The night air was thick with smoke and the lingering scent of burning exoskeleton as Jason stepped out from the flaming wreckage of the science building. His body ached from exhaustion, his limbs heavy from overuse, but his mind remained sharp. He studied the bloodstained sword in his grip, its edge dulled but still functional. The parchment in his other hand flickered with a faint glow before fading into him, the system absorbing it.

  [Iron Sword] (Dropped from Level 10 Ant)

  +8 Strength (A low-grade blade, slightly dulled but still reliable.)

  [Skill Slot 2: Overdrive (Lv.1)]

  Effect: Converts one point of Endurance into Strength or Agility (1:1 Ratio) for up to 30 seconds.

  Jason exhaled, feeling the influx of new power coursing through his body. He had grown stronger, but it came at a cost. His stamina was nearly depleted, and he needed shelter before the night was over.

  Name: Jason Cole

  Level: 12

  Health: 29

  Agility: 24

  Endurance: 5/27

  Strength: 25

  Mana: 29

  Unassigned Stats: 22

  "I'm getting stronger, but if I collapse from exhaustion, none of it will matter," he muttered. His eyes flickered toward his mini-map, locking onto a cluster of green dots near the gymnasium. Survivors. He adjusted his grip on the sword and started toward the building. When he arrived, the gymnasium's glass panes had been hastily boarded up, and makeshift barricades lined the entrance. People had turned it into a shelter. Just as he approached, a flashlight beam cut through the darkness, blinding him momentarily.

  "Hey, I’m Luke," a voice called from above. Jason squinted up at the source of the light, finding a blonde-haired young man, maybe three years older than him, watching him carefully. "If you don’t already know me, I’m the student president of the university. We’ve set up a temporary shelter inside. Limited food, but if you need a place to stay, you’re welcome to join us." Jason hesitated before responding. "Sure, I’ll take a look."

  Luke raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the lack of desperation in Jason’s voice. Most people who had arrived here had been scared, clinging to any semblance of safety. But Jason? He was too calm. Too detached. He wasn’t like the others. Stepping inside, Jason felt dozens of weary eyes flicker toward him. Survivors huddled in groups, speaking in hushed tones. Some of them glanced at the blood on his clothes, at the weapons he carried, but after a moment, they returned to what they were doing. They were too numb, too tired to care.

  "Follow me," Luke said, leading him through the gym toward a back room. Inside, three people were arguing over a small pile of food rations. "We have to start kicking people out," a red-haired guy snapped. "There’s not enough for all of us."

  "Or we raid the minimarts," a black-haired girl countered. "That’ll buy us some time." Luke knocked on the doorframe before stepping in. "Hey guys, we’ve got someone new."

  The three stopped bickering long enough to turn their attention toward Jason. "This is Jason," Luke introduced. "He just arrived, but based on the blood on him…" His eyes flickered to Jason’s still-wet sleeves. "He’s definitely fought before. And recently."

  "Do you have any abilities?" the black-haired girl asked. Jason met her gaze but didn’t answer. He wasn’t about to reveal his hand.

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  The girl smiled. "Sorry, how rude of me. I’m Emma, a final-year student and one of the university’s student ambassadors." She folded her arms. "I’m level 5, and my ability is Charm." She winked at him playfully before motioning to the red-haired guy. "That’s Ryan, level 6, Fire Blast."

  "Sup," Ryan muttered, arms crossed.

  "You’ve met Luke. His ability is Swift Stride it boosts agility.

  And this is Hannah." Emma gestured to the last girl, who had been quietly observing Jason. "She has a healing ability. It’s kept us alive more than once."

  Jason nodded slightly. "We were originally having a meeting with the other student ambassadors when spiders attacked us," Emma continued. "We fought them off, leveled up, and then gathered students here. But now we’re running out of food, and if we don’t do something soon, things will get ugly."

  "So now that we’ve told you about us, why don’t you tell us about yourself?" she asked.

  Jason shrugged. "Level 4. I have an ability called Strengthen. Increases my power, similar to Luke’s." The lie came effortlessly. No way was he revealing the truth. Emma nodded. "That’s useful. You could do some real good here." Jason’s expression darkened. "I’m not sure I want to be stuck with people who are too scared to fight, relying on you guys to feed them." Ryan’s eyes flared with irritation. "You don’t know what it’s like"

  Jason cut him off. "I do. And that’s why I don’t want to waste my time on them." Luke exhaled. "Look, if you stay, you help. Simple as that."

  "Then I’ll find someplace else," Jason replied, turning toward the door. Ryan clenched his fists. "Fine. But don’t come crawling back when you’re starving." Emma sighed, stepping forward. "Won’t you reconsider?" Her voice softened unnaturally. A subtle warmth seeped into Jason’s mind, urging him to say yes.

  His muscles tensed. Charm. Jason’s mind resisted instinctively, his willpower surging. This wasn’t like the Queen Ant’s psychic control this was weaker, more of a push than an override. Compared to that? Emma’s ability was nothing. His expression turned cold. "No thanks." Emma flinched, surprised that her ability hadn’t worked. Without another word, Jason stepped into the night, heading toward the minimart for supplies. But as he neared, he froze. A red dot.

  It was moving fast straight toward the gymnasium. "Shit." Jason sprinted, intercepting the incoming threat two hundred meters from the entrance. The air vibrated with a deep, bone-rattling buzz. Then he saw it. A wasp. Two meters tall, black and yellow, its stinger dripping with venom.

  [Level 14: Elite Wasp]

  The monster shrieked, locking onto him immediately. Jason drew his blade. The wasp fired acidic pellets from its stinger, sizzling against the pavement as he dodged. He needed to get it grounded. Jason sprinted toward the library, weaving between parked cars as acid rained around him. The moment he got inside, he pressed against a bookshelf, controlling his breathing. The wasp blasted through the entrance, searching. Its red eyes glowed with hunger. It screeched, spraying acid in every direction, melting bookshelves. Jason stayed still until the shelf beside him collapsed. He was exposed.

  Jason activated Exoskeleton, feeling his body harden, his muscles surge. He dumped his unassigned points into Agility and Mana.

  [Health: 35]

  [Agility: 36]

  [Endurance: 27]

  [Strength: 30]

  [Mana: 34/39]

  The wasp lunged. Jason sidestepped, his enhanced speed barely keeping up. He spotted a single weak point at the base of its stinger. One shot. That’s all he needed. He lunged, but the wasp was faster, countering with a flurry of stinger strikes. Jason deflected as best he could, but some scraped through. Pain erupted as acid splattered across his back. Ten seconds left before his mana ran out.

  "Overclock." His body burned as his last points of Endurance converted to Agility. The wasp lunged at Jason but he moved first. His sword finding its mark. The wasp shrieked, wings sputtering. Jason didn’t stop. He slashed through its thorax, green blood spraying everywhere. The wasp countered, its broken stinger piercing his left arm. Jason gritted his teeth. He ignored the pain. One last swing. His blade decapitating it. The corpse came crashing to the floor. Jason staggered his vision blurring.

  Poison. Exhaustion. Mana depletion. He collapsed.