Chapter 2: The First Kill

  The auditorium was eerily quiet, save for the occasional whimper of a child or the distant snarls of the goblins clawing at the invisible barrier. The adults huddled together, their faces pale and drawn, while the children clung to their teachers, their wide eyes darting between the adults and the creatures outside.

  Vice Principal Lim stood at the center of the room, his voice calm but firm as he addressed the group. "Everyone, please remain calm. We’ve secured the preschool unit as a safe zone, and the goblins cannot enter. For now, we stay put and wait for help. The authorities—police, army, someone—will come. They have to."

  His words were meant to reassure, but Kylie noticed the faint tremor in his hands and the way his eyes flicked toward the doors every few seconds. He was just as scared as the rest of them.

  Serena leaned closer to Kylie, her voice low so only she could hear. "Kylie, I don’t like this. What if help doesn’t come? Or what if the safe zone doesn’t last? We can’t just sit here and wait to be overrun."

  Kylie glanced at her, her arms still wrapped around Mei-Li, who had buried her face in Kylie’s side. The little girl’s breathing was uneven, her small body trembling with fear. Kylie gently stroked her hair, trying to soothe her, but her mind was racing.

  "What are you suggesting?" Kylie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Serena’s eyes hardened. "We need to be ready to fight. If the safe zone fails, or if those things find a way in, we can’t just stand here defenseless. We need weapons—anything we can use to protect the kids."

  Kylie’s stomach churned at the thought. Weapons? Fighting? She was a preschool teacher, not a soldier. But Serena was right. They couldn’t rely on the safe zone forever.

  Her gaze drifted back to the goblins. They were still there, pacing just beyond the barrier, their glowing eyes fixed on the humans inside. One of them lunged at the barrier again, its claws scraping uselessly against the air. Kylie’s heart pounded as she studied the creature.

  Can I… see its status, too? she wondered.

  Hesitantly, she focused on the goblin, trying to summon the same system notification she’d seen for Mei-Li. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, faintly, a line of text appeared in her vision:

  [Goblin Scout]

  Species: Goblinoid

  Level: 2

  Status: Aggressive

  That was it. No detailed stats, no recommendations—just the basics. Kylie frowned. It made sense, she supposed. These weren’t humans or allies; they were monsters. There was no trust, no rapport, no loyalty to build on. Still, it was something.

  She glanced at Serena. "They’re level 2. At least, that one is. I don’t know if that’s high or low, but… it’s something."

  Serena raised an eyebrow. "Level 2? Like in a game?"

  Kylie nodded slowly. "Yeah. Like in a game. And if this is like a game…" She trailed off, her mind racing. "What if we can fight back? What if we can… gain experience? Get stronger?"

  The auditorium buzzed with chaos—children crying, teachers arguing, goblins screeching—but Serena’s voice cut through the noise like a blade, eyes as hard as steel. “Kylie. How did you know?”

  Kylie turned, her hands still stroking Mei-Li's head in comfort. “Know what?”

  “That the goblin was level 2,” Serena said, her eyes narrowing. “You said it like it was obvious. But I don’t see anything."

  "Y-you... Can't see it..?" Kylie stammered and blinked her eyes furiously, her breath caught in her throat.

  "No," Serena said flatly. “I tried. I stared at those things for minutes. Nothing. No text, no levels, no glowing screens. Just… monsters."

  "You said it was level 2. How did you see that? I can’t see anything. None of us can." She crossed her arms. “So why can you see it?”

  Kylie hesitated, her mind racing. She glanced at Mei-Li, who was still huddled with the other children, her small face streaked with tears. “When Mei-Li… when her powers activated, I got a notification. A status screen. It said she was ‘Awakened.’ Maybe… maybe that triggered something for me too?”

  Serena’s frown deepened. “Awakened? What does that even mean?”

  “I don’t know!” Kylie said, her voice rising with frustration. “But when I looked at Mei-Li, the system showed me details about her. Then, when I focused on the goblin, it gave me the basics. Level, species. That’s all.”

  Serena stared at her, then shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Why you and not the rest of us?”

