The horrible tearing, crashing sounds continued, echoing from the east perimeter. John pictured a horde of monstrous creatures breaking through the barricades, swarming into the shelter to feast.
He grabbed Stephanie's hand tightly, ready to run or fight. But no nightmarish beasts appeared. Only the cacophony of enormous destruction - metal screeching, concrete crumbling.
John guessed the eastern wall had finally collapsed under the constant assault. The area would soon be overrun with tentacled, fanged terrors unless the breach could be contained.
But Theodore only smiled serenely, unfazed by the attack. "Do not worry, my friends! Our brave security force will repel the invasion."
John grit his teeth. Theodore clearly had no intention of properly protecting these people. Maybe he even welcomed the carnage.
John met Stephanie's eyes and she gave a determined nod. Unbeknownst to them, Nelson looked at the insignificant exchange with envy. It was nothing significant, but perhaps a sign that his girlfriend began to trust a stranger more than she did him.
Just then, a group of green-skinned short humanoid monsters crashed through the windows. John surmised that they were goblins, at least they looked like it.
"Go!" he barked at the group, and they turned around immediately, only Stephanie seemed reluctant to leave John.
John sprung into action, his steps suddenly turning quiet as he activated his Quiet Steps skill. He flanked the goblins from behind a line of lean-to shelters and lunged at the closest one before the goblin could plunge its dagger into a panicked middle-aged woman. He swung his knife and stabbed the goblin's skull, blood splattering everywhere.
The woman had been in shock, but she recovered as John snapped her out of her stupor. She turned on her heel murmuring words of gratefulness.
[Goblin Killed]
[0.1 Strength Obtained]
John glanced at the notification and cursed the fact that he couldn't see his stats, yet, but he figured that was the point of the 'Full System Synchronisation' reward. He only had to survive the first wave.
He stepped out of the goblin's sight once more and hoped to catch another by surprise thanks to his Quiet Steps. He could try and massacre all of them, but anything could happen if they circled and ganged up on him. 'Better leave nothing to chance,' he thought.
Slipping away, John circled behind the creatures once more. He selected another straggler and took it down quickly with a throat slice. But taking them one-by-one was risky. Soon the horde would surround him.
Stephanie suddenly rushed out, swinging a heavy branch wildly to create a distraction. It worked - several goblins peeled off after her.
Seizing the opening, John leapt into the middle of the pack and became a whirlwind of lethal strikes. He took down two more before they realized what was happening. Stephanie continued disrupting them from the other side.
John fought relentlessly, drenched in foul blood. The notifications confirmed each kill, steadily boosting his strength.
As the goblins steered away from Stephanie, John pushed them towards a lonely hall. His aim to keep Stephanie away from trouble. He was thankful for her assistance, but it would only complicate things if he had to keep an eye on her.
As he drove the goblins towards the hall, their numbers began to dwindle, but something caught his attention. He peered through the window and saw a group of men in military uniforms. They were fighting against a group of quadruped monsters, but that's not what caught his attention...
The real surprise was one man, holding all the beasts on his own. He was wearing two iron gauntlets, but his punches sent shockwaves through the air and beasts flying.
John surmised that this man had a strong class, one that is particularly useful at the beginning. Would this skyrocket the man's strength or would his class have diminishing returns? He couldn't know, but he decided to keep an eye on the red-haired man.
Seeing the man fight all the beasts by himself awakened something in John, he knew he shouldn't fall behind. Who knows what this new apocalyptic world will look like in a matter of weeks? He had to become stronger.
For now, all he could do was kill monsters. Come nightfall, he could take advantage of his class quests. Unbeknownst to him, he was sporting a more than sinister grin. John had long given up on a normal life, the universe had played a cruel joke named his life and this was his opportunity to punch back.
He turned around and spotted another group of goblins trying to break down a door. He leaped through the window with ease, his steps making almost no sounds on the hard concrete.
As the goblins rained down slashes on the thick wooden door, blood splattered everywhere and with a thud, a goblin's head hit the ground. The goblins reacted swiftly and turned their attention towards John.
A dagger thrust rushed by him as he sidestepped the incoming attack and swung his leg to send the goblin flying.
"Take that, you little shit," he roared, a smile plastered on his face.
Another goblin lunged toward him and he aimed his knife against its head, but he had to block another dagger coming from his left flank.
He blocked the attack and grabbed the creature's bony arm, leaping back to isolate it. The goblin's shriek cut the air as John's grip tightened, crushing its limb. He silenced it with a brutal eye stab.
John let out a sharp exhale, centering himself. The familiar thrill of combat flooded his veins. For too long he had been powerless - but not anymore. The tables had turned.
A pair of goblins charged toward him. John's eyes narrowed, assessing their approach. The system had gifted him strength, but he could not rely on power alone. He needed cunning, precision.
With a stomp, he bolted straight for the faster goblin. Better to eliminate threats quickly rather than be surrounded. John swung with controlled fury, his blade slicing deep through its throat.
The other goblin was upon him now. He cursed inwardly - he had hoped for a moment to reset after the kill. But hesitation meant death. So he pivoted, channelling his motion into a driving kick.
The blow connected, pushing the creature back. But its dagger still grazed John's calf, drawing a hiss through clenched teeth. The pain only focused him.
With savage precision, John buried his knife to the hilt in the staggered goblin's skull. Two more dead. He was surviving, turning the tide. And so far, he mused, this apocalypse was proving to be the opportunity he had hoped for.
He smirked at the notification, making it a total of 14 goblins, meaning a 1.4 bonus in Strength.
However, before he could celebrate, a loud, rhythmic thumping caught his attention. As he turned his gaze towards the source, he spotted it, a massive goblin charging at him.