I fell asleep, and when I woke up, my heart pounded as I stared at the glowing system window.
[Daily Quest: 3:02:01 remaining]
Three hours. I had three hours to kill a monster, or I'd be humiliated in front of thousands of people in the busiest street, dressed as a magical girl. The idea alone made me shudder. I'd rather die fighting a monster than suffer that fate.
But there was one problem—I had no clue where to find a monster.
I pushed myself off the hospital bed, my body feeling more alive than ever. The calibration had done something to me. I felt stronger, faster, and my senses were sharper. But strength meant nothing if I didn't have a target.
"Think, Ryzen, think…" I muttered.
The only way to fight monsters was by entering a Gate—the dimensional rifts that spawned across the world, filled with creatures of nightmares. But normal people couldn't just waltz into a Gate. Only registered Hunters were allowed inside.
And I wasn't a Hunter.
"Damn it," I cursed under my breath. Was there no other way?
As I reached for my hospital gown, another screen popped up.
[Hint: Monsters aren't just inside Gates.]
"What?" I frowned. "Where the hell are they, then?"
The screen flickered.
[Due to recent Gate outbreaks, stray monsters occasionally escape into the city. Try looking in alleyways, abandoned buildings, or underground tunnels.]
I blinked. Monsters escaped into the city? That was news to me. The government and Hunter Association must have been covering it up to prevent mass panic.
But I didn't have time to question it. I had a mission.
I quickly changed into the spare clothes that had been left for me—black joggers, a plain hoodie, and worn-out sneakers. Not exactly combat gear, but it was better than running around in a hospital gown.
I cracked the door open, glancing around. The hospital seemed normal, but I couldn't shake the eerie silence.
I took a deep breath and slipped out, heading towards the exit.
The city was alive with activity, people going about their daily routines as if monsters weren't lurking just beyond the veil of normalcy. Towering buildings loomed over me, the neon signs and digital billboards casting a dull glow onto the streets.
I scanned my surroundings, looking for anything unusual. If monsters really had escaped from Gates, then there had to be signs—bloodstains, destroyed property, or maybe even missing-person reports.
I checked my phone, scrolling through the local news. Nothing. The Association really was covering this up.
"Tch. This isn't helping," I muttered. Two hours and fifty minutes left.
As I rounded a corner into a dimly lit alleyway, I heard it.
A low, wet growl.
My body froze.
Slowly, I turned my head.
At the far end of the alley, a creature hunched over a pile of garbage, its elongated limbs twitching. Its gray, leathery skin was covered in patches of dried blood. Its face—if you could even call it that—was a mess of jagged teeth and hollow, glowing eyes.
A Lesser Ghoul.
My throat went dry.
This was it. My first real fight.
I clenched my fists. No weapons. No experience. Just my instincts and whatever strength the system had given me.
The Ghoul's head snapped in my direction, its hollow eyes locking onto me.
Then it screeched.
A bone-chilling, blood-curdling screech that made every hair on my body stand on end.
Before I could react, it lunged.
I barely dodged in time, rolling to the side as its claws slashed through the air where my head had been. My heart pounded in my chest. It was fast.
The Ghoul snarled, its movements twitchy and unpredictable. I had no idea how to fight—no training, no combat experience. But if I hesitated, I was dead.
Or worse—I'd end up in a frilly pink dress, waving a magic wand.
Hell no.
I had to fight.
I clenched my fists and lunged forward, throwing a punch straight at its face.
BAM!
The impact sent a shock through my arm, but the Ghoul barely staggered. Its head snapped back, but it recovered instantly.
I barely had time to register my failure before it retaliated.
Its claws slashed across my chest.
I gasped, stumbling backward as pain flared through my body. It wasn't deep, but it stung like hell.
"Shit, that hurt…" I gritted my teeth.
The Ghoul lunged again. I dodged to the side, then instinctively swung my foot up.
CRACK!
My kick connected with its knee, forcing it to buckle. This time, it screeched in pain.
[Adaptive Growth Activated]
[Agility +1]
I blinked. The system… was actively improving me in battle?
The realization hit me like a truck. This wasn't just about surviving. The more I fought, the stronger I became.
A grin crept onto my face.
"Alright then," I muttered, tightening my fists. "Let's do this properly."
I rushed forward. The Ghoul swiped again, but I was faster this time. I dodged to the side, grabbed a broken pipe from the ground, and swung with everything I had.
BAM!
The pipe smashed into the side of its head, sending it crashing into the alley wall.
I didn't stop.
I brought the pipe down again.
WHAM!
And again.
CRACK!
Blood splattered onto the pavement as its skull cracked under the force.
Then, finally, it stopped moving.
[Quest Completed!]
[Reward: 5 Stat Points Earned]
I exhaled sharply, my body trembling from the adrenaline. I had done it.
I had killed a monster.
As I stood there, panting, a final notification popped up in front of me.
[New Title Unlocked: First Blood]
[Effect: +2% Attack Power Against Monsters]
I stared at the words, my chest rising and falling. The adrenaline from my first kill still pulsed through my veins as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. My breathing was ragged, but a grin crept onto my face.
The notification still hovered in front of me:
[New Title Unlocked: First Blood]
[Effect: +5% Attack Power Against Monsters]