Level-Up Apocalypse

Under the bright moonlight, Vincent walked down the street, tightly holding the knife as he moved towards the city outskirts.

The zombies didn't rest even at night and moved around mindlessly, but they didn't detect him. As if he didn't even exist. 

The numbness of the deep cut on his palm slowly faded away, and a piercing and burning sensation attacked him. Hot, violet blood dripped on the ground, forming a track behind him. 

But Vincent gritted his teeth and walked forward. Though it hurt, he enjoyed the pain. Not because it felt good, but because he knew with the scar it would leave, he would never forget his sin.

As he walked, he slowly started coming across standing buildings, barely a push away from collapsing. 

Vincent didn't want to risk it and continued walking until he came across a slightly sturdier building. 

Carefully, he entered inside and searched for a first aid kit. To his luck, the house had one. But it was a used first aid kit. The only things useful for his situation were the bandages and the antibiotic pills, but nothing to clear the wound. 

Vincent popped two pills and swallowed them. Then, he wrapped the wound with the bandages and left the house. He took the remaining bandages and pills with himself. 

He continued walking down the street, searching for a surviving store.

He walked carefully, on guard for monsters. But with the zombies around, he felt as if it was safer to walk around. 

Unlike before, when the screams of humans and roars of monsters were common throughout the night, they seldom appeared now. 

The remaining humans had learned to live in the harsh conditions and avoid the monsters.

[Ding]

[The zombie virus spreads. Successfully infected 2000 beings]

[You received: 2 attribute points]

Vincent's eyes widened. His whole body shook. 

'It hasn't even been two hours since the last notification. In such a short time, 500 more people got infected?' 

The guilt returned, and the weight on his shoulders increased, but now that he had decided to move forward, he couldn't stop.

He thought of allocating the points.

[Mana: 30]

Immediately, his mana stat increased. 

'One point equals to 10 mana,' Vincent thought. 'I still can't form a contract. I need one more attribute point.'

He didn't stop moving and continued walking.

...

It didn't take long, Vincent came across a store. The walls had cracks, and the roof was half sunken, but it still stood. 

Moonlight entered through the broken glass door, but it couldn't light the whole insides of the store. 

Vincent tightly clenched the knife and slowly walked to the store. His heartbeat increased, and adrenaline rushed through his body. He has raised his guard to the maximum. 

After all, the memory of what happened last time when he recklessly wanted to enter a store was fresh in his mind. He would never repeat the same mistake.

Swoosh!

Vincent suddenly jumped back. 

Swoosh!

Simultaneously, the hairless, dark purple monster hound leaped from inside the store. 

Thud! 

Vincent landed back on the ground and further increased the distance. 

The hound landed on the ground as well.

For a moment, they stood facing each other, no one moving a muscle. 

The hound had its red predator eyes locked on Vincent, waiting for even the slightest weakness to attack. 

A storm of thoughts raged in Vincent's mind as he analyzed. 

'It's so different than before.' He thought. 'Now, even with my improved hearing and eyesight, I couldn't detect it. Luckily, it couldn't hide the rotten stench from its mouth. I barely detected it at the last second,'

'But now seems like a good opportunity to use my skill.'

Vincent furrowed his brows as he willed in his mind. 'Probe!'

Almost instantly, the bluish status window popped up before his eyes. But he felt something leave his body, as if he was not whole.

But at the moment, Vincent had no time to care about it.

[Status Window]

[Race: Demon (Lowest-grade)]

[Srenght: 9]

[Stamina: 12]

[Agility: 11]

[Perception: 13]

'Its stats are higher than mine,' Vincent gritted his teeth. This information didn't help him much. It only decreased his morale.

Swoosh!

They didn't face off for too long. 

The demon hound leapt at Vincent.

Swoosh!

Vincent quickly jumped to the side, barely dodging the sharp fangs of the hound. 

Swoosh! Swoosh!

He stormed, running away, the demon hound chasing after him. 

'What do I do,' Adrenaline rushed through his veins. He glanced back at the demon hound. It was slowly closing in. 'It's stats are higher than mine. I can't escape...How can I win? What are my advantages...Think! Think!'

Vincent tightly clenched his fists, not daring to let go of his knife, his only weapon.

"Agh..." A sharp pain rushed through his hand as he clenched his injured palm. 

'That's right!' His eyes widened in realization. 

