Sam dashed out of the room and ran through the dim, quiet hallway until he reached the elevator.
'Looks like the power's out. Stairs it is,' Sam thought as he sprinted up up the stairs. Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes and ducked behind a wall while covering his breath.
Peeking out, Sam spotted two Kobolds slamming their bodies against an apartment door.
'They're about to bust in... should I wait for them to go in and then sneak by?' Sam pondered, watching the Kobolds smash through the door and charge in. After a few minutes, he sprinted through the hallway toward the opposite staircase leading to the roof. Passing the apartment, Sam was taken aback to see them devouring a woman who was still alive, her terrified eyes locking with his.
Gritting his teeth, Sam turned away and continued his climb up to the roof. However, when he arrived and tried to open the doors, he soon noticed that they were locked.
"Grace? You there?... open up, it's me, Sam!" Sam whispered while tapping on the door softly. Nervously checking over his shoulder, he tapped a bit louder.
"Is someone there?"
"Shh!"
'There are voices inside'. Sam thought as he knocked harder.
"Hey! I heard you. Open up!" Sam pleaded anxiously while glancing over his shoulder repeatedly.
"Go somewhere else..." a man's voice whispered, surprising Sam.
"What do you mean? Open up before those monsters hear me!"
"You heard me! Go somewhere else. Leave before the monsters follow you up here!" The man spoke again, clearly annoyed.
"You!...open the door!" Sam said in frustration as he tried to force it open.
"Sam? Is that you?"
"Grace? Thank goodness. Are you OK?"
"I'm fine. Please open the door; he's my boyfriend."
"We barricaded the door; can't risk opening it just for one person. If the monsters get up here, we'll all die!"
"What? You can't leave him out there, what if—"
"Kwarrgg!" A snarling crash from below made Sam nervously turn his head.
"Damn it!" Sam, now facing two Kobolds, brandished his knife. The Kobolds' furry faces were dripping with fresh blood as they rushed him.
"Sam? Sam!" Grace yelled as Sam swore while removing his backpack. He used it as a shield, crashing into the Kobolds. This time, he didn't try to push them but used the backpack as a diversion, quickly slipping past them. He bolted down the stairs as the Kobolds tore apart his backpack before following in pursuit.
Sam dashed down to the broken-into apartment, ran straight onto the balcony, and slammed the sliding door shut. The Kobolds were close behind, smashing into the sliding door and cracking it slightly.
"Seriously, what's going on!" Sam exclaimed when a balled-up piece of cloth unexpectedly hit him across the face. Startled, Sam turned his head and noticed a woman with medium-length black hair on the opposite balcony, holding a rope made of clothes and sheets.
"Quickly!" The woman urged Sam while nervously looking at the cracking sliding door.
Gritting his teeth, Sam tied the rope around his waist tightly, grabbed onto it, and leaped just as the sliding door shattered. The Kobolds stopped and watched as he leaped off the balcony.
"Ahh!" Sam swung on the makeshift rope until it steadied. He then sighed in relief before climbing up carefully. Once he reached the top, San noticed that the two Kobolds were still snarling from the balcony he'd leapt from.
"You really forced me to jump... If I get the chance, it's a toothpick in the eye for each of you!" Sam vented, feeling the toothpick in his pocket vibrate as if in agreement.
He shook his head, breathed a sigh of relief, and looked for his savior who was inside the apartment.
"Thanks a ton. If it wasn't for you…" Sam expressed his gratitude while attempting to open the sliding door but soon realized that it was locked.
"Hey?" Sam greeted the woman again as he noticed that she was holding a staff.
"The world's gone crazy, and people too. Don't think I'm being extreme. You can use that rope to go to the apartment below," the woman suggested, eyeing Sam carefully.
"True, people changed; they keep locking me out everywhere Igo. Maybe it's not people but society showing its true colors?. Or maybe I just have a scary face?" Sam sighed as he looked at his features in the glass' reflection before sitting down on the ground.
"What are you doing? I said you should—"
"Yeah, I heard you. But the thing is, while I was swinging for my life, I saw nearby the apartments and they're all overrun with those things," Sam said while pointing at the two Kobolds that were still snarling and clawing at him from the other balcony.
"Then..." The woman hesitated, glancing at her own front door.
"Your place probably won't be safe for long either. But I'm sure you knew that already, seeing that you made this cool rope, right?" Sam said with a smile as he admired the rope tired around his waist.
"So no place is safe then..." Maya mumbled from the other side of the door, causing Sam to sigh in response.
"Look lady, I know it's the apocalypse, but I'm just a guy who likes pies, steaks, and pizza. Maybe a burger and fries once in a while too…" Sam mumbled, receiving a disbelieving look from the woman.
"What are you talking about?"
"My point is, I'm not a bad person. How about we help each other until we're safe at least? Let's start with intros; I'm Sam. And you are?..."
"...Maya," the woman replied, observing Sam.
"Nice to meet you Maya. I assume you're a mage then?" Sam asked, causing Maya to tilt her head in confusion.
"That, it shoots magic right?" Sam said as he pointed to the staff in Maya's hands.
"Does it?" Maya replied in disbelief as she looked at the staff in her hands.
'You're telling me she picked it without knowing what it was?. Ah, if only I could go back, I'd also pick a staff instead of a damn toothpick…' Sam thought while sighing.
"Yes, I saw someone shoot a flame from it so you should probably be careful with it" Sam said as Maya curiously looked at it.
"But it sure is strange. The world seems to have turned into a fantasy game with monsters and magic. What's next, a system? or maybe a status?" Sam mumbled to himself when a notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Name]: Sam
[Rank]: F
[Skills]: N/A (1x Skill Book Available)
[Weapon]: Toothpick(F)
[Armor]: N/A
'There's actually a status?!' Sam thought in disbelief as he read the simple information.
'I have a skill book available?. Ah, that's right! It rewarded me with that for beating the trial!' Sam thought to himself in excitement as he thought about the skill book. When he did, a book made out of light appeared before his eyes. The pages flipped quickly as the light grew brighter forcing him to close his eyes. While his eyes were closed, Sam saw a notification.
[Common skill received: Telekinesis(F)]