Tuesday Morning - Training Center
97…
98…
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100.
Noah's legs trembled under his weight for a moment before they gave out.
He collapsed onto the black mat, drenched in sweat and drawing deep, ragged breaths. His arms burned at his sides as lactic acid built up faster than his body could recover from the grueling training.
After a few moments, his breathing finally began to steady. His fingers flexed, trying to ease the soreness and stiffness lingering in his hands.
The wooden spear he'd discarded moments earlier rolled lazily across the mat before coming to a stop beneath a pair of white sneakers. Moving with deliberate slowness, the man bent down and picked up the practice weapon.
He wore a blue tracksuit with a single white stripe running down from his sleeves to his pant legs. Even through the loose-fitting clothing, his physique was still noticeable.
Typically, there weren't many people in the training hall that early in the day. It was one of the main reasons Noah had incorporated early mornings into his training schedule rather than afternoons or evenings, when the hall was usually crowded with students.
Against his body's protests, he planted one hand on the mat and pushed himself upright just enough to rest an arm against his knee.
He glanced from the spear in the man's hand to his face, which was framed by an overgrown salt-and-pepper stubble. As their gazes met, the overhead lights caught Noah's eyes, giving them a warm golden hue.
The man's voice came low and hoarse.
"Noah…"
"Sterling…"
They held each other's gaze for a few moments before smiles slowly spread across their faces.
Coach Sterling extended a hand, his usual easygoing smile returning as he began chatting away. "You know, kid, you should really reconsider competing professionally. You've definitely got the skills to represent the country. I say, what's one minor setback?"
Noah clasped his hand and let him pull him upright. His palms cramped slightly, though the ache gradually faded as he steadied himself.
"You know the answer," he replied, maintaining a smile. "Asking me the same question every day won't change it. I'm grateful enough my parents are still allowing me to train here after... well, you know."
A brief silence settled between them. No explanation was necessary. Coach Sterling already knew what he meant. Sterling visibly shuddered at the memory, confirming Noah's thoughts. Taking advantage of the brief lapse, Noah turned to leave, but Sterling had already recovered and effortlessly closed the distance between them.
"Respectfully, Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have no idea what they're talking about. It wasn't your fault. The dropped charges say exactly that."
Noah stopped walking for a moment. The charges had been dropped, but the memory refused to fade.
"Think about it. Not competing would be a complete waste of your talent. Even your parents know that much." Coach Sterling said somberly.
Though he wanted to refute everything he said, they weren't exactly wrong. Ever since he could remember—during training and tournaments—he was told he was gifted. From then on, martial arts became something more than a hobby and more like a way of life.
Over the next decade, relentless practice honed not only his skills but also shaped his body into what it was today. His physique developed like a tempered blade, forging muscles most people didn't even know existed. His looks, on the other hand, were nothing more than slightly above average. Just nothing particularly remarkable about them.
Noah audibly sighed. "I see what you mean, Coach Sterling..."
"Exactly, that's why I think—"
"...but my answer doesn't change," he finished.
The frustration written across Sterling's face made Noah's smile widen a fraction. Watching the coach rake a hand through his hair in silent exasperation, he had to bite back a laugh. Noah picked up his bag from the bench beside the ring and made his way toward the entrance.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Coach."
Sterling made one last attempt at persuasion, but Noah was already out the door.
The school was only a thirteen—maybe fifteen-minute walk from the gym, but Noah opted to jog the distance, knowing he'd be taking a shower once he got there anyway. He started with a brisk jog before settling into a run. The cool breeze threading through his locs, along with watching the sun climb above the city's skyline, was the other reason he always chose to train in the morning.
As he passed through the school gates, he ran past the small garden that sat in the middle of the main walkway, adding a touch of greenery to an otherwise average-looking campus. He continued jogging through the halls toward the gymnasium, where the locker rooms were. Noah stripped out of his training clothes, took a warm shower, then changed into his school uniform.
Once everything was packed away, he slung his bag over his shoulder and made way upstairs to class. By the time he reached the classroom door, he could already hear the lively chatter coming from inside. Noah turned the doorknob, stepped into the classroom, and made his way to his assigned seat in the third row by the window.
The spot offered a nice view of the city, while the gentle breeze drifting through the open window was a bonus. After sitting in silence for about five minutes, his solitude was interrupted.
"How bad did it hurt getting your nose pierced?"
Noah turned toward the voice to find a boy with messy dark hair leaning against the desk beside him. His thoughts then wandered back to the day he got his nose pierced. He'd begged his mom all week to take him, even offering to handle every chore around the house for a month. She held out at first, but once her husband started teasing her alongside him, she eventually gave in.
Noah smiled. "You're probably gonna shed a tear."
Just then, the door swung open, prompting the boy to hurriedly return to his seat with a quick, "Thanks."
A woman with auburn hair stepped inside, wearing a black top that barely contained a figure that would have put many to shame. She paired it with a black pencil skirt that only just met the dress code, along with a pair of black heeled slippers.
As she made her way toward the teacher's desk, nearly every boy in the classroom followed her with their eyes.
Once she reached the desk at the front of the room, she took her seat and began taking attendance.
