Chapter 4- Gravity Manipulation
The other two runes seemed to be 'Skill Runes' as the system said so they weren't items or weapons. Rein could guess what skills mean based on his video game knowledge and how similar this system is to games, functionally and even visually. However, he was still curious what kind of abilities he would be granted.
Grabbing the first stone, he checked it.
[Name: One-Man Army]
[Rank: B]
[Type: Passive]
[Level: 1]
[Description: Against hordes of enemies, your powers thrive, and your strength shines. Against 4 or more targets, each kill grants you +1% in all your stats. Could be stacked up to 30% within 5 minutes.]
"Oh! Wow, that is quite strong." Rein raised an eyebrow. 'An ability that makes me grow stronger with every kill? It would be crucial to face multiple enemies.'
With his current knowledge of the situation, Rein expected that he would come across many Undead when he reached the city, so this was exactly what he needed to face them. While his strength was already incredible, he was far from strong enough to face these monsters just like that.
[Would you like to learn the skill]
"Yes." Rein said and almost instantly, he got a weird feeling invading his head out of nowhere. He felt new knowledge enter his mind, being crammed in there rather forcefully. He frowned subtly at the feeling before he looked up, it had already disappeared the next second.
However, what it left behind was mystical, to say the least. Rein suddenly could understand everything about the skill, how it works, and what to expect. Everything has been planted into his head seemingly out of thin air.
If earlier he had any doubts, then now it was confirmed.
'This system has full access to my body and could control it however it wish.' He frowned. 'How it was able to make me stronger and grant me this knowledge. I don't know if I like the idea of a foreign entity having this much control over me.'
He felt a cold sensation in his heart. So far, this system was seemingly helping him, but the question was, why was it helping him? And even more than that, would that be the case forever or would that change at some point?
These questions needed answers, and Rein knew it wouldn't be simple to find them. However, it had merely been 20 minutes since all of this started, so he still had a long way ahead of him.
"Ok, really good so far." He muttered. "What about the other one?"
Rein looked at the second stone, ready to check it. However, at that point, out of nowhere, the rune started shining vibrantly with a purple color. He squinted his eyes as he waited for the light to disperse.
When it did, he opened his eyes to something that made his eyes widen visibly.
[Name: Gravity Manipulation]
[Rank: SSS+]
[Type: Active]
[Level: 1]
[Description: The master of all that moves and the monarch of all that exists. Your hand controls the very power that keeps order. You are able to manipulate objects or ones self through gravity. Requires Essence to activate and maintain.]
"Oh… Gravity Manipulation?" He raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit too strong? Manipulating something like that is…"
Rein didn't even need to imagine it. Gravity was one of the strongest forces in the world, and controlling it was simply unimaginable. It was terrifying, to say the least.
He sucked a small breath before he looked down. 'Its rank is SSS+, which should be an indication of how utterly strong this is. I'm really lucky.'
[Would you like to learn this Skill?]
"Yes."
In the same fashion, the knowledge was struck into his head the moment he accepted. However, this time, there was way more information. Since this was an active ability, Rein had to learn how to use, its limits, and what it can do.
After a few seconds, he regained his composure and he could only look down as a faint smile appeared on his face.
'This is ridiculous. I gained such a powerful ability.' He licked his lips. "It's not a bad day for Lady Luck."
Knowing the kind of power he gained, Rein felt even more confident to face whatever was waiting for him back in the city.
[Check your profile for more information.]
"Profile?" Rein asked as he saw the notification. Then, the panel appeared out of thin air.
[Name: Rein Silversoul]
[Age: 23]
[Level: 2 (1/20)]
[Race: Human]
[State: Awakened]
[Titles: None]
[Skills: Gravity Manipulation (Level 1) / One-Man Army (Level 1)]
[Stats: (Avg: 10)
Strength: 16
Agility: 17
Stamina: 17
Intelligence: 32
Charisma: 35
Life Essence: 122
Regeneration: 14]
[Free Points: 3]
The panel was, as he expected, very much that of a game character. It gave him general information about himself in a readable form for easier access.
"Awakened, huh? Is that what happened to me? I awakened." He asked himself. "I wonder if I'm an exception or if every person who kills these Undead would be granted this power."
Rein was leaning toward the second option, purely because it would make much more sense.
"Then, hmm, my stats. If the average is 10, then they're all somewhat reasonable except for… Life Essence? Ah, that's the energy that I would use to manifest my abilities. Why do I have so much of it, though? I have almost 11x more than average."
Rubbing the back of his head, Rein stared at the screen silently. He didn't know if that was a coincidence or not, but he seemed to have a lot of Essence in his body.
'No complaints, I guess. I would assume I need more of it anyway.' He shrugged. 'As for the free points. I won't allocate them for now. I don't know what I will need in the future.'
With that done and after making sure he checked everything, Rein looked up as he put his hand against his ear. However, he realized that the earpiece had broken, and he couldn't contact Violet.
'It must've broken on impact. Great.'
Shaking his head, he scanned his surroundings. The car has been completely destroyed and so he couldn't use it anymore. He was miles away from the city, so he had to walk until he found another car.
'I can't waste more time. I should find a vehicle as I get close to the city.'
With that, and no time to waste, Rein picked up his bags and other stuff from the car and started moving toward the city on foot. He jogged at a moderate pace to preserve his energy.
'If I'm accurate, I should be there in less than an hour.'
***
Meanwhile, miles away, in the city of Karyan. The chaos had already completely taken over. The Undead had spread like wildfire. Many people were bitten or eaten, and those who suffered that fate ended up turning into the same monsters.
The number increased exponentially in less than an hour.
"STAY BACK!!"
*BANG* *BANG*
"Raaaa!!!"
"Nooo! Stay away! I said stay away!!"
The police forces tried to resist the situation, but the chaos was simply far too big and too vast to contain. Their guns didn't seem to work against these monsters. The corpses started piling up across the streets as rivers of blood seeped into the asphalt.
"Mom… I want my mom…"
Those who survived ran for their lives, trying to escape this hell. Nobody knew what was happening as they all left everything behind. The cars tried to leave the city immediately, which created a massive traffic jam on many streets.
"Move!!! Move your damn car!!"
"Shut up!"
Many people were yelling at one another as they tried to find a way out before they get eaten alive.
Meanwhile, the Undead advanced in every direction, eating and destroying everything in their way.
"No! Emily! Nooooo!!" The sounds of crying and despair filled the world. This happy city had turned into a hell on earth in a matter of minutes. Nobody truly understood what was even happening.
"This is the doom's day, people. It is the Lord's anger falling upon us! It is the end for all of us!"
"..."
"What are we going to do, Mom?" A boy asked his mom as he watched the world end before his eyes from the window of his house.
"..." His mother looked at him and then at the sky. "Help will come, sweetie. Help will come."