I sat on the roof of a high building, watching the city below.
The sun was fully up now, but the sky didn't look blue. It looked grey and heavy. Smoke was rising from different parts of the city. People were looting stores, stealing water and food. They knew the world they lived in was gone. They were scared, and scared people are dangerous.
Nero was back to his small size, resting on my lap. He looked like a normal black cat if you didn't see his wings or his four eyes. He was purring, but it sounded like a low-speed engine.
[Current Level: 8] [Exp: 400/1200]
I was strong, but I had a problem. My apartment wasn't safe anymore. In my past life, the first week was full of "Home Invasions." Gangs would go from door to door stealing everything. If I stayed in a normal apartment, I would have to kill humans every day just to get some sleep.
I didn't want to waste my time on trash. I needed a base. A place where I could train, store my items, and let Nero grow without being seen.
I pulled out the Map of the First Wave. I zoomed in on the area near the docks. There was a blinking green icon that most people wouldn't understand.
[Hidden Location: The Iron Bunker.] [Status: Unclaimed.]
In my past life, this bunker was found by the military six months into the apocalypse. It was a pre-war shelter built by a crazy billionaire. It had its own power, water filters, and thick steel walls that could stop a tank. But the best part wasn't the walls. It was the location. It was built right on top of a "Mana Spring."
A Mana Spring is a place where the energy of the Void leaks into our world in a stable way. If I lived there, my energy would refill faster, and Nero would grow twice as quick.
"Nero, we're moving," I said.
I stood up and jumped off the edge of the roof.
I didn't use a parachute. I used Shadow Blink.
I vanished mid-air and appeared on the balcony of a building fifty feet below. I did it again and again, jumping down the side of the skyscraper like a ghost. It was faster than any elevator.
I reached the docks in ten minutes. The area was abandoned. Old shipping containers were piled high, looking like giant metal blocks. The smell of salt and rotting fish was strong.
I followed the map to an old, rusted warehouse that looked like it was about to fall down. Inside, the floor was covered in trash and broken glass. I walked to the very back, where a heavy electrical box was mounted on the wall.
I didn't look for a switch. I used my silver eyes to see the mana flow. Behind the box, there was a hidden keypad.
[Security System Detected.] [Hack possible? (Intelligence too low).]
"I don't need to hack it," I muttered.
I gripped the edge of the electrical box with my bare hand. My strength was Level 8. I pulled.
CREAK. RIP.
The metal bolts snapped like plastic. I ripped the entire box off the wall, revealing a thick steel door behind it. There was no keyhole. It was a biometric lock—it needed a fingerprint from a man who had been dead for ten years.
I looked at the door. "Nero, can you eat this?"
Nero hopped down. He looked at the thick steel and tilted his head. He opened his mouth and breathed out a tiny stream of black fire. The fire didn't burn the metal; it erased it. The steel turned into black smoke and flowed into Nero's mouth.
[Skill Activated: Mana Devour (Object Mode).]
A hole appeared in the door. It was big enough for me to walk through.
Behind the door was a long, clean hallway with white lights. It looked like a secret laboratory from a movie. As I stepped inside, the lights flickered on.
[Ding! You have claimed a Regional Territory: The Iron Bunker.] [Rewards: 200 Exp, Map Update.] [Warning: A 'Guardian' is still active in the lower levels.]
A Guardian. I should have known. A place this good wouldn't be free.
I walked down the hallway, my boots making a soft click on the clean floor. The air here was different. It felt thick and sweet. That was the Mana Spring. Every breath I took felt like drinking cold water on a hot day.
I reached a large circular room. In the center, a robot was standing still. It was ten feet tall, made of polished chrome, and had two glowing blue eyes. It wasn't a monster from the Void. It was a piece of human technology powered by mana.
[Target Spotted: Security Unit Alpha (Level 10).]
The robot's eyes turned from blue to red.
"Unidentified person detected," a cold, female voice said from the walls. "Force is authorized."
The robot raised its arm. The metal shifted, and a heavy machine gun appeared where its hand should be.
"Nero, stay back," I said, pulling out the Shadow-Slaying Blade. "This one is mine."
The robot didn't wait. It started firing.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
The bullets tore through the air. I didn't hide behind a wall. I ran straight at it.
I used Shadow Blink to vanish just as the bullets hit my chest. I appeared three meters to the left. The robot tracked me instantly, its red eyes glowing. It swung its other arm—a massive hydraulic fist—at my head.
I ducked. The fist hit the wall behind me, leaving a huge dent in the reinforced concrete.
I swung my blade at the robot's leg.
CLANG!
The black steel hit the chrome, but it didn't cut through. Sparks flew everywhere. This wasn't soft monster meat; it was high-grade military alloy.
"Okay, so you're tough," I said, jumping back to avoid another punch.
The robot stopped moving for a second. Its chest opened up, revealing a glowing blue core. It was charging a laser.
[Warning: High-Energy Blast in 2... 1...]
This was the same as the boss in the morgue. They always show their weak spot when they use their best move.
I didn't blink. I didn't move. I waited until I saw the blue light gathering into a single point.
"Now."
I didn't use Shadow Blink this time. I used my raw speed. I stepped forward and thrust my sword with both hands. I channeled the 'Heaven-Devouring' energy into the tip of the blade.
The black sword hit the blue core just as the laser fired.
BOOM!
The explosion knocked me back across the room. White smoke filled the air. I coughed, wiping dust from my eyes.
When the smoke cleared, the robot was slumped over. Its red eyes were dark. Its chest was a blackened mess of wires and melted glass.
[Ding! You have defeated Security Unit Alpha!] [Exp +400]
[Ding! Level Up!] [Current Level: 9]
I stood up and brushed the dust off my cloak. I felt a new wave of strength wash over me. I was almost at Level 10. Once I hit Level 10, I could pick my first 'Class.'
The female voice spoke again, but this time it was different.
"New Master recognized. Han Chen. Welcome to the Iron Bunker. Power levels are at 80%. Water and air systems are online."
I looked around the large, empty room. This was it. My kingdom. My fortress.
I walked over to a large computer screen on the wall. It showed the city map. There were thousands of red dots now. The rifts were opening everywhere. The police were failing. The "heroes" were dying.
I looked at Nero, who was exploring a pile of wires in the corner.
"We have everything we need now," I said.
I had the base. I had the gear. I had the dragon. Now, I just needed to wait for the world to fall apart so I could put it back together my way.
I sat down in a large leather chair in front of the screens. For the first time in two lives, I felt like I was winning.
"Computer," I said. "Show me the nearest Level 10 Rift."
The map zoomed in on the City Bank. A huge purple dot was pulsing there.
"Perfect," I whispered. "I need a Class. And that bank has enough mana to give me one."
I closed my eyes for a quick rest. Tomorrow, the world would wake up to a nightmare. But I would wake up to a hunt.