"AAAAA!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air as the massive mutated dog sank its fangs into one of the high school boys.
The sound was raw, filled with agony and desperation, but neither Myles nor Nadine looked back.
Nadine clenched her fists, her jaw tightening as she forced herself to keep running.
She didn’t need to turn around because she already knew what was happening. Myles, too, kept his gaze fixed ahead.
There was no saving them. The moment the mutated dog had chosen its prey, their fate had been sealed.
Without a System and enhanced stats, the boys had no chance of survival.
Myles’ mind raced. His Fireball hadn’t harmed the creature only momentarily staggered it. That meant one of two things, either the monster was naturally resistant to fire, or it was of a higher rank than his current skill. That dog eas even stronger than the monster that hage multiple faces Myles had killed before!
Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter now. Fighting it head-on was impossible. Running was the only option.
He risked a glance over his shoulder. The monstrous dog had stopped chasing them. Instead, it had turned its full attention to the fallen boys.
It had bitten all three of them in that small moment.
Their screams still echoed through the alley, growing weaker with each passing second. The other mutated creatures swarmed in, drawn by the scent of blood, their inhuman snarls mixing with the horrifying sound of flesh being torn apart.
Myles exhaled sharply and faced forward again. They had made it out, but only because the monster had found easier prey.
A few seconds later, they emerged from the alley into another part of the city. The destruction here was just as devastating. The number of mutated creatures was noticeably lower. For now, at least, there was a moment of relief.
Myles took a quick scan of their surroundings before nodding forward. "Come on. It’s not far."
Nadine didn’t respond, just gave a sharp nod and kept running.
They sprinted through the deserted streets, weaving between the remnants of a city that had fallen apart overnight.
Every sound and distant snarl or the rustling of debris kept them on edge. Myles knew that even with his stats and skills now, he still wasn’t strong enough.
Minutes passed. Then, finally, the college building came into view in the distance. It stood tall amidst the ruins, its structure still intact.
As they rushed toward the college building, Myles abruptly stopped. Just ahead, a massive swarm of mutated creatures clustered around something.
The main gate to the building was close, only about a hundred meter away, but with that many creatures gathered in front of it, sneaking inside was nearly impossible.
"Goddamnit," Myles hissed, gritting his teeth. His eyes darted around, searching for an escape or another entrance, but nothing stood out. There was no way past them without a fight.
He ducked behind a large, abandoned truck, pressing his back against the rusted metal. Nadine quickly followed, her breathing shallow, panic flickering in her eyes.
"What do we do now?" she asked, her voice tight with fear.
Myles didn’t answer immediately. He was thinking.
The first thing he needed to do was allocate his attribute points. He had leveled up during their escape, and those points could make the difference between survival and death.
He took a deep breath and pulled up his status window in his mind, focusing on the glowing interface only he could see.
Myles now had ten attribute points to distribute. Every point counted.
His Fireball skill had barely affected the mutated dog earlier, but the mutated creatures in front of him don’t looks different from the usual that can be burned by his skill.
Two things stood out, MP and Strength.
MP would allow him to cast more Fireball, giving him a better chance of dealing sustained damage if they ended up in a fight.
Strength would enhance his physical attacks and give him a better shot at breaking through enemies if they had to force their way inside the college.
Gritting his teeth, he quickly allocated the points. 4 to Wisdom and 6 to Strength for now.
As soon as he confirmed the distribution, a surge of energy coursed through his body. His muscles feeling stronger, and a faint warmth spread through his core as his MP reserves expanded.
Myles flexed his fingers. He felt the difference immediately. His body was slightly more powerful and his mind was sharper.
He turned to Nadine, who was watching him anxiously.
"We’re gonna have to fight our way through," Myles said.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she swallowed hard and nodded.
Myles scanned the ground quickly, searching for anything they could use as weapons. A metal pipe, a few bricks, and an old wrench lay scattered nearby. Nothing ideal, but better than nothing.
He grabbed the wrench and, then pointed at the metal pipe. "Take the pipe," he told Nadine.
She didn’t hesitate, immediately picking it up.
"Listen, we have to fight our way there. There’s no other way," Myles said firmly.
Nadine swallowed hard, her eyes darting toward the horde of mutated creatures blocking their path. Fear flickered across her face.
"But there are too many of them," she said, her voice shaking.
"I can see that," Myles replied, his jaw tightening. "We don’t have a choice. That big dog will be done with those boys any second now, and when it’s finished, it’s going to come after us. We have to reach that gate immediately."
Nadine exhaled sharply, gripping the pipe with both hands. She glanced at the creatures again, then at Myles. Her fear hadn’t disappeared, but she understood.
"Alright," she muttered. "Let’s do this."
Myles took one last look at their surroundings. There was no time for a perfect plan, only action.
He clenched his fists, feeling the surge of power from his increased Strength. His Fireball spell would be their best chance at cutting through the swarm.
He took a deep breath. "We move fast. Stay close to me. The moment I attack, we run straight for the gate. I will not go back to pick you up if you stopped."
Nadine gave a tight nod.
Myles stepped out from behind the truck, raising his hand. His palm burned hot as flames gathered, swirling into a ball of fire.
He aimed at the densest part of the horde and launched it.
The fireball shot forward, streaking through the air before exploding in the middle of the creatures. A burst of flames engulfed them, their shrieks filling the street as burning flesh filled the air.
"Now!" Myles shouted.
They sprinted.
The explosion had scattered the creatures, some still writhing in flames, but others turned toward them.
Myles didn’t stop. He swung his wrench at the nearest creature, the impact cracking its skull as it stumbled back.
Nadine followed his lead, gripping the metal pipe tightly as she smashed it into another creature’s ribs.
The gate was getting closer. But so were the creatures.
One lunged at Myles from the side. He barely managed to dodge by twisting his body as the creature’s claws grazed his arm. With a snarl, he brought the wrench down on its head, sending it crashing to the ground.
More were coming.
Myles gritted his teeth. They had to reach that gate before they were overwhelmed.
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