Plundering In The Apocalypse

The Oath.

"What am I seeing? Am I dreaming? Is this humanly possible?" 

Two beautiful emerald-colored eyes widened in shock while observing the scene in front of her. Her mouth was agape. She was in disbelief. She couldn't process the happenings in front of her.

Anna didn't know what to think or feel anymore. Even the sudden appearance of monsters didn't shock her as much, as when she saw Shin's actions with her eyes wide open. She didn't want to miss a single thing. 

The person who was her savior. Whom she thought is going to die surrounded by monsters? Not only did he survive. He was moping the road with them. It was a massacre, and he was the one doing it not the monsters. They were not his match at all.

She couldn't help but feel pathetic. She blamed herself for being weak. If she was that strong. She could have saved someone's life. Instead of being the one getting saved.

Anna saw Shin swinging his iron rod like a blade and defeating them, even with his blunt weapon, the force behind every swing was terrific. Shin dodged the attacks of other goblins while fighting one. Even though his movements were clumsy, his reaction speed was impressive.

'What is he made of?' Anna couldn't help but think Shin was not a normal human. Normal people don't have that kind of power and all the more, not with that type of physique.

While Anna was in her thoughts. Shin narrowly dodged the attack coming from behind. 

He was getting tired of this cat and mouse play. When he was encircled by goblins he swung his iron ride directly aiming at their vital parts. 

Two goblins died but the other four broke the encirclement and started running for their lives. By adding some force to his legs backward, with a single leap, he covered the distance between those escaping goblins and him. 

He thrust his iron rod directly at the goblin's heart which was its core and used his other hand to grab another goblin crushing his neck.

Shin moved towards the other two goblins who made some distance while he was killing the other goblins.

 

Both of them ran in different directions to shake off Shin, from their trail. Unfortunately for them, Shin didn't have any plan to let them go. He threw his Iron rod at one goblin tripping him down and injuring him, while he went to finish off another.

Shin slowly walked towards the last remaining, injured goblin. The goblin was terrified, he started shaking. Shin crouched down, bending his knees while still looking down at that goblin.

Shin had a very cold expression on his face. Remembering all those dead bodies and the brutality of these monsters Shin couldn't control his anger. He just wanted to kill every single one of them. 

Shin's cold eyes directly stared down at the eyes of that terrified goblin. The goblin felt a very oppressive pressure coming from Shin. 

Kiek!!

He just wanted to get a swift death. Bearing this pressure was too much for him. But Shin didn't have any plans to kill him so easily. 

Shin crushed the legs of the terrified goblin. He started wailing in pain. Then Shin started crushing his fingers one by one. The goblin cries were loud enough to burst a normal person's eardrum. 

But Shin didn't care about that. In his mind, there was only one thing. To torture the goblin until it dies. 

The goblin was wailing and begging Shin for a quick death. But Shin didn't stop there. He picked the goblin's fingers one by one. Then he started tearing his limbs.

Even though a goblin is usually very sturdy, their pain tolerance was not enough to handle so much pain.

The cries of the goblin echoed in the whole area but he could only cry, there was no hope for him to get out of this alive. As his comrades are already dead. How lucky they were to die a swift death? 

Seeing the goblin in pain. Shin had a smirk on his face. He wanted to vent his frustrations a little. But he didn't expect his heart to get soothed a little seeing the goblin crying in pain.

Shin felt his previous trauma ease up a little.

Shin focused his gaze on the goblin's body without limbs and black blood coming out from his body. That goblin was still alive on his last breaths and screaming in pain. 

Seeing the scene unfold in front of him. Shin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"HAHAHAHA"

"DID YOU FEEL THAT?"

"NOW, DO YOU GET THE PAIN OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE YOU MONSTERS KILLED?" 

Shin shouted at the top of his lungs, as tears started flowing from his eyes.

Those were tears of grief. The pain Shin felt seeing other people dying and his helplessness at not being able to do anything to save them. He felt guilty and his hate towards these monsters increased.

"You monsters just came out of nowhere and started killing and creating chaos everywhere." 

"WHAT DID WE DO TO YOU GUYS? HUH? WHY DID YOU ALL DO THAT?" 

Shin shouted out loud while looking at the monster. Shin knew he wasn't going to get any answers from the goblin. But he couldn't hold back the pain inside his heart.

"How many lives did you guys take? Was it fun?" 

"If it was, I AM GOING TO KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR KIND AND ENJOY MYSELF. I'll laugh. Be a Maniac, just like you guys. I WILL PLUNDER YOU ALL."

"I'll trample on your bodies and make you all my nutrients for crushing even stronger ones. You monsters will be my stepping stone in my goal of eliminating every single one of you."

Shin shouted at the top of his lungs with different emotions stirring up inside him. He had a hysterical smile on his face but his mystic blue eyes were in grief and sorrow.

Shin soon calmed himself down. He closed his face near the goblin and directly stared at his terrified eyes. He opened his mouth and said.

"You can die now. I'll soon be sending all your friends to the afterlife. Don't worry, I won't make you wait long. I'm a good fella." Saying that shin smashed his fist at the goblin's disgusting face. His head exploded into pieces.

Haah!

Seeing his hand, Shin sighed.

"I shouldn't have used my hand. Now it's too dirty. It feels gross."

Klink!

[ You have killed 6 goblins ]

[ You have gained a new title 'Maniac' ]

[ Plunder activated ]

[ You absorbed 8 stat points ]

[ You have gained 2 stat points due to your title effect ]

"Hm?" Shin read the messages very carefully as his brows knit together and his eyes focused on the title given to him.

"Haha." Shin facepalmed himself and laughed.