"Leigha?"
"Here!"
"Troy?"
"Here, Ms. García!"
"..."
"Noah?"
"Here."
"..."
"That should be everyone. Does anyone know where y'all left off on Friday?" Ms. García asked while looking down at her phone.
Ms. García was a substitute for the regular teacher, Mr. Dick. As his name suggested, none of the students liked him. He was overly strict and arrogant, and he made his classroom feel like a cage with the number of restrictions he imposed.
Unlike him, she didn't seem to care much about the job. A few of them still wondered how she'd gotten it in the first place—not that anyone would care enough to ask, Noah included. The girls were free to talk and gossip, while the guys got something nice to look at.
"Ms. García, we were supposed to continue working on our assignment today," a girl wearing purple glasses said as she stood up to answer the question.
Well, there goes that.
Leigha, the class president, or some would say: The Teacher's Pet.
Ms. García looked up at the class for a moment, then back at her phone.
"Alright then, just finish up with your assignments, let me know if you need help with anything."
"Or don't," she said in a low whisper, which most of them still heard.
After the class was given their instructions, everyone pulled out their assignments—except for a select few. The class president was one of them.
Some had already finished theirs, while others couldn't be bothered enough to do it, knowing Ms. García was the one 'teaching'.
Noah thought about doing his assignment, but the warm breeze—mixed with his fatigue—was already working its magic. Instead, he turned toward the window, rested his head on his folded arms, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
It hadn't even been ten minutes when a series of knocks on his desk jolted him awake.
"Mr. Fowler," she said, "should I assume you've already finished your assignment?"
Noah rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Come again?" he mumbled groggily.
"Did you finish your assignment?" she repeated, planting a hand on her hip.
He hesitated for a moment.
I could say no and do my assignment or lie and possibly get more sleep.
Noah slowly lifted his head, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he looked up at Ms. García. She met his gaze without a word.
"...I think I forgot it at home."
Ms. García held his gaze before letting out a warm sigh. "You do know you only have two more days before you have to turn it in."
"That's more than enough time, Miss; I'm still top three in the class." He then pointed his finger at a boy sitting three seats away from him with discretion. "That guy, on the other hand."
Ms. García followed his finger and saw a student snoring away, drool escaping his lips and everything.
She gave him one last look before making her way to the next student.
As Noah turned back toward the window, he caught the class president staring at him. Cliché enough, the moment their eyes met, she quickly turned away.
What was that about?
He watched the back of her head for a few moments, and as if she could sense his gaze, she shifted slightly away from him, rubbing her neck. Noah squinted slightly, then looked away.
He spent the next three minutes trying to fall back asleep.
It was hopeless.
With nothing else to do, he turned his attention to the view outside the window. The vibrant green of Summer's trees and the bird's nest that rested on a branch lodged high in one.
He waited for what seemed like an eternity, but just as his eyes grew heavy, the sky outside darkened. Not rain clouds or thunderheads. Eerie black clouds rolled in, spreading across the sky and covering the sun, allowing barely a sliver of light to break through.
This was the first time he'd ever seen anything like it, and apparently, he wasn't the only one who noticed the change.
Around the classroom, whispers began to spread as everyone huddled by the windows and talked about the strange phenomenon unfolding outside.
After about five minutes, the sky was completely swallowed by black clouds that stretched farther than the eye could see. It was far from normal. Outside, it was almost pitch-black; if it weren't for the lights from the school and the surrounding buildings, they probably wouldn't have been able to see more than a few dozen meters ahead.
Before he could even adjust to the change, a gray screen slowly materialized before his eyes. He glanced around the classroom, only to realize that he wasn't the only one seeing it. If this phenomenon was happening across the globe, not just within the classroom, then whatever was happening could spell something far more serious.
While everyone was still trying to make sense of the mysterious screen that had suddenly appeared before them, a cold, emotionless voice echoed from the clouds, carrying through the classroom windows.
〔From this moment on, Earth will enter a state of Stranded.〕
〔 Beings categorized as 'Stranders' will appear around Earth. Their main mission is the eradication of mankind.〕
〔 But do not fret; to level the playing field, the remainder of beings will undergo an awakening upon reaching level 5—Stranders included.〕
〔Your primary objective is to level up and awaken as soon as possible. As for awakening, each individual's ability may differ. After all, the awakening process is entirely randomized.〕
〔From this moment onward, 99% of humanity will enter a state known as Stranded. All animals and other organisms are also subject to this rule. My advice? Watch your surroundings carefully.〕
〔I wish you all the best.〕
What the fuck?
As the voice's last sentence fell, the whole school was in an uproar.
"W-What?!?! Why is this happening to us!?!??"
"This all must be a dream. Anytime now I'll wake up in my bed and breakfast waiting for me..."
"Walkers?! Walking Dead walkers?! FUCKKKK!!!"
"HOLY SHIT, IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?!?!!"
The classroom was filled with a mixture of emotions, but confusion and fear were the most prominent.
Noah shifted his gaze away from the others toward the screen in front of him. The same words the 'voice' had spoken moments ago were displayed in white text.
