Near the collapsed building, surrounded by the ruins of destroyed homes and shops, stood a black-haired man. He was waiting for something, his eyes fixed on the flickering red light in the sky.
This man was none other than Alex.
"Hmm… it's almost time. Whew," he muttered.
Check stats.
Ding!
Name: Alex Dawn
Age: 21
Coins: 100,000
Stats:
Strength: 232
Speed: 230
Stamina: 232
Perception: 120
Vitality: 220
"This should be enough for Day One… or rather, more than enough to destroy the mutant. Once I've dealt with it, I'll need to head to other cities to aim for the 1 million coin drop," Alex thought.
"Oh right—after killing a mutant, the system gives you a choice: either donate 3,000 coins to the population of the city or claim the 1 million for yourself. I'd probably choose the 3,000 coins option later on, since it benefits everyone… and more importantly, benefits me once I have control over this city."
"3,000 per person is a lot… if the population before the apocalypse was 80 million, that's 240 billion coins total. But if I become the ruler of the city, I could implement a tax—say, 1,000 coins per person for protection. After all, civilians need guardians, right? That would be a natural cost."
He paused, thinking further.
"The current population might be around 20 to 40 million… that's still a massive number."
"Anyway, there's also the title that gets announced citywide. Once that happens, I'll officially become this city's Guardian. But if I move on to hunt mutants in other cities, those places will lose their manpower and protection, since I'll be taking their Guardian title with me."
"That's the only way to obtain a Guardian title—by killing the mutant inside the city."
Just then, a sudden sound echoed from the sky.
"It looks like it's finally here," I muttered, eyes narrowing.
I still don't know the exact mechanism behind this event. But one thing's for sure—once the red light vanishes, that's when I'll finally see what kind of mutant I'm dealing with.
I've got a few theories, but right now, I've got no time to test them. I'm pretty busy, huh?
As if on cue, the red light disappeared.
And standing in its place… was a monster. A towering figure, about seven meters tall, with massive arms and legs.
"Let's see… horns… wait—is that an eagle's beak? And… lion's mane, tiger's claws, snake's tail, turtle's shell, and monkey limbs? Oh… it's a chimera."
Before I could process any more, the monster lunged at me.
I barely managed to sidestep, thanks to my high Speed stat.
"Hmm… slow. Or is it just my stats? I can see all its movements clearly… so this is the power of triple-digit stats, huh? No kidding."
I smirked.
"This'll be easy."
A few minutes later…
Lying in front of me was the corpse of the chimera. Dead.
Ding!
Attention!
Alex Dawn has just killed the Mutant in Eagle City.
Title acquired: Guardian of Eagle City.
Choice selected: 1,000,000 Coins.
Note: 3,000 Coins will NOT be distributed to the city's population.
Update: Alex Dawn is now the official Guardian of Eagle City.
"Whew… that announcement will be heard across the entire city. Everyone will know my name now."
Aside from the buffs granted by my equipment, this title buff will be a big help too.
Title Acquired: Guardian
The protector and defender of the city. The first line of defense against all threats.
Buffs:
+50% to all stats when fighting within the city
+20% damage resistance when inside the city
Time check: 1:20.
"So… it's only been 20 minutes, huh?" I muttered.
"Alright then, time to head to the next city."
I turned toward the north. That's where the nearest city is—about 5 kilometers from here. With my current Speed stat, maybe I can speedrun it. Wouldn't that be something to see—especially from the perspective of the people watching me?
"Heh, won't I look cool?"
I chuckled, a bit embarrassed by my own thoughts.
"Ahem… seems like that inner child in me is still alive. That's good—it's one of the things reminding me not to become a monster in this world."
As I dashed through the roads, destruction greeted me at every turn. Buildings crumbled, vehicles overturned, entire blocks reduced to ash. Monsters occasionally crossed my path, but I didn't slow down. I killed them in an instant—each one just a blur in my wake.
Still, my mood soured at the sight of everything around me. The devastation, the silence… it was haunting.
"This… this is why I need to hurry," I thought grimly. "I need to finish up here fast, so I can return and start gathering the remaining people. I'll clear Eagle City of monsters—and then build walls around it. High, sturdy walls. Enough to keep monsters out and people safe."
Along the way, I kept running. No—blazing through.
My speed now probably far surpasses that of a cheetah. Everything around me was a blur—trees, ruined villages, shattered towns. I even passed by places where the air was thick with the stench of death. The rotting corpses… the silence… it was unbearable.
Sigh.
About forty minutes later, I finally arrived at the outskirts of the city.
"Valion City," I muttered, recognizing the ruined welcome sign half-buried under debris. From memory, I knew this place.
Just as I suspected, the outskirts had already been wiped out. The destruction here was complete. If there were any survivors, they'd be deeper inside—closer to the inner city, where defenses might've barely held.
