Screams. Roars. Shattering glass.
The sound of the apocalypse wasn't quiet. It was loud—louder than the school bell, louder than the teachers shouting, louder than anything any of them had ever imagined.
Arin kicked a zombie down the hallway, shadow blade slicing through its skull like butter. Kael leapt over a fallen desk, red aura blazing, punching a hole through another's chest. Liora's bone spikes ripped through the floor like white spears, pinning a cluster of zombies to the lockers.
The world system's announcement still echoed in their minds.
> [ALERT]
[Global Outbreak Initiated]
[Survive the First Wave]
"Arin!" Kael shouted, flipping a chair into two zombies. "You ever miss doing homework?"
"Only when it didn't involve decapitation," Arin replied dryly, ducking under a bite and slashing upward.
Liora, calm as ever, muttered, "This is still easier than group projects."
Even with the banter, their movements were sharp—years of experience hidden behind teenage faces. But the other students… were not so lucky.
Blood splattered the corridor. Some screamed for help. Others froze. More were torn apart by their infected classmates.
> [Target Identified]
Name: Zombie (E)
Level: 6
Strength: 14
Agility: 9
Endurance: 12
Vitality: 11
Special Ability: [Bite Infection] – Spreads necrotic virus through saliva.
Skill: [Undying Hunger Lv.1] – Slight regeneration over time.
Weakness: Headshots, decapitation, holy or fire-based damage.
Note: Host mutation stable. Timeline matches early outbreak curve.
Kael's fist crushed its head before it could even lunge. "Still as squishy as I remember."
Three more charged from the stairwell. Liora vaulted onto the railing and fired off three bone spikes—headshots, neat and clean. Blood mist painted the walls.
"Ten minutes since it started…" Arin thought grimly. "This is just the beginning."
---
Cafeteria. Gym. Library. Every hallway turned into a war zone.
Ayla and Rhett arrived from the west wing, flames and ice flashing between broken desks. Ayla's ice barrier cut off a cluster of infected from advancing, while Rhett incinerated the remaining zombies with a sweeping blast.
"West wing is a mess," Rhett grunted. "Teacher's lounge became a buffet."
Kael smirked, "Who's the main course?"
"Students," Ayla replied flatly.
"…I regret asking."
They fought from classroom to classroom, pushing toward the rooftop—one of the safest temporary zones they knew. It took them hours. By the time they reached it, the sun was already bleeding into the evening sky.
Of the hundreds of students in the school, barely a few dozen remained.
> [FIRST WAVE CLEARED]
Survivors: 42 / 317
Reward: 2000 EXP
Reward: 1 × [Basic Survival Package]
World Ranking Unlocked.
A blinding blue light filled the rooftop. Everyone—survivors drenched in blood, shaking, sobbing—looked up as translucent text appeared in the air.
> [WORLD SYSTEM ONLINE]
The apocalypse has begun.
Power Awakening in progress…
Students screamed as light wrapped around them—some collapsing, others gasping as something awakened inside their bodies. The System spoke again:
> [Congratulations, new Awakeners!]
Your power will be your weapon. Your value will be measured by your survival.
Arin, Kael, and Liora felt nothing except a soft ping.
> [Early Awakener Detected]
Bonus Reward: +50 All Stats | +1 Trait Point | 2 × Minor Core Fragments.
They had awakened in their past lives—what they gained now was an upgrade, not the awakening itself.
Kael stretched, crimson aura flaring brighter. "Mmm. I missed this rush."
Liora side-eyed him. "You sound like a caffeine addict."
"I am," he deadpanned. "But with blood."
---
One by one, other students started to check their statuses—some laughed in disbelief, others screamed in panic.
One girl burst out crying, "Why is my power making flowers grow?!"
Another guy yelled, "I GOT… A TOASTER HAND?!"
Liora whispered to Arin, "...Humanity is doomed."
Amid the chaos, their former classmate stepped forward—Elias. The betrayer.
His hands glowed with a golden hue, and translucent chains appeared around him like an illusion of power. He grinned, chest heaving from the thrill.
> [Power Acquired: Golden Bind]
Type: Control / Restraint
Description: Allows the user to generate golden ethereal chains that can bind targets physically and suppress their energy flow. Scales with Willpower and Agility.
Additional Trait: Dominator's Instinct (Passive).
Kael leaned toward Arin, muttering, "Oh great. Mister 'Power Trip' got actual chains. How poetic."
"Keep calm," Arin replied. "We can't move against him yet."
But deep inside, the promise they made at death's door burned again.
---
Before the students could adjust to their new powers, the World System chimed again, its voice smooth and cruel.
> [SECOND WAVE INCOMING]
Estimated Arrival: 00:10:00
[Monster Type: Goblin (F Rank)]
Difficulty: Basic. Recommended Strategy: Run or Die.
A faint rumble shook the school.
"Ten minutes already?" Rhett muttered, tightening his gloves.
"They're keeping the same schedule," Liora whispered. "But it's earlier than last time."
The ground cracked. A foul stench wafted through the courtyard. Then—green-skinned, sharp-toothed figures crawled out from the shadows, wearing filthy scraps of cloth and wielding crude weapons.
> [Target Identified]
Name: Goblin (F Rank)
Level: 5
Strength: 11
Agility: 15
Endurance: 10
Vitality: 8
Special Ability: [Ambush Instinct] – Gains temporary agility bonus when attacking unaware targets.
Skill: [Pack Assault Lv.1] – Damage increases when goblins outnumber enemies.
Weakness: Fragile skull, low durability, susceptible to fire and sharp weapons.
Note: Low-tier monster. Common in early invasions.
The goblins shrieked in high-pitched tones that made several students flinch back in terror.
One newly awakened boy with shaky hands swung a glowing baseball bat at the nearest goblin. The goblin dodged with a nasty laugh and bit into his arm. The scream that followed chilled everyone.
Ayla formed a jagged wall of ice. Rhett burned through three goblins with a single punch. Kael grabbed one by the neck and slammed it into another.
"Why are they so ugly?" Kael shouted.
"They're goblins," Liora said calmly, impaling one with a bone spike. "That's their entire brand."
Arin spun his blade, purple aura swirling like smoke. "Focus. This is only the beginning."
The battle raged under the red-tinted evening sky, blood mixing with the smell of rot and fire.
The first day of the apocalypse had truly begun.
And this time… they weren't powerless victims.