Chapter twenty
The Snowballs
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Abo stood over Lira's body. Her blood mixed with the gargoyle's in the snow. His hands and face were streaked with it—some red, some black. The air smelled of iron, and the cold stung his lungs with every breath. Her pistol lay a few feet away, catching the light from the orphanage.
ℹ SYSTEM NOTICE
Incoming enemies: ten gargoyles, fifteen grotesques, twenty flying basilisks.
Note: Stone basilisks have a Perception stat of 40. They'll detect the survivors in the bunker if you don't hold this position.
Abo's red eyes flicked upward, scanning the dark sky. "Alright, I'm out," he said, voice low and edged with a sneer. He turned and shuffled through the snow toward the cow pen.
The pen was a mess: broken slats, blood-soaked mud, cow carcasses torn open. Abo crouched beside one, extending a few of his teeth. He plucked the largest fang with a quick tug, holding it like a small, curved knife. Blood dripped from his gum, but he ignored it; his jaw was already bleeding enough. He sliced into the cow's flank, then deeper, reaching past torn muscle. His small hands rummaged inside, searching by feel. One by one, he pulled out organs slick with blood, liver, lung, stomach, a chunk of kidney, stuffing them into his onesie like rations.
"Thought we were tight, you and me," he muttered, patting the entrail-stuffed fabric around his stomach.
"You said my death wipes your memories. So why the hell should we risk anything?" He jabbed a finger at his jaw, still dangling crooked and half-healed. "You do realize this thing's on cooldown, yeah?"
System: Your mortality risk is low. But leaving now breaches the orphanage perimeter. Those monsters will track the survivors underground. Basilisks' detection range is too high.
Abo snorted and kicked a chunk of cow gut aside. It skidded across the snow. "You think I give a flying fuck? If I gotta kill something, I'm picking the kids over those flying freaks."
He adjusted his stuffed onesie. A piece dropped out, and he quickly shoved it back inside. "Pretty sure I broke my whole damn jaw just trying to bite that guy's head off. What was he, carved from rock?"
He opened his arms as if to state the obvious, his jaw hanging loose as he shifted from side to side, blood dripping steadily. "These teeth are the closest thing I've got to a weapon, and now look at me."
He pressed against his hanging jaw, trying to push it back into place. Blood slid down his chin as the bone shifted. "If there's more of those things coming, I'm out."
⚡ QUEST UNLOCKED ⚡
LAST STAND
Type: Rescue
🎯 Objective:
13 Gargoyles (0/13) 15 Grotesques (0/15) 21 Flying Basilisks (0/21)
Reward: 5000 XP
Time Limit: 24 hours
FAILURE CONDITIONS
Death before completion → Penalty enforced Refusal to accept → Automatic System Override
FAILURE PENALTY
You will be forcibly reincarnated as the Saiyan infant 'Kakarot,' son of Bardock, on a dying planet named Vegeta. Your current personality, including your foul mouth, cynicism, and undiagnosed PTSD will be preserved. Unfortunately, it will be trapped in a babbling baby body.
You will be rocketed to Earth, bonk your head on a rock, suffer traumatic amnesia, and grow up believing in friendship, power of love, and the sanctity of push-ups. Your sarcasm will be overwritten by shonen protagonist energy. You will smile. You will protect. You will wear orange.
There is no escape. Your legacy will echo through time as: Kame… ha… me… ha
Abo stared at the message. "You know what? I don't even care anymore. I'd rather kill myself out of spite. In the next life, I'll be some brain-damaged toddler who's probably never even heard of betrayal. Must be nice"
He wrapped his tiny hands around his own neck and started choking himself. His eyes bulged, his cheeks puffed, veins popped. He made a sound like a strangled piglet coughing on mud. Then he wheezed, let go, and collapsed forward with a ragged gasp.
System: ...
It didn't comment, it didn't need to. They both knew he wouldn't be able to do it, and before he could try again, the System cut in.
System: I'm doing this to increase our chances of survival. Killing monsters means leveling up. And these incoming enemies are only Rank F.
If we run into anything stronger later, you won't just piss your diapers, you'll piss blood through your eye sockets.
Abo didn't respond, not immediately. He just stood there, silent, the wind brushing past his blood-matted hair. Snow clung to the tips of his ears. His head tilted back, eyes shifting slowly as he scanned the sky, locking onto something only he could sense. His nose wrinkled, and his lips tightened; he made that face people do when something stinks. "Rank F?" he said.
System: Correct.
"Okay, partner. You know the drill. Override the code and give me their stats."
System: Accessing external data via administrative override command...
⚠ SYSTEM OVERRIDE
Initiating manual scan. Select one (1) entity per enemy subtype for profiling.
Abo closed his eyes and focused. He could sense the enemies drawing closer, some flying, others closing in across the ground, all moving toward their direction.
