A rancid and gut-wrenching stench hit his nose as Nico turned to look at the corpse beside him.
His bowels had been emptied before he fell on his back, and Nico could do nothing but watch as he did.
Then, he had been rewarded with 500 coins—coins he could've otherwise gotten from someplace else.
Without shedding someone's blood or taking the life of a person who was trying to survive.
His eyes continued staring at the corpse, his nails digging into the ground, and his teeth clenched from frustration.
"I'm sorry..." he muttered as he closed his eyes, softly weeping before wiping his tears and groggily standing up.
"Now's not the time to cry... You can cry all you want when you get to the Guild Centre," he reminded himself as he undressed the man and took his knife.
His clothes stuck to Nico's skin like a tapeworm swimming through his vessels, but his shame was covered, and that's all that mattered.
Nico paid one last glance at the man and sighed through his nose as he walked towards the Guild Centre.
After passing 3 additional alleyways as carefully as possible, he finally found it.
A towering building with crisp white walls and green paint surrounding the entrance.
The street the Guild Centre was on was so clean that Nico could see the building's reflection on the ground.
He smiled softly. He was one street away from salvation.
Then he ran across the street, his heart full as he got closer and closer to his goal.
*WHOOSH*
But of course, something had to remind him where he was. This wasn't heaven nor was it Earth.
As swift as the wind, Nico's collar was grabbed from behind, and he was suddenly flung towards a nearby abandoned building.
His back crashed against the wall, his eyes widening as air escaped his lungs.
[–10 HP]
[HP: 40 / 105]
He coughed upon impact and felt his muscles ache as he tried sitting up straight, wondering what force was strong enough to fling him across the street with such ease.
As he did, he saw the heel of a black boot towering right next to his lower body, and before he could even react, the boot landed on his family jewels.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
[–25 HP]
[HP: 15 / 105]
Nico's mouth opened, but no sound escaped. The distorted red holographic screens appeared before him, displaying his low health, his critical stats and an additional text.
[Health critical! Reach the nearest Guild Centre for immediate treatment!]
His eyes finally cleared out the clutter before, finally landing on the person who attacked him.
The person who stood above him removed her hood and smirked at Nico.
Her hair was golden blonde and short with long sides that reached her shoulders, while her eyes were a deep forest green with a hint of mischief behind them.
Her body had curvatures Nico never knew existed, while her breasts were both large and perky. The silky black dress she wore hugged her body like an old friend, while her long legs glimmered even in the dim area.
Her coat was green and slightly oversized with a hoodie, and her bottom lip was smooth with black lipstick.
While Nico was still somewhat distorted, the woman crouched beside him, touching his chest and slightly humming, and grabbed his arm, causing two holographic screens to appear.
Nico's holographic screen floated against his palm and was green while the woman's was red, awaiting her transaction.
Once that was over, she clicked her tongue and used Nico's hand to slap him across the face.
"Only 600 coins? Guess I got to you a little later than I'd like to admit," she rolled her eyes and looked at Nico in disappointment.
Nico glared at her, showing his teeth as he tried moving, only for his joints to refuse to cooperate with him.
The woman smiled. "Good looks don't get you shit as a man. Try not to die, cutie," she concluded as she walked out of the hole in the wall and disappeared.
When she left, Nico could finally move. But this time, he could do nothing but sit there.
[–5 Value]
[Old Value: #1,578th Place
New Value: #1,583rd Place]
The pain in his lower region still stung, his eyes only saw emptiness in the rubble, and his ears heard nothing despite the loud rain.
He clenched his fists, his brows furrowing and lips twitching.
"Why...? Why did it have to be me...? Why is it always me who gets hurt when I'm minding my own business...?
"It's not enough that I got robbed in the first few seconds of my transmigration, or that I got thrown in the dumpster butt naked, or that I got bitten by a rat, or that a homeless man tried mugging me and I killed him..."
He chuckled. "Oh no, it's still not enough, is it...? You still wish to take away everything—everything I've yet to earn... All I have left is my sanity, but I suppose you want that too, right?!"
He raised his arms and smashed the rubble around him, causing a slight tremor in the room and his arms to break and bleed.
[–10 HP]
[HP: 5 / 105]
[Health critical! Reach the nearest Guild Centre for immediate treatment!]
Nico's arms bled, and his blood flowed towards the tips of his fingers. "Fine. You can take everything from me. But in return, I'll return my suffering onto this world tenfold!
"I'll mow down anyone who stands in my way! I'll kill if anyone intends to kill! One day, I'll be the pinnacle of all your suffering!
"Do you hear me! I will be the one to have the last laugh, New Olympus! Just you wait and see! I swear on my grandfather and my name that I will be at the top of the new world!
"And then, I'll escape! I'll be set free while the rest of you suffer by yourselves! Continue to laugh at my constant suffering, because one day I will be the one to have the last laugh!"
He took deep breaths as he slowly picked himself up, feeling his pockets and realising that he lost his knife amidst the chaos.
Ignoring that, he kicked down a part of the wall and limped towards the Guild Centre, the glass doors sliding open as Nico walked inside.
[You have entered a safe zone]
[Achievement Unlocked! Safety First!
— Find a Safe Zone
— Reward: æ100]
Nico clicked his tongue in annoyance and looked at his surroundings before dismissing the system screen before him.
The other transmigrators were all dressed in top-tier gear and carried weapons that looked like they would cost Nico an arm and a leg.
The ceiling was relatively high with low-hanging lights that glowed dimly, while the entire room had the smell of medicine and herbs.
The smooth floors left a sound with each step Nico took, forcing eyes to fall on him as he limped towards the receptionist's desk.
"Another player and he looks like that?"A man raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms curiously. "I thought new players were supposed to be... cleaner..."
A girl shrugged. "Maybe he's unlucky?"
Nico chuckled. 'You have no idea...'
As he got to the reception, his body hit the desk hard, causing him to groan and feel his stomach. The woman behind the desk squinted her eyes and only slightly raised her hands in concern.
"Um, are you—"
"I'm fine...!" Nico quickly cut her off and balanced himself against the desk, trying his hardest not to wince.
"... You need medical assistance..." the woman reached out, but Nico backed away and rubbed his chin with an awkward smile on his face.
"Tell me, what can I sacrifice right here and now for easy coins?"
The woman blinked. "Well... you can decrease your value, but I'm severely against it," she cautioned, her voice raspy but measured. "Lots of players lose their lives quicker this way."
Nico shook his head. "Unfortunately, death has already tried claiming me over 5 times today alone. My mind's already spent, and my body's damaged. What's dropping my value gonna do? Besides, I don't have much of a choice."
"I can heal you free of charge, for starters...! You really don't look like the type of person who can afford—"
"Sorry, but I don't think I'll be taking too kindly to friendly gestures. I quickly learnt how this world operates. If you do me this favour, I'll be indebted to you."
The woman clenched her fists and furrowed her brows while Nico wondered why she was so determined to help him out for free.
She doesn't even know him.
"So, am I trading my value here, or do I need to find another guild?"
She sighed. "Very well. A single value holds æ1,000 coins. How far are you dropping yours?"
Nico glanced at his system screen.
[Value: #1,583rd Place]
"Drop it all the way to #1,600."
A holographic screen with a hand mould appeared before Nico. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on it, and it immediately drained his value but gave him æ17,000 coins.
Was this enough to get him started? Not even.
But with his options limited, this would only do the bare minimum.