Brockton, the Starting City (2)
I stepped out of the request office and looked around. Glowing white lights dotted the area everywhere. Among them, green lights occasionally flickered too. As expected of a city—there were definitely a lot of them visible.
The spawn location for that request is one of three possible spots.
I had to track down its randomly assigned position. The worst case was outside the city walls, and the best... Of course.
Not on the surface—I peered underground. Sure enough, quite a few lights glowed from down there too. Which meant...
Normally, nothing would be visible from up here.
The target had spawned in a prime spot. My Weapon Summoner abilities made it easy to pinpoint. I headed straight for the sewer entrance.
Screeech.
I descended into the circular pipe, water already leaking from the seams. The stench hit like a punch to the nose. The floor was covered in filth and muck.
Now that this is reality...
In the game, I'd wandered sewer areas without a second thought, but now? This was no joke. I'd have to get used to it eventually, though.
Splash. Splash.
I moved quickly over the shallow sewage water. I knew the layout of these sewers like the back of my hand—this was a place I'd cleared countless times. And I knew exactly what lurked here.
I'd pushed deep into the sewers. Along the way, I'd run into hordes of giant rats, but I'd dropped them without breaking a sweat.
Time to decide here.
The tunnel split into two paths. Right led to the wanted criminal. Left was the giant rats' nest. Logically, I should head right... but
If I don't clear out that rat nest first, it'll be a problem when I face the target.
Safety first—no more treating this like a game. I turned left to handle the rats.
Step. Step.
The squelching sewage was gone here. Instead, the dry floor was caked in mud. Still just as gross.
Machine guns, huh.
Buried in the mud were countless corpses—and several machine guns. No white glow on these. No mana at all.
If it weren't for the game settings, I'd have grabbed one off the floor.
Regular guns didn't pack much punch. Monster hides were too thick, and ability users had ways to block bullets.
Unless it was ammo modded by a gunner class.
Gunners were different—they could infuse bullets with mana, and those hit hard.
-Screeeee...
-Screech! Screeeee!
-Screeeee...
That's when it happened. As I approached the nest, giant rats started emerging. Over ten at a glance. Levels 7 to 8.
Daggers first.
Whoosh!
In any fight, striking first wins. I sent my daggers flying before they could close in.
Thuk! Thuk-thuk!
-Squeeeeek!
-Screeeee!
The daggers pierced their bodies dead-on. Powerful Slash definitely delivered. Time to test the great axe too.
Whirrr! Whirrr!
A few swings missed, though. Thanks to Lock On, I recalled them, but their high evasion was showing—these things were infamous for dodging.
Need to switch tactics.
Not throwing—slashing. I summoned the great axe around me and stood it upright. As expected, the rats not targeted by the daggers charged me.
Bwoooom—!
I'd just planted it there, but the axe judged on its own and swung its blade. The incoming rats were bisected mid-leap.
-Squeak, squeeeeek!
The axe had naturally guarded me, like a summon. I could use them this way. Though it was slower than my direct control...
That handles the close ones, but...
The problem was their numbers. Dragging it out would work, but it'd burn through my mana. Only one way: wipe them fast.
I cast Void Rift around them.
Whoooong. Whoooong. Whoooong.
Rifts tore open everywhere. Setup complete... now for one more thing.
Whiiiirrr!
Before sending them through, I triggered Shadow Strike. Black smoke enveloped the great axe as it burst from the rifts, skewering them at blinding speed.
Perfect. Just as planned.
Whiiiirrr! Whiiiirrr!
Black smoke poured from the rifts. The Shadow Strike and Void Rift combo was devastating—weapons zipped back and forth at insane speeds.
+150 EXP acquired.
+150 EXP acquired.
…
+160 EXP acquired.
EXP poured in. The rats' corpses littered the floor, shredded. I'd wiped the whole nest.
With the rat nest cleared, I headed right. Deeper in, the sewage stink gave way to the rot of decaying flesh.
Hummm.
The narrow passage opened into a vast chamber. Water dripped from the sewer pipes embedded in the walls—no flow here; they must all be sealed.
"Ughhh..."
Someone lay in the center. Sunlight filtering through cracks illuminated him: Khalid, the wanted man.
"I want... to die... Kill... me..."
Matted long hair, rags for clothes. He clawed at his head, mumbling in agony.
"I'm... no longer... human..."
"..."
"This isn't... me..."
He couldn't accept his own power.
"Urk... Gaaack!"
Spluuurt!
Khalid, collapsed in pain, vomited filth. I slowly drew my weapons, battle-ready. This was the signal.
"P-Please... Kill... me...!"
