[SYSTEM PANEL - ALEX]
- Level: 7
- Class: Genetic Abomination
- EXP: 245 / 700
[Attributes]
- Strength (STR): 5
- Agility (AGI): 15
- Vitality (VIT): 6
- Intelligence (INT): 7
- Luck (LUK): 13
[Unallocated Points: 3]
Blowing that heap of flesh to high heaven had earned me exactly 3 stat points. My eyes lingered for a moment on my high Luck stat; even though it had cost me my eyebrows, I knew it was the very thing that had allowed me to survive that blast. However, I couldn't forget the feeling of helplessness while dodging that monster's bullets. I had to be faster.
I focused all my points into a single spot. Without hesitation, I sank all three points into the Agility (AGI) stat.
It felt as if a stream of cold water rushed through my body. That sluggish ache in my muscles vanished instantly, and the friction between my joints seemed to disappear. It was as if gravity had slightly loosened its grip on me.
[Attributes Updated]
- Agility (AGI): 18 (+3)
"Wow..." I muttered to myself. As I clenched and unclenched my fist, I could see how fluid my movements had become. I wouldn't just be fast anymore; I could likely read the trajectory of bullets more clearly.
Roy must have noticed this sudden change and the glint in my eyes. "I don't know what you did, but your body suddenly looks lighter," he said curiously.
"I just made sure I'll be able to dodge the next bullet," I said, standing up and stretching my shoulders. Elara stirred slowly and opened her eyes.
"Morning, sleepyhead," I said to Elara with a smile. "Thanks to you, I'm still in one piece."
Elara looked around dazed, then at me. "Alex... you're alive. God, that explosion... is it really over?"
"It's over," I said, walking over to Roy and pointing at the armory shelves. "But our real reward is waiting. Roy, what's in those locked cabinets? We need something that makes us bulletproof."
Roy stood up and headed toward one of the dusty shelves. "The heavy equipment the police kept for the SWAT teams should be here. That's why that monster was guarding this place like a dragon guarding its treasure."
The few minutes spent among the dusty shelves and locked metal cabinets of the armory turned into a turning point in our struggle for survival. As we broke the doors one by one and burst inside, the mass of metal and polymer gleaming under the fluorescent lights mesmerized us.
"We’ve literally found a treasure," Roy whispered, lifting a heavy black steel vest into the air. The look of terror in his eyes had been replaced by a childlike excitement.
First, we chose the highest quality steel vests for everyone; after that monster's piercing bullets, these vests were no longer a luxury but a necessity. Next, we found sturdy military boots with spiked soles and waterproof lining to prepare our feet for any harsh terrain. Our old, torn clothes were replaced by durable military pants with dozens of pockets and tactical jackets. But the real power lay in the rifles standing in rows on the shelves. Each of us took an assault rifle and as many loaded magazines as we could fit into our vests. With sharp combat knives, first-aid kits for emergencies, and large military backpacks to carry all this loot, we had transformed into a full squad.
Just then, that cold and familiar voice echoed in our minds:
[TIME REMAINING UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST QUEST: 01:00:00]
The feeling of time running out momentarily shook the instant confidence provided by our new armor. I tied the laces of my heavy boots tightly, stood up, and turned to the others. I could feel my gaze hardening and my posture becoming straighter than ever before.
"We aren't out of this hell yet," I said, slinging the strap of my new rifle over my shoulder. My voice sounded resolute. "But we’ve done everything in our power to survive. Everyone, change your gear now; transfer anything useful from your old bags into these new military packs. When that door opens in an hour, we will be ready for whatever faces us."
Everyone nodded in silence with soldier-like discipline. A rapid preparation began inside the armory. While the worn, blood-stained clothes of the old world were tossed to the floor, they were replaced by black and olive-green tactical equipment.
Roy, with the experience of being a police officer, knelt down and took charge of the weapons. When Elara and I approached him, he began helping us understand the language of the rifles.
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"Look here," Roy said, pointing to a small lever on the side of the rifle. "This is the safety. In this position, the weapon won’t fire. If you need to shoot, flip it down. Brace the stock firmly against your shoulder so the recoil doesn't hurt you. Align the front sight with the target, exhale, and squeeze the trigger."
Roy patiently showed us both how to load the weapon, how to clear a jammed round, and most importantly, how to aim during a moment of panic. Although Elara was initially startled by the weight of the rifle, she followed Roy’s instructions carefully. As for me, under the influence of the mutant power surging through my veins, I handled the rifle as if it were a feather, snapping the mechanism into place with startling speed.
As the one-hour countdown consumed the seconds before our eyes, we were ready to head back out into the silent, blood-scented corridors of the station. We were no longer just fleeing victims; we were hunters, armed to the teeth.
Straightening my gear, I looked at my team and spoke my final words:
"The time has come. Whatever is waiting for us out there, it’s going to regret it."
