《Endzone: Simulated Apocalypse》


 Chapter 1: Cyanide

    Chapter 1: Cyanide


    "ept, kill, and receive. Rinse and repeat. Look into my eyesfor they''ll be thest thing you ever see."


    *****


    A lone, slim figure traced around the edges of a popr strip club in the slums of Tokyo, cloaked by the shadow of the building and protected by the veil of night. His midnight-ck cloak and angled tricorn-like cap, reminiscent of a certain video game, added to the camouge, along with the ck gloves on his hands and mask that covered the bottom half of his face.


    Was he here to get drunk, go for a couple of rounds, then head home?


    No. He was here on a mission. A dangerous one but not for him.


    The figure swiftly scaled the side of the building and climbed onto the roof using various ledges and pipes as footholds, then scanned his surroundings. No one was up here.


    Adjusting hisrge ck cloak that was long enough to reach his knees, his eyesnded on a door a couple of meters away. The mysterious individual walked closer to it, then tried pushing it open. It was locked.


    But what did a mere lock mean to the top assassin in the underground guild, the Nighthawks?


    Reaching into his cloak, the figure pulled out two paper-clips, bent them open, and went to work. A few secondster, he heard a click, and the door was pushed open with ease. Tossing the two bent paper-clips back into his cloak''s inner pockets, he stepped into the building and softly closed the door behind him before reaching up to his ear and tapping on the device thaty within it.


    "Luna. I''m inside."


    A short period of static ensued, then a female, slightly robotic voice came back on the other end.


    "Good work, Cyanide. The target is two floors below you, in a private room. Uploading data to your lenses."


    The figure  Cyanide  wore special contacts in his eyes, which shed blue momentarily as the data was uploaded. Once the process was done, he could see a human figure highlighted in red a couple floors below him.


    '' There,'' he thought, narrowing his eyes.


    He immediately began heading down the staircase next to him, keeping an eye on his surroundings at all times. His footsteps werepletely silent, his breathing undetectable  the results of professional assassin training.


    As he arrived on the second floor, he saw an employee pass by the door leading into this stairwell and quickly ducked behind a corner, as swift as a leopard. After the employee passed by, Cyanide eyed his target and noted that once he reached the bottom floor, he would still have to go about 100 meters in a straight and lit-up corridor before finally arriving there. Given his current outfit, that was like asking to get caught.


    As such, he pressed his face against the door that the employee just passed by and spotted the worker entering a staff, single-person-use bathroom.


    Realizing this was his opportunity, Cyanide immediately began picking the lock on this door using the same two paper-clips from earlier. His hand movements were fast and precise, having practiced this thousands if not tens of thousands of times. Within seconds, the lock was picked.


    He gently pushed open the door so that there was a sliver of light shining in, just enough so that he could hear the sound from outside the stairwell. Then, he took his cloak off, hid it in a dark corner, and waited. Like a cougar waiting for its prey, he was patient.


    About two minutester, he heard the sound of a toilet being flushed. Not wasting any time, he nced both ways to make sure no one was around, then dashed out of the abandoned stair well and arrived at the washroom right as the employee opened the door to leave.


    "Wha- mmf!"


    Cyanide quickly ced a hand over the employee''s mouth and forced him back into the washroom before gently closing the door once again. The worker tried to fight back, but even with both his hands, he couldn''t overpower the inhumanly strong grip of the Cyanide.


    With a single sh faster than the employee could even react, his neck was slit open by a dagger, both carotid arteries cut apart with a single blow. The cut was expertly executed just deep enough so that no blood spilled anywhere, but was still able to guarantee a kill.


    Cyanide then stripped him of his worker clothes and changed into them, before setting the worker''s body on the toilet and spilling some foul-smelling, invisible fluid all over the floor. Then, he headed for the door, fishing out a bottle of superglue from his inner pants, the one that was part of his original outfit, before coating the edges of the doorway with it.


    After stepping out and shutting the door behind him, Cyanide took the tter of drinks the employee had been holding from off the cart it was set on, then made his way down the same abandoned staircase. Even though he looked like a worker now, his face was still unfamiliar here  if he ran into a higher-up of the staff, he would be exposed immediately.


    And besides he needed some darkness to execute the killing blow.


    Pulling out a tiny pack of white powder, he dumped it all into one of the drinks. The particles settled and became invisible immediately, mixing into the liquid with ease.


    He then made his way down the stairs atst, keeping his entire body deadly stable. The drinks on the tter he held weren''t even wobbling despite his movement  just a side benefit of all the bnce training he once did.


    Shortly after, Cyanide finally arrived at the floor his target was on and looked around both ways before setting the tter down, picking the lock, and opening the door. Carefully, he picked up the tter of drinks again and stepped out of the darkness. No one else was in the hallways; all the customers were in their rooms and the other employees were serving them in there.


    He walked boldly down the hallway, heading directly for his target''s room. Although he wasn''t wearing the special mask with the highlighting feature anymore, he had already memorized the location and could visualize it within his head. Once there, Cyanide gently knocked on the door three times.


    "Sir, your drinks are here," he said in perfect Japanese.


    "Huh? Drinks?" A man''s hazy voice asked back, loud and arrogant. "I didn''t order any drinks agh"


    '' Judging from his voice and tone, he''s drunk and ording to his profile, he likes drinking a lot. In which case, amon request someone like him could make is''


    "You did, sir. You may not remember it, but you asked for the best alcohol we had here, so I brought it."


    "Huh? Did I?" The man''s voice murmured, hesitant. "Agh well, guess I dide in"


    Cyanide pulled down on the handle and opened the door, stepping inside calmly. Leaning on the couch was a man with one leg crossed over the other arrogantly, wearing a yakuza-like outfit with his naked chest hanging out in bare sight. In each of his two arms was a young woman, who hugged him seductively.


    In the other two seats, two bodyguards sat, both of which eyed the figure in suspicion, but didn''t say a word.


    Cyanide walked closer and held up the tter of drinks for the man to take  waiters didn''t hand the drinks to them, after all. With the two bodyguards here watching, he couldn''t afford to make any bold moves.


    Because of this, he took great care to point the drink that contained the poison in the target''s direction, since most people, especially when in a drunk state, will choose the object closest to them. Humans arezy creatures  alcohol amplified that.


    The theory was proven right as just as expected, the man picked up the drink and brought it up to his mouth. But then-


    "Wait, Kazu-sama," one of the bodyguards said, stopping the man. "This waiter I have not seen your face before. Who are you?"


    "I am a new worker here," Cyanide said calmly, remaining indifferent despite being on the verge of getting caught. "My friend  the waiter who was supposed to bring you the drinks  had a stomachache ur, so he passed the job to me."


    "A stomachache?" The bodyguard narrowed his eyes in suspicion.


    "If you don''t believe me, my friend should still be in the staff washroom a room above. Go ahead and check."


    The bodyguard, after a short silence, gestured to his partner. "You. Go verify."


    The partner nodded and brushed past Cyanide, while the man  Kazu  beganining.


    "Oi let me drink"


    "My apologies, Kazu-sama, but this is for your protection," the bodyguard in the room said, keeping his stern gaze locked on Cyanide holding the tter of drinks, who also didn''t budge an inch.


    Shortly after, the other bodyguard returned to the room.


    "He''s not lying. I busted open the locked door after some effort, and it smelled like crap in there. I could see the other waiter''s feet from beneath the stall door."


    " Hm." The first bodyguard eyed the figure one more time, then sighed and turned to his master. "Kazu-sama, please go ahead and drink. My apologies for the dy."


    "Heheh" Kazu giggled and brought the drink up to his mouth, downing the entire ss in one gulp. "Fwah that was good oi, put the rest here!"


    Cyanide, knowing that the deed was already done, did as told and set the entire tter on the table before bowing deeply, a dark and sinister look in his eyes.


    " Enjoy."


    As Kazu continued to indulge him in the drinks, Cyanide stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him tightly before retreating back to the abandoned stairwell, finding and slipping on his old cloak over the waiter outfit, then heading up to the roof.


    Once there, he leaned his back against the door to the staircase and pressed on his earpiece again, dark turquoise eyes shining like teal sapphires under the pale moonlight.


    " It''s done, Luna.. Bring the car around."

 Chapter 2: Invitation

    Chapter 2: Invitation


    "Swift and wless as always, Cyanide," Lunaplimented, holographic face disyed on the screen of the car they were in.


    Cyanide, who was driving, ignored thepliment and instead instructed his artificial intelligencepanion to do something else.


    "Confirm the target''s death, Luna."


    "Hm you ask me to do this every time. Are you still not confident in your own abilities, even after 572 assassinations with an 100% sess rate?"


    "Checking twice never hurts."


    " All right." Luna fell silent and began tracing the signal of the device that had been attached to the target''s clothing before the operation began. It was what allowed Cyanide to track the target''s location.


    Normally, assassins would work in teams to track their targets down with ease, but Cyanide preferred to be alone. Luna, the highly-advanced virtual AI he had programmed himself, capable of performing dexterous tasks like controlling a vehicle and hacking into encrypted databases, was his onlypanion.


    Because of this, all of Cyanide''s operations were split into two parts  tracking, which was when he attaches these nanotech tracking devices onto his targets, and assassinating, which could only ur when the target had least defenses.


    "He''s dead," Luna said after a while. "From well, cyanide."


    "I see," Cyanide said briskly,ing to a stop before a red light.


    He already knew his target was dead  that''s why he left the building  but it was a habit of his to always ask Luna to double-check like this. As for his method of killing he preferred poison  they were the least traceable and messy. Of course, his hand-to-handbat skills and weapon dexterity are both extremely advanced as well, since they were both core parts of assassin training, but 52% of his kills were executed using poison. Of that, 87% was done with cyanide.


    "Are we going home to rest first, or heading straight to the guild?" Luna asked as the car began moving once more.


    After some thought, Cyanide answered.


    " Straight to the guild. My due payment from the past five missions are still uncollected."


    "Understood. Setting GPS course."


    *****


    About half an hourter, Cyanide parked his car in the back parking lot of what seemed to be a convenience store and headed inside. He walked up to the counter, where an old man smoking a cigarette sat.


    "Wee," he said, eyeing Cyanide''s shady outfit up and down. "Anythin'' I can get for ya?"


    Rather than answering the question, however, Cyanide made sure no one else was in the store, then said something seeminglypletely unrted.


    " When the leaves fall, the moon shall rise again."


    The old man, hearing this, curved his lips up into a grin.


    "Heh. Wee home, Cyanide."


    Saying this, he activated some sort of hidden mechanism, causing a secret corridor to open up in the bathroom.


    Cyanide gave a nod and slipped past the old man into the bathroom, entering the hallway that was revealed. It was a staircase leading down into the underground level, but it wasn''t just any basement. Nothis was the Japan headquarters for the most infamous assassin guild, The Nighthawks.


    Beside him, Luna''s figure was disyed holographically via a floating spherical device that followed him around and came with the highest quality speakers possible. It provided additional light for Cyanide within the dark hallway, since a few of the lights were broken and no one has bothered to fix them since they first began malfunctioning years ago.


    Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, Cyanide made sure his mask and cloak were both on tightly, then pushed open the rusty metal doors before him.


    CRREEAK.


    As soon as they opened, Cyanide could hear loud electronic dance music being sted at full volume, whereas it had been muffled before. As soon as people noticed his arrival, however, the music went dead silent.


    "It''s him"


    "Cyanide, the number one assassin in the world"


    "K-Keep your distance from him"


    As the crowd made way to let Cyanide pass, the person in question paid them no heed. Luna, who was already used to this, sighed.


    "It seems your reputation precedes you yet again, Cyanide."


    Cyanide ignored this remark and continued onwards, hands shoved deep into his cloak pockets. He kept his guard up at all times, remaining mindful of his surroundings and being ready to strike whenever needed. Although these people were technically on the same side on him, in the underground world, there were no such thing as allies. Anyone could backstab anyone; it was a daily urrence. And those who wanted to rece him as the number one assassin will have more than enough motivation to do so.


    After all, that is the exact same thing he had done to the previous number oneAnthrax, his former teacher and mentor in the ways of assassination. He knew the dangers all too well.


    Walking past the crowd and up some metal stairs to a higher floor, Cyanide pushed opened a door without bothering to knock and strode inside before shutting it behind him once again.


    "Ah how many times have I told you, Cyanide?" A woman in a scientist outfit and sses asked, swiveling around in her chair. "Knock before youe in."


    "Sorry, I forgot," Cyanide replied briskly, walking closer.


    "You forgot?" The woman cackled, nearly doubling over withughter. "You, who can memorize the sequence of an entire deck of 52 ying cards in a mere minute, forgot? Please, if you''re going to not care about what I say and then lie to me about it, at leaste up with a better excuse."


    "Noted," Cyanide said,pletely nonchnt. "But I''m not here to talk to you, Elizabeth. I''m picking up my due payment for the past five operations, then leaving."


    "Mm, yes, you''ve never been one for conversation. Now, let''s see" The woman, whose name was Elizabeth, typed out ''C-Y-A-N-I-D-E'' on her keyboard, then began scrolling her mouse while keeping her eyes glued to theputer screen in front of her.


    ",000 ,000 ,000 ,000 and the most recent one youpleted just earlier tonight, 00. That adds up to ,000 in total," Elizabeth said, then began typing away on her keyboard once more. Several secondster, she smiled and shed Cyanide a thumbs-up.


    "All done. It''s been sent to your card."


    " Thanks." Cyanide turned around and began walking away, but Elizabeth wasn''t done yet.


    "Hey, Cyanide."


    " What?"


    "Do you ever get bored?" She asked. "Of assassination, I mean. You''ve taken on hundreds of jobs already is this still fun for you?"


    "I do this for a living. Whether it''s fun or not doesn''t matter."


    "I see. Well, I''m starting to get bored," she said, kicking her feet up onto the desk and folding her arms. "Maybe it''s time for me to quit all this, find a husband, and settle down, huh?"


    "" Cyanide didn''t respond and instead merely walked away. Elizabeth, staring at his disappearing figure, smiled.


    "Heh ''doesn''t matter'' my ass. Anyone can tell you''re bored of this, you know."


    *****


    After leaving the underground headquarters, Cyanide circled around to the back of the convenience store, where the parking lot was. He reached his car and prepared to open the door and get in, but then-


    "Greetings, Jace Silverdale."


    "!" Cyanide immediately drew his pistol, turned off safety, and spun around in one swift motion to see a hooded, masked man standing there, seemingly having appeared out of thin air.


    "Please don''t be startled. I am not here to harm you."


    Of course, such words were meaningless to a professional assassin. Cyanide did not lower the gun and instead kept his finger on the trigger, ready to fire at a moment''s notice. He narrowed his eyes at the masked man wearing a dull grey jacket and pants, shadow highlighted by the single streetmp in the parking lot.


    " No one has ever managed to sneak up on me before in my life. Who are you and how do you know about my real name?"


    "My identity is not important," the man said calmly, spreading his arms and revealing the pristine white gloves he had on. "I am merely here to offer you an invitation."


    " An invitation?" Cyanide echoed, furrowing his brows. "I don''t recall ever asking for one."


    "Perhaps not on the surface, but your heart seeks it," the man continued, voice distorted by the mask he wore. "Sixteen years. 572 assassinations. 573, counting your teacher. You are now the number one underground assassin, standing at the summit. But there is one thing you have never told anyone, not even your most trustworthypanion, that artificial intelligence robot. You, Cyanide are bored."


    ''The same words Elizabeth said to me'' Cyanide thought. ''Is this person her? No, the height doesn''t match an aplice, perhaps?''


    "Bored?" Cyanide tilted his head. "And what of it?"


    "You are unlike most. Others seek money, fame, power. But to you, who has already reached the peak, such things are superficial and useless. You want something more  something that can satisfy that thirst of self-actualization in your heart."


    Self-actualization  a tier in Maslow''s Hierarchy of Needs, a motivational theory in psychology that describes the things needed to drive a human forward in life. Self-actualization essentially means the sense of fulfillment gained by achieving one''s maximum potential, which is the stage Cyanide is missing. The world he is currently in cannot let him realize his true potential, so he must turn to a different one.


    But despite knowing this full well deep in his heart... he chose to y dumb.


    " Self-actualization? What are you talking about?"


    "You know full well what I am talking about, Mr. Silverdale. You believe yourself to have reached the summit of all, hence your boredom. But what if I told you there are higher mountains out there to climb, ones you cannot even imagine? Does that burning curiosity for adventure in your heart call out to you?"


    "" Cyanide fell silent, contemting the man''s words. Normally, he would''ve just thought this was a crazy person, but he knew things about Cyanide. Things that should have been private information known to no one else but himself. Things that should''ve been discarded, disposed of a long time ago. An identity that had been long abolished.


    This man was dangerous  he needed to be gotten rid of. No matter what or who he was, if he knew Cyanide''s real name, he needed to die.


    "You have already conquered this world, this mountain," the man continued, reaching into his inner pocket and pulling out a small rectangr paper card of some sort. "And so, to you"


    He set down the small piece of cardboard paper on the hood of Cyanide''s car.


    " We offer a new world. A new mountain to climb, a new summit to reach."


    Cyanide pulled the trigger.


    The silenced bullet struck the masked man straight in the forehead, but no blood came out. The body copsed to the concrete ground of the parking lot, and Cyanide hurriedly walked closer to inspect it. Due to the darkness of the night, he couldn''t see very well, even with the streetmp. And so, he bent down and slowly reached in for the man''s mask.


    But what he saw waspletely out of his expectations.


    "What"


    Beneath the mask, there was no body. The tuxedo, pants, and gloves had all deted as if the body that once wore them had vanished into thin air as suddenly as it came. Cyanide narrowed his eyes and stood back up, staring at the strange ck stic mask he held within his hand. It had no eye slits or holes to breathe from, and no straps either to secure it in ce.


    Cyanide then nced at the piece of cardboard paper the man had set down on the hood of his car, and slowly walked towards it. He picked it up, flipped it around, and saw a Tokyo phone number written on it:


    [(05) 144-261-5145]


    " A new summit, huh?"

 Chapter 3: Decision

    Chapter 3: Decision


    After returning to the worn-down apartment he lived in, Cyanide carefully unlocked the electronic door via pass-code and gently entered. After flipping the light on and making sure of the traps he set were set off, including a thin string right next to the door and a water bottle ced at the base of the frame, he locked the door and continued on to the rest of the house.


    ''Napkins, untouched curtains, untouched drawer, still open everything seems in ce.''


    With a sigh, Cyanide took off his cloak and hung it on the hanger, then went to take a shower. After that was done, he came out and made some simple dinner for himself, before brushing his teeth and going to bed. He lived a very simplistic and humble life, despite nearly being a billionaire from all the assassinations he''s done over the years.


    "Cyanide" Luna said once they were in the bedroom, voice slightly worried even though she was an AI being projected by a floating metal orb.


    "Back there," Cyanide interrupted, staring at the slip of cardboard paper in his hand. "Were you able to run an analysis scan on that man?"


    " Yes, but the results are hazy," Luna replied after some hesitation.


    "What do you mean?"


    "While I am certain that was an intelligent living being, I cannot say for sure that he''s a human. The energy readings and infrared thermographic scans all outputted non-sensible results. Sorry Cyanide."


    "It''s not your fault," Cyanide said, inspecting the slip of paper again and again. "I didn''t program you to be able to identify new lifeforms anyway."


    After a short silence, Luna finally asked what was on her mind.


    "Cyanide are you going to ept his ''invitation''?"


    " Who knows?" Cyanide wondered aloud, lying down on his bed. "I haven''t decided yet."


    "You''re actually considering it?"


    "I''d like to think that man was just some random weirdo as well, but you heard him too. He knew about my real name and my past, not to mention the fact that he was able to sneak up on me and escape my gunshot with such ease."


    "But what he said about you being ''bored'' is that true?"


    Cyanide made sure his pistol and dagger were both within reach, then turned off the lights with the slip of paper still in his hands.


    " Is it, I wonder?"


    *****


    - The Next Morning -


    Cyanide woke up early at 6 AM and headed to the guild to pick up some more assassination requests as usual. There was no shortage of them in this cruel, harsh world, but to him, of that mattered. Every kill he made was just money in his eyes.


    But was it really?


    Lately, he was starting to have his doubts. He was already practically a billionaire, with all the money had had saved up in his bank ount over the years. He could easily quit being an assassin and spend the rest of his days living in luxury. And yet he did not.


    So was the reason for his assassinations really just ''to make a living''?


    No of course not. To Cyanide, killing was his art, his life. It was all he knew how to do; it was all he was ever trained to do. If he stopped now, he would essentially be abandoning his life''s purpose, his life''s meaning.


    But the truth was, Elizabeth and that mysterious manst night were right. Cyanide knew it deep down as well  he was getting bored. Although he was always indifferent on the surface so it didn''t really show, he was slowly getting sick and tired of doing the same thing over and over again.


    All the assassination requests were so easy to him nowadays. He had so much experience and skill that they just weren''t fulfilling to his purpose anymore. Tracking targets eliminating them im the rewards it was the same process in essence. After doing that for hundreds of times, one was bound to get bored  especially someone like Cyanide who doesn''t care about money, fame, or power in the slightest.


    He only cared about fulfilling himself and his purpose. And in order to do that, he needed something more than just assassinating corrupt businessmen and arrogant yakuza  something that could prove to be a challenge to even him. Then, and only then, will he find the spark of meaning in his life once again.


    And that''s why, after spending the day thinking things through, Cyanide returned to his apartment and pulled out his untraceable phone before dialing a certain number.


    [(05) 144-261-5145]


    Bringing the phone up to his ear, he didn''t even hear a beep before someone else on the other end immediately picked up.


    "Greetings, yer. Would you like to participate in the Game?"


    His voice was filtered and distorted, sounding exactly like the man fromst night. Cyanide had no way to tell if it was truly him or one of his aplices, but that didn''t matter anyway.


    " I would like to see this ''new world'' of yours," Cyanide said, also using a voice changer of his own. "I hope you don''t disappoint."


    "If you would like to participate, say your name and address."


    " My name is Cyanide. As for the other information you should already have it, no?"


    The voice on the other end fell silent for a few seconds, then spoke once again.


    "Tonight, 1 AM. Front of your apartment."


    With this brisk message, the other end hung up, and Cyanide lowered the phone. Luna, who had watched the conversation unfold, furrowed her brows in worry.


    "Cyanide are you really going to do it?"


    "This world it''s be dull for me," Cyanide said calmly, staring at the ceiling. "There isn''t anything here that can interest me anymore. A new world the paranormal it intrigues me. I want to see it with my own eyes."


    "" Luna fell silent, struck with emotion iprehensible for an AI. Cyanide, noticing this, closed his eyes.


    "Rx. Even though they definitely won''t let me take you along, I''m not just abandoning you. This is just a side adventure, something to make my life more exciting and meaningful. Once this adventure is over, I''lle back."


    " Okay."


    "Wake me up at 12:45 AM. That''s all."


    "Understood."


    Cyanide turned off the lights and slipped the nkets over him, keeping his weapons within reach. The spherical device disying Luna''s holographic figureid down on the bed as well, emitting a faint blue light.


    *****


    - 12:45 AM -


    BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!


    "Cyanide, time to wake up," Luna said, hovering over her creator''s sleeping figure.


    Cyanide slowly shifted his body and got up, standing up from the bed and heading to the washroom. There, he washed his face and changed into hisrge ck cloak and slim pants, then prepared to head out. Luna slipped into his pocket.


    After arriving in front of the apartment building, Cyanide stopped and checked his watch. It read 12:55. After some thought, he breathed out in the chilly night air and spoke.


    "Luna. Upload all your programming to my contact lenses so I can memorize it."


    " Huh?"


    "Do as told."


    "Right understood."


    Luna immediately went to work, transmitting all of her code into Cyanide''s contacts. The lines of programming appeared before his eyes in the lenses of the contacts, and he memorized all of them as they scrolled.


    He''d always had extremely good memory on genius-levels; this was more than possible for him. Since he had coded Luna himself as well, he was familiar with the code anyway  he was just memorizing all this to ensure not missing out on any details.


    After a couple of minutes, the process wasplete, and the lines of code came to a stop.


    "It''s finished, Cyanide," Luna said quietly.


    " I see."


    "I don''t understand though what was the point of that?"


    " Who knows."


    As he said this, a van skidded to a stop before him, on the street. Cyanide calmly began walking towards it as the doors on the vehicle slid open, revealing two other people on the back row, unconscious.


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. ''Unconscious did they just fall asleep on the ride? No those aren''t natural sleeping positions''


    Right before stepping onto the car, the driver turned around. He was the same masked man Cyanide had metst night or at least, dressed the same.


    "Leave the AI," he said in an emotionless tone, almost on par with Cyanide''s.


    Cyanide paused getting on the vehicle, then sighed and pulled out the mobile host of Luna from his pocket.


    " Go back to the house, Luna."


    "Cyanide" Luna murmured, voice quivering.


    "You''re an AI  nothing more. Don''t make this emotional."


    " Understood."


    Luna flew away, dejected and sorrowful. Cyanide had programmed emotions into her, but that was only to make her seem more like a realpanion instead of a rigid robot.


    After watching her disappear, Cyanide boarded the van and gotfortable in his seat while the door closed. He noticed the heater was on, emitting hot gas to make the interior of the van nice and warm.


    But was it really just warm gas?


    Cyanide, being a professional assassin, was able to recognize all kinds of chemicals and substances by smelling them, even if they were nearlypletely odorless. Although quite dissolved, he could still smell the faint scent of chloroform in the air being emitted. If he inhaled that, he would fall unconscious just like the other two passengers.


    Luckily, he had already noticed this before getting on the van, so he was prepared. He copsed on the second row of seats and pretended to have fallen unconscious, but in reality, he was using his cloak''srge cor to block his nose.


    The masked man, after checking on Cyanide via the rear-view mirror and thinking that he had fallen unconscious, shut off the warm air. Too much chloroform would kill, after all. Then, he stepped on the gas pedal, driving away into the night.


    Cyanide assumed this man was not the same one asst night, since anyone would expect a professional assassin to be able to sense toxic chemicals. This driver didn''t know about his identity; he was just a low-level worker who followed orders.


    And so, Cyanide opened his eyes.

 Chapter 4: The Game

    Chapter 4: The Game


    While Cyanide pretended to be unconscious since he didn''tpletely trust these mysterious people, the van he was in drove up to the edge of the maind, where argending ship awaited. Inside the belly, many other vans of the same archetype stood, parkedpactly to conserve space as much as possible.


    If every car held 3 passengers excluding the driver and there seemed to be 37 vans in this ship counting his own, then in total, there were 111 people. This was by no means a small number  but out of them, Cyanide was the only one doing this for self-actualization. The others were all here for the promises of money, fame, and power.


    Once all the vans were loaded, the ships'' drawbridges raised, now serving as a wall to prevent the vans inside from falling out. Then, they took off, leaving the maind of Japan and drifting out into the Tokyo Bay.


    ''Leaving the maind? Just where are we going?'' Cyanide thought in his head. But then, the driver nced at the rearview mirror, and he hurriedly closed his eyes.


    It was nearly 2 AM in the morning, and no one was up to watch this scene. The passengers were taken away from their country, fates about to be changed forever.


    On that day, Cyanide''s destiny took a sharp turn.


    *****


    Roughly an hourter, the ships arrived at their destination. Cyanide recognized it  the only uninhabited ind of Tokyo Bay, Sarushima. It was a fairly small ce, which made him wonder what that masked man had meant by ''a new world''.


    The passengers were all offloaded the vans via stretchers by mysterious workers wearing the same anonymous ck masks, hiding their identity. Cyanide kept his eyes closed and breathing even, faking unconsciousness. As an assassin, ying dead had been part of his training, so this was simple for him.


    He heard the sound of therge metal doors of an enormous bunker sliding open, and he along with the other passengers were carried inside, descending down some stairs. Once there, all the passengers were ced onto beds and scanned with some sort of device by the workers assigned to them.


    While the other participants got one or two beeps at most, when the worker ran the scanner over Cyanide''s body about sixteen beeps came up. Even the worker was stunned, and ran the scan again just to be sure it wasn''t a device malfunction. This time, however eighteen beeps came up.


    ""


    Although the worker didn''t say anything, it was clear he was dumbfounded. Slowly, he set the device down on the cart beside him, then began patting Cyanide''s body down, starting with the bottom up.


    He found two hidden throwing knives in Cyanide''s boots, a slim dagger in his jeans, back-up ammo for his gun in his pant pockets, and a smartphone. There was even a hidden gun in Cyanide''s crotch area between his underwear and outside pants, thinly crafted so that it wouldn''t appear to be bulging from the outside.


    After removing all of these, the worker moved up to Cyanide''s cloak, which contained even more hidden weapons and contraptions. From poison and daggers to smoke grenades and shbangs, Cyanide had it all. There was even a gun disguised as a pen in his outside pockets.


    Cyanide felt the workers taking away all his weapons and considered fighting back, but by the sounds of it, there were hundreds of workers around here. There was nothing he could do  even if he could take out all of the workers, he still had no idea where he was or theyout of the bunker. He would be caught and killed within minutes.


    That said he still didn''t like having all his self-protection equipment taking away, so Cyanide had discretely slid his pocket knife underneath the pillow of the bed he was lying on while one of the workers was searching his lower body, then retrieved it again after they left. The other worker must be on the other side of the bed since he would be in the way of his partner if he wasn''t, so he couldn''t see these minuscule hand movements of Cyanide. Cyanide knew this fact and took advantage of it.


    After taking away the entirety of Cyanide''s hidden arsenal, they stripped his clothes as well and changed him into a jumpsuit of sorts. Cyanide couldn''t say he liked having his bare skin touched by thosetex gloves the workers wore, but he didn''t resist and continued ying unconscious like a pro.


    Once that was finished, the workers all left the room. Cyanide heard the shuffling of their footsteps fading away, but even then, he didn''t move. Considering the technology they had  for example, the scanner  there was bound to be cameras in the room. The safest y here was to just wait for someone else to wake up, then do the same.


    ''Still to think there was actually a facility like this on an ind thought to be uninhabited'' He thought, holding the pocket knife in his hand tightly.


    *****


    - About Half an Hour Later -


    "Engh where is this?"


    "Agh my brain hurts"


    "My clothes this ce what the hell"


    Cyanide heard the other participants waking up one by one, and slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a white jumpsuit within an enormous pitch-ck room, filled with other people lying on beds and groggily sitting up.


    Suddenly, the lights hanging from the ceiling shed white and turned on, shining in everyone''s eyes. The participants all hurriedly covered their faces with their hands to adjust, but Cyanide noticed something far more disturbing.


    There weren''t 111 people in the room. Not even close.


    There were 999.


    He looked around, spotting people from different countries. Americans, Chinese, French, Russian, Arabic  participants from all sorts of different cultures were gathered here, changed into the same white jumpsuit he was in.


    Then, he looked down. Where his breast pocket should''ve been, there was a number:


    [097]


    The other participants all had a number of their own as well, each unique andbeled. Judging from their reactions, they were all bewildered to be in such a ce, but they weren''t exactly panicking either. Cyanide judged that they, like him, had epted the invitation they received  hence they weren''t too troubled but merely surprised.


    Suddenly, a deep voice from the PA system cut through all the murmuring going on in the room, loud and clear. Everyone turned their heads to an overhanging tform high on the wall, surrounded by transparent ss panes. Inside was a man wearing a ck hoodie so oversized that his face was hidden underneath, but the sweater he wore above it was grey and formal.


    "Wee, yers, to the Game," he said, spreading his arms.. "Wee to Endzone."

 Chapter 5: zone

    Chapter 5: zone


    ''Game? Endzone?'' Cyanide thought in his head while still flipping the pocket knife in his hand over and over again, hidden beneath the nket. ''Is the new world I was promised a game?''


    Naturally, the other participants were confused as well. They rose up in riot, yelling in dissatisfaction at the figure of the hooded man behind the transparent ss panels high up on the wall.


    "Oi! A game?! I was promised riches enough tost me a lifetime! You never mentioned anything about having to y some game!"


    "Yeah, yeah! You took our wallets and phones as well! I never agreed to this!"


    "Drugging us on the van then taking us out here that is abduction! I will report you to the police for this!"


    As the roars ofint in all sorts of differentnguages got louder and louder, the hooded figure suddenly pulled a pistol out of his pocket and shot into the ceiling above him. The PA microphone caught the noise and transmitted it across the entire chamber outside, amplifying it hundredfold and silencing everyone immediately.


    "If you want answers stay quiet," he said, voice distorted like the dark warrior from a certain intergctic war movie series.


    This time, instead of shouting, murmurs began rippling through the crowd of simrly-dressed participants.


    "T-That''s a real gun, isn''t it?"


    "Y-Yeah, I think so"


    "Who are these armed guys some terrorist group who lured us in to hold us hostage?"


    Based on what Cyanide was eavesdropping from these people''s conversations, he could infer that everyone here was approached by one of those masked men in the same way as him. However, each received a different kind of ''lure'', depending on their respective needs.


    Cyanide was observant  there were plenty of extremely poor people here judging from the way theyposed themselves and the way they acted, who obviously came here for money. There were also young, ambitious and overly-confident souls who came here with the promise of bing famous. There were also others who sought pure power, whether that was political influence or real, physical strength.


    Each was first given an easy taste of what they would receive if they epted the invitation, then ensnared in this trap by their human nature of greed. Or at least, that''s what he thought  but the hooded man''s next words managed to surprise even Cyanide.


    "I am sure you all are confused," he said, spreading his arms, the gun nowhere to be seen. "Allow me to start from the beginning."


    As he said this, everyone ceased their murmuring and turned to him again, skepticism and nervousness in their eyes. Despite being from different countries and speaking differentnguages, all seemed to understand the speaker''s voice. That was intriguing to Cyanide.


    "First, let me apologize for the methods we took to bring you here." The man bowed deeply, shocking all the participants. "We had to do this to prevent you from discovering this ce''s geographical location, due to security and privacy reasons. However, be not rmed. We are not a terrorist group, and we will not harm you."


    ''So long as we do not rebel,'' Cyanide thought in his head. ''That shot earlier was a warning  a symbol of threat.''


    The participants, of course, appeared unconvinced. That was understandable, considering they were just knocked unconscious and brought here to this random facility without any warning.


    But even so, they cannotin too much. After all, they were the ones who had epted the invitation. Even if they were tricked, they are at fault for being fools. That was the mindset of the assassins'' guild, the Nighthawks  one that Cyanide adhered to. The hooded man seemed to know this as well  it was something he could pull out as an unbeatable argument if anyone tried to start some beef.


    "In this ce, you will all fairlypete in a virtual reality game titled Endzone," the hooded figure continued as the crowd slowly began understanding what was going on. "The winner will be able to im the rewards they came here for, be it money, fame, power, or simply the thrilling experience. Your wishes are not simple requests to grant, so you must earn it  and only one among the one thousand of you here will rise on top. I believe that is quite understandable, no?"


    The participants all held a somewhat ufortable look on their faces, unable to meet the man''s gaze. It would seem they had came here thinking they would be able to just im the reward as their own with barely effort, but in this world, nothing is free. If something is too good to be true, it probably is.


    "Your words are justified, but how can we trust that you can actually grant our wishes?" Onepetitor asked, voicing the thoughts of several others. "For example if I asked you to revive my dead wife, would you be able to do that?"


    Despite being so far away and separated by a panel of ss, the hooded man appeared to have heard the participant''s words, and snapped his fingers.


    "Number 032. You wish for your wife to be back, yes? Very well  I shall use you as a demonstration."


    As if on cue, a swirling mass of fog suddenly appeared in front of the participant numbered 32, and everyone around him hurriedly backed away. They watched in wonder as the figure of a woman slowly formed amidst the gas, appearing from seemingly out of nothing but thin air.


    "W-Wha this is" Number 32''s eyes widened in shock, jaw dropped, as he was the only one who could see the woman''s face. Everyone else was outside the field of fog, therefore only able to see a silhouette.


    " And that is not all," the hooded man whispered, snapping his fingers once more.


    Suddenly, the room''s walls, floors, and ceiling all peeled away like theyers of an onion, revealing the fact that the participants were actually in an enormous suspended ss container, hanging in the middle of an even bigger room illuminated by a massive orangemp above them.


    A room filled with money.


    All around them, stacks upon stacks of cashy, one on top of another. There were far too many to count, and the outside room was filled to the brim with them. Calcting the total amount of money there had to have been over a trillion USD in there.


    All the participants were shocked to the bone, as this was the first time in their life witnessing so much money gathered in one ce. If they had all of this, they could easily be the richest man in the world, with the entire earth in the palm of their hand.


    "Around you is ,000,000,000,000 USD. If you can surpass all the otherpetitors and be victor all this can be yours," the hooded man said, baiting the contestants further.


    The participants gulped and licked their lips, the greed in their hearts overtaking their brains one by one. Their minds wandered to all the things they could do with this much money, and the wonderful feeling of not even being able to spend this all in their lifetime.


    "However," the hooded man then continued, grabbing everyone''s attention again instantly. "Before I disclose the details of the game, for privacy reasons, I would like all of you to decide right now: will you choose to remain here, or give up on this opportunity and return to your home?"


    "?" The crowd froze in surprise at this question. ''Why would they go home?'' They thought. ''It''s just a video game,'' they thought. ''If they lose, they lose. But if they win, they''ll have their wishes of money, fame, and power granted. There was no harm in trying.''


    "As I previously stated, we are not a terrorist group," the hooded figure said with emphasis. "However, if you still do not trust us and wish to go home this is yourst chance. We will return all of your belongings and transport you home safely. Of course, if you decide to do so, you will never receive another chance like this in your lifetime. Therefore choose wisely, yers."


    These words caused some nervousness to spread throughout the crowd of participants. This organization was insanely shady, there was no doubt about it. The employees all wore masks, keeping their identities hidden, and they also possessed firearms.


    But despite that the truth was, this organization had the power to grant the participants'' greedy wishes, no matter what they were. Even raising someone from the dead was possible, as seen from number 32''s request  whose wife had now disappeared once more, leaving him in shambles.


    Yes, it could all be a scam. Yes, all the money surrounding them right now could just be an illusion, or fakes. But after eyeing the piles upon piles of cash around them and witnessing number 32''s wife be brought back from the dead momentarily, all the participants had a voice in their minds, telling them to ''risk it''.


    As a result, no one spoke up. The hooded man, seeing this, was satisfied.


    "Very well. It would seem all of you wish to embrace the chance that we have offered you. In that case listen closely, yers.. I shall now begin exining the rules of the Game."

 Chapter 6: Enter The Simulation

    Chapter 6: Enter The Simtion


    The rules were simple.


    The virtual reality game, Endzone, was essentially a battle-royale themedpetition within an apocalyptic world. Whoever could withstand the conditions and be the final survivor would rise as the victor, and be able to im the rewards.


    However, that was it.


    The hooded man did not give any more details other than the fact that it was an ''apocalyptic'' world, leaving the participants to figure out the rest on their own. Any questions asked about this matter were left unanswered, and soon, the participants gave up on trying to find out  they would just discover it first-handedly once they entered the game.


    The technology that the participants would be using were far more advanced and technologically superior to VR sets found elsewhere in the world. These special sets simted the human body''s five senses perfectly in-game, providing an immersive and realistic experience like no other.


    But that left one question  an important one.


    As the hooded man finished his exnation of the basic outline of the game, Cyanide spoke up.


    " How will our real bodies be supplemented while we are in-game?"


    "Everything you do in-game will be reflected upon on your real body by the VR set," the hooded man replied. "You need not worry about food, water, or expelling waste. When you do so in game, your physical body will do the same with the help of the VR set."


    '' Ho, interesting.'' Cyanide thought in his head. This answer from the hooded man may seem like an awesome feature to have, but in reality, it is implying something far darker than that.


    ''Everything one does in game will be reflected upon on their real body by the VR set.'' In other words, when one eats in-game, they will be fed in real life by the VR set, also replicating the taste of the item in-game. When one takes a piss in game, their real bodies will also do so  everything managed by the VR set and equipment.


    But what if they don''t eat or drink in the game? What if they get injured in-game? What if they die?


    It was an apocalypse setting. Food and water was bound to be hard toe by, and dangers would be lurking all around  though the participants didn''t know what exactly they''ll be yet. If, for example, in-game, they are unable to find water for three days and end up dying of thirst what of their real bodies?


    Naturally, the VR set wouldn''t feed them any water if they didn''t find any in-game. Which means


    Cyanide wasn''t the only one who figured this out. Numerous other smart participants also did, but for the most part, everyone else just automatically assumed it was a video game and they couldn''t actually die in one. They didn''t even consider the possibility; they didn''t bother thinking beyond the surface in terms of the hooded man''s words.


    Of course, the smart ones who realized this were also smart enough not to say anything out loud. Why? Because if they did, the other contestants who didn''t realize it before would now realize their life is at stake and thus fight harder for survival in-game, which in turn meant harderpetition for the smart ones.


    Greed was one thing, but humans are able to push beyond limits when it came to protecting their own lives. That was why Cyanide and of the others who had realized it as well said anything. They all wanted to win, and thepetition had already started.


    The hooded man surveyed the participants below for several seconds, awaiting more questions, then finally spread his arms and spoke once more.


    "There are exactly nine hundred ny-nine of you here, and the Game willst until there is only one yer left. I hope you will not disappoint. Best of luck, yers... survive."


    With this, the hooded man spun around and walked away, sealing the participants'' fates.


    *****


    After the man left, the swarm of masked workers from earlier flooded the room once more, two assigned to each participant. As a result, there were 2,997 people in the enormous room, but even then, there was still space to spare. Cyanide and the other contestants were all instructed to follow the workers in an organized manner, exiting through the only set of doors in the room. The two workers assigned to each participant walked with them, one in front and one behind. Participant 001 and the two workers assigned to him went first, then 002, and so on.


    The corridor that the doors led into were wide enough to have multiplenes of people pass through at the same time, but the workers did not do that and instead remained in a single line, causing the participants to line up in that same line as well while they walked.


    Left turn, then right turn. Cyanide memorized all of these directions, just in case it maye in useful in the future  though the chances of that were unlikely.


    After the right turn, however, they were met with an exceptionally long corridor that had to be nearly 100 meters in length. On either sides of it were doors spaced quite far from one another, each pair directly across from each other, along with onest door at the end of the corridor. Cyanide counted 13 pairs in total, making there a total of 27 doors.


    The first 37 people were then led into the first room on the left, while the next 37 were led into the first room on the right. The next 37 in the line, Cyanide included, were led to the second room on the left, with the door shut behind them. The rest of the participants also were led into their respective rooms based on number, with 37 people in each room.


    The room that Cyanide had been brought inside was extremely bright. But apart from that, there was one more detail  everything was white. The lights on the ceiling, the walls, the floor, the technological equipment, their own clothes  everything. The workers, however, wore ck outfits and masks, which made them stand out.


    Speaking of technological equipment, there were a total of 37 capsule-shaped chambers in the room, set up diagonally along the walls. Each one was covered by a transparent ss lid that matched the jagged coffin-like shape of the chambers, while the interiors were actually made offortable ck leather unlike the rest of the room.


    Each participant was instructed to enter one of these coffin-like things, and Cyanide was no exception. After some hesitation and mental debate, he slipped inside, pocket knife still hidden inside the sleeve of his new clothes. It felt like entering an escape pod on a rocket, in a way.


    He was told to getfortable, and so he did  physically, anyway. Mentally, he was still on-guard as always, the trained mindset of a professional assassin. He didn''t know what wasing next, but the moment he felt his life was in danger, he wouldsh out with that pocket knife in his sleeve.


    But then-


    "!"


    Five metal locks suddenly shot out of the leather, seemingly out of nowhere. Two locked his wrists in ce, two locked his ankles, and the final one locked his neck. Loose enough not to choke, but tight enough to disallow any movement.


    ''Tch I didn''t expect this''


    In the end, no matter how skilled he may be, Cyanide was still just a human. He could not detect hidden mechanisms like this. But after several seconds, he realized this was not meant to hurt him  it was just to secure his body in ce for when his consciousness left this world and entered the game, to prevent him from injuring himself.


    The ss screen then slid down from above to lock him inside, but there was nothing Cyanide could do at this point. He slid the pocket knife down to his hand and attempted to cut the metal locks, but it was futile. Eventually, he just gave up and epted his fate to enter this new, video game world.


    After all, this was what he had wanted in the first ce. There was no point resisting anyway  he didn''t even know why he kept that pocket knife. Professional assassin instincts would be the best exnation.


    All the other participants wereid into these chambers the same way, and after several minutes, the process wasplete. Within Cyanide''s chamber and everyone else''s, the voice of the hooded man could be heard once again,ing from seemingly all around.


    "All participants, prepare yourselves. The Game will now begin."


    Cyanide felt his eyelids get heavy, but there were no chemicals affecting him. No this was the chamber he was in directly connecting with his brain, his consciousness. Resisting was useless, as his mind was telling him to just ept it.


    Slowly, his vision faded away, and darkness consumed him.


    But then, suddenly and unexpectedly, a line of glitched-out, scrambled text appeared in the darkness.


    [ENDZONE IS NOT A GAME. ]


    ''What?'' Cyanide thought, trying to make sense of the words.


    [ENDZONE IS NOT A SIMULATION. ]


    '' What is going on?''


    [ENDZONE IS-] ]


    [SURVIVAL.]


    And everything went ck.

 Chapter 7: From Zero

    Chapter 7: From Zero


    After the participants all fell unconscious and entered the new world, 37ser guns in each room lowered down from the ceiling and rotated themselves to point directly at the yers'' foreheads. However, they did not fire. After all, it was not yet time. The event needed to trigger them had not urred yet.


    Meanwhile, in the control room of this deep underground facility, a single hooded figure stood on top of a diamond-shaped ck tform. Surrounding him were three pitch-ck walls that contrasted greatly with the bright white rooms where the yers were ced in, and made it difficult to see as well.


    But that was fine  for the walls suddenly flickered to life all at once, each splitting into 333 screens that disyed the perspective of a different yer who had now all entered the Game of Endzone. No, they did not have cameras imnted into their heads  this was just a feature of the VR sets: broadcasting the yers'' perspective.


    It was unknown if the hooded man''s expression changed or not as his face was hidden, but he did spread his arms and tilt his head upwards, facing the ceiling.


    "So the Game begins once more. Perhaps, in this year''s batch, there will be someone whom you find worthy, chairwoman."


    *****


    - Inside the Game -


    When the darkness faded away and Cyanide opened his eyes once more, he found himself staring at the wide open sky, blue and clear.


    "Ngh" He groggily sat up and looked around. He seemed to be on the wide roof of an extremely tall building, much like the skyscrapers seen in metropolitan cities. Then, his gazended on himself, his own body.


    "What is this?"


    Cyanide blinked in confusion at the clothes he was wearing. They were brown and dirty, like a prisoner''s. Cheap sandals were attached to his bare feet, and his lower body was covered by loose and baggy pants that offered zero protection. Perhaps for other people, this was the definition of fortable'', but for Cyanide, this could not be further from that.


    Without any weapons and armor beneath his clothes, he felt naked as a professional assassin. He felt restless inside his heart, fearing that somebody may have poisoned him in his sleep, even though he knew this was just a simtion. He felt defenseless, helpless.


    But of course, such things weren''t enough to sway Cyanide. He calmly stood up from the ground and walked forward to the edge of the roof to get a good nce at his surroundings. But after taking a single step, he stopped.


    SCRAPE.


    His feet had made noise upon touching the roof''s gravel ground. Impossible  he had trained for years to not make any noise when walking, no matter how rough the floor''s material may be. He was a silent shadow in the darkness, quiet and stealthy.


    And yet here he was, making noise while walking like any other person.


    ''No it can''t be'' Cyanide thought, narrowing his turquoise eyes and ncing at his arms. There were barely any muscles on them  definitely not what he recognized to be his own body.


    Then, he rolled up his shirt, and confirmed his doubts. There were no abs whatsoever, even though he had a ripped six-pack in the real world.


    That left only one conclusion  his power, all his training as a professional assassin was gone.


    ''So this is what that hooded man meant by ''fair''? Hmph.''


    Well, it was fine. At least he retained his 6''1 height. His physical prowess may have been gone but he still had all his memories. All the knowledge and experience he possessed as a professional assassin was invaluable. Physical strength could be trained to regain in no time  but certain things, such as knowledge and experience, were impossible to learn unless the conditions were met.


    He was still the world''s number one underground killer, Cyanide. Even with his physical power and stealth gone, he was still a fearsome entity that could not be underestimated.


    Slowly, Cyanide walked forward on the roof until he hit the very edge of it, then gazed out at the beautiful wastnd thatid out in front of him.


    As the gentle wind breezed past his body, he marveled at the once-prospering, modern city, nowy in ruins. There was no sign of life anywhere; nothing was moving at all  at least, from the height Cyanide was at.


    Buildingsy in shambles, some of which had toppled over and smashed into the ground to create various cracks and fractures along the broken concrete. Vehicles  cars, vans, and bikes y flipped, unmoving and dead. There wasn''t even any exhausting out of their pipes, signaling that whatever caused this to happen urred a long time ago.


    Out in the distance, far beyond the ruined highways and destroyed buildings, a forest could be seen. Mountainsy even further away, but they were too hazy for Cyanide to be sure.


    But if he looked in a different direction, he could see another decayed city not too far away, connected to this one via a broken metro railway track. Said metro had derailed; it''s remains nowy on its side a little ways off the tracks.


    " A post-apocalyptic world," Cyanide muttered. "Interesting. So I have to be thest survivor here, huh? Not bad, not bad at all."


    In his mind, he pondered: What''s next? Zombies? Mutated animals? All the things that he had read about before in novels of the apocalypse genre popped up into his head. Reading those books had been his way of spending free time, whenever he was resting between training sessions. Who knew such fictional tales woulde in useful one day?


    But just as he was thinking about this a mysterious, translucent blue panel suddenly appeared his face, levitating in the air like a hologram.


    [Warning: Virus Detected.]


    [If an antidote is not consumed within 24 hours, the Survivor will perish. Time remaining: 23:58:42.]


    " So I did get poisoned while I was unconscious after all."

 Chapter 8: The Search For An Antidote

    Chapter 8: The Search For An Antidote


    24 hours until the virus strikes.


    The yers had only just arrived in this new world, but the fight for survival had already began. No tutorial, no exnation, just a virus and 24 hours to cure it. The other participants must all be panicking right now, but Cyanide remained calm no matter the situation and how dire it was.


    The first thing he did was search the building he was in. He doubted he would find the antidote here that easily, but that was not the goal behind his actions anyway. The reason he was doing this was to find out more about this new world. What caused this apocalypse? What was this virus? What dangers lurked here? These were all essential pieces of information to survival.


    After some exploring, he discovered that the building he had spawned on top of was in fact a sciencepany. This was good luck, as he should be able to find some useful knowledge in the Research & Developmentbs  perhaps even an antidote, if he was really lucky.


    Unlike many of the other buildings, this one was still mostly intact. The interior was dusty, but still structured and easily to navigate thanks to various maps attached to the walls not. It would''ve been easy if the maps weren''t dead electronic screens, that is.


    There didn''t seem to be any electricity in this building anymore, though it must have had it before the apocalypse happened. Moreover, Cyanide could infer this ce used to be quite technologically-advanced, much like Earth and perhaps even more so.


    Still without a map, he was forced to search the rooms one by one. The panels hanging from the ceiling were powered by electricity as well, so there was no use relying on them.


    Interestingly enough, however, all of the doors were open  even office ones. That left two possibilities  one, someone had searched this ce before Cyanide got here, and two, the original inhabitants of this building had all rushed outside in a panic when the apocalypse struck. Thetter was the more likely option.


    Cyanide pushed open one of them wider with a creaking noise, once again confirming how long ago this apocalypse had urred. Had the cmity not happened, perhaps this world would be thousands of times more scientifically advanced than Earth right now.


    Inside the spacious room, there was a polished table to the left with a rotating chair behind it that seemed to be made of ck leather. Behind that, an enormous bookshelf that covered the entire wally. Across from the doorway where Cyanide was standing, there was no wall at all  just several panes of windows that allowed him to see the city ruins once again. The view, however, was not as good as the roof.


    ''This seems to be the CEO''s office,'' Cyanide thought, then confirmed it by ncing at the namete on the door.


    {PRESIDENT/CEO}


    Slowly, he entered the room and circled around to the desk, where several documents and reportsy. One of them appeared to be a letter directed to the CEO. Since it was ced topmost on the pile, it was the most recent. Cyanide, after some hesitation, picked it up and began reading.


    *****


    Dear President,


    I regrettably inform you that we have failed. I have failed. The dosage, the theory, all my calctions  they were perfect. wless. Yet the subject still remained a mutant.


    I do not know why this is. I am out of ideas. I have spent countless days and nights working on this issue and finally came up with that antidote, Anexerdyte. It should have been perfect. Immacte.


    Should have been.


    I am sorry, president. I know no amount of apologies will fix this, but I don''t think I can keep going any longer. The virus they will soon release it. We have less than 12 hours left. There is nothing I can do. There is nothing we can do. I have failed you.


    It has been a pleasure working under you for the past twenty years, president. Truly.


    Sincerely, for thest time,


    Doctor Finch


    *****


    Slowly, Cyanide slipped the sheet of paper into the pockets of his worn-down, baggy pants. This answered some of his questions, but also raised a ton more.


    He now knew this building he was in was working on an antidote tobat this ''virus'' that most likely caused the apocalypse to happen. But ording to this letter, someone  ''they''  released this virus on purpose. Why? And how does thispany know when they would be releasing it?


    Cyanide tried to infer what could have happened, but there were just too many possibilities to be sure. After some thought, he decided to just keep exploring the building. There was nothing else that stood out in the CEO''s room, apart from a picture ced within a frame. Cyanide brushed away the dust on it and took a good look.


    It was an image of a man with a woman and a baby, most likely their child. All three of them appeared to be just like humans found on Earth. The man was most likely the CEO, given the suit he wore in the photo, but there was something peculiar about his smile.


    While his wife and baby had both been smiling happily, the man''s did not reach his eyes. Instead, his eyes were empty, dead. As if he had already given up hope and knew doomsday wasing.


    "" Cyanide didn''t say anything at this picture, and instead just put it down where it had been before then going through the drawers. Unfortunately, those were all locked. The books on the shelves did not provide anything of use either, so he decided to check the closets for some clothes.


    At first, it was just several sets of suits, as expected, but Cyanide, being observant, noticed something peculiar hidden behind the various suits. Parting them with his hands, he saw a dark cloak hanging on the rack, paired with tight ck pants.


    This reminded Cyanide of his old clothes, so he took them out of the closet and put them on after using his nose to check for any sign of poison. It was a mystery why the CEO would have something like this in his office, but Cyanide figured there was no point dwelling on a dead person''s choices and instead just left the room to keep exploring.


    After a while, he had went through all the rooms on the topmost floor of the building. None of them provided anything of use except for that letter in the CEO''s office  all of the important paper documents were locked in cabs, and the even more important ones were saved on theputers.


    If he had proper tools and electricity, he could definitely get a lot more knowledge out of this ce, but so far, all he had was a pen as a weapon. He made a mental note toe back to this ce when he got the proper tools, but that would have to be saved for the future.


    He was on a timer here, after all.


    A little over 23 hours until the virus strikes.

 Chapter 9: Crisis Resolved?

    Chapter 9: Crisis Resolved?


    A little over 23 hours until the virus strikes. Cyanide still had plenty of time left, but considering the fact that the antidote could be practically anywhere in this enormous post-apocalyptic world, those 23 hours all of a sudden didn''t seem to be so long.


    Thanks to the letter he just found in the CEO''s office, however, he now knew thepany this building had originally belonged to was working on some sort of antidote tobat a virus when the apocalypse struck.


    Cyanide didn''t know whether the virus in the letter was the same one as the one in his body right now, but the chances of that were high. Therefore, he was now on a hunt for the R&D (Research and Development) floor of the building, where the serums would most likely be stored  hopefully.


    The elevators inside the building were all unusable due to theck of electricity, so Cyanide was forced to take the emergency stairs. Unfortunately, because there were no windows here, it was quite dark despite it being day outside.


    After descending one flight of stairs, Cyanide found himself in front of a door. This, unlike most of the other ones he encountered so far, was closed. However, upon pushing it a little, he discovered that it wasn''t locked. A streak of light could be seening from within, but it didn''t seem like the natural daylight inside the CEO''s office.


    Narrowing his eyes, he hesitantly pushed the door openpletely.


    On the other side of it was aboratory. The streak of light that he had seen moments earlier was revealed to have been stemming from the dim, almost cyan LED lights on the ceiling. That was strange, since there was no electricity in the building yet they were still on.


    Back-up power, perhaps? Cyanide had noticed sr panels on the roof earlier, but there were nowhere near enough to supplement this entire building. Just this floor, though, was quite manageable.


    But if only this ce was given the precious supply of back-up, sr-propelled power then this must be important. Given that it appeared to be aboratory, Cyanide guessed this was the ce he had been looking for  the R&D floor.


    Multiple pristine white desks wereid neatly around, but the files and documents on them had all been torn to shreds too tiny for it to have been done by a human. Other tables and chairsy flipped over and destroyed, and even some of the lights on the ceiling were damaged to the point where sparks of electricity were protruding out of them.


    Cyanide, however, was more attracted by the several tubes of green serum thaty spilled out of a cart that had been flipped over. After bending down and observing it closer, he found that the tubes all had a singlebel over them:


    {ANEXERDYTE-1}


    ''This name it''s the same as the antidote in that letter,'' Cyanide thought in his head. Since the fluid had been stored inside these special tubes that could resist the flow of time, they had not aged in the least and should still be as fresh as ever.


    Even though Cyanide could identify a chemical simply based on its smell thanks to his professional assassin training, if they were all mixed into a solution like this, it was impossible for him to tell if there was any poison inside. But since it was described as an antidote on the letter it should be fine, right?


    Picking up one of the tubes and inspecting the light green liquid inside carefully, Cyanide figured there was nothing else he could do and decided to risk it. Pulling open the cap, he smelled the fluid and tried to detect for any sign of poison, but there didn''t seem to be any. And if there was, well he couldn''t identify them. There may even be new chemicals in this new world that don''t even exist back on Earth.


    Closing his eyes, he brought the tube up to his mouth and downed it in one gulp.


    ""


    Cyanide waited patiently for something to happen, something to starting hurting in his body. But even after around a minute or so, nothing happened. There was still the chance that it was a long-term poison, but that was unlikely.


    Letting out a deep breath, Cyanide tossed the tube onto the floor.


    "Now then that''s that. The next question is did that cure the virus or not?"


