Noah turned toward the source of the voice and saw a boy with curly brown hair huffing and puffing as he marched over.
Jared.
Noah knew who he was even though they didn't necessarily speak to one another. He was the mayor's son and wouldn't miss a beat in reminding everyone of it.
"I would've helped them if I could," Noah stated.
His jaw involuntarily clenched as their screams and desperate pleas echoed through his mind. No one had stepped in. Rather, no one wanted to be the next one screaming.
"If anything, why didn't you lend a helping hand? There's only one of me, yet so many walkers. I can only be in one place at a time."
Jared stepped back, his face instantly flushed a bright red.
"W-Well, you have a weapon, and I don't! How am I supposed to fight those things?! You have to help us! You're the only one here capable!"
His condescending tone reminded Noah of a child who'd never been told no in their life.
Ignoring him, Noah glanced around the classroom. His eyes locked onto the storage closet near the teacher's desk before they returned to Jared's.
"If you look in the closet, there should be another broom along with scissors, yardsticks, and makeshift weapons alike," Noah said. "I wasn't responsible for your safety before this happened, nor am I responsible for it right now. Everyone should be trying to figure out how to survive, and that includes you."
Whispers erupted as everyone's eyes rested on Jared. He was heated.
The way his jaw worked, paired with his pale knuckles, said just that. He was thinking of something to refute Noah's words when a hand fell onto his shoulder. Jared turned around, and a student with dark skin, a slit eyebrow, and a low buzz-cut shook his head at him. The move saved everyone from the upcoming tantrum.
Annoyed, Jared shook the hand off and walked away.
The guy walked over to the cabinet, grabbed a pair of scissors, then gave Noah a subtle nod.
The classroom remained frozen for a moment, but when they saw the boy grab a pair of scissors, the others quickly followed suit, scrambling to arm themselves with whatever they could find. Even Ms. García wasn't an exception. Taking advantage of the brief lull, Noah glanced toward the motionless students Jared had mentioned earlier and gave a silent resolve
I can't go out like this.
Then it hit him. The notifications he'd received after killing the walkers flashed through his mind.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔+5 EXP〕
〔+5...〕
〔Level Up!〕
〔EXP: 60/200〕
〔Congratulations! You are the first human to level up!〕
〔Would you like to receive your reward?〕
〔Y/N〕
He stared at the screen for a beat longer, then thought of the first 'congratulations' notification. The screen materialized within a moment's notice.
〔Congratulations! You are the first human to kill a walker!〕
〔Would you like to receive your reward?〕
〔Y/N〕
Noah smiled to himself softly and pressed 'Y' on both screens. After doing so, two new status screens materialized before him.
〔Title: Pioneer〕
〔Tier: Legendary〕
〔Description:The first to walk the path is rewarded for blazing the trail. As the pioneer of humanity's new era, the user receives an additional 3 Attribute Points with every level.〕
〔Hidden Skill:Synthesis〕
〔Tier: Unique〕
〔Type: Active〕
〔Description: Allows the user to synthesize Skills and Talents into a single, more powerful ability. The compatibility between the selected Skills and Talents determines the success rate of the synthesis. Failed synthesis may result in the loss of one or more Skills.〕
...
Holy shit...
Noah once again stared at the screen before summoning the status screen.
〔Status〕
Name: Noah Fowler
Level: 2 (0/200)
Title: Pioneer (Legendary)
Strength: 14
Agility: 12
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 8
Magic Power: 10
Fixed Stats:
Luck: 6
Willpower: 7
Attribute Points: 4
Talents: Advanced Spearmanship
Abilities: Synthesis
Weapon: Makeshift Spear (Broken Broom)
This should be good. Kinda sucks that I missed out on three attribute points, though.
Strength: 14→16
Agility: 12→13
Constitution: 13→14
Attribute Points: 0
After confirming the allocation, a warm surge of energy coursed through Noah's body, washing away his fatigue and replacing it with a newfound sense of strength.
After hearing him call out, "Status Screen," one by one, everyone else began to do the same.
