The slums never slept.
Not really.
They shifted, exhaled, and reeked of oil and old blood, Neon lights blinked like broken thoughts in the distance while mutated rodents scuttled through gutters too narrow for sunlight.
The girl Kai had saved had long vanished, likely running back to whatever hole she'd clawed a life in. But her question lingered in his mind.
What are you
A week ago, he'd have said nobody, but now he wasn't sure anymore.
System Update: Core Progression Threshold Approaching.
Level: 4
Next Tier Unlock: Level 5
System Evolution Path Detected: Shadowbound Striker or NullWalker(locked)
Kai exhaled and stood beneath a collapsed rail bridge, tucked into the lower edge of Dead Zone G-2, the area was forbidden.
No patrols, No drones, Not even Fangs wandered in unless they were desperate or suicidal. Which made it the perfect place for what he needed
A kill
One more level, One more hunt And then his system would evolve.
Current Quest
Evolve or Die
Reach Level 5
Eliminate a Tier-B threat or higher
Reward: Core Evolution Access, Shadow Trait Unlock
The only problem, Tier-B threats didn't stroll the street.
They owned them.
He crouched beside an old corpse, its flesh sunken and leathery. There were symbols burned into its chest—ancient glyphs that shimmered even in death. Blood rituals. Signs of an awakening.
"Someone's summoning these things…" he muttered.
New Notification: Secondary Quest Acquired
....Unearth the Hidden Rite....
Objective: Investigate the Dead Zone Ritual
Optional: Survive
Reward: +30 Shadow Points, ??? Rare Drop
A whisper echoed through the ruin not a voice,Not a growl. Something in between.
He turned just in time a figure loomed above him.
It stood almost seven feet tall, its body a grotesque mix of metal plates fused with rotting flesh.
Its face was wrapped in a tarnished gas mask fused to bone, tubes pulsed with black ichor, and on its arm, a blade longer than Kai's torso hummed with unnatural heat.
Identified: Corpse Reaver
Type Enhanced Thrall
Threat Level: B+
Strength: High
Speed: Moderate
Special: Adaptive Armor, Heat Blade, Frenzy State
Warning: Engaging directly is lethal without tactical advantage.
Kai grimaced.
Of course it was jacked.
Veil Cloak — Passive: Active
Fear Sense — Active
Target: Calm. Confident. No fear detected.
He backed up slowly, sliding into the shadows beneath a rusted stairwell,his heart pounded.
If this was the kill that would push him to Level 5, then it would either make or break him.
Shadow Points: 60/100
Cooldowns: Shadow Step (Ready)
He weighed his options fast,Rebar wouldn't pierce that armor.
He needed distraction, Disruption, Something
Screeeeeeee. KLANG
The Reaver lunged.
Kai leaped, barely dodging the heat blade as it split the wall behind him like paper, chunks of rebar and concrete flew in every direction.
He rolled beneath the swing and activated Shadow Step
appearing behind the Reaver.
This time, he didn't stab.
He climbed.
Scrambling up the Reaver's back, he reached the base of its breathing unit and drove the bone shard, loot from the Echo Feeder straight into the joint where spine met shoulder.
Item Effect Activated: Resonant Disruption
Status Effect: Auditory Feedback Overload
Duration: 10 seconds
The Reaver screamed an awful metallic howl, thrashing violently But Kai held on.
Using the distraction, he kicked off the monster's back and flipped into a crouch. He landed hard, knees screaming, then ran.
Straight into a corridor to his right.
It was tight. Cramped.
He was betting the Reaver wouldn't fit well.
Passive: Veil Cloak — Near-Invisible in Shadows
He pressed himself into the broken wall.
The Reaver came crashing after him its blade dragging sparks from the metal floor and then
KRRRZZZCHHH
It got stuck for just a second, Kai didn't waste it.
He dove in, slamming the Silent Hunter's Mark onto his wrist.
item Equipped: Silent Hunter's Mark
Effect: Movement noise reduced by 50%
Moving silent as a ghost, he scaled the side of the corridor wall using exposed piping.
The Reaver snarled, trying to dislodge its blade, that's when Kai dropped down, right onto its head.
He plunged the rebar again, this time into the exposed wiring at the nape of its neck.
Electric sparks exploded.
The creature thrashed wildly, slamming against the corridor, crushing debris.
Kai was thrown back, skidding across metal and scraping skin.
-18 HP
He pushed up, spitting blood, the Reaver stumbled now, and something in its chest began to glow.
Warning: Heat Core Overload Detected
Time to Detonation: 8 seconds
His eyes widened, Crap.
Shadow Step Cooldown: Ready
He turned and ran, Then blinked ten meters ahead.
BOOOOOOM
The explosion rocked the Dead Zone, Smoke and fire erupted from the corridor like a furnace had torn itself open.
Metal twisted, alarms in the deeper slum sectors flared with warning chimes, and a column of flame shot skyward.
But Kai , He was already two blocks away, panting hard behind a fallen vending kiosk.
Quest Complete: Evolve or Die
Level Up: +1
Current Level: 5
Core Evolution Unlocked
System Prompt: Shadow Core Ready for Evolution.
Select Evolution Path:
1. Shadowbound Striker:
A path of precision and agility. Grants blink combat techniques, critical stealth boosts, and dagger-based mastery.
2. Null-Walker
A path of anti-energy and phase manipulation. Grants temporary invincibility frames, null zones, and anti-magic cloaks.
Kai stared at the choices Two paths
One focused on killing before they saw you.The other denying enemies their powers entirely.
He clenched his fists he needed strength, But more than that he needed control.
He tapped:
Select Evolution: Null-Walker
System Evolution Commencing
Brace for synchronization.
Pain lanced through him every nerve, every bone.
Dark energy swirled around his form, wrapping him in spectral blue chains that etched across his skin like tribal markings.The system core deep inside him pulsed once, twice , then shattered.
Reforming.
Upgrading.
Class Evolution Complete: Null-Walker Initiate Tier 1
New Skills Acquired:
Phase Step Lv. 1: Temporarily phase through one attack every 30 seconds.
Null Zone Lv. 1: Silence all abilities and magic within 3 meters for 5 seconds.
Talent Perk Unlocked: Null Vein
Passive: Reduces cooldowns by 10%. Immune to detection by Tier-B or lower tracking skills.
Kai collapsed to his knees,his breath came ragged.
His skin still tingled, the spectral chains now burned into him like ink ,but he was alive, Evolved and the shadows whispered louder now.
Meanwhile, deep in the Data Hive beneath Sector A.. a series of alerts screamed across the black glass monitors.
Evolution Detected: Unauthorized Null-Walker Awakening
Subject: Kai (Rogue System Carrier)
Tier: Elevated
Threat Rating: Alpha-Candidate
Deploy Enforcer Units to Sector D. Initiate Containment Protocol Gamma.
The woman in the white coat raised her head and smiled You're just full of surprises, Kai.