Plundering In The Apocalypse

Awakened

Inside a double-storeyed house. In the dining room, two figures could be seen sitting opposite to each other at the dining table. 

One was a boy with red hair with a tall build, and on the opposite end of the table was a doll-like girl with obsidian black hair and beautiful purple eyes. 

It was Simon and Elena. The room was completely silent and both had grave expressions on their faces. If not for her little hand movements anyone could have mistaken her for a sculpture. 

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she soon opened them again. A face appeared on her mind. It was Shin. A worried look flashed across her face and her brows knit together, but soon calmed down. 

She turned her focus toward her brother sitting in front of her. He continuously tapped on his phone with an anxious look in his eyes. She opened her small mouth to something but no words came out. She wanted to console him. 

But she didn't know what to say. 

After the announcement was made regarding murders. Soon a second announcement was made, which notified us of the sudden appearance of monsters and strange happenings all around the world. 

The death count is going up continuously. 

Since then Simon has been trying to get into contact with Shin. But there's no response. Deep in her thought she suddenly heard a shout in front of her.

"Why can't I contact him?" Simon exclaimed out loud. He wasn't a patient person like his sister. Even then it wasn't this extreme. 

"What if something happens to him?" Every time Simon couldn't contact Shin, he keeps thinking the worst.

"You still can't reach out to him," Elena questioned in a low voice. After seeing Simon trying repeatedly with an anxious look on his face. 

"Yeah, I've tried several times. Something didn't happen to him, right? He should be safe right?" Simon didn't want something to happen to his best friend. They were very close.

"Don't worry he should be fine." Elena tries to assure her brother. "He might have run off to a nearby shelter and his phone might be out of charge."

"Yeah, I bet he ran like there's no tomorrow and entered a shelter. I would have loved to laugh at his pathetic state after seeing him running. But even so, I can't stop this bad feeling in my chest."

"Hah, and I called you a pessimist. Are you doing this to laugh at me?" Simon laughed at himself for calling Shin a pessimist, but now he himself couldn't stop being one. 

Simon wanted to go out and save him. But what can he do at the face of multiple monsters. The whole area was sealed to stop monsters from entering.

"Where would he be, I am worried about him." Simon couldn't stop calling until his friend's safety is assured, so he kept on calling him. He didn't know what to do.

Elena had a nonchalant face but deep inside she was still worried. Even so, though Shin and Elena weren't that close, she still cared about him. 

As she had known him for years. He came to their house very often so they interacted a lot. Elena never treated Shin as an outsider. Now his life was in danger, how could she not care? But she didn't show it on her face and kept her cool.

But unlike her Simon's mind was a mess. He had no idea what to do and what not to. He wanted to go out and find Shin. Elena understood this and tried to calm him. 

"Brother. Calling him wouldn't change anything. We should try to find out the situation outside and then figure out Shin's whereabouts." Elena stared deeply into Simon's eyes with a serious look on her face.

After listening to Elena's words, Simon understood that Elena was right and so he calmed down. 

"Yeah, you're right Elena. I shouldn't rush blindly without information. I'll try to see what's going on outside first from my room upstairs." While thinking that they started making their way upstairs.

Turning his head towards the balcony Simon moved forward. When in an almost inaudible voice.

"Please be safe Shin, I should have stopped him for lunch," Elena muttered softly. But Simon heard her.

Simon sighed briefly thinking that he should also have tried to stop him. But there's no point complaining.

While thinking like that they entered the balcony trying to see the situation outside. But they heard a loud voice and something came crashing down their side.

Crash!! Shrieekkk!!

...

[Congratulations you have awakened.]

[You have killed a goblin.]

[Congratulations you are the first person to have awakened in your dimension.]

[You have leveled up.]

Far away from Simon's house north of the city center. Simon was surprised to see a strange blue screen floating in front of him.

"Wh- what is going on here?"

"What does it mean by goblin?"

Shin was confused by the sight of these weird notices and the blue screen in front of him.

"Is it an auditory hallucination?"

Or

"Am I mentally unstable?"

"A Hologram?" 

Shin again started questioning his rationality. But this he calmed down pretty fast.

"What am a getting surprised for? After everything that had happened to me, this is not even the slightest bit weird."

Shin thought to himself he wouldn't be surprised anymore. 

Like every time wherever he calms down something totally unexpected happens to him. Anyway, one thing was clear somehow or another, everything is related. It was outside of common logic. Maybe the logic I am used to is not useful anymore.

Shin's current situation couldn't be explained by normal means.

"Ah...Have I .... finally gone crazy?" Shin muttered trying to find humor in his own words.

This should be the reality in which he had lived for 20 years. But even after all that, doubting himself was the only thing he could do.

'Whether it's real or not.'

That's not important. He should survive first to figure out what's happening.

'I should get out of here and check those messages before those monsters close in on me.'

.....

'haha'

'Huff' deep breathing sounds

After taking a shelter at the construction site he was. He took a deep breath after confirming there weren't any monsters inside the building. Shin hid in a corner in a way he could watch out for any incoming danger. From his hiding position, he could see the entrance of the apartment and the goblin's corpse he killed. 

"It should be safe here, I guess" Shin tried to take a rest as he might not get a chance later.

"Well anyway, let's check what it says first?" As shin thought of those messages a floating screen popped up in front of him

'So it works just by thinking, huh.'

"Ok, so It says I have awakened." Shin tried confirming his assumptions. He had an idea of what was going on as he was a gamer but he didn't jump to conclusions.

"But what does it even mean?" Shin asked while hoping for his assumptions to be correct.

