Ethan staggered out of the alley, hands still trembling from the encounter. The city had changed while he blinked. Smoke curled over overturned cars. Fires crackled in broken windows. The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood.
He wasn't alone. People screamed, ran, or froze in panic, but none moved as fast—or as decisively—as the zombie that had lunged at him. It twitched violently, muscles bulging beneath gray, cracked skin. Its eyes, cloudy and unnatural, locked onto him with a hunger that made his stomach turn.
His wind ability reacted instinctively. The air compressed around him, forming a sharp blade that sliced through the zombie's torso with a wet crack.
A glowing core rolled out of the body, pulsing faintly. Ethan froze. His hands were shaking, but some instinct—more fear than thought—urged him forward.
[Core Detected – Zombie Level 2]
[Absorption Possible]
He swallowed hard and touched the core. A chill ran up his arm, then surged into his chest. His muscles tightened, his vision sharpened. The wind around him responded, swirling faster, sharper, heavier.
[Ability Enhanced – Wind Manipulation]
Ethan stumbled, gasping. Around him, the chaos of the street didn't slow, but he felt sharper, more precise, more capable. He looked around and saw three zombies barreling toward him—Level 2 or higher, by the looks of their size and aggression. One staggered unnaturally tall, teeth glinting in the firelight.
He didn't hesitate. Wind lashed out, tearing a path between the zombies. Each strike cut through the air, throwing bodies back and clearing a path for him to move. The sound of cracking bones echoed in the alley, overlaid by the distant roar of chaos further down the street.
When the fight was over, only he and the glowing zombie cores remained. Each core pulsed softly, as if alive, waiting to be absorbed. Ethan pocketed them carefully, feeling the raw energy flowing into him.
At the far end of the street, he noticed a man swinging a broken metal pipe at another zombie. The man's arms were thick with veins, muscles bulging unnaturally, his movements precise and powerful. Clearly, he had absorbed cores, enhancing his body without any obvious abilities.
Ethan hesitated.
"Hey!" the man shouted, noticing him. "You awake or something? Grab a core if you want a chance to survive!"
Ethan nodded, eyes wide. The fight had been terrifying—but exhilarating. The thought that humans could grow stronger by absorbing cores, even without awakening, made the apocalypse feel alive. Dangerous, yes—but alive.
[Observation: Humans can gain physical enhancements by absorbing cores. Hard cap at Half-Step Level 5 if not awakened.]
Ethan swallowed. So many rules, so many unknowns. Zombies, humans, abilities, levels…
He clenched his fists. His wind ability rippled around him.
"I don't care what it takes," he whispered. "I'm going to see the world."
The wind obeyed.
And the apocalypse answered