As the screens displaying their individual statuses appeared before them, they were all shocked by the technology—whatever it was.
Noah scanned the room until his gaze settled on the guy who had stopped Jared earlier. Unlike everyone else, he didn't take momentary glances at the bloodshed or the bodies littering the classroom. His attention remained fixed on the translucent status screen before him, his expression far calmer than the shock and panic surrounding him.
If anything, he looked... intrigued.
As if sensing Noah's gaze, the boy looked up. Their eyes met for a brief moment before he started toward him, carefully weaving around the bloodstained floor and the bodies scattered in his path.
"Did you receive anything for killing those walkers?"
Noah nodded. "Five experience points for every walker I killed."
He kept the rewards to himself.
"Were you able to level up?" the boy asked.
Noah nodded again. He saw no reason to lie. Between the bodies scattered around the classroom and the fact that he had been the only one to kill them, the answer was obvious enough.
"If I could ask..." Noah hesitated, realizing they hadn't even exchanged names. "What do your stats look like?"
"Levy," the boy said, introducing himself with a small smile. "And it'd be better if I just showed you."
〔Status〕
Name: Levy Carter
Level: 1 (0/100)
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 9
Magic Power: 10
Fixed Stats:
Luck: 4
Willpower: 6
Attribute Points: 0
Weapon: Scissors
Maybe 10 is the average for a fully grown adult. His stats average around 10, while mine averaged around 11 before the upgrade.
While Noah was doing his second-grade math, Levy's gears were mentally turning.
"How many did you receive?" he asked. "Attribute points, I mean."
"Going off of my level-up, you should gain four attribute points. You can distribute them however you want among any of your stats other than the fixed ones," Noah explained. "That's all I know for now, though I doubt that's everything."
Noah figured it wouldn't hurt to share what he knew with Levy. So far, he seemed to have a decent head on his shoulders.
Levy thanked him before flashing a wry smile.
"So... some otaku's wish actually came true," he said with a chuckle.
Noah stared at him for a moment before a laugh escaped his own lips.
The remaining students looked between the two in confusion. Jared alone wore an expression of disgust, but neither of them paid it any mind.
The laughter slowly died away, leaving behind the same oppressive silence that had settled over the classroom. Noah found himself staring out the window, the world outside cast in a dim, unnatural gloom.
He couldn't keep standing around waiting for answers. For now, survival came first. He needed a temporary solution—anything that improved his odds until he understood what was happening.
The screams reverberating through the halls made one thing painfully clear: nowhere was safe.
The voice. It said, "Your primary objective is to level up and awaken as soon as possible."
Having made up his mind, Noah walked over to Ms. García, who stood near the rest of the class.
"I'm going to check the halls for walkers," he said, the unfamiliar word still feeling strange on his tongue. "If I'm not back within the hour, you'll have to decide whether to find another way out or bunker down."
Ms. García hesitated, her gaze lingering on him for a few long seconds before she finally nodded.
Neither of them believed the situation would improve anytime soon. If help were coming, it wouldn't be soon enough to sit around waiting for it.
As Noah made his way toward the door, he noticed Jared glaring daggers at him from across the classroom. A faint smile crossed his face before he dismissed it and continued on.
"I'll come with."
The voice came from behind him.
Noah stopped mid-step and looked over his shoulder.
It was Levy.
...
As they stepped out of the classroom, they were met by a cluster of walkers slowly turning toward them. Noah wasted no time. Closing the distance to the nearest one, he drove his spear through its skull before kicking the body off the weapon. Another walker was already shambling toward him.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔65/200〕
Noah ignored the notification and pivoted on the ball of his foot, driving his spear through the head of the next walker that stumbled into range.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔70/200〕
〔...〕
〔120/200〕
"I'm a little over halfway," Noah said, glancing toward Levy, who had been keeping the walkers off his back.
Levy dismissed his Status Screen after a quick look.
"Fifty-five out of a hundred," he said. "If we clear out the ones downstairs, maybe we can both level up."
With that, they made their way toward the staircase, where they spotted a few wandering walkers.
