On the stairs heading down to the first floor, I checked my smartphone screen.

[Kuragane Erika]

[Level: 2]

[HP: 10/10]

[MP: 10/10]

[Strength: 5]

[Magic: 5]

[Stamina: 5]

[Agility: 5]

[Remaining Status P: 2]

The displayed stats hadn't changed—however, something new had been added at the very bottom.

It seems to be the type where you allocate the status points yourself.

I'm scared to do this randomly because I don't know what the right answer is.

Especially since there's a possibility it's directly connected to my physical body.

"Is something wrong with your phone?"

"Eh? Ah, there's just something I'm curious about."

"That's right! If we can contact to outside, maybe we can call the police for help."

The police, huh... I don't have an image of them being very reliable.

It’s not that I'm worried about being caught for killing Shudou kun.

It’s just that, based on experience, I don't have a very good impression of them.

Rea put her smartphone to her ear and dialed 110—but her expression gradually turned gloomy.

"...It doesn't seem to be connecting."

"Maybe other students are doing the same thing and the lines are jammed."

"In that case, even if I don't call, maybe someone else will."

We can't expect help from others.

First, we have to escape on our own.

When we arrived on the first floor, I looked toward the entrance.

Aha, there they are.

Several monsters stood in our path, each making wet smacking sounds as they devoured corpses.

Multiple monsters that only I can defeat. Multiple!

Screams could be heard from the distance, too.

There aren't many living humans visible in the hallway, which probably means they are being attacked in the rooms they fled into.

As I was thinking that, a female student burst out of a nearby classroom.

"H-Help—"

Spotting me, she reached out as if clinging to hope.

But behind her, a rotting large dog, over a meter tall, was closing in.

Scattering saliva and its split mouth opened wide.

Rows of sharp teeth tried to bite off the girl's flesh.

But I was faster.

I ran past the female student and thrust my knife between the dog's eyebrows.

A muddy "Gyauuuun!" echoed through the hall.

Maybe its throat was rotting too; not only was the smell intense, but its voice was filthy.

More than anything, it was creepy that it didn't die despite its brain being pierced.

However, the opponent flinched.

In that opening, I cut off its head just like the zombie from earlier.

As expected, it was tougher than the zombie and offered slight resistance, but it was still within the range of what I could sever.

But—it seems my level didn't go up.

It looked stronger than a zombie, so the experience points should be higher.

I guess this means that the higher your level, the more experience you need.

"Haa... thank you, you saved me."

"You're welcome."

"It looks like you came out of a classroom, but what about the others?"

It helps that Rea takes the initiative to ask about the situation without me having to.

"There were others hiding besides me, but they're already..."

"I see... I'm glad at least one person was saved. Right?"

"Y-Yeah."

I stuttered, being suddenly asked for agreement.

I hate how low my communication skills are.

To cover it up, I peeked inside the room the girl came out of.

I could only see scattered blood and the upper half of a male student.

If he was bitten, he must have been torn apart like that.

Well, with this many dead, Shudou kun is the least of anyone's worries.

"To think it's not safe even inside a room. Did you lock the door?"

"Of course! But they broke through the window and came in."

"So there are no safe places inside the school. We have to escape quickly. Rea, I'll go ahead and defeat the monsters in the hallway, so follow me with her afterwards."

"Understood, be careful!"

"Y-Yeah..."

Be careful, huh?

I'm not used to someone worrying about me.

I'm giving pretty creepy reactions, but she doesn't seem to mind at all; she's an angel, a total angel, haha.

My heart feels fluffy.

With that floating feeling, I broke into a dash toward the enemies.

A speed that would make the track team turn pale.

And they say this is "Level 1" just how terrifying will my movements be when my stats go up?

Closing in on a zombie devouring a corpse in the blink of an eye, I cut its head as I passed.

The opponent died before it could react to me.

However, with that encounter, the other monsters seemed to notice me as a threat.

The closest to me was the rotting dog—slightly different in shape from the previous individual, but generally the same species.

I don't know the dog breed, though.

Directing cold murderous intent toward me, it rushed over.

A mouth opening wide.

I flipped my body to dodge it, then thrust the blade into its torso and ripped.

"Gyauuun!" It echoed the same filthy cry.

The dog's heart should be around here, probably.

Earlier, piercing the brain didn't cause instant death, so I'm experimenting to see what happens with the heart.

The rotting dog quickly turned toward me, opening its mouth to bite—but then it stopped moving.

"Monster [Zombie Wolf] killed. Congratulations, you have leveled up to 3!"

Finally I Leveled up here.

I thought it was a large dog, but this guy is a Wolf.

Where did such a thing wander in from?

So it wasn't a dog that turned into a zombie? Did it appear from a completely different place?

And on the way to the entrance, waiting at the end were the "Dwarf" Rea spoke of.

