Infinite Leveling In The Apocalypse

First Battle; First Item Drop

The red moon cast an crimson glow over the rooftop, bathing Min-joon and Ji-woo in its light. The blue interface shimmered in Min-joon's vision, a clear indicator of the extraordinary events that had just unfolded.

"So, let me get this straight,"

"You have a… system in your head now? And it lets you level up… forever?" Ji-woo asked, finding it a bit hard to believe.

Min-joon nodded, still trying to wrap his mind around it all. The information overload had been staggering, but the core concept was clear – he could become stronger, infinitely stronger, by defeating enemies. 

"It sounds crazy, I know," he admitted, "But look." He placed his hand in her forehead and focused his mind, and the blue interface flickered, displaying his current stats:

[User: Min-joon

Level: 1

HP: 100/100

MP: 50/50

Strength: 5

Agility: 7

Intelligence: 8

XP: 0/100]

"See?" he pointed at the screen. "Level 1, zero experience points. A total newbie." 

Ji-woo squinted at the floating interface, she could see it, perhaps due to Min-joon's touch... And maybe something more. "But how do you gain experience? By, like, playing games in your head?"

Min-joon chuckled. "No, not exactly. The system says I get XP by defeating enemies. Monsters, probably." 

A shiver ran down Ji-woo's spine. "Monsters? You sure you want to go monster hunting? What if this whole system thing is a trap?"

Min-joon understood her fear. This was all crazy, unbelievable. But the alternative – staying holed up on the rooftop, waiting for whatever lurked in the shadows to find them – wasn't much better. 

"We can't just sit here forever," he said, his voice firm. "We need to find a way out of this city, find somewhere safe. And maybe, just maybe, with this system, I can actually fight back."

Ji-woo sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright, alright. But you promise to be careful? No running headfirst into danger."

Min-joon grinned. "No promises, but I'll try not to get myself killed. Besides," he added, tapping the blue interface, "the system says I can see the health bars of enemies. That's gotta give me some kind of advantage, right?"

Ji-woo rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Just don't get too cocky, Mr. Infinite Leveler." 

Taking a deep breath, Min-woo scanned the surrounding buildings. The city was already in complete chaos, shrouded in the red glow of the moon. 

"We should probably stick to the rooftops, we'll jump between fire escapes and use what ever was find to move around for now," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Less chance of getting ambushed in the alleyways."

Ji-woo nodded in agreement. Together, they crept across the rooftop, their movements cautious and quiet. The silence was broken only by the occasional distant screech or the flapping of unseen wings.

Suddenly, just as they were bout to make the first jump, a guttural growl echoed from the building next door. Min-joon froze, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Did you hear that?" Ji-woo whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

Min-joon activated the system interface again. A red blip appeared on the edge of the screen, pulsing faintly.

['Enemy detected,']

['Target: Level 2 Feral.']

Min-joon's stomach lurched. Level 2? Already? But he didn't have a choice. He had to face it.

"Stay here," he whispered to Ji-woo, his voice tight. "I'll check it out."

He crept towards the edge of the rooftop, peering over the ledge. Below, in the narrow alleyway between buildings, stood a creature unlike anything he'd ever seen. It was a hulking mass of muscle and claws, its fur a matted black, its eyes glowing with a strange red light.

The Feral, as the system called it, sniffed the air, its growl turning into a low, menacing snarl.

Min-joon gritted his teeth. This was it. His first fight in this new, terrifying world. 

He focused on the creature, willing the blue interface to display its health bar. A red bar materialized above the Feral's head, indicating it had 150 HP.

'Okay,' he thought, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. 'I can do this.'

He dropped down from the rooftop into a dumpster with a soft thud. The Feral, momentarily startled by the sudden movement, whipped its head around, its red eyes scanning the alleyway.

Min-joon peeked cautiously from the dumpster. The creature's stench hit him like a wave – a mix of rotting flesh and feral rage, or perhaps that was all the stuff in the dumpster. He gripped the baseball bat he'd found earlier, getting ready to attack.

'Alright, system,' he thought, feeling nervous. 'Give me any advice you got.'

[Target analysis: Feral – weak against blunt attacks.]

Min-joon felt relived. At least he had that going for him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.

The Feral let out another snarl, its gaze finally settling on the dumpster. It lumbered towards it, its claws scraping against the pavement.

Now was his chance. With a surge of adrenaline, Min-joon sprang from the dumpster, yelling a battle cry that came out more like a strangled yelp.

The Feral screeched in surprise, its attention fully on him now. It reared up on its hind legs, towering over him.

Min-joon swung the baseball bat with all his might, aiming for the creature's exposed head. The bat connected with a satisfying thud, sending a spray of green blood flying. The Feral roared in pain, its health bar dropping slightly.

But the blow wasn't enough to knock it down. The creature swiped at him with its massive claws, the attack narrowly missing his shoulder. It lunged forward, a stench filling his nostrils.

Min-joon rolled away just in time, the creature's claws tearing through the ground where he had been standing a moment ago. He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest.

This wasn't a video game. This was real, and it was terrifying.

The Feral charged again, its movements surprisingly quick for its size. Min-joon sidestepped the attack, adrenaline fueling his agility. He swung the bat again, this time aiming for the creature's legs.

The blow connected with a sickening crack. The Feral yelped in pain, its momentum faltering. It stumbled back, its leg visibly injured.

Seizing the opportunity, Min-joon rushed forward, unleashing a flurry of swings. He rained attacks upon the creature, targeting its weakened leg and exposed underbelly.

The Feral roared in fury, trying to swipe at him with its remaining claw. But Min-joon was quicker, desperate to survive.

With a final blow, he smashed the baseball bat against the Feral's skull. The creature let out a deafening screech, its body convulsing before going limp. Its health bar blinked out of existence.

Min-joon stood there, panting heavily, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth as some of the green blood got in him. He had won. He had actually killed it.

He felt a sudden wave of relief, so intense it almost brought him to his knees. But then, a new sensation flooded his senses – a warm energy coursing through his body, coming from the slain Feral.

[Congratulations! You have defeated a Level 2 Feral. Gained 50 XP!]

The system announcement echoed in his mind. Min-joon glanced at the interface. His XP bar had risen to 50/100. He wasn't quite level 2 yet, but he was getting closer.

Suddenly, a light shimmered above the Feral's decaying body. It condensed, forming a small object that clattered to the ground.

Min-joon cautiously approached the object and picked it up. It was a crudely made leather bracer, its surface scratched and worn.

[Item Acquired: Worn Leather Bracer (Defense +1)]

A wave of information flooded his mind about the bracer, its properties and how to equip it. It wasn't much, but it was an upgrade.

He smiled as he felt accomplished. He had survived his first battle, gained experience, and even found loot. Maybe, just maybe, this system could help him navigate this new, terrifying world.

He looked back at Ji-woo, who was peering down from the rooftop with a look of shock etched on her face.

"You did it," she called out, her voice filled with awe and relief. "You actually killed it!"

Min-joon gave her a shaky smile. "Yeah," he replied, his voice slightly hoarse. "Looks like being a level 1 noob isn't so bad after all."