I almost forgot something.
When my status screen appeared after the evolution... there was one thing still pending. A promise made by the system when I first received the mission.
[Main Mission: First Evolution – COMPLETED]
Reward: Special Dress – Auto Repair
Reward sent to inventory. Would you like to equip it now?
[YES] / [NO]
I stared at the virtual button, a little hesitant but also curious. Honestly, I didn't expect the system to actually follow through with a fashion reward. But hey—who could say no to free clothes?
"YES."
A deep red light wrapped around my body. The ragged coat I picked up from that store a week ago turned into shimmering dust. Replaced by a dress that looked like it was sewn from shadows themselves.
Pitch black, with streaks of blood-red. Torn in places—not from age, but as if designed to emphasize that its wearer was something that had died... and returned.
The dress fluttered softly with my movement. Its fabric felt cold, but not uncomfortable. Almost like it fused with my skin.
"Perfect for a stylish undead like me," I muttered, twirling slowly to let the hem of the dress dance around me.
But that day, I couldn't just sit and play dress-up. Evolution meant new responsibilities—and stronger enemies.
I began hunting again.
What I found was... underwhelming.
Rank 0 enemies, the ones I used to hunt for level-ups, now gave almost no experience. They were just walking meat. No real threat. Even my basic strikes could tear them apart like soaked paper.
No thrill. No pressure. Just leftover flesh and the stench of old blood.
I needed a new challenge.
All afternoon I wandered through alleys, crumbled apartments, and misty underground parking lots. Occasionally I'd spot a mutant animal—three-eyed cats or hairless, oversized dogs—that would snarl and then flee. They weren't stupid. They knew I wasn't an easy target anymore.
Still, my effort paid off.
Level up: 0 → 2 Skill [Claw] has reached maximum level.
Skill evolved into: Sharp Nails (Lv 1)
Effect: User's nails extend and harden like metal blades. Can pierce light armor. Each attack carries a zombie poison effect – accelerates target tissue decay.
I stood beneath the moonlight, atop a half-collapsed building, and stared at my hands.
My nails, once cracked and dull, had transformed into sleek, sharp blades of dark metal. A faint greenish sheen pulsed at the tips—like a whisper of death ready to spread.
I swung my hand slowly, and the sharpness sang in the air like a whispering scythe.
"I'm... really becoming more of a monster," I whispered.
But a part of me didn't fear that. It felt proud.
This monster... had fangs now.
Night fell. The wind carried the scent of rot and burnt dust. I returned to my little room, my steps light and steady despite the ruined world outside. My new dress remained intact—though now stained with blood and bits of flesh.
I sat down, leaning against the rusted iron door, and stared at the cracked ceiling.
This body...This strength...They still felt unfamiliar, yet slowly… they were becoming home.
And with every step I took, with every creature I struck down, I felt myself getting closer. To something. A destiny? A purpose? Or maybe... my new place in this broken world.
I didn't know.
But I would keep moving forward.