⚠ SYSTEM OVERRIDE
Targets confirmed. Executing scan…
Scan complete.
Displaying target metrics through passive interface relay.
◆ STATUS WINDOW ◆
NAME: Blackspire
LEVEL: 22
RACE: Gargoyle (Rank F)
AGE: 30 Years
◈ COMBAT STATISTICS ◈
POW: 45
SPD: 55
DEF: 45
Perception: 20
INT: 12
Willpower: 12
CHAR: 2
Luck: 0
Health: 270 / 270
Mana: 80 / 80
Stamina: 100 / 100
◈ SKILL ◈
- Stone Dive (F)
Dives from above dealing 180% damage. Knocks target prone if unaware.
(Cost: 20 Mana, CD: 12s)
◆ STATUS WINDOW ◆
NAME: Razormaw
LEVEL: 20
RACE: Grotesque (Rank F)
AGE: 25 Years
◈ COMBAT STATISTICS ◈
POW: 40
SPD: 65
DEF: 35
Perception: 15
INT: 8
Willpower: 8
CHAR: -5
Luck: 3
Health: 240 / 240
Mana: 40 / 40
Stamina: 70 / 70
◈ SKILL ◈
- Frenzy Scratch (F)
Attacks twice rapidly at +8% damage each. Second hit reduces DEF by 10% for 5s.
(Cost: 15 Mana, CD: 8s)
◆ STATUS WINDOW ◆
NAME: Slatefang
LEVEL: 24
RACE: Stone Basilisk (Rank F)
AGE: 15 Years
◈ COMBAT STATISTICS ◈
POW: 50
SPD: 40
DEF: 50
Perception: 40
INT: 20
Willpower: 20
CHAR: -2
Luck: 0
Health: 300 / 300
Mana: 120 / 120
Stamina: 60 / 60
◈ SKILL ◈
- Petrifying Glare (F)
Slows target's SPD by 30% for 10s.
(Cost: 30 Mana, CD: 15s)
"Fucking hell. They're ten levels ahead of me. What is wrong with their stats?" Abo squinted. "Why are most of them over forty? The strongest thing I fought in that cave had one, maybe two stats at forty."
He actually coughed when he saw their health, mana, and stamina bars. Dragging both hands down his face, he stretched the skin until his cheeks sagged. "Status Window," he muttered. The infant babble that slipped out carried an unmistakable note of depression.
◆ STATUS WINDOW ◆
NAME: Grey
LEVEL: 10
RACE: Undead (Vampire)
AGE: 1 Month
AFFINITY: Light / Dark
CLASS: Runecrafter
◈ COMBAT STATISTICS ◈
POW: 27
SPD: 24
DEF: 0
Perception: 42
INT: 37
Willpower: 20
CHAR: 0
Luck: -999
Health: 180 / 190
Hem: 70/80
Unallocated Points: 20
◈ PASSIVE SKILLS ◈
- Noble's Senses (C) [RACE] [NEW] [EVOLVED FROM HEIGHTENED SENSES]
+35% sensory acuity (sight pierces gloom, hearing isolates whispers, smell detects poison/fear). Time slows 0.5s on threat. Detect lies (voice tremors), spot enemy weaknesses (armor flaws, twitches), and sense gatherings (500m via noise/formation).
- Noble's Stealth (F) [RACE] [NEW] [EVOLVED FROM STEALTH MASTERY]
-15% sound, +10% concealment in darkness. Muffles spellcasting. Break line of sight for 5s to erase memory of your presence (1/day).
- Sacrifice (E) [RACE] [NEW] [EVOLVED FROM BATTLE INSTINCT]
Gain 1 stack per 10% max HP lost (capped at 5 per instance). Attacking costs 5% max HP (10% if self-inflicted) per hit, granting 1 stack—chained attacks within 1.5s extend the combo. Each stack beyond the first adds +10% additive damage; at 5 stacks, your next attack consumes all for +40% bonus damage. Stacks persist until spent.
- Regeneration (Unique)
5 HP/min (10 HP/min when immobile)
- Hem Reset (E) [RACE] [NEW]
Consume at least 10% max HP in blood to trigger, heal 15% max HP (7.5% in Desperation), gain 25 Hem per 10% HP drank, and clear all Sacrifice stacks. Reduced efficiency when below 10% HP. (does not cleanse DoTs like poison/burn/curse)
- Desperation (E) [RACE] [NEW]
When HP falls below 10%, gain +40–50% Power and Speed (multiplicative with Sacrifice stack quantity). Healing received is reduced by 50% (Regen: 2.5/min | Hem Reset: 4% instead of 8%). Sacrifice attack costs 2% HP (reduced from normal). All existing stacks are reset upon activation.
