Kenji logged back in immediately. The frustration was a cold burn.
"0.3 points for a bullet wound," he muttered, pulling the visor back down. "This game is a cruel joke."
He repeated the death, but with variations.
Death 2: He waited longer in the firing line, maximizing damage for a higher Trauma Dividend. AGI +0.2.
Death 3: He tried to hit the turret with the pipe, knowing his low Strength would betray him, guaranteeing the STR +0.1 reward.
Death 4: He tried to tank one shot to specifically boost his VIT. VIT +0.2.
It was a grueling, miserable routine. He wasn't playing; he was performing an exercise in self-inflicted strategic trauma. His real body felt abused, vibrating from the residual virtual shocks.
After two hours and twelve conscious, painful failures, he had incrementally boosted his key attributes.
On the thirteenth attempt, Kenji sprinted. Knowing the Turret's exact tracking delay from his twelve deaths, he exploited the tiny blind spot with his newly upgraded AGI 9.0. He sped through the firing line and reached the safety of the corner unscathed.
OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: HALLWAY TWO CLEARED.
New Objective: Descend to Maintenance Level.