Looking at the four people staring at me with frozen expressions, I didn’t bother acknowledging them. Their wide eyes and silent mouths weren’t my concern. Not now. I simply turned away and focused on collecting the bodies lying on the ground.
One by one, I moved with purpose, ignoring the awkward tension hanging in the air.
Then I gnced at the spot where the agility user had fallen.
‘Shit… I forgot to check what he was reaching for on his back. That might’ve been a gun. Damn it—so that’s what the physic user was after. It all lines up now.’
The more I pieced it together, the more it made sense. If he had gotten his hands on it…
I shook my head.
Because I knew something important: when you use [Decompose] on a body, it breaks down everything physically attached—clothes, items, weapons, whatever’s part of the corpse. But if something isn’t connected—like a weapon being held loosely—it gets left behind.
It was a waste. I’d need to check more carefully next time.
Still, the cores were an exception. They remained behind, as if they were their own separate entity. Something the body couldn’t hold on to, even in death.
I crouched down and picked them up, feeling their faint energy pulsing against my palm.
Then I looked at Lena. She hadn’t said anything, just sat there frozen, stiff as stone. I thought about walking toward her, maybe saying something. But the look on her face—something between fear and distrust—was enough to tell me not to.
So I stopped myself. No point pushing it.
Instead, I simply tossed the three cores toward her feet. Let her decide what to do with them. Then, without another word, I turned and walked away.
---
I headed toward the room the three men had come from. The door was cracked open, the darkness behind it almost inviting. But as soon as I crossed the threshold, a wave of stench hit me like a sledgehammer.
It was thick, rotting, and so overwhelming I had to stagger back a step on instinct.
‘Okay… I take back what I said about joining them. What the hell is this smell? Were their noses broken or just dead?’
My hand reflexively shot up to cover my face. I pressed my nose tight, like someone about to dive underwater. I sucked in a breath, held it, and stepped inside before I could change my mind.
The room was dim, and it didn’t take long to see what caused the smell.
Blood. On the walls. On the floor. A crimson mess.
My eyes nded on a woman lying against the wall. There was a red smear across her neck, and something small clutched in her hand—a piece of broken gss. I flipped her over, checking her face. Young. Pale. Eyes still open, but empty.
I moved from one body to the next, examining them in silence. Most had obvious signs of violence. Bruises, cuts, worse. But her… she was different.
She seemed to be the st one left. And when everyone else was already out, instead of trying to escape, she chose this.
She took her life.
No hesitation.
Just a sliver of broken gss, and she ended it.
I stared at her a little longer than the rest before activating [Decompose].
One by one, the bodies faded away into particles.
Then, when I reached the girl—
> Ding! Gained ability [Regeneration] Lv1.
‘Jackpot.’
The notification rang like a gift. One I didn’t expect.
‘If she’d joined our group… she could’ve been a great support. Maybe even a nurse. I wouldn’t have to do all the patch-up work anymore. Damn.’
I stood there a moment longer, just quietly thinking.
‘Well, let’s just hope we meet someone else with this ability. For now… let’s see what it actually does.’
Regeneration lv15 (
Active:heal wounds 100%(note: this is based on a person's physic;)(ability LV) times a day;
Passive:heal wounds (100*0.0(ability LV)per second;)%(note this won't pass 50%);
---
I walked back outside and finally let myself breathe through my nose again. The fresh air—despite the lingering scent of blood—felt like a blessing compared to what I just walked through.
The group hadn’t moved much. Samantha and Lena were crouched near Ethan, trying to wake him up. He was still out cold.
I watched them for a second and thought to myself:
‘Man… having an above-average face really is a cheat code. Guess good looks do matter after all.’
I couldn’t help but scoff at the old saying: “looks don’t matter.” Bullshit. This guy gets knocked out, and girls line up to help him like he's the protagonist of some shoujo manga.
Then I noticed Samantha’s eyes drifting toward me. Not in gratitude. Not even curiosity.
More like suspicion. Disapproval.
Like she was waiting for me to prove her right—that I was the bad guy.
Whatever. I didn’t care.
Zach, though… He didn’t meet my eyes. Not once. Kept his head slightly down, shoulders tense. Like he already knew he messed up and didn’t want to be reminded of it.
Nathan was the only one who acknowledged me. Gave me a subtle nod. No words. No expressions. Just a nod.
---
Looking at my abilities, I took a deep breath.
‘System, level up Strength and Physic to level 15.’
> Ding!
-50 ability points used: Strength and Physic level up to level 6.
-60 ability points used: Strength and Physic level up to level 7.
-80 ability points used: Strength and Physic level up to level 8.
...
-140 ability points used: Strength and Physic level up to level 15.
As soon as I confirmed the upgrades, a sharp wave of heat surged through my muscles. It wasn’t painful—but it wasn’t comfortable either. My entire body felt like it was bracing against invisible pressure, like every fiber was tightening from the inside out. My skin prickled as if thickening, hardening—preparing for something worse.
It felt like I was shrinking, or rather, being compressed—like all the space inside me was being compacted and refined. For a second, I thought I might actually colpse. But then... it stopped. Just like that. My body returned to a steady state—but I could feel the change locked inside. Ready. Coiled.
I blinked and exhaled.
Checked my remaining ability points.
Ability Points: 1,572
‘Alright... System, upgrade [Regeneration] to level 15.’
> Ding!
-10 ability points used: Regeneration level up to level 2.
-20 ability points used: Regeneration level up to level 3.
-30 ability points used: Regeneration level up to level 4.
...
-140 ability points used: Regeneration upgraded to level 15.
The moment [Regeneration] hit level 15, something shifted—but not on the surface. It wasn’t like Strength or Physic, where I felt the change in my muscles or skin.
No—this was deeper.
It was like a ripple moving through the core of my body. My chest felt strangely light. My breathing evened out. My heart, which had been thudding in quiet rhythm all this time, now beat so steadily it almost felt unnatural. I wasn’t calmer because I told myself to be—I was calm because something inside me was making me that way.
Like even if I lost blood or got stabbed or beaten, I’d stay standing. That’s how it felt.
‘As expected... looks like this ability is an advanced one.’
I opened my status window, needing to see it all id out.
---
[Status]
Creature: Human LV 10 (123/200)
Css: Physic
Name: Marklester Perez
Age: 24
Attributes:
- Strength: 22 + (30) (175%)
- Agility: 7 + (100 passive) (350% when active)
- Physic: 4 + (5 from css) + (30) (175%)
Ability Points: 562
Abilities:
- Infection LV 9
- Agility LV 50
- Physic LV 15
- Strength LV 15
- Regeneration LV 15
Skills:
- Heat and Mass Atom Converter
(600,000 per day)
- Identification
- Decomposition (890 tons of atom)
- Item Creation (100 slots)
- Spatial Storage (1m3)
Energy: 680,700
Items: None
