When I finally calmed down, I saw myself covered with blood. The beasts’ blood didn’t look different from mine, but that didn’t make me feel any less disgusted. Besides, I had other worries.

“Damn it; it hurts like hell! I have to clean up these wounds because if the wound gets infected, then, surely I will die. I don’t want to even think about it!”

I survived, but my life wasn’t out of danger. In the best-case scenario, those wounds would hinder my movement a little, and if I’m unlucky, I would lose a member or two or even die.

“I shouldn’t think about this… I should hope for the best.”

Since my mother was a doctor, I knew how to clean wounds and even apply first aid. Besides, I had a first aid kit ready to be used at a moment’s notice inside my home. While I was cleaning my wounds, I kept an eye on the door, but fortunately, no other oversized rat came. Many things happened too fast, but I didn’t have the leisure or the interest in them. I only had to focus on the most important thing: avoid my death.

Even though the beasts’ claws looked very sharp, none of their attacks managed to reach my muscles and bones. After cleaning the wounds, I covered them with some bandages because that was the only thing I could do. After all, I didn’t have the skill or the nerve to use a needle and close the wounds.

“All right, time to form a plan of action.”

Something weird and dangerous was happening, and that something probably was happening in the entire city. One hour and a half have passed since I woke up, but I didn’t hear anything, not even the police, ambulance, or firefighters. The city was silent like a cemetery.

“Something happened last night… but what? Probably, the militaries have an answer. All right, then. Time to reunite with my parents, in this situation, they can’t complain if I suddenly return to my true home.”

But before that, I had to change clothes and get rid of the smell of blood. Otherwise, some people would think I was a criminal. I intended to take a shower, but no water came. To make matters worse, not a single electronic device in my house was working.

“Fantastic! Half of my food went bad…”

I was really in a precarious situation. I was still smelling of blood since I couldn’t clean myself properly and all the food that I could carry was some bread, cookies, and three liters of lemonade. However, I was a little more comfortable because I was wearing my relaxing clothes, which was a blue t-shirt, gray shorts, and my favorite sneakers. Dressed like that, I could move freely and silently.

“Well, this should be enough to cross the city. Probably the buses and the subway aren’t working, but I should be able to reach them before the sunset. It’s just twenty kilometers after all. It’ll be easy, right?”

Even though I said that I wasn’t confident enough, the chances of me encountering that horde of beasts along the way weren’t exactly low. Besides, I almost died fighting only three, if I face more of them, or if I get ambushed. Then there was no doubt that I would die. While I was thinking about that, I noticed something on the left corner of my vision, as I concentrated, that thing became bigger and more visible.

HP: 45/50

MP: 25/50

STA:45/50

Evolution Orbs: 03

Evolution Coins: 03

“… It’s like a game screen. Maybe this a dream after all, or maybe I’m hallucinating, or I’m crazy. Better keep quiet about this and casually ask about this to my parents.”

Since I didn’t know if I would return to this house, I put everything that could be useful inside my backpack: a lantern, some batteries, those two knives, a few clothes, and food. Maybe I had been too rough, but the arrows I used were damaged beyond repair. Besides, the smell of blood on the arrows was even stronger than the scent on me. That would probably attract those beasts, and that was the last thing that I wanted. A confrontation would have to be my last resort; avoid them was the smartest thing that I could do.

“All right, time to move on.”

Sharpening my senses, I tried to hear any noise coming from outside my home, but I didn’t hear anything. For some reason, only a few rats separated themselves from the horde. Probably, I would find some rats inside other houses. But I didn’t have any intention in doing that. Carefully, I opened the half-destroyed door and looked at my surroundings. I couldn’t see any of the beasts on the streets, but now, I could hear the noise of something inside of a house being destroyed. Some rat was busy, and I decided to use that to my advantage and gain some distance, and so I did. With bow and arrow ready to shot, I took short, but fast and silently steps towards downtown.

After running for just two hundred meters, I had to stop. Because I saw two rats leaving the garage of a house, as fast as I could, I took cover behind a few trash cans.

‘That was close; they almost saw me.’

Even though I was on the other side of the street if I were a second slower, a fight would be unavoidable. I was only ten meters away from them. From that distance, I wouldn’t have time to kill both of them. So I decided to stay quiet and wait for them to leave; however, to my frustration, they didn’t move an inch.

‘Fucking oversized beasts… move already. I don’t have time to waste with you.’

Thanks to some gaps between the trash cans, I could see them. The creatures stood still, moving their noses from one side to another.

‘Holy crap, are they feeling my smell?’

If that was the case, I didn’t have time to lose; I had to act. It was risky, but I had to aim at the beasts, even before I could completely see them. That was the only way. Slowly I began to concentrate.

‘Remember…Pull the string as much as possible, don´t tremble, and breathe deeply. Then shot!'

As I said that to myself, I began to create the image of a perfect shot on my head. If I follow those steps, my aim will be steady, and then the crosshair will do the rest of the work.

‘All right…if I slowly got up, they won’t see me immediately. With luck, I’ll have a few seconds to aim.’

Before I got up, I breathed a few times deeply. While steeling my nerves, I got up with the bow, and I aimed at them. Since my movement was slow, they didn’t notice me. Thanks to that, I managed to shot at the head of one of them. Before the beast could fall and the other could understand what happened, I already was picking another arrow. Everything went smoothly on the second time, again I took a few seconds to aim, but since the creature was already jumping towards me, I could hit its stomach. The beast fell on the ground and screamed, but only for a second, since my third arrow pierced its head.

Fortunately, the scream wasn’t long enough to reach the ears of the other rats. But even though everything went according to plan. I wasn’t happy, after all, I lost ten minutes, thanks to only two of those creatures.