  “Maybe because I was the first to interact with Mei-Li?” Kylie suggested weakly. “Or… or maybe it’s random. Like some people get abilities, and others don’t.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Abilities?” Serena echoed, her tone sharpening. “You think this is some kind of… class system? Like Mei-Li’s a mage, and you’re a… what? A scout? A monster analyst?”

  “But… wait. Serena, do you remember the slot machine?” Kylie’s voice faltered as she spoke, her head turning mechanically, almost jerkily, to face Serena. Her eyes were wide, searching for confirmation, as if the memory might slip away if she didn’t hold onto it tightly.

  Serena froze, her eyes widening. “The… what?”

  “The slot machine,” Kylie repeated, her voice dropping to a whisper. “When the light hit us. I saw it. It was like… a hologram. It spun and gave me a class. I think it gave everyone a class. Do you remember?”

  Serena’s face went pale. She stared at Kylie for a long moment, then shook her head slowly. “I… I don’t know. Maybe? It’s all a blur. But if it did, I don’t remember what it gave me.”

  Kylie’s chest tightened. “Neither do I. But I think that’s why I can see these things. The system gave me a role. A class. And it gave you one too. You’re Awakened, Serena. You just don’t know how to use it yet.”

  Serena paced a few steps, her boots clicking against the floor. “So you can see Mei-Li’s status and the goblins’ levels. Can you see mine?”

  Kylie focused on Serena. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, faintly:

  [Serena Koh]

  Species: Human

  Status: Awakened (Inactive)

  Trust Level: Neutral

  “It says you’re human, Awakened, but… inactive,” Kylie said slowly. “Our trust level is ‘Neutral.’”

  Serena raised an eyebrow. “Awakened but inactive? What does that mean?”

  “I think it means you have a power, but you haven’t unlocked it yet,” Kylie said. “Mei-Li’s status said ‘Awakened’ too, but hers is active. She’s already using her abilities.”

  Serena scoffed. “Awakened but Inactive. Great. So I’m a locked character in your little RPG.”

  “This isn’t a game, Serena,” Kylie said, her voice trembling. “But if the system is giving me this advantage, we need to use it. If I can scout their levels, we’ll know which ones to target. Which fights to pick.”

  Serena’s eyes lit up with a fierce determination. "Then we don’t wait for help. We make our own."

  “But here’s the problem: if you’re the only one with this ability, you’re also a target. Those things—” Serena jerked her chin at the goblins. “—if they see you kill their friend, they’ll remember that. And if the system gave you powers, it might’ve given others too. Maybe even the goblins.”

  Kylie’s stomach dropped. She hadn’t considered that.

  Serena leaned in, her voice low. “You need to be careful. And you need to teach me—teach us—how to see what you see. If this is a game, we can’t let you play solo.”

  Kylie nodded, though doubt gnawed at her. How could she teach something she didn’t understand?

  Kylie hesitated, her arms tightening around Mei-Li. The idea of fighting those things was terrifying, but what choice did they have? If the safe zone failed, they’d be sitting ducks. And if this was some kind of game—some kind of system—then maybe they could use it to their advantage.

  She gently released Mei-Li, crouching down to meet the girl’s tear-filled eyes. "Mei-Li, I need you to stay with Serena for a moment, okay? I’ll be right back."

  Mei-Li nodded shakily, clutching her stuffed bunny tightly. Serena took her hand, giving Kylie a nod of encouragement.

  Kylie stood, her heart pounding as she scanned the room. Her eyes landed on a chair—a sturdy, metal-legged chair that looked heavy enough to do some damage. She walked over to it, her hands trembling as she picked it up. It was heavier than she expected, but she gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white.

  The goblins outside noticed her movement, their glowing eyes locking onto her. One of them let out a high-pitched shriek, baring its jagged teeth as it lunged at the barrier again.

  "Teacher Kylie, what are you doing?"

  The sharp voice came from Mrs. Wong, one of the older teachers, her face pale as she stepped forward. "Put that down! You’ll provoke them!"

