The moment Andrew read the description of the black crystal, he understood instinctively what he had to do.
He tightened his grip.
The crystal shattered in his palm with a brittle crack, dissolving into swirling black motes that spiraled around his fingers. The particles flickered like dying embers before vanishing—and in their place, a bow materialized.
It was midnight-black, sleek and deadly. Strange runic engravings coiled along its limbs, faintly pulsing with restrained power.
A window of information unfolded before his eyes.
---
[Name: Bow of the Magical Fragment
Grade: C
Type:Weapon (Bow)
Stats:
Strength: +10]
[Exclusive Effect:
+10 additional Strength when equipped by a Fire-Type Mage]
[Description:
A weapon forged by a renowned craftsman and imbued with powerful anti-monster magic. Its arrows possess penetrating force capable of ignoring the physical defense of most creatures below Level 30. Though a bow, it was crafted to perfectly resonate with the magical frequency of flame-wielding mages.]
[Passive Skills:]
[Infinite Arcane Arrow: The user requires no quiver. The bow automatically manifests arrows of pure magic upon drawing the string.
Pyromancer's Resonance: If the wielder possesses fire affinity, weapon compatibility reaches 100%, enhancing the wielder's physical parameters.]
---
Andrew stared at the weapon in his hand, stunned.
He had never held a bow before in his life—yet the moment his fingers brushed the string, he felt it hum in response, as though it had been waiting for him.
The engravings etched across its surface were written in a language he could not decipher. Still, he could feel the magic flowing beneath them—disciplined, ancient, and lethal.
He exhaled slowly.
With this bow, he no longer needed to risk his life in close combat. No more reckless charges. No more desperate stabs at point-blank range.
And simply by holding it, his Strength surged.
A fierce current coursed through his muscles. His body felt heavier, denser—like coiled steel ready to spring.
Curious, Andrew opened his status window.
---
[ Status]
[Name: Andrew Walker
Level: 5
Class: None
Title: None
HP: 190 / 190
MP: 120 / 120]
[Stats:
Strength: 30 (+20)
Agility: 18
Vitality: 19
Endurance: 25
Intelligence (Mana): 120
Magic Affinity: 120]
[Unassigned Sovereign Stat Points: (10)
[Equipment:
Bow of the Magical Fragment (Grade C)
Active Effect: +20 Strength (Fire Magic Resonance Detected)]
---
Fifty Strength.
Before the Sovereign Core System had descended upon the world, five grown men combined might not have matched that number.
Andrew allowed himself a small smile.
Growing stronger. Quantifiably stronger. Watching the numbers rise.
In a collapsing world, it was the only stability left.
Since no more zombies remained on floor the dormitory where it is currently located he allowed himself several minutes to rest. Physically, he was fine—leveling up restored his energy—but mentally…
He was exhausted.
Manipulating fire, maintaining vigilance, killing without pause—it wore at the mind in ways muscles could not reveal.
After roughly ten minutes, he moved toward the stairs.
---
When he reached the lower floor and glanced through a shattered window—
It felt as if hell had descended upon earth.
Students ran in chaotic terror across the campus grounds. Screams pierced the air. Blood painted the pavement.
Zombies staggered between overturned benches. Towering insects tore through crowds. Mutated animals—grotesquely oversized—hunted anything that moved.
And the creatures fought each other as well.
The defeated were devoured.
Strength consumed weakness.
Andrew tightened his grip on the bow.
Even if he did not consider himself sentimental… watching his fellow human beings be ripped apart was not easy.
Beside him, Brunilde's voice echoed softly.
"Humans slaughter pigs, sheep, cows, goats. They consume other species to survive."
Her tone was calm—almost detached.
"The world has changed. Humans are no longer the only hunters. The sooner you accept that… the easier it will be for you."
Andrew said nothing.
She wasn't wrong.
But understanding something intellectually did not mean embracing it emotionally.
Still—his priority was clear.
Survive.
And find his family.
Even if he had to crawl through this nightmare, he would live.
---
A girl sprinted across the courtyard, her face streaked with tears. Behind her, a creature that could barely be called a rat chased at terrifying speed.
It stood nearly five feet tall.
Its incisors were the length of knives.
Within seconds it tackled her, slamming her to the ground.
The rat opened its jaws.
A flash split the air.
The creature froze.
Then fire erupted from within its skull.
It collapsed, burning.
The girl stared upward in shock.
Andrew lowered the bow.
---
[Energy Fragments Absorbed – Mutated Rat Level 8.]
Agility +4
Endurance +4
---
"Get up," Andrew ordered sharply. "Follow me if you want to live. Move!"
He didn't wait for gratitude.
Another arrow manifested as he drew the string.
An enormous mutated hornet descended toward a fleeing student.
Release.
The arcane arrow pierced it mid-flight.
Flames consumed it instantly.
The girl scrambled to her feet and followed him without hesitation. The other rescued student did the same.
Andrew headed toward the gymnasium.
It was the most defensible structure nearby—no glass windows for creatures to breach.
He desperately wanted to search for his family.
But charging blindly into chaos without understanding the situation?
That would be suicide.
On the way, he saved over fifteen more students—mostly from animals and insects.
Those bitten by zombies… he left behind.
A scratch meant infection.
A bite meant transformation.
There was no cure.
---
Ahead, three students ran in terror while ten zombies pursued them.
They rounded a corner—
And collided with another group of ten.
They were surrounded.
One of them panicked—and a zombie's claws tore into his arm.
He screamed.
Then the sound of arrows split the air.
One.
Two.
Three.
In less than ten seconds, all twenty zombies burned to ash.
"Holy—!" a short boy named Matthew breathed in disbelief.
"Was there seriously an archer like that at our university?" a girl whispered, staring at the growing group behind Andrew.
Andrew did not correct them.
He had no archery training.
But the bow did not require skill—only direction.
Anything below Level 30 might as well have been paper.
Yet even he began to feel the toll.
Since leaving the dormitory, he had killed nearly eighty zombies, over ten giant insects, and three mutated rats.
His level had risen to 8.
He was far stronger than before.
But his mental stamina was thinning.
If he were surrounded while protecting others—
He could die.
Andrew approached the rescued group.
Before they could thank him, he pointed at the student who had been scratched.
"You can't come with us."
Silence fell instantly.
"What?!" the injured student shouted. "Why me!?"
"You were scratched," Andrew replied coldly. "I saw it."
The boy's face drained of color.
"You don't know that they're zombies!"
Andrew didn't argue.
The others stepped away from the injured student instinctively.
Andrew turned and began walking toward the gym.
The group followed.
Including the scratched boy.
Andrew stopped.
In a blur, he appeared in front of him and drove a crushing punch into his abdomen.
The student collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
"I told you. You can't follow."
Andrew walked away without another word.
No one protested.
Not even the boy's four friends.
Blood stained Andrew's clothes. The scent of death clung to him.
After killing more than a hundred monsters, an oppressive aura surrounded him.
No one dared challenge it.
From somewhere unseen, Brunilde watched him, her crimson eyes gleaming with fascination.
A slow, seductive smile curved her lips.
"This human…" she murmured softly, unseen and unheard.
"I like him more with every passing minute."