"Now, I'm even titled as a Maniac. I don't believe my actions were wrong. This is the reality now and I have to accept it. Even if I am called a Maniac. I'll not change my goal." Shin's resolve was firm. He had made an oath, which he must fulfill no matter the cost. His goal of killing all these monsters.

"Status board," Shin spoke expressionlessly. Even after getting the title Maniac, he wasn't mad about it. As he knew he was turning into one. If not yet he will soon be.

Klink!!

***

Shin's status:-

[ Name- Shin Wolner]

[Age - 20]

[Title - 1st awakened, Maniac ]

[ Level - 1 ]

[-Stats-]

[STR - 22] 

[AGI - 18] 

[DEX - 5 ]

[Stamina - 5]

[ Bonus stats - 10]

[Special ability - Plunder]

***

Shin started checking the manual for information regarding his titles.

"Oh, here it is."

{ Titles }

[ 1st awakened - Information locked ]

"Well, that's a shame. But I expected that. Things just don't go the way I want." Shin shook his head and started looking at the new information added to the manual.

[ Maniac - The title is given to a psychopath who enjoys torturing enemies and playing with their emotions. Further Information is locked.

Effects: Torturing enemies before death gives a bonus in loots. Enemies' mental condition before death is proportional to bonus loot received.]

Shin read the information very carefully.

"This title compliments my plunder skill very well. If I terrorize my enemy before killing them. I can get more benefits." Shin suddenly went into deep thought.

"But I am not good at intimidating someone easily. This time it only worked because I was mad." Shin thought to himself. Unaware of the changes in his aura and his devilish grin, which is enough to scare monsters and activate the effects of Maniac.

"Well let's think about that later." He decided to increase his stats first. Shin quickly used his 8 stat points on strength and agility.    

[STR - 26] [AGI - 22] [ Bonus stats - 2]

Shin felt the familiar feeling of a surge in power inside his body. His muscles getting more defined and tightened. His body also felt lighter. Shin decided to use his other two stats on stamina. With that, he could fight for a longer period without getting tired.   

[Stamina - 7][ Bonus stats - 0]

His body felt refreshed. That feeling was similar to all your fatigue getting disappeared after a long night's rest. This feeling was very good.

"She should be fine hiding there. I should better check if there are any other monsters left here." Shin spoke as he thought of Anna. He left that area for killing any other monsters nearby.

...

On the rooftop of a departmental store. A beautiful girl with blonde hair and green emerald eyes could be seen standing while looking in a certain direction. 

She looked like a beautiful art of sculpture or a beautiful mannequin set up by the departmental store on their rooftop.

(Wait? why would they set up a mannequin on their rooftop? Well, it was just an example.)

Her beauty aside. Anna was frozen in her spot. The scene she saw unfolding in the far distance, gave her goosebumps. When she saw Shin killing those monsters, she was surprised at his strength. But when he went to kill the last goblin his emotion burst out.

 

Seeing him torturing the goblin while crushing his legs and fingers. Anna couldn't help but mutter.

"That was brutal."

Even though she knew, she knew there shouldn't be any sympathy for those monsters. Hearing the goblin's painful cries, Anna felt wrong. She thought

'Is this okay? Couldn't there have been a better way to do it?'

But soon she heard a burst of maniacal laughter, snapping her out of her thoughts. Seeing Shin's change in personality she felt goosebumps. She couldn't believe the person in front of her, was her savior.

The person who shuttered while talking to her with a blush on his face. Now had a hysterical smile on his face and looked like a psychopath. 

She was stunned. But when she heard Shin's loud voice echo and the pain behind his words. She understood how much he had been suffering inside as she can relate very well.

Hearing his words and remembering the brutality of those monsters. She felt stupid for pitying those monsters. How could she forget the pain and suffering they caused? 

When she heard Shin making an oath with the determination and resolve behind his words. Anna felt something inside her awaken. She wanted to do the same. She wanted to bring justice to all those who had died and the ones still dying somewhere by their hands.

She also resolved herself to do the same and kill those monsters for their unforgivable acts.  Suddenly a golden light covered her body and she started shining. 

"Wha-what's going on?" Anna was confused. Then she saw a translucent golden screen floating in front of her. She couldn't believe her eyes as she rubbed them to check if she was seeing them wrong. There was a message written on that screen with a golden shine.

{Congratulations you have awakened.}

...

After leaving the area Shin killed 2 more goblins and gained 2 stat points. But after that, he stopped getting stat points no matter how many goblins he kill. 

Shin understood that now he need to fight stronger monsters to use plunder on them. But even so, he decided to kill the remaining goblins or at least lessen the numbers as much as he can.

After killing many goblins he saw a new type of monster. It looked like a corpse with brown skin, his facial features were indescribable. It had a wide mouth with sharp teeth. 

Shin was a little worried as he didn't have much information about this monster but he decided to go for the kill. 

 Shin decided to chop off his head but he missed and the attack landed on the monster's chest. Shin had to back off a little to regain his stance and soon attacked it head-on. 

After some clashes, the monster was finally dealt with. 

"Huu, now let's see what kind of monster is that." Soon a familiar sound rang and a blue-colored floating screen with some messages appeared in front of him. 

[You have killed a Corpse eater.]

[You have leveled up.]

[ +10 Bonus stats for leveling up.]

[Plunder activated]

[You have absorbed 5 stat points.]

_________________________________

Shin's status:-

[ Name- Shin Wolner ]

[Age - 20]

[ Title - 1st awakened, Maniac ]

[ Level - 2 ]

[-Stats-]

[STR - 26] 

[AGI - 22] 

[DEX - 5 ]

[Stamina - 7]

[ Bonus stats - 17 ]

[Special ability - Plunder]

_________________________________