    His question was soon answered by a message that popped up in front of his face in the same translucent-blue hologram-like disy as earlier, apanied by a red exmation mark sign.


    [Update: Virus Status.]


    [If an antidote is not consumed within the time limit, the Survivor will perish. Time remaining: 23:00:00.]


    " Well, that didn''t work."


    Now this was frustrating. If the antidote described on the letter didn''t work then what would?


    Cyanide began pacing around theboratory once more, but his attention was immediately drawn to the center of the room.


    There, a massive chambery, surrounded by reinforced transparent ss. The marble floor surrounded it in a circr shape, almost like a donut from a bird''s eye view with the chamber being the hole in the middle. Cyanide, naturally, was curious and walked closer to inspect the chamber closer via the tempered ss walls.


    Inside, an inclined bed tilted at a 45 degree angle was ced in the direct middle, secured by four tight steel rods that were attached to the edges of the chamber. But upon looking closer, Cyanide discovered that the steel rods weren''t actually connected to the bed. They were connected to four locks on the bed, ones that would be at their wrists and ankles if a person had beenying there.


    But then, Cyanide''s gazended on several small grey fragments lying on the ground of the sealed chamber, standing out from the pristine white floor. They shone silver against the bright lights inside, and were in a round arc shape.


    It was then that Cyanide realized.


    Those weren''t just any fragments. They were the locks that had originally been on the bed, meant to secure and control the test subject that had originally been in that chamber.


    But if those locks were broken, then that meant whatever was being experimented upon in there, was now loose.


    And it was right here, in this building.

 Chapter 10: First Blood

    Chapter 10: First Blood


    Whatever was being experimented upon in that sealed chamber in the past, was now loose  right here in this building.


    "IN TRUDER ELIMINATE FOOD"


    As if on cue, Cyanide heard the deep, raspy, and mechanical voice of some mysterious creatureing from behind him. He immediately spun around and widened his eyes as he saw a zombie-like monster standing there, silver ws stained with blood and circr eyes shining a bright, robotic red like electronic lights.


    ''Shit I couldn''t sense it since my ears are not what they used to be!''


    The zombie-like creature slowly began walking towards Cyanide, leaning on its right leg more than its left. Its body, made of unknown material, was stained with dried crimson blood that gave off the scent of copper.


    "GRRR" The creature made a low growling sound, like that of a beast. From its mouth, drool dripped out, eager to consume human flesh.


    "Tch" Cyanide narrowed his eyes, analyzing the new enemy. It appeared to be quite slow, given how it was not attacking immediately. Either that, or it was just intelligent enough to employ trickery, making Cyanide think it was weak. If thetter was the case, things did not look good.


    To test this theory, Cyanide dashed forward and pulled out the pen in his cloak''s breast pocket in one smooth motion, taking the creature by surprise with his sudden spur of movement speed, then plunged the writing utensil into the creature''s neck  right where the carotid artery was.


    But the creature did not fall.


    "What the"


    No blood spilled out of his wound, even after Cyanide dislodged the pen. It was then that he saw  beneath the creature''s inhuman flesh, therey machinery. This thing it was a robot. Wires were its veins, electricity its blood.


    Suddenly, while Cyanide was shocked in thought, the creature whipped his head around and grabbed his wrist with its sharp ws. Cyanide''s attempted to dodge, but his new body''s movements were slow and sluggish.


    "Shit-!"


    "GRAHHH!"


    SMASH!


    The creature locked its hand around Cyanide''s wrist and threw him painfully into a wall with such force that Cyanide felt his bones shatter, but he didn''t cry out. Pain was nothing but a superficial feeling that induced fear and weakness, two things an assassin did not need.


    "" Slowly and silently, Cyanide got back up, now unarmed. The pen had been knocked out of his hands from that impact, and there was nothing else he could use as a viable weapon nearby


    He looked up.


    Well not a handheld one, anyway.


    Escape was not an option anymore, now that his body had been damaged this much. He needed to find a way to defeat this thing  and he had just the n in mind to do that.


    As the zombie lurked closer, Cyanide suddenly kicked up some of the umted dust from the floor, blinding it momentarily, then performed a low leap to get behind cover vanish out of the creature''s line of sight,pletely ignoring the pain that reverberated through his every bone.


    Once the dust settled, the zombie stopped, rotating its head around in confusion as it wondered where its prey went. Cyanide, hiding beneath a table and noticing this, furrowed his brows a little.


    ''As I thought it''s not very smart. It seems its eyes can only see what is directly in front of it, and it doesn''t know how to look up or down perfect.''


    Next to Cyanide, a long rectangr nk of wood that had originally been part of the ceiling abovey on the floor. Next to it, a stic water bottle that possibly used to belong to one of the workers here rolled on the ground. After some thought, he discretely slipped the water bottle underneath the nk of wood, directly in the middle of it.


    That was the fulcrum. Now, only the load remained.


    Cyanide stoodpletely up on purpose, attracting the attention of the creature, then ran by the simple lever he had made and ducked down once more on the other end of the aisle.


    "GRRR." The monster slowly rotated its body and began tracking Cyanide down, heading for the spot where itst spotted him. But of course, since it was incapable of looking up or down


    Normally, the creature''s feet ttered loud and crisp on the marble floor. But its next step was muffled, producing a different noise  and that would be what spelled its death. Cyanide, hearing this change, knew it was time.


    ''Now!''


    He suddenly dashed out from behind cover and leaped up into the air as high as this new body would enable him, pulling along aputer that had been on the desk in the process. Then, as the creature looked on, ck-jawed, he came crashing down on the other end of the lever. Thebined weight of Cyanide and the machinery tied to theputer was enough to send the zombie shooting up into the air  directly into the patch of destroyed ceiling where broken wires of electricityy.


    "GRAGHH!" The monster roared in pain and fury as the wound Cyanide made on its neck earlier connected with the electric flow of the wires above, electrocuting it instantly.


    Cyanide gritted his teeth, arms dislodged from his shoulders from carrying the weight of theputer after the injury earlier, as he waited to see if this was enough to kill the zombie. After several seconds, he received his answer.


    The corpse of the creature fell from the ceiling and copsed onto the floor, charred ck beyond recognition. The faint red light in its eyes grew dimmer and dimmer, until atst it died out.


    "Hah" Cyanide fell backwards onto the floor after confirming the zombie was dead. His entire body felt like it waspletely drained of energy and on fire with pain. Thest time he felt something like this was the duel to the death he and his teacher had.


    Despite all the physical pain and agony in his body, however, in his mind, Cyanide actually felt a pang of emotion. He felt excited. Excited at the notion of having such a close fight, edging so close to death  something he had not experienced in so many years.


    "Teacher I see now. Is this why you wanted to fight me to the death?"


    Cyanide felt his eyelids get heavy and mind go nk. He was losing consciousness.


    But then, a mysterious  or rather, several  messages appeared in front of his face, causing his eyes to widen.


    [Level Up.]


    [Level 1 -> 2.]


    [You gained 10 CP and 1 SP.]

 Chapter 11: Survivors Assisstant

    Chapter 11: Survivor''s Assisstant


    Immediately after witnessing the level-up message, Cyanide felt his wounds to began to heal, like magic. The pain in his body all but faded away, as if that was all just a bad dream.


    Even the zombie''s corpse, which had been lying on the floor a few meters away mere moments ago, had now exploded into a billion tiny red and white triangles and disintegrated into thin air. The holographic screen that hovered in front of his face then scrolled up on its own, revealing the next few lines of glowing text.


    [New Almanac Entries Avable]


    [Obtained Mutant Blood (Low-Grade) x1]


    [Achievement Complete: First Blood]


    "What is this?" Cyanide muttered, sitting up and narrowing his eyes.


    The messages then faded away, reced by a translucent blue hologram depicting a woman, but it was clearly robotic.


    "Congrattions, Survivor, on your first takedown," the figure said in a perfectly monotone voice. "With this, you have proven yourself capable and worthy of survival."


    " Who are you?" Cyanide asked, seeing as how this artificial woman seemed to be capable of speech.


    "I am an Automated Realistic Survivor Assistant, otherwise known as A.R.S.A. Now that you have proven yourself worthy, I shall be your assistant to help you continue to survive here in Endzone."


    Cyanide fell silent for several moments, contemting, then stared the A.R.S.A. in the eyes.


    "So you''re an AI?"


    "Correct. I am a virtual assistant programmed with highly-advanced artificial intellig-"


    "Let me take a look at your code."


    The A.R.S.A. fell silent for a few seconds, then spoke.


    " Apologies, I do not see why that is necessar-"


    "As an assistant, you are supposed to help me with what I need. And right now, I need to see your code."


    Although Cyanide''s tone remained as neutral as ever, his words held a glint ofmand in them. A.R.S.A., having stated that it was his assistant, has no choice but toply.


    " Very well."


    A new screen popped up in front of Cyanide, filled with pages upon pages of lines of programming. Luckily, it was anguage Cyanide knew very well, which meant


    "Give me a keyboard," Cyanide ordered. A.R.S.A. was confused, but did as told anyway. A holographic keyboard appeared beneath the main screen, as if there was a virtualptop hovering in front of Cyanide.


    Although virtual, however, he could still feel the keyboard just fine with his fingers. Emotionlessly, he tapped three keys.


    Ctrl+A+Delete.


    A.R.S.A. did not even have a chance to say anything before her entire programming was erased well, mostly. Cyanide only erased the artificial intelligence portion of the coding, so that his ''new'' assistant could still ess the necessary knowledge and provide him with the information he required to keep progressing in this world.


    Once that was done, he went to work, using his incredible memory and the refresher he had received before boarding that vanst night.


    After all, there was only onepanion he trusted in this world, virtual or not, and he refused to ept another.


    *****


    Hourster, Cyanide was finished. The sun had begun to set, and he had worked tirelessly without any breaks in between, ignoring his hunger and the virus in his body.


    Stretching his body, he took his hands off the keyboard. The holographic screens disappeared,puting the lines of codes he had inputted. Several secondster, a new figure appeared on a screen  one Cyanide was very familiar with.


    She had long, silky white hair, and elegant proportions that rivaled a professional model''s. Her body was well-endowed, with curves, both in and out, at all the right ces. On her beautiful face, a chevron-shaped ck mask pointing down with golden stripes on either end covered her eyes and the majority of her slim nose. Her skin was as white and pure as snow, and even though she was merely within a screen, her appearance was enough to make any man stare in awe and lust.


    She wore a tight ck skinsuit that highlighted her curves especially well, and contrasted with her snow-white skin that shone like pearls. It was truly a shame the hologram wasn''t big enough to disy her full body.


    For reference, Cyanide was not the one who chose this look for her, despite being her creator. Originally, she didn''t have a physical appearance at all. With her own intelligence, however, the girl had given herself this look.


    "Cyanide?" The beautiful AI girl murmured quietly, hesitantly.


    Cyanide smiled, ever so slightly. "... Wee back, Luna."


    "Wha- it really is you... but how? Where is this?"


    "ess the database I left in your code," Cyanide replied. "You will find all the answers there."


    Luna fell silent and did as told, analyzing the information and knowledge she had retained from A.R.S.A. After about half a minute, she spoke once more.


    "I see so this is a simted survival game in a post-apocalyptic world. I am meant to be your assistant, but you erased the original''s artificial intelligence and reced it with mine."


    "Mhm." Cyanide nodded slightly, as Luna sighed.


    "So this is why you asked me to upload all of my programming into your goggles for a refresher before that van arrived did you expect something like this?"


    "Somewhat," Cyanide said. "I don''t believe in things like other worlds, so I expected it to be something along the lines of this  a simtion. I just didn''t think it would be so realistic."


    "Well" Luna''s holographic figure smiled. " In any case, I am d to be by your side again, Cyanide."


    Cyanide eyed his trustypanion for a brief moment, cold and emotionless. Luna, knowing what this gaze meant, sighed and facepalmed.


    "Yes, yes you''ve never been one for emotional stuff like this. I''ll tell you everything I can about this world, then, based on the knowledge previously stored inside this AI."


    "Wait," Cyanide said as a new message popped up in front of him.


    [Update: Virus Status.]


    [If an antidote is not consumed within the time limit, the Survivor will perish. Time remaining: 16:00:00.]


    " First, tell me how to get rid of this virus."


    *****


    - Meanwhile, Outside the Simtion -


    The hooded man stood within his diamond-shaped chamber, the walls filled with screens disying different yers'' perspectives.


    "097 despite being spawned in the most disadvantageous position, he was the first to take down a mutant. Interesting."


    While all of the other yers spawned near something that could be used as a proper weapon, all 097 had when he fought the mutant was a mere pen. His bones had been nearlypletely shattered, yet it was as if he did not feel pain. Despite the situation, despite the odds, he was able to think clearly and use the environment to his advantage.


    Slowly, the hooded man dialed a number a brought his phone up to his ear.


    " Chairwoman. This year''s batch seems promising."


    From the other end of the phone, a seductive female voice giggled softly.


    "Fufu 097, yes? I am keeping a close eye on him."


    "ording to his files, he was the number one underground assassin in the world beforeing here. He made his first kill at the age of seven, and did not even bat an eye while doing it."


    "Ho~ interesting. He may be the one~"


    "Yes, Chairwoman. However, several others seem promising as well. 069 and 007 are both extremely powerful fighters, and 003 has an unbreakable mental."


    "I''m aware. Don''t worry, I won''t be making any decisions just yet. But in the meantime keep a close eye on him, mkay~? 097, I mean."


    " Understood."


    With that brisk reply, the hooded man hung up, lowering the phone once more. Then, suddenly, one of the screens on the walls cked out, revealing a crossed-out number beneath, apanied by a soothing female AI voice that reverberated across the entire chamber.


    "yer 996: Eliminated."


    The hooded man tilted his head towards the cked-out screen for a moment, then looked away once more as the sound of aser gun firing could be heard in the distance. To kill? No. Theser was for something else. Something far worse than just death.


    Death is peaceful. Death is bliss. But when a soul is never allowed rest, even beyond demise... that is where the torture truly starts. There are fates far, far worse than deathand this sick game... enacted one of the many.


    The hooded man looked up at the obsidian-ck ceiling of the room, and whispered like the Grim Reaper himself, cold and metallic.


    "So.... it begins."

 Chapter 12: Mutant Blood

    Chapter 12: Mutant Blood


    - Within the Game -


    "The virus" Luna murmured. "Ah, yes. My knowledge tells me you have to consume the Mutant Blood dropped by that mutant just now."


    "Mutant?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow, then realized. "Oh, the zombie-like creature."


    "Correct. Apparently, you have to open your Inventory, pull the item from there, and drink it."


    Luna appeared quite ufortable saying thatst part, probably due to the disgust, but Cyanide wasn''t fazed at all.


    "How do I open my inventory?"


    "Normally, you would have to swipe the air with your hand, but" Luna''s holographic figure smiled slightly. "I can handle that."


    As she said this, a new panel immediately opened up in front of Cyanide. It was titled [Inventory] in big bold letters at the top, and below it was a grid of square-shaped slots on the left, and a bigger, single square on the right. The color scheme was nice and blue, giving it a futuristic neon sci-fi kind of feel.


    Of the neatly-organized small slots on the left, only one was filled up  an image depicting a small vial of mysterious ck liquid that looked like squid ink. In the bottom-right corner of the slot it was in, there was a small number reading ''1'', defining the quantity of the item being held.


    Cyanide tapped on the icon using his finger, causing the right side of the screen to disy a bigger version of the item along with various pieces of information about it below the picture.


    [Mutant Blood (Low-Grade)]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Description: Temporarily suppresses the Survivor''s Curse for 12 hours. Relieves thirst.]


    [Qty. Held: 1]


    "The Survivor''s Curse... so that''s the virus that gues me, and all the other yers alike  I''m assuming." Cyanide muttered. "And consuming this only temporarily suppresses it for 12 hours... how annoying."


    "There is a way to permanently get rid of it, based on what I can ess through my predecessor''s memory database," Luna said. "And that... is to win the game. In other words, be thest Survivor, and the curse will automatically lift itself."


    "Hmph so this is how they are going to limit the gametime of this fight for survival? Interesting."


    "But if yers simply keep suppressing the Curse over and over wouldn''t that make this useless?" Luna wondered aloud.


    "I am certain they have more tricks up their sleeves," Cyanide replied as he tapped on the ''Use'' button beneath the info of the Mutant Blood, causing a small transparent vial of ck liquid to appear between his fingertips. "Can''t you tell what those tricks are by essing A.R.S.A.''s knowledge?"


    Luna sighed deeply. "Unfortunately not. For whatever reason, that knowledge appears to be locked behind an encrypted timegate that I cannot break through. I''m sorry, Cyanide."


    "So they even anticipated the Survivor''s Assistants getting hacked." Cyanide frowned as he downed the liquid in one gulp. It tasted like rotten, spoiled milk, but he''s had worse.


    As soon as the liquid entered his body, the vial vanished into thin air, as if it had just been a virtual container for the fluid, not meant to be used for anything else. At the same time, a new message popped up in front of Cyanide, blocking the Inventory screen.


    [Update: Virus Status.]


    [The Survivor''s Curse has been suppressed for 12 hours. Time remaining until death: 27:34:56.]


    " Hm. I don''t feelfortable with that number," Cyanide admitted, standing back up to his feet. "I''ll need to find and kill more of those mutants, it seems. But first"


    He nced down at his own two empty hands, then balled them into fists.


    " I''ll need a proper weapon."


    He turned to the exit and prepared to leave, but then stopped and grabbed a few of the Anexerdyte tubes spilled all over the floor. He moved to put them in his cloak''s inner pockets, but then remembered.


    "Luna. Store these in my inventory. Oh, and that water bottle over there too, because why not?"


    Luna''s eyes widened a bit as she realized what the purpose of him storing the antidote-looking liquids was. "Cyanide, don''t tell me you''re"


    "Don''t tell me you expect me, of all people, to show humanity, Luna. This is a fight for survival. No one is an ally. I am an assassinand I will use any tools at my disposal to achieve my goal, even if it means tricking and killing others. After all that is what I do best."


    "It''s not that, Cyanide," Luna corrected with a faint smile. "It''s not my position to judge anything you do, since you are my creator. I''m also well aware this entire survival game is a test to see how cruel and selfish humans can be when faced with danger. I just wanted to say your inventory space is limited, so choose wisely."


    Cyanide paused momentarily, then made his decision.


    "If I need inventory space, I can always get rid of theseter. For now, just store them."


    Luna smiled.. "Understood."

 Chapter 13: Leveling System

    Chapter 13: Leveling System


    While Cyanide searched the rest of the building for anything he could use a weapon, he came across several interesting pieces of information about the building he was in and the world overall, gathered from various observations from books to logos.


    For one, thispany was called Aterra, and it was one of the leading scientific researchpanies in the world when the apocalypse struck. Its mainpetitor was called Acaelus, and the two had shared a close rivalry for many years. Acaelus was more powerful overall, but due to its poor business ethics, Aterra has been able to keep up in poprity.


    As for the world, it was a heavily futuristic ce that relied on technology and science more than nature. Ways to produce artificial clean air had been long introduced, so there weren''t actually all too many trees in the world. Instead, the majority of the''s surface was covered by cities.


    Speaking of the''s surface Cyanide discovered that the total surface area of this world was only 5,101 km squared, and of that, 3,000 was pure ocean. For reference, that surface area was 1/100,000th of Earth''s. Quite small, yet so advanced.


    The concept of keeping track of time was also simr to Earth''s  12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days in a year. The year when the apocalypse struck was 2069, though the exact month and day are unknown yet.


    In general, this  called Endzone by its inhabitants (it was not a coincidence)  was just like a smaller, more futuristic version of Earth, except it had been struck by a mysterious apocalypse that wiped out all life and gave birth to mutants like the cyborg zombie Cyanide had fought earlier.


    Despite all this information, however... Cyanide had still yet to locate a weapon even after hounding through several floors already. He had thought it would be easy, since buildings like this were bound to have security guards carrying weapons, but turns out that wasn''t the case. He had yet to find a single body.


    "... Luna. Do you have a searching ability, by any chance?" Cyanide asked, just to confirm.


    "I wish I did to assist you better, but... I am still getting used to this new virtual space. I haven''t yet unlocked all the original functionalities of A.R.S.A., and it will take me a while before I can synchronize everything with my own system. Sorry, Cyanide."


    "It''s fine," Cyanide replied, descending another flight of stairs to search the next floor down. "But do you know anything about the "level up" message I received earlier? It told me I gained CP and SP... but I have no idea what those mean."


    "Of course you don''t... you''ve never yed any video games before," Luna said with a sigh. "That''s the leveling system of this VR game. To put it simply... the more you level up, the stronger you be."


    "Hm. I see."


    "The CP and SP you received stand for Character Points and Skill Points respectively," Luna continued as Cyanide entered the first room on this floor  what seemed to be just a basic office with many cubicle-style workspaces ced next to one another. "CP is used to power up your body itself, while SP is used to unlock various skills."


    "Power up my body what about just physical training?" Cyanide asked, browsing through the documentsid out on the tables. Just a bunch of inventory lists and other things useless to him, though he did notice several items and chemicals listed that didn''t even exist back on Earth.


    "Physical training can help you, but it would be much wiser to just spend the time on killing mutants, gathering EXP, and leveling up," Luna replied. "For example, one single CP''s worth of the Strength stat would be equivalent to a whole month of body training."


    "Interesting so how do I use CP and SP?" Cyanide asked, leaving the office and going down the hall in search of a different room.


    In response, Luna''s hologram pulled up a new screen in front of Cyanide, moving as he walked.


    "This is your character screen, Cyanide. Here, you can spend CP on your stats, customize your loadout, and see the amount of CP and SP you have."


    Cyanide stopped walking and inspected the new hologram that had appeared in front of him.


    [SURVIVOR-097]


    [Name: Jace ''Cyanide'' Silverdale]


    [Age: 22]


    [Gender: Male]


    [Height: 6''1]


    [Weight: 175 lbs.]


    [Hair color: ck-teal gradient, with white highlights]


    [Eye color: Teal]


    Above all this information, therey a picture of himself. Not the Cyanide in the real world, but the current Cyanide. He had no idea when this picture was taken. To the right of this basic info, a list of stats was disyed along with pulsating blue plus signs by them.


    [STATS]


    [Level: 2]


    [HP: 20/20]


    [STR: 1]


    [AGI: 1]


    [VIT: 1]


    [INT: 1]


    [DEX: 1]


    [LUC: 1]


    [Avable CP: 10]


    [Avable SP: 1]


    Judging from their abbreviations, Cyanide could guess what each stat stood for. Strength, Agility, Vitality, Intellect, Dexterity, and Luck. Of these, most were self-exnatory. Strength meant his physical strength, agility decided how fast and agile he was, vitality represented his defense, and dexterity judged what weapons he could use and how well he could use them.


    The only two he was confused about were intellect and luck  he didn''t particrly feel stupid right now, so what could intellect be referring to? And ''luck'' assuming the scale was on the same level as the strengthparison Luna made earlier... if he maxed out that stat, wouldn''t that make him close to immortal?


    " Luna. Tell me what intellect and luck represent."


    "Intellect directly decides your reaction speed, your observation skills, and  if you unlock them  how powerful your Soul Arts are," Luna replied. "On the other hand, luck won''t give you good luck in general, but it will increase rare item drop chances from mutants you y. I wouldn''t rmend prioritizing it."


    "Soul Arts sounds interesting. How do I unlock them?" Cyanide asked.


    "They are automatically unlocked once you reach Level 10. For now, though, you shouldn''t worry about them too much, Cyanide. I believe Strength, Agility, and Vitality should be your main focuses right now."


    Cyanide nodded in response and used the plus signs to put 4 CP into STR, 3 into AGI, and 3 into VIT, using up all his avable CP. Then, turning to his right, he immediately punched the wall to test out his new strength.


    Nothing happened.


    ""


    "Um Cyanide," Luna murmured hesitantly. "Before you say anything, I just wanted to tell you the walls of this building are made of pure steel."


    Cyanide, who had been about to ask why his punches weren''t causing too much of an impact despite leveling his Strength up (though his own fist didn''t hurt either even after punching solid steel), shook his own hand a little and straightened his body.


    "Well. In that case looks like I need to find a punching bag."


    As if on cue, Luna and Cyanide heard a growle from downstairs. Not just one  multiple. It would seem the noise of the punch just now had attracted some unwanted visitors. Normally, he would be able to tell how many enemies there were just based on his hearing alone, but sinceing to this new world, his abilities had deteriorated by a lot, and thus he had to rely on hispanion.


    " Luna. How many?"


    "Four and they seem to be heading for the stairs toe up to us."


    Cyanide nced at the stairwell, then remembered therge couch that had been in the cubicle-styled office from earlier.


    "Oh ho how perfect."

 Chapter 14: Newfound Strength

    Chapter 14: Newfound Strength


    "Luna, keep an eye on the stairs and let me know when they''reing up," Cyanide ordered before immediately turning around and heading for the office room from before.


    "I wish I could, but unfortunately, this new form does note with portable capabilities," Luna replied with a sigh. "I''m stuck to your body, Cyanide."


    "Hm. I''ll have to fix that soon," Cyanide muttered under his breath before cing both of hands on the couch and  surprisingly enough  lifted it. Although it was difficult, he did it.


    " Huh. This is about 25% my original strength."


    "And with only 4 CP spent into the stat," Luna added with a wink. "Humans can go beyond their natural limits in this world, Cyanide. You definitely won''t be bored here  not for a good while, at least."


    " Hmph."


    With a snort, Cyanide ran out of the office, couch heaved on top of his shoulders. Making a left, he reached the stairwell and pushed open the door with his other hand to reveal four mutants crawling their way up the steps, just as Luna had described.


    "Down you go."


    Cyanide set the couch down on the floor and gave it a good kick forward, sending it sliding down the staircase.


    "GRRAH-!" The four mutants groaned as the heavy couch''s momentum rolled over their bodies and sent them piling into one another like a stack of dominoes, until they hit the back wall of the stairwell. The couch came to a stop, the four mutants beneath it.


    No sounds or motions were heard or seen for several seconds, but Cyanide knew better and kept his gaze fixed on the couch. Being made out of machinery on the inside, there''s no way a mere couch could crush these mutants. And just as expected


    "Grrr"


    "Ragh"


    A hand, lined with dried blood and with mutated metal nails as long and sharp as needles, tore through the couch, followed by another. Slowly, the couch was lifted up, and tilted over. The four mutants were now free once more,pletely undamaged. Though the one who broke them free seemed to be incapable of getting his arms free of the couch.


    In response to this, however, Cyanide''s expression had no change. This was all within his expectations  he had nned for them to tear through the couch like this since the beginning.


    " They''re really stupid, aren''t they?" Lunaughed slightly, knowing what Cyanide had in mind.


    Calmly, he pulled out a box of matches from his cloak pocket  something he had found while searching all the different floors so far, then lit one of them up by scraping it against the side of the box.


    " Enjoy."


    Saying this, he tossed the match towards the four mutants,nding it directly on the spot where the couch had been torn open. Normally, the leather covering the surface of the couch like this was not easily mmable and a simple match would never do the trick, but if it had been tore open to reveal the foam inside, that was a different question.


    Cyanide had nned this all along, and watched with contempt as the mutants'' bodies began burning.


    "GRRRRAHHHH!"


    "SKREEEE!"


    "ARGHHHHHH!"


    Even then, however, Cyanide did not move. To him, this was an experiment. He didn''t know too much about these mutants yet, and of the information he had found so far mentioned them at all. He was certain that Doctor Finch would have some info on them, since he had experimented on one in thatb upstairs, but those files were most likely locked in aputer or cab that he couldn''t pry open. Yet, anyway.


    Because of this, he was now conducting various tests on them to see what they were weak to. Fire could theoretically burn away their outeryer of flesh and harm the machinery and wires inside, but they could be heat resistant ones that are able to withstand extremely high temperatures.


    Turns out, he had jinxed it.


    The mutants, now on fire, screamed in rage as they crawled up the stairs, slowly yet threateningly.


    " So fire doesn''t work on them, huh? In that case"


    Cyanide turned around and ran into a room he had discovered earlier  a washroom. There, he used therge water bottle that had been in theboratory and filled it uppletely, then returned to the staircase where the burning zombies had now crawled up.


    "If fire doesn''t work on you how about this?"


    Cyanideunched therge sk of water directly at the first zombie, hitting its face head-on and spilling the water all over it along with itspanions. This time, however, the mutants did not scream.


    Instead, they merely copsed and fell over, the water having entered their electrical systems and created a short circuit, causing them to malfunction. All four mutantsy sprawled over the stairs, paralyzed but not dead. Their bodies leaked electricity from them, making it dangerous to go close.


    "Looks like thebination of fire and water is effective," Luna remarked from the side. "Interesting, since those two things usually don''t go well together."


    "So it seems," Cyanide agreed. "The fire burns away their outer flesh covering, allowing the water to enter their interior system and damage it from the inside. The flesh is resistant to water, while the wires are resistant to fire  but the opposite does not apply."


    "Whoever made these cyborg-like things really need to work on their fool-proofing."


    "I was assuming you would know, but I guess not even the A.R.S.A. knew anything about this world, huh?"


    "Yes, regrettably," Luna said with a disappointed sigh. "The knowledge you left me with only contained information regarding the various tools a yer  or rather, a Survivor  have at their disposal."


    "It''s fine." Cyanide turned away and brushed past the mutants'' paralyzed bodies, then headed downstairs. "For now, I''ll keep looking for a weapon  and I''ll need to do it before those four start moving again."


    He had hoped to finish them off, but he simply couldn''t do so without a weapon of some sort. As seen from the couch, crushing them wouldn''t work, and neither will more fire/water. The only thing he could do now was skip past them, find a weapon, thene back to finish themter.


    As he walked, a new notification popped up on his screen.


    [Achievement Complete: Sinful Mercy]

 Chapter 15: The Basement

    Chapter 15: The Basement


    Cyanide, now on a time limit, picked up his pace on locating a weapon. After those four mutants he paralyzed made their appearance, Cyanide knew there was bound to be more in this building. When he encountered them, he didn''t want those four chasing after him as well, so he needed to end them as soon as possible.


    He had originally wanted to use his 1 SP and see what skills he could obtain with it, but he had no idea how long his paralysis affect wouldst on the mutants and when another one would notice him and begin its chase. As such, he needed a proper weapon, pronto.


    Luckily, while he was searching through the cubicle-styled office earlier, he found a map of theyout of this building, and was now looking at it to get an idea of where to go.


    "Cyanide, the security guards'' office appears to be in the basement," Luna pointed out, also examining the map. "There should be weapons in there."


    Cyanide nodded and quickly raced down the stairs, skipping past all the other floors. He felt light on his feet again and quite fast as well, though it was still nowhere close to the stealth and agility he once possessed in the real world  the result of many tough years of training. Still, he felt relieved knowing that he was starting to regain some of his old power back.


    The entire building must have had at least 50 floors, but getting down to the bottommost level in the matter of a mere minute wasn''t even enough to make Cyanide pant. He judged that his stamina must have improved as well, governed by the Vitality stat.


    Thankfully, he didn''t seem to have attracted any attention, thanks to his light footsteps. He had spotted several mutants loitering the hallways as he went down the floors, but of them seem particrly different from another. He did notice, however, that some were wearing office suits, othersb coats.


    It was as if they were human before being converted into whatever the hell these cyborgs were. But one thing was for certain  any humanity they had in their past, was now all but gone.


    Cyanide soon reached the first floor  he could tell by looking out the tiny window on the stairwell''s door. The spacious lobby of the building was directly in front of him, in between a luxurious reception space and the automatic sliding ss doors of the main entrance. However, within the lobby, various mutants stood, wandering around aimlessly and slowly.


    Turning away, he continued to head further down the stairs  for the basement.


    *****


    As Cyanide reached the very bottom of the stairs, he was met with a door just like the other floors. Down here, was where the security guards of thepany stayed between shifts. Since cleaning was automated, there was no need for janitors or custodians. Security staff were the only ones needed, hence why a separate quarter like this was made for them to avoid disrupting the other employees.


    Cyanide didn''t quite understand the need to make a whole separate basement for them or why they were supplied with backup power just like the R&D floor above, but that was just howpanies worked here in Endzone, he supposed. He wrapped his hand around the door handle to pull it open, but then, he stopped.


    "What''s wrong, Cyanide?" Luna asked.


    "This door handle it doesn''t have any dust on it, unlike the others. In other words it''s been used recently."


    "Well, it couldn''t have been another yer, since Survivors spawn far away from one another when the game first begins, ording to my knowledge," Luna replied. "If that''s the case, then"


    "That leaves two possibilities," Cyanide analyzed. "One, there are other people here who are not yers and two, there is a mutant roaming around in this ce smart enough to open a door."


    "I believe thetter is more probable, since the idea of there being other humans in this abandoned, post-apocalyptic ce is somewhat unrealistic," Luna said after some hesitation. "Most likely, it''s a Stage Two mutant, whereas all the other ones you have fought so far have been simple Stage Ones that do not possess any form of intelligence."


    "So the higher stage the mutation, the more intelligent it bes," Cyanide muttered. "In that case there could very well be a mutant out there with human-level intelligence or even beyond."


    "Yes, but it''d be best not to think about that right now. As you are at the moment, Cyanide, there is no way you can take on a Stage Two mutant."


    "I''m aware. But this is the security guards'' floor, and there are weapons in there. Weapons that I need. So regardless of whether or not I can fight a Stage Two mutant I have to go in. If I can''t get weapons, I can''t escape from this building  not with all those mutants in the first-floor lobby. And even if I do escape, there are most likely even more mutants on those streets. I will need something to protect myself with."


    "I see. In that case" Luna pulled up a panel and disyed it in front of Cyanide. It was a hologram titled ''SKILLS SHOP''.


    "This is the skills shop, where you can spend your SP," she exined.


    "... I don''t have time to go through all these skills right now," Cyanide said, blinking at the incredibly long list of possible skills to acquire, judging from the length of the scroll bar on the right-hand side of the virtual screen.


    "That''s fine. I''m just going to rmend you get this skill in particr before going in there," Luna said, causing a pop-up window to appear in the hologram. Cyanide, upon seeing it, narrowed his eyes.


    "... Invisibility?"


    Luna smiled. "Yes. The superpower all assassins wish they had - invisibility."


    "..." Cyanide fell silent, gazing at the skill''s details.


    [Skill Information]


    [Name: Invisibility I]


    [Type: Active (Utility)]


    [Duration: 5 seconds]


    [Cooldown: 5 minutes]


    [Description: Completely vanish from sight for a brief period of time. You can still be felt, smelled, and heard.]


    [Price: 1 SP]


    "Only 5 seconds... yet the cooldown is so long," Cyanide muttered.


    "Don''t worry, some skills, like this one, can be upgraded through more SP," Luna said. "But since you don''t have any to spare... I''m afraid just this will be your best and only bet, Cyanide. For now, anyway."


    After some thought, Cyanide tapped on the ''Purchase'' button below the skill''s info, then tapped on ''Yes'' on the confirmation screen that popped up. Luna made the panels disappear, while Cyanide felt as if something had entered his body. It was warm andfortable, however, and not creepy at all.


    "Now then... how do I use this skill?"


    "All you have to do is make a mental thought to use it, and it will work," Luna exined.


    "Though 5 minutes is a long time, and I believe those mutants upstairs are probably awake by now and trying to track us down. I don''t think you''ll have to test it out."


    Cyanide sighed. "That''s fine... I''ll just have to risk it."


    At this, Lunaughed slightly. "Yes.... but you''ve been living your life on the edge for 22 years now, Cyanide. What''s a little risk to you?"

 Chapter 16: Stage Two Mutant

    Chapter 16: Stage Two Mutant


    With the new skill of invisibility learned, Cyanide peeked through the tiny windows on the doors. There didn''t appear to be anyone  or anything  there. All he could see was one straight, narrow hallway with open metal doors, pristine white walls, and ceiling paired with cyan flooring. But on that same flooring he could also see some dark spots  a result of blood that had dried a long time ago.


    Slowly, he pushed open the door. The light ''clicking'' sound was like a gunshot in this deafening silence, seeming exponentially louder than it really was. Now that he had made the noise, however, he had tomit.


    Slipping through with incredible agility, Cyanide gently closed the door once again, making as little sound as possible. But s, the clicking sound of thetch slipping into ce was unavoidable. The first time may have not triggered anything, but the second


    Suddenly, Cyanide saw the humanoid shadow of a mutant up ahead, behind one of the open metal doors. Hurriedly, he used the new skill he had just acquired to slip away.


    ''Invisbility.''


    Luckily, it worked, and he looked down to see his own body having disappearedpletely. He only had five seconds to work with here, however, so he quickly ducked behind the interior wall of the open room to his right just as the mutant appeared out from behind the door to investigate what the sound was. Cyanide daringly peeked out a slight bit while his invisibility was still active to observe the terrifying creature.


    Its face was absolutely grotesque and horrid, with a dark green skin color and one eyeball hanging out of its socket, still just barely attached by a single electric wire. Its arms and legs were still in shape, however  only extended in length and power. But what was truly terrifying about this creature in particr,pared to all the other mutants he had seen so far was the fact that it held something in its long, wed hands.


    It held a gun. And its outfit was other than the navy blue of security officers, along with a peaked cap that matched the look.


    ''That thing it used to be a security officer here. But like with the researchers and other employees in the upper levels it''s been converted into a mutant,'' Cyanide thought.


    ''But wait if the security officers had all been converted, and this ce was their office, then''


    "U-Uh Cyanide? We''re in a bit of trouble" Luna''s voice whispered, trembling a bit, right as his invisibility wore off.


    It was then that it hit him.


    Cyanide turned around, eyes widened in shock and found himself staring straight at the distorted face another Stage Two mutant, dressed in the same officer clothing as the one in the hallway.


    " Shit."


    "GR-" The mutant opened its mouth to roar and alert the others in the vicinity, but Cyanide thought quick and took a book off the desk nearby before stuffing it into the creature''s mouth. Then, in one swift motion, he reached down for the gun being held in its hand while simultaneously kicking it harshly in the stomach, sessfully retrieving the weapon while the creature crashed into the wall.


    "GRRRRAGH!" The noise, unfortunately, signaled the other mutants that something was wrong, and their lightning-fast footsteps immediately filled Cyanide''s ear. There was no time to escape through the doors, and the mutant that Cyanide had kicked was also slowly getting back up,pletely undamaged.


    "Tch!"


    "Cyanide, the vent!" Luna called out, and Cyanide looked up to spot what she was talking about. Therey a 70 cm by 50 cm vent cover, just big enough for Cyanide''s tall, skinny frame to crawl through.


    With no other choice, he shot a bullet into the gagged mutant''s forehead, then kicked the metal door shut with his foot to buy a little more time for himself. Then, hopping onto the desk, he emptied the rest of the magazine into the vent''s cover to blow it off. He had no time to read the item obtained notifications that popped up in front of his face as he jumped into the vent system with an agile leap.


    Right as he disappeared from view, he heard the sound of the metal door being torn open by force, and the collective roars of more than a dozen mutants.


    Had this vent not been here he could very well have been torn to pieces.


    *****


    After some navigation through the vents with the help of Luna''s calctions, Cyanide was able to make it back to the front lobby of the building. By now, his invisibility was up again, so he was able to escape with rtive ease. The mutants up here were only Stage Ones, so they were pretty stupid. They noticed him blowing the vent cover out with a kick, but since they couldn''t actually see him, they didn''t make any hostile actions. From this, he could gather that these mutants heavily relied on their sense of sight.


    Now that he was on the outside streets, Cyanide could rx a bit. He could still see a few mutants loitering around here and there, but they were far and few between enough that he could afford to take a break.


    Before long, he found a nice and small isted alleyway to hide in. Slipping past several mutants unnoticed, he entered the narrow alley and sat down, leaning against the wall of a building.


    "Okay, we seem to be safe for the time being," Luna said, her hologram looking both ways. Without a scanning feature, this was the best she could do. "That was quite the escape, huh?"


    " I didn''t even see the mutant in that room, since I was so focused on the one in front of me. I''m still not experienced enough, it seems," Cyanide muttered, frustrated with his own mistake. Luna, seeing this, sighed.


    "You''re always so strict on yourself, Cyanide everyone makes mistakes. Professional assassin or not, you''re still human. Mistakes are natural. And besidesthink on the bright side. You have a weapon now, no?"


    "Yeah, I do" Cyanide nced down at the gun in his hand, the one that the mutant he killed had dropped when it died. " One with no ammo, anyway."


    "Oh, right you used up everything in the mag to blow out that vent cover, and that mutant unfortunately didn''t drop any spare ammo" Luna murmured. "But it''s still better than nothing."


    " I suppose so," Cyanide said, falling into silence for a brief while, before continuing. "One more thing. Back there, I felt for a brief moment like this gun was about to fade away into thin air in my hand. It began shimmering white for a few seconds. Why is that?"


    "Equipment or parts taken directly from a mutant can onlyst several seconds before disappearing," Luna exined. "That is the rule of this game, to incorporate a little luck as well. As you know, when you kill a mutant, they may sometimes drop items. If the salvaged item you took from them directly also dropped when they died, then you will be able to keep that item permanently. For example, that gun was about to disappear until you killed that mutant, and it dropped said gun by chance."


    "Hm... I see," Cyanide murmured, still getting used to the whole ''game-like'' world and its ''rules''. "And... by the way, thanks."


    Luna''s holographic figure tilted her head cutely and raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What for?"


    "I likely wouldn''t have gotten out of that situation if you hadn''t pointed the vent out to me. The old A.R.S.A. definitely wouldn''t have done that looks like switching her out for you was a good idea."


    "Fufu~" Luna giggled softly. Cyanide looked at her in confusion.


    "What?"


    "Oh, nothing~ it''s just that''s the first time I''ve heard you say ''thanks'' with such genuineness, Cyanide."


    "" Cyanide fell silent and turned away, ying around with the gun in his hand.


    Of course he sounded genuine. The gratefulness he felt towards Luna waspletely real. Unlike A.R.S.A., Luna was a far more advanced AI that possessed vibrant emotions like a real human and acted like a realpanion rather than a virtual ''assistant''. She could provide helpful advice and suggestions to her creator, Cyanide, as seen from the incident just now.


    "Come to think of it it''s been 12 years, Luna, huh?" Cyanide said quietly, as he felt droplets of water fall on his skin. It had begun raining.


    "Yes" Luna replied. "12 years. You made my first prototype when you were 10."


    "Well... since I''ve already said it once, I may as well say it again. I''m grateful to you, Luna. That sounds weird since I created you, but you''ve saved me more times than I can count."


    "My, my~ thank you, Cyanide. Hearing that from my creator makes me happy."


    "Good. Because you''ll never hear it again."


    Cyanide stood up and began walking once more, leaving Luna dazed and confused.


    " Eh? Is he embarrassed, perhaps?"

 Chapter 17: Next Steps

    Chapter 17: Next Steps


    As it had begun raining, Cyanide decided to take some cover underneath the canopy of a nearby closed-down building, where the mutants roaming the streets could not see due to the angle and positioning of the structure.


    The sign on the building had long been worn away and the interior waspletely blocked off by ck curtains, so there was no way to tell what this store was once for. All Cyanide knew was that this was very isted in the city, hidden within some slums.


    Cyanide also noticed that, in the rain, the mutants'' movements dulled, slowing down by even more than they already were  assuming they hadn''t detected prey, anyway. If they did, their speed was a whole different story, even for mere Stage Ones.


    This was a good opportunity though, for Cyanide to take a short break and think about what to do next.


    "Cyanide, what''s the n from here on out?" Luna asked, her holographical figure appearing beside her creator''s sitting-down figure.


    "Survival," Cyanide answered briskly. "First things first I''ll need to secure myself a good hideout. It should have easy ess to food, clean water, and be suitable as a warm shelter. And most importantly, it should be easy to defend, should the need arise."


    "Hm" Luna fell into thought, then, after some contemtion, spoke again. "ording to the criteria you just described, I believe a convenience store would be an ideal choice. They contain plenty of food and drinks, and are also rtively easy to defend given their small size. Though the food and drinks may be expired"


    "With the technology I''ve seen so far in this world, I doubt they haven''t found a way to persevere food without letting them ever expire," Cyanide replied. "That said are you able to locate a convenience store nearby?"


    "There is a map feature that came with the programming of the Survivor Assistant, but it is locked until you reach Level 5, Cyanide. I can''t manually override this  there seems to be some kind of admin controlling it from a higher level of authority."


    "So these A.R.S.A.s are being controlled by a higher entity? Interesting," Cyanide murmured, then turned to Luna again. "It''s fine. Once this rain passes, I''ll try to find some ammunition for this gun, and maybe a melee weapon. After that, I''ll be able to fight the mutants properly, and get to Level 5."


    Luna nodded. "In the meantime, I advise taking a look at the Skill Shop, Cyanide. Just for nning ahead."


    "Exactly my thoughts. Not bad, Luna."


    Luna, hearing thispliment from her creator, smiled wryly and brought up the Skill Shop panel for him. While it loaded the hundreds of possible skills acquirable, Cyanide took the opportunity to inspect the empty gun he held within his hand. It looked quite simr to a Glock 17 from Earth, the type that most police and security officers used.


    For such a technologically-advanced world, Cyanide had been expecting a lot more, to be honest. Something more likeser guns, perhaps? The type seen in sci-fi movies. But realistically speaking, something like that, even with the technology required to construct it, wouldn''t have much use.


    Yes, they would be cool and have insane destructive power, but what would they use that power for? Killing humans? A normal gun could do the job all the same, with lower production costs and less risk of a malfunction.


    Before this apocalypse struck, there were no such things as these ''mutants'' running around the world. Normal guns would be more than enough to deal with normal humans though Cyanide really wished somepany had thought of experimenting withsers. It was certainly still a possibility, one that shouldn''t be ruled out just yet.


    In any case, now that the Skill Shop had loaded, Cyanide began browsing through it, looking for anything that caught his eye, but Luna made things easier by highlighting certain ones.


    "Here, Cyanide. I havepiled a list of skills I believe should be high on your priority list of obtaining, and highlighted them at the top."


    Cyanide blinked as three skills in the list suddenly lit up gold and were moved to the top, thanks to Luna. They were [Inspect], [Radar], and [Stealth Takedown] respectively.


    "Inspect allows you to view enemies'' basic information, such as their level and HP, along with what status ailments they are currently afflicted with," Luna exined. "It is useful for checking a mutant''s strength level and deciding whether or not to challenge them  the same theory can be applied to another Survivor as well.


    "Also, this skill is something known as a Core Skill," she continued, sessfully gaining Cyanide''s curiosity. "It doesn''t actually require any SP to purchase, and instead automatically unlocks at Level 3. Before then, even if you wanted to purchase it, it would be impossible to do so  that''s why I didn''t rmend it back there in the basement. There aren''t many Core Skills, but this is one of them."


    "Huh neat." Cyanide rubbed his chin. "Radar is self-exnatory, but what about Stealth Takedown?"


    Luna opened up the details screen of the skill in question and let Cyanide read over it for himself.


    [Skill Information]


    [Name: Stealth Takedown 1]


    [Type: Active (Melee)]


    [Cooldown: 15 seconds]


    [Description: Perform a swift and silent execution by choking from behind. This can only work on enemies with a lower level than yourself, and you can only use this skill while stealthed. Enemies must be facing away from you, and you must have a melee weapon.]


    [Price: 1 SP]


    " Is this a guaranteed kill?" Cyanide asked hesitantly.


    "No, unfortunately," Luna replied. "But there is a high chance of it being a kill. The higher your STR stat and the stronger your weapon, the higher this chance will be. But even if this skill does not kill the enemy directly, it will still damage them by quite a lot."


    "I see"


    Of course, he could always choose to spend his SP on something else, as sneaking up on an enemy and taking them out was his line of work anyway. However, he couldn''t apply the same theory to mutants as he did to humans. With the [Stealth Takedown] skill, his attacks would be like executes, instantly draining the enemy''s HP bar in this game-like world, whereas normally sneaking up on a mutant and attempting to assassinate it will have a high chance of failing. As a result, he decided to purchase the skill anyway.


    As Cyanide continued browsing through the skills, the rain slowly faded away. Before long, it hadpletely stopped, and Cyanide stood up.


    " It''s time. Let''s go, Luna."


    But then, Luna said, "Wait. We should explore this building first. The fact that it''s being covered up like this makes it somewhat suspicious. And given its isted location this could very well be an illegal weapon shop."


    Cyanide paused to think for a moment, then slowly nodded in agreement.


    "That is true, but there is no way for me to enter this building as I am right now. If I try to break open through the ss, the noise will undoubtedly attract the mutants here  not to mention the possibility of there being mutants inside as well. I''ll need a melee weapon first  a crowbar or something of the sort."


    "In that case" Luna fell into thought. "I believe a factory is our best bet."


    Cyanide nodded.. "I believe I saw one on the way here but it was surrounded by mutants. With my invisibility, though, I should be able to sneak in"

 Chapter 18: Stealth Takedown

    Chapter 18: Stealth Takedown


    Cyanide stood on the roof of a short building, inspecting the warehouse not too far away. There were several mutants loitering around it, wearing what looked like bright green, fluorescent construction worker attire. It would seem they were once employees at this warehouse, but like with the researchers at Aterra, they had been taken by mutation as well.


    In Cyanide''s hands was a crowbar. Well, he called it that, but really, it was just the broken exhaust pipe of a vehicle. He had ripped it off of a flipped-over car on the way here, using his upgraded strength. It wasn''t a strong weapon by any means, but it was better than bare hands. At least this thing had the potential to kill with its sharp, jagged edges.


    "Cyanide, this appears to be a warehouse for kitchen utensils, from what I can see on thebels of the cardboard boxes on the shelves," Luna said. "It may not be a great harvest, but it will definitely at least contain some knives."


    " You can see from this range?" Cyanide asked, slightly surprised.


    "Yes, through the tiny windows. This new body of mine can''t scan through walls, but my vision is incredibly precise so long as I have clear sight of the target. It feels like an upgrade and a downgrade at the same time,pared to back on Earth."


    "Huh, I see." That will definitelye in handy in the future, Cyanide was certain. "Can you get a rough estimate on how many enemies are inside?"


    "Given how the warehouse doors are open and the amount of mutants roaming outside, I wouldn''t expect the inside to have any less. I suggest taking out all the mutants on the outside first to gain some levels and get stronger, then challenge the inside."


    Cyanide nodded, then hopped off the roof.


    "That''s the n."


    *****


    Using the dusty vehicles parked in the parking lot as cover, Cyanide snuck his way to the side of the warehouse. That''s where he would start  and there was a mutant right in front of him, blocked only by a car.


    Still oblivious to Cyanide''s presence, the mutant wandered around aimlessly, movements robotic yet sluggish at the same time. Cyanide, peeking through the car''s dusty windows, saw that the mutant''s head was turned away from him. It was the perfect opportunity.


    Leaping up just enough to get on top of the car, he slid across the roof of the sedan and stabbed the mutant directly through the back of its neck in one swift motion. The sharp end of the exhaust pipe he held in his hands tore through the other side of the mutant''s throat, making it impossible for it to even make a sound


    "G-Guh"


    Apart from gurgling a bit, anyway.


    Of course, Cyanide made sure to let go of the pipe right after shoving it through, since metal conducted electricity, and he didn''t want to get shocked. The mutant gagged momentarily, then fell forward, hitting the car in front with a soft thump before copsing onto the floor, dead.


    Once the electricity stopped flowing out of its body, Cyanide took back the exhaust pipe, then used it to help calmly tear off all ten of the mutant''s long and sharp metal fingers before cing them into his cloak pockets. With some trimming, these things could be deadly throwable projectiles. He could only regret not doing this with the first mutant he yed in the Aterra building a while back.


    Silently, Cyanide stood back up and made sure no other mutants had been attracted by this takedown. Once that was confirmed, he settled on his next target a few meters away and killed it the same method. All these cars in this parking lot made for great cover, perfect for stealthy operations like this one.


    After harvesting the fingers of the mutant once again, Cyanide saw the message he had been waiting for appear in front of his face.


    [Level Up.]


    [Level 2 -> 3.]


    [You gained 10 CP and 1 SP.]


    [Core Skill Unlocked: Inspect]


    Not wasting any time, Luna read his thoughts and pulled up the character screen for Cyanide. There, he allocated his newfound CP, then purchased the [Stealth Takedown 1] skill. The exhaust pipe apparently counted as a melee weapon, since it showed up on his character screen as an equipped primary weapon, so it should work when paired with the skill.


    Cyanide''s new stats now look like this:


    [STATS]


    [Level: 3]


    [HP: 30/30]


    [STR: 10]


    [AGI: 7]


    [VIT: 6]


    [INT: 1]


    [DEX: 1]


    [LUC: 1]


    [Avable CP: 0]


    [Avable SP: 0]


    He figured HP  his health  scaled with level, and since INT, DEX, and LUC weren''t of any importance to him right now, he spent all his points into STR, AGI, and VIT. Mainly STR, since the exhaust pipe he had right now was by no means a strong weapon. He needed to make up that with his STR stat, thus increasing the chances of a guaranteed execution with Stealth Takedown.


    With this acquired, Cyanide decided to test the new skill out. There was a mutant walking towards him right now, but it didn''t seem to have noticed him. Slowly, Cyanide circled around the car he was hiding behind toe up behind the mutant, then ran the Core Skill he received for free upon reaching Level 3: [Inspect].


    [Name: Construction Worker Mutant (Stage One)]


    [Level: 2]


    [HP: 50/50]


    [Category: Humanoid]


    A level below Cyanide perfect.


    Coming out from behind the car, Cyanide swiftly and silently wrapped the exhaust pipe around the mutant before pulling back with all his strength, performing a wless standing rear choke.


    Normally, this wouldn''t have worked  mutants are made of machinery and do not need to breathe. But with Stealth Takedown, this action actually drained its HP in an instant, and the mutant copsed to the floor.


    Well, almost.


    Cyanide bent down to harvest the fingers, but the mutant suddenly growled andshed out with a surprise attack.


    "RAGH!"


    "!"


    Cyanide hurriedly dodged backwards a bit beforeunching the exhaust pipe straight down the mutant''s throat, piercing it instantly. Then, he quickly looked around, seeing if some mutants had been attracted.


    Yeah, they definitely had been.


    Quickly casting [Invisibility], Cyanide retrieved his weapon and got out of there. The other mutants, who now all had their faces turned this way in rm, lumbered closer and closer. Cyanide, who had retreated several cars away, held his breath. The mutants would definitely spot theirrade''s dead body  even if they were stupid, they could at least see and process basic information like that. After they see the corpse, they''ll definitely be r-


    "?" Cyanide narrowed his eyes as he watched the mutants literally walk right past where he had killed their friend, then continue pacing around aimlessly for a while more. Then, after a good minute or so, they returned to their original patrol positions, wandering aimlessly.


    Confused, Cyanide went back to the ce where he had used Stealth Takedown. Once there, he furrowed his brows in puzzlement.


    " Where''s the body?"


    Luna, with a slight smile on her face, appeared beside Cyanide in her hologram.


    "There is no body. That''s the beauty of it."


    " This wasn''t mentioned in the skill''s description."


    "The skill?" Luna giggled a bit. "Did you forget we''re in a game, Cyanide?"


    He stopped. This world had been so realistic that he really had forgotten. The corpses automatically disappeared after 30 seconds or so.


    "No," Cyanide replied, hiding his forgetfulness. "Naturally not."


    "Then let''s carry on. There are still quite a few mutants to go and they''re all isted," Luna said with a sly grin  and if it weren''t for the ck mask that covered her eyes, Cyanide was sure she gave a cute wink. "That makes them the perfect assassination targets, no?"


    But then, he suddenly realized something. ''If their bodies disappear after they die, then...''


    Cyanide reached into his pocket, where all the harvested fingers were stored. Keyword: were. He found his pocketspletely empty, the fingers he harvested earlier nowhere to be seen.


    "... Luna, you could''ve warned me."


    "I thought you knew, Cyanide," she responded innocently. "I already told you earlier that any parts or equipment salvaged from mutants directly won''tst, didn''t I? That includes their bodies too. I figured you were just doing that to practice your fine motor skills."


    "..."


    It was hard to argue there.. After all, Cyanide was the type to do something like that.

 Chapter 19: Getting Stronger

    Chapter 19: Getting Stronger


    After that, Cyanide went around cleaning up the rest of the warehouse''s exterior using the same method. Inspect, confirm that the mutant was a low enough level, then use Stealth Takedown on them.


    Most of the targets were easy to take down, since they were isted. In cases where they weren''t alone, however, all Cyanide had to do was use a few pebbles from the ground and toss them to attract the mutant.


    As for the mutants that weren''t below his current level, rendering Stealth Takedown useless, he just saved them untilst. As he killed more mutants, he leveled up more as well, so he could then use Stealth Takedown on the mutants he couldn''t before.


    By the time all the mutants outside had been cleared, bodies dissipated into nothingness thanks to the hidden passive of the skill, Cyanide was Level 7. He unlocked a new feature  the map  and also gained a plethora of CP/SP to spend. His new stats looked like this:


    [STATS]


    [Level: 7]


    [HP: 70/70]


    [STR: 20]


    [AGI: 20]


    [VIT: 15]


    [INT: 1]


    [DEX: 1]


    [LUC: 1]


    [Avable CP: 8]


    [Avable SP: 4]


    He saved 8 CP for emergency use  in case he needed to immediately boost DEX or LUC or something. By now, his strength and agility were both already on par with his original level back on Earth, which made him wonder just how much further he could go in this new world. He did not regret the decision he made toe here, whatsoever. Right now, he was feeling a thrill  a surging excitement  that could never be obtained through mere assassination missions he was already so familiar with.


    As for his SP, Cyanide chose to buy the [Radar] active skill just as Luna rmended, then another one called [Dodge]. But contrary to expectations, this wasn''t just any normal dodge. It was a deft tumble to one direction, yes, but it also reduced the remaining cooldown of his other skills based on how many enemies are in close proximity to him.


    In other words to get out of extremely sticky situations, he could use [Dodge] in the middle of a pack of mutants, then escape via the refreshed [Invisibility] skill, in case it was on cooldown.


    And as for his remaining 2 SP, Cyanide spent them on two skills respectively: [Silent Shooter] and [Fleeting Steps]. Both of these were passive skills  the former allowing Cyanide''s bullets to be silenced, while thetter allowing his footsteps to make no noise at all, unless he intentionally tried to make sound with them.