Height about 50 centimeters.

Bodies are green, eyes goggling and round, excessively large noses, and has potbellies. These monsters were dragging internal organs out of a fallen human bodies and bringing them to their mouths.

They are truly small monsters that look like they belong in a fantasy world, strengthening my theory that they came from another world.

There are three of them.

Noticing me, they raised an excessively high-pitched shriek, "Kukeeee!", raised both hands, and leapt at me.

Their jumping power is quite something.

But their movements aren't fast—I slashed at the first one leading the pack.

Sweeping across its belly, the small body was torn in two.

Light. Less resistance than a zombie.

However, the remaining two showed no agitation at their comrade's death and struck at me from left and right.

I twisted my body to dodge the first one's attack.

I caught the second one's attack with the flat of my knife.

Gagin! A sound rang out as if metal had clashed with metal.

The blow was heavier than I thought.

If a normal human were hit in the head with this, their skull would be crushed, causing instant death.

Ah, so that's why the fallen corpses have their faces smashed in like that.

I staggered and retreated.

In that instant, I felt strong "malice" from behind.

Sad to say, humans accustomed to sensing malice become sensitive to that presence.

Behind me were the classroom windows.

The curtains were closed, so I couldn't see inside.

From within, something was trying to attack me.

The two in front also seemed to intend to jump at the same time.

However, there is nothing easier to counterattack than a surprise attack you know is coming.

"Kukieeeee!"

With high-pitched cries, the green dwarfs attacked.

Immediately after, the window glass behind me shattered, and two more dwarfs appeared from inside.

A simultaneous attack from four directions—but that also means four monsters exposing their defenseless moments at the same time.

I switched my grip on the knife to reverse.

"—Haaah!"

Then I spun and flashed the blade.

I annihilated all the ugly little demons simultaneously.

"Monster [Goblin] killed. Congratulations, you have leveled up to 4!"

The bisected corpses fell to the ground with a thud.

Goosebumps rose on my skin, moved by the fact that I could move exactly as I imagined in my brain.

Well done! me.

That was pretty cool just now, right? Fuhe.

As I immersed myself in satisfaction, Rea and the female student ran over.

Then Rea gave me a thumbs up.

"As expected of Erika! Cool as ever!"

"Th-Thanks."

Almost meeting for the first time, yet this familiarity; I respect it in a way.

"Before other monsters gather... let's go outside."

When I said that, the two nodded.

We ran toward the entrance where the shoe lockers were lined up.

But just before we got there, a cleaning locker placed to the side shook with a clattering noise.

"Is something in there!?"

Rea cried out, and the female student clung to her.

I readied my knife and glared at the shaking cuboid.

Then the door opened—and a sweaty male student appeared from inside.

"Wait, I'm not a monster! I was about to be attacked, so I've been hiding in here the whole time!"

Apparently, the other party is a human capable of communication.

When I lowered the knife, he sighed in relief.

"Did you defeat the monsters? If I follow you, can I escape outside?"

"I'm planning to escape... If you want to follow, do as you like."

I can't be bothered to discuss every little detail.

When we started walking toward the entrance again, the male student hurriedly followed.

And we reached our destination.

I thought it would be crowded with students seeking an exit just like us, but—the entrance was quieter than I expected.

"Is no one escaping?"

Rea also tilted her head.

"It's strange... isn't it? It feels like we could just walk out normally."

"Yeah, it's eerily quiet..."

Right, the state of the entrance is perfectly normal.

Beyond the glass doors, the usual schoolyard spreads out, and the weather is fine.

But—why is no one trying to escape from this place?

Is it because the confusion hasn't reached the upper floors yet?

Or because they already escaped long ago?

But for that, there are no students in the schoolyard.

"Hey, let's escape quickly."

The female student clinging to Rea said.

When I gave a noncommittal "Yeah...", she stepped in front of us as if she couldn't stand it anymore.

"There are no monsters, and nothing looks weird, right? I'm going first."

She is absolutely right.

I exchanged glances with Rea, who looked a little anxious, and approached the door, following the female student.

The male student followed further behind.

Then, the female student in the lead opened the door and stepped outside—Bang, she bumped her forehead against something.

"Oww... Eh, a wall?"

Where the outside scenery appeared to be, there was an invisible barrier.

And then, that barrier tore open and grinned.

Its a pitch black mouth twisted into a crescent shape, large enough to easily swallow a person.

Furthermore, a black arm appeared from empty space and grabbed the female student's body.

The unremarkable, ordinary scenery—that itself was the monster's mimicry form.

"Ah, look out!"

I took a stance with my knife to cut off that arm.

But the moment the arm appeared, it was already too late.

"Ah, eh...?"

Her body was crushed, and flesh and blood scattered.

The monster echoed a child-like laughter, "Kekekeke," as if enjoying playing with clay.