- Blind Reaper (Title)
Passive fear aura (-10% enemy perception)
◈ ACTIVE SKILLS ◈
- Noble's Phasing (F) [RACE] [EVOLVED FROM SHADOW STEP]
Teleport behind a visible foe within 4m.
(CD: 12s | Cost: 10.)
- Heart Piercer (F) [RACE] [EVOLVED FROM ASSASSINATE]
Stealth attack ignores 40% DEF and silences (1s). Executes foes <2% HP (non-bosses die, bosses take +5% damage).
(CD: 35s | Cost: 20.)
- Noble's Edict (F) [RACE] [EVOLVED FROM TACTICAL COMMAND]
Allies gain +10% speed (8s). Vampires gain 5% lifesteal.
(CD: 30s | Cost: 15)
- Possession (???)
Allows the player's soul to enter or exit their bound vessel at will.
(CD: 0 | Cost: 0)
Note: Possession of other entities is not permitted.
- Inscribe (F) [NEW] [CLASS]
Draw mystical runes with precise movements, requiring understanding of the effect's underlying principles (e.g., combustion for fire, refraction for light). Mana cost scales with complexity. Incorrect runes backfire spectacularly - a flawed frost rune might freeze the caster's hand instead.
(CD: 0s | Cost: 5-15 Hem depending on complexity)
Trigger (F) [NEW] [CLASS]
Activate inscribed runes through voice commands, gestures, or pre-set conditions (proximity, timers, touch). Single-rune activation is instant (0s cooldown), ideal for rapid casting. Combos (2-rune synergies) add +1s cooldown and cost more Hem (e.g., fire + wind = explosion). Overloading (3+ runes at once) pushes past safe limits, expect +3s cooldown, higher Hem drain (20+), and risk of feedback burns.
Precision matters. Mistimed detonations can hit allies, cancel the cast, or leave behind unstable magical residue. Mastery allows chaining effects in sequence without overlap, but one mistake ruins the flow.
(CD: 0–3s | Cost: 5–25 Hem depending on complexity)
◈ CHARACTER PROGRESSION ◈
Current EXP: 5,357/5,362
Quests Available: The Last Stand
"Split the points between Power and Speed," Abo muttered, tearing a bite from the liver.
STAT POINTS ALLOCATED
POW +10, SPD +10
"Alright, that puts me at 37 Power, 34 Speed. Looking pretty, let's pretend that I'm not gonna die anytime soon." He tore into the liver and swallowed it whole, eyes narrowed at the status window.
"Why the hell are these class skills so damn complicated? I need a tutorial, System." Abo gripped his hair with both hands, tugging hard.
He let go, snarling. "Wait, you never gave me a tutorial. You just shove game mechanics into my head and expect me to figure it out."
A shriek pierced the sky, three enemies are approaching.
"Shit!" Abo yelped, scrambling in circles. "System, come on! Cram that rune-crafting crap into my brain, now!"
System: Negative. Direct knowledge transfer violates divine coding restrictions. I provided general RPG and Computer Science knowledge covertly, but that exploit is being patched. Rune-crafting mechanics require manual learning.
"What am I supposed to do? I have to dislocate my spine just to get my arms far enough to scratch my own ass, and you expect me to stop those winged monsters?" Abo's voice cracked, strained with panic and anger.
The enemies were still far but closing fast, dark shapes cutting through the sky. One of them was bigger, broader, wings stretched wide. The other two were leaner and faster, darting ahead in quick, jerking movements. He couldn't make out their features yet, only the way they moved. Abo scooped up stones hidden in the snow, piling them hastily.
System: Tip - Compress snow into dense ice spheres. At your power, even a fist-sized projectile will strike like a cannon.
Abo snatched up a handful of snow, crushing it between his palms until the air hissed out, condensing it into a glistening orb of ice, no larger than his clenched fist. He worked quickly and with focus. In a short amount of time, the stack grew, rising past his head. The monsters were closing in now, their shrieks cut through the air, sharp enough to rattle his broken jaw.
He drew the fang-blade tucked into his cloth and stabbed himself with it, four times. He only needed four; he already had one stack from biting into the gargoyle earlier.
STACK: 5
That brought his Power stat to 52 with the +40% damage boost from Sacrifice
"Come on, let's make my bastard dad proud." Abo closed his eyes, a tear trailing down as he recalled Katio's brutal lessons, being flayed for missing a bird he was never going to see.
He widened his stance, the tiny foot braced in snow finding bedrock. Shoulders squared, arm drawn back like a siege engine's spring. The tooth-blade was tucked away. Every muscle fiber in his small frame screamed with stored tension, vibrating on the edge of structural failure.
He threw.
The ice ball didn't just fly; it detonated from his hand. At Power 52, his arm was a biological piston capable of forces that shattered reality's rules. The 1 kg projectile blurred, exceeding the speed of sound. The horror lived in that brutal compression of physics: all that power, delivered in centimeters. Kinetic energy needed velocity, and his speed gave it. Muscle became slingshot, bone the rail. Not a throw, but a detonation of flesh and kinetic fury.
