Maria stood by the staircase door as she prayed for the man who was fighting for his life. Her eyes didn’t leave the night sky. While others were crying in joy as the threat was no longer above their heads. She, on the other hand, was hoping to see that big bird again.

Then something caught her eyes. Not only her, a few attentive people around the rooftop saw the descending object from above. The speed it was dropping was astonishing.

“Jason,” she called his name out loud.

Yet she wasn’t sure whether that man was still hanging on to that ancient prehistoric bird.

Please be safe, thought Maria.

The sight of the speeding ebony pterodactyl scared the wits out of all people on the rooftop. Those who knew better took the chance and ran for their lives downstairs.

Then it came.

BANG.

A loud thunderous bang exploded as the whole hotel building shook. People screamed and shouted as chaos ensued. Cloud of dust covered the whole rooftop and as minutes passed by the dust dispersed revealing a huge hole on the roof.

One of the men in black took the courage to see what was inside of the hole. What he saw was too much for him to explained.

Maria was on the floor as she tried to regain her balance. The sudden quake from the fall caught her off guard. She didn’t bother about the hole on the roof as downstairs she heard people pleading for help. While some screaming and crying.

A bad feeling caught up to her as she fled downstairs. The moment she exited out the door, her pace slowed down and her eyes wide open.

“Woah,” she almost lost balance as her reflex was fast enough to retreat a few steps back.

Maria almost fell into a huge hole. With the sole cause of it was the ebony pterodactyl laid there among the rubble and debris of the rooftop. The fall impact made it gouged out a hole three-floor deep.

“The guys,” Maria remembered about the people she left behind. Her feet were light as she made her way near the windows. A breath of relief seeing the whole group was safe. They were cowering at the corner in fear.

“Maria, what’s going on?” Eugene saw the arrival of Maria and didn’t hesitate to ask.

“It’s the…”

Her words fell short.

“Kaww,” the ebony pterodactyl let out a shriek that echoed within this damage restaurant. There’s nothing left of the so-called Michelin star eatery.

That single shriek made the people to cower in fear, Maria included. She turned and stooped down her body. Her hands automatically reached out for her handgun. Her eyes stared at the creature immobilized by the debris on its body.

Its head which was the only part of it free of anything weakly moved around.

It tried to move its body but it’s too weak. Each time it tried to moved the people gasped in fear. Even in fear they didn’t run. The sight of the creature close to death at least made them brave enough to just see it up close.

While the people on the rooftop saw it firsthand from above.

“The creature is still alive, send some men downstairs,” said one the men in black.

Soon the restaurant floor was filled with people dressed in black suits and black shades. They circled the monster from every angle with their gun aiming at the creature.

At this point, most of them knew that their guns were useless. But seeing the flying dinosaur was weak, who knows, it might do something.

Maria approached closer to the ebony pterodactyl. Her steps were slow and cautious.

“Step aside, this is under the jurisdiction of us,” one of the men in black saw Maria approached the circle they have made.

“I don’t take orders from a bunch bodyguards protecting a snob. Block my way and I’ll put a bullet on your head,” Maria wasn’t the type to back down. She had been dealing with criminals for ten years and those people are more aggressive than these bunch of stoic men in black goons.

The man in black flinched while those colleagues around him didn’t bother backing him up. A sour feeling and he let Maria go.

Maria came closer to the edge of the hole. The ebony pterodactyl was still trying to move its entire body but failing at each time.

While others were interested in the bird, Maria was looking elsewhere. She was trying to find clues about the whereabouts of a man.

But then, the ebony pterodactyl let out a powerful desperate shriek.

“Kawww.”

BANG.

Someone just pulled the trigger. Like domino falling one after another, the men in black pulled their trigger.

Shots were fired hitting the beast. It swung its head a few more times crashing against the edge of the hole. But in the end, its head fell on the floor. Limp with no energy left.

Then a rubble on top of the ebony pterodactyl moved. A shadow was emerging from underneath.

BANG.

Some dumb piece of shit just shot another round at the moving rubble. Afraid of what might appear from underneath the rubble and debris.

But contrary to the nervous people, a loud humane voice echoed through the surroundings.

“Argh, the fuck.”

A shout full of pain and anger. People were bewildered but not Maria. She recognized that voice and curse.

“Hold your fire,” she shouted.

“Jason, is that you?” she asked while shouting across the whole pit.

A person emerged underneath the rubble. Dust covered him from head to toe. Crimson blood dyed his left shoulder as some idiot just shot him.

“Who the fuck shot me?” his voice rang in the air. People couldn’t believe a man just appeared from within the hole and right on top of the dead beast.

One of the men in black retreated a few steps. Beads of sweats drenched his forehead. If it wasn’t for the black shades people would have noticed it much easier.

The man within the hole kept turning around as his eyes were looking for the perpetrator. His hand glowed in green as it covered the wounded shoulder. Seconds later it healed.

Jason couldn’t find the one who shot him but now wasn’t the time for meaningless things. He swung his right arm that was holding on to the horn sword. Flicking off the dust from it. He made his way to the head of the ebony pterodactyl.

Standing just a foot away he stared down at the greatest adversary that he just fought. Although he fought in a crude and cheap manner, it was still a win no matter what. He almost died from that fall and if it wasn’t for him healing his entire body at the moment impact, he would have the same fate as this prehistoric bird.

Unlike last time, I made sure to keep a few points for healing.

A self-praising comment for himself as Jason held the horn sword up high. His stare at the ebony pterodactyl gave only one meaning.

Die.

The horn sword stabbed right through the eyes of the ebony pterodactyl. The people around the hole didn’t understand why Jason stabbed the creature in the eye but the moment he did, everyone understood.

“Kawww,” it was still alive and breathing.

It wanted to retaliate but the horn sword struck it deep inside its head. The merciless man pushed it even further deeper until half of the horn sword was lost from sight. Jason made sure to angle it further towards its brain. It was best to make sure it stays dead.

Soon, it stopped moving.

Jason stood motionless with his hands still on the horn sword, waiting for something.

Then it arrived.

Jason’s level increased to level 16

Jason is the first out of the many to fight against monsters that went beyond his capabilities. An achievement, unknown to the rest of the world.

A courageous lad that push himself to the limit. Jason has gained this honor.

Jason obtained a new title, The First Level Usurper

“Oh, interesting.”

From the beginning, he had fought against monsters that were beyond his level and those experiences didn’t go to waste. A title was born that befit the man that held it. He, like always smiled. Who wouldn’t smile obtaining precious goods? Yet it wasn’t only him.

Maria stood at the edge of the hole with a smile on her beautiful face. Yet a blue window popped up in front of her.

“Level 3,” she muttered as her eyes traced back to the sight of Jason. Her meager assistance in shooting down the ebony pterodactyl, albeit it was useless it was still deemed as a contribution. Then she realized something.

“Not only me but the others,” her eyes darted around.

“Something just popped up in front of me,” the one who shot Jason stumbled on his feet and fell on his bottom.

He was surprised but he wasn’t alone.

To his words, every single person who shot at the ebony pterodactyl experienced the same thing.

The first awakening of the many.