[You killed a Lv. 2 Mutated Zombie.]
A burst of radiant light shot out from the zombie's corpse—an orb of pure energy, blinding white.
Bittu froze as the orb streaked toward him and sank into his chest. Warmth spread through his body, a strange tingling that made his skin prickle. The glow dimmed, shifting from brilliant white to a soft, calming hue before fading completely.
[You have absorbed the soul power of a Mutated Zombie. Stamina +1.]
[You have killed your first enemy. You have gained an undistributed stat.]
[Please use it effectively. Your future may depend on it.]
Before Bittu could even process the words, a translucent green screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Status]
[Name: Bittu Sah]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Jocker]
[Bloodline: None]
[ Strength: G ]
[ Agility: G ]
[ Stamina: G → F ]
[Constitution: G]
[Perception: G]
[Spirit: G]
[Unassigned Stat Points: 1]
Bittu stared at the screen, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. The zombie was dead. The danger—gone.
Finally, he could breathe.
But before he could reflect on anything—who he was, where he was, what ever the hell was going on—another string of notifications appeared.
[You have killed your first enemy.]
[You have unlocked your first skill.]
[Congratulations, you have gotten your first skill, Danger Intuition, from your class, Jocker.]
[Class: Jocker (Unique class)]
[Skill 1 : Danger Intuition (passive)]
[Mastery: 0%]
[Rating: Unknown (Evaluation pending as subject "Bittu" progresses.)
[Description: Unknown (Further evaluation required.)]
'A skill…?
His eyes widened. This zombie… was that what it was using to freeze my body?
A shiver ran down his spine. If it had gotten stronger, I'd be the one dead right now.
He was still thinking when a foul stench hit him like a hammer. Bittu gagged and took several steps back from the reeking corpse.
"Ugh… Disgusting…"
He forced himself to move away, scanning the forest around him. Towering ancient trees loomed overhead, their leaves whispering secrets in the breeze. The ground crunched beneath his shoes, fallen leaves muffling his steps.
To the west, a sheer cliff dropped into an endless wilderness. To the east, beyond the foliage, the faint silhouette of a city skyline pierced the horizon—a stark contrast of glass and steel against the untamed green.
Hope flickered in his chest. A city… civilization. Answers.
His lips curled into a smile. If I can make it there, I can figure out who I am. What's going on and How I can regain my memories.
He started walking, his thoughts swirling like a storm.
I need to understand this system if I want to survive.
Hmm… The only thing I can check right now is my skill.
Danger Intuition.
The name alone sounded… absurdly strong.
Bittu stopped mid-step.
…Wait. The zombie in my dream—was that because of this skill? Was that a warning?
His pulse quickened. If that's true… then this skill is overpowered. Broken.
If I know what can kill me before it even happens… I'd be unkillable.
He clenched his fists, trying to calm the thrill in his chest.
No. There has to be a catch. A condition. Something.
The system doesn't even know its rating or full description… Does that mean even it can't measure the power?
Guess I'll have to find out the hard way.
Bittu continued on his way while deep in thoughts, but didn't forget to always be alert.
'Next...'
As soon as he though this, he became silent.
The thought of identity hit him like a knife to the gut.
Who am I? What's my name?
His mind went blank. Nothing. No faces, no voices—just emptiness.
Sadness clawed at his chest, bitter and cold. Then—
Wait.
His eyes widened as he opened the status screen again.
Name: Bittu Sah
"Bittu..." His lips trembled as he whispered it. "That's me."
He grinned—wild, raw joy flooding him. "Yes!"
It was a small victory, but it was enough. It really was.
It was proof that he existed. He was real.
With renewed determination, Bittu quickened his pace toward the city.
...
But the sight that greeted him shattered every shred of hope he had left.
The city was in ruins.
Skyscrapers stood like broken teeth against a smoke-choked sky. Streets lay silent, littered with twisted metal and abandoned cars. Neon signs flickered weakly, casting shadows that danced like ghosts.
Sirens.
Distant crashes.
Groans of the undead echoing through the emptiness.
The bridge ahead was chaos frozen in time—cars piled like corpses, some dangling over the edge. Windows shattered. Blood stains smeared across metal.
Survivors stumbled through the wreckage—some clutching makeshift weapons, others screaming prayers that would never be answered.
"…Stay… away…"
"God… save me…"
"Help! Somebody help!"
But the zombies didn't care. They lunged. Tore. Bit.
A man was dragged down by four of them, screaming until his voice became a gurgle. A woman's throat ripped open, blood spraying like a crimson fountain.
Then they got up. Both of them. Lifeless eyes. Twisted limbs. Shambling toward the next victim.
"No… No, no, no…"
Bittu staggered back, his stomach churning. His heart hammered like a war drum.
I came here to find myself… to start over… but this… THIS—
'It can't be.. '
'No, No... '
His mind fractured. His hope—obliterated like glass under a hammer.
There's no police. No government. No family. No one left.
'IT CAN'T BE'
'Why is this happening to me? '
He wanted to scream. To tear the world apart.
His mind immediately went blank. The intense emotion of not being able to accept reality, his mind gave up and this time, no matter how much the special trait tried, it could not change the outcome.
Instead of the cold and calculativeness, something else rose inside—fury, boundless fury.
His vision blurred red as blood vessels flared in his eyes.
Zombies…
Zombies… kill…
Kill them all.
His grip tightened on the jagged piece of metal he'd picked up without realizing.
"Kill…" His voice was a whisper. Then a growl. "KILL!"
Bittu charged into the chaos, eyes burning with fury, toward the very monsters that stole everything from him.