His bloodshot eyes peered through tangled hair. Then he squeezed them shut, unable to continue. ...His gaze held deep sorrow.
Crack! Craaaack!
"Gaaaaaaaah!"
Khalid's body twisted. He writhed on the ground as something burst from within.
Craaaack!
Legs and arms elongated. Claws sharpened. His muzzle stretched, black fur sprouting everywhere. A rat-man in human form.
He was an experiment subject too.
The same experiments I'd endured weren't unique to me. Orion created countless subjects—most failures, discarded. Khalid was one.
His powers manifested against his will, and he lost control.
Orion was that kind of existence in this world—obsessed with ability users' powers, running mad experiments, heedless of the fallout.
-Grrrrr...
A new name floated over his head. And a message appeared.
Combat with Named Monster 'The One Who Failed to Transform, Khalid' has begun.
Level 10 over his head. As a named monster, even at 10, his power was on another level. Maybe the toughest fight yet.
-Grrrrr...
Drool poured from Khalid's maw. Eyeing me hungrily? Seeing it up close was chilling.
Start with daggers.
They were fast—I needed to test how much damage I could deal quickly.
Whoooosh!
Unlike the great axe, the daggers flew at tremendous speed. Split by Lock On, they swarmed him. Then I boosted with Shadow Strike.
Whiiiir!
Thuk!
Straight into his side. Solid impact. But did it faze him?
He glanced at the wound dismissively, then bared fangs at me.
...Daggers won't cut it.
Shing.
Only one way: tear that thick hide. I wielded the great axe.
-Kreeeeee!
He roared, charging. I flung the great axe.
Whish!
He twisted away effortlessly. But my assault didn't end. I recalled it and hurled again.
He dodged lightly—but this time, I slammed it into the floor instead.
Kaboooom! Crack!
-Greeeek!
The blade bit into his arm. Real damage, unlike the dagger. Blood gushed, but he lunged anyway.
Whish-whish-whish!
Shrrrk! Shrrrk!
I countered too—yanking the side daggers with Shadow Strike. They slashed relentlessly on contact.
Shlaaash! Shlaaash!
Attack speed was top-tier. For every axe swing, daggers hit two or three times.
-Gaaaaah...!
Wait... what was this? He was changing again. I'd never seen an experiment subject go secondary.
Whish! Pabababam!
He thrashed, spines launching at insane speeds. And they kept coming—endless barrage.
Clang-clang-clang!
I swung the broad axe blade to deflect. No projectile parry skill yet—just winging it. A few spines bounced, but...
Shrrrrk!
"Tch."
Not all. Pain exploded from the embedded spines.
Whiiiir! Whiiiir!
His attacks didn't stop. Sudden ranged switch. No real counter right now. At least Composure kept me steady. I scrambled for a plan.
Shift his focus.
Use monster instincts to redirect. I sent daggers to his flanks, making a racket.
-Grooo!
There—he stared at the ceiling, howling. His ace skill: summon all nearby giant rats. More adds now would be a nightmare, like the wrist-cutter fight.
But.
-......
Nothing. Because I'd cleared them already. Without that, it'd be him and a rat swarm post-transformation. That's why I'd prepped.
Whiiiir!
Panicked, he refocused—but on the daggers, not me. Gaze stolen.
Now.
Shadow Strike on the great axe. Black smoke coiled; speed surged.
Crack!
The axe screamed through the air, cleaving his waist clean in two.
-G-Gaaaak!
Thud!
His torso hit the ground. Limbs retracted, fur receded to bare skin.
"Guh... guhhh... Cough!"
Back to human, Khalid spewed blood, face-down. Bisected—he'd bleed out.
"Th-Thank... you..."
Gratitude? I could guess why. Killing despite the power must've tormented him.
"Finally... free of this curse... Ha... haha... Cough!"
He lay staring at the sewer ceiling, awaiting death...
Something stirred in me—unfamiliar. I usually ignored others, anything unrelated. But pity hit now.
Difference between game and reality?
In-game, just entertainment. NPCs, prey. But here? Real feelings.
Doesn't feel like a character at all.
Maybe I was merging with Damian bit by bit.
"Anyway... You... you're not from here either..."
Then Khalid dropped a bombshell.
"...What do you mean?"
"Your... speech... like those guys..."
"Those guys?"
"The lab... overseers... those bastards...!"
Named Monster 'The One Who Failed to Transform, Khalid' defeated.
+580 EXP acquired as reward.
+200 bonus EXP for Named Monster kill.
Level up!
He tried to say more but couldn't finish. But it felt like something I needed to hear.