KRA-BOOM!
Recoil? Oh, fuck recoil. Newton's third law is merciless.
His arm tore off at the shoulder the moment the ice left his hand. Bone and muscle burst apart, and the recoil shredded half his chest, ribs splintered, flesh torn open, lung exposed. Blood sprayed in a wide arc, soaking his onesie. The blast hurled him back. Reflex saved him from total destruction. He twisted mid-fall, forcing the shock through his leg. Snow erupted behind him, and cracks split the rock underfoot.
The ice ball struck the grotesque's chest. At this velocity and mass, the impact wasn't a penetration; it was localized annihilation. The creature's torso vaporized in a shower of stone shards, black blood, and superheated steam. The shockwave ripped its remaining limbs apart mid-air. Before the first fragment hit the ground, the grotesque ceased to exist as a coherent entity.
✓ NOTIFICATION
+95 EXP
Current EXP: 5452/5360
You have leveled up!
Current level: 11
+5 Stat Points
Unallocated Stat Points: 5
Current EXP: 5452/7524
HP: 21 / 190
"Mother!" Abo screamed as he saw half his upper body knitting itself back together, chunks of flesh still missing. His insides were exposed, some spilling. Cattle organs he had hidden inside fell out as the fabric split; he snatched up three, crammed them into his mouth, and swallowed.
+45% HP
Bones snapped into place. Torn ligaments latched on and pulled tight. Skin surged across his chest and arms, and in seconds, his upper body was whole again, soaked in blood, but functional.
"This is what 50+ pow does?"
System: Affirmative.
POWER CLASSIFICATION
POW: 1–5
Category: Infant / Frail
Human Equivalent: Babies, disabled, near death
Example Feats: Crawling, struggling with own weight
POW: 6–10
Category: Weak to Average
Human Equivalent: Small child to untrained adult
Example Feats: Lifts ~10–30 kg with effort
POW: 11–17
Category: Average to Strong
Human Equivalent: Fit adult, soldier, laborer
Example Feats: Carries body weight, can fight or lift 50–150 kg
POW: 18–22
Category: Peak Human
Human Equivalent: Olympians, elite fighters
Example Feats: Lifts 2–3× body weight, throws heavy weapons
POW: 23–29
Category: Exceptional Human
Human Equivalent: World's strongest men
Example Feats: Lifts 300–500 kg, rips metal doors, breaks stone with effort
POW: 30–35
Category: Top 0.001%
Human Equivalent: The strongest possible humans, naturally or magically enhanced
Example Feats: Lift 600+ kg, punch through wood or dent armor, leap over cars
POW: 36+
Category: Superhuman
Human Equivalent: Not biologically possible without mutation or magic
Example Feats: Tear bodies apart, crush skulls, toss boulders, punch through steel
System: Normally, reaching over 40 in Power and Speed is difficult. Standard players allocate across eight stats, and you don't. The other six are ignored, mana and stamina aren't just unused, they no longer exist, as your body runs entirely on hem. With no other systems to maintain, your stat growth is highly concentrated. Efficient, if a bit unorthodox.
"I'm not reckless, I'm optimally suicidal." Abo muttered mentally, hurling another compressed snowball toward the approaching grotesques. He could already see more winged freaks emerging from the darkness behind them.
His stack was gone, and the bonus damage from Sacrifice had reset. He was back to 37 Power, and the monsters were closing in. He stabbed himself twice—just enough for a 10% boost. That brought him to around 40 Power, enough to pierce a grotesque's defense. Against a gargoyle, he was still five points short, but he could make up the difference with speed. Velocity squared meant even a light object could hit like a sledgehammer. Momentum would carry it through.
The grotesque was fast, their 65 Speed outpacing the gargoyle's 55. He launched the first shot straight and fast. The snowball tore through the air, but the grotesque reacted just in time. It folded its wings and dropped, the projectile screaming past overhead.
Abo's eyes narrowed, catching the move. He adjusted his grip on the next ice ball, angling his wrist upward and snapping it with a sidearm flick, imparting a sharp topspin. The ball curved upward in a tight arc, slower than the straight throw but deceptive, climbing as if defying gravity. The grotesque flapped its wings forward to dart backward, dodging the expected path, its stone-like face an inch from the projectile.
But it didn't see the curving ball hook toward its blind spot. With its wings folded for that split-second dodge, it was defenseless. The ice ball smashed through its left wing, shredding the tattered membrane, then plowed into its skull. The projectile's momentum carried it through, catching the gargoyle in the neck, dropping both in a spray of black blood and broken bone. Abo exhaled, steam curling from his lips.
STACK: 2
✦ ✦ ✦
End of Chapter