System Awakening Era: I Have 10x Skill Effects-Chapter 19: Survivor Community

After finishing his conversation with Robert, Aamon stepped out of the city military headquarters building.

Just as he was about to reach his motorcycle, a man in an elite member uniform stepped forward and blocked his path.

"I thought you were dead, Aamon!" Ralph barked.

Who is he?

Aamon turned his head and noticed Natasha standing among the group. Ignoring Ralph completely, he greeted her instead. His reaction instantly provoked Ralph’s anger.

"How have you been, Nath?"

"HEY!"

"Natasha is my girlfriend. Stay away from her!" Ralph snapped, shoving Aamon.

Aamon staggered slightly, then brushed off his clothes as if dismissing Ralph’s existence. The young man smirked briefly before turning his face away and continuing toward his motorcycle.

"You’re leaving again? I knew it! The commander clearly needs me more than he needs you!" Ralph shouted.

"You’re nothing but fucking useless trash!"

"Coward!"

"I took Natasha from you. That proves I’m better!" Ralph yelled.

The argument between them grew louder and more heated, attracting the attention of many people. Before long, a crowd had gathered to watch.

Aamon hadn’t started his motorcycle yet. He let out a short sigh and slowly turned back, looking at Ralph with a cold expression.

"Tell me," Aamon said, crossing his arms, "how many Contribution Points do you have?"

"250. I’ve killed 25 monsters—the third highest here!" Ralph declared proudly.

Many people nodded. They acknowledged that Ralph’s achievement was quite high for an elite member. However, Aamon was different.

Most of them had no idea how much he had grown during the week he was gone.

"Well? How many do you have?" Ralph challenged.

"1020."

"What?" Ralph asked.

"I have 1020 Contribution Points," Aamon replied flatly.

Everyone fell silent, their mouths hanging open in shock. Natasha reacted the same way. Ralph’s face turned pale.

"1020? Is that even possible?!" Ralph exclaimed. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Aamon remained quiet. Then he took a slow breath and exhaled calmly. In an instant, he activated the power of his assassin skill.

[Assassin Class: Shadow Stealth]

Everyone was stunned. Aamon vanished from their sight within seconds. Panic spread among them—some were frightened, others amazed.

"He disappeared? Where the fuck did he go?!" Ralph shouted.

Aamon swung the hilt of his sword and struck Ralph hard on the back. The blow didn’t kill him, but it was strong enough to knock Ralph face-first onto the ground in humiliation.

Aamon reappeared beside Natasha, standing with his sword in hand.

"You’re not on my level."

Ralph grew even more furious. He summoned his sword and lunged at Aamon.

Aamon dodged effortlessly, knocked the sword out of Ralph’s hand, and punched him in the stomach.

Ralph collapsed in pain. His HP dropped, but it was still within a safe range.

Aamon felt it was enough. Ralph had already suffered enough humiliation to destroy his authority.

"I’m not looking for trouble with you. Fix your attitude. Your life doesn’t depend on your arrogance," Aamon said firmly as he stood beside his motorcycle.

"You’re leaving?" Natasha asked.

Aamon nodded.

"Yes. I can’t stay in Chicago any longer. There’s somewhere I need to go."

The motorcycle engine roared to life. Aamon climbed onto it and sped away from the place.

Natasha helped Ralph get back on his feet. Ralph’s face burned red with rage, hatred now deeply planted in his heart.

"Aamon... I’ll make you pay for this!"

***

The next day.

The internet no longer worked, and neither did the satellites. Aamon could only rely on maps and road signs to travel toward the east coast.

His motorcycle came to a stop between two districts, right at a gas station that looked completely ruined.

Fourteen days had passed since the planetary trial began. Those who died on the first day had already begun to decompose.

The foul stench of decay filled the city. Larvae appeared to break down bacteria, and soft tissues had begun to collapse into a disgusting mess across the ground.

Aamon walked while covering his nose with a piece of cloth. Several corpses lay scattered around the gas station, all in the middle of decomposition.

There was no one there except Aamon.

The atmosphere was so silent that he could hear his own breathing, heavy as he tried to breathe through the cloth covering half his face.

He checked the fuel by spraying some aside—it was still usable. Aamon quickly filled his motorcycle tank to the brim.

"The closest city is Springfield. But I think I’ll head straight to Indianapolis."

Just as Aamon was focused on refueling, a mysterious sound came from behind him.

CLANG!

The sound of cans falling echoed from the half-destroyed convenience store behind him.

I thought no one was here.

The tank was full. Aamon turned around and walked into the convenience store.

A sword appeared in his hand as he moved quietly, his footsteps silent to avoid being heard.

"That’s enough, guys."

"Let’s go."

A woman’s voice echoed through the quiet store, followed by several footsteps coming from deeper inside.

Aamon quickened his pace, curious about who those voices belonged to. When he reached the back of the store, he saw that the back door had been opened.

He rushed outside and looked around. His gaze fixed on four persons running away from the store—one woman and three children.

"Where are they going?" Aamon muttered.

His curiosity grew stronger. He followed them from a distance, making sure they stayed within his line of sight.

The four of them slipped into a residential complex through a gap in an iron fence. Aamon froze for a moment before doing the same.

"Hey, Mia! Didn’t I tell you it’s dangerous to go out alone?"

"They wanted candy cans. Besides, I didn’t run into any monsters."

Aamon hid behind one of the houses. His eyes narrowed as he noticed an apartment building in the middle of the housing complex.

Many people lived there—mostly elderly and children.

Guards stood on wooden watchtowers, holding bows and magic staff. The woman named Mia entered the apartment building together with the three children.

"Looks like there are more survivors than I expected," Aamon murmured.

"If Robert doesn’t establish the first shelter city soon, they’ll be abandoned and die," he added quietly.

While observing the scene, a strange vibration suddenly trembled through the ground.

Aamon turned sharply.

A swarm of caterpillar monsters was approaching. Their bodies were massive—each one about the size of a horse.

"Caterpillars?!"

A siren blared from the apartment building as one of the guards spotted the swarm crawling toward them.

Panic spread instantly. People hurried away from the area of the incoming attack.

Mia rushed out of the apartment building, summoning a sword covered in bright flames.

Twelve others followed her and stood beside her.

"There are eight caterpillar monsters. Focus on taking them down one by one!" Mia shouted.

"Got it!"