The rain fell in sheets, drenching the neon-lit streets of Neo-Aurion. Jin Hao crouched in the shadows of a crumbling alleyway, his hoodie pulled tight against the cold. At sixteen, he'd learned to survive on scraps—both literal and metaphorical. The city didn't care about orphans like him; it chewed them up and spat them out without a second thought.
Tonight, though, survival wasn't just about dodging gangsters or scavenging for food. It was about staying alive long enough to figure out why someone had tried to kill him.
It had started innocently enough. Jin had been picking through a dumpster behind a high-end restaurant when he found it—a strange, glowing artifact half-buried in the trash. The object pulsed faintly with warmth, its surface etched with ancient symbols that seemed to shift under his touch. Curiosity got the better of him, and he slipped it into his pocket, thinking it might fetch a decent price at the black market.
Big mistake.
Within minutes, armed men appeared out of nowhere, their faces obscured by crimson masks. They moved with precision, cutting off every escape route before surrounding him.
"Hand it over, kid," one of them growled, his voice low and menacing. "You don't know what you're messing with."
Jin's heart pounded as he backed away, clutching the artifact tightly. "Messing with? I just found this thing!"
"Doesn't matter," another masked man sneered, raising a weapon crackling with crimson energy. "Now it belongs to us."
Instinct kicked in. Summoning every ounce of courage, Jin darted into the nearest alley, weaving between piles of garbage and broken crates. His pursuers were fast—but so was he. Years of running from trouble had taught him how to navigate the labyrinthine streets of Neo-Aurion better than anyone.
Still, they weren't giving up. Blasts of crimson energy tore through the air, leaving scorch marks on the walls behind him. One shot grazed his shoulder, sending searing pain shooting down his arm. He stumbled but kept moving, gritting his teeth against the agony.
Finally, he spotted an opening—a narrow gap between two buildings too small for the mercenaries to follow. Squeezing through, he emerged into a quieter part of the city, hidden beneath flickering streetlights and rusted fire escapes.
For a moment, he thought he'd lost them. Then a voice called out from the darkness.
"Over here."
Jin froze, his breath catching in his throat. A figure stepped into the light, her trench coat trailing behind her as she approached cautiously. Her dagger gleamed faintly in the dim glow of a nearby neon sign, and her sharp eyes scanned the area warily.
"Who are you?" Jin demanded, clutching the artifact protectively.
"Someone who knows what that thing is," she replied curtly, nodding toward his pocket. "And why those men want it."
Before Jin could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed through the alley. The mercenaries had caught up.
"We need to move," the woman said sharply, grabbing his wrist. "Unless you feel like dying tonight."
Jin hesitated, torn between distrust and desperation. But as the first crimson blast lit up the alley, he made his choice. Together, they sprinted into the shadows, leaving chaos in their wake.
They didn't stop running until they reached a hidden alcove deep within the city's underbelly. The woman—introducing herself only as Lin Wei—pressed a hand against a faded emblem carved into the wall, triggering a hidden mechanism that opened a narrow passageway.
"This should hold them off for now," she muttered, ushering him inside. "But we're not safe yet."
Jin collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath as pain radiated from his injured shoulder. Despite everything, he couldn't take his eyes off the artifact clutched in his hand. Its glow had intensified, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat.
"What is this thing?" he asked finally, holding it up for inspection.
Lin studied it silently, her expression unreadable. "It's dangerous," she said after a pause. "And whoever sent those men after you… they won't stop until they have it back."
"But why me?" Jin pressed, frustration creeping into his tone. "I didn't ask for this!"
"Maybe not," Lin admitted grimly. "But destiny rarely asks permission."
As if on cue, the artifact flared brightly, bathing the room in golden light. Words scrolled across Jin's vision, appearing as if written directly into his mind:
**"Heaven's Wrath System Activated. Welcome, Chosen One."**
Before Jin could process what was happening, a fiery symbol appeared on his palm, burning with an intensity that left him breathless. Power surged through him, raw and electric, flooding his veins with energy he couldn't begin to understand.
"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, staring at the mark.
Lin sighed, shaking her head. "Looks like your life just got a lot more complicated."
Jin clenched his fists, trying to steady himself as waves of heat coursed through his body. The fiery symbol pulsed angrily, demanding attention. It felt like the artifact—or whatever it had awakened inside him—was testing its limits, pushing his body to adapt.
"What's happening to me?" he gasped, sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"The system is integrating with your meridians," Lin explained tersely. "If you don't focus, it'll overload—and trust me, you don't want that."
