A few minutes before.
"I'll start it, you tell me what's in your panel, alright?" Chris said to Raven, glancing at his own panel.
***
Name: Chris Blake (Participant)
Age: 17
Height: 5ft 7in
Sponsor: (None)
Title: (None)
Skills: Craftsman (C)
Stigma: (None)
Weapon: (None)
Physical Stats:
Strength: Lv. 2
Agility: Lv. 1
Stamina: Lv. 2
Mana: Lv. 2
Star Fragments: 0
Stars: (None)
***
His panel wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either.
Somewhere in that uncomfortable middle ground, just low enough to be called below average.
At least, that's what Chris thought.
"Let's skip names and that 'Participant' thing for now, okay? Do you have anything in the Sponsor slot?" Chris asked.
Raven looked at him for a moment. He felt he should mention what he'd noticed, that his own panel didn't have 'Participant' written anywhere. That alone meant something.
But he stayed quiet.
"None," Raven replied flatly.
"Hmm, thought so."
"You know something about that?" Raven asked.
"Well, I won't say I know for sure," Chris said, scratching his cheek. "But I've got a guess. I think a Sponsor is some kind of… powerful being who invests in us. Gives help in exchange for something. I can't explain it clearly, but you get the gist, right?"
His explanation was vague and clumsy, but Raven still nodded. From the name alone, he'd already guessed what it meant, he just wanted confirmation.
"Alright, next. Anything in the Title section?"
"None."
"Same here." Chris gave a wry smile.
'Does this mean he has nothing at all?'
Raven had already told him he had no skills, so that left only one other possibility.
"Anything in Stigma?"
"Nothing there."
"Really?" Chris sounded disappointed.
"I don't know what you're looking for, but there's nothing on my panel," Raven said calmly. "If you thought I was someone strong, then you misunderstood. I'm not. I'm just a weak guy trying to survive. I only got here because of this."
He lifted his hand slightly to show the small weapon he carried, a chain with a brake disc attached.
"A chain and… is that a brake disc? Oh, I can identify the material too?" Chris muttered, leaning closer. "Not bad at all."
Chris extended his hand toward Raven. "Give me that."
His Craftsman skill didn't just identify weapon materials, it could also create and improve them. Even though it was only a C-rank skill, Chris was confident he could make something better.
Raven didn't hesitate. If Chris could improve the weapon, why not?
Chris took the chain, but the moment it touched his hands, the cold blood crusted on it and the foul, rotten smell made his stomach twist.
"They really are disgusting," he muttered.
"How did you even get here?"
The thought alone made him sigh, but oddly, his fear seemed to fade after talking to Raven.
He held the weapon for a few seconds, trying to do something. Raven waited patiently, watching.
Then Chris's brow furrowed. His temples twitched.
Is something happening? Raven tilted his head, peeking at the weapon.
Nothing.
"Is this what you meant by improving?" Raven asked, voice as plain as ever.
That simple comment stung more than any insult. Chris had practically promised he could enhance the weapon, and now?
'I might go into aura debt,' he thought bitterly.
A tear almost welled at the corner of his eye.
"Fine, give it back, no need to feel sad, you can improve it later." Raven asked for the weapon.
But then a thought struck Chris.
"Wait. I think I need to use mana for this."
A basic detail, but if you'd never used a skill like this before, it was easy to forget.
Mana? Raven glanced at his own panel. Zero mana. Figures.
'The more I see this panel, the more useless it feels.'
This time, Chris gathered mana and activated his Craftsman skill.
It worked.
The chain in his hands glowed faint blue, heat radiating from it. The brake disc seemed to melt and fuse with the links, until the two separate parts became one solid weapon.
The sight made both of them pause and be marvelled at.
'Didn't think it would work this well… but damn, this is draining. Feels like I'm being hollowed out.'
As he finished, the system chimed.
[Congratulations, you have successfully crafted your first weapon.]
[As an accomplishment, you have been rewarded with 10 Star Fragments.]
[Would you like to give the weapon a name?]
"Star fragments? What now?" Chris muttered, then glanced at Raven.
"The system's asking for a name. You got something in mind, or should I just go with 'Chain Disc'?"
"Do as you wish. A name doesn't change anything."
To Chris, that sounded unnecessarily cold.
'Hmph, cold ass nig*a, this is my first weapon, can't you give it a good name? But, I can't come up with something good too, this does not give the vibe of a grand weapon. Sorry, dear weapon, they say first time is not good, maybe this is what they meant from that.'
"I'll go with Chain Disc," he decided.
[Answer confirmed.]
[The weapon has been named 'Chain Disc' (F).]
"F-rank? Seriously?" Chris sighed, handing the weapon back with the enthusiasm of someone returning a broken toy.
The moment Raven took it, a notification appeared.
[You have acquired a weapon: Chain Disc (F).]
'I don't think I got this the first time I made it.'
"It didn't have a grade before," Raven said, wrapping the chain around his arm again. "But after you used your skill, it at least got a rank. That means it's been improved for sure. Thanks."
Raven appreciated his efforts. But...
Before Chris could respond, the ground trembled violently.
Not an earthquake.
The tremor deepened, rumbling like a thousand footsteps approaching from every direction. The air thickened, heavy with a stench far worse than the weapon's blood. Distant roars echoed, low, guttural, and hungry.
Then, a crisp chime.
Ding~
[The first hour of the apocalypse has ended.]
[The Undead King has woken up.]
[The curse shall now fall upon everyone.]
Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled, deep and hollow. The world seemed to darken by a shade. Chris's breath caught in his throat. Raven's grip tightened around his weapon.
And far beyond the ruined streets, something… answered the bell.
***
Thanks for reading.