Leveling Up: Maya Discovers the Power of the Interface
Maya stood in the center of the room, panting heavily. Her eyes darted back and forth between Sarah's unconscious form and the strange interface that had appeared before her.
"What... what is this?" she murmured to herself, reaching out a hand to touch the screen. As her finger made contact with the surface, she felt a jolt of energy shoot through her body. Suddenly, the interface expanded, revealing even more information.
It was a leveling system, Maya realized. Her health was listed as 100%, her mana was at 50%, and her stamina was at 75%. But what really caught her attention were the stats and stat points. According to the system, the only way to earn stat points was to kill other beings - and the stronger the foe, the more points she would receive.
Maya shuddered at the thought of taking another life. But then she remembered Josh, and how he had given his own life to save hers. If she was going to survive in this world, she needed to be strong. And if that meant using the leveling system to her advantage, then so be it.
With a deep breath, Maya pressed the button labeled "Stats." Instantly, a new menu appeared, displaying a series of attributes like Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. Each attribute had a certain number of points allocated to it, and Maya had a few stat points to distribute as she saw fit.
As she pondered her options, Maya suddenly heard a groan from the other side of the room. She turned to see Sarah stirring, her eyes opening slowly.
"Wha... what happened?" Sarah mumbled, rubbing her head.
Maya hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to explain what had just occurred. But before she could say anything, Sarah's expression hardened.
"You... you used me!" Sarah hissed, scrambling to her feet. "You said you wanted to help me, but you were just using me to get stronger!"
Maya took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never seen Sarah like this before - angry, betrayed, and ready to attack.
Without warning, Sarah lunged forward, her fists raised. But Maya was ready. With ease, she sidestepped Sarah's clumsy attack and landed a swift blow to her opponent's stomach. Sarah doubled over, gasping for air.
Maya stood over her, feeling a strange mixture of guilt and exhilaration. It was true, she had used Sarah to get stronger - but she had also defended herself when necessary. And now, with the leveling system at her disposal, Maya felt more powerful than ever before.
As Sarah lay on the ground, groaning in pain, Maya turned to leave the room. She had a lot to learn about this new world, and she couldn't afford to waste any more time. With a deep breath, she stepped forward into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.