A week had passed since I took the medicine and fainted—or rather, since the apocalypse descended on that very same day.
The days that followed were spent testing the limits of my newly awakened skill—[SleepBond Spell]—and uncovering the true depth of its power.
I had experimented with various Dormant-rank monsters—zombies, goblins, and snickers—all of which rewarded me with 50 Coins and 50 EXP upon defeat. Only a hundred EXP left before I reached Level 1.
Among them, the snickers were the most unsettling. Small, rabbit-like creatures barely a foot in size, they had black, soulless eyes and a single sharp horn protruding from their heads. But their real danger wasn't in their appearance—it was in their deadly stinger, attached where a tail should have been.
That stinger was a natural projectile weapon, and those little bastards could launch it at terrifying speeds.
I had barely avoided being impaled during my first encounter. Had it struck me, I wasn't sure I would've survived.
Fortunately, I discovered a crucial flaw in their biology: once a snicker fired its stinger, it needed time to regrow a new one.
And I had no intention of giving them that chance.
The moment their initial attack missed, they would try to flee.
"Not so fast," I muttered, smirking before uttering a single word.
"Sleep."
Mid-leap, the snickers collapsed, slamming into the ground in unconscious heaps.
Through relentless testing, I uncovered two critical conditions for my [SleepBond Spell] to take effect:
1. The target had to hear my voice. If they were deaf or out of range, the spell would fail.
2. The target had to be within my line of sight. If I couldn't see them, the spell wouldn't activate.
The realization sent a cold shiver down my spine.
"If I ever encounter an enemy or monster that's deaf…" The thought unsettled me. My fists clenched involuntarily.
An adversary immune to my most powerful ability simply because they couldn't hear me? That was a terrifying possibility.
For the first time, I found myself praying—praying that in this new era of chaos, there wouldn't be beings cruelly afflicted with such a disability.
At least there was some good news: I could use my [SleepBond Spell] multiple times as long as I didn't target more than five beings at once.
But that wasn't my only discovery.
Every time I woke from a deep, satisfying sleep, a system message greeted me:
[Slumber's Blessing: You have taken a satisfying nap. +1 to a random stat.]
This was my passive skill—[Slumber's Blessing].
Description: Every fulfilling nap grants +1 to a random stat, allowing continuous growth through rest.
Condition: The user must experience a truly fulfilling sleep.
I experimented to understand its mechanics. Sleeping for one or two hours had no effect. However, if I allowed myself to sleep in a state where my body truly felt restored, the effect triggered.
It didn't matter if the nap lasted three hours, six hours, or even eight—as long as it was fulfilling, I would grow stronger.
For the past four days, I had carefully maximized this skill, ensuring my body was always exhausted before sleeping. The first day, I gained 1 point. On the following days, I managed to gain 3 points per day.
My strength was growing—even in slumber.
---
My food supply was nearly depleted. The last piece of bread sat in the fridge, untouched.
Electricity was still running—at least for now—but mobile signals were completely dead.
I spent hours investigating the System's 'Shop' feature, where I found both sell and buy options. After browsing through the categories—clothes, weapons, maps—I noticed that many items had level restrictions.
Weapons ranged from simple knives to legendary swords and axes, with prices starting at 100 Coins and reaching a staggering 100 million Coins.
Even food was available—but it required Level 10 to purchase or to use the selling option.
I found that absurd.
Reluctantly, I spent 100 Coins on a regional map, only to curse the system for its extortionate pricing.
"Metro City? Wasn't this Beijing before the apocalypse?"
The name had changed. The map covered an area of 50 kilometers, marking Shelter Zones and Danger Zones.
I knew I couldn't stay hidden forever, killing only stray goblins. The number of monsters around me had dwindled, and my supplies wouldn't last.
It was time to move.
I packed my backpack—last piece of bread, two bottles of water, a knife, and a rope.
Exiting my house, I surveyed the surroundings. Silence. The only sound was my own breath, my grip tightening around an iron rod.
No humans. No monsters. Just a ruined city swallowed by catastrophe.
The floating digital map projected my location with a blinking indicator. I set my sights on the nearest shelter and began my journey.
---
The city was a graveyard.
Collapsed buildings, shattered storefronts, deep craters scarring the once-bustling streets.
Two miles in, I stumbled upon bodies—both human and… something else.
Corpses of monstrous creatures lay scattered among the remains of civilians. Blood stained the cracked pavement. The stench of death was suffocating.
As I scanned the scene, I heard voices in the distance.
My pulse quickened. I rushed forward cautiously, keeping to the shadows.
Then, I saw them.
Two men chasing a woman.
She ran desperately—until she tripped.
The men grinned as they approached her, their intentions unmistakable.
I clenched my jaw, hiding behind a twisted metal beam.
The woman looked to be in her early thirties. But despite her predicament, she suddenly smiled—a cruel, knowing smile.
Something wasn't right.
She raised her hand.
One of the men froze mid-step, his body convulsing violently before collapsing.
"What the hell…?" I muttered, eyes widening.
The man twitched for a few seconds before going completely still. His face paled, eyes vacant.
"It's electric current," I realized.
She had an electricity-based ability—just as deadly as my own.
---
The woman hurled an object at the man. Caught off guard, he barely managed to raise his sword in a hurried attempt to defend himself..
Kach!
"Aghh! You bitch!" he cursed, clutching his eyes.
Blinded, he swung his sword wildly.
The woman rose, unfazed, and slit his throat in one swift motion.
Then, without hesitation, she turned to the paralyzed first man and drove her blade into his chest.
I remained in hiding, debating whether to act.
If she could paralyze someone with just a glance… would she electrocute me on sight?
Perhaps it was best to use [SleepBond Spell] on her first.
But fifty meters away, she simply turned and walked away.
I exhaled slowly.
The world had changed. Monsters weren't the only threats anymore. Humans could be just as dangerous.
Stepping forward, I searched the bodies.
One of them had a sword—sturdy, sharp enough to last me a while. Even the cheapest sword in the system shop cost 3,000 Coins, so this was a win.
I also found a small tube of greenish liquid labeled 'Mana Recovery.'
A smirk played on my lips.
"Thanks for the sword, fellas. In this world, everyone has a purpose. Yours was becoming my free supplier."
---
After some distance, I noticed dust rising ahead. Squinting, I saw it—something was charging toward me.
A reptilian monster, four meters long, powerful legs pounding the ground.
It was fast. Too fast.
I tensed, ready to run—then stopped.
'Why should I run?'
I had a powerful skill.
The beast closed in, yellow eyes locked onto me, teeth gleaming hungrily.
I didn't flinch.
"Sleep."
Its eyes shut instantly. Its body went limp mid-charge, skidding to a stop just before my feet.
<-30 Mana>
A message blinked. I frowned.
"The stronger the monster, the more mana it consumes… I need to be careful. Having an overpowered skill is useless if I run out of mana and die because of it."
I exhaled, smirking.
"Thanks for the level, Mr. Red."