The stench of death permeated the halls of the school, a grim reminder of the massacre that had taken place.
The mutated creatures that were once human now feasted on the remains of their victims, their senses alert for any disturbance in their gruesome feeding zone.
So when Dai Zen crawled through the ruined halls, sword in hand and eyes scanning cautiously through the shadows, the creatures soon took notice.
A beast with twisted fangs and obsidian claws spotted the intruder, and its deformed nostrils flared as it sniffed the air.
It emitted a chilling growl that echoed through the blood-splattered walls as it leaped out from the darkness, hungry to become stronger.
The ground shook with the monster's approach. Dai Zen turned as a cold shiver of warning ran down his spine, his eyes widening at the sight of the creature hurtling toward him.
Time seemed to slow down as he glimpsed claws meant to shred the flesh from his bones.
Instinct took over Dai Zen, and his sword glimmered in a white arc.
—Clang!—
Sparks flew as the blade met the claws in a screech of metal, the sheer force of the block sending agonizing jolts through Dai Zen's arms. The impact threw him against the wall, his head slamming against the faded paint. Darkness crept into his vision for a moment as he slid to the cold floor.
Through the haze of pain, Dai Zen quickly gathered strength in his limbs and rose to his feet. He looked ahead to his opponent as distinctive growls escaped its charred mouth.
Twisted muscles and knotty bones formed the robust structure of the creature, with blood and guts from past killings stuck to its claws and fangs. Such a perversion of nature turned into a nightmare and death beast with a power that far surpassed anything Dai Zen had faced before.
"It's a Badly Evolved that has achieved a mutation." The whisper of the Fairy brushed Dai Zen's ear: "Truly, these mutated monsters are rare and formidable enemies. You must be extremely careful when facing one, as they possess a power that far surpasses monsters of comparable level."
The creature inhaled with a slurping noise and threw its head back, emitting a chilling roar that shook Dai Zen to his core.
Dai Zen didn't know whether to curse his misfortune or rejoice at finding a formidable enemy.
Defeating a powerful mutated beast at the beginning of the apocalypse could elevate his level to unprecedented heights. However, the risk was equal to the reward: the slightest misstep, a moment of hesitation, and a devastating force would tear him apart.
His grip tightened around the sword hilt.
The creature rushed towards him with unnatural speed. Its claws whistled through the air, eager to tear his flesh. Although the monster moved at a velocity far exceeding that of ordinary Badly Evolved, Dai Zen's keen eyes could still track its blurry form.
As its claws screeched towards his face, with sharp edges thirsty for his flesh, Dai Zen quickly moved his head to one side. His sword flashed in a silver glow, intending to sever the monster's arm from its body.
However, his attack was halted midway through the strike by the creature's other claw.
Although Dai Zen put all his strength into the blow, the creature's strength was much greater. Had he not had the Light Sword that gave him 30 Strength Points, he would have been at a clear disadvantage that could even have led to his death.
Its hardened iron claw brushed his sword aside, and Dai Zen staggered back under the force of the block.
No normal human, no matter how skilled, could match the overwhelming brute strength of such a monster.
"Take advantage of your advantage in the fight. In this case, the only stat that comes close to your enemy's is your Agility. As it is a monster that has lost reason, the speed at which it analyze its enemies is slow." The Fairy's voice originated from above his head, where she watched the battle with a serious look.
As an existence that had seen tides of death and wars between kingdoms, she could feel the flow of combat and discern weaknesses much better than him.
But she couldn't interfere directly, only offer guidance. If the boy's soul were bound to perish, she would also die. It was an eventuality she devoutly hoped not to have to face.
Dai Zen nodded at the Fairy's advice, and his head became calm again. If he didn't use every ounce of his strength, his life would be in danger of becoming fertilizer to nourish a monster.
With a sharp look reflecting his determination to stay alive, he made direct contact with Mana.
Dai Zen channeled his Mana, and due to the darkness of the corridor, he could feel that he had complete control over the shadows in a radius of several meters.
However, if he aspired to manipulate all of them, enveloping the monster, his Mana would be exhausted in the blink of an eye.
While he sensed the wonders of Mana, the monster rushed towards him at breakneck speed. Dai Zen only caught a glimpse of a dark blur before the black claws headed straight for his skull.
Then, he used 20 Mana Points to transform the shadows into threads that would sustain such an attack.
Black threads that would become invisible in the darkness were it not for his own Mana tightened around the monster's fist and imprisoned it tightly.
Dai Zen gulped as he saw the claws mere inches from his eyes. The monster struggled with a roar, about to break free from its temporary prison.
However, he acted quickly.
His sword swung in a clean arc, tracing a vertical trajectory upwards to cleanly slice the monster's arm off in a gush of black blood. The amputated limb fell to the ground, its claws scraping against the floor, while a chilling scream of rage and pain tore from the creature's jaws.
"Did it feel pain?"
He had thought that the Badly Evolved were insensitive to suffering, like the legends of zombies—creatures that had died but continued to move.
Instead of approaching his enemy, he quickly withdrew from the monster's violent attacks that seemed to have gone berserk.
"Not necessarily." Commented the Fairy: "That only applies to normal Badly Evolved. Beyond that, a mutated one regains the ability to feel pain. It would benefit you to exploit this point to distract and finish it off."
Although the Fairy showed no surprise on her elegant face, she was silently amazed by the young man's strength and Skill.
Such strength was not something an ordinary human should possess unless he had killed enemies far above his level, something he had yet to achieve.
And that Skill... Darkness Manipulation!
***
[Dai Zen - Hybrid - Badly Evolved]
Level: 4
Trait: Nullity
Evolution: First Rank
Class: No Class
Title: Untitled
[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