There were about ten men surrounding Neto, their silhouettes cast in shadow, each holding a gun.
"Hands in the air. We can do this the easy way."
Neto tilted his head slightly, confusion flickering in his eyes. Then, without warning, Neo bolted toward one of the figures, his movement fast and decisive. He punched with full force, his fist slamming into the side of the puppet-like man. The punch connected with brutal strength, and the figure's body crumpled.
The slap from the gorilla earlier had caused him to lose his weapons, but this didn't stop him. The impact fractured the figure's side, its body bending unnaturally as a dark, dust-like mist sprayed out, splattering across Neo's face.
'What is this? Dust? Is this real, or am I dreaming?'
"Shit," he muttered, but there was no time to dwell on the question.
Bullets ricocheted off the walls, but Neo moved with precision, grabbing the disfigured puppet and tossing it toward one of the others. His next punch ripped through another figure's torso like paper, the sheer force of it cracking the body open, causing the air to thicken with the scent of blood and metal.
The others hesitated for a moment, unable to believe what they were seeing: a man ripping through their comrades with the ferocity of a beast. But there was no time for fear. They scattered in panic.
Neo chased them down one by one. With inhuman strength, he grabbed one figure by the head, ripping him in half, the sound of bone and flesh tearing, filling the air. The remaining attackers bolted, but they were no match for his speed and strength.
In moments, the last one stood frozen, eyes wide with terror. Neo moved in, his fist sinking deep into his skull, blood splattering onto his body as he crushed the man's head in a single, devastating blow.
Silence fell.
Neo looked around, breathing heavily, his body coated in blood. The buildings were normal again, the world sharp and real. His hand was still inside the head of the man he had just killed, his fingers soaked in warm, squishy brain matter.
"What was that? Holy shit..." He stared at the mutilated bodies surrounding him. "I... I killed these people?"
In stories, killing was a moment that shattered the soul, a point where one's morals were irreparably scarred. But as Neo looked at the carnage, he felt nothing—no horror, no guilt, no sorrow.
'Killing someone is supposed to change you, right? Why don't I feel different?'
Is it because I don't remember anything, or is it something else?
Hmm... I'm gonna need new clothes and a bath, I guess.
"Wow, if that kid from the dream was really me, would that be bad or good?"
---
A man in black stood atop a broken, dilapidated building, his gaze fixed on the swarm of monsters below. In his hands, he gripped a long sword in one and a dagger in the other.
Below, a cluster of rank-2 spiders scurried around, their numbers in the hundreds.
Neto stood there, contemplating the situation. Is this a good idea? He thought. If I can't escape, I'll be torn apart by these things.
But then, a decision seemed to click in his mind.
Nah, it's not worth it. It's a risk. In the end, I'll just get some XP. It won't change much.
With that final thought, he decided to move.
'INTERFACE'
---
Name: Neto Amari [Replaceable]
Age: 337 days
Race: Human/Mechanoid
State: Human
Level: 1 [Un-Evolvable]
Grade: Rank F
XP: [60,600/10] ∅% [Disconnected]
HP: 200/200 [1/min]
Energy: 100 [1/min]
Stamina: 270 [1/sec]
Status ↓↑
Abilities ↓↑
Skills ↓↑
Quests: 1
---
How long has it been? A month? It's probably shorter... and there's been no progress of any kind. After absorbing so many crystals, there's so much XP, but it can't be used.
Rank 4 is incredibly difficult for me. It's harder to cause any sensible damage than to even think about facing a Rank 5.
---
Over the past month, in the battle zone near the city of Dakwo in , a man dressed in black had gained a certain level of notoriety. Whether mercenary, thief, or hunter, no one could say for sure what his true job was. However, all who crossed his path soon found their clothes and supplies mysteriously gone.
What was odd about this thief was his peculiar pattern: he only targeted men, taking their clothing, food, and weapons. He showed no interest in power crystals, and remarkably, he never harmed women in any way. His fame had spread, as he only stole from the weak and fled from the strong. Each victim who encountered him remembered nothing but the flash of black before everything they owned disappeared.
Neo, too, found himself in this thief's path. He had scavenged clothes, food, and weapons—mostly targeting those who seemed weaker than him. After escaping the piles of dead bodies left behind by his previous encounters, he had managed to grab some new clothes and head toward the battle zone, just outside Dakwo.
From the distance, the city loomed ahead. Entering wasn't as simple as it seemed. Most people who left the city used the gate, but Neo could see there was something more—there was a barrier, or perhaps a force field, surrounding the walls, preventing anyone from passing easily..
"We get to do something after so long; it's been boring."
"You're too loud."
An enthusiastic voice rang out, putting Neo on high alert.
'People are here?'
He immediately dropped low in the room he was hiding in, staying out of sight as the group passed by. He couldn't help but overhear their conversation, catching something about a Rank 5.
'This is my chance. I don't need to kill it. I just need to steal the crystal thingy. That will be my focus. If they defeat it, they'll be tired, and then I'll swoop in and grab it as fast as I can.'
With his plan in mind, Neo began tailing them, keeping a safe distance. After a month of hunting beasts with stealth and perfecting sneak attacks, this was easy by comparison. He just had to remain undetected.
The group entered a building that seemed to be filled with sand. After about five minutes, they came running back out, with a lizard-like creature hot on their heels—a drake, it seemed. The creature chased them, but it also appeared they were intentionally taunting it, trying to lead it away.
After confirming that both the two men and the drake were gone, Neo decided it was time to check out the building. There had to be something inside it that the drake was guarding.
Entering the building, Neo noticed the damp floors leading up the steps. But after the stairs, the temperature shifted—everywhere felt a tad bit hot. The air was thick, and piles of garbage lay scattered around, with broken weapons strewn about. It seemed like the creature was a keeper of sorts, scanning through the refuse for anything potentially useful.
Among the junk, Neo found a blue rock. It had an intriguing glow, but it wasn't a power crystal. Still, he was curious and decided to slip it into a bag he had borrowed from a knocked-out person.
After another round of searching, he stumbled across something even more interesting—a mask. It could cover his entire face, from just below his eyes to beneath his jaw, with edges that reached his ears. Inspecting it for cleanliness, he put it on. The mask adhered to his skin in a sticky but non-irritating way, and he could easily remove it whenever he needed to breathe.
'This is perfect. I can't really show my face around, and wearing clothes over my face just seems demeaning.'
Feeling a little pleased, he continued rummaging through the piles of garbage. After some more searching, he found a gleaming red sword, broken into three parts. It seemed interesting, so he decided to take it as well.
Ten minutes of scavenging yielded three interesting finds. With his treasures in tow, Neo moved on to explore the remaining parts of the room.
At a corner of the room, something caught his eye—a shiny red crystal, emitting intense heat. As he picked it up, he could feel the heat from it.
'This is what it was protecting.'
Suddenly, there was a rapid rush toward the building, the sound of heavy footsteps growing louder. It seemed like the creature had noticed something.
'Shit.'
Grabbing the ball and securing his bag, Neo dashed down the stairs. He bolted out of the building, taking off in the opposite direction, trying to get as far away as possible.