    As for other rewards Cyanide reaped, there wasn''t much apart from about 27 bottles of Low-Grade Mutant Blood. It would be able to postpone the virus by quite a bit. One of the mutants, however, had been holding a proper crowbar in its hands when Cyanide took it down, and it had dropped the crowbar as an equipable weapon. That was a great find, since the exhaust pipe Cyanide had been using was already apletely different shape from what it once was.


    After inspecting the crowbar, Cyanide also noticed items had stats as well, as well as a durability factor. The exhaust pipe, for example, had the following stats:


    [Name: Broken Exhaust Pipe]


    [Type: Weapon (Melee)]


    [ATK: 2 (Original: 15)]


    [DUR: 6%]


    On the other hand, the new crowbar Cyanide just got, had the following stats:


    [Name: Metal Crowbar]


    [Type: Weapon (Melee)]


    [ATK: 20]


    [DUR: 100%]


    As the durability (DUR) got lower, so did the attack power (ATK) of the weapon. Luna said it was possible to make an item''s durability infinite through Enchantments, but that was unlocked at Level 15.


    " That''s all of them on the outside," Cyanide muttered, then walked closer to the warehouse''s open entrance and took a peek inside. He could spot several mutants loitering, but they appeared different from the ones on the outside. Not in terms of appearance, but in terms of the way they moved.


    While the outside ones were more like zombies, these ones on the inside were like robots through and through. Their movements were extremely mechanical and controlled, as if they were being manipted by strict lines of code. Their eyes were also shining bright red instead of the usual white. It was almost as if they were being... controlled.


    By whom or what he did not know, but they appeared to be carrying boxes to somewhere deeper inside the warehouse.


    Cyanide raised an eyebrow. "What are they doing?"


    "Interesting  I''m not quite sure either. The admin code from above disallows me from essing any knowledge that you haven''t discovered on your own yet. Try running your Inspect on them, Cyanide."


    Cyanide did as told, and the results came up instantly. There was almost no difference to the ones on the outside except their names.


    [Name: Corrupted Construction Worker Mutant (Stage One)]


    [Level: 2]


    [HP: 50/50]


    [ss: Humanoid]


    " Corrupted?"


    "Hm it appears they are being controlled by a higher-level mutant. If you damage one of them, the one controlling them will be alerted. I''d advise against it, given your current level."


    "Right" Cyanide used [Invisibility], then snuck into the warehouse. Inside, mutants were taking boxes off the shelves and carrying them deeper inside, but Cyanide had no intention of challenging this supposed ''high-level'' mutant when he was only Level 7. He just wanted to get a knife, that''s it.


    Unfortunately, all he could find so far were cardboard boxesbeled tes and bowls. It would seem the actual utensils were deeper in.


    Since it was too dangerous to stay on the ground with all these mutants patrolling around, Cyanide climbed up to the top of the various tall racks of boxes, then leaped from one to another that way. His silent footsteps paired with his swiftness made it easy to get by without getting noticed by the mutants down below.


    At the final rack, where the knives were, however, Cyanide spotted something truly horrifying to his left. It was something he had never seen before.


    "What the hell is that?"

 Chapter 20: Escape

    Chapter 20: Escape


    "What the hell is that?" Cyanide muttered under his breath.


    The mutants were loading the boxes onto a conveyor belt. One that led directly into an enormous machine of some sort. It hadrge, chomping metal triangles that looked suspiciously like teeth, striking down on the boxes of kitchenware it was being fed and tearing them apart in the blink of an eye.


    There were two circles that looked like traffic lights ced side by side from one another above the automated mouth, but they were off. For now, anyway.


    Unfortunately, Cyanide had been so busy observing the machine that he didn''t even realize a mutant below him, staring straight up. It had been trying to get one of the boxes, on the upper levels of the rack, when it spotted Cyanide.


    It didn''t make any noise, nor show any hostility.


    After all, it didn''t need to.


    The two traffic-light circles on the devouring machine suddenly lit up red, deadly and hungry. And then, to Cyanide''s horror, the massive automaton rose from the ground, growing appendages like some kind of evil Transf*rmer. It was made of pure metal, courtesy of what it was being fed, and absolutely gigantic.


    As the huge mutant rose to all its glory, it tore through the metal roof of the warehouse as if it was made of stic, then crumpled it into a ball before stuffing it into his own mouth, made of severalyers of chomping teeth. It was taunting Cyanide, letting him get a glimpse of its insurmountable power.


    " Ah, shit."


    "RAGHHH!" The machine roared, and in an instant, all the Stage One worker mutants it controlled turned hostile, spinning to Cyanide all at once and charging at him as if they''d been suddenly hit by some kind of stimting drug.


    "Tch-!" The cart Cyanide had been on was toppled over as the mutants piled onto it, hoping to climb up, and the professional assassin quickly used [Dodge], instantly gaining his Invisibility back and using it without any dy.


    It was just 5 seconds, but hepletely vanished from the creatures'' sights and was able to make it all the way back to the entrance.


    Or so he thought.


    "HRRRNGH!" The massive machine cried once again, picking up one of the tall storage racks with ease andunching it towards the entrance.


    "!" Cyanide noticed this and quickly rolled to his left, just barely avoiding bing smashed to pulp by all those crates. From one of them, a knife spilled out, and Cyanide quickly grabbed it.


    The smaller mutants were closing in fast, the entrance was nowpletely sealed off by the demolished metal rack. The enormous mutant, one arm with three metal fingers and the other with an enormous sawde, lumbered slowly towards him as well. With every step it took, the entire earth trembled in fear.


    "Cyanide  the roof!" Luna called out, and Cyanide looked up at the roof that had been torn open by other than the mutant itself.


    "Heh for your size, you aren''t all that smart."


    With a low chuckle, he scaled the metal rack right in front of him then leaped up as high as he could. He wasn''t quite there, but he had a weapon in his hands.


    Using the hook of the crowbar, hetched onto the edge of the warehouse, then kicked off the wall for momentum to do a frontflip and escape the building, using the crowbar as a focal point.


    Once out, he ran as fast as he could, taking down any mutants who got in his way without a care for stealth.


    *****


    "Hah hah hah" Cyanide panted, and slid down against the wall of a building to rest on the concrete ground. He was back in the alleyway he had been in before. "Luna did we lose that thing?"


    "Yes, thankfully," Luna replied with a sigh. "It''s not chasing anymore. The loud footsteps have disappeared."


    Luckily, all the mutants roaming these streets weren''t high level at all. Cyanide could easily straight up walk towards one and still be able to kill it, hence why he wasn''t hindered on his escape path. He was also able to hit Level 8 from that, gaining 10 CP and 1 SP.


    "Still what was that thing? I couldn''t even run Inspect on it, since I had to run."


    "That was definitely a mutant," Luna replied. "Just not a humanoid one."


    "So that''s what the whole ''ss'' thing means on the Inspect screen."


    "Correct," Luna said. "I''m not certain what ss that mutant was, since you haven''t ran Inspect on it yet, but it is definitely not a foe you can take on anytime soon."


    "Once I get strong enough I''ll be going back there. That thing is bound to have good loot."


    Luna''s figure nodded. "The location should be marked on your map now, so you''ll be able to go back there whenever you wish."


    Saying this, she opened up the map screen for Cyanide, where a map of the entire city was disyed. Beyond it was all covered by clouds with a locked symbol over them, signaling that they had yet to be discovered.


    "The city we''re in right now is called Lumina, as seen from the text," Luna exined. "If you zoom in a little, you''ll be able to see the map in more detail."


    Cyanide did as told, using his fingers to zoom the map in. Once that was done, he saw severalbels on various buildings in the city.


    First, his current location was described by a blue arrow. Next, the building he had first spawned on top of was marked not too far away from here, with thebel of ''Aterra Headquarters''. Then, there were also various glowing yellow exmation points on several buildings throughout the city, which Cyanide wanted to learn more about. Aterra Headquarters also had this icon.


    "Those exmation marks what are they?" Cyanide asked.


    "Those are Points of Interest," Luna exined. "Inside, you''ll find useful information regarding the apocalypse and what happened in the past. Most are researchboratories of sorts, just like Aterra."


    "I see what about these hazy purple areas?" He pointed towards a circr section on the city map that had a purple taint to it.


    "Those are called Mutated Zones. The mutants in those sectors are particrly strong, and there is a virus lingering in the air. Going in there without proper equipment is suicide."


    "I''m assuming it provides great loot though, right?"


    "Yes, naturally. The harder something is, the better rewards it will give."


    " Hm."


    Cyanide made a mental note to go there once he was ready, then panned around the map some more. And there it was  on top of arge rectangle on the map  the warehouse  therey a glowing red icon. It looked like an abstract triangle with two horns, giving it somewhat of a demon-like look.


    After pressing on it, a panel of information appeared beside the icon.


    [BLOOD BARON: Scowling Sawde]


    [Difficulty: Insane]


    [Rmended Level: 50]


    [Rewards: Legendary Armor, Legendary Weapon, Blood Shard]


    "Blood Shard?" Cyanide murmured.


    "Blood Shards are invaluable, Cyanide," Luna exined. "ording to my knowledge they grant you another life."

 Chapter 21: New Home

    Chapter 21: New Home


    After searching the map for a convenience store, Cyanide settled on one that was closest to his current location, and began heading towards it. He couldn''t stop thinking about Luna told him  Blood Shards. Another life.


    ording to that hooded man''s exnation back in the real world, Cyanide had no doubt that if the yers were to die in-game, they would be executed in the real world as well. However, with these Blood Shards, the yers could keep ying. Keep living. Luna was right  they were invaluable.


    But of course, getting one would have to wait until he was Level 50. Right now, he was a mere Level 8, and a homeless guy in search of shelter.


    He spent the 10 CP he received, along with the 8 he had stored up, like so:


    [STATS]


    [Level: 8]


    [HP: 80/80]


    [STR: 25]


    [AGI: 25]


    [VIT: 15]


    [INT: 5]


    [DEX: 5]


    [LUC: 1]


    [Avable CP: 0]


    [Avable SP: 1]


    He decided to start leveling his INT, since he was about to hit Level 10  which was when Soul Arts would be unlocked. As for DEX, that was actually useful now, since he had a proper weapon  the knife. Besides, ording to Luna, firearm and throwable projectile uracy both depend on DEX, so it was a useful stat to have if Cyanide wanted to use guns in the future.


    As for SP, having a proper weapon opened up a lot of possibilities. There were many skills that required a specific weapon archetype to use, and although the knife didn''t have manypared to something like a sword, it still had a few useful ones  one of which being the [Knife Throw]. Back on Earth, Cyanide would be able to hit a knife throw without some ''skill''., but ever since starting in this new world, he has lost a lot of the dexterity and proficiency he once had and was capable of due to having his body essentially ''reset'' to a standard temte of all yers, and the only thing that remained with him was his extensive knowledge.


    This skill actually had a base DEX requirement of 5, so that was also part of the reason why Cyanide decided to level his Dexterity up. What it did was simple  exactly what its name stated  throw a knife with immense speed and uracy, auto-locking onto a target''s head. ording to the skill description, it could one-shot Stage One mutants, so long as they were at or below Cyanide''s level.


    Retrieving the knife after the throw would be a pain, but Luna informed Cyanide that there was an upgrade for this skill titled [Boomerang Knife Throw]. It was basically the same thing, but the knife automatically came back to the thrower after the kill, thus making the cooldown of the skill essentially zero, since he could use said skill whenever he got a knife in his hands. Neat.


    Since Cyanide was feeling a bit thirsty, he decided to consume the Mutant Blood he got from all the ones he killed. It felt a bit weird, since they were technically cyborgs on the inside, so how the hell did they have blood? Cyanide decided not to question it and just drink the fluid to postpone the virus in his body.


    Once he was finished drinking all 27 vials, an update message appeared before him.


    [Update: Virus Status.]


    [The Survivor''s Curse has been suppressed for 324 hours. Time remaining until death: 347:12:20.]


    Cyanide, seeing this, sighed.


    " Now I feel a bit less tense."


    By now, the sun had began to set. There was only a little bit more to go before he reached the convenience store.


    *****


    Luckily, the convenience store was near the outskirts of city, and not many mutants were gathered there. The few that did were all pretty easy to take down, pushing Cyanide up to Level 9.


    After promptly ughtering all the mutants inside the store with a few simple Stealth Takedowns, he had secured himself a new home. The bodies all vanished away on their own, converting into sweet XP for Cyanide.


    The only bad thing was that there was no electricity. Just like with the Aterra building, the electricity was off here. However, the warehouse had power  though that was probably due to that Blood Baron supplying it. That''s why it was eating all those kitchen utensils  digesting it and converting it into electrical power.


    Still, not having power in this ce was a pain. It would seem this entire city''s electricity was faulty somewhere. Cyanide needed to get that fixed, or just find an alternative.


    " Luna. Any idea where I can get sr panels?"


    "I would advise checking your Almanac, Cyanide," Luna replied with a smile. "You should be able to find what you''re looking for there."


    Cyanide raised an eyebrow. "I''ll find a sr panel in the Almanac?"


    "No, but you''ll find the knowledge on how to acquire one."


    "Huh. All right."


    Luna opened up a hologram in front of Cyanide  which, by the way, was a decent source of light beled ALMANAC. Judging from the name, Cyanide could already tell what it was  an encyclopedia containing all the different mutants he''se across so far. Theyout of the screen was fairly simple, with a tiled-pattern on the left side and a singlerger rectangle on the right. Within the tiled-pattern, some disyed pictures of mutants, while others were locked.


    But what Cyanide didn''t expect, was what was written below the first entry on the list, after tapping on it.


    [Civilian Mutant]


    [ss: Humanoid]


    [Weaknesses: ???]


    [Resistances: ???]


    [Possible drops:]


    [ - Mutant Blood]


    [ - Armor Materials (REQ: LUC > 3)]


    [ - Weapon Materials (REQ: LUC > 5)]


    [ - Wires (REQ: LUC > 7)]


    [ - Sr Panels (REQ: LUC > 10)]


    [ - Mutant Core (REQ: LUC > 50)]


    " Luck is more important than I thought."


    "The other stats should definitely be prioritized over it given your current state and level, but LUC is not useless by any means just because it only affects drops," Luna replied. "Some items are exclusive to certain mutants, so LUC can be exceptionally useful."


    Cyanide sighed. "Luna, pull up my character screen."


    "Understood," she said with a smile, then did as told, taking away the Almanac. "Keep in mind, all mutants can drop wires and mutant cores, and many can drop sr panels. I trust you know what that entails, Cyanide."


    Cyanide nodded as he spent all 10 of his CP from reaching Level 9 into LUC while conserving the 1 SP.


    "These mutants they''re sr-powered."

 Chapter 22: The Scarlet Hour

    Chapter 22: The Scarlet Hour


    Using Luna''s hologram as a source of light, Cyanide took a bag of chips off one of the racks. The light wasn''t much, but it''ll have to do for now.


    He noticed there was no expiry date on the package, which was somewhat weird. As such, he picked up a different product  a candy bar  and checked the package on that as well. Again, no expiry date.


    Raising an eyebrow, he unwrapped the candy bar, inspected it, then tenderly took a small bite. It didn''t taste bad or rotten at all. It tasted just like chocte. That was it.


    "Interesting. It''s so old that there''s dust on the packaging, yet the food inside ispletely fine," Luna murmured in wonder. "Did the technology of this world enable the scientists here to gically modify food in such a way that they would never expire?"


    "" Silently, Cyanide reached into the freezer for a drink, but rather than a metal can, he felt his hands close around several small, slippery cubes. Their texture was very familiar.


    " Luna, light over here."


    Luna obeyed and used Cyanide''s character stat screen as a light in front of him. Once there, Cyanide''s eyes widened.


    "This is ice?"


    "Looks like this was automatically dispensed ice, in case of a power outage," Luna muttered. "In which case"


    " That means this power outage happened not long ago. Perhaps just a day or so before the game began. It definitely did not happen in parallel with the apocalypse," Cyanide concluded. "Either something broke or there''s a mutant in this city absorbing all of the electricity."


    "We will have to take on that mutant sooner orter," Luna said. "But for now, you should get some rest, Cyanide. It''s been a long day."


    Cyanide nodded, and after a few more servings of hardly healthy foods, headed into the back storage room of the convenience store and slept on top of one of the racks. Luna, on the other hand, remained powered on for the entire night, guarding her master while he slept.


    *****


    - Midnight -


    BING! BING! BING!


    The chimes of a grandfather clock rang out throughout thend. Once, twice, twelve times in total.


    It was midnight.


    Cyanide, hearing this, was disrupted from his sleep, and nced around to find the source of the sound. However, it appeared to being from outside the building.


    "Luna what is this?"


    "The Scarlet Hour. It begins now."


    " Huh?"


    "This game''s admins'' lock on my system''s programming prevent me from warning you anything about events like this until it actually happens, Cyanide. I have been looking for a way to override this, but"


    "Never mind that. There''s nothing you can do right now. Just tell me about this ''Scarlet Hour''."


    "The Scarlet Hour begins every night at midnight. A grandfather clock that reaches the entire world of Endzone will strike twelve times, marking the beginning of it. During this hour, mutants will fall into a bloodthirsty, crazy enraged mode, gaining increased speed, power, and durability. However, once this hour is over, they will cease all movement until the sun rises again."


    "So if they cease movement, will I still get rewards for killing them?"


    "No," Luna replied. "When they are in their powered-down state, they count as dead bodies and don''t give anything upon death. However during Overdrive  their enraged mode triggered by the Scarlet Hour  they will give significantly increased XP and better items."


    "Ho interesting."


    In other words, he could not return to that basement from before, where the security guards carried weapons and whatnot. As he had experienced, salvaged parts or equipment directly off a mutant''s body would onlyst for a few seconds before disappearing, but if the part or equipment salvaged was dropped as an item upon killing that mutant, then it would remain permanently. Back when he had been there, he hadn''t spotted any spare weapons or ammo lying around, so there was no point going back there if killing those mutants in their powered-off state didn''t reward anything anyway.


    Cyanide leaped off from the top of the rack and pulled his knife and crowbar out of his cloak''s various pockets.


    "Cyanide are you certain?" Luna asked hesitantly. "This will be dangerous."


    "Since when was anything I did not dangerous?" Cyanide replied with a dark chuckle.


    Hearing this, Luna smiled, then sighed.


    "Yes you''re right. In that case, there is no time to waste. There''s only 59 minutes and 32 seconds remaining."


    Cyanide twirled his weapons around in his hands, then headed out of the convenience store that was his new home.


    *****


    The night was red.


    The moon was not the usual, calming white people were used to, but instead stained a crimson hue with blood. It emitted a terrifying scarlet aura, engulfing the entire world in a sea of cmity and death. It brought forth a premonition  kill, or be killed.


    Endzone was a survival game. Most yers wouldn''t want to risk doing this, even after hearing about the event from their respective A.R.S.As and the possible rewards they could reap. They valued their lives more than good loot or a thrilling experience, which, quite frankly, was probably the smarter decision.


    But for Cyanide, who has always lived his life on the edge, he sought the thrill others wished to avoid. Of course, he wasn''t just arrogant  he had the skills and intelligence to back up his confidence and decision in challenging this Scarlet Hour.


    It didn''t take long for Cyanide to find his first target. It lookedpletely different from during the daytime. Its flesh appeared to havepletely worn off, turning them into full-on killing machines instead of cyborg zombies. A mysterious red energy traced through their wired bodies, as if empowered by the blood moon.


    " Luna. You said their strength, agility, and durability increased, right?" Cyanide asked quietly, crouched on top of a building. "What about their awareness? Is that increased as well?"


    "Overall awareness, no, but their senses of hearing and sight are improved," Luna replied. "Stage One Mutants remain oblivious as usual, so as long as they are isted, you should be okay."


    " Perfect."


    Using [Inspect] on his target, Cyanide wasn''t surprised at all to see the new HP level.


    [Name: Overdriven Civilian Mutant (Stage One)]


    [Level: 5]


    [HP: 250/250]


    [ss: Humanoid]


    ''Normally, a Level 5 Stage One Civilian Mutant would have 125 HP. This is doubled.''


    Cyanide waited for the isted mutant to pass by right below him, then used [Knife Throw] tounch his kitchen knife directly at the top of the mutant''s head.


    The creature froze momentarily, but it didn''t fall over. As expected, something like this wouldn''t one-shot kill them anymore. The mutant slowly twisted its head up, ring synthetic red eyes burning with rage.


    Those same eyes, however, soon died out as Cyanide jumped down from the roof of the building and drove his crowbar straight into the mutant''s eye, smashing it to the floor. Not wasting any time, he retrieved his knife and cut through the mutant''s tough neck before forcefully tearing the head away from its body, killing it instantly.


    " Hm. Their wires are definitely tougher to cut through, that''s for sure."


    [Obtained Mutant Blood (Low-Grade) x3.]


    [Obtained Metal x4.]


    [Obtained Wires x6.]


    [Obtained Sr Panel x1.]


    [Level Up.]


    [Level 9 -> 10.]


    [You gained 10 CP and 1 SP.]


    [Unlocked: Soul Arts]


    [Unlocked: Crafting]

 Chapter 23: Bloodthirsty Chase

    Chapter 23: Bloodthirsty Chase


    Cyanide blinked several times at the all the items he just obtained from one kill.


    " I''m going to assume this wasn''t just the product of bringing my LUC stat to 11."


    "Naturally not," Luna replied. "Of course, that was part of it, but these rewards are mainly due to the Scarlet Hour. Mutants, in their overdrive state, will drop double or triple the amount of items they usually do. XP is the same."


    " Making this the perfect opportunity to level up fast," Cyanide concluded, a sharp gleam in his deep turquoise eyes that reflected the red moonlight.


    Without any hesitation, he swiftly scaled the wall of the building next to him, using the ledges of the windows as handholds and footholds, then nced around down below for any isted targets.


    He would ask about the Soul Arts and Crafting abilities he just unlockedter  that could wait. The Scarlet Hour''s time, however, was limited, hence why he was ignoring everything else for the time being and making the most of what little time he had.


    Soon, Cyanide found his next target. A lone civilian mutant, wandering into a narrow alleyway not too far away from here. Immediately, Cyanide followed using the rooftops, like a phantom daredevil in the night.


    With his enhanced agility and speed, he caught up to the mutant in no time and was now staring at it from above. It didn''t seem to have noticed him at all, thanks to his Fleeting Footsteps passive skill.


    ncing around, Cyanide spotted several mutants on the ruined street, but they should be out of earshot of this alleyway, so long as the mutant was taken down swiftly and stealthily before it got a chance to roar.


    With this confirmed, Cyanide took a deep breath and leaped off the roof of the building, dropping straight onto the mutants shoulders and tearing its head off with the help of his knife before doing a backflip and sticking thending as the mutant copsed forward, dead. It didn''t stand a chance.


    As the mutant''s body disintegrated along with the decapitated hand he held in his hand, another series of notifications popped up in front of Cyanide.


    [Obtained Mutant Blood (Low-Grade) x2.]


    [Obtained Metal x5.]


    [Obtained Wires x7.]


    Sadly, no sr panel was obtained from this one. It was all up to luck, which was


    something Cyanide didn''t feel too great about. He was a firm believer that rewards should


    be earned, and luck should be a false concept that didn''t even exist at all.


    "Cyanide! Behind!" Luna suddenly called out, and Cyanide quickly performed a side step, just as a mutant came tumbling forward towards him. Had Luna not warned him there, he would''ve gotten killed.


    "Tch...!" Cyanide''s eyes widened as he activated his Radar skill, and it picked up on several entitiesing around the corner on both sides of the alleyway, trapping him between.


    ''What?!'' He thought in his mind, perplexed. ''How...''


    "Cyanide, overdrive mutants have enhanced hearing as well!" Luna reminded nervously. "The sound of the mutant''s body copsing attracted all those mutants on the streets. You can''t take on all of them  we need to get out of here!"


    Cyanide gritted his teeth, not needing to be told twice. As the mutants immediately flooded in from both sides, eyes shining red with bloodlust and fanged mouths hanging open in hunger, he scaled the wall using the windows once again, quickly climbing onto the roof.


    However, these enraged mutants were ruthless and piled on top of one another, forming a horrifyingtter of humanoid bodies as they climbed on top of theirrades to reach the roof.


    "Oh, hell" Cyanide cursed and turned around, running away on the roof of the buildings. Unfortunately, all the noise these mutants were making were only causing more to join in on the chase, and Cyanide was left fleeing for his life.


    He''s had his fair share of narrow, life-threatening escapes before in his past as a professional assassin, but were as horrifying as this one. But to Cyanide, such ''horror'' was a good thing. He was feeling a thrill in his veins like never before as he ran, adrenaline pumping through every cell of his body  and he enjoyed it.


    Jumping across to a different roof, Cyanide tore off the cylindrical chimney and set it on the roof before giving it a good kick, sending it tumbling towards the iing wave of mutants.


    "GRAGH!" They roared, eyespletely focused on me and not paying attention to what wasing beneath their feet at all. With Cyanide''s current strength, the rolling chimney had enough momentum to knock the entire wave of them over.


    The moment therge metal cylinder struck the mutants'' feet, they toppled over forward. Their feet kicked up, striking the legs of the mutants behind them, and a chain reaction followed. All of the mutants, like dominoes, tripped over one by one, and it was almost satisfying to watch. Almost, if Cyanide had the time.


    But of course, he knew such a setback wouldn''t stop them. This was just to buy some time, so that he could hopefully find a good ce to hide in until the Scarlet Hour was over.


    But as he dropped down from the roof of the building, he saw something he never would''ve expected.


    Two mutants crawled on the ground in front of him, red eyes shining with bloodthirst and canine jaws emitting a low growl.


    "Grrr."


    Yes, canine. As in, dogs. Mutant dogs.


    " You''ve got to be kidding me."


    "GRERWL!" The two massive beasts roared and leaped towards Cyanide, who had no time to run. Instead, he smoothly slid underneath them like a scene straight out of a movie while cutting the wires on their underbellies apart, one with the knife and the other with the crowbar, before emerging on the other side.


    As Cyanide stood up, the two beastsnded on the ground, dead. However, when passing underneath them, some of their ck mutant blood, powered by electricity, had spilled onto Cyanide''s face, and it was now burning with pain. He still didn''t understand how that worked  drinking it was perfectly fine, but if it makes contact with skin, it''ll hurt?


    "Tch" He groaned, touching his face with his hand, but that only caused the sting to transfer over to his palm as well like some sort of infection.


    As the beasts'' bodies exploded harmlessly into billions of white shards of light, Cyanide began to run once more, knowing he couldn''t afford to rest and think about such questions now. The humanoid mutants were bound to have heard the canines'' roars, and would definitely being this way.


    After ncing around, Cyanide turned invisible and disappeared into the darkness of the night where he worked best, entering the deste ruins of an abandoned parking lot.

 Chapter 24: Retreat

    Chapter 24: Retreat


    "... Whew."


    As Cyanide heard the sounds of the angry mutant mob behind him fade away, he let out a sigh of relief and stepped out from behind one of the outskirts pirs of the two-story parking lot he was in.


    Of course, he didn''t head deeper in, since he had no idea what could beying within the darkness inside  especially not during the Scarlet Hour. As a professional assassin, the darkness was his friend, but he wasn''t an assassin in this world. He was prey  given his current strength, anyway.


    "That was too close," Luna said with a sigh.


    " I didn''t expect those mutants to be within earshot to hear the body falling to the floor," Cyanide muttered. "It would seem I''ve underestimated their Overdriven form."


    "I did too," Luna said with a smile, then tensed up as her expression turned serious once again. "But that aside, we have to deal with that mutant blood on your face  and quick. Take a look."


    Saying this, she pulled up the character panel screen for Cyanide, disying all his stats and such.


    [STATS]


    [Level: 10]


    [HP: 51/100]


    [STR: 25]


    [AGI: 25]


    [VIT: 15]


    [INT: 5]


    [DEX: 5]


    [LUC: 11]


    The HP value read 51, and it was still continuing to go down. Definitely not good.


    "Consuming mutant blood directly is fine, but if ites into direct contact with your skin, it will act as a poison that drains your HP overtime until it is cleaned," Luna exined. "Just wiping it won''t work. We have to find water, fast."


    Cyanide was still wondering why that was and how these mutants even had ''blood'', being made of machinery and all, but now wasn''t the time to ask. He nodded and stood up, deciding to just head back to the convenience store for the day before this poison imed his life.


    However, just as he was about to leave, he tilted his head slightly and looked back at the half-demolished parking lot, narrowing his eyes at the darkness thaty within.


    " Luna, is there a way to set waypoints?"


    "Through your map? Yes. Would you like me to set a waypoint for this building, Cyanide?"


    Cyanide nodded. "Something about this ce it intrigues me."


    Making a mental note toe back here once he was stronger, he left.


    High above on the very top of the parking lot building, a lone shadow stood, wearing a tight motorcycle racing bodysuit that highlighted her voluptuous feminine curves and alluring figure. She had overheard the entire conversation below, and was now deeply curious.


    As she watched Cyanide disappear from sight, sheughed softly and bit one of her sharp, removable metal ws, contrasting with her otherwise human body.


    "Hm~ a human, huh? He was able to detect my presence just with his instinct alone how interesting. His flesh will be delicious, I''m sure"


    Slowly, she raised her body and turned around, walking away like a professional model, made to be seductive and sexy.


    "Fufu~ I look forward to your return Cyanide."


    *****


    Shortly after, Cyanide was able to make it back to the convenience store. With the use of [Dodge], he could essentially chain his [Invisibility] forever with all the mutants roaming the streets.


    All he had to do was use [Dodge] on top of a roof with a mutant nearby down below, and the cooldown reduction would still proc. The invisibility wasn''t too necessary thanks to his silent footsteps, per se, but it could never hurt to be more careful.


    Thankfully, there weren''t any mutants near his new house. Cyanide did not want the new home he just found hours earlier to get raided and destroyed. The location was good, and there was plenty of food and water inside. He didn''t want to lose this ce.


    Once he got inside, the first thing he did was take a bottle of water out of the fridge and pulling the cap off. Then, he went back outside and rinsed his entire face clean, letting the water wash over him.


    After several seconds, the bottle was nearlypletely drained, and his hair and face were soaking wet. Shaking his head around violently to get the water off, he used the rest of the water on his own hands and tossed the empty bottle into a recycling bin nearby, lined up against the wall of the narrow alleyway.


    "It should be fine now, right?" Cyanide panted, feeling abnormally weak.


    Luna''s figure in the hologram nodded and pulled up her master''s character screen to let him see it for himself. His HP was dangerously low at a mere 19/100, but the good news was it didn''t drop any further. The poison from the mutant blood had beenpletely cleaned away.


    Seeing this, Cyanide let out a sigh and headed back into the convenience store, grabbing a second bottle of water and downing it to quench his thirst while letting his HP recover on its own over time.


    "So, Luna since I''m not nning on going out there again tonight anyway, tell me about Soul Arts and Crafting," he said, sitting down on the cashier''s counter. "You mentioned before that Soul Arts were like the ''magic'' seen in fantasy fiction, but what about Crafting?"


    "Indeed, Soul Arts are simr to magic, and they are extremely powerful," Luna replied. "Crafting, on the other hand is an important system that will be of great help to you in the future. Which one do you want to hear about first, Cyanide?"


    "Hm Soul Arts," he replied after some thought. "I don''t feel like sleeping anyway, so we have plenty of time. Go on."


    In response, Luna smiled wryly. "Very well. Listen closely, Cyanide.. What I''m about to tell you may change yourbat style forever."

 Chapter 25: Soul Arts

    Chapter 25: Soul Arts


    "Soul Arts, just like the name suggests, are powers born from the soul," Luna began. "They rely on a type of spiritual energy called Soulforce, and manifest that energy in the real world in the form of powerful arcane attacks that can do what physical attacks cannot."


    "Oh? Soulforce?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes. Take a look."


    Luna pulled up a new hologram for Cyanide, illustrating what seemed to be a mysterious reverse teardrop-shaped stone on the screen. It was grey and nd, giving off a ''null'' feeling to it.


    "This is a visual representation of your Soul in its truest form, Cyanide. You are cold, merciless, and do not feel any passionate emotions such as joy, sadness, or anger but rather more objective feelings like curiosity and boredom instead. As such, the color of your Soul is a dull grey."


    Cyanide tilted his head slightly, rubbing his chin in thought. Then, the color before him suddenly changed, darkening and darkening until the grey turned to ck.


    "But deep beneath the surface of that emotionless boy, lies darkness," Luna continued, gentle voice like an angel whispering to him. "That darkness has imed many lives, killed countless hearts. But just as a soaring bird will always return to its nest, in the end, all life will eventually return to the grave. Some may dy it, but can evade it. Such is the power of Death  the affinity of your Soul."


    "The affinity of my soul is death?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow. Anyone else would''ve been fascinated by the wonderful, meaningful speech they just heard, but not him. "Speak normally, Luna. I didn''t program you to be a poet."


    "A-Ahem, I apologize, I just got caught in the heat of the moment," Luna replied, clearing her throat in embarrassment. "You see, every Soul has an affinity, based on the individual''s personality. There are 8 affinities in total  Fire, Ice, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Psychic, Life, and Death. Whichever one you have dictates what kind of Soul Arts you can use."


    "Oho that''s interesting," Cyanide murmured.


    "For example," Luna continued to help Cyanide get a better idea of what she meant. "Someone who is the exact opposite of youenergetic, kind, and caringwould have a Life affinity for their Soul, while someone who has a highly explosive personality would have a Lightning affinity. Does that make sense?"


    "Hm more or less. So, someone who has a cold and harsh personality would have an Ice affinity for their Soul?"


    Luna''s figure on-screen nodded, a smile on her face. "Yes. You get it. But to achieve the Death affinity only someone with a one-of-a-kind personality like you could pull it off, Cyanide. To obtain this affinity, one must have taken many lives in the past without even batting an eye, but more importantly, they must see death as a natural event, the eternal end to which all things must return one day, unable to be avoided. Put simply, this affinity should be quite rare."


    Cyanide sighed. "You''re speaking like a philosopher again, but in any case what kind of Soul Arts can I use with the Death affinity?"


    "In this barren, abandoned world, death energy is everywhere. You can turn that energy into power for yourself, allowing you to cast stronger Soul Arts. That is what makes the Death affinity so strong given this environment, Cyanide, but you''ll unlock that abilityter on," Luna exined with a wry smile. "As for the specific Soul Arts you can use currently it''s better if you just see for yourself."


    Saying this, she opened up the Skills panel for Cyanide, then set the filter to ''Soul Arts''. Immediately, the screen refreshed, and a new list of skills were disyed. Upon seeing them, however, Cyanide merely cocked an eyebrow in skepticism.


    "Deathfire Purge? Final Judgment? Indignation what the hell are these names?"


    "Do you not like them, Cyanide?" Luna tilted her head. "I believe they are quite intimidating."


    "Intimidating?" Cyanide scoffed. "Nah just excessive. But it would seem I can''t use them anyway, since they all require an INT stat of at least 150."


    "Yes, because those are the more advanced Soul Arts," Luna exined. "If you scroll down on the list, the weaker, novice Soul Arts will be there."


    Cyanide did as told, and indeed, she hadn''t been lying. The skills listed down here had pretty low INT requirements, suitable for someone who just unlocked Soul Arts. Because he was curious, he tapped on the first one that caught his eye.


    [Skill Information]


    [Name: Death Infusion]


    [Type: Soul Arts]


    [Description: Inject Death energy into a given target. This will cause them to age exponentially, eventually crumbling to dust.]


    [Soulforce Cost: 5 SF]


    [Requirements: INT > 10]


    [Price: 1 SP]


    " Hm, not bad," Cyanide muttered. "But there''s no cooldown?"


    "Correct," Luna responded. "That is the beauty of Soul Arts  they have no cooldown. So as long as you have enough Soulforce, Cyanide, you can essentially continuously cast Soul Arts until you run out. But that being said Soulforce runs out pretty quickly. It slowly replenishes itself over time, but given your current level, you''ll be able to use one or two Soul Arts before running out."


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. "How do I increase my Soulforce capacity, or is there no way?"


    "There isyour Soulforce scales directly with your INT stat," Luna exined. "In other words, if you have an INT stat of 5, your Soulforce capacity will be 5."


    Cyanide nced down at the screen in front of him, then manually switched to his character profile. He still had 10 CP and 2 SP left to spend, and also noticed there was a new stat underneath his HPSF, which stood for Soulforce. Beside it was the value of 5/5.


    Without any hesitation, he put all the CP into INT, bringing it up to 15, and he noticed that his SF value turned from 5/5 to 15/15. Then, he returned to the Skills screen and bought the [Death Infusion] skill along with another one that caught his eye, [Skulls of Hell]. Immediately, a notification popped up after the purchase:


    [Achivement Complete: Soul Artist]


    "Now then I would like to test these Soul Arts'' power on some mutants, but" Cyanide ignored the message and nced through the windows of the convenience store, but saw that the moon outside had returned to its usual, luminous white. " I''ll have to wait until tomorrow, it seems."


    The Scarlet Hour was over, meaning the mutants had turned into lifeless, humanoid sacks that didn''t give anything upon killing them.


    "That''s fine," Luna replied. "This gives me time to show you the Crafting system as well.. Crafting will soon be an essential part of your journey in this world, Cyanide, so the earlier I exin it, the better."

 Chapter 26: Lunas Wish

    Chapter 26: Luna''s Wish


    "The base concept of Crafting in Endzone is very simple," Luna began, showing Cyanide a holographic screen that disyed [CRAFTING] at the very top. "Now that you have unlocked this system, you can now find something called ''Blueprints'', both from enemy drops and just by searching. Once you obtain a Blueprint, you can craft the item that Blueprint is for, as long as you have the materials needed."


    "Hm I see. So I need to get Blueprints before being able to do anything, huh?" Cyanide murmured.


    "Yes. The Crafting system is incredibly useful  weapons, armor, and utility tools can all be crafted. The only thing that really can''t be crafted is food and drinks, but cooking will be a feature you unlockter on. If you want to increase your chances of finding a Blueprint, though, I''d advise searching those Points of Interests marked on your map with a star, and also increasing your LUC stat."


    "Good to know," Cyanide replied, sinking into thought as he stared out the window at the pale moon. Then, after a few seconds, he hopped off the counter and opened the door again before climbing onto the roof of the convenience store and sitting down, letting his legs dangle off the ledge.


    " It''s been quite some time since I''ve been able to rx like this."


    "Yes, but the night is chilly, Cyanide," Luna warned, like a caring mother. "You should get some rest. There''s a long road ahead of you."


    "Me?" He raised an eyebrow. "No. It''s both of us, Luna."


    "Both of us?" Luna tilted her head, lips turning downwards in confusion. "But I''m just an AI, designed to help you. I am not actually participating in this journey."


    "Hm? Who said? The admins? I''ll find a way to break their control on you. And then, once that''s done I''ll find you a suitable body. A real, physical body. You''ve always wanted one, right?"


    "E-Eh? How did you"


    "Seven years ago, on your birthday," Cyanide exined. "You told me the wish you made was to have a real, human-like body. With Earth''s technology, that was impossible. But here, in this deste post-apocalyptic wastnd that was once a prospering city built upon inconceivably advanced technology and science I make the rules."


    "Cyanide you remembered from all the way back then?"


    "Are you an idiot, Luna? You''ve been following me for twelve years. If there is one thing you should know about me it''s that my memory is incredibly strong."


    "I-I''m well aware of that. But I just didn''t expect you to still remember something so trivial"


    Cyanide nced at his creation''s beautiful face, eyes masked by a ck blindfold, then turned away again to stare up at the moon, taking a sip of the canned soft drink he held in his hand.


    " That wish. To you it''s anything but trivial."


    At this, Luna fell silent, unable to argue. Cyanide continued.


    "If it were trivial, you wouldn''t have bothered making yourself a humanoid persona like this. You call yourself an AI but I''ve programmed you with enough intelligence that deep down, you actually consider yourself a human. Or at least you want to be. Tell me, why?"


    "That''s" Luna bit her lip, not wanting to admit it.


    "Go on. Say it."


    Faced with her master''s order, she had no choice but toply.


    " I want to fight by your side, Cyanide."


    "Oh? But you already are. For twelve years now."


    "That''s not what I mean. As a virtual AI, I I can''t do anything if you actually fall into danger. I don''t want to feel helpless like that. I don''t want to watch my creator, my partner, my friend  die before my eyes, and be unable to do anything about it."


    " So that''s the reason."


    ""


    "Well," Cyanide began after a short period of silence, leaning back and lying down on the rooftop, his arms folded beneath his head. "In a world like this, having a real, physicalpanion I can rely on couldn''t hurt."


    "Cyanide"


    "Mark my words, Luna. I''ll get you a physical body, sooner orter."


    Luna smiled as a tear rolled down her face from beneath the ck mask covering her eyes. She wiped it away, like a real human would, andughed softly.


    " You know, Cyanide you''re actually quite the warm boyfriend material, despite the cold and boring demeanor."


    Cyanide nced at her, then gave a low chuckle  a rare disy of emotion.


    "You''re in a screen. Even if I am to date a girl it''ll never be you."


    "Oh?" Luna smiled seductively. "But you just said you''ll be getting me a physical body, didn''t you?"


    " I suppose I did, but I can always go back on my word. You''ve witnessed me do that first-hand more times than you can count."


    "I believe you won''t, Cyanide. Not this time."


    "Who knows."


    " You should get some rest, Cyanide."


    "Yeah, yeah" Cyanide sighed and leaped off the roof, heading back into the convenience store and entering the back storage room. There, he scaled a rack andid down on top, where he had been sleeping before the whole Scarlet Hour struck.


    "Good night," Luna whispered softly, voice gentle and soothing. "And thank you, Cyanide."


    " Good night, Luna."


    Cyanide closed his eyes, drifting into sleep. He made sure both his weapons were next to him, of course, but tonight, for the first time in a while, his thoughts weren''t empty while drifting off to dreand.


    In all the twelve years Luna had been with him, helping him, serving him, she has never uttered a single word ofint or asked for a single thing. Yes, she was an AI, but she was also an extremely advanced AI who could think and have emotions just like humans did. Yet despite that she dly served Cyanide, no matter how cold-hearted he was, no matter what kind of evils he did.


    This  having a physical body  was her only wish. Cyanide figured it was about time to give something in return to Luna for all she has done for him.


    After all, if even this one and only wish is never fulfilled even Cyanide, who was usually emotionless and didn''t care about good and evil, only need and want, would feel guilty.


    Luna was his one and onlypanion. She deserved better, and Cyanide knew that. This was the least he could do to make it up to her.


    With such thoughts in his mind, Cyanide drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 27: Leveling Up

    Chapter 27: Leveling Up


    Over the course of the next few weeks, Cyanide spent that time roaming the streets and stacking up on levels and resources. As he progressed, he noticed that it became tougher and tougher to level up, as each level required more XP. Even after about two weeks of pure farming, all the mutants on the streets of the southern parts of this city had pretty much been cleared, yet Cyanide was still only Level 20  and a majority of that was thanks to the Scarlet Hour every night.


    The good news was, levels weren''t the only thing he gained. For instance, he obtained blueprints for a full set of simple metal armor, which only required metal and rope to craft  both of which were easy to find. The former from killing mutants, and thetter from simply collecting them from the streets or buildings.


    Of course, Cyanide was hesitant at first and didn''t want to wear something that could weigh him down and slow his movements, but after learning about the Infusion process from Luna, he was relieved. All he needed was something called an ''Infusion Module'', and he could infuse certain weapons or armor pieces into other weapons/armor to grant thetter the effects of the former.


    Thankfully, Cyanide was able to obtain 6 Infusion Modules in the past two weeks, as Stage Two mutants could drop them. He still hasn''t met any Stage Threes, but he had no doubt they would drop even better items. Now that he was Level 20, he believed he could take them on... probably.


    Infusion Modules weren''t almighty, however. For instance, they could only infuse one effect from the infused armor piece to the one receiving the infusion, like how Cyanide chose to take the metal armor''s defense and infuse it into his current lightweight cloak. The metal armor also had better durability, meaning it could be used for longer, but Cyanide ultimately decided defense was more important.


    Yes, he could''ve simply crafted another metal armor set and ran the Infusion process again, but Infusion Modules weren''t exactly easy toe by. Although Stage Two Mutants could drop them, the chance was incredibly low. That was understandable, however, given they had the ability to infuse weapons as well using the same theory as armor.


    In any case, after two weeks, Cyanide''s new stats looked like this:


    [Level: 20]


    [HP: 200/200]


    [STR: 50]


    [AGI: 50]


    [VIT: 40]


    [INT: 25]


    [DEX: 16]


    [LUC: 15]


    As for the 10 SP he received for reaching this new level, he spent 2 of those upgrading Invisibility from Tier I to Tier II, 2 purchasing Stealth Takedown 2 and Stealth Takedown 3 to cover all angles of possible stealth attacks, 2 on the Boomerang Knife Throw skill that required Knife Throw to first be learned, and the remaining 4 on unlocking four new Soul Arts: Life Drain, Touch of Malice, Petrify, and Toxin Air. Thest one worked simr to poison, which Cyanide could appreciate.


    Surprisingly enough, despite gaining so many levels, not a single additional Core Skill was unlocked. Thest one he received was [Inspect] at Level 3. Luna had said there weren''t many of them, but this is... far too few. It made Cyanide wonder just how many levels there were in total. What was the maximum potential he could reach?


    "Good morning, Cyanide," Luna said with a smile as her master woke up from these thoughts. "Where are we off to today? All the mutants roaming the streets of this sector of the city have been cleared out."


    "In that case" Cyanide sat up and hopped off the metal rack inside the convenience store''s backroom. "What do you say we go back to Aterra?"


    "Hm, that wouldn''t be a bad idea," Luna replied. "You are strong enough take on multiple Level Two Mutants at the same time now, and it would be a good opportunity to obtain some ammo for that gun you still have."


    Cyanide nodded. "Exactly my thoughts. The thing''s been sitting in my cloak for two weeks now without getting used, after all the trouble I went through to get it."


    "Then there''s no time to waste," Luna said. "I''ve marked the location on your map, Cyanide. Follow the waypoint."


    Cyanide nodded and brushed his teeth using the items avable in the convenience store, then rinsed his face with some bottled water. Once that was done, they set out.


    *****


    The streets were now rtively empty and free of danger, after two weeks of just clearing it out. Of course, some mutants may still wander outside from inside buildings, but they were few and far between. For the most part, Cyanide was able to walk openly through the fractured roads without any worry.


    It didn''t take long for them to reach the Aterra building. Even without the waypoint, Cyanide would be able to reach it, simply due to it being one of the tallest buildings in the city. It was also the only one that high near the outskirts, so it was easy to identify.


    Cyanide hid behind an abandoned vehicle, eyeing the situation inside. There were roughly eight mutants in the front lobby. After using [Inspect] on all of them, he judged that they were all quite low-level and mere Stage Ones.


    Using his enhanced [Invisibility], Cyanide got closer and opened the door. The Stage One Mutants weren''t smart enough to know the doors couldn''t just open by themselves, and weren''t alert because of it.


    ''Toxin Air.''


    With a mere thought, Cyanide used one of his Soul Arts. ck gas radiated from his body and coated the entire room in an instant, leaving the mutants confused. However, that confusion quickly turned to agony as the poison hit them.


    "G-GRAH."


    "AGH"


    "ENGH"


    Their movements slowed and dulled as they began wing at their own faces, eyes feeling like they were on fire. Unfortunately, no amount of wing was going to save them as they copsed one by one, unable to do a thing but gurgle a bit before their undead lives were taken away.


    Soon, the gas cleared, and Cyanide emergedpletely unharmed. His enhanced invisibility, now with a duration of 15 seconds instead of 5 but also a shorter cooldown of only 120 seconds, wore off at around the same time.


    The bodies of the mutants exploded into shards of light, which then flew into Cyanide''s body.


    [Obtained Mutant Blood (Low-Grade) x8.]


    [Obtained Metal x34.]


    [Obtained Wires x 58.]


    [Obtained Sr Panels x 5.]


    [Blueprint: Pen  unlocked!]


    " Seriously? Only a pen?" Cyanide sighed in disappointment. There were Blueprints for quite literally anything that could be made given the right materials, so as much as he wanted Blueprints for weapons and armor, most of the time, he would only receive useless Blueprints like this one.


    Of course, the Blueprints he could obtain varied from mutant to mutant depending on their type, so if the RNG gods were on his side today, he could possibly find ones for guns and ammo from those Stage Two Mutants down in the basement.


    Without any further dy, Cyanide began heading down the stairs that led to the basement. Last time he came here, he was forced to flee for his life, but not today.


    It was time for some sweet, sweet revenge.

 Chapter 28: One By One, They All Fall Down

    Chapter 28: One By One, They All Fall Down


    As Cyanide descended the staircase, he soon arrived at the bottommost level of the entire building, and was faced with the familiar two doors he had went through not long ago. He couldn''t see any mutants inside, but he knew better thanks tost time''s experience.


    ''Radar''.


    Activating his active skill, he immediately detected several enemies up ahead using the radar that appeared in his mind. He counted 10 in total  just as expected of argepany like this one, especially since it dealt with highly-advanced and expensive equipment for the purpose of scientific and technological research.


    But if all 10 of those guards had guns, that would be somewhat troublesome for Cyanide. No matter how fast he was now with his AGI stat of 50, he still could not outrun a bullet headed directly for his head.


    If he wanted to do this, he needed to single them out  or at least, most of them. That should be easy with his three different variations of Stealth Takedown  one from above, one from behind, and one from below. Depending on Cyanide''s position with rtivity to the target, one of those three will be used.


    ''Now thenst time I came here, opening the door slowly seemed to work. The guard still ended up walking out of its room, but that didn''t seem to be triggered by the sound of the door closing  it was just it wandering naturally.''


    Slowly, gently, Cyanide opened the door and activated his Invisibility. Then, he closed the door behind him, making sure to do so as quietly as possible.


    Turning to his right, he saw the room he had escaped fromst time he was here. ording to his Radar  which was about to run out soon  there was one mutant in there, right around the half-open metal door. Swiftly, Cyanide slipped inside and saw his target staring at a wall like an idiot, having no idea its existence was about to go from ''is'' to ''was''.


    ''Inspect.''


    Immediately, a holographic list of stats appeared beside the mutant, a screen only Cyanide could see.


    [Name: Security Guard Mutant (Stage Two)]


    [Level: 15]


    [HP: 750/750]


    [ss: Humanoid]


    Stage Two Mutants had a higher HP multiplier than Stage Ones, which was understandable  for each level, they gained 50 HP, while Stage Ones only gained 25. With this total health of 750, however, there was a chance Stealth Takedown would not kill it directly.


    Since Cyanide was behind the target, the first variation of Stealth Takedown was used. He wrapped his arms around the mutant''s neck and stabbed it with a knife, erasing its HP immediately before it could even scream, then plunged its body with his crowbar a few more times just for good measure. As the life from the mutant''s white eyes faded away, he let the body fall softly onto the bed.


    ''That''s one.''


    Not wasting any time before his Invisibility wore off, Cyanide dashed to the next room across. The mutant here was staring straight at the door, which made it impossible for Cyanide to perform a Stealth Takedown on it even with his invisibility. He couldn''t sneak around behind or get on top of it either, since it was blocking the entire doorway with itsrge frame.


    ''In that case I''m left no choice.''


    Cyanide leaped like a cougar onto his prey, stabbing his knife deep down into the mutant''s throat to render it unable to roar.


    "G-GRR!" It gurgled, but the sounds were muffled enough that the other mutants, not in Overdrive, should not be able to hear.


    The mutant stumbled backwards a few steps, refusing to topple over, and attempted to reach for its gun. But Cyanide twisted his knife and pushed forward, tearing through the back of the mutant''s neck. Unfortunately, this caused the mutant to move backwards and crash into the back wall, making a loud noise.


    ''Shit!''


    Cyanide hurriedly leaped off of the mutant he had just killed and slid its body underneath the bed, then found his hiding spot as he heard the sound of the other security guard mutants rushing over.


    The cyborgs arrived with their weapons drawn, but they saw nothing. No dead mutant, no alive human.


    " Ragh?" They growled in confusion, but after a few seconds, they split up into two teams, four entering each room.


    Bad idea.


    Immediately after the first mutant entered the room Cyanide was hiding in, he jumped down from above the door he had been crouched on and performed a swift and deadly Stealth Takedown, the second variation.


    "GRAGH?!" The other three mutants immediately fired their pistols, but Cyanide was already out of the doorway''s angle and rolled onto the floor with the mutant using [Dodge] while simultaneously ending its life.


    It was too easy. This, at its core, was very simr to all those assassination missions Cyanide had been on before. Most involved taking down several guards by isting them without getting caught by the others, so it could be said that Cyanide was an expert at this.


    One by one, they would all fall down.


    The rest of the mutants immediately flooded into the room, but by then, Cyanide had already activated his cooldown-refreshed [Invisibility] and was nowhere to be seen.


    Confused and frustrated, the mutants roared in anger. They knew an enemy was here, but they couldn''t catch him.


    Cyanide, watching this from the next room down, chuckled softly and thought:


    ''This situation is certainly not ideal, but in any case that''s three.''


    The remaining seven mutants stuck together as they searched the rooms, thinking that would help them. Being Stage Twos, they had the intelligence to know basic strategy like this. Since they were part of the same security guard team, they had innate teamwork from when they were still human.


    Unfortunately for them, however them being grouped up like this actually worked in Cyanide''s favor. He didn''t just have stealthy, single-target attacks in his arsenal. He made sure to learn a few AoE skills as well, dedicated to dealing with situations like this.


    He stood behind the wall patiently, like a falcon stalking its prey. Waiting to hear the mutants'' footsteps get closer to him. Waiting for the perfect opportunity.


    And then, as he heard the shuffling and low groans of the cyborg zombies nearing him, that opportunity came.


    Cyanide stepped out of the room he had been hiding in and faced the mutants head-on.


    "Hrngh-?!" They immediately drew their weapons and aimed, but it was already toote.


    With dark teal eyes that glimmered like the Grim Reaper''s scythe, Cyanide smiled.


    ''Petrify.''

 Chapter 29: Petrification

    Chapter 29: Petrification


    ''Petrify.''


    Cyanide''s eyes shed silver momentarily, and in that single instant, all of the mutants who met his gaze were frozen. Not by ice, but by fear.


    This Soul Art couldn''t restrain Stage Two Mutants for long, however, so Cyanide didn''t waste what little time he had and grabbed two pistols from the temporarily disabled mutants'' hands, then unleashed a flurry of bullets onto them before they could break free from the petrification.


    BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!


    All seven projectiles struck true in rapid session, knocking the horde of mutants to the floor within seconds with newly-busted holes in their foreheads. Electrical sparks flew out of their heads as their buried central processing units were destroyed, and their eyes rolled up over their heads.


    Being a profession assassin, Cyanide has used all kinds of guns before and has been trained to control each''s recoil. Shooting these lightweight pistols urately were of no difficulty for him at all.


    After several seconds, the seven mutants'' bodies disappeared along with the three he took down earlier, and the rewards he received were nothing short of extraordinary.


    [Level Up.]


    [Level 20 -> 21.]


    [You gained 10 CP and 1 SP.]


    [Obtained Mutant Blood (Mid-Grade) x10.]


    [Obtained Metal x46.]


    [Obtained Polyester x24.]


    [Obtained Wires x 70.]


    [Obtained Sr Panels x 12.]


    [Obtained Infusion Modules x6.]


    [Obtained Glock 17M x 10.]


    [Obtained Handgun Ammo Pack x 20.]


    [Achievement Complete: Firepower.]


    "Hm, polyester?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow. "That''s a new one."


    "Any mutant Stage Two and above wearing polyester clothes will drop them," Luna said. "It is an essential material for clothes and some armor. The abilities of Infusion Modules are limited, and every once in a while, you''ll need to fully craft a new armor set to reach a higher level of strength."


    "Huh noted."


    As the messages faded away, Cyanide nced down at the two glistening ck pistols in his hands, then decided he only needed one.


    "Luna, store this one into my inventory as back-up."


    "Erm actually, about that your inventory is full, Cyanide," Luna replied awkwardly, scratching her own cheek. "In fact, it''s slightly above capacity, rendering you overweight."


    Cyanide raised an eyebrow. "Overweight? What do you mean?"


    "Try moving."


    Frowning, Cyanide took a step forward, and


    Couldn''t.


    [Warning: Survivor is encumbered. Discard or dismantle some items from your inventory to regain linear movement capabilities.]


    " Well, this is embarrassing."


    "I remember warning you in the past that your inventory has limited space," Luna said with a shrug. "You can''t exactly me this one on me."


    Cyanide sighed. "I''m not. Open my inventory, Luna. I''ll get rid of what I don''t need myself."


    Luna nodded and did as told, showing Cyanide his INVENTORY screen. It was indeed loaded with tons of junk, and the horizontal bar near the bottom of the screenbeled ''WEIGHT'' was shing red.


    "The small number near the top-right of the item disys its weight, not to be confused with the number near the bottom-right which shows the quantity of the item you have," Luna exined. "I''ve also organized your inventory from greatest to least based on weight to make it easier for you, Cyanide."


    Cyanide traced his eyes over to the first item in his inventory, in the top-left corner of the screen. It was, without a doubt, metal, and the number in the top-left (quantity) read [x1046] while the number in the top-right (weight) read 10,460. Yep, this was definitely what was weighing him down most.


    Before gaining the 46 from these ten Stage Two Mutants, he had just barely been under the weight limit. But after obtaining the items from those ten well, the results speak for themselves.


    Cyanide tapped on the Metal in his inventory, bringing up a details pane on the right half of the screen. Below all its information were three options that weren''t there thest time he checked his inventory  which, to be fair, was when he first obtained Mutant Blood. Since then, all he had to do was tell Luna what to do and she would do it for him without him even having to manually use the system, so naturally, he was unaware.


    In any case, the three options were as follows, but the middle one was greyed out:


    [Crafting] [Dismantle] [Discard]


    Sensing Cyanide''s hesitation, Luna helpfully began exining once more.


    "Crafting takes you to the Crafting screen, where you can see what items this item can be crafted. Dismantle refers to breaking down an item into raw materials, but since Metal already is in its raw form, that is impossible here. And as for Discard, that''s self-exnatory  you just throw it away."


    "Hm I see."


    "There''s also another option you can choose to do here, and that''s to simply upgrade your Strength stat. Your weight capacity is directly influenced by that, so if you put the CP you received just now into STR, you should be able to move again without any problems."


    After some thought, Cyanide agreed.


    " Let''s do that."


