed down the hallway towards Dai Zen with alarming speed.
***
[Dai Zen - Hybrid-Badly Evolved]
Level: 4
Trait: Nullity [Unique]
Evolution: First Rank
Class: No Class
Title: No Title
[Stats]
Strength: 21 (+30)
Vitality: 15
Resistance: 24
Agility: 15
Magic Power: 15
Mana: 70
[Available Stats Points: 12]
[Skills]
—Darkness Manipulation | First Rank Skill | Level 7