[STATUS]

"Blacksmithing? It's been a while since I've heard that—crafting weapons the old-fashioned way," Jon muttered as he opened the first page of the book, intrigued by its contents.

Blacksmithing had become a rare trade, overshadowed by the advancements of modern technology. It seemed almost obsolete, but Jon was genuinely considering diving into it. He didn't know why, but he felt like it would be interesting.

He was now seeing quite a number of unranked realm weapons around and he would see more in the future. He had just stumbled upon something about bronze realm weapons, which reminded him of the spear he'd recently acquired. "Wouldn't it be great to forge my own gear?" he mused, closing the book and slipping it into his bag.

"Now let's look at you fully."

'Status.'

[STATUS]

[NAME: JON WHYTE]

[AGE: 19]

[LEVEL: 9]

[CLASS: NONE]

[TITLE: NONE]

[STRENGTH: 40 AGILITY: 38(6) STAMINA: 45(7) MANA: 300 HEALTH: 50]

[SKILLS: INSTANT CALCULATION (FIRST REALM) LEVEL 5, MOON (FIRST REALM) LEVEL 5,]

[TRAITS: COMPOSURE (THIRD REALM) LEVEL 5, SOLDIER'S PHYSIQUE (EVOLVABLE)]

[STATUS POINTS: 24]

"So it shows my name, age, level, is this a class?" He had read one or two novels, so he knew the knew the meaning of the term class. But he didn't know if it meant the same as he knew.

"Even title, what if I get 'destruction' as my title." He laughed at the thought of it. "Now, strength 40?" He looked at it again, it wasn't this high before. It was still 20. Now thinking about it, the only recent thing that happened was his 'soldier physique'.

"So my stats doubled after that restructuring?" Even after the knowledge of a soldier, he was liking everything about the skill.

"So, killing zombies can level me up, and I can get stronger by acquiring skills like 'Soldier's Physique." He mused at the situation he was in. Honestly, it feels like a cheat, but nothing was enough for survival.

"So strength should be like my physical right?, then agility is speed, stamina is how long I can last; mana is a lot, and health." He noticed his agility was his lowest stat at this moment.

'I should focus on speed for a while,' he then moved on his skills.

He now had time to check their description well. However, if there was a thing he knew, the description was vague. It just gave him the basic use, and left him to the rest.

Finally, he looked at the 'Status point'. 'Is it like extra stats, I can add to any stats.'

"Hmm, then add 2 points to agility." And surprisingly, it worked immediately and he felt his body getting lighter.

Now looking at it, 'Doesn't it seems similar to the ones the novels' it was a feeling, he couldn't help shake off. And from what he was seeing, the best description for the system was like a scanner and record keeper.

It scanned the body and presented it in a more understanding form. It also records achievements of the body.

'So basically, one cannot control another person's windows.'

Weirdly and strangely, Jon was figuring more about the situation than even the people who called up a meeting.

And now he was done, he sank into the bed and let out a long breath. An hour had passed since he started sorting through the rewards from the orbs and figuring out the system.

And with another hour left, his thoughts naturally wandered to his parents. He hadn't brought his phone to the stadium, which left him worrying. His father's message replayed in his mind, a cryptic warning tied to the chaos happening now.

Were his parents safe? If so, why wasn't he with them? So many questions popped up in his mind, hinting at the possibility that they had abandoned him. Still, that message was the only hope he clung to.

Jon remembered the closeness they once had, up until he turned sixteen. After that, everything changed. They grew distant, sending him off to school for entire semesters without contact. And when they did see, they acted as though nothing was wrong.

By the time he turned eighteen, he had stopped caring, and they started viewing themselves as strangers in the same house.

He wanted to rage and rampage right now however, his trait was keeping his emotions in check, allowing him to stay calm despite the situation.

Perhaps it was the weight of the recent restructuring, or maybe the effect of his composure trait, but a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him, and he drifted off to sleep.

***

DEEP IN SPACE, ABOVE EARTH

Space, a place humans could not survive without protection and preventive measures, was now home to a pair of individuals who defied that rule, using it to take a view. The couple floated, gazing at Earth below—a view reserved for the extremely wealthy or those lucky enough to journey into space. And even then, most saw it through the safety of reinforced glass.

But not this couple. They stood, unshielded, watching the planet in all its splendor.

"Are you sure?" the woman asked, her voice thick with emotion, her tear-filled eyes betraying her struggle. "Yes," the man replied, though his face mirrored her turmoil. "Let's go," he said softly.

The woman gave a silent nod and vanished, leaving the man standing alone. After five long minutes, he too disappeared, leaving only a single tear to streak across the void.

***

An hour later, Jon's eyes fluttered open. He smiled and tried to stretch, but his thoughts began to clear and the weight of reality hit him again.

He just stood and washed his face in the bathroom, grabbed his spear, and left his room.

Down in the lobby, Jenny was waiting for him, but she wasn't alone. Standing next to her was the girl he had noticed earlier—creamy hair, green eyes, and a stunning figure that would be hard to forget. Cynthia.

Jenny, facing away from the entrance, was chatting with Cynthia, who was the first to spot Jon. Their eye contact barely lasted two seconds before Jenny turned around and started toward him.

"Hey, are you—whoa!" Jenny exclaimed.

"What?" Jon asked.

"Is it just me, or did you get taller?"

"Taller?" Only then did Jon realize the changes in his body. His previous sense of emptiness had vanished, replaced with the strength of a soldier's physique.

He had been around 5'10" just two hours ago, but now he stood a solid 6 feet tall.

"Wow, I didn't even notice. I've always wondered what it'd be like to be 6 feet."

But there wasn't much time to savor the change. In a world where something could make you grow taller at a whim, there was little room for wonder. "Are we heading out?" he asked.

"Yeah, but she wanted to come too, and I didn't know how you'd feel, so I brought her along," Jenny said, gesturing to Cynthia, who shot Jon a look that said, Even if you say no, I'm still coming.

With a resigned sigh, Jon nodded. "Alright."

The three of them approached the hostel's entrance, where three security officers were stationed. Most students were too scared of the zombies to even think about leaving, so it was strange to see three students ready to head outside.

"You sure you want to go out there?" one of the officers asked, concern in his voice.

They hesitated briefly, but the effects of their traits kicked in, bolstering their resolve. Nodding, they stepped through the door into the night.

It was dark—darker than usual and strangely quiet. Even the flickering streetlights did little to push back the heavy shadows. As the saying goes, you never know what the night will bring.

Though they should have felt fear, their traits kept them calm. And Jon felt the strongest right now, he felt if he met that zombie now, it wouldn't last that many exchanges before it fell.

And not wanting to spoil the mood, "Nice to meet you, Jon." He looked at Cynthia who was on the other side of Jenny.

"You too, Cynthia." She glanced back and nodded. "We might find some zombies behind the hostels," she suggested.

"Yeah, let's check back there," Jenny agreed while looking at the two with a weird gaze.

"Alright," Jon said, indifferent to their destination.

Cynthia seemed almost sure of her destination, when she suddenly suggested the back of the hostel. They would have to go see what was there.