Chapter 1: The Catastrophe

I sighed as I thought about formulas for this assignment. It was the last assignment of a physics-adjacent class that I was pressured to take. For the past two hours, I did all I could to try and finish this… In the process, my brain almost became fried when trying to dig for formulas in my memory. 

"Hey, Eve, I'm heading out to Alpha for a party," my dorm mate, Serenity, said. 

"Which one? There's like ten-thousand alphas here," I rolled my eyes, still trying to figure out how to solve my work. 

"The one Hannah's in," Serenity simply answered, "I'll be going now since I'm already late. Have fun with your nerd stuff." 

"Wh- I'm not even into this!" I shouted as Serenity shut the door laughing. I groaned and put my head into my hands, frustrated at this damn homework! "How the hell does Serenity deal with this everyday…" 

Despite the physics, I was content with my life as Eve Xiong, a normal college student. 

I lifted my head to continue looking at the problems. My frustrations grew more and more as I spent another hour or so figuring out the assignment. I only finished two questions before a mysterious text popped up. 

[Loading…] 

"Huh?" 

I saw a floating screen in front of me for the first time. The hologram was a dull orange color, only somewhat translucent. 

"What the hell…" I raised an eyebrow and frowned at the screen, unsure of what to do. Then, something hit me. "Is something going to happen!? God fucking-" 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

I screamed as the entire building shook, throwing me around the room. 

"OW! Shit-" I yelped as my entire body got thrown around like a doll. I found myself standing as the building started tilting backwards, the shaking abruptly stopped. 

In a rush of adrenaline, I ran towards the broken off door and out into the hallway, where screams filled the air. I screamed too as I sprinted out of the building. 

"Move! Get out of my way!" I exclaimed as I rushed past crowds of students. I didn't have the time for this! 

Thoughts raced in my head. Was it an earthquake? But Wisconsin wasn't known for earthquakes. Is it the end of the world? It certainly felt like it. Gah, what the hell am I supposed to do in this situation? What was that loading screen? So many things to note, I can't keep up! 

All I knew was that I didn't want to end up on a list of deceased by the end of this. 

I shoved as many people as I could as I made my way to the entrance. Cusses and insults got thrown my way as I aggressively pushed others away. I ignored it all since I was so close to getting out of the dorms. I'll get left in the dust if I don't hurry! 

I slammed my body onto the two layers of glass doors, swinging them open and quickly climbing out. The building was tilting backwards, so I easily lifted myself up and jumped down to the street. 

Without looking back, I continued running. My chest heaved and felt a tightening pain. My throat is dried to the point where I started coughing violently. 

"How long do I have to run…?" I thought. My legs came to a halt as I increasingly grew tired, my state being more than exhausted. 

Then, a howl. 

AWOOOOOOOOOOO!

Then, screams. 

"Somebody help me!" 

"Can anyone kill these damn zombies!?" 

"Wolves are attacking!" 

"Zombies? Wolves?" My eyes widened at the combination. "There's… zombie wolves!?" 

Is the world becoming an apocalypse!? 

In the far distance, I could see the zombie wolves everyone was yelling about. They were twice the size of normal wolves, except many had different spots where their bones were exposed due to ripped flesh. Their common trait was a missing eye and their extremely ferocious fangs that even I could see from my position. 

They were mauling on many citizens, blood dripping from their mouths. I could only stare at the flesh, blood, and gore as they continued ravaging across the streets. 

"Why are my feet stuck to the floor…?" It seemed that my heart's pace increased by tenfold as I continued watching. All kinds of humans ran past me as I was frozen in my place, shrieks of terror muffled in my ears due to my haggard breaths. "C'mon, Eve, move! Move!" 

[The Catastrophe has started. Either go to the comfort of the 'Grand Tower,' or stay on the dangerous 'Earth.']

"The Grand Tower! I want to stay in the Grand Tower!" I shouted immediately after I read the message. I was a quick reader, so I thought I could instantly go to the safe haven! Yet, the world was crueler than I initially thought. 

[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR!]

[Due to the overabundance of humans in the Grand Tower, you will be forced to stay on Earth.] 

"N-no, this can't be happening…" I grip onto nothing as my balled fist trembles. The whooshing sound behind me were the ones who are supposedly teleporting into the Grand Tower, a place to get away from this situation. 

Yet, why can't I go too!? 

Will I be trapped in this apocalypse? 

My head perked up at the sound of another window. 

[New Personal Mission!]

[(Rank E) Escape the claws of a Mutated Zombie Wolf!]

