My Unrestrained Lives

Fighting the cat, Ellis felt fortunate that its skill-based attack didn't seem to be something it could use repeatedly or in large amounts. As after some time, he finally found an opening and finished it.

[You have killed Lv.2 Variant Nyxara monster]

[You have earned 30,000 Experience]

[You have reached Level 13]

[All attributes increased by 1]

[You got 5 unassigned points]

[You have killed your first unique creature]

[All attributes increased by 3]

[You are the second one to kill a unique creature in your world]

[All attributes increased by 5]

[You got the "Unique Monster Killer" title]

[Your Basic knife mastery has become Lv.4]

Ellis was exhausted from the battle with the cat, as while it seemed less dangerous than the previous mutant zombie, its one lethal attack kept him on edge, and it ended up taking more time than expected.

Still, as he looked at the flurry of system messages, and feeling his body growing stronger. With this time, even sensing a strange energy that brought a clarity of mind, something he assumed was linked to his innate talent. Along with the notification about his knife mastery skill leveling up, Ellis couldn't help but groan in satisfaction.

Everything about the cat screamed extraordinary, and in the end, it truly was. The amount of experience it granted, more than double that of the Level 14 mutated zombie he had killed before, was yet another clear indicator. 

Ellis couldn't help but feel grateful for his luck that its level was only two. If it had been at the same level as him, he had no doubt the battle would have turned out very differently.

He took a moment to catch his breath, reading through the system messages and checking the details of the title he had just earned. Which, to his disappointment, turned out to be mostly useless, offering only a buff when fighting unique creatures, while also coming with a significant downside, drawing the hostility of such creatures.

After a couple of moments, Ellis decided to dismantle the cat before heading back to his apartment. He hoped to find a magic stone, similar to the one he obtained from the mutated zombie, though he anticipated that one from a unique creature would be far more valuable.

"Found it," after some time, he muttered with satisfaction.

His eyes lit up as he held the stone in his hand. Unlike the white one from the zombie that seemed filled with impurity, this one was a dazzling golden crystal, its appearance radiating a sense of rarity and power. Feeling a surge of joy, Ellis finally left the apartment, his steps light and almost skipping.

Arriving at his apartment, Ellis headed straight to the bathroom, taking a long bath. He felt the need to cherish these small comforts while they lasted, unsure how long he could hold onto such luxuries in this chaotic world. Afterward, he prepared something to eat.

His cooking skills were by no means impressive, but it was enough to fill his stomach. While eating, he checked in on his mother. She reassured him that she was doing fine and even mentioned that his sister was handling the situation surprisingly well, perhaps even better than him, and knowing her, Ellis thought it could really be possible.

After all, he had never won a fight against her before the mana awakening, so what could possibly stop her now?

Reading the messages over and over again, Ellis felt a pang of longing. He missed his clumsy yet caring mother, and he missed his cheerful sister even more. Despite some recent entanglements in their relationships, they remained precious to him, unlike his trash father, after all.

Sitting in the living room, Ellis rested his tired body as his gaze fell on the wall in front of him, its paint peeling and cracked, a reminder of how quickly things could fall apart. While leaning back, he mulled over his next steps, where his next hunting ground should be, whether he should venture farther or stick closer to home. The thought of joining a gathering also crossed his mind.

But suddenly, right in front of him, out of nowhere, a gray light appeared. It started as a tiny point, then expanded slowly, growing larger until it formed a glowing ring. The light shone so brightly that Ellis was forced to shut his eyes, shielding them with his arms as he turned his head away, and tried to make sense of what was happening.

After some time had passed, and the intense light seemed to subside, Ellis cautiously lowered his arm and slowly opened his eyes. But, his vision was still a little blurry, as though a fog still clung to his sight.

When some time passed, and his vision finally seemed to return to normal, he realized his back was drenched in sweat. The thought that, had he not reacted quickly enough, shielding his eyes, he might have gone blind, crossed his mind, after all.

Still, Ellis didn't have much time to heave a sigh of relief. As looking at the place where the light started from, he found a huge gray oval ring glowing.

While he was surprised by the scene, his mind didn't stop racing. He realized that after the mana awakening, the Twilight System, and the people turning into zombies all around, this time it was actually Gates.

Gate… Maybe it wasn't the most accurate word for what he was seeing, but having read some novels, he couldn't express it any other way in the end.