The scratching outside the classroom door grew louder.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Like claws dragging across concrete.
Inside the room, no one dared to breathe.
Students huddled behind desks or pressed themselves against the walls. Some were crying quietly, others stared at the monster corpse lying on the floor in stunned silence.
Black blood pooled beneath its twisted body.
The smell was horrible.
Metallic.
Rotten.
Ethan stood near the front of the classroom, gripping the bent metal chair leg tightly in his hand.
His breathing had finally slowed, but his muscles were still tense.
Adrenaline hadn't faded yet.
His eyes moved toward the glowing object floating in front of him.
The Beginner Supply Box.
A small cube made of blue light hovered just above the floor.
The system screen flickered beside it.
---
[Reward: Beginner Supply Box]
Open to receive randomized beginner equipment.
---
Ethan frowned.
"Randomized…?"
Another loud bang echoed from the hallway.
The classroom door rattled violently.
Several students screamed.
Someone whispered desperately, "They're coming…"
Ethan glanced at the door.
The scratching was getting faster now.
More aggressive.
And it definitely wasn't just one creature.
His system screen flashed again.
---
[Warning]
Hostile entities detected: 4
Distance: 3 meters
---
Ethan felt his stomach tighten.
Four.
Four monsters.
The Crawler he killed earlier was already difficult enough.
And now there were four more approaching.
Someone grabbed his arm.
A girl from the second row stared at him with wide, desperate eyes.
"Y-you killed that thing… right?"
Her voice trembled.
"Please… do something."
More students turned toward him.
Fear filled their faces.
Ethan hesitated.
Just a few minutes ago, he had been nothing more than a normal college student taking a calculus exam.
Now everyone was looking at him like their last hope.
The thought felt absurd.
But the system had already made it clear.
He was the only player left.
Which meant…
He was the only one with power.
Another slam shook the door.
The handle twisted violently.
Ethan turned back to the glowing cube.
"No time to hesitate."
He reached forward.
The moment his fingers touched the Beginner Supply Box, the cube dissolved into particles of blue light.
The light swirled around his hand before exploding into several system messages.
---
[Beginner Supply Box Opened]
Rewards Generated…
---
Ethan watched the screen anxiously.
A moment later, three items appeared in front of him.
---
[Item Received]
Iron Survival Knife
---
A solid knife materialized in his hand.
The blade was about eight inches long, simple but sturdy. Its metallic surface reflected the classroom lights faintly.
Ethan tested the weight.
It felt balanced.
Sharp.
Much better than the broken chair leg.
---
[Item Received]
Minor Healing Potion ×2
---
Two small glass vials appeared next.
Each contained a glowing red liquid that slowly swirled inside the bottle.
---
[Skill Acquired]
Basic Appraisal (Level 1)
---
Ethan blinked.
"Skill?"
Another message appeared instantly.
---
Basic Appraisal allows the player to analyze monsters, items, and status information.
---
Ethan didn't even have time to process it.
Because the classroom door exploded inward.
BANG!
Wood splintered across the floor.
The door flew off its hinges as something slammed through it.
A horrifying creature crawled into the room.
Then another.
And another.
Four monsters in total.
Each one looked almost identical to the Crawler Ethan had killed earlier.
Long limbs.
Grey skin.
Distorted human-like bodies.
And those horrible mouths filled with needle teeth.
Students screamed instantly.
Chaos erupted.
Some ran toward the back of the classroom.
Others tried to hide under desks.
One student fainted on the spot.
Ethan forced himself to stay calm.
His system interface activated automatically.
---
[Basic Appraisal Activated]
---
Information appeared above the nearest monster.
---
Crawler
Level: 2
Type: Mutated Predator
Weakness: Head / Neck
---
Ethan's eyes sharpened.
"Head and neck."
Useful.
Very useful.
One of the Crawlers screeched and rushed toward the nearest group of students.
Ethan moved.
He stepped directly into its path.
"Not happening."
The monster lunged.
Its claws slashed toward him.
But Ethan was already moving.
He sidestepped the attack and drove the survival knife upward.
STAB!
The blade sank deep into the creature's neck.
Black blood sprayed across the floor.
The monster shrieked and thrashed wildly.
Ethan yanked the knife free and slashed again.
This time straight across its throat.
The creature collapsed almost instantly.
System notifications appeared.
---
[Monster Eliminated]
EXP +40
---
But Ethan didn't have time to celebrate.
Another Crawler leaped toward him from the side.
He barely raised his arm in time.
Its claws grazed his shoulder.
Pain exploded through his arm.
"Ah—!"
The monster slammed him against a desk.
Wood cracked beneath the impact.
Ethan gritted his teeth.
He drove the knife forward blindly.
STAB!
The blade pierced the creature's eye.
The monster shrieked and collapsed on top of him.
Ethan shoved the body aside and scrambled to his feet.
Two monsters left.
Students were screaming everywhere.
One of the Crawlers had grabbed a girl near the window.
Its jaws opened wide.
Ethan reacted instantly.
He grabbed the broken metal chair leg from the floor and hurled it with all his strength.
The rod spun through the air.
CRACK!
It smashed directly into the monster's skull.
The creature staggered.
The girl escaped and ran.
Ethan rushed forward and finished the monster with two quick knife strikes.
One monster remaining.
The final Crawler stood near the doorway.
Its pale eyes glowed with animalistic fury.
It hissed loudly.
Then charged.
Ethan didn't retreat.
His grip tightened on the knife.
The creature lunged.
And Ethan stepped forward to meet it.
Their movements collided in the center of the classroom.
Claws slashed.
Knife flashed.
Blood sprayed.
A second later—
The monster's head rolled across the floor.
Its body collapsed beside it.
Silence filled the room again.
Ethan stood in the center of the classroom, breathing heavily.
Black blood covered his hands and shirt.
System messages flooded his vision.
---
[Monster Eliminated]
[Monster Eliminated]
[Level Up!]
---
Ethan wiped the blood from his face slowly.
His body trembled from exhaustion.
But one thing was clear now.
This wasn't just survival anymore.
This was a game.
And he had just cleared his first stage.
Across the classroom, the students stared at him in complete shock.
Like they were looking at someone else entirely.
Not Ethan Cole.
Not their classmate.
But something different.
Something stronger.
Outside the broken door…
More distant screams echoed through the campus.
The night had only just begun.
And far worse things were still out there.
Ethan looked down at the system screen.
The quest remained active.
---
[Tutorial Quest]
Survive the First Night
---
He exhaled slowly.
"...Alright."
His eyes hardened.
"Let's see how this game really works."