[Mission in progress...]
[Mission complete.]
[Let the game begin.]
[Objective: Get 200 points on the first day (00:19:58:42).]
[Progress: 100%]
[Reward: A shadow skill.]
[Failure: All stats set to negative.]
[Ding!]
[User has obtained a shadow skill]
[Ding!]
[Skill acquired: Shadow Manipulation]
[User Stats:
Name: Leo
Age: 18
Class: Lunar, Year 8
Affinity: Shadow
Skills:
- Shadow Manipulation: Allows the user to manipulate darkness at will.
Details: No specific usage; depends on the user.
Mana Usage: Dependent on level of manipulation.
Reset Timer: None.
Proficiency: 20%.
Strength: 7
Endurance: 5
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 23
Mana: 110/200
Charm (AFP): 100 (Limit of human)
Available Points:
- SP: 0
- AFP: -243 (Negative) / +800 (Positive)]
"Huh? Why do I have so much positive AFP?"
The question crowded out everything else. None of this made sense.
[I have no idea. Maybe because someone broke the limits of the charm stat?]
The system's response dripped with sarcasm.
"But from who?" I stared at the numbers, baffled. The only girl I'd encountered so far had tried to kill me without hesitation.
[Are you sure ALL of them were ACTUALLY attacking you?]
"Huh?"
What the hell is that supposed to mean? They were all trying to kill me. Especially that archer girl—
WHOOSH.
"Speak of the devil."
I dodged the arrow by pure instinct, my body moving before my brain caught up.
This isn't looking good.
There she was again. The archer girl. Her once-emotionless eyes now burned with hatred so pure it felt physical. I took a step back, then another. Her brownish-green hair hung disheveled around her face, probably from the stunt I'd pulled earlier, and her dress had torn in several places. Not the time to notice that. Not the time at all.
"I will kill you," she hissed.
That was all I needed to hear.
I ran.
How am I supposed to kill her with this shadow manipulation skill? The usage is too vague!
WHOOSH.
"CRAP!"
BOOOOOOM.
The explosion launched me through the air like a ragdoll. I crashed through multiple shelves, wood splintering around me, books raining down.
I think I broke a rib. Maybe two.
"Damn it!" I rolled out of the way, gasping.
BOOOOOOM.
"No!"
The strap of my bag snapped. The contents spilled across the floor in a chaotic scatter.
But in that moment of absolute disaster, I saw it.
Can this work?
No time for second-guessing. Another barrage of arrows shrieked through the air.
BOOOOOOM.
The arrows exploded on impact, but this time something different happened.
"This again?" Her voice held pure annoyance.
The veil of darkness had materialized around me, shielding me from the worst of the blast. But it was already burning up under the intensity of her light-infused arrows. That wasn't my concern right now.
I dove forward and grabbed the gun from the scattered contents of my bag.
The archer saw. She nocked three more arrows in one fluid motion and fired to interrupt whatever I was planning.
I anticipated the move and threw myself sideways, colliding hard with another shelf. Pain shot through my shoulder. Didn't matter. I aimed the gun toward her with shaking hands.
Time to work my magic.
[You know this could blow up in your face, right?]
"I know. That's why I need the size to be perfect."
I gritted my teeth as I felt the darkness responding to my will, coalescing inside the barrel of the gun. Yes. I was creating a bullet. A bullet made of compressed shadow.
This was a gamble. It could backfire spectacularly. The gun could explode in my hand, or the shadow could dissipate before firing, or a dozen other catastrophic failures.
But my back was against the wall.
The archer nocked a single arrow. She drew the string back to her cheek, the arrowhead glowing with concentrated light. Her eyes locked onto mine.
We both fired.
PUM.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.