In the heavy silence of the armory, even the hum of the fluorescent lamps echoed in our ears like sledgehammer blows. Our feet inside our new military boots were pinned to the floor, our fingers waiting on the trigger guards of our rifles. That digital timer before our eyes flowed remorselessly toward the end.
[TIME REMAINING UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST QUEST: 00:00:10]
Elara’s breathing quickened; she was gripping the handle of her rifle so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Roy stared into the void, without wiping the bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.
[00:00:09]
"Get ready," I whispered. My voice sounded foreign to my own ears, ice-cold. My heart was pounding against my ribs.
[00:00:06]
It was as if even the wind outside the station had died down. Time slowed, every second stretching like a lifetime.
[00:00:03] [00:00:00]
I closed my eyes tight, expecting a burst of light, a teleportation, or a sound that would shake the earth. But nothing happened.
Silence... Only the never-ending hum of those damned fluorescents.
Seconds passed. Five seconds, ten seconds, half a minute... No new notification, no system voice arrived. I opened my eyes slowly. That blue panel that had appeared in my field of vision was no longer there. There was nothing before me but the bewildered faces of Elara and Roy.
Roy lowered his weapon slowly and looked around. His face held both a sense of relief and a great void.
"Well?" Roy said, his voice echoing in the empty room. "Isn't something going to happen? The time is up... Why hasn't anything arrived?"
The silence was suddenly shredded, as if it were the silence before a storm. Before our eyes appeared a red panel, more brilliant and sharp than any we had seen before.
[SECOND QUEST: THE FIRST ENCOUNTER]
- Objective: Reach the nearest assembly point.
- Location: City Square (Follow the navigation arrow in your field of vision).
- Distance: 2.4 KM
- Duration: 01:00:00
- Reward: None
- Failure: Death
Right in the middle of my field of vision, a bright yellow arrow pointing toward the ground appeared, along with a meter counter rapidly decreasing beneath it. No matter which way I turned my head, the arrow turned with it.
Roy grimaced while adjusting the strap of his rifle. "Well? Didn't we just say something was going to happen? Here it is, starting again. Kids, is going really a good idea? The city square means the middle of every kind of creature and chaos."
Elara gave Roy a look of horror. "Didn't you see the failure penalty, Roy? It says 'Death.' I don't think there's anything to discuss."
Roy and I looked at the panel again. The coldness in the "Reward: None" section made me shiver. This wasn't a bounty hunt; it was a culling process.
"The move is clear," I said, checking the safety of my rifle. "We're going. Roy, you lead—use your invisibility if necessary. I'll be in the center, Elara stays in the back. Trust no one; just focus on that arrow."
When we left the secure steel doors of the station behind and stepped onto the street, we saw for the first time fully how much the world had changed in just a few hours. The sky was covered with a purplish haze, and the facades of the buildings were wrapped in strange vines. Among overturned cars and abandoned belongings in the streets, we could hear strange cries coming from a distance. We bypassed a few lumbering and weak mutants by circling through side streets to avoid wasting ammunition.
As we approached the square, the navigation arrow began to flicker. When we reached the end of a street as narrow as a corridor, we paused at the sight before us.
Right in the middle of the city square was a massive sphere, extending up to the sky, transparent but glowing with a faint electric blue. The sphere seemed to split the air in two. The arrow pointed exactly into the interior of this blue curtain. As we drew closer, we saw the silhouettes of hundreds of people inside the sphere. Some were crying, some sat on the ground waiting in silence, and others were arguing excitedly.
I took a deep breath. "We’ve come this far. Let’s go in."
When we touched the surface of the blue sphere, a slight static charge passed through our bodies. The moment we stepped inside, those muffled screams and the sound of the wind from outside were cut off like a knife. There was a strange hum inside.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned for a moment toward us—at our professional military equipment, our rifles, and my eyebrowless, bruised face. But this interest was very brief. Everyone was in such a state of shock and busy with their own survival that no one cared who the newcomers were before returning to their own business.
[NOTIFICATION: QUEST SUCCESSFUL!] [TIME REMAINING FOR THE FIRST MEETING: 00:05:00]
Elara whispered while scanning the crowd: "What do we do now, Alex? It's so... crowded."
"We wait," I said, lowering my voice and scanning the area with my eyes. "We won't draw attention. We don't know who has what kind of skill, or who the system has turned into what. Watch what's happening, but don't put your weapons down."
Roy nodded. "Agreed. Let’s move to the base of that statue in the corner; at least our backs will be covered. Let’s find a place where we can wait quietly and wait for this timer to run out."
The three of us found a corner with a wide field of vision, away from the crowd of the square, and leaned our backs against the cold marble. Everyone's eyes were on the invisible center point indicated by the navigation arrows. No one knew what would replace this silence in 5 minutes.