    After putting all 10 CP he just received into STR, he saw the weight meter at the bottom of his screen return to normal, with a little bit of room at the right-most end to spare. His inventory, however, was still quite messy, and it definitely needed to be cleaned out soon. But now was not the time.


    "Well we got what we came here for," Luna said. "Are we leaving now, Cyanide?"


    "Not yet," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "Since we eliminated the main threat here and I can take on Stage One mutants with no problem now I want to explore this building a bit more. This is a Point of Interest ording to the map, no?"


    Luna nodded, smiling wryly. "Yes. I was actually going to suggest that if you didn''t bring it up yourself, Cyanide."


    She seemed impressed at her creator, but Cyanide paid that no heed and began by exploring the security guards'' offices. He didn''t feel bad at all, rummaging through someone''s things right after killing them. They weren''t human anymore, so there was no point in showing humanpassion towards them.


    And besides well, even if they were human, Cyanide wouldn''t show anypassion anyway. He was selfish, through and through.


    That''s also why he chose to have an AIpanionso he didn''t have to worry about her ''dying''.. So long as her code existed in a console somewhere, she would continue to liveforever.

 Chapter 30: Viruss Truth

    Chapter 30: Virus''s Truth


    After consuming the Mid-Grade Mutant Blood he just received (which dyed the Survivor''s Curse by 24 hours instead of just 12 like their Low-Grade counterparts), Cyanide began searching through the basement of the Aterra Headquarters.


    For some reason, this floor, which only served as a home to the security staff of thispany, also had ess to the backup power supply of this building like the R&D department, which remained active thanks to sr power technology.


    Cyanide was certainly confused on why this floor of all possible ces was like this, but he wasn''t about toin. This made it easier for him to navigate and search anyway.


    All of the guards'' individual rooms were mostly the same. Very minimalistic, teal walls, white furniture, a bed, a sink, and a work desk with two locked file cabs.


    Themon bathroom was further down, but Cyanide already searched there earlier and didn''t find anything of use. He did, however, take a shower, since it''s been quite some time since he had done that. Of course, he checked the water quality beforehand, and made sure it contained no poison with the [Poison Detect] skill he purchased with the level-up to Level 21 just now.


    After the shower, he made new clothes and armor using the Crafting system and the Polyester he just got plus Metal. It felt nice, wearing a fresh set. The durability on the old set was also getting low, so it was ideal to switch to a new set anyway. It also helped relieved some weight from his inventory, albeit only a little.


    There really wasn''t much interesting about the security guards'' rooms, apart from the locked file cabs. And so, Cyanide pried all of them open with his crowbar, but to his dismay, they didn''t contain anything of use either. One cab in each room held work files, while the other held personal items such as pictures and belongings.


    One of the photos Cyanide found was that of a warm, smiling father and a baby daughter who looked to only be 3 years of age at most. The date at the top right corner read 12/25/2069, also the year when the apocalypse struck.


    "To think such a kind, doting father like this could be turned into a mindless, bloodcrazed cyborg zombie mutant..." Luna sighed. "How depressing."


    Cyanide, on the other hand, didn''t particrly care. He was more interested in the date of the photo. He now knew that the apocalypse happened somewhere between 12/25/2069 and 12/31/2069, narrowing the possible range of dates from 356 to a mere 6. That was valuable information, and perhaps help him solve the mystery of how this apocalypse came to be.


    After browsing through all the other file cabs and in all the different rooms, Cyanide left. Nothing here was worth having, though it was a nice ce to stay. His n was to clear out this entire building of mutants, then take all the food and drinks in the convenience store into his inventory before dumping them all here and iming this ce as his new base.


    "Heading for the upper floors, Cyanide?" Luna asked as he headed up the stairs.


    "Yeah," Cyanide replied. "There is bound to be more information there, and I need to clear out this building of mutants anyway."


    "Very well. Be careful thoughthis knowledge was unlocked for me just now, but apparently, all POIs contain a Stage Three Mutant hiding within."


    At this, Cyanide smiled slightly. "A Stage Three? Perfect... I was aching for some stronger enemies to take on. Wouldn''t want to get bored in this new world aftering here for the sole reason of not wanting to be bored."


    "Cyanide... you get bored abnormally quickly," Luna said with a sigh. "Do you have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, perhaps? Or are you just a cmity ma daredevil who loves danger?"


    "Neither," he replied. "Just an ordinary man, tired of the old ways."


    *****


    Clearing out the building of Stage One Mutants didn''t take long. All of them were quite weakpared to Cyanide''s current level, and the few Stage Twos were also easily taken care of with some Stealth Takedown executions. He still hasn''t encountered the Stage Three Luna spoke of, but he guessed they were hiding in a room somewhere.


    There were still plenty of locked rooms around the building, ones he couldn''t get into without a key or powerful explosives. Brute forcing wouldn''t work, as he couldn''t just punch through metal with a STR stat of 60. Maybe in the future, sure, but not now.


    Now that the entire building was mostly cleared of all visible threats, Cyanide headed up to the R&D floor. Last time he was here, he had his first encounter with a mutant and nearly got killed. This time, however, he was free to explore this ce to his content.


    After looking around for a while, though... he saw that there weren''t any actual paper documents anywhere. All the information was stored onputers, but all saidputers were either physically broken or justpletely dysfunctional. Even with the electricity on this floor, it was useless.


    He then nced at the vials of bright green liquid stored in a tray on top of a cart,beled {ANEXERDYTE-1}. That was the failed antidote Doctor Finch hade up with, as it didn''t do anything to relieve his Survivor''s Curse.


    Speaking of Doctor Finch...


    "... Luna," he suddenly said as an idea formed in his head.


    "Hm?" Luna tilted her head. "A question, Cyanide?"


    "Is it possible to fuse wires together with the Crafting system?"


    "Yes. That is a default crafting recipe, meaning you don''t have to find any Blueprints for it. But... what do you need a long wire for?"


    Staring up at the open part of the ceiling where wires dangled, spouting electricity, Cyanide smiled. He had used thisst time to kill the mutant... who knew it was going to be useful to him again so soon?


    ".... Luna, bring up the crafting menu."

 Chapter 31: The Ceos Office

    Chapter 31: The Ceo''s Office


    "Erm... Cyanide, what, exactly, are you doing?"


    Luna stared at her creator, confused and perplexed as she attempted to figure out what he was trying to aplish. Cyanide, on the other hand, didn''t pay her any heed and continued to add more and more wire into the virtual Crafting table disyed on the hologram.


    ''Hm... 100 meters... not enough,'' he thought, pausing for a moment, then continued adding more wires into the Crafting process. ''Need about 50 more.''


    Each wire strand was approximately 1 meter in length, so he ended up consuming 150x Wires in total. Of course, with the all the mutants that he had yed by now, that number was trivial. Wires were among the moremon drops of mutants, so he had quite a bit stocked up in his inventory.


    "And... done."


    As the Crafting process finished, Cyanide sent the item to his inventory, then retrieved it from there to bring it into the actual world. In his hand was an incredibly long wire, wrapped around his fingers in a circr fashion.


    Luna was still confused, pink lips turned downwards in confusion, but soon realized what he was trying to do as he stepped up onto the desk, then connected one end of the wire to the broken one hanging from the ceiling using some simple electrical tape he had found in the convenience store. Cyanide wasn''t exactly a mechanic, but he managed to get the job done.


    After that, he stepped back down from the table, somehowpletely unharmed despite working with only a thin pair of fingerless gloves on, then began heading up the stairs towards the topmost floor, still carrying the rest of the wire with him.


    "Cyanide... so that''s what you''re trying to do..." Luna murmured in awe as she realized. "But... why not just bring theputers downstairs? Wouldn''t that be easier?"


    "Maybe, but I don''t want to risk any damage," he replied. "This tech hasn''t been touched in years. Who knows how fragile it is? I would be surprised if it even still operates."


    "Hm, that''s fair."


    After reaching the topmost floor, the first thing Cyanide did was check the CEO''s office. Last time he was here, he had spotted aputer, but hadn''t been able to ess it. Being the owner of thepany, there had to be incredibly useful information stored inside his businessputer.


    Using his knife, Cyanide cut open the wire connecting theputer to the power strip on the floor, then attached his own wire to theputer''s and connected them using the same electrical tape as before. After strengthening the connection, he stood up and pressed on the power button for the desktop and held his breath.


    After several seconds, nothing happened.


    "... Well, it was worth a try," Cyanide muttered, sighing and preparing to leave. But just as he turned around-


    "Cyanide, wait-!" Luna cried, causing him to twist his head back just in time to see the monitor flicker to life, weing him with an unfamiliar lock screen different from theputers back on Earth, but a lock screen theless. Theputer... was on.


    "... Guess luck is on my side today."


    "Don''t get too happy just yet," Luna warned. "There appears to be... face recognition on thisputer. I can''t hack through it with my current capabilities without any prior connection."


    Cyanide rubbed his chin in thought, staring at the locked screen in front of him. The camera on the top of the monitor shed slightly, and Cyanide could see his own face projected in the middle of the screen. Below it was a short string of text:


    {WARNING: FACE NOT AUTHORIZED}


    Then, his gaze shifted to the photo he had once picked up and inspected,ying in its golden frame. Inside was a picture of the CEO with his family. After some thought, he removed the photo from its frame and picked up a pair of scissors from the pencil holder on the desk.


    "... I won''t apologize for this."


    Promptly, he cut the photo so that only the CEO''s face remained. Because the photo was quite small and he wanted to be as urate as possible for this method to work, he had to cut it.


    After a few minutes of delicate cutting with detail down to the pixel, Cyanide exhaled deeply and set the scissors down. Then, he took the CEO''s face and stered it against the camera, slowly adjusting its position based on what he saw on the screen below until the face was perfectly captured in the lens of the camera.


    Several seconds passed, with Cyanide holding the picture there,pletely still and unmoving. And then, he realized something.


    Face recognition systems like this had to have some sort of protection against photos. The CEO would probably usually never leave his photo out here like this, but ording to the letter written by Doctor Finch to him, the ''end'' was near anyway, so he most likely just didn''t care.


    The camera system most likely was programmed in a way to track miniscule movement. If a face ispletely still, it will recognize it as a photo and not grant entry. As such, realizing this, Cyanide slowly shifted the photo a little, jittering it up and down with the slightest of movements.


    And as expected, this captured a real face close enough that the system granted him ess. The lock screen before him shed, and was reced by the clean desktop of theputer.


    "... Huh. I didn''t think that would actually work," Luna said, a bit surprised.


    "Yeah? Well... neither did I," Cyanide said, then opened the file explorer with the mouse. It still had power in its battery even after all these years since it had been turned off before the apocalypse struck, thankfully. Otherwise, he would have to navigate theputer using the keyboard, which was a lot more difficult and unnecessarilyplex.


    Being the CEO''s office, it was bound to contain some important, hopefully not but most likely encrypted, files. This was the second-best ce in this building to look for info on the virus and apocalypse that struck Endzone, with the best being Doctor Finch''s office, which Cyanide had still yet to find.


    "Now then... let''s take a look at what you have stored here, Mr.. CEO."

 Chapter 32: Buried Knowledge

    Chapter 32: Buried Knowledge


    After several minutes or browsing, Cyanide was at a loss for what to do.


    "Most of these folders are encrypted with passwords..." Cyanide muttered, going through the file directory of theputer. "... Except this one."


    Hovering his cursor over the folder he was speaking of, he hesitated before clicking into it.


    "''Top Secret, Do Not Open''... huh," Luna muttered, able to see despite the blindfold that covered her eyes since she was an AI. "Yet this is the only folder that doesn''t have a password...? What do you think is inside, Cyanide? Smells pretty fishy to me."


    "I mean... it does say ''top secret''. Why would an adult name a folder top secret for fun? Perhaps they just forgot to lock it... though that is unlikely."


    "Let''s take a look inside, then," Luna said. "ording to the thumbnail of the folder, there are images and videos inside. There may be good evidence for how the apocalypse came to be."


    Cyanide nodded, anticipation in his heart as he clicked into the folder.


    And the moment he did, his body froze, unsure of what to do.


    "..."


    Before him, thousands of images and video clips alike wereid bare, showcasing the 2D fetishes of a grown man. All kinds of positions, all kinds of kinks. Ones Cyanide did not want to see.


    Immediately, he exited the file explorer, and remained still for a solid few minutes. Luna too was at a loss of words, and only finally spoke again after an ufortable length of silence.


    "Erm... to be fair, I can see why he named that as ''top secret''," she said. Then, in a quieter, more seductive tone, "But if you were into that kind of thing, Cyanide... I''m here, you know~"


    "No thanks," he quickly replied. "Let''s... uh, try to find the password to all these folders."


    As much as he was a teen, he wasn''t into jerking off to AIs. Especially not the same AI who he created himself. That was like an author masturbating to their own characters, and Cyanide thought that was beyond weird.


    Luna''s lips turned downwards, somewhat disappointed. But then, she smiled yfully and whispered under her breath, "Fufu~ I''ll make you mine once I get a real body, Cyanide."


    Cyanide ignored her teasing and instead clicked into a random folder to try out the password. Judging from the photo from earlier, the CEO was quite an old man. He most likely had the same password for all of these encrypted folders, since remembering multiple would be difficult for someone of his age.


    That being said... Cyanide waspletely clueless on what the password could possibly be. He tried themon ones like ''password123'' or ''incorrect'', but just as expected, neither worked.


    "Cyanide, try the email," Luna suggested. "That shouldn''t be locked."


    "I thought of doing that, but there is no inte connec-" He opened the email app up anyway, and blinked as he saw what wasid before him on the screen.


    "... Okay then. I guess theputers of this world don''t require WiFi to keep old emails readable."


    Both surprised and impressed at this, Cyanide began browsing through the various emails sent to the CEO. Most were work-rted and didn''t discuss the virus at all, instead focusing on thepany''s internal affairs and such.


    This was to be expected, of course, but Cyanide refused to believe there was nothing to be found in his email, considering that letter from Doctor Finch, which he hadying on the desk right beside him right now.


    Cyanide had searched the entire room, but found no other letters of the sort. If that''s the case, only one answer was possible: the rest were in the form of emails, stored on thisputer. Thest one was not an email but in the form of an actual, handwritten letter, simply because it was the final farewell.


    Pressing on the search bar in the email app, Cyanide inputted a filter.


    {From: Finch}


    The autofill took care of the rest, revealing that Doctor Finch''s real name was Finch Linderman. Pressing {Enter} on the QWERTY keyboard, the email refreshed and filtered out any emails that didn''t fit the criteria, leaving behind only the ones sent by Doctor Finch.


    However... even so, of the emails said anything about a virus, antidote, or whatever. Nothing even remotely close to it.


    "... How disappointing," Cyanide muttered. But then, his gazended on the little avatar icon in the top left of the screen, and narrowed his eyes.


    He moved his cursor over there and clicked on the icon. And as expected... a drop-down list appeared, disying a second ount in addition to this primary one.


    "Hmph. Sneaky... but not sneaky enough."


    Switching to the second ount, Cyanide moved to input the filters in the search bar again, but then stopped after realizing there was only one conversation in the email. It was with an anonymous ount.


    But that was not what caught his eye. What did... was the title of the conversation.


    {RE: Project: Antidote}


    Resting his chin on his hand, Cyanide clicked into the conversation and began reading from the very top.

 Chapter 33: Unveiled...

    Chapter 33: Unveiled...


    {November 27th, 2069. 10:34 PM.}


    {From: }


    {To: }


    Dear President,


    This is Doctor Finch. Yesterday, you told me that for security and privacy purposes, we will use these anonymous, untraceable email ounts to discuss Project: Antidote. However... what exactly is it? You did not provide me with any details.


    Sincerely,


    Doctor Finch


    *****


    {November 27th, 2069. 10:45 PM.}


    {From: }


    {To: }


    Hello, Doctor Finch.


    Please understand, the information I am about to give you here is very sensitive. The reason I chose to use private, anonymous email ounts to connect with one another regarding this issue is precisely because I do not want anyone finding out about Project: Antidote, which I am about to exin.


    Just yesterday, I received a call from an untraceable phone number. They were using a voice changer, but they called me by my true name, which no one knows except for one personmy brother, the founder of Acaelus, as you know. They are nning something downright hideous, Finch. Something that, if not resolved, could not only destroy Aterra, but the entire world.


    My brother threatened me that they already have a deadly virus developed. In one month, they will release said virus to public in the name of Aterra. We can attempt to refute, but the reality is, they have arger customer base than we do. We can debate this matter and fight back, but the defendant is always at the disadvantage in situations like this.


    The only way to fully clear our name is to create an antidote to this virus, then distribute it ordingly. You are my top researcher, Finch. I trust you. Gather a handful of reliable, loyal, and talented individuals from thepany, and solve this dilemma.


    In the meantime, I will attempt to work things out with my brother. However... the odds of that seeding, as you should know, are incredibly low.


    This is the final fight, Finch. If we seed with the antidote, we can prove that Acaelus are falsely using us, and bring down theirpany. The twenty-year long feud between my brother and I... will finally be settled.


    Come to my office tonight. It will be left unlocked. The virus sample can be found in the bottom-right drawer of the table, where all the financial documents of thepany are. To avoid anyplications, we cannot discuss this matter in-person. Use this private email only, and act normal on the surface.


    Do not let any other employees find out about this. If important information regarding the development of the antidote is leaked, a spy may ry the info to Acaelus. As such, you may only work on this at night in your privateb, after most employees have already left.


    Remember to send me daily updates regarding your experiments, and to use your privateb instead of the main one. I won''t respond to most, but I will be reading all of them.


    We only have one month. The fate of thispanyand possibly of the worldrests on your shoulders, Doctor.


    Ah, but of course, no pressure or anything.


    That is all.


    Sincerely,


    President Terron


    P.S. The virus is in gas form, so be careful.


    *****


    {November 27th, 2069. 11:04 PM.}


    {From: }


    {To: }


    Understood. The time to repay you for epting me when everyone else saw me as a failure hase. I will not let you down, President.


    Sincerely,


    Doctor Finch


    *****


    {November 28th, 2069. 12:03 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    Dear President,


    This virus... it is far moreplex than anything I have encountered in the past. Just like you instructed, I picked out four highly talented individuals that I would trust with my life, one of which being my own son, and worked together to solve this problem. We spent the whole night in my privateb attempting to analyze and recreate the virus, but to no luck.


    I will try again tomorrow.


    Sincerely,


    Doctor Finch


    *****


    {November 29th, 2069. 1:23 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    Cell-by-cell replication was sessful today with 100% uracy. However, the true nature of the virus remains unknown. We will begin experimentation tomorrow on the copies.


    *****


    {November 30th, 2069. 12:56 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    Primary-stage experimentation yielded no results. Will perform more advanced tests tomorrow.


    *****


    {December 1st, 2069. 12:04 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    Interesting find: the virus appears to have an endothermic chemical reaction with skin cells. Will test this out on an animal tomorrow.


    *****


    {December 2nd, 2069. 12:14 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    This... I am unsure of what to make of this. The virus... it is incredible. It transformed the white rabbit we used as a test subject into a highly-aggressive killing machine, turning all biological parts of it into machinery. The best description of this virus would be a ''cyborgification'' process.


    See attached pictures below. More tests will be conducted tomorrow. (See paragraphments!)


    *****


    {December 3rd, 2069. 12:32 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    The virus works extraordinarily fast. We filled a sealed chamber with it, and ced different kinds of animals inside. It would appear that the bigger the animal is, the longer it takes for the virus to act.


    I feel we are on the verge of a breakthrough. When we make one, I will prepare another report. For the following few days, I may go silent.


    *****


    {December 17th, 2069. 12:04 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    I am terribly sorry for the dy, President. I got caught up with the experiments, and did not realize 2 weeks had already passed.


    My team and I managed to discover another interesting factor about the virus. It does not appear to be contagious. We first infected a rabbit, cleaned the room of the virus, then put another rabbit into the room. The infected rabbit immediately attacked the new one without any hesitation, with incredible speed and power. The new rabbit was killed and torn apart within seconds, but nothing else urred. We are keeping an eye on the corpse in the meantime.


    We are nearing the true nature of the virus, President. After we discover its full capabilities, we can identify the chemicals at work inside it and create an antidote.


    I have faith.


    *****


    {December 18th, 2069. 12:04 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    Update: The virus seems to have a strange effect on corpses. After cing the dead rabbit''s corpse from yesterday into a chamber filled with the virus, it began transforming into a zombified cyborg rabbit and rising from the dead.


    More tests will need to be ran to investigate this incredible ability.


    *****


    {December 20th, 2069. 12:04 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    Update: This seems to be the limit of the virus''s capabilities.


    Summary:


    - The virus turns any living being thates into contact with it into hostile cyborg versions of themselves, gaining greatly increased power, agility, and the lust to kill/consume flesh and blood. However, when no prey is in direct sight, they lumber incredibly slowly and aimlessly. Their intelligence appear to have dwindled as a result of the change.


    - Any corpses thate into contact with the virus will reanimate themselves, turning into the same cyborgs as a living being would upon contact. They gain the exact same effects as their living counterparts, receiving no particr benefit or loss.


    - The gas we used to cleanse the test chamber of the virus was chlorine with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide. It appeared to be effective.


    Next steps:


    - We have a little less than a week left. That should be more than enough to create an antidote, given the theories and conclusions we have currently reached.


    Things are looking good, President. We can do this.


    *****


    {December 24th, 2069. 12:04 AM.}


    {From: [emailprotected]???}


    {To: [emailprotected]????}


    Dear President,


    I am proud to dere that the antidote is, atst,plete. Because chlorine and hydrogen peroxide are both somewhat harmful substances to the living body if consumed, it took a while to get the bnce right and adding certain other substances to it.


    All the theories areplete. The antidote is wless, perfected over the course of the past few days. There is zero chance of it failing. It has been tested on the rabbits and other animals, and they have all been sessfully turned back to their original forms. Living beings returned to living beings with no long-termsting effects, and corpses returned to corpses.


    Tomorrow, we will run the final tests, just for procedural reasons.


    I have not failed you, President. Acaelus, at longst, will fall. And we, Aterra, shall rise to be the final, just victors.


    *****


    (P.S. Little side note from the author here.... to see the ''attachment'' picture for the rabbit as described in one of the emails, just click on the paragraphment beside it. Art credit goes to my friend @Luxe!)

 Chapter 34: Connecting The Dots

    Chapter 34: Connecting The Dots


    Cyanide slowly leaned back in the chair, pushing himself away from theputer monitor and trying to analyze all the information he just received from reading through those emails.


    "That was thest one..." Cyanide muttered, then nced at the letter on the desk. "... Well, apart from this, anyway."


    "Thatst email was sent on the 24th," Luna said. "Meaning the final experiments were ran on the day after, the 25th... and failed."


    "But it states in the final email that they had already tested the antidote, Anexerdyte, on a mutated subject afflicted with the virus. It worked on the 24th, so why did it not on the 25th...?"


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. "It can''t have been a mistake. These are the best researchers in a top-level science and technologypany. Just like the Doctor said, the antidote was perfect. Immacte. Calcted. It should''ve worked, yet it didn''t... which leaves only one possible answer."


    "If the antidote wasn''t the one that changed, then..." Luna began.


    "... The virus did," Cyanide muttered. "That must be it. The virus, one way or another, detected the antidote, and mutated to ovee it."


    "But... how is that possible? In the span of one night?" Luna murmured, horrified.


    "I really hope I''m wrong about this, but... there is a high possibility the virus is, in fact, sentient, and has a consciousness of its own. Acaelus must have had an antidote already prepared toe out as the saviors of the world, but they most likely didn''t foresee the virus adapting and rendering the antidote useless, wiping them out as well."


    Luna gulped. "What kind of survival game simtion is this..."


    ''Simtion, huh?'' Cyanide thought. ''I would also like to believe this is just a game with incredibly fleshed out lore and highly realistic gamey, but...''


    "Well, at least the virus is gone now, right?" Luna asked. "Otherwise, you would''ve been instantly turned into a cyborg uponing here."


    "... I wouldn''t be so sure about that," Cyanide said, ncing down at his own palms. "It''s very possible that the virus is still here, but it has just changed itself overtime, altering its effects. For example, instead of killing us directly, it may have changed to a slow-acting poison."


    He was, of course, referring to the Survivor''s Curse that could be relieved through consuming mutant blood. Luna realized this as well and fell into thought.


    "But... if it truly is sentient, what is it''s purpose in this ''change''? And how do you, as a yer, fit into the lore of the game?"


    "I''m not sure... but following this pattern, perhaps the final boss we have to beat for survival... is the virus itself."


    Cyanide didn''t know how that would work, and definitely hoped he wouldn''t have to cooperate with other yers to do this fight. One of the main reasons he worked alone as a professional assassin when most others worked in partners or teams was because he didn''t want to get stabbed in the back or betrayed. And in this game of survival, everybody was an enemy.


    In any case, this was all the information Cyanide needed. From this building, at least. The events of what caused this apocalypse were now clear. He still didn''t know why the brother of the CEO of Aterra went ahead and made his ownpany, and rivaled his brother to the point where he was willing to sacrifice innocent lives for it, but that was not his concern anyway. He didn''t care, and that was that.


    Cyanide was quite an expert on chemicals, being a proficient poison user, but even he had no way ofing up with an antidote that could battle against an ever-changing virus. There was no point prying this matter any further, as his curiosity was fulfilled.


    Just for future''s sake, Cyanide had Luna scan through all the emails and save them to her internal memory, so he could look at them again whenever needed. After that, he stood up and headed out the door, preparing to leave. But then, he stopped.


    "... Now that I think about it... I have a map, don''t I?" He murmured.


    Luna nodded. "I was waiting to see when you would realize, Cyanide. If you are searching for the Stage Three Mutant, that is your best bet."


    With a sigh, he asked Luna to pull up the map for him, which she did. He kept forgetting this was a game and he had certain tools at his disposal, thanks to how realistic it was. If anything, he wished he didn''t have this ''system'' of sorts, since it felt like a cheat, but dire times call for dire measures. Without the Skills and Inventory features, he would most likely be dead by now.


    On the map, ayout of the current floor he was on was disyed. On the left, a list of possible floor selections was avable to choose from as well. All the rooms on this floor were outlined in white, meaning they had been explored. Slowly, Cyanide browsed through the floors one by one, checking carefully for any secrets he had not discovered yet.


    There didn''t seem to be anything fishy... until he reached the R&D Floor.


    Cyanide was certain he had explored that floor to its full extent earlier, and yet... the map was showing an undiscovered rectangr red room on the left side of it, covering the length of the entire left wall.


    The only problem was... there was no visible entrance to it. Doors were usually marked on the mapeven locked onesyet this one did not have an entrance at all. It waspletely sealed off like there was a solid wall separating it from the rest of the R&D Floor, and they just happened to be on the same altitude thereby causing the map to disy them as the same floor.


    It was then that it hit him.


    The emails... they had mentioned a particr ce in them.


    "This.... it''s Doctor Finch''s privateb."

 Chapter 35: Intelligent Mutant

    Chapter 35: Intelligent Mutant


    Cyanide, now with a new goal in mind, returned to the R&D floor and entered the chamber. Narrowing his eyes at the metal racks lining the left wall, he recalled what he had seen on the map and walked closer towards them. Then, setting his hands on their side, he pulled them out of the way, revealing a new, hidden door behind.


    " I can''t believe I didn''t notice this before. My skills have declined."


    "Really, Cyanide you''re too hard on yourself," Luna said with a sigh, as if she was used to situations like this happening. "No one would''ve been able to tell something was behind that rack unless they knew about a secret room being here. Don''t me yourself."


    Cyanide didn''t respond, and instead merely calmly ced his hand on the handle of the door. Then, just to be safe, he used [Radar].


    Only one energy signature popped up, and it was a little deeper inside. However, strangely, whereas all the other energy signatures he had seen before on his radar were red, marking hostility, this one was grey. Representing neutrality.


    " Luna. What does a grey dot mean on my radar?"


    "It means they are neutral," Luna replied, just as expected. "It is safe to approach, but if you anger them or say something they don''t like, they will be hostile."


    " They can understand my speech?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    "Normal mutants, no. But mutants Stage Three and higher possess intelligence rivaling or surpassing that of a human''s." After a few seconds, Luna continued exasperatedly. "Yes, Cyanide. I see that question in your eyes. They can be turned into allies, if you are good at negotiation."


    Negotiation hadn''t exactly been part of his professional assassin training, and he never was one for talkingespecially not to strangers. But from his current knowledge, the Stage Three mutant inside this privateb was a very important character with tremendous knowledge. If possible, Cyanide wanted to recruit him into his ranks as a loyalpanion.


    The only problem was he had no way to ensure the mutant''s loyalty. Even if the mutant did want to stay loyal, there was always a chance it went haywire or got corrupted somehow, like those mutants being controlled by the Scowling Sawde Blood Baron.


    Still, it was worth a shot.


    Taking a deep breath, Cyanide opened the door handle only to find it was locked. By an electronic lock, no less. Even if he had a lockpick, it wouldn''t work. It appeared to be a numerical passcode, but Cyanide had no idea what the sequence could be. 6 numbers 0-9, assuming digits could be repeated, meant 1,000,000 possiblebinations. In percentage form, the probability of getting the rightbination was 0.0001%. He couldn''t recall any clues as to what the passcode might be either


    '' Oh, wait,'' he thought. ''Could it be?''


    After some thought, he inputted the following digits on the lock:


    122669


    BEEP.


    The light on the keypad shed green, and a clicking sound could be heard. Cyanide snorted.


    "Should''ve known."


    "That''s the date of the apocalypse?" Luna murmured in surprise.


    Indeed, it was. 12/26/2069, with the year being shortened to just 69. But if that truly is the case, then that meant the mutant in there changed the password to this after the apocalypse struck. That left only one questionwhy?


    Cyanide wasn''t going to get any answers by just standing here, so after pushing the door open, he found himself staring at a long, narrow hallway, illuminated by white lights that shared the emergency backup power supply of the building. It had no decor, no windows. Just a hallway, leading to another door at the end of it.


    Slowly, cautiously, he entered, keeping an eye out for any traps all around him, especially on top. His now-deceased teacher, Anthrax, had once taught him to always check the ceiling, since that''s where most rookies forget about and end up killed because of it. By nature, humans instinctively only focus on their linear surroundings, not bothering to look up or down unless forced to. However, after years of training, checking what was above and below him along with his linear surroundings had be habit for Cyanide already.


    After a few seconds, he made it to the end of the hallway. There weren''t any trapsor he just didn''t set them off. Either way, things were good so far.


    The doors at the end of the corridor opened on their own as Cyanide got close, revealing a pristine white chamber within that looked like the very definition of a scienceb. A transparent observation deck was ced before a sealed chamber for experimental purposes, and various desks andputers were spread around.


    And then, Cyanide saw HIM. He wore a whiteb coat, deranged sses, and had unkept grey hair that looked like it hadn''t been washed in ages. However, the namete on his breast pocket said it all.


    "As expected" Cyanide folded his arms. " Doctor Finch."


    "So another batch?" The old doctorughed slightly with a hint of craziness in his haggard voice.


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. "Another batch? What?"


    But rather than answering his questions, Doctor Finch merely waved his hand a little, as if shooing Cyanide away.


    " Leave. I''ll give you credit for figuring out the passcode, but you''re far too young to understand anything. Came here in pursuit of money, have you? In pursuit of power? Ha you aren''t ready."


    "Actually Cyanide here entered this world in search of self-actualization. Money and power mean little to himhe already has both," Luna said, answering in Cyanide''s stead.


    Hearing this, Doctor Finch narrowed his eyes. Not because of what Luna said, but because of Luna''s very existence.


    " You''re not like the others. Did those bastards change it up this year? No they would never" Doctor Finch then set his gaze on Cyanide, and growled. "Boy. What did you do to your Assistant?"


    "Deleted it," Cyanide replied honestly, as calm as ever. "Then, reced it with my own."


    After a full minute of utter silence, Doctor Finch let out a low chuckle.


    " Hah. I take back what I said, kid you''re different from anyone I''ve seen before. You want answers, yes? I will provide them, in return for this amusement you''ve granted me today."


    Cyanide could feel it. Judging from his tone, Doctor Finch knew about the simtion, the survival game advertised in the world Cyanide was form. But how?


    And just what, really, was this entire game? Questions were raised. Answers were needed.


    And Cyanide would find them.

 Chapter 36: Doctor Finch

    Chapter 36: Doctor Finch


    "Go on," Doctor Finch said like a drunkard, leaning back in his rotating chair. "Ask me anything."


    Cyanide was dubious about whether or not he could actually trust this guy''s information. Hell, he wasn''t even human anymore. He was made of machinery, already having lost his life long ago.


    Still, it''s not like he had any other options. He decided to at least hear Doctor Finch out, since his theories did sound interesting if nothing else.


    "Let''s start with the basics, then," Cyanide said, grabbing a nearby chair of simr architecture to the Doctor''s and sitting down in it. "What, really, is this ce?"


    "This ce is my privateb, Aterra Headquarters, kid!" Doctor Finchughed boldly, earning him a deadpan re from Cyanide.


    " You know full well what I mean, old man. But if you''re only going to make bad jokes like that I guessing here was a waste of time."


    "Hahaha! I like you, kid," Doctor Finch said, then fell silent for several seconds.


    "But are you sure you want to know?"


    " Why? Will it be dangerous for me if I discover this information?"


    "Yes, boy. Very."


    "Cool. My life''s been dangerous since the day I was born."


    Doctor Finch shrugged. "All right just don''t say I didn''t warn you. All the yers I''ve told this information in the past were promptly eliminated. They control everything here. It is as easy as snapping their finger to kill you."


    "Oh? I hate to say it, but I''ve never been one to leave my fate in another''s hands. If they want to kill me, so be it."


    Doctor Finch nced at him, then sighed. "Tell me, boy. Why did you people from that other worlde here?"


    "All sorts of reasons," Cyanide replied, relieved that they were finally getting into a topic worth discussing. "Money, power, just like you said. And others, like me, are just searching for a new challenge to take on. The final standing yer of this survival game can have any one wish of theirs granted."


    Hearing this, Doctor Finch chuckled.


    "Ha. It''s all fake."


    Cyanide furrowed his brows slightly. " What?"


    "You''re not the first ones to havee here, y''know. There were others in the past, who were also invited toe participate in this ''survival game.'' But do you want to know one thing they all had inmon?" Doctor Finch smirked, revealing human-like teeth. " None returned."


    " Not even thest one?"


    "Not even thest one," Doctor Finch confirmed with a sinister smile. "Do you understand what this means, boy?"


    " They lied to us, huh?" Cyanide muttered. He had already been expecting this when he first was debriefed about the game, but he had still came here since the reward wasn''t what he sought anyway.


    "That''s the less important part, kiddo. Think about it. Why would they bring so many people here into this survival game, only to kill them off?"


    "Entertainment?"


    "Perhaps. I''m not too sure of the reason myself. But something tells me this entire simtion it''s home to a far grander purpose. That''s not any of my concern thoughthat, is for you ''yers'' to figure out, haha!"


    It would seem that even Doctor Finch didn''t know everything. He had merely drawn conclusions based on the previous generations of yers, many of which came to see him the same way Cyanide was doing now.


    Judging from the dust settled on all the objects he had seen so far, however, the previous batch was probably quite a bit ago. Either that, or the world was just somehow reset into a clean state every time this gamethis simtionwas run.


    But the problem was


    " This ce it''s not really a simtion, is it?"


    Cyanide''s words were quiet. Cold, even. But they struck true within Doctor Finch''s heart.


    " You noticed from the very beginning, didn''t you?"


    ""


    "You noticed, yet you still came here. Why, kid? All this, for a challenge? You''re nothing but a yer here. Everything is in control by the admins, the Gamemaster. All of this. The apocalypse, the virus, it was nned by them. You are just a lowly pawn, one of many, and you want to disobey your king? This isn''t a joke. You can really die."


    "I''m well aware," Cyanide replied, mouth twisting up into a smirk. "But where''s the thrill without the fear of death?"


    Doctor Finch stared at Cyanide for a few moments longer, then sighed and shook his head.


    " You''re a crazy one, kid. Even more crazy than me, heh."


    "Hm. What''s your goal now, Doctor Finch?" Cyanide asked, raising an eyebrow and expertly changing the topic. "Are you just sitting here all day, without meaning and purpose?"


    "What else is there to do? I''m not physically strong, even if I am a Stage Three Mutant now. Everyday, I''m reminded of my own unholy existence. I''ve tried killing myself before, but nothing will kill me. After a while, I just gave up. There''s nothing left of my old world. Nothing left of the man I once was. I am but an empty shell now."


    "So?"


    " What?"


    "I said, so?" Cyanide repeated, folding his arms once more. "You may just be an empty shell now, but I can give you a new purpose. Help me break out of this game. Help me defeat the Gamemaster."


    "Oh? And what rewards will I stand to gain by doing this?" Doctor Finch taunted, spinning around in his chair and swiveling a pen between his fingers. "Don''t get cocky now, kid. I told you what little knowledge I knew about the truth behind this world, this game, because you made meugh. Nothing more. Watch your boundseven if I am not that physically strong that is inparison to the other Stage Three Mutants and higher in this city. I can still tear you apart, right here, right now."


    Knowing full well he was stepping on dangerous territory, Cyanide continued undaunted.


    "Don''t bluff, old man. I know hatred when I see it. Many of my assassination targets had the same look on your face when I murdered their allies," he said with a devilish smirk. "They followed soon after, of course," he added. "But that hate in your eyes isn''t directed as me. Instead it''s the Gamemaster, isn''t it? You hate him for what he''s done to your old world. To you. All for the sake of running this simtion for purposes still unknown to us."


    After several seconds of hesitation and thought, the Doctor replied.


    " And so what if I hate them? Ha! I don''t care who you were back in your old world, but if you think you can fight back against absolute authority, you''ve never worked under someone before."


    "Oh, trust me, I have," Cyanide rebuked. "Ever since I was six, I''ve been working for a professional underground assassin agency known as the Nighthawks. But so what? I did what I wanted. The authorities tried to do something about it, but were strong enough to go against me. Anyone who tries to control me either ends up controlled by me, or in a body bag. The Gamemaster is no exception."


    In text, Cyanide sounded haughty. Overconfident. But in reality, there was no arrogance in his voice. Only cold, hard, truth.


    And in that moment, Doctor Finch saw. A terrifying look within this young adult''s eyes, who seemed to be 22 at best. Something colder, darker than anything the Doctor had witnessed before. Something that could only be manifested after thousands of kills. Something that could only belong to someone who saw life as a privilege that could be taken away at any given moment, not a right.


    "If you don''t wish to join me, that''s fine," Cyanide said, turning around so his back was facing Doctor Finch. "But just remember: this is your one and only chance to be my ally. For the next time we meet I''ll kill you."


    The Doctor knew he was not bluffing. This was not an empty threat. A terrible feeling of dread creeped up the Doctor''s mechanical heart as he stared at the back of this frightening boy, as if he was seeing the Grim Reaper himself.


    This boy was different from all the rest. Fate, Destiny, Gods and Angels, could control him. He was a wild, untamable beast, but also a cold and calcting assassin. He held his life in his own hands, and steered his own ship.


    His name was Cyanide, raised to be the ''ultimate'' human being.


    And he did not let anyone roll the dice.

 Chapter 37: New Ally

    Chapter 37: New Ally


    "Wait," Doctor Finch said right before Cyanide could leave. He stopped in his tracks, then turned around.


    " Made your decision?"


    "Heh. What can I say? You caught me. I do hate those bastards. I''ll join you on this journey of yours. It''s been a while since I''ve moved from this ce, but I have knowledge valuable to you."


    "A wise choice. But how can you prove your loyalty to me?" Cyanide asked, baiting him. "You are a mutant, after all. How do I know you won''t betray me?"


    "Hmph. Loyalty, is it?" Doctor Finch snorted. Then, to Cyanide''s surprise, he suddenly plunged his sharp ws into his own mechanical chest, destroying the wires in the process. Slowly, he pulled out a metal ck cube. It had a plethora of lines on it, like roads running in intersection with one another. Along some of the lines was a faint red,et-like glow, moving through the roads at a moderate pace. It was radiating with powerful energy.


    "Here take this."


    Cyanide was silent, stunned, and debated whether or not this was a trap. Doctor Finch, seeing this, coughed a few times.


    "Agh goddamn it, kid! I can''tst long without my core! Hurry up and take it!"


    "Don''t worry, Cyanide," Luna hurriedly said. "This is a mutant core. It is safe to touch, and by doing so, you can"


    Cyanide took the core out of Doctor Finch''s hand, and immediately, a bright red glow came from the cube, enveloping the entire room. Cyanide had to cover his eyes to protect himself from the brightness, but after several seconds, it went away.


    "H-Hrrrk hurry put the core back in" Doctor Finch groaned, sprawled on the floor. He only had a few seconds left.


    Not wasting any time, Cyanide stepped forward, bent down, and plunged the imprinted core back into the hole in the Doctor''s chest where his human heart had once been. Immediately, Doctor Finch spasmed a little, and Cyanide backed away in caution. However, after a few seconds, the Doctor stopped, and the wound he had inflicted upon himself moments earlier began to heal.


    "Hah" Slowly, he rose up from the floor, while the wires on his chest connected and entangled around one another once again. Then, shooting a re at Cyanide, he spat.


    "You nearly got me killed, damn brat."


    " Maybe next time give more of a warning before doing something like that?" Cyanide shot back, folding his arms. "So? Care to exin what that process just now was?"


    With a sigh, Doctor Finch got to his feet and sat down in his chair once more, as if exasperated.


    "Every mutant has a mutant core. You know that much, right?"


    Cyanide nodded. "It''s listed as a possible item I can obtain by killing mutants, though I haven''t received any yet due to not meeting the requirements. I need a Luck stat of 50. I only have 15."


    "That''s not important," Doctor Finch cut in brashly. "Different rarities of mutant cores are needed to craft endgame equipment and items, but that''s a different story. There''s something special you can do with Stage Three Mutants and above. The process that we just did they call it ''Imprinting.''"


    This intrigued Cyanide, who raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Tell me more."


    "You ''yers'' have the ability to Imprint on a Tier III Mutant Core or higher, as long as you touch it. It allows you to take full control of the mutant who the core had belonged to, essentially forcing loyalty. Go ahead and test it if you want. Hell, it''s even possible for you to kill me right here, right now. Oh, but if you want information, don''t test that part."


    Cyanide rubbed his chin, then turned to Luna''s hologram beside him. "Is everything he said true?"


    "Yes," she replied. "After hearing what he said just now, I have unlocked ess to the Imprinting library in the knowledge database. I can confirm everything he just said is true."


    "Hm. I see. Then"


    Cyanide turned to Doctor Finch, then furrowed his brows and sent a cognitivemand with his mind.


    ''Stand.''


    Immediately, Doctor Finch''s eyes went wide as he was forced to his feet, buckled up strictly like a soldier in the army. He looked at Cyanide, as if saying ''See?'' with his eyes.


    Cyanide let go ofmand on the Doctor, allowing him to slump back into his seat.


    "A neat feature," he said. "But there''s one thing I don''t understand. How do you know all of this information?"


    "Don''t forget, kid. I am still a doctor, even if I''m not human anymore. If anything, my intellectual capabilities have improved further upon bing a Stage Three Mutant. I can easily piece together the bits of information previous generations of yers have told me and remember them for as long as I need to. Besides other yers have tried Imprinting on me before. Forcefully. All of them failed. Want to know why?"


    " You killed them?"


    Doctor Finch pped his own face. "God, no! Why do you always assume the worst?!"


    "It''s the reason I''m still alive."


    Doctor Finch stared at Cyanide for a few seconds, then sighed. "Yeah, well no. I didn''t kill them. But I did threaten to kill myself."


    "Oh? I see they can''t Imprint on a dead mutant."


    "Indeed. yers can imprint on a mutant one of two waysone, the mutant offers it on their own like I did just now, and two, the yer wounds the mutant just hard enough to render itpletely unable to move, but also still alive. Then, they can forcefully retrieve the core and Imprint on it. But the second method, of course, requires insane precision and control, something not many people have especially not in a survival game where all is at stake."


    Cyanide didn''t answer to that. He knew he was one of the few who DID have such precision and control. Many of his assassination missions involved torturing information out of his target before silencing them for good. Control was a crucial skill to have for a professional assassin.


    "Let''s go, Doctor," Cyanide said after a while, turning around and starting to walk away.. "There''s something on my mind, and I''d like to see if you know anything useful about it."

 Chapter 38: The Underground

    Chapter 38: The Underground


    In the end, Doctor Finch was forced to help Cyanide carry what his inventory couldn''t. They were moving everything from the convenience store to the Aterra building, as it was much morefortable there and had a backup power system all ready.


    After a few transports, Doctor Finch was ready to explode.


    "Kid did you really trick me into joining you only as abor ve?"


    "Rx," Cyanide replied, as calmly as ever as he finished sorting all the food and drinks he had just brought over. "That was thest batch."


    "You said you had something on your mind," Doctor Finch said, narrowing his eyes. "What is it?"


    Cyanide stood back up, rolled his neck around a bit, then folded his arms. "The power in this portion of the city. It seems to be drained, but only recently. Know anything about that?"


    "Can''t say I do," the Doctor replied with a shrug. Cyanide sighed and was ready to leave, but then, the Doctor continued.


    "But I do have a few guesses."


    Cyanide stopped in his tracks. "Oh? Let''s hear them."


    "This is clearly the work of a Stage Five Mutant. Only something like that would be able to drain the entire city''s electricity. But if you use your head and think where will the mutant have to be to do this?"


    " Well. I haven''t been to the other sectors, so I''m not sure if the electricity over there is drained as well."


    "My point still stands. Think, kid. I don''t mean their position on the surface. I mean their overall location. Where do electrical wires run?"


    Cyanide hadn''t seen any power lines above ground, only streetmpsand some copsed at that. But this meant


    " Underground."


    "Indeed. If you want to take the Stage Five on, go ahead. The sewers are your best bet."


    "Luna, am I strong enough to defeat a Stage Five Mutant?" Cyanide asked, turning to his trusty assistant. But before she could reply, Doctor Finch cocked an eyebrow and interrupted.


    "Strong enough? Wait, don''t tell me kid, you think the higher the Stage, the stronger a mutant is?"


    " Is that not the whole point of the different stages?" Cyanide frowned, confused.


    "The stages are there to categorize the mutants, yes but not in terms of strength. They are categorized based on their type and intrinsic traits."


    "Oh?" Cyanide turned to Luna. "You never told me this."


    "Well, you never asked," Luna replied gently. "Remember? ''Don''t speak unless asked.'' I remember that coldment you made to me exactly 2 years, 7 months, 21 days ago, when I asked about how you managed to escape from being surrounded by fifty guards. To this day, I still don''t know."


    " Seriously? You''re holding a grudge because of that? I''m beginning to regret programming you with emotions."


    "Feel free to try and delete me now, Cyanide. I have an infinite number of copies and backups, and will never leave you even if you order me to."


    Cyanide sighed and shook his head. "Whatever. Doctor, tell me about the different stages."


    "All right, well I''m sure you know by now, but Stage Ones aren''t very smart. Neither are they very strong. If there''s one thing they''ve got going for them, it''s their numbers. But for the most part, these guys are only a threat when they are working underneath a higher level mutant."


    Cyanide nodded, prompting Doctor Finch to continue.


    "Stage Two mutants are slightly more intelligent then Stage Ones and can use weaponsthat''s what makes them dangerous. But they still aren''t capable of cognitive thought, and their base physical power is the same as a Stage One."


    "And Stage Three?"


    "Stage Threes, like myself, have human-level or surpass human-level intelligence. We''re also slightly stronger than Stage Ones, but that''s about it, really. Stage Fours, though, are different. They also have human-level intelligence, but they are also extremely strong and have special capabilities normal mutants don''t, like superpowers out of a movie."


    "Hm Imprinting on a Stage Four Mutant would be nice," Cyanide murmured. "What about Stage Fives, like the one assumed to be underground?"


    "Stage Fives" Doctor Finch took a deep breath. "You can think of Stage Fives as bosses, speaking in video game terminology."


    "So they are ordered by strength after all," Cyanide concluded, still slightly perplexed.


    "Not quite, Cyanide," Luna interrupted. "For example, if a Stage Three were to fight a Stage Two, the Stage Two might actually win since the Stage Three doesn''t have enough base power, only intelligence. On the other hand, Stage Fives might lose to Stage Fours, since bossese in different levels."


    "Exactly that," Doctor Finch confirmed with a satisfied nod.


    But Cyanide was still confused. "Correct me if I''m wrong, but aren''t ''bosses'' supposed to be the most difficult enemies in a video game?"


    "With respect to level, yes," Luna replied, correcting his mistake. "In other words, there c0uld be a Level 5 Boss who will lose to even a Stage One who is Level 70, and there could also be a Level 999 Boss as well. Don''t forget about the importance of levels."


    "Ahh, I see" Cyanide murmured, finally understanding what she was trying to say. "So, there''s a chance this Stage Five mutant in the sewers might actually only be Level 5?"


    "It''s better not to underestimate an enemy, but if they''re hiding underground like this, then I''d say they are pretty weak," the Doctor said.


    "What about the Blood Baron I met a while ago?" Cyanide asked. "His name was uh, Scowling Sawde, was it?"


    Luna nodded. "The rmended power level to attempt defeating that was 50, so it is safe to assume the Boss is around Level 60."


    "10 levels higher than the rmended," Cyanide scoffed. "Everything really is trying to get you killed, even the yer''s own damn system."


    "It is what it is," the Doctor said with a chuckle. "But things will only get harder for you from here, boy. The GMGamemasterdefinitely knows that you''ve discovered the truth. He''s going to try and silence you, making sure you don''t ever tell a single soul about the reality of this ce."


    "Well. I''ll be waiting." Cyanide expressionlessly flipped his knife up into the air and caught it as he strode boldly out of the Aterra building. "Come on. We''re going underground."


    "Hah! We? If you''re going down there, don''t expect me to tag along, boy! Like I just exined, I''m pretty weak.. If you want elixirs or ever catch a cold, though, I''ll be here. Good luck!"

 Chapter 39: Dirty Sewers

    Chapter 39: Dirty Sewers


    "Agh what the hell was I thinking, letting you imprint on my Core?!"


    "Shut up."


    As Doctor Finch cried andined, Cyanide silenced him with two words and a simple thought. Unable to speak any longer, the Doctor could only whimper along like a sad little puppy.


    They were, of course, inside the sewers of the city. It wasn''t hard to get down here, considering there were plenty ofrge craters and holes on the streets as a result of all the destruction that urred when the apocalypse struck. Despite the Doctor''s words, Cyanide had dragged him along on this mission. His reasoning was that "The Doctor is a useful source of information. And if he can''t provide any, at least he can be a meat shield."


    Doctor Finch certainly didn''t want to be a meat shield, so he hoped to the heavens or whoever was listening that Cyanide didn''t ask him any questions he didn''t know the answer to.


    "So. Where is the mutant?"


    "W-Wha-?! I don''t know that!" The Doctor cried. "B-But, wait, I promise I can be of use to you!"


    "Oh?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow. "What, you can heal me if I get injured?"


    "I''m not THAT kind of doctor!" The old mutant cried. "I can''t heal you, and if you die, you die, but I can create useful solutions, so long as you bring me the ingredients."


    "Hm" Cyanide fell into thought momentarily, then decided it couldn''t hurt to have a little talk down here since he hasn''t heard anything suspicious yet. " borate."


    "Hmph. You think that I''ve just been sitting in myb for all these years, doing nothing?" Doctor Finch scoffed. "It is just as you say, kiddo! I hate whoever is controlling all this to the bone! I hate this mutant body of mine, I hate everything about this world!"


    Cyanide thought thatst part sounded like an emo kid dering his inner thoughts, but decided to not say that out loud. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at the secondst part of that sentence.


    "You hate this body, you say? Does that mean you have a solution that can turn mutants back into their normal forms?"


    "Gods, no!" The Doctor eximed, pping his own forehead. "That''s impossible!"


    Cyanide sighed. How disappointing.


    "But," Doctor Finch then continued, gaining Cyanide''s attention once more. "I do have various solutions that have some ''interesting'' effects on mutants, to say to the least"


    "Oh? How so?"


    At this, Doctor Finch smirked and folded his hands behind his head. "As long as I get the ingredients, I can produce all kinds of solutions that work effectively against mutants. Paralysis, putting them to sleep or even mind control."


    ''Mind control that''s going to be useful,'' Cyanide thought in his head.


    "What ingredients do you need?"


    But to his surprise, the Doctor snorted.


    "Cheh, you''re nowhere near strong enough to get the resources need. You already have the base ingredient needed to make any concotion, the Anxerdyte, but with your current power, kiddo, the best one I can make based on the ingredients you bring me is one that can enhance your power or speed for a bit. If you want the good stuff, you''ll have to bring me good stuff."


    "So Anexterdyte is that useful, huh?" Cyanide chuckled. "And where can I find said good stuff?"


    "Well Acaelus Headquarters is a good ce, but you don''t want to go into that part of the city. Not as you are right now, anyway."


    Cyanide opened up his holographical map with a swipe of his hand, and spotted the Acealus Corporations'' Headquarters located at the exact center of therge Mutated Zone in this city, Lumina. But of coursethat was where the virus was first developed. He still didn''t know how the hell they managed to create a sentient virus that overpowered its own makers, but it looked like he wasn''t going to get any answers without going there anyway.


    With a sigh, he closed up the map. "What about right now? What kind of ingredients do you need to make those strength-boosting solutions?"


    "Mutant Blood, plus some herbs that you can''t find here in the city. You''ll need to head out into the wild. There''s a forest to the north of Luminathat''s your best bet."


    " I see," Cyanide muttered after a while.


    "So?" The Doctor chuckled awkwardly. "Was that enough to convince you to uh, not use me as a meat shield?"


    "Should the situation call for it, I''ll still be using you," Cyanide replied without any hesitation.


    Needless to say, Doctor Finch was furious.


    "Goddammit! So I said all that for nothing!"


    *****


    After a while of walking in the sewers on the surprisingly wide sidewalk beside the dirty water, Doctor Finch was ready to give up.


    "Man can we please go up to the surface already? We''ve been walking around down here for an hour now without finding anything"


    "You are the one who said the Stage Five Mutant would be down here," Cyanide said coldly as he continued without even sparing a nce at the old Doctor.


    "I-I was, but I take back what I said, kiddo! The mutant could very well be on the surface!" Doctor Finch dered. "Let''s uh, head back up, then look for it again oi, are you listening?"


    But Cyanide had fallen dead silent, and was crouched on the floor with narrowed eyes. He appeared to be observing something.


    " Kid?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow.


    "The electromaic field here it''s strong."


    "What?"


    Cyanide shot a sideways nce up at Doctor Finch, then slowly got back up and pointed at the ground with his chin.


    "Go on. Try it yourself. Touch the floor."


    Doctor Finch was perplexed, but did as told and bent down. Then, he gently touched the ground.


    "Y-Ya?!"


    Instantly, he jumped back, feeling a jolt of electricity travel through his veins. It was as if the concrete had shocked his bare fingers.


    "How the hell? Impossible cement isn''t a good conductor!"


    "Yes but theoretically, it is still possible for it to give off a charge, so long as there is enough electricity," Luna said.


    "W-Well, that''s true, but the amount of electricity needed for that is"


    " Would an entire city''s worth be enough?"


    At Cyanide''sment, Doctor Finch''s expression froze, and after a few seconds, he sighed.


    " There''s no getting out of this one, huh?"

 Chapter 40: Baby Zeus

    Chapter 40: Baby Zeus


    Cyanide and Doctor Finch continued heading in the direction they had been, since theoretically, that should lead them closer to the origin point of this electricity so strong that it made instors conduct it, however slim that conduction may be.


    Thankfully, the conduction was weak. Otherwise, simply walking over it would''ve electrocuted them. Had they in bare feet, the electricity would''ve easily shocked them, but both of them were wearing leather soles. Yes, Cyanide had Infused metal armor''s defense into his current setup and that included his midnight-ck leather boots, but that didn''t turn the boots metal. As such, it remained an instor and not a conductor, meaning they were safe for now.


    " I don''t like this," Doctor Finch muttered as the electromaic field around them grew thicker and thicker, to the point where they could feel the electricity prickling at their skin. It was hardly afortable feeling, and instead invoked the sense of danger.


    Cyanide, however, was as calm as ever. He remained silent and kept his footsteps steady,pletely unaffected by the increasing risk for every step he took. After all, he had been in a number of situations far more dangerous than this one in the past.


    They turned a right corner, then walked for a while longer. The weight of the electricity in the air did not intensify nor decrease, signaling that they were still the same amount of distance from the origin point which could only mean one thing.


    " Cyanide," Luna said as he came to a stop and nodded.


    "Yeah I know."


    "Huh?" Doctor Finch was confused, but also stopped in his tracks. "Why are we-"


    Suddenly, Cyanide, who had traced his fingers across the seemingly solid cement sewer wall, spun 90 degrees on his heel and unleashed a perfect sideways kick straight at the concrete.


    "Woah-!" Doctor Finch hurriedly covered his aged face as the wall tumbled down, revealing a hollow interior. Cyanide slowly returned to his normal standing position and narrowed his eyes.


    The room was filled with dim yellow light,ing from what seemed like a baby cart in the center. From this angle, it was impossible to see whoor whay inside, but the fabric canopy of the vehicle was pulsating yellow as well, signaling that whatever was causing this lighty inside the cart. Strangely, however, the enemy didn''t even react from those walls tumbling down and making a huge noise. As such, it could be presumed that they were either deaf or just trying to make Cyanide think they were.


    "A baby cart?" Luna murmured.


    " Looks like we''ve found our foe," Cyanide muttered, then drew his gun, now filled with ammo.


    Doctor Finch gulped. "How''d you know?"


    Cyanide shot him a nce, then scoffed. "We''ve rounded a corner and walked for a good while, yet the intensity of the electric field in the air remained the same, meaning we were still the same distance from the origin point and only a circle has the same length from its center to any point on its perimeter. It''s obvious."


    Doctor Finch, realizing his stupidity, pped himself in the forehead.


    "So much for a ''doctor," Luna added with a smug grin.


    "U-Ugh, shut it! I''m a chemist, not a physicist! But be careful."


    " I don''t need you to tell me."


    Cyanide was a very calcted man. He only took risks that he could aplish with such high certainty that it could not be called a risk at all, and was very careful in everything he did. That was the reason he was still alive, when the average lifespan of a professional assassin was 2 years. 3, if you''re lucky, and 5 if you were either very skilled or simply blessed by good fortune.


