As the white window opened, Adrius felt an overwhelming flood of information about shadows and how to manipulate them pour into his mind—information that hadn't existed just minutes ago. After reviewing the data, Adrius stretched his hand toward the shadow of the table and began to wave it left and right. As his hand moved, the shadow of the table began to stir and quickly formed something resembling a sharp-tipped arm that extended from within the shadow, moving in sync with Adrius's hand.
He also felt the movement of mana within his body and its connection to the shadow arm he had created, and even the surrounding shadows. Then he realized that creating the shadow arm consumed a specific amount of mana, but using and moving it didn't drain any more mana.
Adrius stared at the shadow arm he had created with astonishment and a wide smile spread across his face. In that moment, the only thing on his mind was using his new skill in the fight against zombies.
After playing for a while, Adrius canceled his skill and returned the shadow to its normal state. This made him feel his lost mana slowly begin to replenish. He then turned to the Cold Logic skill crystal and quickly learned it.
[> You have successfully learned Cold Logic (Intermediate tier, Passive Skill) Level 3. <]
This time, he didn't feel the sharp pain from before. Instead, there was only a slight headache for a moment. After learning the skill, Adrius felt his mind calm down significantly, and nearly all of his stress melted away. His mind unconsciously began to assess the situation, and for a brief moment, he considered leaving Miranda and her daughters behind, so he could freely level up and enhance his skills. However, Adrius quickly pushed this thought out of his mind. He had promised Miranda that he would look after her and her daughters until they reached a safe zone, and he was going to keep that promise, no matter how illogical and dangerous that decision might seem.
Still, Cold Logic is a useful skill, especially in these stressful and dangerous times the world had plunged into. It can help him in many situations in the future.
Finally, three treasure crystals remained on the table, and Adrius hoped that one of them contained something like a weapon. He approached the first crystal and transferred his mana into it. White light filled the living room as the crystal turned into a gaseous substance, then began to take shape. Within a few seconds, the shapeless gas transformed into a pair of black boots.
Adrius picked up one of the boots.
[> Wind Step Boots (Basic Treasure): These boots are extremely light yet durable, and can be repaired by absorbing mana from user. When equipped, increase your speed by +10. <]
Adrius couldn't believe what he was seeing. The small crystal had transformed into a pair of magical boots that not only added 10 points to his speed, but could also repair themselves by absorbing mana. He quickly put them on, they even look good with his jeans. But the most important thing was the lightness he felt from his body while wearing them. He was definitely faster than before. And now become three times faster than a regular human before change of the world.
It seemed that Lady Luck had finally cast a favorable glance at him. Up until now, the skills and treasures he had obtained had been a huge help in his future battles, and the conditions were becoming much simpler for him from now on.
With excitement, he moved on to the next crystal. Just like the previous one, this crystal emitted white light, then transformed into a gaseous substance before finally taking the shape of a ring.
[> Flame of Blood Ring (Basic Treasure): This ring allows the user to cover one of their attacks with a red flame summoned by the ring. The summoned flame uses the opponent's blood as fuel. The strength of the summoned flame is directly related to the user's mana and magic. The summoned flame cannot harm the user in any way.
Usage Restriction: Users above Level 30. <]
Adrius happily slipped the ring onto his index finger. In critical situations, this ring could be a game-changer. He then grabbed the last crystal closing his eyes and transferred his mana into it. As usual, the crystal turned into a gaseous substance and began to form, slowly…
After ten seconds, Adrius opened his eyes anxiously and looked at the treasure on the table. It was exactly what he had hoped for— a weapon.
[> Executioner Sword (Medium-tier Treasure): A one-edged, straight-blade sword. Its specialty is deep cuts, slicing and beheading. As long as the user has mana, the blade remains sharp and intact. When equipped, the sword increases your strength by +20. <]
Before him stood a one-meter-long sword, housed in a black leather sheath with a belt attached to it. A simple yet highly effective weapon for any situation, and most importantly, it added 20 points to his strength. This means that his strength would double, just by carrying the sword. In his current state, where a good weapon is his most important need, the Executioner Sword is more than perfect.
Adrius unsheathed the sword and swung it a few times. He didn't have any swordsmanship skills, but for now, he didn't need complex sword techniques because his current speed and power were more than enough to cover it. The blade was about three fingers thick, perfectly straight like a ruler, a common single-edged sword. sharp side of the blade was razor-sharp, and the blunt side was completely flat, maybe one centimeter thick or so. A triangular guard which its tip was facing the blade, with a simple black wooden handle. Even the sheath was simple, no special markings or bulging design, but despite its simplicity, the sword exuded a powerful sense of sharpness and death.
Adrius glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 5:15 AM, which meant that about five hours had passed since the world descended into madness. He calculated that if they left the house around noon without any issues, they would face a drastically changed world. During this time, all the weak humans had either turned into zombies or were food for mutated animals and maybe insects, if they evolve too. The ordinary people had either hidden in their homes or grouped together in large places like stores or gyms. However, the smart and strong people understood the Akashic Record system and were busy with leveling up and increasing their strength.
"I've been weak and ordinary all my life... that's enough... that's fuc.king enough." As he clenched his fist, he summoned his status window.