"Alright, let's see what we're dealing with this time."
Heading deeper into the city, I picked up my pace, dashing straight toward the inner districts.
"Hmm… I'm right. The surroundings here are in far better condition than the outskirts."
I call it the outskirts since it's the first area anyone sees when they enter the city—but it's practically unrecognizable now. I already have plans for rebuilding—an entirely new city fortified by massive walls.
Just then, I saw people running.
"Hmm… looks like they're weak. Not strong enough to stand against a mutant."
I kept going. The deeper I went, the more people I saw fleeing in panic. That meant I was close.
And after a few more minutes, I arrived.
There, in the middle of the wreckage, a single man was still fighting. Or rather—was. I watched as the monster tore through his body, shredding him into pieces. My eyes narrowed.
The monster wasn't just killing—
It was torturing them.
I frowned.
The creature finally noticed me. It wasn't as big as the chimera from before.
"Hmm… an ogre," I muttered. "Mid to lower rank, if we're ranking these mutants."
Tch. That smug look on its face… I'll wipe it off real quick.
Without hesitation, I sprinted forward. In a blur, I swung my sword. The ogre barely had time to lift its weapon before—
Thud.
Its hand dropped to the ground.
"Smile now," I said coldly.
The ogre began to tremble. It had finally realized it was no match for me. It turned to flee.
"Mistake."
Your head's mine.
I vanished from my spot and reappeared right behind it—perfect position for a clean strike.
One swing.
Slash.
The ogre's head rolled to the ground.
A shriek rang out—then silence. People who are still in the area fled in fear.
"Hmm… looks like there are still survivors around. But even after I killed the ogre, they started running again. Scared of me, huh?"
I glanced around one last time.
"Next city it is, I guess."
After a few hours of running through ruins and monster-infested roads, I finally arrived at a village. To my surprise, some of the houses were still standing.
"Hmm… interesting."
From the looks of it, someone strong must be living here—or at least someone capable. There were no human corpses, only the rotting remains of monsters.
"Status," I muttered.
Ding!
Name: Alex Dawn
Age: 21
Coins: 5,780,000
Stats:
Strength: 232
Speed: 230
Stamina: 232
Perception: 120
Vitality: 220
"Hmm. Including my own city, I've taken down five mutants today. I actually visited twelve cities, but only four still had mutants left—the others must've already been cleared by other survivors, if there are any strong enough left."
Now it's time to prepare. Night is approaching, and that means mist. Time to buy some equipment.
"System, search for a ring that can defend me from the night mist poison."
Ding!
Gala Ring
Effect: Immune to night mist poison
Price: 100,000 coins
Purchase and equip.
Ding!
Item Acquired: Gala Ring
Effect: The night mist would not affect you.
"Perfect."
Now for the fun part—stat upgrades.
Name: Alex Dawn
Age: 21
Coins: 5,680,000
Stats Before Upgrade:
Strength: 232
Speed: 230
Stamina: 232
Perception: 120
Vitality: 220
"Put 80 into Perception. Add 8 each to Strength and Stamina."
Updated Stats:
Strength: 240
Speed: 230
Stamina: 240
Perception: 200
Vitality: 220
"Now, put 1,000 each into Strength, Speed, Stamina, and Vitality. The remaining 584 into Perception."
Final Stats:
Strength: 1240
Speed: 1230
Stamina: 1240
Perception: 784
Vitality: 1220
"My god… I feel it. The power, the awareness—my senses are so sharp now I can perceive anyone within 50 meters. Isn't that too overpowered?"
I clenched my fists. My strength… I could probably one-punch most monsters now. Still, I'll need to train, refine my technique. Raw power is great, but skill makes it unstoppable.
Name: Alex Dawn
Age: 21
Title: Guardian
Coins: 1,000,000
Stats:
Strength: 1240
Speed: 1230
Stamina: 1240
Perception: 784
Vitality: 1220
Items:
Gala Ring
Effect: Immune to night mist poison
Good Sword
Attack Power: +35
Durability: 200/200
Attack Speed: Fast
Crit Chance: 10%
Special Effect: +5% Agility
Bloodweave Coat
Durability: 250/250
Base Stat Boosts:
+5 Vitality
+10% Movement Speed
+15% Slashing Resistance
+25% Fear Intimidation Aura when bloodied
Passive: Regenerates 1% HP/sec when near or in blood
Special Effects:
Blood Memory: After 10 kills, activate Blood Surge
+20% Strength & Speed for 60 seconds
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Intimidating Presence: Enemies with lower stats may hesitate or flee before attacking
Title: Guardian
Buffs:
+50% to all stats when fighting within the city
+20% damage resistance when inside the city