Swosh!

He quickly cut the bandages with the knife. 

As the tightly wrapped bandages fell off and the wound opened, it started bleeding again.

Vincent grabbed the blade of the knife, smearing it with fresh blood.

Thud!

He suddenly stopped, turning behind. 

The demon was almost upon him. It leaped.

Vincent swung his hand, splashing droplets of blood at the incoming demon, and immediately jumped to the side, dodging.

Clack!

The sharp teeth of the demon bit the air where Vincent just stood.

Swoosh!

Vincent immediately dashed at the demon hound. 

But the speed of the hound was beyond his expectations. It turned and leaped at him. 

Vincent couldn't change direction and dodge on time. He was on for a head-on confrontation.

'Damn! There is no other way!' He gritted his teeth, bracing.

He put up his left forearm before his body. 

Grrrr!

Shluck!

The demon reached Vincent's forearm, biting on it. 

Simultaneously, Vincent swung the knife at the demon's neck, piercing in. 

But instead of letting go, the demon bit harder. Its teeth reached Vincent's bone. 

"AGHHHHH!" Vincent roared in pain, his violet blood dripping down. 

"Damn, bastard! Just die already!!" 

Shluck! Shluck!

He repeatedly stabbed the demon hound in the neck, but it bled far less comparable to him. 

But slowly, the bite force on Vincent's forearm lessened. 

"Finally...It started taking effect..." Vincent muttered, bearing the immense pain. 

Soon, the demon hound let go of Vincent's forearm. 

It took a step back. 

Thud!

Its body swayed, and it collapsed to the ground. 

"Did you think nothing would happen if you consumed so much of my blood?" Vincent forced a smile. "Just go and die."

Clang!

He threw the knife.

Holding his bloody hand, he walked inside the store, leaving the demon hound to die in agony.

Immediately, Vincent searched for first aid kits. It didn't take him long to find the aid kits, and taking a few bottles of whiskey, he sat on the ground. 

Pop! Splash! 

Popping the cap out with his teeth, he started pouring the alcohol on his arm. 

"AGHHHH!" His eyes widened in pain, almost popping out of his sockets. He took in sharp breaths as he battled the pain of the wounds and the stinging the alcohol caused. 

Saying he was in agony might be understatement to the pain.

Still, in the time since the towers descended, how much pain did he have to endure? He endured this as well.

When he washed the wounds, he wrapped his arm in bandages, tightly tying them to stop the bleeding.

'How did Marin even battle a demon like this? He even killed it?' Vincent couldn't help but compare himself. 'Was his ability that strong? Or does one's body also get stronger when he awakens?'

[Ding!]

[You killed a lowest-grade demon]

[You received: 68 Exp]

[The demon surpassed you in strength]

[You receive an additional 30 Exp]

'Damn!' Vincent slowly stood up, looking at his bandaged arm. 

The white bandages slowly turned violet, about to get soaked in blood.

'The wounds won't stop bleeding.' He walked to the shelves and grabbed whatever food he could. Chocolate bars, chips, meat in the fridge that hasn't turned bad.

He quickly satisfied his hunger and swallowed several pain relief pills.

Then, he walked outside.

The moment he stepped outside, his eyes widened for a second. 

The demon hound has disappeared from the spot where it fell. 

Under the moonlight, he could see its figure mindlessly walking the street, towards the center of the city.

'Damn!' Vincent gritted his teeth in anger. 'Status window.'

[Name: Vincent]

[Race: Human (Carrier of the zombie virus)]

[Level 1] - [Exp: 98/100]

[Stats:]

[Strength: 8]

[Stamina: 8]

[Agility:8]

[Perception: 8]

[Mana: 24/30]

[Skills: (Contract) ; (Command) ; (Probe)]

'I don't have enough mana to use my skill, Contract,' Vincent stared at the zombified demon hound with regret. 'It would be good if I can contract it. It is strong.'

He paused his thoughts for a second, battling a though that slowly made its way to the front of his mind.

Just the thought made Vincent grit his teeth in anger.

'I can't believe I'm saying this, but as the zombie virus spreads, I will gain attribute points. It is only a matter of time.' He glanced at his injured arm once again. 'But my wound won't close with just a bandage. I need to sew them. I need to go to the hospital.'

'If I go, I'll lose the demon hound. But If I don't, I'll lose my arm and possibly bleed out.'