The distant screams grew louder. Shattered glass clinked against the floor as the building trembled with chaos.
Levi forced himself up, his muscles screaming in protest. His body was weak this wasn't the hardened frame he once commanded, but the fragile shell of a teenage boy. Every step was agony, but he pushed forward, dragging himself to the window.
He had to see. He had to know what the System wanted him to survive against.
Peering through the glass, Levi's breath caught in his throat.
The streets below were hell.
They were crawling with monsters creatures ripped straight from nightmares. Yet something deep in his mind stirred memories that didn't belong to him. The boy's memories. These things had a name.
Corrupted Beasts.
And the ones closest to him were among the worst of them.
Void Hounds – Jet black wolves, their bodies veined with glowing purple lines, eyes like burning embers. They moved like living shadows, fading in and out of existence as they prowled in packs, their claws carving through concrete like paper.
Whisperers – Tall, faceless humanoids draped in rags that fluttered despite the still air. Their heads tilted unnaturally as they stalked their prey, whispering words that made the weak claw out their own throats.
Eclipsed Serpents – Massive, serpentblike abominations that slithered through the sky, shedding black mist that devoured life wherever it touched.
And if that wasn't enough, Levi spotted more horrors further down the street:
Bloodfang Boars—giant tusked beasts, their molten tusks gleaming as they charged through cars like toys.
Hollow Ravens—flocks of eyeless birds slicing through flesh mid flight, their wings sharper than blades.
Bone Goliaths skeletal giants, pulsating crimson cores burning inside their ribcages, their heavy steps cracking asphalt.
Levi's jaw clenched. "Shit! Isn't there supposed to be a defense force for this kind of thing?!"
His pulse spiked as another scream ripped through the hallway behind him.
Miss Shoko.
His body moved before his brain could catch up. Ignoring the pain lancing through his limbs, he stumbled toward the door and out into the hallway, his breath ragged.
"Miss Shoko!" he shouted, desperation lacing his voice. His feet pounded against the tile floor. "Where the hell are you?!"
His voice echoed, swallowed by distant shrieks.
Then he stopped.
The metallic tang of blood filled his nostrils before he saw it.
At the end of the hall, a Void Hound stood hunched over a corpse, its jaws tearing through flesh with sickening crunches. Blood dripped from its fangs, pooling onto the floor.
And it wasn't alone.
More of them roamed the corridor, their shadows flickering unnaturally against the walls as students screamed and scattered like prey in a slaughterhouse.
Levi froze, every instinct screaming Don't move. Don't make a sound.
He tried to back away slowly. Just one step
*CRACK.*
His heel came down on broken glass.
The hound's ears twitched. Its head snapped toward him, glowing eyes locking on his trembling frame.
Levi's blood ran cold.
"…Shit."
The Void Hound dropped the corpse. Its lips peeled back into a grotesque grin of blood and malice. And then
[System Alert: Sensing Killing Intent.]
[Enemy Detected – Type: Void Hound.]
[Objective: Kill the enemy.]
[Reward: +3 EXP. Bonus reward: ???]
Levi stared at the floating text in disbelief. You've gotta be kidding me.
The hound growled, its claws scraping sparks from the floor. Its body shimmered, glitching in and out of the shadows like static.
And then the System chimed again.
[Tutorial Activated: Welcome to Your First Hunt.]
[Tip: Run, and you die.]
Levi's fists clenched as his breathing steadied. His body was weak. He had no weapons. No ODM gear. No blades. Nothing but his instincts the instincts of humanity's strongest soldier.
His lips curled into a grim smile.
"…Fine. Let's see if this body can still kill."
The Void Hound lunged, and the hallway exploded into chaos.