Lucian was back in his room, gasping for breath, as he had just done something he never thought he would do in his wildest dreams.
He had killed a person—a zombie—but one that was once human.
For some reason, he didn't feel any remorse. Maybe it was because he was still recovering from the accident last year, or perhaps he was lacking the energy to show emotions and such. But he had to do it. Sooner or later, he would have to leave the building, and to do that, he needed to go past the zombie.
What shocked him the most was the System Interface that appeared after the black book dropped when the zombie entered his Mind. He could remove it with a thought, but it felt surreal.
Lucian rechecked the interface and observed it carefully this time. There was his name, a class he didn't know how to navigate yet, and his age—very accurate.
Then there were Strength, Agility, Mind, Perception, and Vitality. Although not entirely sure, he vaguely understood what each signified based on his prior knowledge.
Strength for physical power, Agility for speed and reflexes, Mind for what he assumed was mana or mental energy, Perception for awareness and accuracy, and Vitality for health and stamina recovery.
Then he navigated toward the Skill tab.
I had just acquired a skill, Lucian thought as he saw the name of the skill book that had been dropped by the zombie.
[Shadow Steed (B-Rank): Summons a steed imbued with the essence of the Shadow God. The horse moves swiftly through darkness, its body woven from shadow and mist.]
[Subskill — Shadow Veil (Passive): While riding the Shadow Steed at night, the user blends with the darkness, becoming nearly invisible unless someone focuses directly on them.]
A grin formed on Lucian's face as he thought about how incredible the skill was—momentarily forgetting that he was in the middle of an apocalypse.
Lucian pondered the ranks. It was just like the games he used to play and the novels he used to read. Did it go from F all the way up to Mythical? Or were there even higher ones?
Additionally, what were the odds of him obtaining a B-rank skill—one in a thousand, one in ten thousand?
Even so, he thanked God for the beginner's luck that shone upon him. He hadn't believed in that kind of thing since he'd been rolling for gold items in World War IV, the game he played with Ayesha and Ivan earlier. He had never once gotten a good drop, but fate seemed to have other plans now—as he'd just gotten a stroke of luck in a real-life skill book.
He wondered what the implications of all this were. Were things like this happening around the globe? Could zombies infect others and increase their numbers? Did other people also have what he had—the panel, the attributes, and the skills?
Lucian was desperate for information.
What was happening?
Just hours ago, he was simply gaming with his friends, and now he was thrust into an apocalyptic world with game-like elements.
A horse, huh?
Lucian thought about how he could even navigate a horse during the apocalypse. But first, he needed to see firsthand what it was capable of.
"Shadow Steed," Lucian whispered.
Nothing happened.
He tried touching the words in the panel before his eyes—still nothing.
How could I summon this thing?
Then, as he focused, faint gray-to-black runes appeared in the air. Black energy rose, swirling like mist as shadows gathered and rotated—until they formed a horse.
A black steed stood in his room, tall and imposing, its long neck and powerful legs emanating a faint black glow. A saddle already rested on its back, and its body radiated strength and mystery.
Even though it was called a Shadow Steed, it still looked mostly like a regular black horse, except for the trails of dark energy that pulsed from its muscular body.
Grrrrvvvvv…
The horse neighed sharply, rearing up before settling back down with its majestic body.
Lucian reached out to touch it—and it let him. Its skin was smooth, and its mane was soft like a waterfall of black silk. It was the first time Lucian had ever been this close to a horse, and he was fascinated.
He could feel the steed radiating raw power; its muscles could crush through a crowd of zombies. But he hesitated. Could the horse be infected? If it died, could he summon it again?
To confirm, he immediately imagined summoning it once more. The horse before him turned into black smoke and disappeared, and new shadows gathered again to form another.
Lucian felt a sudden headache this time—a sharp pulse behind his eyes. His breathing quickened as he reached for a water bottle and took a few deep gulps. The pain faded slowly.
Mental strain, huh? he thought, massaging his temples. If the attributes represent different aspects of the body, then this must've drained my Mind.
Lucian smiled faintly at the hypothesis. He liked uncovering information—especially in a world now ruled by unknown rules.
The horse returned, and Lucian somehow knew it was the same one. There was a strange connection between them, an unspoken awareness he couldn't describe with words.
With this new skill, Lucian began to consider the possibilities. If he could ride this horse, navigating the city would be much faster. With Shadow Veil, zombies might not even notice him. Considering the horse's speed, he estimated he could reach Ivan's dormitory within two minutes at full sprint.
With that thought, his confidence grew.
Lucian wanted to clear out his dorm before heading out, but the uncertainty about his friends' safety gnawed at him. Every minute that passed could mean something worse. Thus, he decided to go find Ivan first.
He put the slightly deformed sword in his hand in the table and began to change into a new outfit suited for the night.
He wore a fitted tactical black hoodie made of thick cotton blend, a dark gray shirt underneath for added protection, cotton-blend jogger pants tucked into black tactical boots, and gloves. Over his back, he strapped a bag for supplies he might find along the way.
Once ready, he picked up the sword again, gripping it firmly in his right hand.
He took one last look at his surroundings, then glanced at the tall steed beside him.
He was ready.
Lucian stepped toward the door, ready to face the new world outside.