"How am I supposed to focus when I don't even know what's going on?!" Jin snapped, his voice rising.
Lin knelt beside him, her expression softening slightly. "Breathe," she instructed firmly. "Channel the energy into your core. Imagine it flowing through your veins like water—not fire."
Reluctantly, Jin followed her advice, taking slow, deliberate breaths as he focused on the fiery symbol. Gradually, the surging energy subsided, leaving him drained but stable.
**"Achievement Unlocked: Novice Strike. Reward: 100 XP. Bonus: Increased Qi Flow (+5%)."**
Lin nodded approvingly. "Good. Now tell me—what do you know about cultivation?"
Jin frowned, confusion clouding his thoughts. "Cultivation? You mean like… martial arts stuff?"
"Sort of," Lin replied, leaning back against the wall. "Cultivators harness Qi—the energy that flows through everything—to strengthen their bodies, enhance their abilities, and unlock latent potential. Most people spend years training to awaken their meridians. You? You got handed a cheat code."
"A cheat code?" Jin repeated skeptically. "So I'm, what, some kind of superhuman now?"
"No," Lin corrected sharply. "Think of it like… a shortcut. The *Heaven's Wrath System* accelerates your progress, but it comes at a cost. Every time you use it, your body takes a hit. Push too hard, and you'll burn out—permanently."
Jin stared at the fiery symbol on his palm, his mind racing. "So what happens now? What do I do with this… power?"
"That depends on you," Lin replied cryptically. "But one thing's for sure—you can't go back to the way things were. Not after tonight."
Before Jin could press further, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the passageway.
"They found us," Lin whispered, drawing her dagger once more.
Jin hesitated, torn between fear and defiance. He wasn't about to let someone else fight his battles for him—not after everything he'd been through. Summoning every ounce of courage, he climbed to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his shoulder.
"No offense," he said sharply, "but I'm not sitting this one out."
Lin glanced at him, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded sharply. "Fine. But if you get yourself killed, don't say I didn't warn you."
As the mercenaries burst into the alcove, weapons drawn and crimson masks gleaming menacingly, Jin felt the fiery symbol on his palm pulse angrily. Energy surged through him, raw and electric, flooding his veins with adrenaline. Whatever this power was, it wanted out—and badly.
Following Lin's lead, Jin charged forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes aimed at pressure points revealed by his newfound meridian sight. Each blow sent shockwaves rippling through the narrow space, forcing the mercenaries to retreat further into the shadows.
For a moment, it seemed like they might actually hold their own. Then reinforcements arrived, cutting off their escape route.
"We need to move!" Lin shouted, grabbing Jin's arm and pulling him toward a hidden exit.
Reluctantly, Jin followed, channeling Qi into his legs for maximum speed. As they fled into the darkness, the mechanical voice chimed in his mind again:
**"Achievement Unlocked: Qi Stabilization. Reward: 200 XP. Bonus: Enhanced Meridian Sight (+10%)."**
They emerged into a sprawling network of underground tunnels, their footsteps echoing ominously in the oppressive silence. Behind them, the sound of pursuit grew louder.
"They're still coming," Jin panted, struggling to keep up with Lin's relentless pace.
"Of course they are," Lin muttered bitterly. "Did you really think running would solve anything?"
Before Jin could respond, a figure stepped into their path—tall, broad-shouldered, and clad in crimson armor. His face was obscured by a mask, but his presence radiated authority and menace.
"Well, well," he sneered, raising a hand crackling with crimson energy. "Looks like we finally meet, Jin Hao."
Jin's heart sank. This wasn't just another soldier—it was someone higher up. Someone dangerous.
"Who are you?" he demanded, though his voice betrayed a flicker of fear.
The man smirked beneath his mask, tilting his head slightly. "Commander Ren. And you, boy, have something that belongs to us."
Before Jin could react, Lin stepped forward, positioning herself between him and Ren. "Over my dead body," she growled, raising her dagger.
Ren chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "That can be arranged."
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a massive blast of crimson energy that sent both Jin and Lin sprawling backward. They hit the ground hard, gasping for breath as searing pain shot through their bodies.
"This isn't over," Ren declared, stepping forward. "Not by a long shot."
As he vanished into the shadows, leaving behind a trail of destruction—and more questions than answers—Jin realized one thing: trusting Lin might be dangerous—but surviving without her was impossible.
And as alarms blared overhead, signaling the arrival of even more mercenaries, he braced himself for whatever came next.