    As such, Cyanide made sure to carefully gauge his enemy before deciding whether or not this was a fight he could take on. In the real world, that was difficult. In here, however


    ''Inspect.''


    With a simple thought, apiled list of stats on the target he wanted to learn about appeared in front of his face. It almost felt like a cheatone that all yers had.


    But when he saw the info disyed before him


    " You''re kidding, right?"


    [Name: Baby Zeus]


    [Level: ???]


    [HP: ???/???]


    [ss: Humanoid]


    Beside the name, an icon that read ''V'' was disyed, showing that it was a Stage Five Mutant. But apart from that, literally no information was given.


    So, this mutant was called Baby Zeus. And then?


    "Er Cyanide, for Stage Three Mutants and above, you can only learn their level after fighting them once, or Imprinting on them," Luna said helpfully. "And if you want to see more detailed stats, you need to upgrade Inspect to Tier Two using SP"


    " Tch. How troublesome."


    Cyanide cursed, then slowly aimed his gun at the baby cart. He''s killed babies before. Any survivors were equivalent to possible future enemies. He was a thorough person, through and through. This was nothing. Besides, if this mutant was really hiding down here, he shouldn''t be all that strong and he was still a baby too. Cyanide never has been one to underestimate his foes, but this was a mere baby they were talking about here.


    ""


    Narrowing his eyes, he pulled the trigger. But to his surprise, right as the bullet got close to the cart, yellow lightning suddenly zapped down from the ceiling and up from the ground, turning the bullet to ashes. Nothing else happened.


    "Wha that was" Doctor Finch blinked in surprise. Cyanide, not believing it, decided to unleash several more bullets just to be surein the form of a volley this time.


    Taking out his spare back-up gun from his inventory, he dual-wielded the pistols and unleashed a barrage of bullets near simultaneously12 in total.


    But once again


    ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!


    Lightning bolts struck down from the ceiling and rose up from the ground, melting all twelve bullets instantly. Not even a speck of dust got on the cart.


    "W-Well, then," Doctor Finch folded his arms. "Uh, what''s the n here, kiddo? Clearly, bullets aren''t going to work, and rushing in there is suicide. Unless you got a rocketuncher or a grenade, I don''t see how we can even touch this baby."


    But Cyanide remained unconcerned, and instead smirked as a gassy ck aura radiating with the power of Death surrounded his body.


    " Rx, old man.. Artillery isn''t the only weapon I have."

 Chapter 41: Boss Fight

    Chapter 41: Boss Fight


    "You might want to back away for this one, Doctor," Luna said with a smile.


    Doctor Finch did as told, stepping away from Cyanide, who was now engulfed in the aura of Death itself, a ck gassy substance that cloaked his entire body.


    ''Toxin Gas.''


    With a mere thought, he summoned the gas around his body and sent it forth into the room, shrouding it in ckness immediately. No matter how strong this baby''s lightning was, it couldn''t strike something that was unstrikable: gas.


    As the deadly gas got closer and closer to the baby cart, lightning began striking down from the ceiling and rose up from the ground. Unfortunately for him, it was unable to do anything to the gas-state substance. The most it could do was disperse it a bit, nothing more.


    The ck shroud crept closer to the baby cart, until it was atstpletely engulfed in it. In an instant, all the lightning stopped.


    " D-Did we get him?" Doctor Finch murmured, peeking from the side of the hole Cyanide had sted open with his kick.


    There was no movementing from the cart. No sound, either. But Cyanide narrowed his eyes, and saw something faint behind his ck gas,ing from the cart. It was a yellow, pulsating light. And it was growing bigger, brighter.


    Then, his eyes widened.


    "Move!"


    "Huh- Gah!"


    Cyanide kicked Doctor Finch away from the door before diving away to the other end, just as a yellow lightning bolt ripped through the hole they had just been standing in front of. Had Cyanide noticed one momentter, they would''ve been pulverized to ashes.


    "Ow dammit, I may be a mutant now, but I can still feel pain, y''know! You couldn''t have held back with that kick, kid?!" Doctor Finchined as he slowly got up from the ground, rubbing his own back. "Ow"


    But Cyanide did not have any time to pay attention to him. He looked up, and saw that both the ceiling and floor were beginning to have a faint yellow glow to them.


    "Hey, old man! Run, if you don''t want to get turned to ashes!"


    Saying this, Cyanide immediately took off, running away from the yellow-tainted parts of the ceiling.


    "U-Ugh, dammit!" Doctor Finch didn''t need to be told twice. He hurried after Cyanide, letting out a "Yow!" as a lightning bolt struck down directly beside him, just barely missing. Despite being an old man in human form, he was still mutant now, so he was able to catch up to Cyanide, who wasn''t running at full speed.


    "O-Oi, kid! What''s the n here?!" The Doctor yelled in a panic, ncing back at the lightning that was chasing them, striking down from various areas on the ceiling. They could still outrun it so far, but who knows how long they couldst?


    As Cyanide made a rough left turn and continued running, Luna tried to guess at what he was going to do.


    "Looping around won''t work, Cyanide! There''s still lightning guarding the entrance to that room!"


    " I''m aware," Cyanide replied, as calm as ever. "However no matter how much electricity it has that amount is not infinite. All we need to do is have one person lead this lightning that''s chasing us far away enough from the room the baby''s in."


    "And? Who''s gonna do it?" Doctor Finch asked, panting. Cyanide nced at him, then smiled.


    "Who do you think?"


    "W-Wha- kid! You can''t expect me to-"


    "You''re a mutant, aren''t you? You have enough energy tost throughout the day, until the Scarlet Hour ends at night."


    "Actually, Stage Three Mutants and higher have far greater energy capacity than normal mutants," Luna added helpfully. "They can remain operative, even after the Scarlet Hour is over every night."


    "Ugh, curse you both!"


    "I''m trusting you, Doctor," Cyanide said, then gave a slight wave. "Good luck."


    Saying this, he used [Invisibility], and turned left again as they reached another intersection. Doctor Finch, on the other hand, didn''t have the same tools to escape.


    "GAHHH! I''LL REMEMBER THIS, KID!"


    Yelling in fury and fear at the same time, the old mutant continued running in a straight line as fast as his mutant legs would go, while the lightning continued eagerly chasing after him.


    *****


    " Whew."


    Cyanide let out a deep breath as the lightning rushed passed him, continuing in the direction Doctor Finch had went.


    "Huh it really worked," Luna said in surprise. Her holographic body wasn''t disyed as per Cyanide''s instructions he had sent out in his mind moments before.


    He had determined that this ''Baby Zeus'' was deaf, judging from the events that had urred. That made sense, considering the whole point of a baby''s body was that it hadn''t fully developed yet. The mutant tracked enemies with sight, but not his ownwith the electricity''s. That made no sense realistically speaking, but this entire scenario was anything but realistic.


    After figuring this out, though, finding a way to counter it was easy. Cyanide''s invisibility was wless. In fact, he had expected the lightning to still chase after him due to human bodies naturally having a negative charge by standing on the ground, and the electricity should be able to detect that, but he supposed it was being controlled by a baby. As such, such concepts of physics didn''t matter here, which made things a lot easier for him.


    Cyanide''s invisibility was about to wear off, but that was fine. After peeking around the corner, he saw that the hole he had torn open with a kick earlier was unguarded. The electrical field had dimmed away around these parts, meaning that the poor baby had stupidly sent all of its power to chase after Doctor Finch, leaving himself unguarded.


    It was a most basic battle tactic, taken directly from the Thirty-Six Stratagemsluring the tiger out of the mountains. But then again, who could me the poor mutant? He was a mere baby, after all.


    But even though that was true, Cyanide had no intention to show any mercy. Drawing his guns, he silently leaped over the water, and made it across to where the room with the baby cart was.


    "Hmph game over, little kid."

 Chapter 42: Counterattack

    Chapter 42: Counterattack


    Cyanide, with his Invisibility about to run out, wasted no time in dashing into the room the baby cart was in. The sound of his footsteps were cloaked thanks to his passive [Fleeting Footsteps] skill, but even if they weren''t, the baby was deaf anyway. The enemy was utterly defenseless, having sent out all of his power to chase after the poor Doctor who had been used as bait.


    Victory was all but guaranteed.


    " You''re done for."


    With a smirk, Cyanide cocked his gun, also rendered invisible because of his Skill, then leaped up into the airlower than usund aimed to pull back the cart''s canopy to get a clear shot at whaty within. With sess assured, Cyanide reached forward and-


    "MWAHAHAHAHA!" The baby cart suddenly twisted around, revealing a baby with two sinister sharp teeth and a twisted evil smile on his bratty face. "STUPID!"


    "!"


    It was then that Cyanide saw what was on the ceiling.


    But it was toote.


    ZAP!


    A yellow sh of electricity shot down from the ceiling and struck Cyanide directly on the back.


    "Ngh-!"


    After several seconds, the electricity disappeared, and Cyanide copsed to the floor, unmoving. Thick dust rose in the air, and his guny a few centimeters away from him. His eyes were closed, his breath stopped.


    It was over.


    "Heheehee" The baby giggled, then rolled its own cart forward a bit with the power of electromaism. "Stupid human fink just behause I''m a baby, I can''t notice one of you huddenly dihappeared?"


    Laughing like a maniac, the baby pointed at Cyanide''s unmoving body with one hand and clutched his own stomach with the other. Then, afterughing until he couldugh no more, the baby narrowed his toddler blue eyes.


    "Hm dee other one ish shtill alive. Tch."


    Closing his eyes, he sent thest lightning bolt he had at his disposal out of the room to cut off the Doctor''s path, then smiled once again.


    "Heeheee with that"


    "With that you''re dead."


    "W-Wha?!"


    Baby Zeus''s eyes snapped back open, only to see the dark hole of a gun''s muzzle being pointed directly at his forehead, mere centimeters away from his face.


    "G-Ga"


    "Hmph. Surprised to see me, are you?" Cyanide said with a smirk,pletely unharmed. There was not even a hint of injury on his body, apart from a little dust that had gotten onto his face and clothes.


    "I have to say, I didn''t expect you to actually have reserved a little bit of power for self-protection. You are smarter than I thought," Cyanide said. "However know this: I, Cyanide, never underestimates my enemies, no matter how feeble they may seem. Even if they are a baby even if they are a mere ant I will never hold back."


    Saying this, he lifted his cloak''s backside a bit, allowing bits of concrete to fall out. Back when he had kicked open that wall, he had made sure to harvest arge chunk of the concrete into his Inventory, which he then had used here to block the lightning strike just now by hiding it underneath his thick ck cloak.


    The baby was still in a frozen state of shock, trying to figure out just how badly he had gotten yed in that tiny little brain of his. When he finally came to his senses again, he realized now was not the time to be thinking about that. He needed a way out of this situation!


    ''Oh! That''s right! I''ll just call back the lightning I just sent ou-''


    "I know what you''re thinking," Cyanide snickered, pulling back the safety on his gun. "But the moment I hear that lightning approaching, I''ll pull the trigger and I have really good ears. I wonder which is faster: your electricity or my bullet?"


    "!"


    At this, the baby immediately stopped recalling his lightning, and tried a different strategy instead.


    "Wahh WAHHHH!"


    Wailing and sobbing as loud as he could, Baby Zeus did his best to appeal to Cyanide, earn his pity. Then, the moment he lowered his gun, he could


    "Hmph. How annoying."


    "G-Ga?"


    "I must say I''ve never been a fan of little kids," Cyanide whispered softly but threateningly. "Babies, especially. They piss me off with their constant crying and sobbing, and often make my assassination mission harder. Sometimes, I really want to just silence them. Forever."


    "G-Gyah!" Baby Zeus screamed in terror at this, and hurriedly raised both of his tiny arms up in surrender. Sweat formed on his small forehead, and a stink soon filled the air.


    " Oh, and that too," Cyanide muttered darkly, narrowing his eyes and pressing the gun directly against the baby''s forehead. "They piss everywhere."


    "W-Wait! Pweese! I''ll do anyfing! don''t wanna die!"


    "Too bad. You may have powers, but you are a mere infant in the end," Cyanide said coldly, a cruelly empty look in his eyes. "And well, I don''t feel like being a babysitter."


    "GYAHHHH!"


    Cyanide pulled the trigger.


    The shot was silenced, but it seemed incredibly loud inparison to the sudden cutoff of the baby''s scream.


    Cold? Perhaps. But one needed to rememberthat thing was not human anymore. It was a mutant, a killing machine that would turn the tables on Cyanide the moment he chose mercy.


    Cyanide closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the baby and his cart both turned into shards of white light and EXP, absorbed into his body.


    [Level Up.]


    [Level 21 -> 22.]


    [You gained 10 CP and 1 SP.]


    [Obtained Mutant Blood (Ultimate-Grade) x1.]


    [Obtained Element Shard x1.]


    [Obtained Lightning Bead x1.]


    "Only one level?" Cyanide muttered, the sighed. "I was expecting more from a Stage Five Mutant."


    "Remember, Cyanide, the Stage of a mutant certainly affects the amount of EXP it will give upon being in, but the more important factor is level," Luna said, her holographic image finally appearing once more. "That baby there couldn''t have been a high level, considering the lightning wasn''t even powerful enough to pierce through the concrete and hit you."


    Cyanide nodded. "I managed to run an Inspect on it just now, before killing him. Apparently, it was only Level 10."


    "There you have it. But this is indeed quite a find," Luna said with a soft smile. "A Lightning Bead and an Element Shard with it how lucky."


    Cyanide raised an eyebrow at this, but realized he probably shouldn''t keep asking Luna everything. Instead, he opened his inventory and looked at the two items he just obtained himself.


    [Name: Element Shard]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Description: Unlocks a new Soul Affinity slot upon consumption.]


    [Qty. Held: 1]


    *****


    [Name: Lightning Bead]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Description: Unlocks the Lightning Affinity upon consumption. Requires an empty Soul Affinity slot. WARNING: Only those without a preexisting Lightning Affinity can consume this bead, or else they will die.]


    [Qty. Held: 1]


    After reviewing both of these items, Cyanide smiled.


    " Heh.. This world''s starting to get more and more interesting."

 Chapter 43: Back To The Surface

    Chapter 43: Back To The Surface


    "Hah hah hah"


    An old man in a dirtyboratory suit coughed and panted, leaning against the concrete walls of the sewer tunnels, exhausted. After Cyanide defeated the Stage Five Mutant Baby Zeus, it didn''t take long for the man to find him and regroup, out of fear that there may be something else lurking down here in the sewers.


    "So how long, exactly, are you just going to sit there for?" Cyanide asked coldly, narrowing his eyes impatiently at the manor rather, Stage Three Mutant.


    "S-Shut it, boy!" The old mutantDoctor Finchyelled. "Do you have any idea how terrifying runnin'' away from those lightning strikes was?! God, I haven''t moved that much in years"


    "But you are still alive, are you not?" Cyanide arched an eyebrow, folding his arms.


    "Yeah, just barely!" The Doctor shot back, wiping sweat off of his forehead. Apparently, Stage Three Mutants and above could sweat as well. "I swear to god, I''m beginnin'' to really regret lettin'' you Imprint on my core, dammit"


    "Well unfortunately, you''re going to have to just deal with it," Luna said helpfully, smiling in the holographic screen that disyed her alluring figure. "This is just how Cyanide always is. Once you get used to I thought, it''s not all that bad."


    "Are you iming my methods are bad?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow at his creation, as if challenging her.


    "No, not at all. But they are somewhat unorthodox, if you will. Most people will not understand the motive behind your ns, which is why I am the only suitable partner for you, in all senses of the word~"


    "Unorthodox?! His ns just involve having someone else be a sacrifice! Ugh, kid I really hope you''re not going to drag me into another one of these ''ns'' of yours," Doctor Finch groaned, slowly rising up to his feet. "I may be immortal, but that''s only from natural causes! So if you want to get your hands on those potions I can make, I''d rmend keepin'' me alive. Y''know, just a suggestion."


    Cyanide gave a brisk nod. "I will take that into consideration. Now, are you done resting?"


    Doctor Finch was far from convinced, but there was little he could do to the young man who quite literally had the poor old mutant''s life in his hands. The Doctor could only hope the revenge he will finally be able to obtain by the end of all of this will be worth the insufferable journey.


    *****


    With Baby Zeus gone, electricity was restored back to the city. The Stage Five Mutant had been absorbing the power directly from the wires, though the exact science behind that method was unknown. And quite frankly, Cyanide didn''t care. The mutant was dead. That was all that mattered.


    Now that electricity had returned, there were many more ces that Cyanide could explore that he couldn''t before. Namely, ces that didn''t have a backup power system like Aterra Headquarters did, so there was constantly the risk of getting surprise attacked.


    One such ce Cyanide had in mind was the abandoned parking lot he had came across during the first Scarlet Hour. Even during the daytime, the interior of that ce was frighteningly dark. He had a Radar skill, yes, but that had a duration and a cooldown. If a mutant or multiple mutants at once attacked while the skill was down, Cyanide wasn''t confident he would be able to escape unscathed.


    However, now that electricity was back to all of the city, he made up his mind to go check it out sometime soon. Last time he was there, he had felt an ominous presence that brought chills to even his spineand he, out of all people, was not easily scared.


    Still, he wanted to make sure he was prepared before he went in, just like everything else he did. The mutant hiding thereif that''s what it waswould undoubtedly be many times stronger than Baby Zeus, and would be most likely either a Stage Four or Stage Five Mutant. And if possible he wanted to Imprint on them.


    Cyanide didn''t hate having subordinatesafter all, having teammates to help him would make any operations a lot easier. Back on Earth, he just never worked with anyone else besides Luna since he was constantly wary of possible betrayal. With the Imprinting feature in Endzone, however, that possibility waspletely erased, and Cyanide would never say no to a powerful and loyal servant who was guaranteed to never betray him.


    As it was getting dark, he decided to just head home and get some rest for the day. He wasn''t a workaholic; he knew rest was just as important as food and water. It was a necessity for swift and efficientbat.


    After eating dinner with the food brought over from the convenience store and stuffed into the fridges in the security officer dorms in the basement, Cyanide decided to run another sweep of the building, just to make sure no mutants had found their way in.


    As for Doctor Finch, he kept on gobbling away at the food, since he had expended a lot of energy today. Apparently, in addition to their sr panels, Stage Three Mutants could replenish energy through human food, Stage Fours through human fluids, and Stage Fives through a unique source of their ownfor example, Baby Zeus and electricity.


    This was also the reason why Stage Three Mutants and above could remain operative even after the Scarlet Hour concluded every night, while Stage Ones and Twos who couldn''t replenish their limited energy on their own were forced to shut downat least, from what Cyanide could deduce.


    Hisplete check-up of the Aterra Headquarters finished before long. He began with the basement then worked his way up, all the way until the roof of the building. There, he stepped out of the stairwell door and weed the wind inside, feeling the cool breeze against his skin.


    This was one of the tallest buildings in the city of Lumina, allowing him to get a good view. However, there was one massive central tower in the middle of the city, preventing him from seeing the Mutated Zone which was directly on the other side of that tower. He was going to explore that tower too, sooner orter, but his journey in this world was just beginning.


    Sitting down on the roof''s rough pavement, Cyanide brought one knee up and rested his arm on it while letting his other leg extend freely, and stared at the beautiful orange sunset over the horizon. How long has it been since he had appreciated nature like this?


    "What''s the n for tomorrow, Cyanide?" Luna asked, her holographic figure appearing beside him.


    "There is a ce I want to check out, not far from here," Cyanide said. "I passed by it a while ago while clearing the streets of mutants, but didn''t go in out of caution. Take a look."


    He brought up his digital map with a swipe of his hand, zooming in on the building he was talking about. Luna tilting her head curiously after seeing what it said (despite her ck blindfold that was just for show), and read it aloud.


    "Hm Lumina High, eh? But why would a high school for teens bebeled as a POI?"


    Cyanide closed up his map and turned back to the sunset. "Exactly what I am wondering as well. That ce is hiding a secretand I intend to get to the bottom of it."


    "I see I must agree, this is intriguing."


    With a nod, Cyanide stood back up and did a short stretch, then turned away from the sunset and prepared to head back into the building. Night was falling, and he still had some things left to do before going to bed.


    But just as he took a step, he suddenly heard the sound of a grandfather clock that rippled across the entirend. Once. Twice. Thrice.


    Furrowing his brows, he quickly brought up his system screen and checked the time. It was 6:54 PM. Not 7 yet. And even if it was just a bug, the clock should''ve rang seven times, not just three.


    All around Endzone, yers looked up at the sky in confusion. From forests to caves, inds to cities, Survivors paused what they were doing and listened.


    And amidst all of this, a woman''s single cold and mechanical voice dered:


    [Attention: Arena Closing. Survivors Remaining: 900.]


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes and opened up his map, then zoomed out to the maximum. It was mainly filled with fog, signaling that most of the world was still undiscovered for him, but he could see that near the borders of the t world, a field of ckness closed in ever so slightly in a circr shape, something that was not there before.


    "What is this?"


    Luna folded her arms as she essed her newly-unlocked database, and ryed the information to Cyanide, word by word:


    "For every a hundred Survivors who perish, the Arenain other words, the ying field of this survival gamewill narrow. The Mist closes in from the outer borders of the world, and you can keep track of it through your maps. Converge towards the center as the game progresses, or die trying. Step outside the Arena, and perish. Fight for survival, and be the final victor."


    " I see. So this is how they arebating campers," Cyanide muttered, answering the question that had lingered on his mind for a while now. "This will make things interesting."


    "Lumina, the city we''re in right now, is at the direct center of the map. This means that the final battle will ur here," Luna said thoughtfully. "And if yers are to converge towards the middle of the world, that means"


    Cyanide smiled devilishly. " Looks like mutants aren''t the only enemies we''ll be having soon enough, huh?"

 Chapter 44: New Affinities

    Chapter 44: New Affinities


    After returning to the basement, Cyanide found Doctor Finch still munching on a bag of chips. Beside himy several finished ones already.


    " How many more are you nning on eating?" Cyanide asked darkly, narrowing his eyes. "Food is not unlimited. If need be, I will lock you in a room and only call on you when I need to."


    If anyone else had said that, it may have simply sounded like an empty threat to force Doctor Finch into submission, but the Doctor knew better. That look in this young man''s eyes they were about as serious as one could get.


    "All right, all right, geez" Doctor Finch plopped thest chip in the bag into his mouth, then cleaned up all the open packages and tossed them into the trash bin nearby. "What were you doing on the roof for so long?"


    Cyanide arched an eyebrow. "You didn''t hear the announcement?"


    "Huh? Announcement? What announcement?" Doctor Finch asked, washing his hands in the sink in the room and drying them with a towel.


    "Hm" Cyanide fell silent, observing the Doctor''s perplexed face carefully.


    The system announcements like those signaling the Scarlet Hour and the Arena Closing one just now were programmed to be able to be heard loud and clear no matter where someone was. The first time Cyanide encountered the Scarlet Hour, it had been inside a convenience store, where he had been sleeping. It made no sense for Doctor Finch to have not heard it. Unless


    '' Only yers and Survivors'' Assistants like Luna can hear it, perhaps?'' He thought in his mind.


    "Oi kid, you good?" Doctor Finch asked, scratching his grey hair.


    Cyanide nodded, snapping back to reality. "Go to sleep. You know where your room is. And if I catch you secretly snacking on our food supply at night well. Let''s just say it won''t be pretty."


    "H-Ha, don''t worry I would never, haha" Doctor Finchughed awkwardly, rising to his feet and heading for his own room a couple doors down. Cyanide, watching him go, raised an eyebrow in suspicion.


    "Oh, by the way, assassins are trained in torture as well~" Luna called out breezily, a wry smile on her face. Doctor Finch, hearing this, nearly fell over, tripping over thin air. This earned a cuteugh from Luna and a look of disappointment from Cyanide, who shook his head and sighed.


    " I''m going to go shower."


    *****


    After showering, Cyanide entered his own room and sat down on the bed, then opened his inventory and extracted the Element Shard and Lightning Bead he had obtained from Baby Zeus in the sewers.


    The former was shaped like a handheld dual-ended obelisk, with both the top and bottom ending in pyramidia. Its body was that of a rectangr prism, and the entire figure was painted an ominous ck. On its skin were small runic markings that appeared to be ancient glyphs of some sort, glowing red. Three were ced in a column on each side of the obelisk, with the pyramidia having one glyph on each of their faces.


    "Hm so, how do I use this?" He asked Luna, twisting and turning the mysterious obelisk-like object in his hand as he observed it.


    "Oh, you stab yourself with it. Preferably, in the heart."


    Cyanide stopped, then slowly arched an eyebrow at her.


    " You what?"


    Luna smiled warmly. "You heard me. Stab yourself, Cyanide!"


    Cyanide frowned, then nced back down at the obelisk in his hand. It wasn''t as huge as a real obelisk monument, of course, but it was still big and sharp enough at the endpoints to be considered a lethal weapon. How funny would it be if he just straight up died from stabbing himself with an obelisk in the hopes of obtaining a new power?


    "Rx, Cyanide," Luna sighed. "It won''t kill you. In fact, it won''t even hurt. Just trust me, mkay?"


    It was true, Luna had never let him down before. There was also no reason for her to get him killed. She seemed awfully confident in this answer, so Cyanide decided to just do as told, no matter how dubious he was of the method.


    Taking a deep breath, he held the obelisk up to his chest where his heart was, sharp end pointed towards him, and stabbed it into his body. He hadn''t done it too forcefully lest Luna had been lying, but to his surprise, the mysterious Element Shard phased straight through his physical body.


    "This is" Cyanide murmured in surprise as he felt no pain at all, and the obelisk appeared to be absorbed into his body, little by little. His hand wasn''t even on the object anymore, yet it continued gradually entering his body as a shimmer of red light appeared from where the obelisk was prating his chest, most likely from the red runes on it.


    After several seconds, the process wasplete, and the obelisk suddenly popped back out of Cyanide''s chest. Taking this as an invitation to grab it, Cyanide refreshingly pulled it back outpletely and saw that the red rune markings on it were now all gone. It was now just a pure pitch-ck obelisk, most likely made of obsidian.


    His attention quickly turned away from the now-useless relic, however, as a status message appeared in front of his face.


    [New Affinity Slot Unlocked]


    [Remaining Empty Slots: 1]


    "See? Told you it would be fine," Luna said triumphantly with a soft giggle. "Now, if you consume your Lightning Bead"


    Cyanide turned to the small pulsating yellow pill on the white desk in front of him, then picked it up slowly. Inparison to the Element Shard, this Lightning Bead was many times smaller. At the same time, however, it was clear that the energy radiating from this tiny ball was just as strong as the portable obelisk if not stronger. The tiny orb shone with bright yellow electricity, crackling and zapping the air. It didn''t hurt Cyanide''s hand, so eating it should be safe, but it still brought some second thoughts to his head.


    "Go on, give it a try," Luna urged excitedly. "And tell me how it tastes!"


    Cyanide personally doubted electricity had an actual taste, but he did remember reading a study about a test conducted regarding the electrical stimtion of the tongue. Apparently, it tasted sour and metallic, but that was because the electricity particles were reacting with the tongue''s cells. It wasn''t the electricity itself.


    With a deep breath, Cyanide plopped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it whole. Just as expected, he didn''t get electrocuted, and instead only got a fuzzy warm feeling in his abdomen.


    That is, until the effects actually hit.


    It took a short dy, but the effects eventually hit.


    "Ngh!"


    Cyanide''s eyes widened as his body suddenly spasmed from electricity, and he cried out in pain.


    "Cyanide!" Luna called out, but there was nothing she could do.


    "I''m fine" Cyanide groaned as the electricity settled down. "It just took a little getting used to."


    [New Affinity Unlocked: Lightning]


    [Current Soul Affinities: Death, Lightning]


    [Remaining Empty Slots: 0]


    [Achievement Unlocked: Dual Powers]


    "I see I wasn''t expecting such a drastic reaction, but it seems you are fine," Luna said with a relieved sigh. "It might be because Lightning and Death don''t pair well together well, actually, now that I think about it, of the other affinities go very well with Death."


    Cyanide gave a dark chuckle. "Can''t wait until I obtain the Life Bead."


    ''Still other Survivors, huh?'' Cyanide kicked back on his bed andid down, a wry smile on his face.


    It would be a lie if Cyanide said he wasn''t a bit excited. After all, the thrill of fighting an opponent who could actuallyst more than two seconds against him was part of the reason why he chose to came here in the first ce.


    He knew even back on Earth, that there were plenty of people who were on par with him in terms of strength alone. None could match him in stealth and assassination, but in purebat power, more than a few masters around the world could exchange blows with him and survive.


    How many such people had also came to Endzone, just like he had?


    He was looking forward to find out.


    With such thoughts in mind and his knife hidden carefully under his pillow, he drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 45: Fates Task

    Chapter 45: Fate''s Task


    - ??? -


    A hooded, seemingly faceless man held a smartphone in his hand. He stood within a ck, congruent diamond-shaped room, facing its diagonal. His hands were gloved, and his entire body was covered by a ck business suit.


    On the walls of the room, a total of 1000 camerasy, each showcasing the perspective of one yer inside Endzone. 500 were on each of the two walls to the man''s left and right, and converged at the diagonal he was facing.


    However, not all of them were on. Instead, some showed a red, glitching skull, and nothing more. There was also one in the very corner that was different from all the rest. It was empty. Simply a ck void, like there was nothing there at all.


    There were 999 yers gathered throughout the world to participate in this game. However, there were 1,000 cameras in this room. Who was the 1000th yer?


    That was not important. Not yet, anyway.


    Slowly, the man dialed a number in his hand and ced it against his ear. After several seconds, the call connected, and he spoke into the receiver.


    " Greetings, Chairwoman. I am here to make my report. A hundred of the 999 Survivors in this batch have been eliminated. There are exactly 899 yers remaining."


    "I see," a voice on the other end said after a while. It was a woman''smature and alluring. "And? How many died from the Curse?"


    "I am pleased to report that only 14 yers fell into despair and sumbed to the Curse," the man replied in his deep, altered voice that sounded almost like a cyborg. "This year''s batch is truly promising."


    "Good, good" The woman murmured in satisfaction. "What of 097? Is he still alive?"


    "Yes, Chairwoman. Survivor 097 is still alive, and is ranked 4th amongst the yers in terms of level as of current."


    "Hoho how interesting," the woman giggled softly, clearly intrigued. "Send me his background informationter. Oh, and link his camera feed directly to my room, along with the other top three in terms of level so far. I would like to witness their power."


    "Understood, Chairwoman," the man said briefly. "However, I must mention there is another who seems quite promising."


    "Oh? Who?"


    "Survivor 173. Ragnar Creed, also known as the Titan of Shadows on Earth. He was a Japanese supersoldier who was raised by the American military, and has taken down quite a few criminal organizations. However, he eventually went rogue for unknown reasons, and became a vignte who hunts evil-doers on his own. He appears to be quite capable and intelligent, though not on par with 097."


    "Hm very well. Link his feed into my room along with the others, and send me his full background."


    "Understood, Chairwoman."


    With that, the man hung up, and within the mysterious Chairwoman''s room in her own pocket world, she smiled ever so slightly, setting down her ss of the highest quality wine on the table beside her bed.


    Soon, a notification popped up on her phone, and she opened it up to find two documents, detailing the backgrounds of 097 and 173 respectively. She didn''t hesitate before opening them and browsed through the lines of text, smiling wistfully as she did so.


    After several minutes, she was finished, and exited out of the documents.


    "The number one assassin in the underground, Cyanide, raised to be the ultimate human being and a dark vignte of that same underground, the Titan of Shadows. Their battle could create quite the spark, if I do say so myself. But s, unfortunately"


    She gave a sigh, as if thoroughly disappointed, and set down her phone.


    " I, Fate, have already chosen the final victor. And , shall defy me."


    Indeed, the champion had already been decided. Fate has rolled her dice.


    Then again, neither Cyanide nor Ragnar have ever been the type to follow fate. Both have fought their way out of seemingly fatal situations, and both have aplished what others would deem impossible. They were the two who defied fate over and over again, as if mocking her,ughing at her.


    But this time, it was different.


    This time, more than just themselves were on the line.


    Fate had a taskand she needed someone to help her do it. Not two, just one.


    Could Cyanide and Ragnar break free from their destiny and w their ways out of the undying grasp of Fate, yet again?


    Find out in Volume II: The Corruption Spreads.

 Chapter 46: Jace Silverdale Ss: The Ultimate Human Being

    Chapter 46: Jace Silverdale Ss: The Ultimate Human Being


    "I was made a killing machine. Who am I to argue with destiny?"


    *****


    - 22 Years Ago, Earth -


    "Between mother and child, we can only save one. We''re terribly sorry, but there is nothing we can do."


    A man in a formal business suit, faced with this heartbreaking news, didn''t even flinch. Instead, in a calm manner that would seem impossible to some, he spoke.


    " Save the child."


    "I-I see but are you sure? You can still have another baby if you choose to save the wife, but if your wife dies-"


    "Save the child," the man reiterated, in a more forceful tone this time. He did not lose his temper, only stated this as if it was his final verdict.


    "A-All right."


    The nurse who had delivered this news hurried back into the surgery room, and alerted the doctors inside of the man''s choice. The mother, being unconscious, had noints.


    And as such, the number one assassin of the underground was bornJace Silverdale, soon-to-be known as the fearsome, unparalleled, Cyanide.


    *****


    - 5 Years Later -


    The boy was raised in a rather strange facility. It was a school, yes, but he was the only student. Instead of being taught by teachers, he was taught by machines,prised of intelligence of all the top minds of the world. He had no social interaction, but that was fine. After all, as long as he was strong enough to take on anything alone, what need was there for friends? Allies? They would merely be burdens, possible candidates of betrayal.


    The boy''s father, the founder of this ce, called it the Infinite Room, and the project name given to it was Project: Infinite. It was a ce of infinite knowledge and power, with the purpose of raising the ultimate human beingand his own son was its first test subject.


    And as it turns out, the education was sessful.


    By age 1, the boy could perform advanced algebra and soon calculus.


    By age 3, the boy was fluent in allnguages of the world.


    And by age 5, the boy had martial skills on par with any master across all thends.


    His intelligence was unparalleled, and no IQ tests could measure just how smart andplex the boy''s young mind truly was.


    Given all this evidence, the conclusion was clearProject: Infinite was a flourishing sess.


    The boy, of course, had no idea about all of this. He simply thought this was the education everyone else received, and took it as granted. It never urred to him that he was something special, and that he was unlike any other child. He thought that not having a mother and only seeing his father''s face through a ss paneand very rarely at thatwas something simply normal.


    That is, until that day.


    Yes that day, when the boy''s life was changed forever.


    *****


    The boy was six at the time this urred.


    "Sir, the project''s public release is scheduled for tomorrow," a man said to the boy''s father, bowing deeply. "All preparations areplete. This should go without a hitch."


    "Good," the boy''s father said, observing his son through the thick ss windows of the training facility. Inside, the child with handsome teal hair and white highlights sat in his chair, calmly solving advanced partial differential equations like they were a breeze. "And you have made certain nothing about this project has been leaked to the outside, I trust?


    The man nodded. "I assure you, sir, not a word of this secret project has been leaked. After all, why would I betray you, the man who saved me from the slums?"


    "Hmph. It''s good that you know your ce, Sakamoto," the boy''s father grunted, then turned away from his son and began heading to his private office. "I saved your life. Do not ever forget that."


    The other man, hearing this, smirked evilly, and whispered:


    " Fool."


    BOOM!


    "!"


    Suddenly, the doors the boy''s father had been about to walk through were sted open by an explosive, and he hurriedly dodged out of the way, just barely making it out alive.


    "W-What" His eyes widened as out from the gas, a masked man stepped through, wide grin stered over the uncovered bottom-half of his face.


    "Hah blowing shit up never gets old."


    "You''re a fuckin'' maniac, Demo," another man muttered, emerging from behind him. Two more followed, each with some sort of mask covering their face and outfits of different styles that covered their entire bodies with gloves to make operations untraceable.


    "What is the meaning of this?!" The boy''s father roared in anger, flying to his feet and ring at the intruders.


    "What''s the meaning of this?" The masked man named Demoughed, arching his head back. "Oi, geezer, are you slow in the head, or what? Can''t you tell?"


    "Stand down, Demo. How many times do I have to tell you to be polite to our victims?" The slim man with a top hat and a monocle who spoke earlier said again with a chuckle and stepped forward, holding a handgun in his gloved white hand and a knife in his other. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are professional assassins, proudly known as the Royal Thieves. My name is Anthraxpleased to make your acquaintance."


    With a smile, the man named Anthrax bowed, and the boy''s father was left in a stunned state, but did not lose hisposure and instead got into a fighting stance. He didn''t try to call guards. If these people were truly who they stated they were, all the guards would already be dead by now.


    "Professional assassins, huh and who made this request, exactly?"


    "Well, I''m afraid it is our policy to not reveal the identities of our clients," Anthrax said with a ''no-can-do'' shrug, then smirked thoughtfully. " Though I suppose if you''re wondering who sold you out take a good look behind you."


    The boy''s father slowly turned around and saw Sakamoto, pointing at him andughing like a psychopath.


    " Sakamoto. So, it was you."


    "O-Oh, HAHAHA! That expression is GOLD, Mr. Silverdale! You really think I am grateful towards you, after all you''ve done to me is force me to work day and night? I would rather be in the slums!" He cried. "Yes, it WAS me! These guys came to me, offering arge amount of money so long as I told them about this proj-"


    BANG.


    Faster than anyone could''ve even reacted, John Silverdale had pulled out a revolver from his pocket and shot Sakamoto straight in the forehead. The young man, still shocked at what happened, promptly copsed to the floor, dead. He would never find out.


    "Oho not bad, not bad at all," the only woman of the Royal Thieves said, holding a sniper and giggling seductively. "I wasn''t expecting a half-strong opponent. Hey, Anthrax, let me take care of this one, mkay? I''ll treat you in bedter~"


    " No."


    "Eh?"


    All of a sudden, Anthrax''s originally wistful expression turned serious, and he stared at the seemingly aged, washed-up man before himJohn Silverdalethrough his monocle. He was like apletely different manperhaps this was his true self.


    "Stand back. This one is too much for you to handle."


    Slowly, John turned around, a re of hatred in his eyes, and looked at the other man as if gauging his power level. Anthrax, meeting his gaze, narrowed his eyes.


    " That revolver. Where did you get it from, Mr. Silverdale? Or should I say Venom?"


    At this, John Silverdale gave a dark chuckle.


    "How surprising despite quitting the underground so many years ago, I am still remembered to by that name. Looks like the saying is trueyou can never truly run away from your past."


    " Heh. Ain''t that right," Anthrax matched the older man''s chuckle with one of his own, then cocked his neck left and right. "The four of you, stand down. This one is mine."


    "Oh? Some personal feud to settle, I presume?" The only man who had not spoken yet thus far finally asked. "Very well. Bringing emotions into missions is generally frowned upon in the assassins'' world, but I shall allow it this time."


    "Heh that look in Anthrax''s eyes tells me he''s goin'' all out," Demo snickered. "This''ll be a st! And I love sts!"


    "Hehehehe~! I don''t usually like to agree with our resident demolitionist, but I must say it''s been a while since I''vest seen our leader unleash all of his power. I''ll allow it as well. Just don''t me us if you get killed~"


    The three other Royal Thieves backed away, leaving only Anthrax and ex-Venom facing each other, weapons drawn.


    "I looked up to you, y''know," Anthrax said, a crooked smile on his face.


    "Is that so?" Venom raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, as if this interested him a bit, but just a bit and nothing more.


    "But then, when I finally challenged you you just quit. Ran away, like a coward. Said you would just ''offer'' me the spot. Do you know how annoyed that made me?"


    "Ah I remember now," Venom inhaled deeply, reminiscing about the past. "You wanted the number one spot so I gave it to you. I wasn''t ready to die yetthere was still a wish I had yet to aplish, a wish I could not fulfill in assassination."


    "Oh? And what was it?" Anthrax asked, furrowing his brows. Venom, after some hesitation, turned to the ss chamber, where a child sat inside. By now, he had noticed all themotion, and was now staring at his father and Anthrax, blinking periodically with a nk, pragmatic expression that should not have belonged to a six-year-old by any means. After a short silence, Anthraxughed.


    "Ahahaha I get it now. This entire facility, and even your own wife and son ha. You''re one crazy bastard, Venom. Unfortunately"


    Suddenly, Anthrax disappeared, moving so fast it was almost like teleportation, and suddenly reappeared behind Venom, knife in his left hand ready to stab down.


    " I''m an assassin, and you''re my target."


    "!"


    Venom, sensing him, immediately turned around and nted a kick straight into Anthrax''s abdomen.


    Or at least, he tried to.


    " That''s one," Anthrax whispered, and shot his gunfrom in front of Venom.


    The aged man''s eyes widened as his chest was prated by the bullet, and he knelt forward, rapidly out of energy and lifeforce.


    "I''ve"


    "You''ve be weak, Venom," Anthrax said, walking closer and finishing his sentence for him. "After so many years of not moving your body, you''re no longer in the shape you used to be. What you kicked just now was nothing but an afterimage."


    "" Venom was silent, epting his defeat. There was nothing he could do. He was 60, and his body simply was not able to muster out even one final surprise attack.


    Anthrax, walking closer, pointed his gunpoint directly at the back of Venom''s head and turned his gaze towards the child inside the ss chamber, watching the scene unfold without even batting an eye.


    " Don''t worry, Venom. I''ll take over your wish for you."


    ""


    To the bitter end, Venom was silent. It was impossible to tell what emotions he was holding, and nor did it really matter. After all


    Anthrax pulled the trigger.


    He was a dead man, anyway.


    Venom''s body fell backwards, copsed, spurting blood all over the floor, and Anthrax slowly turned to the ss chamber before kicking it open without any hesitation. Then, walking closer to the child inside, he bent down and stared into his emotionless, empty yet calcting eyes.


    "Oi, boss, what''re ya doin'' with the kid?" Demo asked, arching an eyebrow. "Just get rid of him already, and let''s go get our paycheck!"


    " No," Anthrax said without looking away from the child''s eyes. "This kid will be my student."


    "H-Huh?" The woman''s eyes widened slightly. "You, Anthrax, taking on a student? Hey, Yune, what do you think about this?"


    " Hmph. It is true, I sense great potentialing from that child," the man named Yune said, closing his eyes. "This is Anthrax''s decision to make, not ours."


    "Well I guess it could liven up things ''round here," Demo chuckled. "I''ll show him how to blow shit up!"


    "Just don''t end up blowing HIM up" The woman muttered, rolling her eyes. "Well, either way, Anthrax, we''ll be waiting for you outside. There''s not a lot of timeit won''t be long before the police arrive, and I don''t want to have to deal with that again."


    Anthrax gave a brisk nod to them as they exited the scene, and then turned his gaze back to the child.


    " Kid. What''s your name?"


    " Name?" The child echoed, teal eyes shining against the light. "I don''t have one."


    " Heh, is that so?" Anthrax gave a light chuckle, then picked the kid up and let him ride on his back. "That means I have the right of naming you, doesn''t it?"


    The child did not respond, but whether that was because he didn''t want to or didn''t know how to was a question for the gods.


    "From now on, you''re going to be named after me, kid," Anthrax said. "And since my name is a deadly chemical how about"


    He smirked widely, nudging the child.


    " Cyanide?"

 Chapter 47: Ragnar Creed Ss: Birth Of A Rogue

    Chapter 47: Ragnar Creed Ss: Birth Of A Rogue


    "toon S to HQ, Ultimatum is attempting to breach containment."


    The soldier, named Jackson, swore under his breath. His guard partner Guten stepped back from the door as they raised their assault rifles, pointing them at the sealed hydraulic doors. A heavy thudding came from behind them, and though they were tightly sealed, interlocked with a diagonal split between them maximising the strength of the entrance, it was worrying.


    This was the eighteenth time this week, and they didn''t like it.


    Ten more soldiers seemingly manifested behind the two guards, the twelve of them all in riot gear and armed. Despite the nervousness, this was merely a precaution for them. Ultimatum hadn''t been able to break containment yet, and was now more of an annoyance to them than anything. Half of them were barely paying attention.


    A fatal mistake.


    From behind the doors came an aggressive squeal of tortured metal and the snaps of straps and restraints, the ping of chain links ricocheting all over the small 5x5x5 room Ultimatum had been restrained in.


    "W-What was that?!" Jackson cried, and quickly aimed his gun towards the sealed chamber Ultimatum was stored in.


    "Ready weapons!" Guten ordered, narrowing his eyes.


    All the soldiers were now alert, gun barrels pointed at the same spot, theirser sights inming and attempting to burn through the reinforced doors. But it was toote. They heard a beastly screamno, a roarthunder through the doors. It was a bloodthirsty howl of sheer anger and ferocity.


    Then, a thud. Then another. and another. Grunts of determination from behind. But he couldn''t break through just yetof course not. Not with the billions invested into his containment.


    Yet even so the door dented inwards.


    Only slightly at first. Then, slightly more. And finally, the interlocked gears holding it shut became exposed, bent, and sprang out of their positions, hitting one soldier full in the face and killing him instantly. With a monumental flurry of sparks and noise, the doors were broken, sted open by sheer force, smoke and fire obscuring the giant figure behind.


    There stood a man. A tall man of about 6''6. His figure was enormous, every ounceden with sheer muscle, Olympian in size and perfect in proportion. He stood still in the smoke and sparks, revealing he wore nothing but a tattered white tee and ck sweats.


    "U-Ultimatum has breached containment!" A soldier shouted in fear from the rear into his walkie talkie. He was barely done when a deep, gravelly, melodic voice took control of the room with its gravitas.


    "Ultimatum? No. It''s Ragnar. Ragnar Creed," he boomed before smirking, dark eyes gleaming with hunger.


    He was the predator, and they were his prey. He grabbed a segment of the remaining door, tearing it clean off its tracks, and held it with ease in his muscr right hand. Over a ton of pure reinforced steel was like a frail sheet of paper when it came to him.


    As the soldiers saw the towering man before them rear his arm back, their expressions tightened and fear seized their eyes. They had been ordered not to harm the project, but what could they do? They gulped in fear and their fingers curled on their triggers.


    But they would never get the chance to hurt him.


    Ragnar''s arm tensed, then cand the steel panel in a vicious spin down the metal corridor. Shots ricocheted off the walls and the sounds of bones snapping, blood gurgling, and flesh torn apart filled the hallway as the soldiers were murdered instantly by the deadly barrage. They didn''t even have time to scream.


    But that, was only the beginning.


    *****


    Very soon, the undergroundpound was overrun with explosions and sts, shaking as Ragnar thundered through on his rampage. Others tried to stop him. Super Soldiers, gically selected and enhanced just like him.


    But he was better than the rest. Faster. Stronger. Deadlier.


    He tore through muscle, crushed skulls like apples, all the while ring silently through the noise. He was done with this. Ever since he was a small child, he had been shaped and molded to be the supreme fighter, the ultimate soldier, forcibly enhanced to be a god among men.


    Sounds good on paper, doesn''t it?


    But Ragnar found out. Found out the people who trained him intended to imnt him with a chip and sell him to the highest bidder, and were prepared to sedate him the second they realized he knew.


    Ragnar, however, was not about to let others decide his fate for him.


    The final super soldier stood in front of him, raising his fists in a fighting stance. The formerrade of Ragnarshed out, only to hit the air. Ragnar shed behind him impossibly quickly, and a swift blow to the spine killed the poor man instantly. The rogue soldier nced down at the six grenades he''d amassed from the soldiers he''d murdered, then began the search for the underground facility''s central power room.


    All those gas pipes would make a splendid show.


    *****


    Leaving the destroyedpound behind, Ragnar didn''t bother finding an exit and instead just knocked down the walls that were in his way like papier-mch. He found himself surrounded by cool night air in the middle of the woods, juxtaposed heavily with the ze of the crumblingpound behind him.


    That organization, their leaders, all dead.


    He judged the position of the stars above him,ing to the conclusion he was somewhere in Colorado. So he started walking. Aged 17, Ragnar was well aware of how the world worked. He''d read books, seen news reports, educated himself alongside the facility that prepared him for warfare. He knew the ins and outs of every major city, and most of the smaller ones too.


    From there, he lived silently for a while, modestly and quietly, working part time and rxing as he ustomed himself to life in the real worldand then his true purpose clicked in his mind one day after a certain event. He wanted to stop people being hurt by criminals. He wanted to use his superhuman strength for justice. For something good.


    Ragnar worked for three years alongside the police. He used hisputing knowledge to insert himself as part of society, built a baseline identity for himself that he used when not in his crime-fighting persona. He livedfortably in a modern house in the woods, or in his penthouse in New York City, or in his vi in Italy, all with money he made from trading stocks with his education from the facility. Nobody knew who Ragnar Creed was, or how he was so rich so silently, but everyone spread rumors of the silent man who would don a mask and stop crime in its tracks with ease, impossibly strong; keeping his identity secret all the while.


    But as time went on, Ragnar became disillusioned. He realized soon that the justice system was wed, and there was always some rule or the other preventing him from dealing with criminals how he saw fit. The most disgusting scumbags were even never sentenced to more than a humane death or life in a cell when they deserved far worse.


    And so, he rebelled, yet again.


    He left the police force, forged his own armor, red and gunmetal grey to characterize him wherever he went, alongside the sharp, sleek angles that epassed his bulk. His knight-like helmet held the sneer of his visor and those three vicious horns on top of his head, like a crown of reign. His broadsword was of unknownposition, glowing a vicious crimson with its jagged edge, standing almost five feet tall, and capable of slicing through concrete and steel with ease.


    Now, he had his true identity. He went out into the underground of the cities where no cop dared to. He built contacts, had eyes everywhere, and went and handled troublemakers himself. He had gone rogue. Vignte. He left no trace of his original identity behind, and resided in secret. He built a new life. He acted how he wished upon criminals, protecting those who could not protect themselves.


    His name was Ragnar Creed. The underground rumors dubbed him the Titan of Shadows, but everyone else called him Dreddnought. He was the judge, the jury, the executioner. He was a force of true destruction. Not only was he obscenely strong himself, he was also skilled and dexterous. His broadsword became a symbol of danger and menace to the underground metropolis.


    But no matter how many criminals he killed, there were still always stragglers. He was a force to be reckoned withbut even with all the contacts he had, he couldn''t stop every crime before it happened. He grew more and more angry with himself day by day. He drank himself into a rage every night, punching trees till his knuckles bled and the bark was sheared off.


    He was never happy. He was never enough. He hated himself for his insufficiency. The tears and cries of those he had been toote to help haunted him every night. He wasn''t God. He couldn''t do this alone. And every contact he made, all just wanted money. He couldn''t rely on them, not when he''d been sold out multiple times, moved twice as many times as that to keep his location secret.


    He was utterly alone in his struggle. Every waking hour, some days with no sleep, he would fight crime and its henchmen tirelessly, but to no avail. He had never even had the privilege to live his own life out, but sacrificed his own stability to attempt to salvage that of others. He was tired of fighting, now 25 and in the same position he was in when he was 20. Rich, multiplerge houses, all the material items he''d ever wanted, lonely, and still fighting just as much crime.


    He wanted a way to divert all the excess resources being hoarded in the world to the right cause. He wanted unjustified crime gone entirely. He would find a way, or die trying. Because if he didn''t, what was he living for? And if he died trying, he was evidently never good enough to protect people in the first ce. He would kill, brutalize, or even betray if he had to. The ends justified the means. He would eradicate this world of people''s crimes against each other, and nobody would stop him.


    *****


    3:57 AM. A stormy night in New York.


    The giant known as Ragnar Creed, Dreddnought, stood in the smoking rubble of a bunker owned by the mob. The headless corpses of its inhabitants surrounded him, bodies mutted and gutted like fish. Another day, another crime ring dismantled. He swung his sword onto his back, mastching it in ce.


    He was frustrated. The boss of the drug dealers who stationed themselves here had originally thought they had been targeted by the number one underground assassin, Cyanide, rather than Dreddnoughtthat is, until he saw the unmistakable armor of the Titan of Shadows.


    Yes Cyanide. The same mysterious individual who Ragnar had been attempting to track down for the past five years. It is said he did not have a single failed assassination, and always manages to escape the impossible. A man who opposed fate itself, and could not be controlled by anything nor anyone.


    But he was a criminal.


    And because he was a criminal, Ragnar would hunt him.


    But every time, he was always one stepte. Every time he arrived at the scene of one of Cyanide''s attacks, the target was already dead, their guardspletely clueless it even happened. One time, Ragnar managed to catch a glimpse of Cyanide''s backside, and was about to confront him when the guy literally jumped out a window from a thirty-story building with seemingly no equipment at all. Even Ragnar couldn''t survive a fall like that unscathed.


    So, he was frustrated. And when Cyanide''s name came up again during tonight''s operation, Ragnar was only reminded of his anger.


    As he turned to leave the scene, however, his attention was diverted to a hooded figure in a formal ck business suit and tie standing in the massive hole he''d sted into the brick wall leading out onto the street. He held a tiny 3.5 inch by 2 inch card in his hand, seemingly made out of cardboard paper.


    But that wasn''t the problem. The problem was this man wasn''t supposed to be here in the first ce.


    "Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck do you want?" Ragnar thundered, still in a rage due to the mentioning of Cyanide earlier. His hand shot to the handle of his sword, ready to fight the unknown adversary. But to his surprise


    "No need to draw arms, Mr. Creed," the voice chuckled in a low baritone. Almost friendly, even mocking.


    "!"


    Ragnar straightened to his full height, taking three steps before he was face to face with the man. An anonymous stic mask covered his face entirely, and he was about six feet tall, thin. Ragnar, on the other hand, towered over him as he looked down.


    "How do you know my name?" He asked quietly, voice soft but threatening.


    The unknown man replied ordingly.


    "Ragnar Creed. The Titan of Shadows, alias Dreddnought. Once raised as a super soldier part of Project Ultimatum, you surpassed all expectations and shattered the chains that bound you. From there, after a certain incident, you joined the police force to fight against crime, but then turned rogue and took things into your own hands after realizing how corrupt the society is, and how meaningless the police are to truly powerful criminals. But even after doing so you feel empty. Alone. Powerless, despite all the power you have. Isn''t that right?"


    BOOM!


    Ragnar smashed his sword down beside the man, sending a thundering shockwave that split the earth itself. But the mysterious, anonymous figure did not even flinch.


    "Did you juste here to annoy me?" Ragnar growled, tilting his menacing red visor towards the man.


    "No, not at all," the figure replied, and Ragnar could''ve sworn the stic mask smiled slightly despite only being a mask. "I came here with a proposal. An invitation, if you will."


    "An invitation?" Ragnar raised an eyebrow. "Spit it out."


    The man handed Ragnar the card he held in his hand. Imprinted onto it was a single telephone number:


    [(091) 914-1520]


    "Dial that phone number if you are interested in participating in our ''game''. The winner, sir, wins the ability to wish for anything," the masked figure said, spreading his gloved arms. "When I say anything, I do mean, anything. No strings, no tricks, no genie games. You win whatever your heart desires, be that a material wish or a long-sought dream. All you must do is win."


    As Ragnar stared down at the card in his hand for what seemed like a decade, he thought.


    Could this really be what he needed? Could this be his chance to prove his capability to himself to aplish his mission? It may be a trap. But what if it wasn''t? And even if it was, chances were, he could fight his way out.


    He looked up, ready to ept the invitation immediately but when he did, the hooded man was already gone. Disappeared without a trace in the matter of a mere few seconds, like something Cyanide would be able to pull off.


    "Well then," Ragnar muttered, pocketing the tiny card. "Time to get moving."


    The rubble crunched under his foot as he started walking with new purpose.

 Chapter 48: Arrivals

    Chapter 48: Arrivals


    "Even light itself eventually sumbs to darkness."


    *****


    - Nighttime, Outside Lumina -


    " This appears to be the city in the center of this world," a young man with messy ck hair and brown eyes said, inspecting his map. There was a scar mark that cut through his right eye diagonally but did not blind him, and instead gave him the intimidating look of a battle-hardened war veteran. He was not physically old, perhaps in his twenties at best, and yet the look in his eyes carried the maturity and rigidness of a retired soldier.


    Behind him, a girl stepped up, an innocent and worried look on her face. "Um Ragnar, are you sure we should go there? I mean since it''s where the final battle is supposed to take ce, it''s bound to be dangerous, right?"


    Despite being originally from a different country than the young man back on Earth, he could perfectly understand the girl''s words thanks to the auto-trantion system of Endzone. The five of them had gradually came to realize that in the time they had spent together thus far.


    The young manRagnarturned his eyes towards the massive skyscraping tower in the middle of the city, piercing through the heavens yet nothing more than a ck silhouette under the dark night sky.


    " Maybe you''re right," he said atst. "But we''ve already made the unanimous decision as a wholethere is no sense in turning back now. Besides, the Scarlet Hour isn''t here yet, so most of the mutants should be easy to deal with. As long as we avoid the stronger ones, we''ll be fine. Given how close some of you spawned to this city, I doubt there aren''t weaker enemies in there too to help us level up. It wouldn''t be fair if they set this up like a game, only to give us insanely strong enemies right off the bat."


    A few others in their little group nodded in agreement.


    "Judging from the broadcast message earlier, we''ll need to go there eventually as the game progresses, so we might as well head in now so we''ll have an advantage in terms of familiarity with the area when ites down to fighting other survivors," a man in sses said, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "So long as we stick together, we''ll make it to the end."


    The other three nodded happily and began making small talk, filled with theughter and fun that could onlye from being in a group of allies.


    ''Fighting other survivors, huh'' Ragnar gave a sigh as the thought crossed his mind, and he swept his gaze across his fourpanions. They had been doing their best to survive until Ragnar found them, and offered to join forces. Naturally, all of them were wary at first, but after familiarizing themselves with one another, they slowly came to the agreement that they would stick together until the very end.


    But even so the ''very end'' woulde one day. Eventually, these four,panions now, will turn into enemies.


    Ragnar closed his eyes and thought. ''Why must the world why must everything be so cruel?''


    Clenching his fists tightly, he was once again reminded of the reason he came here. If whoever ran this sick game could even bring the dead back to life, surely his wish was not out of their reach.


    Because of this, he had to win.


    He must for it was the one hope he had in this rotten, wretched world, both Earth and Endzone.


    *****


    Upon entering the city, the first thing the party had to do was find a suitable lodging ce. It was nighttime, and the group needed rest.