[> ------------------
Name: Adrius Wallace
Level: 9
Race: Human
job: None
Title: None
Specialty: None
Status Points: 12
|> Strength: 21 (+20) | Speed: 27 (+10) | Stamina: 12 | Resistance: 11 | Intelligence: 11 | Senses: 10 | Mana: 111 | Magic: 110 | Health: 13 <|
Active Skill: Shadow Master (Basic-tier) Level 9 |
Passive Skill: Cold Logic (Intermediate-tier) Level 3 |
------------------ <]
Since he didn't know how fast the other humans were progressing, he couldn't calculate how rapid was his own progress However, he was sure when he is resting on the couch, there were people out there fighting and leveling up. Especially since, with each level-up, the consumable stats become full again, allowing them to continue fighting with a fully energized body and proceed with their level-up.
So, even if his progress was good, he was still behind many others and needed to catch up quickly. Because, as anyone with any sense would know, in this new world, money no longer mattered—only power and skills guaranteed a safe and good life. And he wants to become stronger than anyone else.
He leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes to give his mind some rest. In a few hours, his world once again become full off stress and anxiety.
"Mr... hey... wake up, we're having breakfast!" Charlotte called out while shaking his head. She then turned to the kitchen and asked, "Mommy, who is this man sleeping on our couch?... why isn't he waking up to have breakfast with us?"
With Charlotte making noise above him, Adrius finally woke up and opened his eyes to check the time. It was 10:20 AM. Adrius got up, stroked Charlotte's head, and smiled, "Did you forget me already, little miss? Don't you remember how last night I helped you escape from that big bad cat?"
Charlotte looked at him with wide, surprised eyes and replied, "Ohl...really? mister you're not joking, yes? But you were so dirty and stinky and you had so many hairs on your face!!"
Adrius laughed, "Yeah, I really was dirty, but thankfully your mom helped me get cleaned up and let me take a shower."
Miranda's voice came from the kitchen: "Adrius, breakfast is ready, come to the kitchen…"
Adrius picked up Charlotte, who was staring at him with wide, shining eyes, and headed to the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't big or small, and a four-person table was placed in the middle of it. Miranda had her brown hair tied up, wearing a blue shirt and dark jeans. As she took off her white apron, she sat at the table.
Miranda was a beautiful woman, and Adrius guessed she was around 36 or 37 years old. A housewife who had married at around 20 and given birth to her first daughter shortly after that. An ideal woman who dedicated all her time to her husband and children. Though, ideal in the eyes of middle and lower-class men.
"Sorry, we didn't have much in the fridge, and with the current situation, there's no way to go shopping…" Miranda said apologetically as she gestured to the table.
Adrius laughed, "Did you forget who I am? I just got cleaned up and changed my clothes, but I'm still the same homeless guy from last night... For someone like me, even simple eggs are luxury."
Miranda shook her head, "I don't know what's happened to you, but from your accent and behavior, I can tell you were from a higher class before…"
"Good morning, Mom... good morning, Charlo…" Patricia stood in the kitchen doorway, staring at Adrius in surprise.
Adrius smiled at Patricia's reaction, "What? Surprised that I didn't steal your things or kill you…"
Patricia's eyes widened, "Adrius?!!!" Adrius nodded with a smile.
Miranda said, "Come on, eat your breakfast quickly... I was just as surprised as you when I first saw him. I told you, don't judge people by their appearance."
Patricia blushed slightly and tried to avoid looking at Adrius. She then awkwardly sat at the remaining chair and joined the table.
For a few minutes, they all ate in silence until Charlotte broke the silence, "Adri, you're a superhero, right? What's your superhero name? Can you turn me into a superhero too?" She looked at Adrius with her cute face and sparkly eyes, as if she wouldn't accept anything less than a yes.
But before Adrius could respond, Patricia quickly said, "Don't be so silly, Charlotte. Let Adrius eat his breakfast without bothering him…"
Adrius barely held back his laughter. After looking at Miranda, he realized she was in no better condition, then turned to Patricia and smiled, "You've become kind so soon?!" He then turned to Charlotte and said, "I can't turn you into a superhero…"
Hearing this, all the excitement and joy vanished from Charlotte's face, but Adrius continued, "Because you're already a superhero, you just have to wait until you're as old as your sister, then I'll teach you how to fight scary monsters…ok?"
Charlotte, regaining her previous joy, said, "So, you want teach Patricia how to fight?"
Adrius first gave Patricia, who was listening curiously, a devilish smile, then turned to Charlotte and shook his head in mock sorrow, "I don't teach bad girls…"
Charlotte burst into laughter, "You deserve it Patricia, bad girls always end up alone…"
Patricia, embarrassed, lowered her head and stared at her plate. Adrius wasn't generally a funny or social person, and three years of hard, solitary living had only worsened that trait. However, he was trying to cheer up this little three-person family and make them feel better, especially Patricia and Charlotte, who had just lost their father. Adrius had become their only source of security, so he tried to act like it.
Adrius spent the rest of breakfast talking with Miranda and Charlotte, even joking with Patricia a few more times to help her get out of her embarrassed state. Finally, after breakfast, Miranda asked, "When are we leaving the house?"
Adrius looked at the clock, noticing the hands were approaching 11:00 AM, and said, "In about an hour we go to downtown."