Some of the students had broken away from their struggle for survival, some pale at the sheer brutality, others vomiting onto the floor, leaving an opening their attackers wouldn't waste.
A boy with wavy brown hair was pierced through the stomach by the arm of the creature before him, collapsing to the ground, a pool of blood forming slowly in front of him.
Screams echoed from every direction, not just from the classroom Victor was in, but also from the ones next door.
Without taking the time to catch his breath, Victor pressed on, rushing toward the next target. Only two remained now, Lucie and Mickaël having already eliminated those in front of them.
He struck the chest of the fallen creature that had impaled the boy, bringing it crashing to the floor.
Victor's vision began to blur, his breathing ragged.
The few minutes of combat had exhausted him far more than he had anticipated.
Gathering his last strength, he straddled the monster's chest, and, without giving it a single moment's respite, slammed blow after blow into its face, making its limbs tremble with each hit.
Blood now stained his clothes and face, black and inhuman, accompanied by a vile coppery smell that began to slowly fill the room.
[You have slain a Fallen.]
[Level Up. You gain 5 free points.]
The message confirming his adversary's elimination appeared before him, halting his actions.
Victor looked around, slightly surprised to see that the other Fallen had been eliminated by his classmates, particularly the blonde girl and the muscular boy.
He stood and sat down in a corner, the fight, though brief, had been intense, especially for someone like him, unused to physical exertion.
Victor suspected that without the experience he'd had in the strange sumulation earlier, he would have died without a chance of survival.
Mickaël and Lucie cautiously approached. His display of power, combined with his unsettling appearance, did not put them at ease.
Lucie spoke first.
« Hey, do you know what the fuck is going on ? »
Victor didn't even look at her, lost in thought. He had had very little time to process the events and their implications.
The blonde didn't linger, seeing he didn't wish to respond and having witnessed the strength he displayed, she decided not to push further.
Mickaël, however, did not seem to have the same sense. He grabbed Victor's shoulder roughly, catching him off guard.
Victor reacted in less than a second, grabbing the hand on his shoulder and flinging its owner to the ground.
« What the hell are you doing?! »
Mickaël ended up on his back, Victor's face only inches from his own.
Their eyes met. The hazel eyes of the boy on the ground still held a childlike, innocent light. Normal for any adolescent raised without exposure to horror.
But Victor's eyes were different, dark, cold. Mickaël felt as though he was staring into an abyss that could swallow him whole, not to mention Victor's unnaturally wide mouth, frozen in a twisted smile.
« Don't touch me. »
Victor had never liked physical contact, it reminded him too much of his childhood, memories he desperately wished to forget or at least avoid.
Some traumas are so deeply rooted in a person's mind that even a well-meaning touch can make them relive every second of their worst nightmare.
Before he could be interrupted, Victor considered his next move.
He longed to roam and eliminate as many monsters as possible to gain power, but he was seriously lacking in strength, and his only available skill was useless at the moment.
One unlucky encounter with a strong enemy could send him straight back into his creator's grasp.
But no reward comes without risk, right?
He decided to leave the classroom, staying there would serve no purpose. He would simply wait for his inevitable death.
He released the boy on the ground and headed toward the door.
« Hey, shouldn't we stay here? »
« Yeah, we should wait for help! »
« The army will come save us for sure! »
To Victor's ears, these words sounded more like desperate prayers than genuine certainty, but it didn't matter.
He knew the truth.
No one would come.
And this time, he wouldn't tell them. He had already saved them once from certain death, he wouldn't do it a second time.
He was about to open the door when a voice stopped him.
« Wait ! »
Victor turned. It was Lucie.
He didn't know her very well, but he had noticed she was popular and far from stupid.
Her previously neat blonde hair was now disheveled, sweat streaking her face, mascara running, her blue jeans and white crop-top stained with black blood.
« Let me come with you ! »
She said, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.
Victor narrowed his eyes. If he had wanted, he could have convinced the others to follow, but he hadn't for a reason.
He wanted the experience for himself. If accompanied, it would be diluted, slowing his progress.
However, only one person seemed reasonable, and she appeared capable.
More importantly, unlike the others, she did not look at him with disgust, a rare occurrence.
« Fine, but you do as I say. »
The girl nodded, still grinning, and without looking back, they slipped into the corridor while the other students were occupied, some crying, others trembling in fear.
**
« So… what do you think is going on? »
« … »
« You know, all this level, skill stuff… it's starting to feel like a video game. Even if living it is way scarier than just holding a controller. What if someone is controlling us? What if it's our turn to be the game characters, and— »
Victor let out a long sigh, already regretting his decision.
Lucie pouted, clearly dissatisfied with being ignored.
« Did you think I brought you along for chit-chat? »
Victor had picked up a fire axe nearby in his classroom. Rudimentary, considering the threat he faced, but he had no other options.
They arrived at the door to the neighboring classroom. Victor didn't hesitate, kicking it in with a sharp blow, sending the wooden door flying. It wasn't very sturdy, and Victor was now twice as strong and fast as an average human.
A true carnage awaited inside.
Two dozen bodies lay scattered, limbs of all sizes strewn about like a minefield. The previously light brown floor was now dark red, tables and chairs flung in every direction.
Four creatures, motionless, stared into the void. One might almost think they were dead standing up, but Victor knew better.
They weren't dead.
They were waiting.
And the fruit of their patience had arrived.
Thud
Victor spun violently toward the sound behind him and found the girl on the floor, unconscious, pale as a ghost, likely shocked by the gruesome scene.
Victor had expected her to hold up better, but he was mistaken. After everything he had seen and experienced during the vision, this scene barely registered for him. He doubted anything could shock him now.
The sound of the blonde collapsing drew the creatures attention, they all turned their heads simultaneously. They had the same grotesque appearance as the Fallen Victor had already faced.
Gray skin, elongated limbs, featureless heads.
Nightmare fuel.
Without hesitation, Victor grabbed his axe tightly, fingers whitening from the pressure.
He launched himself with a powerful push off his right foot, covering more than five meters in two seconds, swinging the weapon toward the creature's face, which had no time to react before the blade sliced through its forehead effortlessly.
[You have slain a Fallen.]
A quick, precise elimination.
The three creatures reacted, letting out inhuman screams before charging Victor simultaneously.
He jumped over two meters into the air, having no time to stop, the creatures collided violently, staggering backward.
Seizing the opportunity, Victor lunged at the largest, aiming his makeshift weapon at its throat.
The creature's head hit the ground with a dull thud, a fountain of black blood spraying from its severed neck, landing on Victor's already dark clothes.
[You have…]
Victor turned and threw his axe like a tomahawk, landing squarely in the chest of one of the remaining two monsters, sending it crashing to the ground with high-pitched cries of pain.
The most important observation Victor made from his previous encounter was that these creatures, though seemingly mindless, were not impervious to pain, a huge advantage for him.
Had they charged him blindly, ignoring injuries, it could have been a major problem.
He tackled the last standing creature, fearless. Victor delivered an uppercut to its jaw, cracking it with a disgusting snap, followed by a well-placed kick to the chest, pushing it back several steps before colliding with the other creature.
Victor didn't wait for it to get up. He grabbed a metal leg from a broken chair nearby and smashed it down, piercing both creatures simultaneously.
[You have killed a Fallen.]
[..]
[Level Up. You gain 5 stat points.]