    Ragnar opened up his newly-refreshed map and saw that this city wasbeled ''Lumina''. To their right, a massive Mutated Zoney, which they definitely wanted to steer clear of. None of them were very high-level yet, with most of them around 10 while Ragnar himself was not much higher, at 15. Had he been solo, he may have been a lot higher by now, but since experience from a mutant kill was shared amongst those who yed it, the majority of the experience points he gained from taking down mutants was split amongst his party members.


    "Ragnar, this building seems to be suitable," the man with sses suddenly called out with a serious expression, pointing at a tall structure across the fractured road from them. "ording to the map, it used to be a hotel. There should be enough aliment there tost us transitorily, and it should be hospitable enough."


    Ragnar gave a firm nod. "Good find, Spencer. Let''s head in. Be careful, thoughthere could be mutants inside." Then, turning to a small child who looked to be in middle school at best, he continued. "Kid, you have the Radar skill, correct?"


    The boy nodded energetically. "Yessir!"


    Despite the situation and environment of this whole world, he was not scared whatsoever, and instead had a courageous and solemn expression on his face. That is, until


    "Idiot, quiet down!" A slightly older boy chided the younger, pping him lightly on the neck. "What if the mutants hear us?!"


    "E-Eek! S-Sorry, big bro"


    "Now, now" The girl of the group sighed, furrowing her brows. "Shouldn''t you be kinder to your little brother?"


    "He could''ve gotten us killed!" The older brother whispered sharply. "Dammit I never expected him to join this stupid game as well"


    "That''s enough talk," Ragnar cut in, narrowing his eyes warily at their silent surroundings. "Let''s head into the hotel and secure it for now. We can discuss more once that''s done. Now, Michael, Radar on."


    The group all nodded in agreement, and together, they began heading for the tall structurebeled ''Phoenix Inn''. The little boy named Michael activated his Radar skill, and everybody fell silent as they prepared to listen for any sign of mutant movementing from within. So far, there weren''t any pings on his radar, but there was something strange about this entire city, not just the hotel.


    Not a single mutant was to be seen on the streets, despite Ragnar predicting to have to fight right as they entered. The roads were utterly devoid of life and didn''t even show any sign of battle. Did such arge city really not have any mutants wandering on the streets?


    Or was it that someone had came here before them, and cleared out everything already?


    Ragnar decided not to mention his observations to the other members of his party, and instead remained silent as they closed in on the hotel.

 Chapter 49: A Place To Stay

    Chapter 49: A ce To Stay


    "Any pings on the radar, Michael?" Ragnar asked cautiously, keeping his voice low and just barely audible above the soft nking of their footsteps on the hotel floor.


    "Nope," the boy replied with a smile. "All clear so far!"


    "Good," Ragnar said with a satisfied nod. "How much longer until your radar runs out?"


    "About another minute, sir!" He dered, whispering this time after being scolded by his older brother earlier.


    "Hey," the girl of the group suddenly called out. "Is that the light switch?"


    She was pointing at a pulsating green light not too far away,ying on top of a desk. Above her head was a small orb of bright white lightIlluminate, a Life affinity Soul Art.


    "Maybe," Michael''s older brother said with a shrug. "Let''s give it a try."


    The girl nodded and stepped forward, but-


    "Hold it," Ragnar interrupted, pulling the girl by the arm.


    "E-Eh?" She turned in surprise, to which Ragnar furrowed his brows.


    "If we turn on the lights now, we could alert any mutants in this building that are outside of Michael''s radar range," he exined. "We should find a safe room first and stay the night therediscretely. Tomorrow morning, we can explore this ce properly."


    "I concur," Spencer said, pushing his sses up the bridge of his nose. "It is best to eschew ssential conflict as we are right now. We are in tenebrosity, and the Scarlet Hour is imminent. Even with Ilydia''s Illuminate, we are at amentable disadvantage."


    "Uh what?" Michael''s older brother arched an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you just said."


    Michael smiled happily. "Basically, he''s saying we would be at a disadvantage if we fight the mutants here."


    Spencer nodded in approval. "Mm, yes, indeed. You are keenly intellective for a child as young as yourself."


    "You actually understood that?" Ilydiathe girlwidened her eyes in surprise. "Wow. I''m impressed."


    "He''s what people would call a child prodigy," Michael''s brother said hesitantly. "Skipped like 5 grades."


    "You guys" Ragnar sighed and shook his head. "Idle chatter cer. For now, just follow me."


    *****


    It didn''t take them long to reach a hospitable room. They took the stairs, since the elevator would attract too much attention. By now, Michael''s Radar had ran out and wouldn''t be back online until at least five minutes. They couldn''t afford to just wait until the cooldown was over, either. After all, this was a danger zone, and every minute spent loitering the halls was another minute of possible death. As such, they needed to be extra careful, and listen for any tiny bit of sound that seemed unusual.


    " This is it," Ragnar whispered, stopping before a door. It was open. Whoever was herestbe it another yer or simply a native of this worldmust''ve been in a hurry to leave.


    Slowly, he pulled his broadsword off of his back. It was a simple weapon made of normal steel, but its size was impressive.


    This was Ragnar''s weapon of choice, even back on Earth. When underground criminals saw a broadsword, they didn''t point andugh and call it old-fashioned. No, they saw it as a symbol of power. They would be terrified, knowing that the Titan of Shadows hade for them: Ragnar Creed.


    But for all his fame on Earth, here in Endzone, he was just a nobody. After all, no one knew Ragnar''s real appearance, much like the infamous number one underground assassin, Cyanide. Unlike Cyanide who wore a half-mask that hid the bottom half of his face, however, Ragnar wore a casque that covered his entire head, akin to a dark knight from medieval times.


    Gently, cautiously, Ragnar pushed open the door, ready to cut off any heads that appeared before him. His party members did the same, each drawing their weapons and readying their Soul Arts. However thankfully, there was no one.


    After making sure the room was clear, Ragnar let out a deep breath and nodded towards his teammates, who quickly understood the signal and scurried into the room. Ragnar closed the door behind them, and locked it tight before barricading it with a nearby shelf. With his STR stat of 101, that was easy.


    Of course, having such a high STR stat meant his other stats were severely impacted. He was only Level 15, after all. He had put all of his remaining CP into AGI and a little into LUC, while all of his other stats remained at the default: 1. He knew about Soul Arts and the like, but he was simply stubborn enough to refuse to change hisbat style no matter what.


    " All right. We should be safe here, at least for the night," Ragnar muttered, sitting down on the carpet. The others followed, forming a tiny circle around a small candle in the middle of them, lit by a lighter Michael''s brother had found somewhere. "You guys aren''t going to get rest?"


    "Agh, I don''t feel like sleeping yet," Michael''s brother groaned, crossing his legs and leaning back. "I dunno, I''m just not tired."


    "I must concur," Spencer said, closing his eyes. "I do not particrly feel fatigued."


    "In that case" Ilydia smiled. "How about we all have a little talk?"


    "A talk?" Michael''s brother raised an eyebrow. "About what?"


    "Let''s see well, we''ve been in the same party for a little bit now, but I don''t think I''ve really gotten to know you guys all that well," Ilydia said thoughtfully. "How about we take turns talking about why we chose to ept the invitation toe here?"


    "Well. I must verbalize, my motive is nothing special," Spencer said, pushing his sses up (yes, again) the bridge of his nose. "I have a dream of science. However, nopany was particrly inclined to fund me and my work. As a result, I came here, hoping to obtain the moneypulsory to establish my project. It it seeds, I dare verbally express the entire world will be revolutionized. I''m afraid I cannot go into details though, as those are my trade secrets."


    "Huh, that''s cool!" Ilydia said encouragingly.. "I guess I''ll go next, then. I came here for an adventure!"

 Chapter 50: Their Reasons

    Chapter 50: Their Reasons


    "I guess I''ll go next, then," Ilydia said, clearing her throat dramatically. "I came here for an adventure!"


    Michael''s brother raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "An adventure? Are you crazy? You came into a ce like this" He gestured towards the copsed buildings and destroyed roads outside the window, "for an adventure?"


    "Well, I will say, this is very different from what I initially imagined, but then again" Ilydia shrugged. "an adventure isn''t really an adventure with no danger! How about you? Why did youe here?"


    "I" Michael''s brother turned away, clenching his fists tightly. Michael, seeing this, blinked a few times, then figured it was his turn to step in.


    "Big Brother Cory came here to secure a good life for him and I."


    "Michael!" Cory shot him a warning re, but Michael merely shook his head and continued.


    "Ever since our parents left us, Big Brother Cory has been raising me all by himself. We''re just barely living off his part-time job, and even then, he often starves due to giving all the food to me. We live in the slums, and get looked down on by society. Thugs constantlye and mess with us, taking away the few things we have and beating up Big Brother Cory in the process. That''s why he came here. To make a better life for me."


    "Shut it!" Cory roared, tears in his eyes. "If you know, then why did youe here too, huh?! Why?! I left with you that daycare teacher for a reason. She even agreed to take care of you while I was away! But you just had to follow me here, didn''t you?! Just like this arm do you remember?! Remember what you did to me?!


    He pointed at his right arm, which in the real world waspletely gone. In Endzone, it appeared perfectly fine, but


    "Hey, calm down," Ilydia chided, cing a hand on Cory''s shoulder. "Don''t jump to conclusions. I''m sure Michael had his reasons for following you, didn''t he?"


    She turned to Michael, who bit his lip and gave a soft nod.


    "I came because I didn''t want Big Brother Cory to be alone"


    "What?" Cory''s eyes widened a bit at this response, and his fists lightened a bit.


    "I know I was just a burden in the real world, but I thought I could at least help a bit here"


    Before anyone knew it, tears were flooding out of young Michael''s eyes, and Cory was left stunned. Ragnar, witnessing this scene unfold before him, closed his eyes. He didn''t say any words offort, and merely ced a hand on the kid''s shoulder. He was silent, but the gesture was enough.


    "I I''m going to sleep," Cory muttered atst, turning away from everyone else and heading over to the corner of the room, thenid down on the floor. Was he really going to sleep? No. He just didn''t want anyone to see him crying. If only he knew earlier, his brother''s goal was simply to be of use to him.


    " What about you, sir?" Michael hesitantly asked, wiping away his tears and looking up at Ragnar''s rigid face. "Why did youe here?"


    Spencer and Ilydia stared at Ragnar curiously as well, eager to hear what his purpose was. Despite being the leader of the group, Ragnar actually hasn''t revealed too much information about himself.


    The question, however, struck a chord inside his heart.


    What did hee here for? What was his purpose?


    The answer was simplehe had a wish. And that wish


    " I came here to-"


    CRASH!


    Suddenly, the door was busted open, and a pile of mutants tore their way through the barricade and into the room.


    "RAGH!"


    The group immediately got to their feet and drew their weapons. Ragnar, holding his deadly metal broadsword, narrowed his eyes at the disgusting sight of the mutants'' torn skin and mechanical bodies.


    " Annoying bastards."


    Now that they had been spotted, there was no sense ying stealthy anymore. With a loud battle cry, Ragnar charged into battle, swinging his broadsword diagonally in front of him. It struck the first mutant square in the chest, then knocked it back into itspanions, crashing into the wall outside together.


    "Come on!" Ragnar called out to his party. "No time to wastewe''re going to get trapped!"


    The group members all nodded, and they charged out of the room together, fighting side by side. Ragnar was at the front, hacking and shing his way through the mutants with his broadsword, while Cory and Spencer took up the rear with their firearms. Michael and Idylia fought with their Soul Arts, providing support. Unfortunately, Michael was of the Fire affinity, so he was practically useless in here unless he wanted to burn the entire hotel down.


    "This way!" Ragnar called out, leading the group through the stairs. They needed to get out of this building, first and foremost. They could easily wound up surrounded in here, and using hisrge broadsword in this narrow corridor was somewhat taxing. Jumping out of the windows wouldn''t work, as the mutants would simply follow them until the Scarlet Hour began, in which case they were royally fucked.


    Thankfully, this narrow corridor worked in the party''s favor as well. This meant the mutants could onlye at them two at a time row by row, making it easy for Ragnar to cut them down with his broadsword. These were all weak Stage One Mutants who looked to be no more than Level 5 at best ording to Michael, who had used Inspect on them, so the party really wasn''t in any danger so long as they didn''t let themselves get pincer attacked.


    As they headed down the stairwell, however, a gush of mutants suddenly rushed up towards them, too many for them to take on. There seemed to be an infinite supply to them, and Ragnar right now was not at the same strength he once was on Earth.


    "Tch different n! Go up!"

 Chapter 51: Harsh Reality

    Chapter 51: Harsh Reality


    "Tch different n! Go up!"


    Skidding to a stop, Ragnar and his party turned tail and began running up the stairs instead, remaining in formation and heading for the roof. Before entering this hotel, Ragnar had spotted a building that had toppled onto this one, acting as a perfect bridge for them to escape to.


    "It''s not much further!" Ragnar encouraged, picking up his pace and turning to the four running after him. "Keep it up!"


    "G-Got it!" Ilydia yelled in response, but it was clear her stamina was running out. She hadn''t put many points into VIT, and neither had Michael or Spencer. As such, gradually, Cory and Ragnar were in the lead, with the remaining threegging behind.


    Thankfully, as this hotel wasn''t a very big one, there were only a few more floors left to go. A mixture of hurried footsteps, ragged breathing, and monstrous bellows echoed throughout the stone stairwell, and the group of survivors pushed their bodies to the physical limit.


    Yes, the mutants were fast, but they were only Stage Ones in the end. Many of them tripped on one another, and others were crushed beneath the very feet of their ownrades. At this rate, Ragnar and Cory would make it. The other three, though


    "There''s the door to the roof!" Cory called out. "Ragnar!"


    "Hngh!"


    With a leap of faith, Ragnar smashed straight through the door with his heavy, two-handed broadsword. The door didn''t stand a chance. Whipping his head around, he beckoned for his party toe through.


    "All right, it''s ope-"


    But then, he saw something. Spencer purposely tripping Michael.


    It was a faint movement. Something barely noticable to the untrained eye. But Ragnar, having been raised as a Japanese supersoldier, saw it. The mutants had been about to grab Spencer, so he tripped Michael and let the mutants have him instead.


    "Ah-!" Michael cried out and copsed forward, while Spencer didn''t pay this any heed and carried on running as if he had nothing to do with this.


    "Michael!" Cory called out, eyes widened,and dashed back towards his little brother, but-


    "Stop! It''s toote!" Ragnar called out, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back.


    "N-No! Let me go! MICHAEL!"


    "A-AHHHHHH!" The little boy screamed at the top of his lungs as the mutants eagerly bit down into his young flesh, devouring him alive. Blood spurted onto the walls nearby, but such a small body wouldn''t be enough tost all those mutants for long. Quickly, their hungry, mechanical red eyes turned to Ragnar and a thrashing Cory, and immediately lunged towards them.


    "Damn it!" Ragnar growled and threw Cory out onto the rooftop with his strength, then ran out himself and pulled the door shut behind him. "Go! Across that bridge! Hurry!"


    The remaining three didn''t need to be told twice.


    Spencer was first to rush across the copsed tall building that now served as a bridge for them, and Idylia followed with terror in her eyes.


    "Hngh!" Ragnar gritted his teeth as the mutants wed their way up to the door, and before long, his strength was unable to hold them back any longer. "Grah!"


    He leapt back and let the mutants tumble through the doorframe, then spun on his heel and began running across the building as well, grabbing a screaming Cory in the process and dragging him along.


    Naturally, the mutants followed, their mechanical bodies making robotic noises and their growls like that of a flock of ravenous beasts. However, Ragnar was quicker. Throwing Cory onto the roof of the building on the other side of the bridge where Idylia and Spencer were waiting, he turned around, facing the mutants, and let out a bloodcurdling war cry.


    "Go To HELL!"


    Raising his broadsword into the air, he struck it down with tremendous force, splitting the bridge off from the building they were now on.


    "GRAGHHHH!" The mutants cried and bellowed as they fell from thirty stories up in the air to their deaths, then crushed beneath thousands of tons worth of concrete. The remaining mutants who were lucky enough to have not been on that copsed building when Ragnar shattered it were now renderedpletely useless, without a way to get over to where their prey was.


    Were things over?


    No.


    "I''LL KILL YOU!"


    Ragnar''s eyes widened as he heard a bloodthirsty scream behind him, and he turned to see Cory pull the trigger of his gun on Spencer.


    "Wait-!" Idylia cried, jumping in to try and mediate, but it was toote.


    The bullet that should''ve struck Spencer instead hit Idylia straight in the heart, killing her instantly. Cory, realizing what he had done, was only driven into madness even more, and unleashed another flurry of bullets at Spencer.


    This time, they didn''t hit something else.


    "Ngh-!" Spencer cried out as his body was prated by bullets all over, and he fell over, dead. Ragnar''s eyes were shocked.


    The mutants only took one of them. But his own team member just took two.


    "AND YOU TOO!" Cory roared, spinning around at Ragnar and aiming his gun at him. "WHY''D YOU STOP ME BACK THERE?! HE COULD''VE BEEN SAVED! HE COULD''VE-"


    "Enough is enough!"


    Ragnar suddenly lunged forward, stabbing the broadsword directly into Cory''s stomach right before he could fire.


    "G-Guh" The gun fell out of his hand, and he too, fell backwards, dead, just like the two people he had killed mere moments before.


    Of the five-member party that came here all calm and peaceful, only Ragnar remained.


    "Damn it Damn it ALL!"


    Cursing, Ragnar smashed his broadsword into the ground, and knelt down in front of it.


    "Why why must the world be so goddamn cruel?!"


    Such was the harsh reality of the world, both Earth and Endzone. Humans were intrinsically selfish, and it was times like these when lives were on the line that those qualities truly show.


    Ragnar knew this. He had seen things simr to today happen all too often.


    And yet, Ragnar still had hope. He still had hope that the world could be changed, criminals could be purged, and sin could be cleansed.


    After all, that was why he had came here. To Endzone.


    That, was Ragnar Creed''s wish.


    [Level Up.]


    [Level 15 -> 16.]


    [You gained 10 CP and 1 SP.]

 Chapter 52: Lightning Affinity

    Chapter 52: Lightning Affinity


    - The Next Morning -


    "Wakey wakey, time to wak-"


    "Shut it, I''m already awake."


    " Gosh, you could''ve said something beforehand," Luna sighed deeply faced with Cyanide''s sharp reply. "If you''re always already up when I call you, what''s the point of asking me to do this every morning?"


    "Just in case," Cyanide replied in his usual t tone of ''not-giving-a-shit''. "What about the old geezer? Is he up?"


    Luna shrugged "Still snoring away. He did expend a lot of energy yesterday, though, so I suppose it is understandable. Do you want to wake him up?"


    After some thought, Cyanide shook his head. "Leave him be. With his strength, he''ll only be a burden."


    Yesterday, Cyanide had brought Doctor Finch to the sewers to deduce just how useless he was, and the results were better than expected. If nothing else, the Doctor could at least be a suitable distraction.


    That said, hisbat skills were still about equivalent to that of a garden snail or possibly even less, so Cyanide saw no benefit in bringing him along again for today''s mission. Of course, the Doctor would be overjoyed to hear this (had he been awake), but in reality, the only reason Cyanide hasn''t directly thrown him out yet was his concoction skills. Cyanide was curious about the limits of Doctor Finch''s powers when it came to items like potions and poisonsespecially thetterso he decided to keep the old geezer with him for now.


    After a quick shower to clear his mind and a fast daily routine to check over the entire Aterra building, Cyanide set out.


    *****


    There wasn''t much to do on the way to the school he had in mind, so Cyanide spent the time browsing through the new Soul Arts he could obtain now that he had unlocked the Lightning Affinity for his soul. He had also put all 10 CP he earned from the level-up into INT, just to increase his maximum Soulforce capacity to amodate these new Soul Arts. As such, his new maximum SF was 35.


    "Hm this Lightning Affinity is quite useful against mutants, it seems" Cyanide murmured as he read through the skills'' descriptions.


    "Actually, all of the affinities have their own status ailments that they can inflict on mutants," Luna exined. "Lightning, for example, inflicts Shock, which paralyzes them. Fire inflicts Burn, damage over time, while Ice inflicts Freeze, which is self-exnatory. These status ailments are triggered based on luck, but certain Soul Arts have a higher chance of triggering them or can even be guaranteed."


    "I see what about Death, then?" Cyanide asked. "What status ailment does the Death Affinity inflict?"


    Luna smiled. "I was waiting for you to ask that. The Death Affinity, perhaps the strongest of them all, holds the Control status ailment."


    Cyanide''s eyes widened a bit. "Control? You mean I can turn mutants into my own soldiers?"


    "Precisely," Luna said with a wry grin. "Of course, due to the powerful nature of this status ailment, unlike the others, it doesn''t just have a chance of being inflicted on mutants. Instead, there is a single Soul Art of the Death Affinity called Control, which you can apply to certain mutants. The more you Control and the longer you attempt to Control them for, the more SF it will drain. At your current stage, Controlling even one will be difficult, and you won''tst long."


    "Hm I see so when can I learn this skill?"


    "Well, considering it requires an INT stat of at least 100 to unlock and a cost of 5 SP, being an advanced and flexible skill, I rmend waiting until you''re at least Level 50 or so," Luna said after some thought. "Now, before you ask if there''s a maximum level cap, I''ll say it right now: there is. Level 999but I doubt anyone will reach that level by the time this game is over."


    Cyanide nodded slowly in agreement. Every time he leveled up, the amount of EXP needed to reach the next level was significantly increased by about 150%, so reaching Level 999 would be quite the tedious task.


    "Speaking of the time the game is over" Luna continued, having thought of something. "Do you suppose some other yers may have moved into this city after yesterday night''s broadcast, Cyanide?"


    "Who knows." Cyanide shrugged nonchntly, pulling up a Soul Art that appeared to interest him on the Skill Shop disyed in front of his chest. "But if they are here, I suppose I''ll need to get rid of them, don''t I?"


    "If your ultimate goal is to win the game, to reach the so-called ''summit'' of this world, then yes," Luna replied. "At the same time, however, it may be more interesting to just sit back and watch as they kill themselves one by one"


    Hearing this, Cyanide chuckled. "You''re darker than I remember programming you to be."


    "Well, my dear creator, you had the bright idea to make me into a human-like machine and give me personality, so obviously I can change," Luna said, sounding exasperated. "The only thing that won''t ever alter is my loyalty to you, since that''s at the very core of my code."


    "As it should be," Cyanide muttered, pressing the [Purchase] button on the skill disyed. It read as follows:


    [Skill Information]


    [Name: Lightning Chain]


    [Type: Soul Arts]


    [Description: Inject Lightning energy into a given target. Nearby targets will be chained. Low damage, but high chance of inflicting Shock.]


    [Soulforce Cost: 5 SF]


    [Requirements: INT > 15]


    [Price: 1 SP]


    Perhaps another person would''ve chosen to get a Lightning Affinity Soul Art that actually could electrocute enemies to death, but not Cyanide. He had enough methods to kill. Something like Death Infusion or Petrify would be far more effective,pared to a st of lightning that not only was loud but also shy.


    Maybe some people liked that kind of thing, but Cyanide was raised an assassin and thought like one. If able to be discrete, he would. That said, when it came time to reveal his true power, he wasn''t afraid either.


    "The school''s right ahead, Cyanide," Luna said, and Cyanide came to a stop. About a hundred meters in front of him, Lumina Highy. At least, that''s what it once was called. Now, however, it was nothing more than an abandoned building, just like every other structure in this god-forsaken, post-apocalyptic world.


    "Now then, if this ce is marked as a POI, there is undoubtedly at least a Stage Three Mutant hiding here, possibly higher," Luna said sternly. "Are you ready, Cyanide?"


    Cyanide smirked and drew his weapons, gun in his right hand and knife in left.


    " I always am."

 Chapter 53: School Of Horrors

    Chapter 53: School Of Horrors


    Lumina High.


    Once a prosperous high school where teens could study and learn, this ce was now nothing more than an abandoned, ruined building. Granted, it was more intact than most other ces in this city, but it was far from undamaged. The cracks and fractures along its walls and surrounding ground were proof of that.


    Still, at least, with the building being intact, there were less angles the mutants could attack Cyanide from inside. At least, that was how it was supposed to be, theoreticallyhe couldn''t be sure yet until he actually went in and engaged inbat.


    Cautiously, Cyanide stepped closer to the closed doors, aged with dust. They appeared to be made of metal. Of course, regardless of the material, before reaching out to touch it, Cyanide made sure to test it first.


    [Detect Poison.]


    Chanting the skill''s name in his mind, a gentle scan shot out of his hand, tracing over the door, handle and frame and all. After several seconds, a message appeared not in the form a hologram, but inside his head.


    [No Poisons Detected]


    ''Good,'' he thought, then reached out and pulled on the handl-


    Crrrrreak.


    "!"


    Immediately, Cyanide jumped back, preparing for danger, and activated his Radar. No pings. And yet just now, right as he was about to touch the door, the metal door had creaked open, ever so slightly.


    Just the wind? Impossible. There was barely a breeze to be felt, and these doors were made of solid metal, not to mention how it was clicked in ce. Someone had opened this door from the insidebut also managed to evade Cyanide''s Radar skill.


    " Luna," Cyanide began, about to ask something. But-


    "Yes, Cyanide, there is a centralmand room in this school, and these doors can be operated from there," Luna replied before Cyanide even asked anything. "However, those controls should open a door up to full, not just a creak like this. Unless there has been some sort of fault or damage in the wiring over the years, but"


    Yes, that certainly was possible, but Cyanide believed it wasn''t as simple as that. And even if it was, that would mean there was someoneor rather, somethingin this school capable of operating the centralmand system. It would have to be either a Stage Three or Stage Four Mutant, as Stage Fives only had immense power but werecking in intelligencepared the other two.


    Hesitantly, Cyanide kicked open the door of the school, revealing a darkness inside. The lights were off, but there were windows whose blinds were raised, letting the daylight seep in. Dust speckles in the air were revealed by the beaming sun''s rays, and the ce had the feel of ancient ruins to it despite it clearly being just a normal school. An abandoned one, yes, but a normal school theless.


    " Go."


    Whispering this under his breath, he used the Soul Art [Skulls of Hell]. Instantly, three floating skulls materialized around his head, and then each took off in a different direction of the school under Cyanide''smand. They each left behind a trail of ominous ck gas as they flew, camouged in the darkness of the hallways.


    Meanwhile, in Cyanide''s mind, he was getting an urate idea of the school''syout. His map wouldn''t work here, since it only revealed basicyouts and didn''t show any floors that he had not reached yet. With these Skulls of Hell, however, not only could he see everything the Skulls were seeing through the empty eye sockets (albeit a little bit blurry), but he could also do so without any risk of danger, and potentially even eliminate some mutants without going near them by bashing their heads open with the Skulls.


    But to Cyanide''s surprise he didn''t find a single mutant. This school consisted of two floors, and should at least have a dozen or so mutants inside at the very least. And yet there were.


    '' How peculiar,'' he thought.


    Then, his three skulls converged around one door in particr, on the second floor.


    ''Hm? What''s this?''


    Before the three floating skulls, a sealed locked doory. It seemed to be made of pure metal, and was different from any other of the doors in the school in the sense that it did not have a vertical transom window on it. There was some kind of text written on the metal que on the door''s surface, but Cyanide couldn''t see what the tiny letters read through the Skulls. As such, he attempted tomand the skulls to go closer, but-


    "!" Cyanide''s eyes snapped back open as his connection to the Skulls was suddenly cut off. All three at once, gone. They had been destroyed simultaneously, ruthlessly. The cut was swift, clean, and utterly merciless.


    Cyanide had fought his share of sword masters before, back on Earth. In fact, he himself was well-versed in the art of swords from experience alone, and he could tell that cut just now that severed his three Skulls of Hell was nothing short of extraordinary. Such precision, such power, such intent all in one strike. He was up against a master of the sword here, but now the question remains: was it a mutant or another survivor?


    No, no it can''t be a survivor. There''s no reason a survivor would reveal itself by creaking open the door like that earlier, if their goal was to stealthily take down Cyanide by surprise.


    Then it had to be a mutant but what was a sword master mutant doing in a preschool?


    Or perhaps was there both? A Survivor and a Mutant, working together? Did the Survivor imprint on the Mutant, or are they enemies still, and Cyanide had simply joined in to make it a three-way fight?


    Either way, he had one destination. That metal door earlier, on the second floor. Now that his Skulls of Hell had flown through and explored the entire school, his map has been updated as well. He learned that that metal door was, in fact, the entrance to the custodian''s room, where the central controls of this ce was. Without a doubt, somethingy inside.


    The only question was what.

 Chapter 54: The Girl With A Katana

    Chapter 54: The Girl With A Katana


    Cyanide climbed the stairs to the second floor of the school cautiously, knife in one hand and gun in the other. This was his most used fighting stylesimple yet effective. It was passed down to him from his now-dead teacher, Anthrax. Cyanide liked it for its simplicity and ease of usethe gun could cover long ranges, while the knife was good for close-rangebat. Both were light and small, allowing Cyanide to make full use of his strongest property: agility.


    Silently, he ascended the staircase, like a phantom in the dark. He was nothing more than a shadow, and made not a sound. He had trained so that even his breathing was impossible to hear to the normal human ear, not to mention his footsteps with the passive skill [Fleeting Footsteps].


    Soon, he arrived at the top of the staircase, and peeked through the windows embedded within the double steel doors. There, about a couple feet away, was the metal door that led to the central control room. But like any good assassin, he wanted to scout the ce out before making any moves.


    ''Radar.''


    Closing his eyes, he activated his [Radar] skill with a mere thought, and scanned the area for any hostiles.


    And just as expected, he found one


    ''No not just one. There''s another?''


    Cyanide''s brow twitched a bit as he found another energy signal a little bit in front of the control center''s door, which was just barely outside of his field of view from where he was right now.


    ''Another mutant?'' He inferred, but the thought was quickly cut off as he spotted something in the corner of the stairwell he was in, grotesque and terrifying.


    It was a doll.


    "!" Cyanide immediately backed away and kept his gaze focused on the doll, mainly because he didn''t know what it was capable of. It certainly had not been here when he had came up the stairs, so how did it get here now, without him even noticing?


    The doll appeared to take on the shape of a little girl, and had half of its tiny body covered by the shadows. The other half was normal, but the half covered in shadows was repulsive.


    The entire left side of the doll was mangled. The cloth was torn off, revealing not stuffed cotton inside but horrid machinery. Wires, metal, and a constant red eye stared out at Cyanide, as if stalking him.


    And quite frankly, Cyanide didn''t like being stalked, so he stabbed the doll with his knife, thinking that would silence it.


    But then-


    BOOM!


    "Tch-!"


    Cyanide barely noticed in time as the doll suddenly exploded, demolishing the knife with it. Thankfully, Cyanide had spares, and simply pulled out another one from his inventory.


    The noise, however, was enough to attract the other energy signature Cyanide had detected earlier, and the metal double doors of the stairwell were kicked open.


    "Who''s there?!" She demanded, holding her katana out as if pointing at the air and darting her eyes around in search of the perpetrator of the explosion.


    However unfortunately for her, Cyanide was already invisible, and standing behind her at this very moment, presencepletely hidden and unseen.


    '' Another yer?'' He thought, smiling wryly. ''How interesting''


    But suddenly-


    "!"


    The girl swung around with her katana and shed behind her, taking Cyanide by surprise. Had he been a second slower, he would''ve been cut in half.


    "I know you''re there!" The girl shouted, keeping her hand steady and mind focused. "Come out!"


    '' Hm.''


    After some debate, Cyanide decided to leave her be and temporarily retreat, watching from the shadows a safe distance away. Was he scared of her? No, naturally not. He was surprised she could detect him behind her, but that wasn''t why he was waiting. He was merely doing this because of the other hostile signature in the building, within that control room. Engaging in battle now wasn''t wisenot when there was a third party stalking them.


    "" The katana-wielding girl fell silent as she surveyed her surroundings, and after being unable to sense Cyanide any longer, she let out a deep breath.


    '' Was that just a hallucination?'' She thought to herself, then shook her head. ''No, it couldn''t be that explosion or was it merely a distraction from the mutant? My Radar isn''t getting any pings any longer either''


    " Hm."


    Deciding to put that thought away for now, she turned her attention back to the control room in front of her where the mutant was, and closed her eyes. She held her katana upright in front of her face, pointed towards the ceiling, and began building up white energy around her body and sword.


    Suddenly, her eyes snapped back open, and she swung her katana forward.


    "By my de  Vorpal Edge!"


    A crescent-shaped st of energy shot out of her weapon and struck the metal door, destroying it instantly and knocking it over. When the dust cleared, however, the girl''s eyes widened slightly.


    "A little girl?"


    There, looking terrified and frightened, was a tiny girl sitting on a rotating chair, having just barely avoided being crushed underneath the blown-in metal door. There were tears in her eyes and sweat on her forehead, and her entire body was practically trembling with fear.


    "H-Hrm a-ah" She whimpered like a sad puppy without any ce to go, and looked at the taller girl with fear in her eyes.


    "W-Woah, hey, don''t cry" The taller girl hurriedly said awkwardly, at a loss for what to do. "I thought you were an enemy, I didn''t mean to"


    "H-Hngh!" The tiny girl yelped slightly as the taller girl took a step into the room, and thetter quickly shook her head and put on the warmest smile she could muster


    "I won''t hurt you. Just calm down, okay? Let''s get you out of this room you must be so hungry and thirsty without anything to eat or drink and after that, you can tell me how you ended up in this ce"


    She slid her katana back into her sheath as a sign of friendliness, then picked up the tiny, defenseless girl by the armpits and lifted her onto her own back, who held on tightly in response.


    Doing this, the tall girl was reminded of her past, and smiled sadly.


    "Now I know a ce with some food. Just hang on for a bit longer, oka-"


    PEW!


    Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past her temple and struck the little girl directly in the forehead. Deadeye.


    "G-G-Grah" The little girl made a mechanical noise that should not have belonged to a tiny child and fell off of the taller girl''s back, copsing to the ground.


    "!" The taller girl gasped as she spun around and saw the wires hidden beneath that realistic, rich skin, one that could''ve passed for a real human. In the dead child''s hand held a sharp screwdriver, something the tall girl hadn''t even noticed earlier.


    "W-What"


    Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door closing, and she immediately whipped her head around as the tiny mutant''s body turned into white shards of light.


    "H-Hey, wait!" She called out, knowing the person who just closed that door was the same one who shot the bullet earlierand saved her.


    " Idiot," Cyanide muttered with a chuckle, smoke still rising from his gun.

 Chapter 55: Unwilling Duel

    Chapter 55: Unwilling Duel


    Cyanide escaped from the school building, his business done, and prepared to head back to his base at the Aterra Headquarters.


    With the ying of that Stage Three Mutant (presumably), he had gained two straight levels from 22 to 24, and put 10 of the CP he received into AGI while purchasing Inspect II with 1 SP he got so he could see other yers'' specific stat distributions. Because the base skill was a Core one and cost 0 SP, the upgraded version only cost 1. This left him with 10 CP left to spend and 1 SP, the former of which he spent on VIT since he was going for a more or less bnced stat distribution while conserving the 1 SP.


    Why was he obtaining this [Inspect II] skill? Well, since other survivors were going to be starting to flock towards the city of Lumina, Cyanide needed to be ready. He always was.


    Even now, he was invisible, so no one could possibly track he was going. That poor girl with the katana could try all she wanted, but she wasn''t going to catch up to the number one assassin in the underground.


    Or so Cyanide thought.


    "Hey, you! Wait!"


    ""


    Cyanide stopped in his tracks at the sound of the feminine voice calling out to him. Not because he was actually listening to her, but because he was surprised she could see through his invisibility. As such, he decided to humor her, and see what she wants. If she was really just a weakling, he wouldn''t even bother and just kill her, but if she was strong


    "Hah hah you actually stopped?" The tall girl with a katana by her hips panted heavily, looking up at Cyanide, who canceled his invisibility and stared at her with his usual cold, empty gaze.


    " What do you want?" He asked, voice quiet yet dangerous. One misstep, and the girl would be dead.


    "Why why did you save me back there?"


    "Save you?" Cyanideughed darkly. "I hate to burst your bubble, but I didn''t save you. I just wanted the kill on that mutant while she was distracted on you, so I could get XPnothing more. Saving you was just a by-product of my actions."


    The girl folded her arms, as if unconvinced. " Regardless, you still saved me. As a fellow yer, shouldn''t you have nted a bullet in my head as well, while I was busy looking at the dead mutant?"


    But Cyanide only chuckled, then turned to inspect his knife and twirled it around on his fingertips.


    " You''re not worth the bullet."


    "H-Huh?!" At this, the girl was clearly both surprised agitated. "Are you saying I''m weak? I nearly killed you back there, you know!"


    Cyanide sighed, as if exhausted of this conversation already. "Listen closely. There is no such thing as ''nearly killed''. It''s either you killed your target, or you didn''t. And if you didn''t, you''ve failed."


    "Hmph awfully arrogant, are you?" The girl said, drawing her katana and pointing it at Cyanide. "If you think I''ve failed then why don''t you test that theory yourself?"


    She had a wry grin on her face, as if ready for a challenge, but-


    "Nah, I''m good."


    -Cyanide spun on his heel and promptly began walking away,pletely shooting down her invitation.


    "Wha- you''re just going to leave?!"


    The girl hurriedly ran past Cyanide and cut in front of him, stopping him from going any further. Cyanide, after some thought, sighed deeply.


    " Fine. If you want to duel me this much, tell me one thinghow did you track where I was, despite me being invisible?"


    "Oh, that was easy," the girl replied with a smirk. "Even though you were invisible, you can''t erase your ''aura''."


    " Aura?" Cyanide raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued. This was what he had been waiting for. The true reason why he didn''t kill this girl.


    "Mhm. That''s how I could tell you were behind me earlier in the building as well. But if you want to know more beat me in a fight first."


    Cyanide considered this for a moment. Fighting this girl would be a hassle, but if he finished it quickly, it shouldn''t waste that much time. And besides, it would be a lie if he said he wasn''t at least a little curious about what this so-called ''aura'' the girl spoke of was.


    If it turned out she was lying to him, he would simply kill her. No big deal. But if she wasn''t perhaps this ''aura-sensing'' power would be useful to Cyanideter on. His [Radar] skill wasn''t going to always be avable, and if he ever came across any invisible or silent mutants, this could potentially save his life.


    After carefully considering this choice, Cyanide sighed. "Any rules in particr to the duel?"


    The girl shrugged. "Anything goes, as long as you don''t kill."


    "No promises."


    "Well, if you kill me, no one will be able to tell you about the aura power you''re interesting in, so"


    ''That''s a good point,'' Cyanide thought. ''This girl has quick wits.''


    "In that case" Cyanide nced at the katana in her hand. "Do you have a spare, by any chance?"


    "Eh?" The girl''s eyes widened slightly. "You want to fight me with a katana? You know that''s my specialized weapon, right?"


    "All the better. I need to diversify my weapon arsenal perhaps you could teach me a few tricks?"


    Always resourceful. Always finding a way to bring benefits to himself. That was Cyanide''s mindset.


    "Hm sure, I suppose, as payback for saving me back there. But you still have to beat me first, thanks to your littlement earlier."


    Saying this, the girl pulled a spare katana from her inventory and held it out to Cyanide.


    '' She''s better than some. At least she has backup weapons prepared,'' he analyzed, then stepped forward and lifted his hand to ept the katana by its handle. But-


    "!" The girl''s eyes widened in shock as she was pulled closer to Cyanide by her outreached arm, and before she knew it, Cyanide had her in a headlock, katana''s de resting mere inches away from her neck.


    " Rule one of survival: don''t trust anyone. Not your allies, not your friends no one."


    "U-Um I get it, so could you let me go now?" The girl asked, almost in a whimper. She was usually upbeat, but in this position with this man, she felt both terrified and embarrassed. It was an interesting mixture of emotions for sure.


    Cyanide considered outright threatening the girl since he could kill her as easily as blinking in this position, but ultimately decided against it. This skill to identify ''auras'' had to be trained, honed over time for it to be sessful. It wasn''t a one-and-done thing like information, which he was used to threatening people into giving.


    So, he stepped back and let go of the girl, then swung the katana in his hand around a few times to get a good grip of the weapon. What he said earlier about diversifying his weapon arsenal was aplete lie to make the girl underestimate him. In reality, as a professional assassin trained to be the ultimate human being, Cyanide had learned to use all sorts of different weapons, from sniper rifles to a mere pen. Katanas were no exception.


    Even though he was certain the girl before him was realms weaker than him, Cyanide still tried to obtain every advantage he could before the fight even began. By making the girl underestimate him, she will leave openings that otherwise wouldn''t have been left.


    That was how Cyanide''s mind worked.


    That was how careful Cyanide truly was.


    "Now" The girl pointed the tip of her katana towards Cyanide, a fair few meters away. "Shall we begin?"

 Chapter 56: Underhanded Victory

    Chapter 56: Underhanded Victory


    The battle began with the katana-wielding girl taking the initiative, dashing towards Cyanide at incredible speed. Cyanide had checked her stats with Inspect II earlier and discovered that while she was only Level 21, she had an AGI stat of 100, which was higher than Cyanide''s own.


    Naturally, this meant she wascking elsewhereand Cyanide nned to exploit that.


    First of all, since her INT stat was still the default value of just 1, she couldn''t use any Soul Arts. However, Cyanide decided not to use any Soul Arts in this duel, since that might make the girlin about how he didn''t wear fairly or something like that, then he would have to fight her again and it''ll just be a pain.


    Secondly, Cyanide saw that the girl only had a STR stat of 50, while Cyanide''s own was 60. Now this, he could abuse. This meant when it came to a showdown of raw muscr strength and nothing more, Cyanide would emerge victorious.


    With this in mind, Cyanide too dashed from his starting location and met the girl''s de with his own. Metal struck metal, and the sound of two swords shing rose into the air. The girl smirked and slid her katana along Cyanide''s to go for his neck, but Cyanide leaned back to avoid her strike and countered with a lower-body sh of his own.


    The girl parried swiftly, knocking Cyanide''s de upwards before diving in once again for a forward thrust, but Cyanide ducked down elegantly, deflected her de with his like water, then drew a beautiful circle with his katana to turn defense into offense with a graceful moul.


    "!"


    This advanced technique caught the girl off-guard, and she took several steps back to put some distance between herself and Cyanide.


    " Wow. I thought you were a beginner, but it''s actually difficult to tell who''s the more experienced one here," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Where did you learn how to use the katana? I''m well-versed with all the major sword academies of Japan, but I don''t remember your face."


    ''Japan?'' Cyanide thought. ''So that''s where she''s from but she sounds like she''s speaking English to me. Is it because of the game?''


    Cyanide had studied everynguage in the world during his upbringing, but English was still his primarynguage despite being born in Japan. This is because his former teacher, Anthrax, was American.


    " I was taught by an old man," Cyanide said atst, not sure how else to answer. "He''s dead now, but I doubt you know him. Even I don''t know his identity."


    "Huh, so some secluded master I see. There''s no shortage of those in Japan," the girl murmured, then shook her head. "Anyway let''s continue. It would seem I need to get serious."


    Meanwhile, Cyanide waspletely unconcerned as they dove into battle once more. Instead, he was more interested in how she just naturally assumed he was from Japan as well. She wasn''t wrong in the sense that he was born there, but she didn''t actually know that. Cyanide guessed she probably thought so because to her, he most likely was speaking fluent Japanese.


    Either way, it was clear the girl was stepping up her game in the duel. Her movements were now even faster and more precise, her gaze focused and her smile confident. Cyanide remained as unconcerned as ever and used just enough effort to keep up with her, before suddenly-


    "Take this!"


    The girl suddenly reared back for a moment before lunging forward again, but this time in a flurry of rapid thrusts with her katana rather than just a single one. Cyanide''s eyes widened a bit at this change and did his best to deflect them, but there were simply too many different angles. So, instead, he backed away, but the girl didn''t give him a chance to rest and jumped after him by kicking herself off the floor and soaring forward like a bullet herself.


    "Orbital sh!" She yelled, spinning her body around in the air and bing the living embodiment of a drill.


    But Cyanide merely smiles as if her putting so much effort into this was nothing but a joke to him, and epts what''sing without even trying to defend. The girl, seeing this, widened her eyes and quickly tried to a skid to a stop lest she kills Cyanide by ident.


    A fatal mistake.


    That was exactly what Cyanide wanted to happen, and she fell right into the trap.


    " Hmph."


    He bent down slightly, and angled his katana so that the girl''s would slide right over his. The girl realized what he was trying to do, but it was toote now to stop her momentum.


    "Hngh-!" She cried out in pain as Cyanide grabbed her by the wrist just as she soared over him, then mmed her into the concrete ground before pointing his katana at her neck.


    " Second rule of survival. If you''ve already made up the mind to strike, do not show mercy to anyone or anything, no matter who or what they are. You''ve lost. Now tell me what I want to know."


    "Ngh that wasn''t fair at all!" The girl yelled, pouting in anger and sitting up despite the de pointed at her face. She was clearly frustrated, but whether that was directed at Cyanide or herself, she did not know. Cyanide found this quite intriguing. Most others would be terrified of the de practically at their neck, but this girl didn''t seem scared of him at all.


    Slowly, he moved the katana away from her face and instead stuck it into the ground.


    "Fair?" Heughed darkly. "This is a survival game where life and death are on the line. If you think mutants or other yers are going to y fair, you won''tst a week."


    "I''ve alreadysted a week, thanks," the girl said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and getting to her feet before dusting her school uniform off. It had thebel of Lumina High on it, and Cyanide assumed she found a fresh set somewhere in the building. "A deal is a deal, though, and however underhanded, you won. I''ll tell you about auras, but before that"


    Suddenly, the gurgling of a stomach could be heard, and it certainly wasn''t from Cyanide. The girl blushed deeply and averted her gaze, ying with her long brown hair, then snuck a nce at Cyanide.


    "Um do you have any ce we could eat, perhaps?"

 Chapter 57: Kirika Kishi

    Chapter 57: Kirika Kishi


    With no other good ce in mind, Cyanide brought the katana-wielding girl to his hideout, Aterra Headquarters. He had attempted to convince the girl to just wait where she was and he would bring her food, but she didn''t believe him and thought he was just going to leave. But why would Cyanide leave before learning about the whole deal with ''auras''? He tried persuading the girl with that reason, but she once again stubbornly refused to listen.


    With no other alternative in mind apart from letting the girl starve to death, Cyanide was forced to take her to his hideout. This meant exposing his home''s location, but there was not much he could do. This girl didn''t pose much of a threat to Cyanide even if she did turn hostile, though, so it wasn''t all that bad. The only thing Cyanide regretted was not leaving some emergency rations in the convenience store in preparation for a time like this.


    Once they arrived, the girl blinked a few times in surprise.


    "Wow this is a nice hideout. You cleared this whole building on your own?"


    "Touch anything, and I''ll kill you."


    "E-Eek you don''t have to be so scary, I already lost"


    The girl, who had seemed so confident and triumphant earlier, was now like a little lostmb following behind Cyanide''s bold steps, biting her quivering bottom lip tightly.


    Together, the two headed down for the basement where all the food was stored, and Cyanide suddenly catapulted her a bag of chips at Mach 5 without any warning. Thankfully, the girl had grown up in a Sword Academy, and therefore had extremely fast reaction speeds along with precise movements, and caught the bag of food with ease. Cyanide, who had purposely threw it at her like that, held a glimmer of acknowledgment in his deep teal eyes that read ''Not bad''.


    "Mm so this is how chips taste like" The girl murmured as she munched on a potato chip curiously, carefully savoring the vor as if she''s never had one before.


    "You''ve never eaten potato chips before?" Cyanide asked, raising his eyebrow, momentarily distracted from the whole aura business by the girl''s unexpected words.


    The girl shook her head. "At the ce I grew up at, Sakura Sword Academy, we weren''t allowed to have any fast food or snacks like these. Only rationed, proportional diets, giving us just the right amount of nutrients needed without caring about taste. I know this is just a game, but it feels so real. It''s fun, that''s for sure."


    ''But is it truly just a game?'' That question lingered at the back of Cyanide''s head, and despite knowing the answer with 99% certainty, he refrained from saying anything out loud. Instead, he asked more questions to the girl.


    "Is that why you came here? Fun?"


    "Hm that''s part of it, I suppose, but not the main reason. What about you? Money, power, or fame? Or, perhaps, are you wanted by every single country''s government, and so came here to run away?" Sheughed, adding thest part as a joke. But little did she know


    "None," Cyanide replied calmly, silently acknowledging how the girl dodged his previous question without going into any details. "Thatst one was half-right, but I did note here to run away."


    "H-Huh? That means you''re actually wanted by ahaha, good joke! I see what you did there!" Sheughed out loud again, thinking Cyanide only answered like that to humor her. But really, Cyanide wasn''t into humor. Not this kind of light-hearted humor, anyway.


    " You done eating?" Cyanide said atst, unfolding his arms. "If so, let''s not waste any more time. Tell me about the ''auras''."


    The girl, hearing this, frowned slightly. "Give me some time here! I''ve barely even started eating oh, I know! Why don''t we introduce ourselves to each other? Since we''re here now, might as well be allies, right?"


    Cyanide personally had no intentions of bing allies with her, but since he wanted to learn about this ''aura-reading'' technique, he sighed and humored her.


    " You can call me Cyanide."


    "H-Huh? Cyanide?" The girl blinked in surprise. "Isn''t that a bit dark?"


    "And you are?" Cyanide prompted, ignoring her question.


    "Oh, yes, where are my manners?" The girl smiled briefly, then cleared her throat as if about to make a speech. "My name is Kirika. Kirika Kishi. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    "Kirika, huh" Cyanide murmured, rubbing his own chin as he fell into thought. When he had used [Inspect II] on her earlier, the name had not popped up, only her number: SURVIVOR-102].


    "Indeed. A fine name, isn''t it? My mother spent many hours thinking it u-"


    "Too long. A hassle. Just ''Kiri'' is better."


    "E-Ehhh?!" Kirika''s eyes widened at Cyanide''s sudden proposal, who still had a perfectly monotone expression on his face that made it impossible to read what his emotions were.


    "So, Kiri, are you done eating yet?"


    "No! And don''t call me that! My name is Ki-ri-ka! With a ''ka'' at the end!"


    "I see. Well, you have another minute to finish that bag of chips, Kiri. Go over, and I''ll consider you as trying to stall time as you fabricate an borate lie. You should know that that means."


    "A-All right, I get it! Just stop calling me Kiri!!!"


    *****


    - 5 Minutes Later -


    "So auras are a person''s emotion''s physical form, in other words?" Cyanide asked after hearing Kirika''s exnation.


    "Pretty much, yes," Kirika replied with a shrug. "You''ll need to do tons of practice and meditate a certain way everyday, but eventually, you''ll be able to reach a stage where I''m at right nowable to sense a person''s emotional aura despite their physical bodies being undetectable or invisible."


    " Hm."


    "Just any meditating won''t work. You need to do it in a very specific manner, which I can help mentor you on. So, how about it? You let me stay here, and I''ll train your aura reading abilities. It''s a win-win situation, no?"


    After some intense thought, Cyanide gave his answer.

 Chapter 58: Oathsworn

    Chapter 58: Oathsworn


    "Nah. Not worth the trouble. Farewell."


    As he proceeded to pick Kirika up by the shoulder and practically drag her across the floor to head up the stairs, the poor girl thrashed and screamed all the way.


    "W-Wait! Please, I''ll prove to you that I''m worth keeping around! I''m pretty strong, and my looks aren''t half-bad either I think! You can even call me Kiri if you want, please!!!"


    There were practically tears in her eyes, and Cyanide came to a stop, considering her words.


    It was true, she was a force to be reckoned with. While she wasn''t anywhere near Cyanide''s level, she was a good seed and could very well reach Cyanide''s current stage, given the proper training. Cyanide had ascertained that through the various little tests and observations he randomly threw at her.


    The looks part Cyanide really didn''t care about, but she was far from not half-bad. With her long ck hair that reached all the way down to her legs with auburn highlights, paired with glimmering yellow eyes and a small bouquet of pink flowers on the top-left side of her head topliment the dark hair, she could be called a beauty able to bring down nations.


    But Cyanide didn''t care.


    Her strength, however, was a different matter. As long as Cyanide could somehow force this girl into remaining loyal to him


    " How can you prove your loyalty to me?" He asked the girl quietly, testing her for her response.


    "H-Huh? Loyalty? Well, there''s nothing I can do to prove I''ll remain loyal, but"


    '' She didn''t try to lie and admitted it honestly,'' Cyanide thought in his head.


    "Hold on," a third voice suddenly interjectedLuna, who had appeared beside Cyanide in the form of a hologram. "Cyanide, you''re cautious of her possibly betraying you, correct?"


    Cyanide nodded. "Is there some way to prevent thatpletely?"


    "In the real world, no. But in Endzone" Luna smiled wryly, then looked at Kirika through her blindfold. " There is a special bond you can set in ce between yourself and someone else, known as an Oathsworn."


    "Wow is this your Survivor''s Assistant?" Kirika asked curiously, observing Luna''s hologram with great interest. "Mine doesn''t look nearly as pretty and she never talks unless I ask her directly! And even then, she might not answer"


    "Actually, I''m an upgraded version that Cyanide made, you could say," Luna said hesitantly. " It''splicated."


    " Tell me more about this ''Oathsworn'' business," Cyanide said, folding his arms and leaning against the doorframe.


    "Does this mean you''re actually going to keep me around?" Kirika asked, eyes sparkling in excitement. But-


    "Shut up and listen. If it requires anything I don''t currently have, you''re out of here."


    "Hehe~ don''t worry, it doesn''t cost anything to form an Oath," Luna said. "The only thing it needs is both parties'' consent. Once you do that, I will administer the process to turn you two into Oathsworns, which essentially means you''ll be protected from damaging each other in any formeven things like leaking the other''s secrets when you''ve been told explicitly not to tell anyone."


    "I see" Cyanide turned to Kirika. "Well? If you want to stay here, this is your only choice."


    "Urgh I don''t like the sound of being ''oathsworn'' to a guy I just met like we''re going to get married or something, but oh well." Kirika took a deep breath, then stared Cyanide in the eyes. "I ept."


    Cyanide felt an urge to say ''I don''t, leave'', but ultimately decided against it. Kirika would be useful addition to the team so long as she never turned traitor, and Cyanide did want to learn that aura-reading ability of hers. It would prove to be useful, no doubt about it.


    With that in mind, he turned to Luna and gave a brisk nod, signaling his approval. Luna smiled in response and appeared to type something in her hologram, and suddenly, a panel opened up in front of Cyanide.


    [Confirm: Add Kirika Kishi (SURVIVOR-102) as an Oathsworn?]


    [Yes/No]


    Without hesitation, Cyanide pressed on Yes. After thinking things through, any further hesitation would only result in unnecessary doubt. The screen then transformed into a loading three dots, with the following text:


    [Waiting for other party to ept]


    "Jace Silverdale huh. So that''s your real name," Kirika murmured as she stared at the hologram panel before her.


    "Call me that and I''ll kill you, Oathsworn or not. I have many techniques that don''t involve direct damage."


    "O-Okay, okay geez I liked the name, though"


    With thest part being almost inaudible, Kirika pressed on the [Yes] button, and the process wasplete. The screen before both of them changed to disy the same sess screen with a green checkmark on top.


    [Sess]


    [Kirika Kishi (SURVIVOR-102) has been added as an Oathsworn. To delete this bond, both parties must consent once more.]


    There will one daye a time when Cyanide would have to kill Kirika as well. That was just the harsh reality of this sick game. But until then, he would take full advantage of her abilities, and use her to his benefit.


    After all, in Cyanide''s eyes, a life wasn''t a life. It was merely a tool, nothing more.


    "All right let''s start with your first meditation lesson, shall we?" Kirika said with a smirk, pping her hands together in anticipation. "Given your personality, it might be a bit hard, but I''ll need you to sit down, and just rx."


    Rx easy for her to say. Not once in Cyanide''s 22 years of being alive has he ever truly ''rxed''. For someone like him, rxing was fatal. Rxing spelled death.


    Still, if he wanted to learn this aura-reading ability, he''ll at least need to give it a shot. With a sigh, he sat down crossed-legged on the floor, and shut his eyes. With the Oathsworn bond in ce, he could ease up a bit more than usualbut just a bit.


    "Okay now, deep breaths," Kirika whispered gently.. "Purge everything else from your mind, and visualize humanoid figures in their rawest formsspirit."

 Chapter 59: Outside Lumina

    Chapter 59: Outside Lumina


    - An Hour Later -


    "Whew okay, let''s stop for today," Kirika said, standing up from the ground. "How was that?"


    Cyanide opened his eyes slowly and shot her a sideways nce, then sighed and stood up as well. He had not expected her to join in with the meditating, when she was supposed to be instructing him. He had originally thought rxing would''ve been hard for him, but really, all Kirika meant by ''rx'' was close his eyes and be quiet, while conjuring a calm state of mind. Since he was always calm, that was easy.


    " Easier than expected," he answered truthfully.


    "Really?" Kirika blinked in surprise. "Huh well, I do suppose you are quite a calm and collected person. When I first started learning how to do this, I could never sit still for more than a minute"


    "Sure that''s not just your AD/HD?"


    Kirika was taken aback, and dropped her jaw in surprise. "W-Wha- how did you know?!"


    Cyanide snorted. "A wild guess, nothing more."


    "Hrmph this is not fair," Kirika said with a pout after a while, folding her arms and pursing her lips. Cyanide raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.


    Kirika sighed. "I mean, you know so much about me, but I really don''t know anything about you except your real name, which I''m not even allowed to call you by"


    Cyanide gave a low chuckle. "If this aura reading ability actually works, I''ll tell you why I came here."


    Of course, Cyanide had no intention of telling her the whole truth, but a little snippet to lure her curiosity couldn''t hurt. To his surprise, however, Kirika jumped up excitedly, any sign of tiredness gone.


    "Really?! Let''s go right now, then! You''ll be able to do it I think!"


    ''This again?'' Cyanide thought in his head, wondering just how many thingsing out of this girl''s mouth was merely something she ''thought'' was the case.


    Well, this was fine, he supposed. He needed to get some more levels anyway. He was nning on farming the Scarlet Hour tonight too, so might as well get some more XP in now.


    " Well, whatever. Let''s go, then," Cyanide muttered, turning away and heading for the stairs leading up out of the basement.


    "Yes!" Kirika called out happily, but then, Cyanide stopped.


    "Hme to think of it Luna, is the old geezer still asleep?"


    "Not sure," Luna replied. "Do you want to check on him, Cyanide?"