You have obtained 02 Evolution Orbs.

You have obtained 02 Evolution Coins.

‘This is bad; at this rate, it’ll take weeks to reach my parents’ home.’

Since just thinking wouldn’t solve anything, I began to run again. It was safer to avoid fighting those beasts, but that would make me waste too much time.

‘Guess, I’ll have to take some risks and fight those things, instead of hiding from them.’

The best way to move without wasting time was being ready to shot at any moment. Realizing that, I stopped running and began to walk at my average speed. Always breathing deeply and focusing my intention in all directions. Thanks to that, my aim was almost entirely steady. That made me move at a satisfying speed, but after, twenty minutes, I was exhausted.

‘Even though I didn’t fight… It’s too difficult and exhausting keeping myself alert at every single moment. I had to relax a little more; all that effort had been wasted since nothing appeared to block my way.’

Before I could think of any solution, I found another rat blocking my path. But it was, strange; the creature was in front of a house which was on fire. The beast seemed to be in a daze while looking at the flames.

‘That’s weird… maybe the heat attracts these things. That would explain why those three beasts came to my house; they felt my body heat. After all, nothing in my home was on fire, but why only three of them came?’

I could test that theory in another moment; besides, I wouldn’t waste a chance like that not even in a million years. Slowly I repeated those actions, but the crosshair was moving around the creature, and I knew why.

‘Damn it… my arms are already tired.’

Even though I wasn’t particularly strong, my body was fit enough. However, pulling the bowstring for so much time was a great effort. Thanks to that, I missed the shot, and the creature found me.

‘Fucking hell!’

That thing was a dangerous creature, but it was still a rat. I didn’t find many beasts, but every single of them attacked using the same pattern, they run, then they jump, and they aim their claws at my head. Because of that, I didn’t miss the second shot; I killed the creature in midair when it was five meters away from me. Without confirming if I hit or not, I jumped to the side. It was the sound of the creature silently rolling on the ground that made me realize that I managed to kill it. Again I was breathing with difficulty, and this time, my body was trembling like hell.

You have obtained 01 Evolution Orb.

You have obtained 01 Evolution Coin.

‘This is terrible for my heart… I really have to think of something to avoid combat... And these weirds messages again...’

After I got up, I looked at surroundings looking for a solution to all my problems. But I only found more questions than answers.

‘I left my home half an hour ago, but I didn’t find anyone yet. Come to think of it; I didn’t see any vehicles either, not even bicycles. What the hell happened to this city?’

Maybe this city was evacuated overnight while I was sleeping, but that didn’t make any sense. Such a thing would make a lot of noise and commotion. Besides, I didn’t find any signal of evacuation; the city looked normal but without life.

‘I wonder if they are still at home… maybe this trip is just a waste of time, and they left the city too, or worse. No, don’t think about it. In situations like this, it’s better to keep moving.’

Putting my fears aside, I began to move again. This time I was looking more carefully at the houses. If I find someone, maybe I would be able to hear some answers, besides, walking in groups was safer than walking alone. If I couldn’t find anyone, at least I could borrow someone’s car for a while, with the city in this state, no would complain. I would only borrow after all. However, to my despair, I didn’t find anything, no people, no vehicles, no bicycles, no skates… just rats and more rats.

‘How can this be even possible? Is this some joke?’

At that point, I was already questioning if the whole situation wasn’t just a well-elaborated joke. Maybe someone was trying to mess with me, but even for a joke, that was going too far. The pain I was feeling thanks to those wounds wasn’t something to laugh at after all.

‘Don’t think about it… those questions won’t do me any good, for now at least.’

I didn’t know if I was lucky or not, but until midday, I only found one or two rats at a time. However, I was at my limit. I could barely pull the bow’s string for more than three seconds, not only that. I was also starving; possibly twenty-four hours had passed since my last meal.

‘I guess it’s time to take a break; I’m almost at that street after all.’

That street name was St Louis Street, even though I was currently living in the southern part of the city, that street would lead me straight to my parents' house, the only problem was the distance to reach, which was fifteen kilometers.

‘I won’t arrive there before sunset, after all… anyway, where I can take a break?’

Fortunately, I had a few options, since I was close to one of the most famous streets of the town. At that moment I was near many medium-sized factories. Most of them were protected thanks to three meters tall walls. But others were protected by metal fences, jump over those fences would be hard, but I wouldn’t have to do that. Since I found a hole in one of those fences and one of those big rats was stuck in it.

‘I already knew that, but those things claws are indeed powerful… but why this beast opened this hole?’

That factory didn’t have any signboards, so I wasn't able to tell what was produced there.

‘This will be a mess…’

When I was only five meters away, the creature tried to free itself more fiercely, but I wouldn’t give that chance to that damn beast. The rat died instantly thanks to an arrow pierced on the back of its head. But that was just the beginning of my headache. The creature was stuck in the hole, and I would have to put that thing out of my way. Thanks to that, at the end of the job, I was covered with blood again.

‘The guy who created these creatures… I’ll punch him in the face one of these days.’

Quickly I crossed the fence and looked for an entrance to the building. Fortunately, I found a half-opened window. Without wasting time, I opened the window and jumped inside.

“I guess this factory makes shoes.”

It seemed that I was in a deposit since I could see many boxes and shoes around. But that didn’t matter, the place was clean enough, and I was safe, and I could use that place to rest. However, before I could do anything, I felt something touching my back, and I heard a disturbing click behind me.

“Drop your bow and put your hands where I can see them unless you want a new hole in your body.

It was a male voice, and I finally understood why that rat was trying to enter in this factory. My day was getting better and better.