  Kylie froze, the chair still raised. Other teachers turned to stare, their expressions a mix of fear and disbelief.

  "Are you mad?" Mr. Lee, the cleaner, hissed. "You’ll get us all killed!"

  "Stay back!" another teacher shouted, her voice shrill. "What if the barrier breaks because of you?"

  The children began to whimper, their earlier curiosity dissolving into fresh terror. A few pointed at Kylie, their small voices trembling.

  "Teacher Kylie’s gonna fight the monsters…"

  "She’s scary!"

  Can I really do this? Kylie’s mind raced, her grip tightening on the cold metal legs of the chair. I’ve never killed anything before—not really. A mosquito, maybe, or a cockroach. But this… this is different. This is a living thing.

  But Kylie’s eyes stayed locked on the goblin. The system had called it Level 2. If this was a game, then maybe… maybe they weren’t powerless.

  The goblin on the other side of the barrier snarled, its jagged teeth glinting in the dim light. Its claws scraped at the air, inches from her face, as if it could already taste her fear.

  Her chest tightened, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. It’s not just a living thing, she reminded herself.

  It’s a monster. It would kill us all if it could.

  But the thought didn’t make it any easier.

  She forced herself to take another step forward, her legs trembling beneath her. The goblin’s beady eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, she saw something almost… human in its gaze. A flicker of intelligence, of malice.

  No. It’s not human. It’s not even close.

  Her hands tightened around the chair until her knuckles turned white.

  I have to do this. For the kids. For all of us.

  But as she raised the chair, her heart pounded so loudly she was sure the entire room could hear it.

  What if I can’t? What if I freeze?

  The goblin lunged at the barrier again, its claws raking the air with a sound like nails on glass.

  "Kylie, stop!" Vice Principal Lim barked, his composure cracking. "This is reckless! We wait for help!"

  Kylie’s breath hitched. No more what-ifs.

  She tightened her grip on the chair and swung the chair down with all her strength.

  "Don’t—!"

  Before anyone could react, Kylie swung the chair down with all her strength.

  The barrier didn’t stop her.

  The metal legs smashed into the goblin’s skull with a sickening crack. The creature collapsed, its body twitching violently before falling still. A dark, oily substance pooled beneath it, and the other goblins screeched in rage, hurling themselves at the barrier with renewed fury.

  The room erupted.

  Children screamed, their cries piercing the air as they scrambled backward, tripping over each other in their panic.

  "Teacher Kylie killed the monster!" Zayne shrieked, his voice equal parts awe and horror.

  "She’s a monster too!" a girl wailed, burying her face in Mrs. Tan’s apron.

  Kylie stood frozen, the chair still clutched in her trembling hands, her ears ringing from the sickening crack of metal meeting bone. Adrenaline surged through her veins, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears as a notification blinked into her vision:

  [Goblin Scout defeated!]

  +20 EXP

  Loot: Goblin Tooth x1, 10 Gold Coins

  But the triumph was drowned out by the chaos around her. Teachers shouted, some rushing to comfort the sobbing children, others rounding on Kylie with furious accusations.

  "What have you done?" Mrs. Wong screamed, her face red. "You’ve traumatized them! You’ve made it worse!"

  Serena stepped forward, placing herself between Kylie and the angry crowd. "She just saved us! That thing was going to kill us — if we can fight them, we can survive!"

  "Survive? By turning this into a warzone?" Mr. Lee shot back, jabbing a finger at the dead goblin. "Look at it! Do you want the children to see more of this?"

  Kylie’s hands shook as she dropped the chair as her eyes sweeping across through the room of horrified faces. Her heart sank. Mei-Li stared at her from across the room, her eyes wide and unreadable.

  Did I just make a terrible mistake?

  But then another notification flickered:

  [Skill Unlocked: Basic Combat Proficiency (Lv. 1)]

  Effect: Slightly increases damage dealt with improvised weapons.

  A cold resolve settled over her. The goblins were still out there. The system was real. And if this was their new reality, she couldn’t afford to hesitate—not if it meant protecting the children.

  This was only the beginning.