The Morning Battle
The ruins of the resort were eerily silent as Laura made her way toward the exit, the first rays of sunlight casting long shadows across the crumbling hallways.
Her steps were light, careful, her senses sharp as she prepared to leave and head back to the base. But just as she neared the entrance, a low, guttural growl froze her in place.
Her body stiffened, and she instinctively pressed herself against the wall, straining her ears. The growl grew louder, reverberating through the cracked walls, its source dangerously close.
She turned her head slightly, and there it was—a beast, crouched just a few meters away, its hulking frame filling the corridor. Its eyes glowed an unnatural yellow, its matted fur bristling as it growled low in its throat, teeth bared in a predatory snarl.
The moment their eyes met, the beast's head snapped toward her, its maw opening wide as it lunged, its intent clear: to devour her whole.
Laura reacted on instinct, her body moving with inhuman speed. She dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's gaping jaws, and rolled to her feet.
From her inventory, she summoned her dagger, the familiar weight grounding her as she dropped into a defensive stance. The beast turned, snarling in frustration, its claws scraping against the broken tiles as it charged again.
This time, Laura was ready. She sidestepped its attack, the dagger flashing in her hand as she slashed at its flank. The blade bit deep, black ichor spraying from the wound, but the beast barely faltered. It roared in rage, swinging a massive clawed paw toward her.
Laura ducked under the swipe, her movements fluid and precise, and struck again. Her blade sliced into its hind leg, severing a tendon.
The beast stumbled, its mobility impaired, and Laura pressed the advantage. She circled it like a predator, her eyes locked on its every move.
The creature roared and lunged once more, but its movements were slower now, clumsier. Laura feinted left, drawing it off balance, and then drove her dagger upward with all her strength, the blade piercing through its thick hide and into its gut.
Grrrr!!
The beast let out a final, gurgling snarl before collapsing to the ground, its lifeless body twitching as its blood pooled around it.
Breathing heavily, Laura straightened, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins.
Ding!
[You have leveled up!]
She allowed herself a brief moment of satisfaction before continuing toward the exit. But as she stepped outside, she was greeted by a grim and unsettling sight. The corpses of the men she had slain the night before were now surrounded by a pack of beasts, their grotesque forms hunched over as they feasted on the remains.
There were over a dozen of them, each more terrifying than the last. One resembled a bloated toad with jagged spikes covering its back, while another was a wiry, wolf-like creature with elongated limbs and glowing red eyes.
Others were even more alien in appearance—amalgamations of claws, scales, and teeth, their forms twisted by the apocalypse.
As Laura stepped into the open, their heads snapped toward her in unison, the sound of flesh tearing replaced by a deafening silence. For a moment, neither she nor the creatures moved.
Then, as if driven by a single, primal urge, they roared and charged toward her, their eyes blazing with hunger.
Laura's lips curled into a smile, a cold, confident expression. "You want a taste of me?" she muttered, raising her dagger. "Come and get it."
She launched herself toward the first beast, a hulking brute with tusks jutting from its maw. It swung a massive claw at her, but she ducked low, driving her blade into its side. It howled in pain, stumbling backward, and Laura finished it with a swift slash to its throat.
The next creature, a serpent-like beast with scales that shimmered in the sunlight, lunged at her from the left. Laura spun, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws, and drove her heel into its face, forcing it back.
She leaped forward, her dagger plunging into its eye, and twisted the blade before yanking it free. The serpent collapsed, writhing as it died.
Another beast, smaller but faster, darted toward her, its needle-like teeth snapping. Laura sidestepped its attack, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, and slammed it into the ground with enough force to shatter its skull.
Black ichor splattered across her boots, but she didn't pause, turning just in time to dodge a swipe from a creature with multiple limbs and razor-sharp claws.
For twenty relentless minutes, Laura fought with a ferocity that left the beasts reeling. Each strike of her dagger was precise, each movement calculated.
She used the environment to her advantage, leaping onto a fallen beam to gain height before driving her blade into the neck of a towering beast. She kicked debris into the path of another, causing it to stumble, and then slashed its throat as it fell.
The creatures came at her in waves, their numbers seemingly endless, but Laura never faltered. Sweat dripped down her brow, and her muscles burned with exertion, but she pressed on, her focus unbreakable.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last beast fell. Laura stood amidst the carnage, her chest heaving as she surveyed the aftermath.
The ground was littered with bodies, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood. Her dagger dripped with ichor, and her clothes were stained with the evidence of her battle.
Ding!
[You have leveled up!]
A small smile tugged at her lips as she dismissed the notification. Her strength had grown, her stats increased, and she could feel the difference in her movements—faster, sharper, deadlier.
The rising sun bathed the ruined city in a warm glow as Laura began her journey back to the base. Her steps were steady, her mind already focused on what lay ahead.
She had survived the night, slain her enemies, and grown stronger. But the apocalypse was far from over, and she knew that each victory was only a stepping stone toward the greater battles yet to come. "I'll just have to do it one step at a time. Hopefully the others can keep up." She murmured to herself.