Chapter 3

Time passed, and Anastasia was now standing outside, bracing herself against the weight of the bag slung over her shoulder. It was filled with a few pieces of clothing she had taken from her late sister's room, a bittersweet reminder of the life they once shared. Her old clothes had become too large for her current self, a fact that only added to her sense of loss. Among the items she chose was a sleek pair of black leggings, which featured a belt wrapped around the top where a rapier was securely attached. The belt felt reassuring, a reminder of her sister's adventurous spirit. She also possessed a dark crimson tank top that clung slightly tighter than she would have preferred, yet it was still wearable. Along with this, she slipped on a pair of supportive sneakers that blended seamlessly with the leggings, their matching black color both practical and nostalgic.

Before setting off, Anastasia grabbed a few essential supplies like food and water, knowing that she had to be prepared for the journey ahead. She took off down the street, a landscape now unrecognizable due to the chaos that had unfolded. Buildings stood crumbling, their windows shattered, while the roads were cracked and littered with debris. Fallen poles lay smashed across cars, creating a haunting scene of destruction and despair. As she navigated the wreckage, she calculated that the school was approximately fifteen minutes away by car, which meant on foot it would take her at least an hour to get there. However, she recalled that the time limit had been set at two weeks for a reason, and the urgency weighed heavily on her mind.

Suddenly, a chilling howl pierced the air, causing her to stiffen instinctively. She swung around, her heart racing as a thousand thoughts erupted in her mind. The loudest scream was to run, yet another voice urged her to hide. She recalled a documentary she had once watched, emphasizing that one should never run but rather seek refuge when encountering wild animals. But the creature that was approaching wasn't an animal—it was a monster. Without a second thought, Anastasia quickly but quietly slipped into an abandoned car parked on the side of the road, her breath held tight in her chest.

Peeking through the cracked window of the car, her eyes widened in both shock and terror as she witnessed a large, serpent-like creature slithering out from the shadows of a nearby cave. The sight was overwhelming, but it wasn't merely the size of the creature that instilled fear; it was the gruesome sight of a bloody arm hanging from its mouth. In that instant, the harsh reality of her situation sank in. If she were to get hurt or, worse, die, there would be no second chances. She had the ability to heal herself, but the stakes were now painfully clear. It was then that Anastasia summoned her courage and activated her [Insight]. She needed to understand her surroundings, to find a way to survive in this harrowing new world.

Insight

Level — ??

You can look at people and monsters to see their status and Skills. It can also be used on objects and items to show details on their use, their quality, rank and even their price. It does not matter the Lv, the user can see anyone's status. 

She had never heard of such a remarkable [Skill] before, but as she made her way to the school, she realised she had been instinctively using it on various objects and creatures around her. Each time she glanced at something, she was surprised to discover that almost everything she focused on was categorized as either [Rank F] or [Rank E]. This revelation left her in awe, as the standards associated with this [Skill] were clearly high and suggested a complex system of evaluation that she had yet to fully understand.

The [Skill] had unexpectedly activated while she was observing a peculiar monster. In that moment, she was able to see its detailed [statue] and the intricate layers of information it contained. With each passing second, the [Skill] drew back the curtain on the creature's hidden attributes, revealing insights she had never anticipated. It was as if a new world of knowledge had opened up to her, one where every glance held the potential for discovery. She felt a surge of excitement, knowing that this [Skill] could enhance her learning experience in ways she had only dreamed about.

Cision

Level 2 (Rank F)

They are large and stronger, and have far more acute senses than the original. It was able to quickly kill, leaving a giant bite mark. It also possesses poison that strengthens depending on the level of the monster. 

Stats

Strength — 15

Agility — 20

Stamina — 5

Intelligence — 2

Senses — 6

Mana — 1

Skills

Poison Fangs (Lv 2)

Poison Resistance (Lv 2)

The creators were on the weak side; however, they were still two times stronger than an average man. While they wouldn't be completely hard to defend against, the real issue came from the fact that they never traveled alone. As Anastasia recalled this critical piece of information, two more of the creatures arrived, and both were carrying limbs grotesquely clamped in their mouths. However, something seemed off about this particular encounter. The reason Anastasia thought this way was that these creatures typically traveled in groups of four, making their current formation feel even more ominous.

Just as this unsettling thought crossed her mind, a large shadow began to loom ominously over the car. Anastasia shot her head around, but the moment she did, the windows all shattered with a deafening crash. The reason for the shattering became evident only a heartbeat later—the car had flipped over. It took Anastasia a moment to process what had happened as she now found herself awkwardly sprawled across the inside of the roof. This was bad! No, it was terrible! Her hands shook as she instinctively stretched down to her waist, trying to steady herself. In that frantic moment, she caught sight of the last Cision, the very creature responsible for throwing the car upside down. It began to stick its head into the vehicle, its jaws wide open. Anastasia knew in an instant that it was trying to drag her out of the car, and a rush of adrenaline surged through her veins. She had to act quickly.

