Novak woke up to the sound of running water, and saw that he was on the bank of a small mountain river. He was completely naked, and felt like he woke up from a strong hangover. Looking around, he could see some hills on the other side of the river and a forest behind him. The air was cold, and the trees were shedding orange leaves.

He slowly stood up and approached the river. He washed his face with the cold water to refresh himself. Looking at his reflection, he could see himself very clearly. His black hair reached to his neck, covering his ears. He had an unkempt beard and a strong brow which hid his blue eyes. He was tall and well-built and his hands had many calluses. He had not always been an office worker, having worked as a mechanic and policeman in the past.

Suddenly, his pondering was cut short by the sound of splashing water. He looked towards the other side of the river and saw a black snake that was quickly making his way towards him. Novak tried to dodge and started running in the opposite direction, but the snake was abnormally fast. It quickly caught up and bit Novak on his left calf. The taste of blood drove the snake into a frenzy, and it bit even harder, thrashing around. Novak felt incredible pain, but the adrenaline kept him going. He felt an immense sense of danger from this snake and knew that the next few moments would decide life or death. Before the snake could release its bite, Novak slammed his hand down on the snake’s head and ripped it off his leg, causing blood to gush out. He clamped his hands around the snake’s head as hard as he could to force its jaws shut. The snake was flailing with all its strength and trying to escape, but it was to no use. Novak grit his teeth and fought through the pain, crawling to a nearby boulder. Gripping the snake with all his strength, he pushed himself into a kneeling position and slammed its head against the boulder again, and again, and again until it stopped moving.

[You have reached Level 2]

[Please assign 2 attribute points]

Novak heard the notifications in his mind, but he couldn’t care less – he had to stop the bleeding. His vision was already getting blurry and he felt like he could pass out at any time. Near the snake, Novak could see that a pouch had appeared. Inside, he found an item.

[Basic tunic I]

Common item

Blunt Damage reduction: 5%

Sharp Damage resistance: Low

Chest: 100% coverage

Stomach: 100% coverage

Left Arm: 50% coverage

Right Arm: 50% coverage

Without hesitation, Novak took the tunic and wrapped it tightly around his wound. The white material was slowly turning red.

Sitting against the bloody rock, he finally allowed himself to relax. He studied the dead water snake and guessed that it wasn’t venomous, as its pupils and snout were round. Thinking to what had just happened, he felt oddly calm at the situation. He could not walk and had a painful wound on his leg, but the thrill of battle was still lingering in his soul. He had never felt so alive before, and it only left him hungry for more. He was intoxicated by the bloodlust he felt when he was fighting for his life. For the first time it felt good to be alive, as life meant a chance to fight again.

Novak closed his eyes and taught about the points that were awarded by the system. In his mind, he could see his attributes.

Novak Wolfgang – Level 2

Class: None

Primary Attributes (2 points available):

Strength: 11 – Affects power, speed of movement, melee, brawling and bow damage

Dexterity: 10 – Affects reflexes and reaction speed

Constitution: 12 – Affects endurance, health regeneration and stamina quantity

Perception: 10 – Affects precision and accuracy

Spirit: 9 – Affects mental resistance, elemental damage and stamina regeneration speed

Secondary Attributes

Stamina: 9/12 – Quantity affected by Constitution; regeneration speed affected by Spirit

Elemental Resistances: /

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Skills:

Brawling: 3/10

General Firearms: 4/10

Swimming: 3/5

Professions

Mechanics: 4/5

So this must be the game they were talking about.

Thinking about his current situation, he decided to add both points to Constitution. He needed all the stamina and regeneration he could get in his current situation.

He then tried to recall the document that was attached to that email. He had just skimmed it, but he'd always had good visual memory. From what Novak remembered, it was likely that this world was a parallel world to Earth, having only diverged around the 1900s. Before this recent apocalypse, world leaders had long decided to disband all nuclear missiles and prioritise world peace and the wellbeing of their citizens. Since the world had been at peace for so long, most countries disbanded their military and only maintained a police force. The reason why this was considered a rank 7 world was because 70% of its citizens felt satisfied, a feat that was rarely achieved in any world. The 30% that led miserable lives were considered a necessary evil by world leaders and the only way to assure and sustain a good life for the majority. Because this parallel world had diverged so late, its geography and cultural spread was very similar to that of Earth.

Novak also recalled that the apocalypse was started by a rogue god with a twisted sense of humour. All humans obtained access to a leveling system that allowed them to increase their strength and distribute stats. Animals were turned into mutant beasts with ferocious strength and their multiplying speed was greatly increased. The system had certain rules, and would only reward experience if combat was performed with regular melee weapons, system weapons, abilities or bare hands. The document also went into some detail about classes and rewards for achievements, but Novak did not have enough time to finish reading it.