Noah charged one of the unsuspecting walkers, knocking it to the ground before Levy quickly dispatched the other nearby with a stab wound to its temple.
Noah then glanced down at the walker beneath him and drove his spear through its head before turning away without a second thought.
〔125/200〕
Noah made his way onto the second floor with Levy close behind. It was noticeably less crowded than the third, but there were still enough walkers wandering the halls to make the trip worthwhile.
Noah rushed the nearest Walker and drove his spear through its skull. As its body crumpled to the floor, a thought crossed his mind.
These things really were simple.
They never tried to dodge. They didn't raise their arms to protect themselves or retreat when faced with danger. They would only stumble forward until something destroyed their brains.
Levy wasn't a slouch either. Armed with nothing more than a pair of scissors, he made quick work of the walkers within his reach.
Within a minute, the hallway fell silent.
Walkers littered the floor, their lifeless bodies sprawled across the bloodstained tiles. Noah exhaled as he lowered his spear and glanced toward the staircase. They'd cleared enough of the floor to make moving through it easier; now there was no reason to linger.
The two headed back downstairs, but they hadn't made it far before a sharp scream echoed through the building. They were beside the staircase, making it impossible to miss.
The scream had come from the first floor.
Noah stopped, exchanging a glance with Levy. Neither needed to say a word before they sprinted toward the sound, weaving through the halls, carefully avoiding the corpses along the floor.
As they rounded the corner, they found three students desperately trying to fend off a group of walkers. They were slowly being forced backward, their retreat narrowing with every step.
That's not good.
Noah tightened his grip around the shaft of his spear before charging alongside Levy. The nearest walker never noticed them coming. Noah drove his spear through its skull and immediately turned toward the next, while Levy slipped past him, his scissors flashing as he buried them into another walker's head.
Their sudden assault disrupted the group, giving the three students a much-needed opening.
Noah and Levy pressed forward together.
Noah's spear struck with practiced precision, each thrust finding its mark. Levy stayed close, slipping into the openings Noah created and finishing anything that slipped past him.
A walker beside Noah suddenly lurched at him.
He caught the movement from the corner of his eye and stepped back, driving his foot into its chest and sending it stumbling toward Levy.
Levy was already waiting.
He stepped forward and drove the scissors straight through the walker's skull before pulling them free in one smooth motion.
The remaining Walkers fell one after another until the hallway finally fell silent.
Noah lowered his spear, breathing steadily as the familiar notifications appeared in his vision.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔+5 EXP〕
〔+5 EXP〕
〔Level Up!〕
With a thought, Noah called forth his Status Screen and began distributing his newly earned attribute points into the stats he felt would best improve his chances of surviving.
Strength: 16→20
Agility: 13→15
Constitution: 14→15
Attribute Points: 0
Beside him, Levy silently studied his own screen before allocating his points as well.
A familiar surge of energy coursed through Noah's body, only this time it was noticeably stronger. The fatigue that had begun to settle into his muscles seemed to disappear beneath the sudden increase in strength.
For a moment, he tightened his grip around his spear.
Feels like I could pierce through a brick wall.
He shook his head; he figured it was the sudden increase in his strength talking.
Noah turned toward the three students alongside Levy.
For a moment, none of them could find the words. Then the thanks came all at once, mixed with shaky voices and tears of relief. It took a few minutes before they finally calmed down enough to wipe their eyes and catch their breath.
"How'd you guys end up in that mess?" Levy asked, looking toward the girl. Surprisingly, she seemed to be the most composed of the three.
"I'm sure you two already know what happened," the girl said, "but when most of our classmates started turning into those things, we tried to get out before they could finish. Unfortunately, there were already some in the hallways."
The blonde-haired boy lowered his head, taking a shaky breath before speaking.
"We managed to avoid them for a while," he said, his voice trembling. "...but they found us."
Noah studied the three students for a few seconds; however, before he could ask another question, the sound of a door opening echoed throughout the floor.
Then another.
And another.
Noah's expression hardened as a familiar sound drifted from beyond the doorways. The noise wasn't just coming from one classroom—it was coming from all around them.