Kade moved with deliberate steps, staying close to the shadows as he approached the apartment building. It was tall—ten stories, at least. Shattered windows gaped open like wounds, and the entrance bore signs of struggle: bloodstains smeared across the walls, a few scattered belongings abandoned on the pavement.
But no bodies.
That wasn't a good sign.
He crouched low, scanned the area, then slipped through a partially open door. The hallway was dim, lit only by flickering ceiling lights. The air was thick with the faint stench of rot—old, not recent.
Kade kept his Eclipse Twin Blades at the ready, his grip calm and steady.
The lobby was silent. Furniture was overturned, the front desk deserted, and papers drifted lazily across the floor in the still air.
He moved quietly, ears tuned for movement.
Then—scratching. Faint, distant, coming from one of the nearby apartments.
His jaw tightened. He needed to clear the building before heading to the rooftop. Anything lurking behind him could get the jump while he slept.
He crept toward the source of the noise, pressed himself against the wall beside the door, and listened.
The scratching stopped.
Then came a low, guttural growl.
Kade didn't hesitate. He kicked the door open.
Inside, the apartment was wrecked. Furniture overturned, deep claw marks gouged into the walls, and near the broken television, a creature hunched over something unrecognizable.
It was humanoid—barely. Gray, peeling skin stretched over a twisted spine that jutted through torn flesh.
Its head snapped up.
Red, hollow eyes locked onto him.
Then it shrieked.
Kade lunged.
The creature scrambled on all fours with terrifying speed, claws screeching across the floor.
But Kade was faster.
He ducked the lunge, pivoted, and slashed his right blade across its chest. The left blade stabbed into its extended arm, severing it at the elbow.
The creature shrieked in agony as black blood sprayed across the floor.
Kade pressed forward. Both blades spun in a deadly arc—one slicing its throat, the other plunging into its skull.
Its glowing eyes flickered out.
> [You have defeated a Low-Tier Aberration.]
[+200 XP]
The body hit the floor with a heavy thud.
Kade pulled his blades free and exhaled. No trembling. His body was adapting.
He knelt, flipping the corpse. A faint glow pulsed from its chest.
> [Aether Crystal (Common) ×1 obtained.]
He pocketed the dull blue shard and stood, scanning the ruined apartment. The kitchen had been ransacked. The fridge hung open, filled with rotting sludge. Nothing usable remained.
Kade left, closing the door behind him.
This building wasn't empty.
He had to move fast.
He climbed the stairs, avoiding the elevator completely. Even if it worked, it was a coffin waiting to happen.
He moved quickly, blades ready.
> [Aether Crystal (Common) ×2 obtained.]
The passive effect of his second skill—Reward Enhancement—was clearly active.
Another monster lunged from a hallway. Kade ducked, slashed through its ribs, and drove a blade through its skull.
> [Aether Crystal (Common) ×2 obtained.]
Snarls echoed from above. Two more came as he reached the next floor.
The first leapt from the railing. Kade twisted mid-step, impaled it through the back, then slit its throat.
The second came head-on.
This time, he didn't dodge.
He parried the claws with his left blade, then rammed the right into the creature's chest.
Both bodies collapsed, unmoving.
> [Aether Crystals (Common) ×4 obtained.]
Breathing steady, Kade kept climbing.
The tenth floor was quiet. The air felt lighter.
He moved fast, clearing rooms.
Then—finally—he found it.
A penthouse. Intact.
Furniture covered in dust but untouched. A glass balcony door led to the rooftop.
Kade stepped out into the open air.
The view stretched far and wide—broken buildings, burning wreckage, the flicker of monsters below, and the eerie glow of the distant dungeon gate.
This would do.
He slumped onto a dusty couch and opened his Status Screen.
---
[Status Screen]
Name: Kade Voss
Level: 4 [200/800 XP]
Rank: Unranked
Stats:
Strength: 23
Agility: 24
Endurance: 20
Aether Energy:16
Luck: 19
Free Stat Points: 10
Skills:
• Unique Skill – Eclipse Twin Blades
• Unique Skill – Reward Enhancement
Inventory:
• Aether Crystals (Common) ×20
• Aether Crystals (Uncommon) ×3
• Assorted food items
• Basic supplies
---
Kade leaned back, eyes scanning the interface.
This was the first real moment of rest he'd had since everything began.
"It all feels like a game," he muttered, chewing on a protein bar from his inventory.
His gaze fell on the 'Rank: Unranked' line.
Then he frowned.
"Where the hell am I?"
Nothing about this city looked familiar. Kade had been a shut-in, sure—but even he knew his old neighborhood well enough.
That meant he was either in a completely different part of the city… or somewhere else entirely.
"Dragged across the city in the middle of the apocalypse?" he muttered. "Or maybe I'm not even in the same city anymore."
He shook his head. No answers. Not yet.
He pulled out one of the Aether Crystals and held it up.
It glowed faintly, pulsing like a weak heartbeat.
"What are you supposed to be?" he murmured, turning it over in his hand.
Suddenly, a notification blinked into view.
---
> [Do you want to use Aether Crystals to upgrade your Rank?]
---
Kade's eyes narrowed.
"Rank, huh?"
He remembered the 'Unranked' tag. If this was like the games he used to play… then ranking up meant unlocking more power.
He nodded. "Yes."
The crystal in his hand dissolved into blue light, which was immediately absorbed into his body. A warm sensation spread through his limbs.
Another message appeared.
---
> [Rank: Unranked (1/100)]
---
"One point? Seriously?"
Kade sighed and checked his inventory. He still had plenty of crystals left—but it was clear that ranking up wasn't going to be easy.
He tossed the crystal back into his inventory.
Still, it was progress. A confirmation.
These weren't just shiny rocks. They were the key to growth.
What would a higher Rank unlock? New powers? New skills?
Only one way to find out.
But for now… he needed sleep.
He leaned back, hand resting on the hilt of his Eclipse Twin Blades. The ruined skyline stretched endlessly before him.
The world was broken.
But Kade was still standing.
And he wasn't done yet.
---