Assessing his current situation, he decided to move away from the river. Since all normal animals were now mutant beasts, the river was a prime location for gathering them. Furthermore, it was already getting dark, and he had to find safety soon. He started crawling towards a nearby forest and soon found a sturdy stick which he used as a crutch. He knew how dangerous his current situation was. Sooner or later, he would be found by another mutant animal and he would be killed. But he had no other choice, so he kept moving forward.

Although he was crippled, he managed to maintain a decent speed by relying on the improvised crutch. After 30 minutes of moving in one direction, he realised that for a while he had not been hearing any noise. He expected the forest to be filled with the terrifying sounds of mutant beasts, but there was only an unnerving silence. While Novak was still considering his options, he heard a scream coming from a short distance away. He knew the sensible thing to do would be to run in the opposite direction, but his instincts told him to investigate. Holding the stick, he approached the area where the scream was coming from.

Soon, he could see a small camp in front of him. There was one tent, and it was ripped and soaked in blood. He could see a trail of blood leading out of the camp, as if a body was dragged that way. Through the rips, he could see the mangled body of a man, a terrified look frozen on his face.

Novak looked at the scene and understood why there were no sounds in that area of the forest. This slaughter was probably the work of a fierce predator, and this was its territory. Since it was busy eating, it wouldn’t be back for a while. Novak started approaching the camp, but he then changed his mind. The small camp was a bloodbath, and even he could feel the stench. Even though this was the territory of a predator, the smell would definitely attract others. He decided to lie prone and wait.

Sure enough, a lone mutant wolf soon appeared in Novak’s field of vision. The beast was twice the size of a regular wolf and it had scars all over its body. It was covered in thick, grey fur and its fangs reached to its chin. The wolf was being drawn by the strong smell of blood, and was already salivating at sight of the body. It seemed that the apocalypse not only made beasts more ferocious, it also gave them a craving for human flesh.

The wolf was originally being careful in its approach, but it sped up when it realised there was no competition nearby. It started devouring the body of the man in hungry bites, even licking the blood around it. It was tearing into the body with large bites, turning the fur around its snout red. Its eyes looked rabid, and with each bite it was shaking in enjoyment.

While the wolf was gorging itself, Novak could see the one responsible for the scene. A brown bear of monstruous size was slowly approaching the campsite from the direction of the bloody tracks. Its incredibly long teeth jutted out of its jaw almost at random and its claws seemed to shine like steel. Its fur was patchy and could barely hide its muscular body. While the mutant bear was approaching, the wolf seemed to be oblivious, its eyes glistening with joy at the easy prey. When the bear was 20 metres away, it charged. The mutant wolf did not have time to react and was propelled against a tree like a projectile, falling to the ground. The bear gave a satisfied roar and started dragging the other body, now half eaten, towards its lair.

When the bear was out of sight, Novak approached the camp. He had to find anything that would improve his situation.

However, before he could look around, he heard a muffled growl behind him. Turning around, he could see the body of the wolf. The impact with the tree instantly broke its spine, but it was still alive. Up close, the wolf looked terrifying. Even at death’s doorstep it seemed like it wanted to pounce on the human in front of it, but its body was not responding.

Novak approached it and put his hands around its neck. The beast howled in pain, but it was too late. With a twist, he put it out of its misery.

Novak was surprised. He did not expect to gain any experience, but he felt like he got closer to the next level. The beast seemed very powerful, and it was likely that it was quite high level. However, since most of the damage was not dealt by a human, he only gained a fraction of experience.

A brown pouch materialised next to the wolf. Inside, Novak found an item.

[Hunter’s Shortsword II]

Uncommon Item

One-Handed Sword

+2 Dexterity

+1 Strength

A very sharp sword, it can pierce through the hide of normal and elite beasts.

Length: 52 cm

Novak held the shortsword and approached the camp. He was still naked, so he had nowhere to put it.

Looking around the tent, it seemed like this was just a regular camping site. Since the apocalypse happened only a few hours before Novak came to this world, most people still did not realise what was happening. It looked like the owners were in the middle of a camping trip in the forest when they were attacked.

He found a first aid kit inside the tent and was relieved. He changed the bandage and disinfected the wound. He also took a change of clothes, some trekking boots, a backpack, a sleeping bag and all the food he could find. He then made his way towards the bloody tracks.

He was going to kill that bear.