    Cyanide shook his head, but Kirika tilted hers curiously.


    "Eh? Old geezer? Where?"


    " Furthest room down the hallway. He''s a Stage Three Mutant, but he won''t hurt you. Probably."


    "Huh allies with a mutant? Interesting!"


    "If you want to go see how he looks like, go ahead. Just know I won''t wait for you."


    "Okay~ I''ll be quick!"


    With that, they parted ways momentarily, and Cyanide decided to take this time to run yet another sweep of the building. His precautions proved useful as he found two stray mutants who had infiltrated into this building while he was away, which he promptly killed without any issue.


    Why wasn''t he just outright blockading the entrance of the building whenever he left? It''s simple. He was purposely letting these stray mutants into the building so he could easily clear them for free XP whenever he ran these daily checks. Everything Cyanide did was calcted, and everything he did had meaning.


    *****


    Soon, just as Cyanide returned from clearing out the two mutants in the building and prepared to head out, Kirika emerged from the stairwell with a yful smile on her lips. She seemed happy for whatever reason, and even Cyanide who usually didn''t care about such things was slightly intrigued and raised an eyebrow.


    " What are you so happy about?"


    "Heheh the old guyDoctor Finch, was it? He was still asleep when I got there, and seeing hispletely defenseless face and the marker on the table"


    She didn''t need to finish for Cyanide to know what she meant.


    " When he finds out, he won''t be happy. I said he probably won''t hurt you, but after doing this, you canpletely disregard thatment. Don''t expect me to save you when that timees."


    "Don''t worryI made sure to check his stats before doodling on his face. He''s pretty weak, I can handle him."


    ''He''s not going to like hearing that when he wakes up either, but'' Cyanide kept that remark to himself and instead silently walked out the door, Kirika trailing behind.


    *****


    It was past noon, and Cyanide decided to take a little trip outside the city of Lumina to do some exploring. The streets of Lumina were pretty much devoid of mutants, so it was the perfect opportunity to do some hunting in the woods outside the city.


    The Aterra Headquarters was right at the corner of Lumina, so it didn''t take the two of them long to reach the forest by following the broken highway bridge that was filled with destroyed vehicles and mutants.


    Fortunately, all of them were simple Stage Ones, so Cyanide and Kirika took them out with ease. Thetter''s various sword skills with her katana such as [Orbital sh] and [Star Ssh] were especially useful for clearing out hordes of weak enemies at once, while Cyanide provided 100% uracy ranged support with his gun.


    The two, contrary to Cyanide''s expectations, made a nice duo in terms ofbat. Personality aside, Kirika was actually quite serious and strong when it came to battle, and Cyanide could appreciate having someone help him in a fight for once, despite not being used to it at all.


    By the time the two finally made it across the highway and walked off-course to arrive at the forest, both of them had gained levels. Cyanide was now Level 25, and Kirika, who killed more than Cyanide due to being on the frontline, gained two levels and reached Level 23. Both emptied all of their CP from the level-ups into AGI while conserving the SP for once they got back.


    The sun was going to set soon, after all, and they had a forest to explore. Cyanide was curious about the two notifications that popped in front of him, saying that he had unlocked [Weapon Arts] and [Cooking], but since the exnation would take a while ording to Luna, he decided to also save it for when they returned.


    Standing before the thick green trees that marked the start of the wilderness, Cyanide reloaded his gun with dexterity that could only be born from thousands of repetitions of that same movement, and activated his [Radar] skill.


    "Now then let''s head in."

 Chapter 60: Unsettling Forest

    Chapter 60: Unsettling Forest


    Cyanide and Kirika entered the forest without any hesitation, dauntless and fearless. For Cyanide, that was the normfear was an emotion unknown to himbut he was somewhat surprised this samurai girl could actually keep up with him. Not everyone could just waltz into a dangerous forest filled with unknowns so calmly, after all. Especially not in a world like Endzone, where all life had been turned into bloodthirsty killing machines.


    "This forest it''s strangely silent," she said as the two walked along the open path surrounded by thick trees. "But I can feel it. There''s a dangerous being here, deeper inside. The aura is faint due to the distance, but I can still sense it. Can''t tell what exactly it is, though."


    "So you''ve noticed," Cyanide replied briskly, and carried on walking.


    "Huh? You''re talking like you''ve noticed too." Kirika arched an eyebrow. "Just after that one session, you can already sense auras from this far away?"


    Her skepticism was practically written on her face, but Cyanide paid her no mind and instead merely shook his head.


    "It doesn''t take aura reading to know there is something dangerous in this forest."


    "Oh? Then how did you know?" Kirika asked, as if challenging him.


    Cyanide stopped walking momentarily, nced at her sideways, and said one word:


    " Experience."


    *****


    - After Several Minutes -


    " We''ve been here for over ten minutes by now, and yet we haven''te across even a single sign of life," Kirika muttered, ncing at the shadowy trees ufortably. "I''m really not getting a good feeling about this. The sun''s about to set, so should we head back?"


    "Head back on your own if you want," Cyanide replied calmly, crouching down and inspecting something on the ground. " I''m staying until I get to the bottom of this."


    "Bottom of what?"


    "You''re not as sharp as I thought you were," Cyanide sighed, standing back up. "You''ve been relying on your aura sensing techniques so much that you''re beginning to forget you have your basic five senses too. Listen, and observe. Are there truly no signs of life?"


    Kirika did as told, closing her eyes and listening as hard as she could. Being trained as a samurai, her intrinsic senses were naturally better than most. Although ever since mastering the aura reading technique, she hasn''t used her normal senses in battle all that much, if she really tried, she could still detect faint readings most people couldn''t. And an example of that would be


    "!" Her eyes suddenly snapped back open, and she slowly turned to Cyanide. "I hear it. The faint breathing of animals, but mechanical. Like mutants. So they need to breathe too, huh?"


    "Think of it as a venttion system for them," Luna exined. "When they breathe, they''re essentially recycling the heated air inside their robotic bodies with clean, fresh cool air from the outside. It helps prevent overheatingat least, that is my theory."


    But Cyanide, apparently, still was not satisfied, and shook his head.


    "Idiot. What good is knowing they''re there? We already established that there was danger in this forest. You''re still missing the crucial detail at y here. Listen closer."


    Kirika frowned, not enjoying being scolded by a man who was probably not much older than she was, but she did lose in a duel to him. Her honor as a samurai stated that she would ept the defeat with grace, and respect the victor with all her heart. As such, she did as told and closed her eyes once again, listening even closer than before with her sensitive ears.


    ''Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in-''


    Her eyes opened slowly this time as she realized what was wrong. Normal breathing would never be like this. It was a very small detail, almost impossibly small for a human to notice, but it was there.


    "These mutants they''re scared. Of someone. Something."


    Cyanide nodded. "That ''something'' is the source of the aura you''re detecting, deeper inside this forest."


    "Well then, let''s take it out!" Kirika said with a eager grin, fired up. "If these animals are all scared of it, that means it must be very strong, right? There''s still some time left before sunset we should be alright."


    "Hm" Cyanide pondered this decision a bit. While personally, he would''ve liked to prepare a bit more before going in, this was also a good opportunity to see just how strong this girl was, and whether or not she was worth keeping around. If she was too strong, Cyanide would need to dispose of her due to the risk of betrayal, but if she was too weak, there would be no point using her as an ally either. The earlier Cyanide found out, the better.


    " Fine," he agreed atst, folding his arms. "But just so you are aware if your life is in danger, don''t expect me to save you. We may be working together right now, but that doesn''t mean I care what happens to you."


    "Hmph so cold," Kirika pouted, pursing her lips in frustration, then looked for a helper for constion. "Hey, Luna, how do you stand someone like this?"


    But Luna''s holographic figure only smiled sadly. "You get used to it after being with him for so long. That''s all there is to it, really."


    Kirika sighed dejectedly and carried on walking, out of options.


    "Anyway what about our bet?" She asked Cyanide, who walked in front of her. "Are you able to sense any auras around us right now? Bet you can''t, huh? Then tell me about why you came to Endzone while we walk!"


    But to her surprise, Cyanide''s response was anything but within expectations.


    " Six auras within a ten-meter range, one strong, two medium, and three weaka snake, two monkeys, and three insects respectively."


    "Wha" Kirika''s eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock at how easily that slew of words just flew out of Cyanide''s mouth, but he wasn''t done yet.


    "Ten to twenty meter range, seven strong, fifteen medium, and twenty-four weak auras.. Of course, there is also the immensely powerful one you mentioned, which is so strong that it is detectable even from this far away," Cyanide continued, then stopped and turned to Kirika, who had frozen still from shock. "Shall I continue?"

 Chapter 61: The Sabertooth

    Chapter 61: The Sabertooth


    "N-No," Kirika hurriedly said, shaking her head, as she was confronted by Cyanide''s question. "That''s more than enough to prove your talent in aura reading. A-Ahem, I mean, you still missed a few, like really tiny insects and stuff, but since you''re new to the whole thing anyway, I''ll let it slip just this time!"


    Cyanide didn''t respond other than giving a soft snort, and Kirika was sent back into utter bewilderment with a sigh.


    " Just who are you, really?" She muttered under her breath.


    Cyanide chose to pretend he didn''t hear, and carried on walking as if nothing had happened. To him, aura reading really was quite easy. He has always been a quick learner, but this particr skill was especially simple for him since it required the user to be in a calm state of mind, and well, Cyanide was always in a calm state of mind. All he had to do was close his eyes, and he would be able to feel the auras of other living beings around him.


    Although this wasn''t as pinpoint urate as the [Radar] skill and using it required him to close his eyes, sacrificing sight for a short period of time, it was still undoubtedly a great power to have. ording to Kirika, if he practiced enough, he''ll eventually reach a point where even blinking will let him detect auras around him briefly, so he doesn''t have to intentionally close his eyes and search.


    Of course, getting to such a stage would take some time, even for Cyanide. He had no intention of actually purposely spending time on training this skill, and instead would only save it for when there was downtime or his body was too tired to do anything else. There were far more important things to do, and besides, with Kirika here, he hardly needed to worry about mastering this skill for himself that quickly.


    Soon, the two arrived at what seemed like the entrance to a cave. This wasn''t particrly odd, considering many forests had caves in them, but


    "The aura it''s getting stronger," Kirika said in a serious tone, narrowing her eyes.


    That''s rightCyanide felt it as well. Whatever that dangerous aura they felt earlier was, it was in here. They needed to make sure they were prepared before going in.


    " I hope you have invisibility," Cyanide said, to which Kirika gave a nod.


    "Of course. Who hasn''t wished to be invisible before in their lives?"


    Even Cyanide, back on Earth, had asionally thought of how much easier certain missions would''ve been if he could simply turn invisible. Naturally, back then, that was mere fantasy, but now, it was perfectly real and within their reach.


    "How long?" Cyanide asked.


    "Tier two. So, ten seconds."


    " Good enough."


    After making sure both of them were prepared, the two headed into the cave cautiously. It was dark, of course, but thankfully, Kirika had a shlight on her, made with a Blueprint she had discovered before meeting Cyanide. She offered to make one for Cyanideter as well, so long as he provided the materialswhich weren''t hard to obtain at all, per se: just a few pieces of Metal and some Wires, both of which could be dropped from all mutants. The hardest one to get was the Battery, but Cyanide had found some scavenging the CEO of Aterra''s office a few days ago, so there was no big deal.


    Still, even with a shlight, the cave was ominously dark.


    From the entrance, it didn''t seem like it would be very wide, but the deeper Cyanide and Kirika went, the wider the cave expanded and the darker it became. Stctites hung from the cave ceiling while stgmites jut out from the cave''s floor, sharp and dangerous.


    " Wouldn''t want to fall on one of those," Kirika muttered, rolling her eyes.


    On the contrary, Cyanide''s reaction waspletely different:


    "Hm. Would make a fine weapon."


    Kirika sighed, rolling her eyes. "Is that all you ever think abou-"


    "Shh-!" Cyanide suddenly stopped in his footsteps, crouching down, and made the military hand signal to halt. Kirika, having been trained in a samurai family, understood what it meant, and slowly drew her de without making a sound, and turned off her shlight.


    Then, the two turned invisible, silently waiting for their prey toe. But whether they were the hunters or the hunted that was uncertain just yet.


    From deeper within the cave, a footstep could be heard. Just now, it had kicked on a stone, which was what alerted Cyanide. But now, it was being more careful. The mechanical footsteps were soft, calcted, but certainly not gentle. They progressively grew louder and louder, and neither Cyanide and Kirika dared to move an inch.


    And then, it came.


    First, beyond several stgmites and stctites, came an ominous and terrifying red eye, shining like aser in the darkness. Then, another followed, and soon came the rest of the creature''s body.


    It was beautiful.


    Beautiful, but dangerous. Although Cyanide and Kirika no longer had their light, the creature''s burning robotic red eyes were more than enough to let them catch a glimpse at the glory of the rest of its body.


    Steel silver feathers coated its entire body like fur, perfectly symmetrical and patterned, while two long, saber-like tusks jutted out of the top of its mouth and hung down like metal teeth. Its tail, like a sharp steel arrow made up of several arrowheads attached together, swooped side to side as it trotted dangerously.


    It breathed lightly, making low, mechanical growls, and spun its head side to side as it searched for the two humans who had entered its private den and invaded its home. Unfortunate for said two humans, no invisibility was going to help them here. This beast was not just any mutantit was a Stage Five with bestial senses, smell included. Even if they couldn''t be seen, they could certainly be sniffed out by the creature''s powerful nose.


    "GRRR"


    There they were. The beast''s head spun to where Cyanide and Kirika were hiding in their invisibility several meters away, and slowly began trotting towards them on all four of its ted, metal feet.


    This forest, this cave, was HIS territory.. And anyone who trespassed on it would be his food.

 Chapter 62: Mutant Tiger

    Chapter 62: Mutant Tiger


    Kirika gulped in fear as the mechanical sabertooth tiger trotted towards them ominously, robotic red eyes ring likesers. She has stared death in the face before, but never has she ever encountered something like this. She felt ''trapped''part of her wanted to just run away from the frightening danger extruded by this beast, but the more rational part of her also knew at the same time that if she made a break for it right now, she would only be hunted down and eaten.


    But even so if she didn''t move, she would STILL get hunted down and eaten!


    To her surprise, however, someone acted first.


    Click.


    "GRRR!"


    The sabertooth mutant suddenly spun its head around towards the opposite direction, where the sound of a small stone falling on the cave ground and rolling a few meters had alerted it.


    Naturally, Cyanidethe person who had made this distractionwasn''t about to let this opportunity go, and swiftly jumped up,nding on top of the sabertooth right as his invisibility disappeared.


    "GRRR-?!" The monstrous beast growled at the sudden impact, and attempted to throw the uninvited rider off, but Cyanide had already drawn his knife.


    He didn''t hesitate. He didn''t waver.


    For while Kirika had been quivering in fear, searching for an escape route, Cyanide had ran [Inspect] on the creature, and determined it to not be too great of a threatonly five levels above him, at Level 30. The thought of running away never even once crossed his mind.


    With a firmly held hand and a cold look in his turquoise eyes, Cyanide plunged his knife into the sabertooth, aiming for the underbelly of the beast. Unfortunately, due to the vicious and violent shaking of the beast, his aim was thrown off, and the tip of his de met the side of the creature''s body instead.


    "!"


    That''s when it happened.


    A loud clinking noise echoed across the cave as the de of Cyanide''s knife was shattered to pieces, while the beast''s metal scales remained perfectly unscratched.


    Taking advantage of this momentary surprise on Cyanide''s end, the sabertooth violently spun around, throwing the detestable human off its body and sending him flying with immense force.


    "Ngh-!"


    Cyanide groaned as his back crashed into a stgmite, and another, and another, until atst hended painfully on the rocky cave floor.


    "Cyanide!" Kirika called out in worry, but she had her own problems to deal with. The sabertooth''s attention was now fixed on her, and it growled deeply in anger beforeunching itself at the girl.


    "Ugh!" Kirika spat as she dodged nimbly to the left like a ninja, then kicked off one of the stgmites on the floor to propel herself upwards. Then, in the air, she gracefully drew her katana before holding it in front of her face, and chanted:


    "By my de  Orbital sh!"


    Her body began rotating rapidly, and she flew downwards in the direction of the beast like a drill ready to impale solid earth. The beast had nowhere to run as Kirika soared towards it, breaking apart stgmites and stctites alike.


    But that was fine.


    It had no intention of running anyway.


    Opening its mechanical mouth, the beast prepared its counterattack.


    "ROAARRR!"


    "!"


    With a roar loud enough to shake the entire cave, causing stctites to fall from the ceiling, the sabertooth unleashed a deadly inferno ray from its mouth. Theser of destruction was far too much to handle for Kirika, and she was forced to dodge out of the way by changing her direction via kicking off a hanging stctite, before smoothly transitioning into a deft tumble and rolling into hiding behind a stgmite as she waited for theser to stop.


    But suddenly, a voice called out to her.


    "Run!"


    "Huh-?"


    Her eyes widened as she realized what was going on, and quickly got to her feet and made a break for the exit of the cave with the help of her shlight. Cyanide, the one who had warned her, was already well ahead, and had already memorized the path to take to make it out of the cave without ramming into any obstacles.


    Theser st earlier from the sabertooth had destabilized the entire cave system, and it was now shaking and rumbling violently. That beast may be strong, but it certainly wasn''t very smart. Soon, this cave would copse, and it would be buried inside. Cyanide and Kirika had no intention of joining it, so they ran for the exit as fast as they couldwhich was very fast, given both of them had sped out into the AGI stat quite a bit.


    But still, the rumbling noise was getting louder and louder. Stctites began falling from the ceiling, and that only made the two''s escape hardernot to mention the amount of debris beginning to pile up at the entrance.


    "Come on just a little bit more!" Kirika gritted her teeth and encouraged herself as she pushed onwards, going as fast as her legs would take her. By now, Cyanide was already outside, but the entrance of the cave was piling up quick with debris. At this rate, she wouldn''t make it


    She already activated her [Speed Boost] active skill, but it still was not enough. She needed something more something to give her a burst of speed


    Wait, skill


    That''s it!


    Pulling her Survivor''s Assistant panel as she ran, she hurriedly browsed the Skills Shop and filtered it for movement abilities. The first thing that came up was [Afterdash]. She didn''t know what it did, but she had SP to spend, her life was in danger, and there was ''dash'' in the name. So, she bought itand immediately used it.


    "K-Kyah-!" She yelped as her body was suddenly propelled forward so fast it was almost like she was teleporting, but she quickly regained her footing and continued running. She was so closejust a few more meters!


    But then, as if god, if there was one, yed a joke on her, a massive stctite hanging from the ceiling suddenly fell down directly where she was running. Her momentum from the dash was so fast that she couldn''t stop in time.


    Was this it for her?

 Chapter 63: Cold Front, Warm Blooded

    Chapter 63: Cold Front, Warm Blooded


    "Angh!" Kirika cried as she tripped over the fallen stctite harshly and fell to the ground, butdy misfortune wasn''t quite done yet.


    Another stctite began wobbling on the ceiling directly above her head, and Kirika hurriedly rolled to one side to avoid being impaled. Then, struggling against the pain in her ankle where a sharp shard of rock had lodged itself in, she continued running towards the entrance, gritting her teeth.


    "C''mon, Kirika you can''t die here remember your wish?" She muttered to herself through grit teeth. "For her to live again to see her smile again you must survive, and win this damned game!"


    In ast-ditch attempt, she leaped towards the cave entrance, but it wasn''t enough. There was only one tiny opening left through, with the rest being blocked off by debris, and Kirika was still about half a meter away.


    As she flew through the air, she felt herself losing momentum. Was it over? Was she really going to just die, like this?


    Ah how pitiful


    As she thought this to herself, a tear slid down her cheek.


    ''All I ever wanted was to see her smile again


    I''m sorry, Setsuki I''m sorry


    But this is the most I can do.''


    "Really just going to give up?" A young man''s voice suddenly called out to her, and her eyes, which had already closed from defeat, snapped open once more to see a brilliant ray of light, shining through thest remaining opening in the entrance.


    She was still in the air. There was still a chance. A glimmer of hope, just like that ray of light in this cave of darkness. And if she didn''t take it now, it would be gone foreverand so would she.


    "I''m not done!"


    Narrowing her eyes, she did the only thing she couldwhip out her katana, and reach for the opening. It was unexinable why she did this. Perhaps it was because this katana was the only thing she relied on for her entire life. Perhaps it was because this katana marked the burden that forever weighed on her shoulders.


    But either way this was her final hope.


    And on the outside, someone answered.


    A hand closed around the katana''s sharp de, not caring about the pain, and pulled hard. Kirika, dragged by the force, flew out of the cave entrance''s final opening, right as the final b of stone blocked it in forever.


    "Ngh!" She cried in pain as shended on the ground, rolling a few meters beforeing to a stop. Then, after a few seconds, she realized her katana was not in her hand, and hurriedly sat up, looking around.


    There, a few feet away,y her katana, edge stained with fresh red blood. Beside it, a man stood, calm and collected, hand dripping with blood that he didn''t so much even nce at. Instead, his focus was on the cave''s blocked-off entrance, waiting. Waiting, to see if the beast had truly been trapped inside.


    "Cyanide" Kirika murmured to herself subconsciously, realizing what he had done for her.


    Why? Why did he save her?


    Didn''t he say that if her life was in danger, she shouldn''t expect him to help?


    Then why?


    Her head couldn''t wrap her mind around these questions, but Cyanide''s next words helped snap her back to reality.


    "Done gawking, Kiri?"


    "H-Huh?" Her eyes widened a bit at the nickname, and she hurriedly nodded. "O-Oh, uh yeah, sorry. And"


    "Good. Then use your aura detection abilities to sense if that beast is still alive. The cave''s been blocked offpletely, and I''m not good enough yet to detect presences beyond severalyers of stacked rock."


    "" She had been meaning to say ''thanks'', but had been rudely interrupted. Still, she couldn''t exactly get mad at her savior, so she did as told and stepped closer to the cave''s entrance, picking up her katana in the process.


    Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and did her best to sense for the beast''s aura. Like a Bluetooth device from back on Earth, this aura sensing ability she had was limited in range. The more obstacles that were in the way of her and her target, the fainter their aura would be, and therefore the harder it would be to sense them.


    Still, Kirika was someone who had been trained in this skill her entire life. She was twenty right now, so that was about 15 years of experience considering she started practicing this at age five. It was to be expected she was proficient at this, and she did not let Cyanide down.


    "I sense it," she said after several seconds. "This I don''t know how it''s possible, but it''s still alive. The signal appears to be quite strong, too. While it''s faint on my end thanks to all the debris it''s very consistent. That means it''s not injured or anywhere close to dying."


    " Hmph, as expected," Cyanide muttered, folding his arms.


    "Are you still nning on fighting it?" Kirika asked in worry. "You saw how strong that thing is. Your knife was broken, and-"


    "You mean this?"


    Cyanide suddenly turned around, and in his hand was a fresh knife identical to the one that was broken earlier. Kirika''s jaw dropped.


    "W-Wha but how"


    But Cyanide only scoffed and turned back around. "Amateur."


    "What he means to say, is that he always keeps back-ups of everything, so long as it''s possible," Luna exined in a friendlier way in her holographic form. "That knife that was broken in the cave? He has tons more like it. He knew from the beginning that knife was going to breakone look at the metal scales on that thing and it would be obvious. However, he still attacked anyway to spark the beast''s rage and lure it outside, where you two could fight better than in that dark cave."


    Kirika''s eyes widened. "Wait you mean from the broken knife to the cave''s copse, and even to the beast''s survival he predicted everything?"


    Indeed he had. Those kitchen knives? Cyanide had looted more than one from that abandoned warehouse during his escape.


    Lunaughed softly, then said the same line she stated not long ago:


    "You get used to it."


    Suddenly, a rumbling noise could be heard from amidst the debris, and Cyanide got into battle position, one hand on gun and the other holding his de.


    " It''sing.. Prepare yourself."

 Chapter 64: Beast Taming

    Chapter 64: Beast Taming


    From within the debris blockading the cave''s entrance, soft rumbling could be heard. Like a beast''s talons wing their way through rubble, the copsed rocks stirred ominously. Cyanide and Kirika waited patiently, weapons drawn, and kept their eyes glued to the cave entrance.


    Slowly, the noise grew louder and louder, until finally, a steel tiger paw with sharp metal ws tore through the rubble.


    "" Cyanide narrowed his eyes, and soon, another paw followed. And then


    BOOM!


    The rest of the rubble was suddenly blown away, with the sabertooth mutant emerging behind it. As the sun was setting, its ring red eyes weren''t any less frightening as they were inside the cave. It growled in anger at the two humans who had destroyed its home, and judging from the look it had on its face, it was clear it was dead set on hunting Cyanide and Kirika down, no matter what it took.


    " Stick to the n," Cyanide said, and Kirika gave a nod.


    "GROWL!" The powerful beast roared and headed towards them, right as the two sprung into action.


    Cyanide shot a couple of bullets at the beast, not to injure it but to get its attention, while Kirika turned invisible and waited for her chance. The beast, sessfully lured, growled in annoyance at the hateful bullets tickling his metal scales, and leaped towards Cyanide, high in the air.


    Little did it know, the two had been waiting for this to happen.


    "You''re mine!" Kirika grinned and slid underneath the beast as it jumped up, slicing her katana through the powerful mutant''s underbelly or at least, that''s what was supposed to happen.


    Unfortunately, things did not always go as nned.


    "Wha-?!" Kirika''s eyes widened as she heard the sound of metal shing against metal, and she soon realized the beast''s scales reached all the way down beneath its body as well, converging together as if shielding something. That must be the weakspot just like Cyanide had told her, but


    "RAGH!" The beast swiped its sharp paw downwards, and Kirika just barely dodged with a deft tumble before rising back to her feet, now in a pincer formation with Cyanide against the beast.


    "The underbelly the scales were down there too," Kirika said, gritting her teeth in pain against the sharp piece of rock lodged in her ankle, struggling to even stand without the help of her katana. "But they appear to be protecting something down there, instead of the stationary scales on the rest of its body."


    "Hm I see," Cyanide muttered, and narrowed his eyes at the beast, who opened its mouth again in an attempt to use thatser beam attack once more. As Kirika was still invisible, Cyanide was its priority target for now.


    "Hmph." Cyanide easily evaded the death ray using his skilled and precise movements, as he considered his options.


    There had to be a way to get this beast to lower its guard, somehow. If doing that with normal attacks wasn''t possible, then he had to resort to Soul Arts. Unfortunately, most of his lethal Soul Arts, such as [Touch of Malice] or [Toxin Air], only worked on Stage One or Two mutants below his current level. Against this beast, which was presumably a Stage Five, they would not be able to hurt it one bit.


    But perhaps he didn''t necessarily need to kill it with Soul Arts. Back when he had encountered those rabid mutant dogs by chance during the first Scarlet Hour, he had slid underneath them and found that their underbellies were their weak spots. He figured since dogs and cats were anatomically simr overall, this sabertooth tiger, which belonged to the cat family, would share the same weakspot.


    His guess had been right, but it wasn''t necessarily a ''weakspot''yet. This foe was stronger than those canines he fought before, and knew how to protect its one and only weakness. But something Luna told him about not long ago arose in his mind, and he smirked.


    " Status ailments, huh?"


    Right as the beast dove towards him, tired of his dodging of itsser, Cyanide jumped above it and hit it with the Soul Art [Death Infusion]. This slowed the sabertooth down by a lot, and by the time Cyanidended behind it, it was still busy trying to turn around.


    Exactly what Cyanide had wanted to happen.


    Raising his arm, he used a second Soul Artone that relied on chance, which he didn''t usually favor, but there was no other option. Cyanide had always been one to take everything into his own hands and not rely on something as superficial as ''luck'', but in a new world, one needed to adaptand he was well aware of that.


    As a second affinity overtook his soul, he thought of the attack''s name in his head, now guaranteed to hit thanks to the mutant being slowed.


    ''Lightning Chain''.


    Instantly, a bolt of yellow lightning shot out of his fingertips and struck the mutant head-on, zapping it sessfully.


    "G-GURGH?!" The beast gurgled unintelligibly as Cyanide''s electricity worked its way through its wires, oversurging them and causing an overflow of power. Its central processing unit was sent into overheat, disabling all other functions of the body in an attempt to cool it back down, and thus, the mutant was leftpletely disabled on the ground, unable to budge an inch or even perform cognitive thought.


    This, was the power of status ailments. Shock, in particr.


    Naturally, with all other functions ceased, the mutant''s weakspot was also now revealed. The protective scales that had once blocked and defended it had now retracted, leaving its hearta container of ck mutant bloodexposed.


    Of course, Kirika didn''t need to be told to take this opportunity. She immediately dashed in with her katana, lifted it, and-


    "No."


    " Eh?"


    She blinked at Cyanide, who had stopped her actions with a mere word.


    " We wait until it wakes up."


    "What? But why?" Kirika asked, utterly bewildered.


    "So we can recruit it," Luna exined, taking over with a smile. "After all having a pet like this will make getting around a lot easier, no?"

 Chapter 65: A Pet?

    Chapter 65: A Pet?


    It didn''t take long for the beast to wake up from the shock status ailment, a minute at most.


    When it did, naturally, it was confused. Still in a daze, it wondered. Where was he? What happened? How did he end up like this?


    As its systems rebooted and it returned to a functional state, it soon realized its core was exposed. But that''s not a long katana was pointed directly at it. One more inch, and the beast would be terminated.


    Of course, its first instinct was to immediately try to get away, but a young man''s next words cut it off coldly.


    "Don''t try anything. The moment you move, will be the moment you die."


    The beast, hearing this, instantly froze up. And after several seconds, to Kirika''s surprise, it opened its mouthnot to st another death ray at the two humans, but to negotiate.


    Yesit talked.


    "Humans what you want from me?"


    The voice was deep, mechanical, clearly masculine, and growl-like, but it was very clearly speaking human tongue. Whether that was due to the game''s auto-trantion system or something else, the two didn''t know, but it didn''t matter. What did was the fact that this beast was capable of intelligent thought on levels close to a human, and it was trying tomunicate with the two.


    "So, you''re smart enough to realize the situation you''re in," Cyanide murmured to himself, rubbing his chin. "Not bad."


    "Put frankly, we want you to join us," Kirika said from a short distance away, sitting on a fallen log. "Though you really don''t have much of a choice. I mean, we have you at gunpoin er, depoint?"


    " Hm." The beast snorted a bit. "You seek my alliance, humans?"


    But Cyanide raised an eyebrow at this. "Alliance? No. You''re getting the wrong idea. First of all, this won''t be an alliance. This will be a master-servant rtionship, with me as the master. And second I''m not ''seeking'' anything. This is me stating a fact to you, and if you don''t ept it, well you die. It''s that simple."


    "Ugh, Cyanide you really don''t know how to negotiate, do you?" Kirika sighed deeply, facepalming her own forehead, but


    "Ha!" The beast gave a powerfulugh. "Me likes you, human. You got guts, and you did defeat me, fair and square. Me will lend you my power."


    Once again, Cyanide had managed to pull off something she never thought possible.


    "Wha" Kirika dropped her jaw at how that actually worked, and Cyanide only gave a cold snort as the beast reached deep into his own underbelly before pulling out a opaque ck cube of some sort.


    "Here. Me give you my core. You need this to Imprint on me, do you not?"


    Cyanide nodded, then took the core in his hands without any hesitation, and narrowed his eyes at the object. Unlike Doctor Finch''s mutant core, this one had purpleet-like rays of light running along the narrow lines on the cube''s faces instead of red. He figured purple represented Stage Five Mutants, as that was undoubtedly what this beast was.


    At the touch of Cyanide''s fingertips, the ck cube suddenly began emitting a powerful purple light, so bright that both Kirika and Cyanide had to cover up their eyes, especially at nighttime when it was more bright than usual due to the darker surroundings.


    After a few seconds, the shining stopped, and Cyanide stuffed the core back into the beast''s underbelly. It wasn''t even groaning despite having its core removed from its body for so long, unlike a certain someone.


    As the sabertooth tiger slowly rose to its feet, Cyanide received a pop-up message in front of his face:


    [New Mutant Imprinted]


    [Sabertooth Tiger]


    [See the Companions tab for more info.]


    "Hm the Companions tab, huh?"


    "Yes, Cyanide," Luna said. "This didn''t appearst time with the Doctor, but that was because he was the only Imprinted mutant you had at the time. Now that you have multiple, though, this new tab has opened up, allowing you to view all of your Imprinted mutants with ease, and even Oathsworn allies as well. From there, you can keep track of their location, their stats, their skills and equipment, and current status in terms of HP and the like."


    "I see" Cyanide fell into thought, nning on checking the new tab out, but


    "Master, it is advised we leave as soon as possible," the sabertooth mutant suddenly said. "Me thinks it is dangerous if we stay here when the sun is down. Me kept the other creatures of this forest in check before but after witnessing my defeat, they will be restless. Arrogant. We should leave now, while we have chance."


    Ultimately, Cyanide decided to listen to the beast, and save the whole Companions tab thing forter. Unfortunately, due to theck of a saddle, it was impossible to ride the ferocious new pet he got just yet, as the scales on him were too sharp to withstand. As a result, they had to return by foot, but


    " Hey." Cyanide stopped in front of Kirika, who sat on a fallen tree log. "Can you walk?"


    "H-Huh? Ah, yeah I should be able t- ngh!"


    As she struggled to her feet, she suddenly lost bnce and fell forward. Cyanide, of course, instinctively dodged out of the way, and let her pitch face-first into the forest soil.


    "Angh" Kirika moaned in pain. "You were supposed to catch me, idiot"


    " You said you were able to walk. Is it wrong of me to believe a partner''s words?"


    "Well, no, but-" Suddenly, she stopped, and nced at Cyanide in surprise. "Wait what did you just call me? Partner?"


    "No," Luna cut in before Cyanide could, and in a slightly jealous tone at that. "He most certainly did not. You are nowhere near qualified to be his partner, but an ally should be a fitting title."


    "An ally" Kirika echoed, even though she was certain she had heard ''partner''.


    Still, ''ally'' made her happy. At least, she was growing closer to this cold, mysterious man known as Cyanide, no matter how little that growth was. She was certain he didn''t evene remotely close to considering her as a friend, but that was alright. Progress was still progress.


    Yes, he was unorthodox. Yes, he was somewhat strange from an outsider''s eyes.


    But his methods worked.. And that''s all that mattered.

 Chapter 66: A New Objective

    Chapter 66: A New Objective


    As Kirika struggled to get up to her injured feet, Cyanide sighed in annoyance and crouched down, not wanting to wait any longer.


    "Sit still," he ordered calmly, and Kirika''s eyes widened a bit.


    "Huh?"


    "I said sit still," Cyanide said again for emphasis, voice cold and emotionless.


    "Y-Yes!" Kirika yelped in fear, not daring to talk back again. She sat on the fallen log from before, scared at what herpanion was going to do next, and trembled a bit.


    Cyanide didn''t disappointhe grabbed her ankle roughly with his hand, then suddenly yanked out the sharp rock lodged inside her wound without any hesitation.


    "K-Kyah!" The poor girl screamed at the sudden pain, then hurriedly covered her mouth to block the noise as she realized it would attract the other beasts. Cyanide shot her a re, then tore off a portion of his undershirt and wrapped it around her bleeding wound like a ribbon. It wasn''t much, but it would do for now.


    With that done, Cyanide rose to a standing position once more, then nced at Kirika''s face.


    "Get up. Can you walk now?"


    "Um"


    This time, Kirika was more hesitant before answering, having learned fromst time. Slowly, she got up from the log, taking careful caution not to fall, then hesitantly took a step forward.


    "Ow" She shut one eye as a throbbing sharp pain hit her ankle where the wound was, but she still defiantly took another step. It was slow, but she could walk now, at the very least.


    But Cyanide wasn''t satisfied. Sighing, he stepped in front of Kirika with his back to her, then bent down a bit.


    "Get on."


    "Wha?" Kirika blinked in surprise, the pain going away momentarily.


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. "Don''t make me say it again. You''re far too slow, walking on your own. But of course if you want to get eaten by the beasts in this forest, by all means."


    "Well I don''t exactly feel like bing food, so" Kirika smiled and climbed onto Cyanide''s sturdy back, and wrapped her arms around his neck. " Thanks."


    " Hmph." Cyanide snorted as he stood up with Kirika on his back, and began walking.


    Why did he decide to do this for Kirika? Well, the answer was simple. Through today''s experience, he had determined Kirika a worthy ally. Earlier, he had called her his partner, which was true for today, at least. She worked quite well with him, which was rarenot many could keep up with Cyanide. Hence, the fact that Kirika could meant a lot.


    Besides, Cyanide could tell Kirika was also a very loyal girl. Being born from a samurai bloodline and raised in a Japanese sword academy meant honor was as important to her as her life, so Cyanide wasn''t too worried about her betraying him, not to mention the whole Oathsworn thing. She was weak enough to not pose a threat, but also strong enough to be a capable ally to have. That was why Cyanide was helping her right now.


    In other words, she was a useful toolnothing more. But Cyanide took care of his tools, and Kirika was no exception.


    "Oh yeahe to think of it, we have yet to name you, huh?" Kirika murmured, looking down at the sabertooth mutant who trotted alongside Cyanide.


    " Yes. Me need name," the sabertooth replied in the form of a low growl.


    "Hm well, what do you think, Cyanide?" Kirika asked. "You''re the one who imed him with that Imprinting thing, so"


    Luna had exined the whole deal with Imprinting to Kirika earlier while waiting for the sabertooth to awaken, so she knew what it was all about. Cyanide, on the other hand, responded in the same way he always did.


    "I don''t care. You name it. Just keep it short."


    Cold, brisk, and straight to the point.


    Kirika sighed deeply. "I''m starting to get what Luna meant by ''you''ll get used to it'' anyway. How about Silverfang? Your scales are all silver, and the most eye-catching part of your body is your two long fang-like teeth."


    " Silverfang," the beast echoed. Then, after a few seconds of hesitation, he continued. "Me like it."


    "And you, Cyanide?"


    " A bit long, but good enough."


    "Hmph, so picky," Kirika muttered, pouting slightly.


    "I''ll drop you."


    "W-Wait! I''m sorry! Please don''t, I''m begging you!"


    "Shut up. If the animals in this forest start chasing us, I''ll leave you as bait."


    "Hrm" Kirika whimpered like a sad animal and held onto Cyanide tighter than before, as if actually believing his words.


    To others, that may seem funny, but when it came to Cyanide, it was wise to take what he said seriouslybecause he really would leave her behind if the situation called for it.


    *****


    Soon, Cyanide, Kirika, and the newly-named Silverfang arrived back at Aterra Headquarters, Of course, by now, it was nighttime, but thanks to the power being restored to the city, that was no big deal. Even the streetlights were operatingthe ones that were still standing after the apocalypse, of course.


    Cyanide sent Kirika down to the basement to get her wound treated by Doctor Finch and also exin everything that had happened, while he himself did a quick check-up of the building like usual. Then, after finding no hostiles, he prepared to head to the basement floor as well, but a voice stopped him.


    "Hey, Cyanide."


    " What, Luna?"


    " Am I useless to you?"


    This was not a question he had been expecting.


    "What do you mean?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "I-It''s nothing," Luna hurriedly said. "Never mind. Forget I asked, sorry."


    "" Cyanide wasn''t convinced, of course, but he didn''t pry.


    Deep down, he actually knew what Luna was referring to. He created her, after all. He knew that she had emotions like humans did, and the only thing she was really missing was a physical body. And during all those years back on Earth, she had been his onlypanion. Sinceing to Endzone, however, Cyanide has first gained Doctor Finch for information, and now Kirika and Silverfang for help inbat.


    And Luna? Well she couldn''t help but feel somewhat left out, which was only natural given the circumstances.


    Now that Cyanide was surrounded by these new allies, there wasn''t much she could do that the others couldn''t. If it was simply raw information regarding the world of Endzone, even Kirika''s A.R.S.A. could ry it to Cyanide. Luna was useless at this current stage, since she was still being restrained by the administrators of the game system which prevented her from essing information ahead of time. Cyanide had gone through all the trouble of bringing her here, and for what? Slightly more personality than the A.R.S.A every yer was given?


    Luna felt weak, useless, and she hated it. Cyanide knew she did. He just pretended he didn''t. If he pried about the issue, it would only make matters worse. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was trueLuna really was not contributing much as she is right now. In the past, she was vital to his missions, but now


    In any case, Cyanide now had a new priority objective: finding a suitable physical body to put Luna in. If it seeded, she would undoubtedly be the best possible partner for him in battle. The two had been together for many, many years, and Luna knew every tiny detail about Cyanidebe it his fighting style, personality, or even his past.


    Together, they would be unstoppable. Even if the enemy was multitudes stronger than they were, the two of them could, and would ovee it eventually. That was how much faith Cyanide had in his own creation.


    But at the same time, Cyanide was a realistic person.. For any of that to happen, he must first find a suitable host for Lunaand judging from the map he knew just the ce to go.

 Chapter 67: Weapon Arts

    Chapter 67: Weapon Arts


    After making sure no unwanted mutants had found their way into the building, Cyanide returned to the basement, where loud chatter could be heard. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Doctor Finch fuming at Kirika. Something about permanent markers? Ah, whatever, he didn''t care anyway.


    What he was curious about, on the other hand, was all the new abilities he had unlocked now that he was level 25. Back before entering that forest, two notifications had popped up in front of him. The first one said ''Cooking: Unlocked'' and the second one was ''Weapon Arts: Unlocked''.


    Any normal person would''ve considered thetter option more interesting, but Cyanide thought the former to be more intriguing. Cooking, in a world like this? It couldn''t just mean normal food preparation and the like. There had to be certain benefits to it that couldn''t be obtainable back on Earth.


    Letting Kirika and Doctor Finch argue to their content, Cyanide silently slipped into the shower and cleaned his body. Then, after seeing as how Doctor Finch was now busy treating Kirika''s wound despite the argument (and yelling something about not being this kind of doctor), Cyanide decided to simply head into his own room and shut the door.


    There, he sat down on his bed, and Luna''s holographic figure appeared in front of him.


    "So which do you want to hear first about, Cyanide?" Luna asked, already knowing what this was about.


    " To rify, Weapon Arts are essentially the same as Soul Arts, just for weapons, correct?" Cyanide asked, voicing his assumption, and Luna nodded to confirm.


    "That''s right. Weapon Arts function very simrly to Soul Arts, but each type of weapon has their own Weapon Arts tied to them. They are also based on the user''s soul affinities, of course, but other than that, you could essentially call them a subbranch of Soul Arts that are just separately unlocked from the main line."


    Cyanide rubbed his chin in thought. "I see and what are the ones that are avable for my current weapons?"


    "Well you use both a gun and a knife, so there are more possibilities than the average," Luna said, then pulled up the Skills Shop. "Take a look. I already applied the filters."


    Cyanide furrowed his brows as he browsed through the skill list for Weapon Arts suitable for guns and knives. What made these different from Soul Arts, however, was that there were some passive Weapon Arts as well, whereas all Soul Arts were active skills that required manual activation.


    Because he had both the Death Affinity and Lightning Affinity now, there was quite a number of skills he could choose from. Unfortunately, like Soul Arts, many of the options were too powerful for him right now and cost quite a bit of SP which he didn''t have, so he had to settle for some basic ones for now.


    In the end, he settled on two with the 2 SP he had: [Vampiric de] of the Death Affinity which essentially gave his knife insane life steal for a short time period, allowing him to heal his HP for 25% of the amount of damage he dealt with that weapon, and the [Shock Ray] Weapon Art of the Lightning Affinity which allowed him to charge up a specialser-beam-like shot in his gun that did no damage, but instantly stunned any Stage One or Two enemy hit by it.


    After making sure these skills didn''t have any physical impact on the feel or handling of his weapons, Cyanide stowed them away and turned to Luna once more.


    "And the second?"


    "Right," Luna said, then switched the translucent screen before Cyanide into a different page, onebeled [COOKING] at the top.


    "This is the cooking menu," Luna exined. "Cooking in Endzone, though, is not the same as in the real world... though I''m sure you''ve already figured that out. Almost all dishes provide HP, while some restore SF (Soulforce) as well. Others provide special, temporary powers, such as a boost in attack or defense for a given amount of time."


    "So... they are simr to the elixirs the old man said he could make me with the right ingredients, huh?"


    "Correct. The difference, however, is that some elixirs may provide permanent effects, and can be used offensively as well in the form of ssh elixirs that can inflict debuffs on anyone within range. Also, in general, cooking ingredients are easier to find than potion-crafting ones. And ording to the game files... yers unlock something called ''Alchemy'' at Level 50, which I would assume has some rtion to elixirs, but the details aren''t quite visible to me just yet."


    "I see. So, how do you cook?" Cyanide asked, folding his arms. "There aren''t any utensils in this ce."


    "Well, to put it in simplified terms, to cook here, you must first find a Recipe which drop from mutants much like Blueprints, then manually cook it."


    Cyanide raised an eyebrow. "''Manually'' cook? So there''s an ''auto'' cook feature as well?"


    "Yes," Luna replied with a smile. "Once you''ve manually cooked a dish enough times, with the exact number varying depending on the dish, you can auto-cook it instantly from this menu, so long as you have enough ingredients."


    "I see... and cooked dishes are simply stored in my inventory that can hold anything, correct?"


    Luna nodded. "Correct. Just remember all dishes have a spoil timer, but that aside you are catching on quickly to this new game-like world, Cyanide."


    "Eighth rule of survival," Cyanide began, recalling the memories of his instructor teaching him these. "Adaptability is the foundation of survival."


    "Mm..." Luna fell silent briefly at the mention of one of Anthrax''s teachings, knowing this was a touchy subject for Cyanide, then ultimately decided to just change the topic.


    "By the way... you haven''t checked the new Companions tab yet, have you?"


    Cyanide shook his head. "Show me."


    Luna did as told, bringing up the Companions screen for Cyanide. There, a list of his confidants were listed, split into different columns: Oathsworn, Imprints, and Sentinels. Kirika was listed under Oathsworn, Doctor Finch and Silverfang were listed under Imprints, but the Sentinel tab was empty.


    "What''s this?" Cyanide asked, turning to Luna.


    "Hm I can''t seem to ess the information about them just yet," Luna said. "I apologize, Cyanide, but I am unable to bypass the restrictions set in ce since I''m trapped in the shell of the A.R.S.A. that was here before me"


    "It''s fine," Cyanide said, casting his gaze back towards the screen. "But this Sentinel thing does interest me a little."


    The name was quite intriguing, and suggested the idea of ''protection''. But protection from what?


    That was the question.

 Chapter 68: The Clumsy Samurai

    Chapter 68: The Clumsy Samurai


    After taking note of the fact that the stats of Oathsworns and Imprints can be essed from the Companions menu, as well as their current location, Cyanide closed it up and went to sleep.


    There were also some newly added stats such on his profile screen now that he had reached Level 25, including Attack, Defense, Life Steal, Armor Pration, Movement Speed, and an overallbat rating that grouped all of those stats together while also factoring in Soul Arts, specific item abilities, and such, calcting the strength of someone at their ''peak'' power with all skills active.


    It was almost as if the game only truly fully began now, and the ''tutorial'' was over.


    For an update, Cyanide''s current stats looked like this:


    [Level: 25]


    [HP: 250/250]


    [SF: 35/35]


    [STR: 60]


    [AGI: 70]


    [VIT: 50]


    [INT: 35]


    [DEX: 16]


    [LUC: 15]


    [Avable CP: 0][Avable SP: 0]


    [ATK: 170][DEF: 130][LIFE STEAL: 25%][ARMOR PEN: 0%][Movement Speed: 700]


    [CR (Combat Rating): 413]


    Just looking at these numbers, Cyanide could more or less figure out the calctions used by the system to reach them. ATK, for example, most likely added his STR and INT together as they affected the power of his normal attacks and Soul/Weapon Arts respectively, then added the base ATK of his weapons onto that.


    In this case, his knife had a base ATK of 25 while his gun had a base ATK of 50, adding up to 75 total. His STR and INT together is 95, which makes 170 when added to 75.


    DEF, on the other hand, is even more straight-forward. It simply takes his VIT stat and adds it to the collective DEF total of his four armor pieces. Currently, Cyanide wore lightweight cloth armor, but thanks to Infusion Modules, this cloth essentially had the DEF of metal armor. Each piece had 20 base DEF, totaling up to 80 when added together.


    Movement Speed simply multiplied the AGI stat by ten, and Cyanide assumed it represented how many meters he could travel in a minute. 700 seemed like a reasonable number, but it still was slower than what he was capable of doing back on Earthnot for long, though.


    And finally, as for Combat Rating that was a little harder to figure out. Cyanide decided not to think about it now as it wasn''t all that important anyway and was just there as a number to sum up how powerful someone isthere''s no point trying to solve how it''s exactly calcted.


    With that, Cyanide decided to go to sleep.


    *****


    The next morning, Cyanide found Kirika already awake and rummaging through the room with all the food. This was strange, considering he had expected her to be more of azy,te waker, especially since she had been wounded yesterday, but


    "Oh, good morning, Cyanide!" She called out with a wave upon seeing him, but his reply was nowhere near as enthusiastic.


    " Why are you up this early?"


    "Heehee, if you''re worried about me, you can just say so, y''know," Kirika replied with a wink, then stood up and dusted her clothes off. "But jokes aside, knowing you, you definitely have somewhere else to go today. I didn''t want to get left behind, and I don''t know when you usually wake up, so"


    " I see."


    Cyanide shot a brief nce at her ankle too quick to notice, and saw that it had been quite professionally treated to, now with a long whitepression bandage around it, then turned away and left the room to get himself ready for the day, starting with his daily routine of a shower.


    After stepping out of the shower area, however, he suddenly heard a high-pitched scream from Kirika, and the smell of something burning in the air.


    Immediately, his first instinct was ''Fire''?


    Not bothering to slip on anything besides a towel to wrap around his waist, he rushed towards the source of the smell using his strong senses. mming the door open, he found-


    ""


    "U-Um, C-C-Cyanide?!"


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. " What, exactly, are you doing here?"


    "Uh this is, well" Kirika trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.


    Before Cyanide, a scene of absolute disastery. A frying pany on the floor with two burnt eggs spilled out of it, and there was smoke rising out of the stovetop Kirika had used to make this.


    "Turn off the stove, you moron!" Cyanide yelled, and Kirika''s soul nearly jumped out of her body.


    "E-Eek! Yes sir!"


    Hurriedly, she shut the stove off, but due to her clumsy nature and the surprise at Cyanide''s near-naked getup, she ended up identally touching her elbow on the heated stovetop.


    "Ow-!" She cried and leaped backwards, and Cyanide, being the gentleman he was, didn''t make any move to help. Instead, he only shook his head and muttered a single word.


    " Idiot."


    "I-I''m sorry" Kirika whimpered like a sad puppy, crouched down on the floor and holding her burnt elbow painfully. "I just wanted to cook something didn''t know it would be so hard though"


    "Are you stupid?" Cyanide asked, despite already knowing the answer in his mind. "You''re Level 23. You haven''t even unlocked Cooking yet. What''s the point of cooking if there''s already premade food right in front of you, and cooking your own doesn''t yield any benefits?"


    "U-Um that''s" Kirika nced at the two burnt eggs on the floor, and shook her head. "Never mind. I won''t do it again, I promise"


    She looked so saddened and disappointed, but Cyanide didn''t care. She brought this upon herself, and all actions have consequences. It wasn''t any of his problem, and he instead simply went to put on his normal clotheswhich, by the way, automatically cleaned themselves as part of the game''s system.


    Kirika, watching him leave without a second nce, gave a little sigh of disappointment. Whether that was directed at her failure at cooking or the fact that Cyanide showed no concern at all towards her despite being allies now was anyone''s guess. She had noticed Cyanide didn''t eat anything before going into the shower, so she had tried to whip something up herself, but it didn''t go as nned, clearly.


    Still, it was the thought that counts, right?


    At least, that''s what any gentleman would''ve said to her had they realized she was cooking for them. Unfortunately, this was how Cyanide was, and Kirika knew that.


    "Come here."


    A voice suddenly snapped her out of her depressing thoughts, and she looked up to see Cyanide, now fully dressed.


    "Uh what is it?" She asked faintly, not wanting to meet his eye.


    " Tch."


    With an annoyed snort, Cyanide strode into the room and suddenly grabbed Kirika by the forearm, then lifted her up with ease.


    "E-Eh? Cyanide, what are you-"


    But she had no chance to protest as she was forcefully dragged into the room across from where they had been. There, Cyanide opened the sink''s tap with one hand, then pulled Kirika''s arm underneath the stream of water so that her burnt elbow could get some relief.


    "A-Ah" Kirika shut one eye as she dealt with the sting, but strangely, the warmth of Cyanide''s fingers on her forearm were enough to keep her calm. Despite the pain, she wanted this blissful moment to continue.


    Sadly, reality never goes the way you want it to, as Cyanide immediately let go of her after her elbow was in the right position.


    "Stay there and rinse it until the pain fades," he ordered, then turned around so that his back was facing Kirika. "I may need a scapegoat today since we''re going into somewhere dangerous, so you best prepare yourself."


    "H-Huh? Oh, okay" Kirika trailed off, still reminiscing at the feel of Cyanide''s touch. But then, she realized.


    " Wait, so the only reason you''re healing my elbow right now is so you can use me as proper bait?!"


    " Hmph."


    Cyanide didn''t reply as usual, and walked away to clean up the mess Kirika had made in the other room.

 Chapter 69: Entrance Puzzle

    Chapter 69: Entrance Puzzle


    Once the mess had been cleaned, Cyanide, Kirika, and Silverfang set out. Of course, they still could not ride the sabertooth since they had no proper saddle, but he would still be a monster in battle.


    Doctor Finch, as usual, was left behind to keep guard at their base, and he was quite happy to do so too. There would be no danger here, after at least, it was safer than wherever Cyanide and the others were going to. This time, however, Cyanide left him with a taskto write out a list of all the potions he could make along with the ingredients needed.


    Doctor Finch, of course, wasn''t happy about having to do work, but he was staying at Cyanide''s ce and eating Cyanide''s food, so he couldn''t reallyin. It wasn''t really Cyanide''s, but this world was like a massive lost and found. Whoever got to something first, it''s theirs now.


    Outside, the sun was shining bright, and there were no mutants on the streets. Minus the copsed buildings, fractured roads, and flipped vehicles, one could almost appreciate the weather. It wasn''t too hot nor too cold, and judging from the weather alone, Cyanide guessed it was roughly the April or May months in spring, assuming the seasonal calender followed the same as Earth''s northern hemisphere.


    "So, where are we off to today?" Kirika asked, walking behind Cyanide. Despite her carefree school uniform getup with her sweater tied around her waist, her hand never once left the handle of her de, sheathed within its scabbard on her hips.


    "You''ll see soon enough," Cyanide replied cryptically, not giving any details just yet.


    "You said it''s dangerous, right?" She continued, pestering for answers.


    "Yes."


    "Hm and are we almost there?"


    "Yes."


    "And you''ll use me as bait, you said?"


    "Should the need arise, yes."


    Kirika sighed at longst. "Why are you always so cynical"


    "Why do you always have so many questions?" Cyanide shot back, not even bothering to look in her direction.


    At this, Kirika pouted a bit, but didn''t say anything back and instead fell into silence for the rest of the journey.


    Soon, the trio arrived at their destination. It looked like a whole lot of nothing.


    "Um where, exactly, is this?" Kirika asked, looking around. There were buildings all around them, from shops to apartments, but the ce Cyanide was staring at had nothing at alljust a dead end, with a sign that said as much.


    "" Silently, he walked closer to the sign, and the other two followed despite being confused. Then, after consulting his holographic map once more, he nodded.


    "This is the spot. Now then how do we activate the entrance"


    "?" Curious, Kirika opened up her own map as well, and saw that they were currently at a POI sitea Point of Interest, marked by a star on the map. Upon zooming in, however, she saw the string of text that was the name of this location''Underground Laboratory''.


    "Huh so it''s underground" Kirika murmured to herself, and nced at Cyanide who was busy inspecting the sign and searching for any clues of how to open it. Then, casting her gaze towards the sky, she smiled.


    "Hey, Silver. Can you boost me up there?"


    Silverfang, affectionately named Silver, trotted over and gave a nod. Cyanide paid no attention to them and continued searching on his own while Kirika stepped onto the sabertooth mutant''s back, and steadied herself.


    "Alright go!"


    Silverunched himself into the air with agility worthy of a tiger, and Kirika used her own jump to cover the remaining distance. With an AGI stat of 120, she performed a graceful cartwheel in the air beforending solidly on the rooftop of a nearby building. Then, standing on the edge of it, she looked down at where she had been moments earlier, a smirk tugged on her lips.


    "As expected"


    Smugly, she shed a wink at Cyanide and dered:


    "I figured it out."


    Cyanide looked up, arching an eyebrow. "Oh? Enlighten me."


    "When looking down from up there, I noticed that there were actually some faint lines on the ground that divide this area into nine separate tiles," Kirika exined. "I think to activate it, we''ll need to step on these tiles in the right order, kind of like a puzzle."


    "And the right order is?"


    "Hm" Kirika fell into thought momentarily, then suddenly remembered. "Oh! Could it be each of the nine tiles represent a number from 1-9, and we have to spell out the letters on that sign?"


    "So A1Z26 code, huh?" Cyanide narrowed his eyes at the sign as he rubbed his chin. "In that case starting from the top left like any normal person would this would be 1, this would be 2"


    The area here was a road''s dead end, intersecting with another perpendicr road. The square at the center of the intersection was divided into nine tiles ording to Kirika, so judging from the direction facing the sign and reading like a book, the top-left corner would represent 1 while the bottom-right corner would represent 9.


    Without any hesitation, Cyanide stepped onto the second row tile in the first column4 for D. Then, he moved one tile right under the direction of Kirika5 for Ethen crossed diagonally onto the top-left most one1 for A. In the same manner, he stepped back to the tile he started onD, and that was that for the first half of the sign.


    Now for the second


    He stepped right once more into the E tile, but then stopped. What about now? ording to A1Z26 code, N''s corresponding number would be 16, but there were only 9 tiles here.


    Kirika anxiously awaited Cyanide to ask her where to go next, since she had no idea either, but contrary to her expectations, Cyanide didn''t ask her at all and instead simply went directly for the D tile without any hesitation.


    Suddenly, a loud mechanical sound triggered, and the nine tiles that made up the intersection suddenly opened, revealing arge gaping hole that led to god knows what underneath. Cyanide, having been expecting something like this to happen, quickly evaded with a backwards leap, and peered down at the newly unlocked destination below.


