Upon the muscular women's landing, the driver of the bus felt the balance off, and slammed on the breaks, making the passengers inside all move forward, and shake the bus.
The sound of the bus screeching against the asphalt was heard, and bumped into nearby vehicles, causing few collisions.
Before anyone could process what happened, Lucy moved, pulling Jack to reality.
She kicked the emergency lever, swung her body sideways, and immediately opened fire upward through the bus roof.
The shots were deafening.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
It was the first time Jack had ever heard gunfire so close.
"How many?" Lucy shouted over the chaos.
Jack blinked. "W–What?"
"The enemies!"
Seeing the map in his head, Jack could see the two red dots separate with the one on the roof and the other on an approaching distance.
'But how did she?'
"Two! One above us—another about seventy meters out!"
Jack answered almost subconsciously as he feared for the situation as he read the angles and meters in the map in his head.
"What are their dominant genes?" Lucy asked sharply.
'Genes? Does she mean race?' Jack thought.
"I don't know—I need to see them clearly."
Lucy didn't hesitate.
She vaulted out of the bus, spinning mid-air, landing with one hand braced on the asphalt like an acrobat while firing upwards with her other. Her bullets sparked against the silhouette on the roof.
And then he saw her.
The muscular woman—towering, broad-shouldered, veins bulging like cables—ripped a metal bench from the sidewalk as if it were made of foam. She hurled it at Lucy without effort, shattering glass everywhere.
"Are they shooting a movie?!" someone from the crowd yelled, recording on their phone.
Jack's stomach dropped as he carried Shadow in his arms.
The appraisal window flickered:
[Sharon Wink]
[Age: 28]
[Level: 28]
[Awakened Gene: Ogre]
[Kill count: 11]
[Note: Extremely strong]
Sharon's roar exploded through the street.
"COME HERE, LITTLE WORM!"
Lucy was fast and agile but Sharon was stronger. Her bullets hit, but Sharon shrugged them off with monstrous delight, laughing as she bulldozed through obstacles.
"Shit!" Jack muttered.
Sharon snatched a motorcycle and flung it at Lucy like a toy, smashing it into a parked truck as sparks ignited.
In the dark night, the few people then started screaming and ran.
Lucy dodged them all and hid in places, but little did she know she was already falling into a trap.
Remembering her question.
"Your opponent has awakened the ogre blood. And she's setting a trap! Move out of there!" Jack shouted. "
Lucy glanced back—just for a second. And then saw Joe Carlos appear from behind Jack.
Then she threw one of her pistols at him.
"Use it!"
In that split second.
[Dodge!]
A system notice glowing in red suddenly flickered in Jack's eyes, making him throw himself backward. That second almost cost him his life as a sharp, metallic whisper sliced through the air, grazing his neck.
[-6 HP]
Just then, Jack immediately grabbed the gun Lucy had given him.
And something happened.
It wasn't the usual physical power up.
It was a pulse.
A vibration through his palm making it stable, and his sight clearer than before.
[Absorbing Object…]
[Matching Host's Neural Pathways…]
[Firearm Proficiency: INSTALLED]
[Ordinary Pistol Equipped.]
[Sharpshooter skill obtained.]
[You can now wield this ordinary pistol like a master sharpshooter.]
Jack gasped.
It wasn't the first time he touched a gun but this was new.
The gun suddenly felt like an extension of his hand—like he'd trained for years.
"What—what the hell—?!" he whispered.
Joe Carlos stepped forward, butcher knife glinting under the streetlights.
"Stop!" Jack yelled. "I'll shoot!"
Joe snorted. "You think that toy can hurt me?"
Jack fired.
BANG.
The recoil was perfect—unnaturally perfect—yet the bullet only buried itself halfway into Joe's forehead… and stopped. Joe plucked it out with two fingers. The wound sealed instantly, skin stitching back together like nothing happened.
"Cute," he whispered.
A cold chill stabbed through Jack's spine.
He fired again.
And again.
And again.
But Joe kept walking, unfazed, bullets flattening or popping out of his regenerating skin. Jack's heartbeat roared in his ears.
Behind him.
BOOM!
A car detonated as Sharon hurled a chunk of metal at Lucy. Dust swallowed the street as the ogre-woman charged her with manic glee.
But then.
Civilians who were recording from a distance weren't alone anymore.
Men in black suits—Association agents—began swarming the perimeter, shouting orders, pushing people back.
But the street was already a war zone.
Jack pulled the trigger—
click.
Empty.
[You have run out of bullets.]
Joe Carlos grinned, eyes gleaming red. "Out of bullets?"
Then he lunged.
Jack braced himself, heart hammering—when a sudden mechanical hum filled the air.
Drones.
A cluster of them descended overhead, cameras locking onto the scene. At the same moment, a black SUV screeched into view, headlights slicing through smoke.
Joe froze, clicking his tongue in irritation.
"Damn it… we're exposed."
He shot Sharon a sharp glare. "We're leaving. Now."
Sharon who was enjoying herself clicked her tongue and throw one thing one last time.
Then, she relaxed and trailed after Joe Carlos.
In just four breaths, they were gone.
The sight of fire, ruined cars, and the stunned remains of the street opened to everyone's eyes.
Jack's breath hitched but he was thinking of another thing as he looked at the gun in his hand.
[You have survived a life-threatening situation.]
[You have gained 100 exp points]
[You have gained 100 exp points.]
[You have leveled up.]
'What just happened? What exactly is this system all about?'