First Thunder— Strike

Lv 1 (Rank F)

A sword style that mimics lightning, specifically swift strikes and movements akin to lightning ripping through the sky, and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities.

It hadn't been expected that she wasn't defenseless, especially as something was violently shoved into the back of the Cosion's throat with a rapier, a weapon she had received as a reward for her previous victories. However, what hadn't been included in her calculations was the unforeseen activation of her skill—[Thunder Shock]. The moment the skill was triggered, a powerful wave of electricity surged through the rapier, traveling directly into the Cosion, causing it to become momentarily immobilised and stunned.

Though the skill was at Level 1, making it relatively weak in the grand scheme of things, it was still effective enough to disrupt her opponent. All it could do was stun those unfortunate enough to be hit by it.

The Cosion became dazed and unresponsive from the electric shock, its head lolling limply in the car. Seizing the opportunity, Anastasia swiftly pulled the rapier out from the beast's throat. With a determined grip, she repositioned the rapier and plunged it right between its eyes—the precise point of its weakness. The blade sliced cleanly through, ripping right through the back of its head. In that instant, the Cosion ceased all movement, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Once it had been defeated, five notifications began to appear, one after another, each illuminating the dim surroundings with their bright screens. Three of the screens displayed the exact same message, each confirming her victory and the rewards she had earned for her hard-fought battle.

[Congratulations, you level up!]

What the other two said they were the same as one another, much like with the first three.

[Your Thunder Arts Skill has levelled up!]

However, it wasn't the time to look up in awe at the spectacle above, as there were still more enemies to contend with on the ground. The immediate threat loomed larger than any wonder in the skies.

Seeing how she wasn't defenseless, it spurred the remaining Cosions into a frenzied attack on the car all at once, their hideous forms crashing against the metal with a deafening clang. The sheer force of their assault caused the vehicle to tremble and groan, its frame buckling under the pressure. Witnessing this chaos, Anastasia quickly assessed her surroundings and, realizing her precarious situation, slid out from the back rear window in a desperate bid to escape. The combined weight of three Cosions' bodies flattened the car almost completely, turning it into a crumpled heap of twisted steel.

Pushing herself up from the ground, she knew she needed to act swiftly before the Cosions could seize the opportunity to attack her while she was still disoriented. One of the Cosions came slithering toward her with incredible speed, its grotesque form a blur, closely pursued by the other two. Anastasia, heart racing with adrenaline, placed one of her hands out in front of her, channeling her energy and summoning her power as she prepared to unleash a spell. [Lightning Magic] surged through her veins, crackling with a fierce intensity, ready to strike.

Lightning Magic

Level 1 (Rank F)

A type of Magic which allows the user to incorporate the element of lightning into their body, 

Lightning had begun sparking off of her as the [Skill] she was using had to charge a few seconds. [Lightning Ball] but once it had been charged a ball made of lightning had been fired from her palm and headed right for the closest Cosion. However, it was only stunned and the other two were still coming right at her. She didn't have much time to react as one lunged at her and out of reflex her arm lifted up to protect her face, causing her to be bitten. The pain was something she never felt as it caused Anastasia to scream in agony. It was trying to bite her arm off. "Get off!" She had held the rapier over her head and then stabbed it hard into the face of the Cosion. Its fangs were still in her arm even as it was dead but Anastasia used it as a shield against the last Cosion that lunged at her. It had bitten and ripped the Cosion out of her arm as a result, it caused the pain to be even greater the before and it was purple, her breathing was heavy and hard. Another three screens appeared in front of Anastasia but it was blurry, so she was barely able to read them. The first one;

[Warning! You have been poisoned and now stunned!]

That's right, they were poisonous. As for the two others, they were informing her that her [Level] and [Skill] had gone up again.

As Anastasia was trying to back away from the Cosion, which she was seeing double because of the effects of poison, she stumbled. Needless to say that the Cosion took advantage of this and lunged at her. [Lightning Magic] Both her hands had stretched out towards both the images of the Cosion, as she was unable to tell which was real. [Spark] the moment one of her hands had felt the monster's body it had a powerful surge of electricity began causing through her hands and it electrocuted the monster, causing it to collapse to the ground where it's body was throwing itself around as the lightning messed with it's nerves system. With the two remaining Cosions stunned it was time for her to end this.