When Noah looked back outside, something caught his eye. Squinting into the distance, he made out hundreds of tiny gray orbs drifting through the air. They were no larger than peas, yet the speed with which they closed in on the school filled him with an unexplainable sense of impending doom.
Moments later, they reached the building and passed straight through the walls and windows without the slightest resistance, as though they weren't even there.
The orbs slipped into the heads of dozens of students throughout the classroom. Noah's stomach did something that it hadn't done in a long time. He didn't know what was coming next, which scared him.
The moment the orbs entered the students' bodies, they convulsed violently, screaming in agony as their flesh peeled and seemed to melt alongside their muscles. Eyes bulged grotesquely from their sockets while stomachs split open, exposing their organs. Within seconds, the room descended into unimaginable horror as the classroom floor was painted red.
The remaining three-quarters of their skin that hadn't melted or peeled away slowly took on a hazy shade. The sight alone was enough to make his stomach churn, forcing him to look away. Somehow, he managed to keep himself from throwing up, but the same couldn't be said for some of the students who hadn't 'changed.'
Most of the class began distancing themselves from what they could assume were the 'Stranders.' Those who were still in shock were quickly dragged away by the students who had managed to keep their composure.
One by one, the 'walkers' stopped screaming in agony and slowly turned their attention toward the students around them.
Noah quickly retreated as a Walker stumbled toward him. He continued to backpedal, crashing into desks and chairs until his heel caught the leg of a desk, sending a wooden broom clattering across the white tile floor. The sharp noise echoed throughout the classroom.
Immediately, he snapped out of it.
He picked up the broom and, in one swift motion, stomped down on the brush, snapping it off, revealing a relatively sharp point.
The loud sound of the broom caught the attention of a few walkers. The one that was closest to him began making its way toward him. Its pace was normal, but the way it dragged its legs made an unpleasant sound. He didn't know if all walkers would be like this, but if they were, they didn't seem like much of a threat at the moment.
Taking advantage of the situation, he gripped the makeshift spear with both hands and thrust it forward with practiced precision. He rotated his hips, releasing his left hand from the shaft and used the momentum to drive the sharpened end straight toward its head.
Pfft.
The spear pierced through the walker's head with little to no resistance. The walker dropped to its knees before collapsing completely. As adrenaline coursed through his veins, a familiar gray screen suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision rather than in front of him like before.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔5/100〕
〔Congratulations, you are the first person to kill a Strander.〕
〔Would you like to receive your reward?〕
〔Y/N〕
Noah quickly closed the screen. His current situation didn't exactly give him the luxury to read through it. And not even a second after he dismissed the screen, a walker that had been making its way toward him lunged as soon as it got within reach.
He'd already noticed the walker's movements after watching the light from the previous one dim. He quickly evaded to the left, pulling the makeshift spear free from the first walker's head.
The second walker stumbled and fell to the ground, and without giving it a chance to get up, he drove the sharpened end straight into its head.
Pfft.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔10/100〕
The other students stared in stunned silence. Whether they were relieved that someone among them could fight back or horrified that he'd just taken what had once been a person's life, Noah couldn't tell.
AHHHHHHHHH.
A bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence, cutting through everyone's thoughts. Before anyone could react, a walker lunged from behind a female student and sank its teeth into her neck, tearing away a massive chunk of flesh. Blood poured from the wound as she crumpled to the floor.
She thrashed beneath the walker, desperately trying to push it off, but it was already too late. Noah lurched forward on instinct, only for more than a dozen walkers to close off any path to her. All he could do was watch as her screams, frantic at first, grew weaker with each passing second until they disappeared entirely.
She's dead.
The conclusion didn't run solely through his mind; everyone who had witnessed the scene had come to the same realization. Once again, the sound of retching echoed throughout the classroom.
The walker began feasting on her body as she lay there motionless. Soon, several nearby walkers joined in, tearing away at her flesh and stuffing their mouths with chunks of bloodied meat and fabric.
Noah turned away, feeling pity for her. The other students looked away in a mixture of anguish and disgust, knowing there was nothing they could do to help. Meanwhile, those closest to her took the opportunity to hastily distance themselves from the walkers, desperate to avoid becoming the next victims.
With a tightened grip around the makeshift spear, Noah made up his mind.
It's either me or them. And I'll be damned if I let them tear me apart because a voice told them to.
Noah rushed the closest walker and kicked it to the ground before driving the sharpened end of his spear into its head, killing it instantly.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔15/100〕
He ignored the notifications and turned to the walkers that had strayed from the group in the middle of the classroom. They didn't put up much of a fight as he picked them off one by one.
〔+5 EXP〕
〔+5 EXP〕
〔...〕
The notifications continued to appear as his kill count steadily rose.
After what felt like five minutes of controlled frenzy, with students scrambling to stay out of the splash zone, he finally looked around and realized he'd killed the last walker.
Noah let out a breath he'd been unknowingly holding the entire time. It was taxing, but knowing the severity of the situation, he pushed through.
However, the victory was short-lived.
"W-WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!! BECAUSE OF YOU, THREE OTHER PEOPLE DIED UNDER THE HANDS OF T-T-THOSE THINGS!!"