Ren was starving.
It had been three days. Three days since the sky turned purple. Three days since the screams started.
He was hiding in the university cafeteria closet. It was dark. It smelled like dust and old food.
Ren touched his stomach. It hurt. It felt like a hole was burning inside him.
Outside the door, something was moving. He heard heavy footsteps. Thump. Thump.
It wasn't a person. People didn't walk like that.
Ren looked at the bread knife in his hand. It was shaking. He was shaking.
He was going to die here. If the monster didn't kill him, the hunger would.
Ding.
A blue screen floated in front of him.
[Global System Online.]
[Survivors: 3,402,118,922]
Ren swiped it away. He didn't care.
Everyone else got cool powers. Fire. Ice. Super strength.
Ren checked his status.
[Name: Ren]
[Class: Civilian]
[Level: 1]
[Skill: Gluttony (F-Rank)]
[Description: You can eat anything without getting sick.]
"Useless," Ren whispered. His throat was dry.
Suddenly, a noise came from the vent.
Scratch. Scratch.
The metal grate fell off.
A rat fell onto a sack of flour.
It wasn't a normal rat. It was big. The size of a cat. Its fur was falling out. Its eyes were glowing yellow.
[Mutated Sewer Rat (Lvl 2)]
The rat hissed. It saw Ren. It smelled the fear.
It jumped.
Ren screamed. He swung the knife blindly.
The rat bit his arm.
Pain shot through his body. Teeth hit bone.
Ren stabbed it. He stabbed it again. Black blood sprayed on his face. It burned.
He kept stabbing until the rat stopped moving.
Ren leaned back against the shelves. He was panting. Blood was dripping from his arm. He was dizzy.
[Warning: Health Critical.]
[Starvation Imminent.]
The hunger came back. It was worse now. It wasn't just pain. It was a voice in his head.
Eat.
Ren looked at the dead rat. It was gross. It smelled like sewage.
Eat it.
Ren didn't want to die.
He grabbed the rat. It was still warm.
He bit into the leg.
It tasted terrible. Rubber and dirt. He gagged. But he swallowed it.
Then something happened.
It didn't feel like food. It felt like fire.
Heat rushed through his veins. The pain in his arm stopped.
[Gluttony Activated.]
[Consumed: Mutated Sewer Rat.]
[Agility +1]
[New Passive: Night Vision]
Ren blinked. The dark closet wasn't dark anymore. He could see everything clearly in grey lines.
He looked at his arm. The bite marks were closing up.
He felt stronger.
Ren looked at the half-eaten rat. He didn't feel sick anymore.
He picked up the knife. He looked at the door.
The monster outside was still there.
But now, Ren wasn't scared. He was hungry.