SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: [STATUS]
"Blacksmithing? It's been a while since I've heard that, crafting weapons the old-fashioned way," Jon muttered as he opened the first page of the book, intrigued by its contents.
Blacksmithing had become a rare trade, overshadowed by the advancements of modern technology. It seemed almost obsolete, but Jon was genuinely considering diving into it. He didn't know why, but he felt like it would be interesting.
He was already seeing quite a number of unranked grade weapons around and he would see more in the future. So he had a thought, "Wouldn't it be great to forge my own gear?" he mused, closing the book and slipping it into his bag.
"Now let's look at it fully." Then, he called out to his 'Status.'
[STATUS]
[NAME: JON WHYTE]
[AGE: 19]
[LEVEL: 9]
[CLASS: NONE]
[TITLE: NONE]
[STRENGTH: 30 AGILITY: 28(6) STAMINA: 38(7) MANA: 300 HEALTH: 30]
[SKILLS: INSTANT CALCULATION (FIRST REALM) LEVEL 5, MOON (FIRST REALM) LEVEL 5,]
[PASSIVE SKILLS: COMPOSURE (THIRD REALM) LEVEL 5, SOLDIER'S PHYSIQUE (EVOLVABLE)]
[STATUS POINTS: 24]
"So my name, age, level, and is this what I think it is?" He had read quite a number of novels in his younger days, so just seeing the layout of the status, he could relate. It even became more potent when he saw the term 'class'.
"So like a job of some sort, like healer, summoner, swordsman. Wow, this is really crazy." Because of the life threatening situations they had been thrown into from the start, he hadn't fully accepted everything that was happening yet.
"So, a system in real life." Though, he didn't know if it meant exactly the same as he knew. Then he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and went to the next thing on his status.
"Hmm...Title" After seeing class, it was not so surprising to see title. "From what I know, a title is given for an accomplishment." He nodded his head as it began to make sense. Maybe it wasn't the same, but it was similar.
'Imagine getting 'destruction' as my title.' He laughed at the thought of it and looked at the next.
"Now, strength 30?" He looked at it again and again. He didn't remember it been this high before, then it was still 20. 'Now that I think about it, the only recent thing that could cause it was 'soldier physique'.'
"So, my stats increased after the restructuring?" His face turned from one of confusion to a smiling one. Even after the knowledge of a soldier he currently had, he was liking everything about the skill.
The first time he opened his status, most of his stats were 5, and currently because of the knowledge he has, he knew that was the average of any human being. And because of the knowledge, he also knew that 10 in each stats were for athletes that were specialized in those areas, or a special soldier like he had just become.
So with his new restructured body, one could say, he was now three times faster than the fastest person on earth before the fall, and six times faster than the average human.
"So, killing zombies can level me up, and I can get stronger by acquiring skills like 'Soldier's Physique." He mused at the situation he was in.
Honestly, it felt like a cheat, but nothing was cheating when it came to a fight for survival.
"So, strength should be like power induced in my attacks, right? then agility is speed and maneuvering ability, stamina is how long I can last..." He subconsciously looked around after saying the last part and sighed in relief upon seeing no one.
"Hmm, mana..." The information that got transferred to him upon getting his first orb already thought him on how to use mana.
Whirr...
Stretching out his hands, a whitish glow appeared over his hand; that was mana. However, that was all he could do for now and activate his skills with it. 'But this mana is really interesting.' his head begun spinning on ways to use it, however he was still very limited and the reason for that is another story for later.
Removing the mana, he looked at the next one which was health. Nothing needed to be said on that, it was as direct as the word spelt.
Among his physical stats, he noticed his agility was his lowest stat at this moment. So, he thought of focusing of it for a while, then moved on to his skills.
They were divided into passive and the just skills, which would make them 'active' skills. 'So, passive work on their own most of the time and the skill is meant to be activated.' He nodded in understanding as he moved on his skills themselves.
He now had time to check their description as well. However, if there was a thing he knew, the descriptions were too vague, it just gave him the basic use and left him to the rest and they were like he seen immediately he got the skills, so he didn't waste time on them.
Finally, he looked at the 'Status point'. 'Is it like extra stats, so I can add it to any stats?'
Wanting to test it out he said, "Then add 2 points to agility."
Surprisingly it worked immediately, he felt a bit of rush enter his body and once it stopped, his body felt lighter than before, and with that his stats were all balanced.
"Phew...done with that." he then sank into the bed and let out a long breath.
