Lucas gripped his short sword, the weight of it grounding him as he stood within the shimmering dome of the New Haven Safe Zone. The System's interface hovered in his vision, updated with his new status:
Name: Lucas Reed
Level: 2
Class: Warrior
HP: 135/135
MP: 45/45
Skills: Sprint (Lvl 1), Power Strike (Lvl 1)
Skill Points: 0
Quests: None Active
The Safe Zone buzzed with activity. Players bartered glowing loot orbs, their voices a chaotic mix of panic and bravado. A holographic leaderboard flickered above the Class Selection Terminal, ranking top Players by level and kills. Riley, Lvl 3, Scavenger was nowhere near the top, but she leaned against a crystalline pillar, watching Lucas with a wry grin.
"No quests yet?" Riley asked, tossing a Scrap Metal shard between her hands. "You're a Warrior now. System's gonna throw you into the deep end soon."
Lucas frowned, scanning the crowd. A burly man with a Lvl 5, Tank Class tag was shouting for a party to clear a nearby Dungeon: Abandoned Mall. A woman with Mage Class hurled fireballs at a training dummy, each hit flashing +20 DMG on impact. "What's the play here?" Lucas asked. "Just… level up and fight monsters?"
Riley chuckled. "That's the grind, big guy. System's got rules—kill stuff, complete quests, get stronger. But word on the street is the System's spawning something big. You in or you gonna hide in the Safe Zone forever?"
Before Lucas could answer, a new panel blinked into existence:
New Quest Available: Clear the Glitch Nest. Objective: Eliminate 10 Glitch Rats in the Old Warehouse District. Reward: 150 XP, Common Weapon Upgrade, 50 Credits. Optional: Destroy the Nest Core (0/1) for +50 XP. Time Limit: 4 hours. Accept? Y/N
Lucas's pulse quickened. The warehouse district was a ten-minute run, but the timer and the word "Glitch" made his skin crawl. Still, 150 XP could push him closer to Level 3, and that weapon upgrade sounded tempting. He glanced at Riley. "You know this area?"
She nodded, eyes glinting. "Old warehouses are crawling with Glitch Rats. Easy XP if you're smart, but the Nest Core's tricky—usually guarded. I'm in if you are. Scavenger's good for looting extras."
Lucas hit Y. The quest logged, and a timer appeared: 3:59:47. "Let's move."
The warehouse district was a maze of rusted metal and shattered windows, now warped by the System into a flickering, pixelated hellscape. The air hummed with static, and Danger Zone markers pulsed on the ground. Lucas's sword felt heavier as he and Riley crept through a narrow alley, her Stealth Scavenge (Lvl 2) skill dimming her outline to avoid detection.
A skittering noise echoed ahead. Lucas peered around a corner and spotted three Glitch Rats, Lvl 2, gnawing on a glowing Resource Node: Copper Wire. Their health bars hovered above, each at 30/30 HP. "I'll take lead," Lucas whispered, activating Power Strike. His muscles tensed, the skill amplifying his strength as he lunged.
The first swing caught a rat's flank, the System flashing Power Strike: 22 DMG. The rat screeched, its HP dropping to 8. Riley darted in, a dagger flashing in her hand—Backstab: 15 DMG—and the rat dissolved into sparks, dropping Rat Pelt and 5 Credits. The other two rats charged, but Lucas was ready. He sidestepped, using Sprint to close the gap, and cleaved through both with a single arc. Double Kill! +20 XP.
"Nice," Riley said, already looting the node. +10 Copper Wire, +5 XP. "Eight more rats to go. Nest Core's deeper in."
They pushed forward, dispatching two more groups of rats with practiced efficiency. Lucas's XP bar crept up: 80/200 to Level 3. But the deeper they went, the stranger the district became. Walls flickered with glitchy textures, and a low hum grew louder, vibrating in Lucas's chest. A new notification pinged:
Warning: Entering High-Density Glitch Zone. Hostile Spawn Rate Increased.
"Great," Lucas muttered. Before he could say more, a swarm of Glitch Rats, Lvl 3—five of them, with 50/50 HP—burst from a shattered crate. Behind them loomed a pulsating red orb, the size of a basketball, labeled Nest Core: 100/100 HP.
Riley cursed. "That's the Core! Take out the rats first, or we're screwed."
Lucas roared, charging with Power Strike. His sword slammed into the nearest rat, dealing 25 DMG, but the others swarmed, their pixelated claws raking his arm. -10 HP. Pain flared, real and sharp, despite the game-like overlay. He gritted his teeth, swinging again, dropping two rats as Riley's daggers flashed, thinning the pack.
HP: 115/135. The System's warning blared: Nest Core Activating. Spawn Wave Incoming. The Core pulsed, and three more rats materialized. Lucas's heart pounded—he couldn't keep this up. "Riley, the Core! Now!"
She nodded, slipping into Stealth Scavenge and darting past the rats. Lucas held the line, his sword a blur, each hit draining his stamina. +10 XP, +10 XP. His HP dipped to 90/135 as a rat's claws grazed his side. Riley reached the Core, jamming her dagger into its surface. Critical Hit! 40 DMG. The orb flickered, but it wasn't enough.
"Keep it busy!" Riley shouted, hacking again. Lucas activated Power Strike, cleaving through the last rat, then turned on the Core. His sword glowed, the skill surging through him. Power Strike: 35 DMG. The Core's HP dropped to 25/100, then 0/100 as Riley's final stab shattered it into pixels. A wave of sparks erupted, and the hum in the air died.
Quest Completed: Clear the Glitch Nest. 10/10 Glitch Rats Eliminated. Nest Core Destroyed. Reward: 200 XP, Common Weapon Upgrade, 50 Credits.
Level Up! You are now Level 3. +15 HP, +5 MP, +1 Skill Point.
Lucas panted, his HP at 75/150. A glowing orb appeared in his inventory: Weapon Upgrade: Iron Blade (+10 DMG). He equipped it, feeling the sword's weight shift, now sharper and sturdier. Riley pocketed 15 Copper Wire and 3 Glitch Shards, grinning. "Not bad, Warrior. You're catching on."
A distant roar echoed through the district, and a new System message flashed:
Global Alert: First Dungeon Boss Spawned. Location: New Haven Outskirts. Recommended Level: 5. Party Size: 4-6.
Lucas exchanged a look with Riley. "Boss fight already?" he said, half-excited, half-terrified.
She smirked. "That's the System for you. Keeps you grinding. You in?"
Lucas tightened his grip on his upgraded sword, the thrill of the fight still buzzing in his veins. Level 3 felt good, but he'd need more power for what was coming. "Yeah," he said. "I'm in."