*Klink!*

Another screen popped up. It's like a manual but there's a search bar. So I can get some answers here.

'Ah, there seems to be an explanation regarding awakened.'

[Awakened- Human beings who broke through their limits. An evolved species of human. There are further stages of evolution.]

"I see, I see." But why does it stop there?

....

....

"That's it. Are you kidding me, isn't there something more to it ." after searching for a long time what I got was.

Klink!

[For more information higher level is required.]

"What? and how would I know what my level is? Even earlier it said something about leveling up."

"Hm? It says to check the status board." While reading the manual shin learned about commands use. So he abruptly stated.

"Status board." will this work?

*Klink!*

***

[Accessing Status board]

[ Name- Shin Wolner]

[Age - 20]

[Title - 1st awakened ]

[ Level - 1 ]

[Stats - ⬇️]

[Special ability - Plunder]

***

"Hmm"

It seems more detailed information can be obtained.

'More importantly level 1, huh. That means it's giving me assess to know my current condition.

But one thing is certain if I want to live I have to grow stronger, and the only possible way is to kill those damn monsters.

"It said the goblin, right?" I've only heard of those in fairy tails and games.

"But the real thing is disgusting." I couldn't help but remember their disgusting faces and almost puked. I tried to forget their faces and calm myself by thinking of Elena. 

As soon as I remembered her smile while welcoming me, it soothed my heart. But thinking of her also distracted me. So I calmed my throbbing heart and started making plans and strategies.

"Now, how can I kill those disgusting bastards?" The most important question.

'It took me about 35 hits to kill one( Don't forget it wasn't even retaliating).'

'Is it even possible?'

'Hmm' after probing over this matter for some time. I spoke

"Show me, my status board."

'It will work right?'

*Klink!*

'Oh'

***

[ Name- Shin Wolner]

[Age - 20]

[Title - 1st awakened ]

[ Level - 1 ]

[-Stats-]

[STR - 5] 

[AGI - 5] 

[DEX - 5 ]

[Stamina- 5]

[ Bonus stats - 10]

[Special ability - Plunder]

***

"I see. So that means my strength, speed, defense, and stamina are all 5 after leveling up."

'So that means I can use those bonus stats to increase my other stats.' After thinking for a while and imagining all possibilities of danger he might encounter. Shin decided to use his bonus stats.

Now my special ability Plunder. What's its use and how do I activate it? I searched in the manual but there was no explanation regarding my ability. So I decided to leave it for later and figure it out slowly.

//.....a few moments later.//

[STR - 10 ] [ AGI - 10 ] [ Bonus stat - 0]

Currently, more strength and speed were necessary to kill those sturdy goblins. If not, I could very well at least run for my life. Even so, I need to be very careful. Carelessness means certain death here.

After resting for a few more minutes and seeing that the area was clear. Shin decided to move out. Staying in the same place for a longer time isn't a good time.

*Tap! Tap! Tap!*

Shin stepped outside. Due to the announcement, almost all the buildings and houses were barricaded from the inside so there was no option for shin to take shelter anywhere nearby. 

Simon's house might have been an option but for reaching there Shin had to cross the city center and there were a lot of monsters there. Last time he didn't get caught up in it cause there were other people and shin managed to escape somehow without getting noticed.

Walking outside.

Shin moved while taking cover, he cautiously scanned his surroundings for any surprise attacks. While his increased stats he moved nimbly while avoiding any area which might be dangerous.

In his right hand was that very same iron bar covered in the blood of the goblin he killed, a slight confidence can be seen on his face due to recent events. But that smile didn't last long thinking about all those dead bodies and those painful screams of people getting killed. Every scream he heard made his heartache. So Shin was confident but remembering those scenes made him sensible enough to not get ahead of himself while having fear of failure. As constant death is looming over his head.

Which was natural, increasing those numbers didn't mean anything if you were to die. There's only one life. 

"He - help."

Shin heard someone screaming and stopped in his tracks. He nimbly while taking cover moved towards the source of that scream.

'kiek'

'I took a glance. There was a goblin feasting on a dead body. Thankfully it didn't notice me. But now what?' Even though I was it didn't mean I'll be safe for long. The body those monsters would be feasting on might be mine next. The only way to survive is by becoming strong enough.

'Can I kill it?'

'Should I trust that data about stats?'

'Did those numbers mean I have grown stronger?' 

'if isn't that just suicide.'

Those questions started surfacing in his mind.

'HAHAHAHA' 

Slap! 

Shin face palmed himself and consoled his cowering self.

'Idiot what are you thinking, cowering at the decisive moment. Even if I were to turn back now, I would surely die later. If I keep on escaping.'

'But if there's a chance to grow stronger and survive. Then that moment is now.'

After contemplating for a moment Shin decided to go for it and planned a tactic. Which involves the goblin's blind spot and critical hit. As his position was perfect to execute that strategy.

*Dash!!*

With his increased agility Shin dashed at the goblin from behind, and before it notices, shin already thrust the iron bar at his mouth with full force.

'Kie-

*Urghh!*

*Splurrrgg!!*(Blood splashed)

"I won't let you." That goblin tried to strangle Shin, throw him off balance, and finish him. But shin knew what that goblin was planning. So there's no way he would let it be.

Shin jumped on that goblin and kept pressing it down while thrusting that iron bar as deep as he could. 

"Aaaah" while using all his strength in that thrust.

After about a minute of last struggle that goblin finally died.

'haaah'

"I did it."

Klink!

[You have killed a goblin]

[ Plunder activated ]

[ You absorbed 5 stat points ]

"No way." Shin was surprised when Plunder suddenly activated. He was happy to find out the use of his ability.