The Seismic Manipulator lay sprawled on the ground, completely defeated.
He was covered in feathers. One pigeon strutted casually across his chest, cooing softly as if mocking his failure. Another pecked at his belt like it was searching for snacks, while a third had made itself comfortable on top of his head like a deranged living hat.
Malric Thorn stood there in silence, staring at the scene. He felt like the absurdity of his life had just reached a brand-new peak.
This is ridiculous, he muttered.
Lyra stood beside him, also watching the villain. After a moment, she turned her gaze to Malric, then back to the man on the ground.
You won.
Malric raised an eyebrow, not quite feeling victorious.
I wouldn't call it winning.
Suddenly, a pigeon's voice rang clearly in his mind.
Victory!
Another added with enthusiasm.
Successful attack!
Malric sighed, feeling trapped in an endless comedy of errors.
Yeah. Very successful.
S.I.M.I.O. appeared in front of his eyes, as always ready with unsolicited information.
Observation.
Malric frowned.
What now?
The blue screen began typing.
Event recorded. Hostile user neutralized. Level 1 user has indirectly defeated a Level 15 user.
Malric raised an eyebrow, the numbers sounding completely surreal.
That sounds exaggerated.
It is statistically absurd, S.I.M.I.O. replied.
Malric crossed his arms, feeling oddly insignificant in the middle of it all.
That wasn't a compliment.
The screen flickered again.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED.
Malric sighed, already expecting something ridiculous.
Of course.
The achievement name appeared slowly.
Urban Biological Warfare.
Malric frowned.
That sounds concerning.
The description followed.
Condition fulfilled: Defeat an enemy using extremely annoying urban birds.
Achievement Description: You have discovered that pigeons are winged weapons of mass destruction with serious attitude problems.
Reward: When you cause chaos in urban areas, local ecosystem creatures will react faster to the disaster you created.
System Note: You are not a strategist. You are an ecological accident.
Malric remained silent, feeling his reputation sink even lower.
That was unnecessary.
It was extremely accurate, S.I.M.I.O. responded.
In the distance, sirens began to wail. Lyra lifted her head, her expression shifting.
The System Response Unit is here.
Three armored vehicles turned the corner, clearly marked with the new government program's logo.
SYSTEM RESPONSE UNIT.
The vehicles stopped, and several people quickly stepped out — a mix of police officers and awakened users ready for action.
One of them raised a hand, and a blue barrier instantly formed around the villain, causing the pigeons to scatter in protest.
Retreat! Retreat! The traitor is still alive!
Malric sighed in mild frustration.
Cowards.
Two officers moved in and lifted the unconscious villain. Another officer scanned the area, looking for answers.
Who stopped him?
Lyra raised a finger and pointed straight at Malric.
He did.
Malric immediately raised both hands.
It wasn't exactly like that.
The officer looked at the destroyed street, then at the villain, and finally at Malric, noticing the cloud of feathers surrounding him.
How?
Malric sighed, accepting how ridiculous this was going to sound.
Pigeons.
The officer blinked.
Pigeons?
Lyra nodded, barely holding back a smile.
A lot of them.
The officer exchanged glances with his colleagues. One of them let out a small chuckle.
Well, kid…
He walked over and gave Malric a firm pat on the shoulder.
Good work.
Malric looked confused.
Excuse me?
Thanks to you, we got here before that idiot could destroy half the block, the officer said with a grin.
Malric glanced at Lyra, feeling uncomfortable with the praise.
I didn't really do much.
The officer pointed at the feathers still floating in the air.
Sure you did.
Another officer raised his voice, calling everyone's attention.
Hey! We've got the guy over here! It's the pigeon hero!
A few agents laughed, clearly enjoying the moment.
Haha! That's perfect! Pigeon Hero!
Malric froze, embarrassment washing over him.
No.
S.I.M.I.O. appeared immediately.
Title detected.
Malric closed his eyes, feeling the nightmare continue.
Please don't.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED.
Malric let out a deep sigh.
Of course.
The name appeared in bright letters.
Pigeon Hero.
This is humiliating, Malric muttered.
The description appeared.
Condition: Publicly recognized for defeating an enemy using pigeons.
Reward: Pigeons will now recognize you instantly.
System Note: This is not respect. It is organized hostility.
Malric stayed quiet, feeling the situation grow more complicated by the second.
This is worse.
Much worse, S.I.M.I.O. agreed.
A lone pigeon landed on a nearby lamppost, staring at him intensely.
Traitor!
Malric sighed, feeling like the entire world was laughing at him.
Yeah. That confirms everything.
The officers began loading the villain into one of the vehicles while System users started clearing debris and repairing the cracks in the pavement. The street slowly began returning to normal.
Malric looked around, watching the city recover with surprising speed.
The world changed so fast, he said quietly.
Lyra nodded, observing the activity around them.
It did. But at least people are trying to make it better.
Malric was about to reply when the giant billboards across the city suddenly lit up. Phones began vibrating simultaneously. System users everywhere looked up, expectant.
A worldwide message appeared on every screen.
GLOBAL SYSTEM MESSAGE.
Malric frowned, sensing trouble.
What now?
The message continued.
System update detected. Estimated implementation time: 24 hours. All users are advised to prepare. New system functions will be unlocked.
End of message.
A heavy silence fell over the street. The previously cheerful atmosphere turned serious and tense.
Lyra looked up at the sky, her expression darkening.
That doesn't sound good.
No, Malric agreed.
S.I.M.I.O. spoke calmly.
Confirmed.
Malric crossed his arms, feeling the weight of what was coming.
What does that mean?
The screen responded slowly.
It means the game has just begun.
Malric stared at the floating window, a sense of unease settling over him.
This is going to get worse, isn't it?
Much worse, S.I.M.I.O. replied.