[Rewards: 1st Private Skill and 1st Evolution] 

"I have to run away…" I grumbled. "Can I do that…?" 

ROAAAR!

I finally felt myself fleeing from the scene. The wolf's roar finally snapped me back into reality, so I wanted to run as much as I could. 

[New notification! You've obtained your ability: 'Dual Enhancement!'] 

"You're telling me this now!?" I screamed. It was hard reading and sprinting at the same time; I needed a spot to at least read my ability's effects. My eyes scanned from one place to another, until I found it. "There!" 

There was a small alleyway between two crushed buildings. The entrance, however, was blocked by a pillar in a pile of debris. It was diagonal though, so of course there is a tiny spot where I can enter! 

AWOOOOOO!

There was only one wolf chasing after me, thank god. But with my skills, I couldn't even scratch it. The claws clack underneath the ruined asphalt, its breathing and growls chasing after me in increasing speed.

I screeched myself to a halt so I could hastily crawl underneath the pillar. I then imagined a status window in front of me. Thanks to some of the novels I read as a teenager, I have an inkling of knowledge on how this system works. 

[Eve Xiong]

[Title:<Blank >]

{Lord: None}

[Ability: Dual Enhancement]

[Private Skills: None]

[Public Skills: None]

[Current mission: Escape MZW]

"Let me see Dual Enhancement!" Sweat beaded down my face. Time was going to run out! 

[Dual Enhancement - Enforces one's body by 20%. With one weapon of choice, you can increase it by 10%, but your body's enhancement will be halved. Effect lasts for ten minutes.]

"Twenty percent? I'm not sure about this one, but I'll have to take it!" I gulped and activated my ability. 

[You have activated 'Dual Enhancement!' Your body has been enhanced by 20%!]

I felt the effects immediately! I groaned and yelped in pain since I felt my entire body abruptly increase in muscle. I was gripping onto my clothing as the enhancement took effect. A light orange aura surrounded me, showcasing that the enhancement was a success. 

I looked forward with ambition and sprinted. The wolf destroyed the pillar in one hit, but it was also surprised by my increase in speed. It gave chase once more, however, since I was still human. 

My eyes glanced at a stop sign that snapped off the bottom of the pole. I quickly picked it up by the pole and continued sprinting. 

I had small hopes I could outrun the wolf, but just like before, I felt that the growls and claws were waiting to tear me apart in just a few seconds. 

"Add the enhancement to the weapon!" I internally shouted. 

[You transferred your enhancement to your weapon! Your body enhancement will be reduced to 10%.]

Half of the aura around my body transferred to the stop sign; I could feel myself getting slightly weaker. I only did this because I thought I had a chance against the wolf, but then I saw another opportunity: a building blocking the street. 

I quickly slid underneath the small crack, the wolf fiercely growling as it tried to grab me at the last second. My heart was racing as I wildly swung the stop sign with my eyes closed, feeling it injure the wolf. 

It backed off before charging at the building, using its teeth and claws to hack the debris away and to get closer to me. I stopped swinging the sign as I grew deathly afraid of what's to come. 

"Shit! Can I stop this somehow!?" The wolf was getting closer and closer. I couldn't risk destroying the stop sign, it was my only weapon! "Gah, screw it!" 

I won't die this easily! 

With much heistance, I slashed at the wolf with all my might. I remembered to use my shoulders and momentum with a slightly clearer mind now, which is probably the reason why it howled and whimpered. Relief washed over me, but then I realized I made a bigger opening with the slash. 

In a split second, I see canine teeth over me. 

"ENHANCEMENT ON BODY!" I yelled, voice shaky and tears pricking my eyes. I didn't even look at the window as the wolf's teeth sank into my shoulder. I let out a shrill scream, soon punching it over and over again, hoping to at least damage it. 

Each punch made the dog whimper, resembling that of a whistle. I didn't care. I was almost going to die by a fucking wolf! 

My arm was giving out on me and I felt my exhaustion creeping up on my back. As the wolf tried to bite me one more, I swung my fist in its face, finally knocking it over. Crickets chirped within the cave-like space as silence infiltrated the air. 

"Is it… is it over…?" I breathed out. I turned my head, still laying on the ground. 

All I saw was a corpse of a zombie wolf. 

"Thank… god…" My vision blurred to black, a window appearing above me as I black out. 

[Congratulations! You survived against a Mutated Zombie Wolf! As a reward for completing your Personal Mission, you have received your first Private Skill! Your Evolution will be processed as you rest, so it will happen more smoothly when you wake.]