Lana shuddered. “A few days after it started a friend of mine picked up a remote control and it came apart in his hands. Then all the electronic bits grafted into his skin. Then he started to change, turning into one of those …” she swallowed hard. “... those Warped. He killed two other students before the rest of us got the sense to run away.”

Nori’s expression grew grim. “It happened to a lot of people. And not just people, animals too. That dog thing that chased me - it’s just one of many. I saw a Warped rat with metal spine ridges eviscerate a normal cat and then eat the remains. It grew bigger before my eyes as it ate.”

Lana shuddered. “That’s horrible!”

“Not as horrible as when it’s people doing it to other people,” Nori added darkly.

The young man whimpered. His cereal bowl was left untouched beside him as he crawled into the fetal position, his eyes wide with terror.

Lana rushed over and hugged him. “It’s alright, Nathan. We’re safe here.”

The man shuddered as the woman continued to murmur comforting words to him.

“Sorry about that,” Nori muttered, lowering her head.

It took Lana several moments to calm Nathan, then she returned to her seat. “It happens to him from time to time,” she said quietly. “I think he really needs other people around him, but he goes wild every time I try to force the issue.”

“You should be careful. It’s not just the Warped that are dangerous out there,” Nori said grimly. “There are a bunch of gangs out on the streets as well. They are dangerous. Almost as much as the Warped.”

“The streets?” Lana looked at her in disbelief. “How do they survive the Warped?”

Nori shrugged. “Many don’t. I heard one of the gang leaders had somehow made it to level three. They say he’s as strong as an ox.”

“Level three? That’s the first I’ve heard of anyone above level zero. How do you think he managed that?”

“I think he must have found a way to kill the Warped. The interface we all suddenly have looks a lot like a computer game. If we have levels, it's reasonable we can gain experience to raise it. And every game I have ever played awarded XP for killing monsters. As for how he actually managed to kill one … I have no idea. I saw a policeman empty his shotgun at a Warped person, but the wounds just immediately healed—even the head wound. That gang leader, Bulco, must have found a way. I’m betting he had upgraded his attributes when he leveled up. It’s the only thing I can think of that explains why he’s so strong.”

“Attributes?” Lana furrowed her brow.

“Don’t you know?” Nori looked at her with surprise. “Everyone has them. Just clear your mind and think ‘status’.”