An hour had passed since he started sorting through the rewards from the orbs and figuring out the system. With another hour left, his thoughts naturally wandered to his parents.
He hadn't brought his phone to the stadium, which left him worrying. His father's message replayed in his mind; a cryptic warning tied to the chaos happening now.
Were his parents safe? If so, why wasn't he with them? So many questions popped up in his mind, hinting at the possibility that they had abandoned him. Still, that message was the only hope he clung to, 'Meet us soon', that was the only part that still made him not bother too much about them.
Jon remembered the closeness they once had, up until he turned sixteen. After that, everything changed. They grew distant, sending him off to school for entire semesters without contact and when they did see, they acted as though nothing was wrong and left again.
By the time he turned eighteen, he had stopped caring, and at that point, they were like strangers in the same house.
Perhaps it was the weight of the recent restructuring, or maybe another effect of his composure skill, but a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him.
As his eyes were closing, a girl flashed in his memory, he wanted to mutter out her name, but, he drifted away.
***
IN SPACE DIRECTLY ABOVE EARTH,
Space, a place humans could not survive without protection and preventive measures, was now like a stepping ground to a pair of individuals who defied that rule, using it to take a view. The couple floated, gazing at Earth below, a view reserved for the extremely wealthy or those lucky enough to journey into space.
And even then, most saw it through the safety of reinforced glass.
But not this couple. They stood, unshielded and unprotected watching the planet in all its splendor.
"Are you sure?" the woman asked, her voice thick with emotion. Her tear-filled eyes betraying her struggle to stay in place.
"Yes," the man replied firmly but his face mirrored her turmoil, "Let's go," he said softly.
The woman gave a silent nod and vanished, leaving the man standing alone. After five long minutes, he too disappeared, leaving only a single tear to streak across the void.
***
An hour later in the only standing female's dorm,
Jon's eyes fluttered open. He first looked blankly at his surrounding until his thoughts began to clear, and the weight of reality hit him again. The system, survival, zombies, everything all came down crashing together.
He just stood up and washed his face in the bathroom, grabbed his spear, and left the room.
Down in the lobby, Jenny was waiting for him, however she wasn't alone.
Standing next to her was the girl he had seen earlier, cream hair, green eyes, and a stunning figure that would be hard to forget; Cynthia.
Jenny, facing away from the entrance, was chatting with Cynthia, who was the first to spot Jon. Their eye contact barely lasted two seconds before Jenny turned around and started toward him.
"Hey, are you...whoa!" Jenny exclaimed.
"What?" Jon asked.
"Is it just me, or did you get taller?"
"Taller?" Only then did Jon realize the changes in his body. His previous sense of emptiness had vanished, replaced with the strength of a soldier's physique making his body feel normal, nothing more or less.
He had been around 5'10" just two hours ago, but now he stood a solid 6 feet tall.
"Wow, I didn't even notice. I've always wondered what it'd be like to be 6 feet." But there wasn't much time to savor the change. In a world where something could make you grow taller at a whim, there was little room to wonder or wish.
"So, are we heading out?" he asked.
"Yeah, but she said she wanted to come too, and I didn't know how you'd feel, so I brought her along," Jenny said, gesturing to Cynthia, who shot Jon a look that said, even if you say no, I'm still coming.
With a resigned sigh, Jon nodded. "Alright."
The trio then approached the hostel's entrance, where three security officers were stationed in case of zombie attacks.
"Are you sure you want to go out there?" one of the officers asked, concern in his voice. It was obvious they had spoken about it previously.
They hesitated briefly, but the effects of their skills kicked in, bolstering their resolve. After nodding their heads, they were let through the door and stepped into the night.
It was dark, darker than usual and strangely quiet.
They had partially expected to see zombies loitering around the entrance, however they saw nothing. Even the flickering streetlights did little to push back the heavy darkness that cast over everything. As the saying goes, you never know what the night will bring.
They should have felt fear at this moment, however their passive skill kept them calm. As for Jon, he felt the strongest right now, to the point he felt if he met that zombie now, it wouldn't last that many exchanges before it fell.
And not wanting to spoil the mood, "Nice to meet you, Jon." He looked at Cynthia who was on the other side of Jenny.
"You too, Cynthia." She glanced back and nodded. And it seemed she was waiting for someone to start-up a conversation because the moment spoke, she suggested, "We might find some zombies behind the hostels."
"Yeah"
"Alright,"
Jenny and Jon agreed to her suggestion. After all, they could feel the confidence and certainty dripping from the words she spoke.