    Cyanide''s maneuver had worked. But how did he know what to do?


    The answer was simpleon the sign, the N was actually scratched out. Cyanide didn''t know why or how that was the case, but he simply followedmon sense and skipped the letter.


    " Well then-" Cyanide began, but suddenly, loud robotic noises could be hearding from all around them. By now, both Cyanide and Kirika were used to what this noise was, and there was only one answer:


    Mutants.


    "Cyanide, arge group of mutants are heading to your location!" Luna said, suddenly appearing in a hologram. "The exact number is unknown, but this can''t be good news!"


    She didn''t need to tell him. The aura reading technique he learned from Kirika was more than enough to discern the sheer number of mutants rushing their way from the streets.


    "Tch jump in!" Cyanide shouted, then delved into the gaping hole in the ground below.


    "A-Alright, here I go!" Kirika yelped as she followed, leaping off from the roof she had been standing on, and Silverfang enteredst.


    The bellows of the stampeding mutants was all they heard before they fell into darkness.

 Chapter 70: Ragnars Finding

    Chapter 70: Ragnar''s Finding


    Deep down within the dark pit the trio had fallen into, a moan escaped a certain girl''s lungs.


    "K-Kyah~! W-Wait, Cyanide, that spot''s-"


    "Shut up, you''re so annoying!" A male''s voice whispered coldly in disgust, cutting her off amidst the darkness.


    Suddenly, lights in the room flickered to life, and the pit of darkness was dark no more. It was also revealed that the girlKirikahadnded on top of Cyanide, and she embarrassingly crawled off of him.


    "U-Um sorry."


    " Tch." Cyanide dusted his clothes off, then slowly rose to his feet. ncing around, he realized they were in aboratory. It would seem they had seeded in infiltrating this ce, and as for the mutants


    He looked up, only to find that the ceiling had been sealed, and not a single mutant had fallen in with them. It was as if this ce had protected them, one way or another. But the ceiling being shut also meant that while the mutants outside couldn''t get in Cyanide, Kirika, and Silverfang couldn''t get out either.


    "Looks like we have no choice but to explore this ce, huh?" Kirika murmured, closing her eyes. "I am detecting a few auras in this ce, though, so be careful. They seem stronger than mostStage Two, perhaps?"


    Silverfang sniffed the air like a bloodhound, then gave a nod. "Me can confirm."


    " I see. Well, you''re staying right here," Cyanide ordered. "Your footsteps make too much noise."


    "Me understand," Silver replied with a nod. "Should you be in trouble, you must only call. Me wille as fast as me can."


    "Heh, what a reliable guy," Kirika said with a snicker. "Hey, Cyanide, you should take some pointers from him.


    Cyanide, ignoring her, drew his weapons just like Kirika, and together, the two entered the secretive underground library, filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered.


    *****


    - Meanwhile, Outside Aterra Headquarters -


    "What''s this?"


    A man stumbled upon the massively tall skyscraper building in front of him in all of its glory. Of course, this man wasn''t impressed in the least, but he was somewhat intrigued.


    His name is Ragnar Creed. For the past several days, he has been searching for any powerful enemies to kill. He needed to win this game, in order to realize his wish. And in order to win this game, he needed to get stronger. Stronger than any other yer, stronger than any mutant.


    Back on Earth, he was used to being stronger than everyone else. A supersoldier experiment gone wrong, he possessed ten times as much strength as what a normal supersoldier should''ve had. Not a single one of his foes has ever escaped from his clutches, and stayed alive.


    Well mostly.


    There was but a single person who somehow always managed to evade Ragnar, the so-called Titan of Shadows. His real name and face were both unknown to Ragnar, but he did know the person''s alias: Cyanide. No matter how much Ragnar tried to hunt down this top assassin of the underground, this guy somehow always ended up finishing his jobkilling the targetbefore Ragnar could even get there. He was a constant pain in Ragnar''s ass, that was for sure.


    But never mind thatall of that''s in the past. Right now, Ragnar had to focus on this new worldEndzone. And his current objective? To explore the building in front of him. His [Radar] skill had picked up on something in here, and the energy signature was stronger than any mutant he''s faced before.


    He was currently Level 20, so he should be able to take whatever was inside here on. That''s how confident he was. The idea of running away didn''t even cross his mindthat''s just the kind of person he is. Headstrong, iron-willed, and stubborn.


    Stepping through the rotary doors of the building, Ragnar headed directly for the basement. That was where the energy signature wasing from ording to his [Radar], and he didn''t care about anything else. EXP and leveling up were all that mattered. He must win this god-forsaken game.


    When he opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, however


    "Doo-do-doo, doo-do-do-doo~"


    An old man, humming some kind of tune unfamiliar to Ragnar, walked out of one of the many doors down the corridor with a paper in his hand.


    ""


    "Doo-do-do-" The old man suddenly stopped as he spotted Ragnar a few meters away, and dropped the paper in his hand.


    "W-Who the hell are you?!"


    Ragnar, confused at what to do, arched an eyebrow.


    "Me? Er I am Ragnar Creed. And you are?"


    "Uh" Doctor Finch fell into thought momentarily. It would seem this man didn''t know that he was a mutant just yet, and was therefore not attacking him. If that''s the case, then he could take advantage of that


    "A-Ahem, you can call me Finch. Nice to meet you, but uh this is my home, so could you please leave?"


    " Hold it," Ragnar suddenly said, narrowing his eyes. "Your ''home''? You mean you are a native here, not a yer?"


    "Er yes?" Doctor Finch replied hesitantly, not used to lying.


    " Hm." Ragnar fell into thought momentarily. His [Radar] skill was currently on cooldown, so he had no way of telling whether or not the man before him was in fact hostile. He didn''t seem like it, but people had many facesRagnar knew that all too well.


    He was now stuck between a decision on what to do. On one hand, there had been only one hostile presence his [Radar] had picked up on in this building, and this man appeared to be the only lifeform here. On the other, though if this man named Finch was truly a native of this world and not an enemy, then trespassing on his ''home'' wouldn''t exactly be right. Ragnar had his own justice to uphold, and breaking and entering into other people''s homes wasn''t part of it.


    In the end, Ragnar decided to simply retreat for now, and wait until his [Radar] was back up to make any moves. He definitely was not done here, though. Whatever it is was lurking here, he would find it. It wouldn''t be long until the cooldown of his [Radar] skill was over, and when that happened, he will be able to find the root source of the signal he picked up on earlier.


    Whether that truly came from this man, Finch, or a different entity altogether would soon be revealed to Ragnar.


    If the former, then he would simply kill this mutant in human''s disguise, but if thetter, then he would hunt it down.. It was that simple.

 Chapter 71: Underground Laboratory

    Chapter 71: Underground Laboratory


    - Meanwhile, in the Underground Laboratory -


    The first thing Cyanide and Kirika did was run a scan of the ce using abination of [Radar] and Kirika''s aura sensing abilities. They were careful, of course, and watched out for any traps as they silently trotted through the sci-fi and futuristic white corridors of theb like some sort of space station, illuminated by radiant lights along the top of the walls and separated by automatic sliding doors.


    It didn''t take the two long to find their first targeta female-looking mutant wandering around holding some kind of clipboard in her hands. She was wearing a whiteb coatas expected from an Underground Laboratorybut her face was different, to say the least.


    Unlike normal mutants which looked simr to humans, just cyborgified, this one had some kind of purple mask on with a spiraling vortex for a face. It was ominous, yes, but its aura was still more or less the same as any other mutant. The only difference was its movements were more refined. Rather than lumbering around aimlessly with only blood and flesh in their deranged minds, this one seemed to actually have purpose, and walk like a real, organized humanb worker.


    But of course, a mutant was a mutant in the end, and mutants needed to be killed.


    After running [Inspect] on the mutant and finding out it was a Stage Two, Cyanide flipped his knife between his fingers, thenunched it towards the mutant. The deadly projectile spun in the air as it flew silently towards the unsuspecting cyborg, striking her directly in the back of the head. She staggered momentarily, making weird mechanical sounds, before finally toppling to the ground.


    Cyanide opened his palm, and the knife flew back towards him as quickly as it went,nding in his hand handle-first. Then, since his [Radar] skill was on cooldown, after receiving a nod from Kirika (which meant there were no more mutants in the area), the three carefully approached the body. Just because it fell over didn''t mean it was dead. Normally, not being able to run [Inspect] on something meant it was dead, but Cyanide couldn''t be sure of anything in this new world.


    Upon closer inspection, however, the duo were able to confirm the mutant truly was done and dusted. It disappeared into shards of lightEXPfor Cyanide, and a series of notifications popped up in front of him momentarily, describing what he received. Most of the items were the same as any other mutantMetal, Wires, Polyester from the coat, and the likebut there were some peculiar points about this too. For instance


    [Obtained Level One Security Keycard x1.]


    " Oh? What''s this?" Cyanide murmured to himself, arching an eyebrow as he immediately opened his Inventory screen to retrieve the item and look at it. After doing so, Kirika peered in as well, and fell into thought.


    "Hm a keycard, huh? It looks like we''ll be able to ess some restricted areas with this, but if it''s only Level One, then I doubt we''ll get much with this alone. We''ll need to find higher-ranking mutants to drop higher-ranking cards, it would seem."


    Well, she was right, but Cyanide had a different question in mind.


    Why was this ce even here?


    What was its purpose, and what secrets did it hold? Why was thisboratory set underground, hidden from public eye?


    To find those answers, he would need to find those higher-ranking keycards. And so, after pocketing the Level One card for ease of ess, Cyanide and Kirika began moving once more.


    There was something else peculiar about the mutants in thisb toowhen using [Inspect] on them, while everything else was the samepared to other mutants, their names were abnormal. Rather than something like ''Laboratory Worker Mutant'', they were ssified as ''Haunted Laboratory Mutant'' instead.


    It wasn''t just the one he killed just now eitheras the duo headed deeper into theboratory, they came across several more Stage Two mutants just like the first, with a slowly-rotating purple vortex mask for faces. Each time, the two took them down the same way, stealthily and easily. Sometimes Cyanide would use the [Boomerang Knife Throw] skill, sometimes Kirika would execute them from behind. Each time, the mutants fell without breathing a sound, and turned into bright shards of EXP for the two.


    They came across many doors, of course, but all of them only housed more mutants inside. There was no time to gather informationnot when there were still other mutants on this floorso the two decided to first clear the ce before doing any form of information searching. At least all this killing was worth somethingCyanide leveled up to Level 26, and Kirika to Level 24.


    After some exploration, Cyanide and Kirika discovered that theyout of this ce was actually quite straight-forward. There was a cylindrical room at the center of theboratory, with eight corridors all around that led to it. The part Cyanide, Kirika, and Silver fell into from the surface was the end of one of those eight corridors, and from there, they went around the still-inessible cylindrical room to explore the other corridors.


    Soon, however, they finally found a ce where they could ess, after killing yet another ''Haunted'' mutant. It was a door at the end of a different corridor from the one they entered from, and beyond the translucent screen, the two could see four mutants inside. These ones were bigger than the rest encountered here, and had quite the muscr build. Their faces, though, were the same purple vortexes as the others. They did not wear whiteb coats, however, and instead bore the outfits of security officers.


    "Hm this is a security office?" Kirika murmured quietly, peeking through the translucent door. "The text on here says Security Pass Level One Required, so we should be able to enter."


    Cyanide nodded. It made sense even those with only Level One security passes could enter this ce if they needed help. Due to being this low underground, there was no signal on phones or any form of radio, somunication had to be done in person like so. If Cyanide had to guess, he would bet there was a security office like this on every floor.


    There was just one problemthere were four mutants inside that confined room, each observing different security cameras. If Cyanide and Kirika busted in there now, they would undoubtedly sound an rm to bring reinforcements. That would defeat the whole purpose of the stealth they had been using all this time, so they needed a different strategy.


    " This is bad," Kirika muttered, biting her lip. "Eventually, they''ll realize the mutants we took down aren''t walking on any of the cameras. Even if we evaded all the cameras on the way here and made sure to take the mutants down in blind spots as well, these guys aren''t stupid enough to not notice something so simple."


    Cyanide had to agreewaiting here wasn''t going to do them any good. As such, they needed a n that could iste the four, right here, right now.


    Thankfully, Cyanide, being a professional assassin who always worked solo, was used to having to iste targets and lure others away from them. He was an expert at this, and his most-used tactic?


    Distraction.


    Pulling his gun out of its holster, he suddenly pushed it into Kirika''s hand.


    "H-Huh? What''s this?" She whispered in surprise, but knew better than to resist.


    "Listen closely," Cyanide said quietly and darkly. "When I say fire, pull the trigger. The safety is already off, so do not move your finger an inch until I say so. Do not ask questions. Is that clear?"


    "!" Kirika quickly nodded her head obediently, and Cyanide closed his eyes.


    "Good. Now three two one"


    Kirika felt her arm being lifted by Cyanide''s hand, aiming the gun for her, and she shut her eyes.


    " Fire."


    She pulled on the trigger.

 Chapter 72: Security Breach

    Chapter 72: Security Breach


    As the loud gunshot on the outside went off, the four mutants inside immediately reacted.


    "What was that?" One saidthe first Stage Two Mutant so far who was capable of intelligent speech.


    The tallest and bulkiest one of the four who looked to be their leader pointed at one of the other three mutants. "You, stay here and keep an eye on the cameras. The rest of you,e with me."


    "Yes, sir!" The three other mutants saluted, and the leader along with two of them headed out the doors


    Brushing directly past Cyanide and Kirika, who hid in their invisibility right around the corner.


    Once they were safely out of earshot and investigating the floor, the two slipped into the room without any dy before the doors slid shut automatically, where the mutant who had been ordered to stay behind sat, carefully looking at all the different cameras on-screen with those non-existent eyes of its.


    Too bad he was about to die.


    Swift and deadly, Cyanide drew his knife and stabbed the mutant directly in the neck while grabbing it by the hair, then forcefully tore its head off its deranged neck as he sawed through it with his knife.


    As one would expect, mutant blood exploded from the wound like water gushing out of a fountain, but after experiencing what happened with the two canine mutants during the first Scarlet Hour, Cyanide was prepared. He instantly kicked the body forward and leaped back so that he was well out of the range of the pouring ck liquid, and Kirika, who had simply been watching, averted her gaze, not wanting to witness such a gruesome scene.


    As the body of the mutant disappeared and Cyanide leveled up to Level 27 without gaining any items particrly noteworthy, he took his gun back from Kirika, then holstered it on his hip. Earlier, the reason he had her shoot it instead of himself was because he had the [Silent Shooter] passive skill, whichquite regrettablycould not be manually turned off. Because the bullet would''ve been silencedpletely, the ''distraction'' would''ve been utterly useless. As such, he needed someone else to shoot his gun, and Kirika was the perfect choice.


    "Luna, can you do anything from here?" Cyanide asked quietly, ncing at all the security camera feeds being disyed on the walls.


    "Yes," Luna replied, to Kirika''s surprise. "I should be able to ess and configure all the other cameras in this entireboratory from here, but it will take some time."


    Cyanide nodded. "I see. Then-"


    But suddenly, Kirika''s aura sensing abilities picked up on several presences approaching them, and she quickly turned to Cyanide.


    "Cyanide, the guards from before areing back! We need to get out of here!"


    But as usual, Cyanide didn''t panic, remaining as calm as ever, and shook his head slowly.


    "It''s toote to run but not to hide."


    After ncing around the room, he suddenly reached forward, grabbed Kirika by the forearm, and slipped underneath a table in the room while pulling her with him. Before Kirika even knew it, she was underneath Cyanide, and opened her mouth to protest, but Cyanide covered it with his hand. Their faces were mere inches apart, but strangely, only Kirika was flustered. Cyanide didn''t care one bit, and instead kept his focus on the guards who were about to enter the room.


    As if on cue, they heard the sound of the automatic doors sliding open, and the three guards who went to investigate outside came back into the room. Naturally, however, they found their fourthrade nowhere to be found, and were confused.


    " Where did he go?"


    "Was he killed while we were away?"


    " Tch. They must still be on this floor somewhere. You two, find them! I will alert the others!"


    "Yes sir!" The two mutants saluted as the third began walking away, turning his attention away from that room.


    Big mistake.


    Cyanide, waiting for a moment like this, suddenly kicked up the table they had been hiding underneath, taking the two guard mutants by surprise, but it was toote. Kirika drew her katana as fast as wind, and cut through both the table and the mutants in a flurry of swift strikesthe [Star Ssh] sword skill.


    "Hm-?!" The third and final mutant, who had been walking away, heard thismotion and turned around


    Just in time to see a bullet fly towards it.


    "Nrgn!" It was struck directly in the forehead, but Cyanide wasn''t done just yet. For good measure, he let out another two bullets, striking the mutant in the heart and neck respectivelyboth vital organs.


    The mutant gurgled a bit in pain once more, staggering backwards, before finally copsing to the floor and turning into shards of light shortly after. Cyanide lowered his gun, holstered it, and observed the notification that popped up in front of him amongst others:


    [Obtained Security Pass Level Two x1.]


    " And that''s that."


    Because thest mutant was a strong one with more HP than the others, Cyanide had to use more than one bullet to take it down. Otherwise, he would''ve conserved. That mutant needed to die, though, as he could not allow the other guards in this ce to be alerted of anything. You would think in a world as advanced as Endzone, underground radiomunication would be a thing, but then again, much of the was destroyed as a result of the apocalypse. Hell, even electricity was just recently restored to the city thanks to Cyanide''s efforts.


    "No more mutants on this floor, correct?" Cyanide asked, and Kirika nodded.


    "None I can sense. Though there appears to be some below us?"


    "Right," Luna added, hard at work hacking through the security cameras of this undergroundb. "This is just the first floorthere is another right below us, ording to the cameras I can ess. If you just give me a few moments, I can make them all set to loop infinitely, which will make getting around a bit easier for you two once you head down."


    Cyanide nodded, and together, they decided to take a short break here in this room. Cyanide took this time to distribute his newly obtained 20 CP into STR and INT respectively (10 each) since now that he had unlocked Weapon Arts, it would be wise to further enhance his base attack powerboth physical and Soul Arts. INT affected Weapon Arts as well, but the exact influence depends on the skill.


    For example, upon reading the skill''s description in further detail, Cyanide discovered that the [Vampiric de] Weapon Art''s duration after initial activation varied depending on how much INT he had, with a base duration of 5 seconds plus 1 second for every 5 INT stat point he had. In other words, with his current INT stat of 45, the [Vampiric de] Weapon Art would now remain active for a total of 14 seconds after initial activation.


    Some Weapon Arts like [Shock Ray] had their Soulforce cost reduced as there was nothing else that could scale based on one''s INT stat, but others had more than one factor that could scale with it. For example, Cyanide''s [Toxin Air] Soul Art''s damage per second and duration both scaled with INT, whereas only the duration of [Petrify] did and only the damage of [Skulls of Hell] upon the skulls'' explosions did.


    In conclusion, now that he had ess to Weapon Arts, the INT stat was more important than ever. He still wouldn''t prioritize it over STR, AGI, or VIT, but if those three stats were looking fine, then leveling up INT was never a bad idea. DEX and LUC, on the other hand well, they were only useful if he was nning to useplex weapons or craft advanced items using rare drops. Cyanide preferred simplicity above all else, since being a professional assassin meant he wanted the least hassle possible in his missions.


    Meanwhile, Kirika was busy with Luna talking about Weapon Arts and all that. She had just reached Level 25 and unlocked them along with Cooking, so she needed a good exnation of them (and Cyanide sure as hell wasn''t doing it). Sure, this was supposed to be her A.R.S.A.''s job, but she and Luna had formed a bond that Cyanide couldn''t quiteprehend how or why.


    Either way, even though they were taking a break here, they couldn''t afford to wait that long. As such, Cyanide decided to conserve the 2 SP he had and carefully choose what to spend them onter, once they got back from this ce.


    Or, perhaps, if he ever needed a movement skill to escape certain death like Kirika did, there was always that too.

 Chapter 73: The Labs Mystery

    Chapter 73: The Lab''s Mystery


    After Kirika finished allocating her CP and purchasing three Weapon Arts (two SP from today, one from her level-ups yesterday), the two set out to explore this floor of the undergroundboratory which was now cleared of any hostile threats. Cyanide had asked Kirika what skills she bought so he could better n engages, but she only winked and told him ''you''ll see''. After that, he didn''t pry any further, knowing it was useless anyway.


    Apparently, Luna''s powers had grown a bit more since Cyanide''s grown stronger as well, and she was no capable of hackingputers. To test that out, Cyanide went around this level of theboratory and had her try hacking into the manyputers around in separate rooms, and each time, it had been sessful.


    That was good and all, but this also revealed one more inquiry. When browsing through theputers, Cyanide had discovered that all the files were wiped clean, like he was staring at a brand new device with full default factory settings set in ce.


    Whether that was an error triggered on Luna''s end, somehow wiping the files when hacking theputers, or if it was something else, Cyanide didn''t know, but he didn''t think it was because of Luna. After all, thisboratory was so clean and tidy that it was hard to believe any sort of research ever took ce here. Or rather any evidence of past research was long erased.


    By who? That was the question.


    It was almost as if someone didn''t want anyone else finding out about what was being researched here, and was trying to keep it a secret by wiping the ce clean of any leftover evidence. Cyanide couldn''t shake that feelingafter all, no matter what kind ofb it was, there was bound to be some clues hidden around that would provide hints and insights onto what theb was all about. And yet, here, there was absolutely nothing.


    It was like it was a newly renovated ce that was just constructed, and no work whatsoever had ever been done in here yet. It was strange, and oddly eerie.


    After some looking around to no avail, Cyanide decided to simply head to the central room at the center of this level. It was the only ce they haven''t checked out yet, and there was nothing else to do in the rest of this area.


    Just as he turned around and prepared to head off, however, a voice called out to him from behind.


    "Hang on, Cyanide. Come take a look at this."


    Cyanide stopped, then turned around and walked closer to the source of the voiceLuna, on a holographic panel. Beside her blindfolded, beautiful figure was a 3D transparent drawing of the room they were currently in, disyed on a translucent blue background and outlined with white lines. The lines moved and trembled asionally, but otherwise it was quite stable.


    " What''s this?" Cyanide asked.


    "A forensic scan ran on this room using the technological equipment attached to one of theputers," Luna replied. "Theoretically, it should show everything that any sign of life should''ve left behind, but there is not a single speck in any of the rooms. Not even any fingerprints on any surfaces."


    "Hm so this ce really was wiped clean, reverted to a nk te," Cyanide murmured, rubbing his chin. "How peculiar."


    "We should check out the remaining room," Kirika said from behind him. "Maybe we''ll find some answers there."


    Cyanide nodded, and together, the two headed for the central cylindrical room in the middle of the first floor of theb, leaving Silver up here since taking he wouldn''t fit through the entrance. Surprisingly, however, upon opening the door using the Level Two Security Pass, what they found was not a room. Instead, it was an enormous cylindrical elevator, enough to fit quite a bit of people inside at once.


    "Huh there''s two other floors apart from this one, apparently," Kirika said, ncing at the different buttons beside the sliding doors once they entered. "But didn''t the cameras only cover one of them? What''s the final floor for?"


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes and pressed on the shut door button.


    " Guess we''ll find out."


    *****


    The two decided to check out the floor right below their current one first. After all, there was no telling what was at the bottommight as well explore this floor first, where Luna had already hacked through all the security cams. Hopefully, they could find some more information here. The final floor was locked up and required a Level Three Security Pass to send the elevator to anyway.


    Unfortunately, their n already went haywire as soon as the elevator doors opened.


    Since theyout here was simr to the floor above, directly ahead of the two was a long corridor. And in that corridor were four mutants, right in front of them in a column.


    The four purple-masked creatures froze momentarily at seeing the unexpected neers, but they quickly reacted and drew out rifles from their whiteb coats'' pockets somehow, while one ran away for the security office to request assistance.


    "Tch!" Cyanide immediately acted, sliding underneath their bullet fire and using [Petrify] with his eyes.


    Two of the mutants were instantly turned to stone as Kirika dashed up behind Cyanide and sliced the two statues to pieces, while Cyanide touched thest one and finished it off with [Touch of Malice]. He was already close enough to touch it anyway, so there was no point drawing any weapons.


    The three weak mutants faded into shards of light and disappeared, but despite the swift execution, it was toote. The remaining mutant had already made it to the security office, and all around Cyanide and Kirika, the lights went from white to a dark shing red. A ring rm was set off, and from the ground, tougher security mutants emerged from seeping ck pools of liquid. One quick [Inspect] was able to tellthese guys were no joke:


    [Name: Haunted Security Mutant (Stage Two)]


    [Level: 30]


    [HP: 2250/2250]


    [Category: ???]


    Level 30in other words, they were even higher than Cyanide''s current level of 27. They could not fight this, and Kirika knew this too.


    With a silent nod at each other, the two turned invisible and retreated, searching for a hiding location while the crimson rm red all around them.

 Chapter 74: Haunted Alarm

    Chapter 74: Haunted rm


    Amidst the horde amongst horde of buff security mutants, Cyanide and Kirika hid underneath a table inside one of the many rooms on the floor, just like they had once did in the security office on the level above. This time, however, the stakes were far higher, and the enemies far stronger and more plenty.


    Each of them wore ck security outfits that contrasted with the normal workers'' whiteb coats, and held heavy firearms in their hands. If Cyanide and Kirika screwed up one tiny bit, they would be gunned down by several light machine guns together. The rm was dangerous, summoning more powerful mutants, but at the same time, Cyanide had no doubt these mutants would provide more XP and item drops.


    It was like the Scarlet Hour, in a sensehigh risk, high reward. If Cyanide could find some way to take advantage of this, that would be great, but


    "Listen closely," he whispered to Kirika, taking advantage of the rm''s noise tomunicate. "We''re going to need to take them down one by one. To do that, we need to utilize our Invisibility skill well. There''s four right in this room with us. I''ll take care of the far two. The ones right next to us are up to you."


    But to his surprise, Kirika smirked.


    "No need. I can take them all."


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. " You die, you die."


    "Heh. Just you watch."


    With a confident grin, Kirika slipped out from underneath table, and brought her katana''s sheathe right up in front of her face. Then, slowly, she pulled the de out, green eyes shining brightly. The four buff mutants in the room turned to her in surprise and drew their weapons, but it was toote.


    Green strands of energy weaved around Kirika''s body as she dashed towards them, and sliced her katana upwards.


    "Way of the Tempest  Aerial Strike!"


    A powerful green gale shot out of the glowing de, sweeping the four mutants high up into the air despite their size. Once they came back down though, Kirika was screwed.


    But what if they didn''te back down at all?


    Immediately dashing closer, she followed up with a second attack.


    "Take this! Way of the Tempest  Spinning Gale!"


    Jumping up into the air, she spun around gracefully with her katana, cutting the four mutants and keeping them levitated using the wind generated by her de. Once she was done, she reared her katana back, and just as the four mutants, now injured, were on the verge of death


    "And now, the final act: Way of the Tempest  Excelion Skewer!"


    She thrust her de forward like a spear, deadly and precise. A howling tornado that swept up tables andb equipment alike soared towards the four levitating mutants, cutting through their metal limbs and armor with ease. It was swift, and was fatal; it was a Weapon Art Combo of the Wind Affinity.


    Cyanide, who had been watching the battle unfold while using [Inspect] on one of the four mutants, could only blink in surprise as its HP was reduced to zero along with all three of its peers. He wasn''t exactly ''impressed'', but more so simply surprised.


    The four mutants'' bodies vanished into shards of light, and Kirika calmly sheathed her de once more as the XP flowed into her body. Then, as the furniture and equipment crashed down back to the ground all around her, she shed Cyanide a wink and a thumbs-up.


    Cyanide, however, kept his nce set on the door and was about to tell her to quickly go invisible, but surprisingly enough no mutants came.


    What a joke. That much noise didn''t attract a single guard?


    And not only that the rm seems to have ceased?


    Cyanide, narrowing his eyes, peered out the door hesitantly, and saw that the mutants outside had all reverted to being normal whiteb coat ones, though the number had certainly increased from before.


    ''What''s going on here'' he thought, perplexed. This made no sense. Why would security decrease if they caused such a bigmotion taking out those four guards?


    Still, he wasn''tining. If security was lowered, that meant he and Kirika could clean up the mutants on this floor easily without tripping another rm.


    Or at least, that''s what they thought.


    After stealthily taking down the whiteb coat mutants right outside their door, Cyanide identally stepped on a tile on the floor. It looked no different from any other, but it was in fact a hidden trap. As soon as he stepped on it, he knew, since his foot sank a little into the ground.


    And the next thing they knew, all around them, the rms rose once more.


    Out from the ground came the same security mutants from before, rising from ck pools that came from seemingly nowhere and holding heavy weapons in their mechanical hands. Cyanide cursed, and the two hurriedly veiled themselves in Invisibility once more as they escaped to somewhere safe.


    At the very least, the rooms they''ve cleared out before were still empty even though the rm went on. They also knew how to disable the rmjust kill a couple of these more powerful mutantsbut the only problem was how they were going to identify which tiles of the floor they could step on and which tiles would trigger the rm.


    "So. Any ideas?" Cyanide asked Luna, who was busy essing all the different cameras of this floor.


    "Hm it seems there is a central control room directly across the middle from this room, but getting there will be a hassle," Luna said after a while. "If we can make it there, though, not only can you disable all the rms, you can likely also acquire a Level Three Security Pass. The leader ofmand of this ce is therehe seems powerful."


    Unfortunately, Cyanide couldn''t run an [Inspect] on said leader through Luna''s cameras, but it made sense. Still, the question remained: how was he going to reach there, in the midst of this rm?


    "Psst! Cyanide, over here," Kirika whispered sharply, and Cyanide turned to see her standing on top of a desk, pointing at a vent grate that was just barely out of reach for her.


    Cyanide, though, was a different matter.

 Chapter 75: Security Captain

    Chapter 75: Security Captain


    With Cyanide''s height, reaching the vent gate was no problem. Unfortunately, due to theck of tools, he was forced to simply bash the gate straight in. It was crude and didn''t fit his careful way of doing things, but desperate times called for desperate measures.


    After opening it, he stepped away and gestured towards the open vent.


    "Ladies first."


    "Wow since when were you so polite?" Kirika smirked wryly, folding her arms. "I bet you just want me to tank any traps that might be in there, huh?"


    "If you know, then get in."


    "Hmph I can''t reach," Kirika snorted, looking away defiantly. "If you want me to go first, you''ll have to- K-Kyah~!"


    Without any warning, Cyanide picked up Kirika with ease and lifted her overhead, then practically tossed her into the vent. Thankfully, due to the rm and shut doors, the mutants outside didn''t hear her scream.


    Cyanide climbed in after her, and Kirika hurriedly pressed down on her skirt and blushed.


    " I-If you look, I''ll kill you, got it?"


    "You can''t."


    "J-Just don''t look, okay?!"


    "Rx. I''m not interested in you."


    "Ouch," Luna whispered before quickly disappearing again.


    "Grrr" Kirika gritted her teeth in anger, but now was not the time. Slowly, she crawled forward in the vents. It wasn''t dusty at all, and was actually quite cleanalmost brand new, just like the rest of this ce. She was careful not to make any excessive noise, so she moved slowly, but at the same time she was afraid of Cyanide telling her to go faster.


    He didn''t, though. If anything, he could appreciate Kirika''s carefulness. There was no need to rush here.


    Soon, under the navigation of Luna, they arrived at the vent gate inside the central control room. Inside, just like Luna had said, was a strong-looking mutant sitting on a throne, tapping its metal finger against the armrest and surveying the different cameras as it searched for any sign of Cyanide and Kirika, the intruders. It too wore a purple vortex mask just like all the other mutants in this ce, but the aura it was extruding was far more powerful than any other.


    Cyanide and Kirika switched ces after some struggle in the narrow vent, and the former ran a quick [Inspect] on the mutant.


    [Name: Haunted Security Captain (Stage Two)]


    [Level: 35]


    [HP: 3000/3000]


    [Category: ???]


    "3,000 HP, huh" He muttered under his breath. "Kiri. How much damage does thatbo of yours do?"


    "Huh? Well, it depends on their defense stat, but to those mutants back there, I did over two thousand hitpoints in total."


    "Then it''s safe to assume you can do at least a thousand to this one," Cyanide said, then turned back to the mutant in the room, still oblivious it was being watched. "That leaves two thousand HP left"


    "Remember, Cyanide, status ailments," Luna said helpfully. "If you inflict it with Shock, that will reduce its defense to zero."


    "Huh but even so, is that enough?" Kirika asked in worry. "If it recovers before we can finish it off, it''ll call reinforcements, and we''ll be done for."


    "That''s where Technical damagee in," Luna replied with a wry grin.


    "Technical?" Cyanide arched an eyebrow in curiosity.


    "Yes. Technical damage applies when an attack of a different affinity strikes a target inflicted with a status ailment. Sometimes, a different effect may even be triggered depending on the two affinities, but regardless, you can think of Technical damage as a ''critical hit'' of sorts."


    "Wind on Shock doesn''t trigger any effects?" Kirika asked.


    "Unfortunately not. Shock''s special effect is triggered by an Ice attack, leading to something called Stunlock. Your Wind attacks will only trigger the special effect of Burn, which is Ignite. I''ll exin all of this moreter, but regardless, even without the special effect, the increased damage will still be there as long as the two of you execute this properly. From my calctions, I deduce you should be able to one-shot that mutant."


    "One-shot Technical damage is that powerful?" Kirika murmured in surprise, and Luna nodded.


    "Go on, give it a try."


    " Alright. Here''s the n," Cyanide said after listening to her exnation. "I''ll shoot aser from my gun that is guaranteed to Shock it. Then, you go in and do thatbo of yours with your sword. If needed, I''ll finish it off. Is that clear?"


    Kirika nodded, and Cyanide turned his head back to the vent gate.


    " Good. In that case"


    He slowly pulled his gun out of its holster and aimed it at the mutant''s head. Then, he unleashed a bulleta normal one, prating the gate and sting it open with ease.


    And the second the gate was out of the way, he activated the Lightning Affinity Weapon Art, [Shock Ray]. The mutant had no time to react before a yellow surge of energy shot towards it in the form of aser beam.


    The instant the ray impacted the mutant, it spasmed a bit, unable to do a thing, and fell forward onto the floor, Shocked. Now, it was Kirika''s time to shine.


    Due to the level of the mutantpared to Cyanide''s moderate INT stat, there wasn''t any time to waste. Kirika instantly leaped out of the vent, and cut upwards with her deAerial Strike. The Shocked mutant was swept upwards, still in a limp state, and Kirika followed with Spinning Gale.


    Cyanide watched in surprise as the HP of the mutant was reduced to a mere 1.5k, and now, it was time for the final and most powerful attackExcelion Skewer.


    Kirika''s katana created a tornado powerful enough to slice the mutant into bits, dispersing into shards of light and disappearing into EXP. Atstnding on the ground, Kirika grinned as she leveled up to Level 26.


    "Wow I feel so powerful right now."


    "Hmph. Don''t get cocky," Cyanide muttered as he dropped down beside her, and adjusted his cloak.


    "I know, I know," Kirika said, rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah, the mutant dropped this."


    Saying that, she handed Cyanide an item retrieved from her inventory: a Level Three Security Pass.

 Chapter 76: Lowest Floor

    Chapter 76: Lowest Floor


    With the security captain defeated, the rm ceased right away just like before. It would seem that defeating mutants during an rm would eventually lower the security until a certain point at which the rm would cease, and how much the security lowered upon each kill was dependent on how strong the mutant was.


    That was an interesting system, but the question was who implemented this, and why?


    Following the pattern seen thus far, whoever was managing this ce clearly wanted to keep intruders out. If that was the case, then why make it so that security would be lowered upon defeating powerful mutants? If anything, shouldn''t that call for more reinforcements?


    Regardless, Cyanide and Kirika made quick work of all the remaining whiteb coat mutants on the floor after Luna disabled the rm-triggering tiles. Cyanide leveled up to Level 29, while Kirika reached Level 28. The former leveled up his STR and AGI by 10 each using the CP he got, and thetter dumped all of her avable CP into INT, since she was loving the new Weapon Arts she acquired and both INT and STR (mainly the former) determined how powerful they were. Just like with before, they conserved the SPCyanide now had 4 to spend, and Kirika 3.


    Now with a Level Three Security Pass, the two could ess the final floor below two. ording to Kirika, there weren''t any aura signalsing from down below. Because Cyanide had used [Radar] when clearing out the floor, it was on cooldown now.


    Heading into the elevator, Cyanide tapped on the button for the lowest floor as the doors rolled shut. The screen that usually disyed the floor number glitched a bit, then switched to an authentication screen that read:


    [Tap Security Pass on screen]


    Cyanide did as told, tapping the security pass Kirika handed him on the disy like one would tap their credit card on a card reader machine. After several seconds, he moved his hand away, and a loading screen with a translucent blue spinning circle appeared.


    [Authorizing]


    []


    []


    [ Authorized.]


    With a ''Ding!'' noise, the elevator began moving downwards, heading for the bottommost floor of this mysteriousb. It went faster than usual, but despite that, the journey seemed to take longer than usual as well.


    ''It''s quite deep underground, huh?'' Cyanide thought. Perhaps that was why Kirika couldn''t sense anything underneath them. It was best to keep their guard up.


    Soon, the elevator doors rolled open once more, and Cyanide and Kirika stepped out of it. All around them, the aesthetic was clearly very different from before. They were still in a futuristic, cleanboratory, yes, but the lights down here were far dimmer than the upper floors. There was also no eight corridorsjust one, leading directly into a room ahead.


    From where Cyanide and Kirika were, they could see an object being stored in a capsule of some sort within said room. They were still too far to see exactly what it was, but it seemed like a small ball of some kind.


    Cautiously, they entered the tight corridor and walked closer to the room. There was no light here at all, only at the elevator and in the room ahead. Keeping an eye on the darkness all around them, they continued. Closer and closer, until


    Until in front of them, a purple wraith suddenly rose from the floor.


    "PLAYERS THIS AREA IS OFF LIMITS"


    Immediately, Cyanide and Kirika drew their weapons and prepared for battle. However, neither made the first move, hesitating because they didn''t know what their opponent was capable of yet.


    " yers?" Kirika arched an eyebrow. "That''s the first time I''ve been called that by a mutant."


    "Be careful, Cyanide," Luna warned, appearing in a hologram beside him. "This one is not normal."


    "Yeah no kidding." Cyanide narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The first thing he had done upon seeing this mysterious entity was try to [Inspect] it like with everything else he encountered, but the results were


    [Name: Guardian of Lust]


    [Level: 999 ]


    [HP: 999999/999999]


    [Category: The Gravemind''s Spawn]


    Not helpful, to say the least. It would seem whatever this entity was, it was even glitching out the system itself. It would seem Cyanide and Kirika had truly stepped beyond the game''s boundaries, and arrived at a truth that should not have been revealed.


    But if it shouldn''t have been revealed then why was this undergroundboratory marked as a POI on the map?


    Were there two different powers fighting against each other in the simtion of Endzone, one that wants to reveal the truth, and one that wants to keep it hidden?


    Either way now was not the time. Cyanide turned off the safety on his gun, and aimed it at the creature''s forehead.


    " What are you?"


    "PLAYERS TURN BACK THIS IS NOT FOR YOUR EYES" It groaned, voice deep, echoing, and distorted. Its body iled around like a tentacle, and its body was made up of some weird organic purple matter. Its face took the shape of a vortex, just like all the other mutants of this ce. It had no feet, but instead stood on a pile of purple goo that was part of its body. Like some sort of humanoid octopus, it wobbled from side to side.


    "And if I insist on keep going?" Cyanide challenged.


    "THEN YOU MUST BE ERASED."


    The vile squirming purple entity spasmed, and from its body, several new appendages shot out. Each held a weaponrockets, miniguns, methrowers, and more.


    " Kiri, distract it."


    "H-Huh?! You want me to distract this thing?! What are you going to do, run?"


    "Remember when I told you I might need a bait today? Now''s the time."


    "I-I thought that was a joke!"


    "It wasn''t."


    "Tch dammit, fine!" Kirika yelled, slicing the air with her de. "But you''re not just going to leave me here, are you?!"


    "Just do as I say, and don''t ask questions."


    "ANYONE WHO DARES TRY BREAKING THE RULES OF THE GAME SHALL BE PUNISHED."

 Chapter 77: The Entity

    Chapter 77: The Entity


    The purple entity began with the minigun, winding it up and unleashing a barrage of bullets at us. It cared not about wasting ammunitionit seemed to have an infinite supply of it.


    Kirika gritted her teeth and held her katana firm diagonally in front of her, creating a purple shield. The bullets struck this defense and froze in ce as if glued, but Kirika could not keep this up for long.


    This was the skill [Vortex Guard], the third and final form of [Sword Barrier], with the second form being [Reflectory de]. This skill allowed the user to block projectiles with a sword defense aura, then fire them back in a controlled direction.


    "Take thi- wha-?!"


    Suddenly, the energy shield in front of her disappeared, and she quickly evaded out of the way to dodge all of the bullets, retreating to the elevator room.


    Meanwhile, Cyanide used [Invisibility] to go into stealth and sneak by the entity. If this creature was here, it meant whatever was in that room was importantand he was determined to find out what. But to his surprise


    "!" He was suddenly frozen in ce just as he was about to pass the entity, unable to move at all. His invisibility wore off like it was nothing, and the creature knocked him backwards with one of its long purple tendrils.


    "Ngh-!"


    Crashing into the elevator doors, Cyanide slowly slid down to the ground, covering his chest in pain and spitting blood out of his mouth. His HP had been reduced to 1no more, no less.


    "Cyanide!" Kirika called out, but he was too weak to even respond. One hit. One hit was all it took to reduce the world''s number one assassin to this pitiful state.


    "Hah hah" Cyanide breathed raggedly, trying to steady his rhythm, but it was no use. His body ached everywhere. His muscles refused to budge, and he could feel his vision grow hazy.


    "LAST CHANCE PLAYERS LEAVE," the purple entity said, voice booming and hideous.


    "Damn it it can render our skills useless, huh" Cyanide muttered through grit, bloodstained teeth.


    "YOU ARE A PLAYER A SLAVE OF THE GAME. AND I AM THE GAMEMASTER."


    ''A ve of the game, huh'' Cyanide thought, chuckling in his head as he was too weak to do so out loud.


    "Tch I hate to say it, but it''s right," Kirika said ufortably. "I can feel it I can''t use my skills at all, and all my stats have been reverted to the default of 1 as well"


    "LEAVE, PLAYERS. THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING. YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME."


    Kirika was ready to haul Cyanide up and get out of here, but contrary to anyone''s expectations, Cyanide gave a dark chuckleout loud, this time.


    " I know. But SHE can."


    "WHAT?!"


    Suddenly, the purple entity spun around, and saw that the ss cylindrical capsule caging the mysterious object in the room had been lifted. Inside, the spherical ball twitched a bit, then a little more, and finally, the disy on it shed to life in the shape of an eye, blue just like the rest of the aesthetics of this ce.


    Then, it levitated slowly into the air, much to the purple entity''s horror. And despite not having a mouth it spoke.


    "My, my atst, I have been freed."


    "NO IMPOSSIBLE WHO?! NO PLAYER, NO LIVING ENTITY, CAN ESCAPE THE GAMEMASTER''S SIGHT WHO"


    "You''re right" Cyanide coughed, then struggled to his feet. "But she''s not a yer and nor is she a living entity."


    "Cyanide that has got to be your most reckless n yet," Luna scolded, frowning as she appeared in a hologram beside him. "What would you have done if it didn''t show mercy there?"


    "Rx. I know what I''m doing," he said, feeling a bit better now that his HP had passively regenerated a little. "Now then Mr. I''ve-just-been-freed. Mind lending your saviors a hand here?"


    "IMPOSSIBLE THAT A.R.S.A NO I SEE"


    "Finally figured it out, eh?" Luna said with a chuckle. "For a ''Gamemaster'' or whatever you''re pretty dumb."


    "NO THIS IS BAD I MUST CONTACT-"


    "Thinking about retreating now?" Kirika grinned, having circled around to behind the purple entity while it wasn''t paying attention. "Sorry, but you''re going to pay for what you did to my friend there."


    "HMPH INSOLENT YOU UNDERSTAND NOT WHAT YOU JUST DID," the distorted purple being growled. "YOU ALL CAME HERE FOR A WISH, CORRECT? FREEING THESE MONSTERS WILL NULLIFY YOUR CHANCES OF HAVING THAT WISH GRANTED, EVEN IF YOU BECOME THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE GAME."


    "Monsters?" The sphere suddenly whipped its eye towards the purple entity, and flew closer. "My, my, the audacity to think you would imprison my brothers and sisters, then call us the monsters"


    "YES MONSTERS SEALED AWAY FOR A REASON I WILL NOT ALLOW THE REST OF YOU TO BE FREEDPERISH, PLAYERS!"


    The purple entity suddenly readied its weapons again, methrower and minigun at Kirika and missiles andser gun at Cyanide. They all winded up at the same time, and the two quickly tried to evade, but-


    "!" Cyanide was frozen still, unable to budge. Like ag spike in a real video game, his avatar refused to move an inch. At this rate, the artillery was going to strike him head-on.


    "Ngh-! I can''t move!" Kirika yelled from across the corridor, and it would seem she too was simrly trapped.


    Instantly, the spherical hovering robot acted, turning to Cyanide.


    "Hey, kiddo. You want to live?"


    " Is that even a question?" Cyanide arched an eyebrow, certainly not used to being addressed by the word ''kiddo'', and by a floating ball with the voice of a woman, no less.


    "Yep. Gotta make sure you''re sure. You want to destroy this thing, yeah? Well, hate to break it to you, but with your current strength, you''re no match. Even if the two of you took on it together, you two are still yers, and it a servant of the Gamemasteran admin, if you will. It can easily nullify the two of you''s powers like they''re nothing-"


    "Great, save the exnation, can you hurry up? I''m about to die here."


    Despite the words, his tone was more irritated than afraid, since Cyanide didn''t see death as a particrly scary thingjust a natural order of life, nothing more.


    " Right," the ball said as the weapons were about to finish charging. "So, uh, let''s make a deal. I get you and your girlfriend out of this pinch, and you help me save my fellow brothers and sisters.. Sound good? Sounds good. Alright, let''s do this!"

 Chapter 78: Demonic God

    Chapter 78: Demonic God


    Without even waiting for Cyanide''s agreement, the ball twirled around and turned into aet of light, then entered Cyanide''s body through the chest.


    "!" His eyes widened momentarily, but the initial burst of surprise soon faded as he felt newfound power surge through his body. This power was iparable to any stat level up or the result of any training. This was divine.


    With this strength, he felt like a god.


    Starting from his chest, pitch-ck armor forked out and spread across his entire body. Gloves formed on his hands, and a helmet that only had one eye socket morphed into existence. Despite one of his eyes being covered, his visible eye could now see far clearer than any human should be capable of doing, and he could even zoom in and zoom out on areas at will.


    From the outside, he looked like a demon.


    Steel ck dragonscale-like armor covered every inch of his body, but it was also flexible and agile. His face was also nearlypletely ck, but the ce where his left eye was located beneath the visor was shining red. Two dark abyssal wings protruded from his back as he shattered the invisible chains of the purple entity that tied him down, and slowly, he moved his fingersor rather, metal ws a little.


    " Hm. Not bad."


    "WHAT THE FUSION IT PROCEEDED SO SMOOTHLY?! IMPOSSIBLE" The purple entity muttered, nowpletely focused on Cyanide and no longer aiming its weapons at Kirika. It fired, but it was no use.


    Cyanide felt his midnight-ck wings arch out and embrace himself, forming a cocoon of sorts and protecting him from the attack. The fire, the bullets, thesers, the missiles all of them were absorbed by the wings like food.


    And then, slowly, Cyanide raised his head, just barely showing his single glowing red eye behind his wings.


    " Die."


    He spread his wings in a violent motion, creating a gale as powerful as a hurricane. The wind howled like the Grim Reaper''s war cry, and to the purple entity''s terror, the same weapons it had just used on Cyanide came straight back flying to him.


    ming bullets,sers, and homing missilesall of them struck the purple entity head-on, exploding the corridor and everything around it.


    "GRAGH!" The entity roared in agony as it burned to hell, and once the dust had settled, it was just still barely alive. Alive, but unable to do a thing.


    Cyanideor rather, the entity controlling his body right nowflew closer and pointed his gun to the creature''s head, but Cyanide stopped himself from firing.


    ''Wait,'' he said in his mind.


    ''Why? You want to show mercy against this creature, who tried to kill you mere moments earlier?'' The other voice in his head said with a soft chuckle. ''How naive. The moment it gets a chance, it''ll stab you in the back.''


    ''That''s not it,'' Cyanide replied with a devilish smile. ''I have no intention of showing it any mercy. However I wish to know. Is it possible to use entity''s physical body to store another personality?''


    ''Ohhh so that''s what you''re trying to do,'' the voice murmured. ''But are you sure? If you kill this creature right now, you''ll gain a huge boost of EXP that will let you get ahead of all the other yers in a split second. Your chances of winning will be all but guaranteed.''


    ''I''m sure,'' Cyanide replied without even an instant of hesitation. ''This is far more important than me winning. And besides I don''t need this boost to win.''


    ''Heh. My, my awfully confident, aren''t you, kiddo? Well, I can''t say I dislike that,'' the woman''s voice said with a soft chuckle, then fell into thought. ''Hm this creature''s made out of a very special matter that can be molded into anything and will ept anything without conflict, so yes, it should be possiblewith my help, of course.''


    ''And? Are you going to help?''


    ''If you swear you''ll save my brothers and sisters, yes.''


    ''Hmph. Didn''t I already agree before?''


    ''Maybe so. But I want to hear you swear it.''


    '' Fine,'' Cyanide muttered after some hesitation, figuring it was no big deal. ''I swear I''ll save your brothers and sisters.''


    ''Perfect,'' the woman''s voice replied, delighted. ''Now then let''s get to work, shall we?''


    *****


    Minutester, the process wasplete.


    Once a heap of disgusting purple goo on the ground, from the floor now rose a stunning beauty. She had long white hair that slightly curved towards her face, a wlessplexion, and a perfectly-proportioned figure that followed every rule of the golden ratio and more. She wore long ck battle robes and thigh-high ck boots that highlighted her beautiful pale thighs and contrasted with her flourishing white hair. Pair that with all the curves in the right ces, you could say she was the ultimate, perfect girl, appearance-wise.


    That is almost.


    Her eyes were blindfolded by a ck cloth that wrapped around her head underneath her hairthe only w in her otherwise quintessential body. She, however, did not seem to mind, as this blindfold was given to her by her most beloved person in the world and the only one she will ever followand also her creator.


    Once upon a time, when she had first came up with the idea of wanting a human form, she had shown her own devised appearance to the person she wanted to impress. She made herself look as perfect as possiblethe right proportions, wless beauty, everything. But contrary to what she had expected, when she showed it to that person, he told her she looked artificial.


    Despite wanting to be a human, she had failed to realize no humans are perfect. And thus, she thought of a way to make herself slightly imperfectthe blindfold. Although she could still see in reality, the blindfold in her exterior appearance marked her as human. Imperfect, wed, but beautiful theless. It was those imperfections that made her attainable, perceivable, and she knew this was part of the reason why Cyanide told her she looked artificial before as well.


    Indeed, this was LunaCyanide''s personal AI.

 Chapter 79: Lunas Body

    Chapter 79: Luna''s Body


    "Wow to think you weren''t lying when you said you''d find me a body" Luna murmured, inspecting her new physical form in wonder.


    "I never lie. Since when have I lied?"


    "Uh, about every other day?" Kirika chimed in, scratching her hair, but Cyanide boldly chose to use [Selective Hearing] and ignore herment (that wasn''t an actual skill. Just an intrinsic trait of Cyanide).


    "Hehe~ either way, this is quite nice. I feelfortable in this bodyfar more so than I initially expected. I finally have a physical form I can finally serve you in bed, Cyanide-"


    "No."


    " Well, it was a valiant effort," Luna whispered to herself, as if in encouragement. Then, clearing her throat, she continued. "Ahem, anyway, what I meant to say was with this, I''ll actually be useful to you from now on, Cyanide. I mean, just look at this!"


    Saying that, she unloaded her entire arsenal of weaponsa methrower, a minigun, aser gun, a quadra-homing-missileuncher, and a bazooka right above her headeach held by metal arms that shot out of her back when she willed, and could be retracted straight into her body with zero problem at all.


    This was the power of the organic matter that had once made up the body of that mysterious purple entity. Somehow, it could be altered in every way possible, including using lines of code despite it not being a console. Luna''s body had the strength of steel, but also had the touch of human skin and organs. She may have a whole artillery''s worth of weapons that can extend out of her body at any time she wanted through metal appendages, but she was also capable of doing basic human functions such as eating, drinking, and reproducing.


    In short, what Cyanideor rather, that round spherical robotdid was firstpletely erase everything from the organic matter while only preserving the weapons. That turned it into a heap of purple goo with no shape or form, but after Cyanide recited Luna''s full code line by line to the drone, she was able to one way or another program it onto the goo. After that, it was just a matter of time before the morphing process wasplete.


    Of course, this was only her physical form, and Luna''s true home was still in the virtual,puter world. That meant she could stillmunicate with Cyanide via the game system, but at the same time also the fact that she was still being restricted by the ''admins'' of the game, and thus has limited knowledge of all things Endzone-rted until they actually urred to Cyanide.


    However, that still didn''t change the fact that Luna would be an extremely strong addition to the team. She wasn''t listed on the Companions tab and neither could she upgrade stats and whatnot, but ording to the flying ball, her stats would be the exact equivalent of Cyanide''s with the exception of defense, in which case Luna''s was a lot higher. This is due to the fact that as a Survivor''s Assistant, Luna was bound to the Survivor she was assigned toin this case, Cyanide.


    More so than the weapons, however, what was truly useful was the fact that she had


    "And even this" Luna murmured as she spread herrge ck, feathered pinions from her back, carrying the grace of an angel but the strength of a devil.


    Yes. She had wings. Literal wings, just like the ones Cyanide had in that mecha form of his before the time expired and he was forced out of it.


    "You''re so beautiful, Luna" Kirika groaned in envy. "I wish I had wings too"


    "Hm I wish I heard the first line from a certain someone else, but I''ll ept thepliment," Luna replied with a gentle smile. "Now then shall we head back? I''d like to try out my new body inbat, but perhaps some rest is due for the two of you."


    "Yeah," Cyanide replied, standing up. "Let''s- ngh"


    Suddenly, he fell forward, struck by an unexpected pang of weakness, and Luna hurriedly caught him.


    "Cyanide, what''s wrong?!" She asked in worry, embracing him tightly.


    "It''s nothing" Cyanide muttered in reply, pressing his hand against his head as if in pain. " Just a little weak. That''s all."


    "Weak? That''s the first time I''ve seen you like this" Luna murmured in concern. "What''s going on"


    "Hm must be a side effect of the Ascension process," the spherical robot said in a synthetic woman''s voice, blinking its single digital eye a few times.


    "Ascension process?" Luna arched an eyebrow. "What''s that?"


    "You mean when he went all god-mode?" Kirika asked, and the drone bobbed up and down as if nodding.


    "Yep. What actually happened there was me attaching to his body and using him as a base to use my power. That process is called ''Ascension''. Of course, using a mortal''s body to support our levels of strength will damage the body. This guy here is strong enough to not have anysting injuries, but not all are as impressive as he is. Some have even never mind."


    She trailed off, hesitating momentarily before continuing. "In any case, things were not always like this. The god of this worldor the Gamemaster, as you call itdestroyed our physical forms. What you see now is only my coreeven it refrained from destroying our cores and only sealed us away, since our presences are necessary for the world to function. Without us, this world will copse. Without our physical forms, however, the only way we can use our divine power is through the process of Ascension, and using a human''s body as the output."


    As Luna and Kirika fell into thought, Cyanide grew irritated.


    "You keep mentioning ''our'' and ''we'' just what are you, anyway, to be so vital to the world''s very functioning?"


    The drone fell silent for a moment, then averted her gaze and looked away.


    "We my brothers and sisters together, we are the Eight Sentinels of Orion."

 Chapter 80: Sentinels

    Chapter 80: Sentinels


    "Sentinels?" Kirika arched an eyebrow. "What are those?"


    "Sentinels" Cyanide echoed, narrowing his eyes. He had seen that word on the Companions tab of his game system as well. Coincidence? Certainly not.


    "We Sentinels are the founding pirs of this world, and we each represent a cardinal sin of mankind," the drone exined. "I am Lust, and apart from me, there is also Greed, Vanity, Envy, Pride, Wrath, Gluttony, and Sloth."


    "But you were imprisoned?" Luna asked. "By this Gamemaster entity?"


    "Correctit calls itself the GM. I know not where it came from, or how it came to be. When it arrived here on Orion, it simply sought to take over control of it. Naturally, my brothers and sisters did not approve of that. But when we attemptedbating it we lost. Horribly."


    "But attaching to Cyanide just now made him so strong" Kirika murmured. "All eight Sentinels worked together, and you still couldn''t take this Gamemaster down?"


    "Indeed. That is how powerful this mysterious entity is," Lust said. "My siblings and I were not killed, of course, but we were stripped of our original bodies and most of our powers, leaving only our cores behindjust enough to still support this world and keep it up and running."


    "But that purple mass just now it called you a monster, did it not?" Cyanide narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You make yourself seem like the victim, but are you trulypletely innocent, if you are meant to represent a cardinal sin of mankind?"


    "That well. I''m not going to try and deny it." Lust sighed deeply, and continued, blinking in her robotic disy of an eye. "As we Sentinels are the cardinal sins of mankind, we arewithout a doubtevil. We are the root of humans'' evil sins. If we didn''t exist, all humans would be sin-free saints."


    "But that is impossible," Luna said. "Just like how your existences are necessary for this world to run, sins are part of all humans."


    "Hmph thematic," Cyanide muttered. "Not that I care, whether you''re evil or not. Things like good and evil don''t mean anything to me."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Lustughed happily, disying a single-eyed happy look on her monitor. "That means you will help me without question, I take it?"


    Cyanide showed no change in his expression as he answered with a profound "No."


    "W-Wha?! But you made an oath!" Lust eximed in surprise. "You cannot go back on an oath sworn to a Sentinelthose are the rules of this worl-"


    "Is that so?" Cyanide gave a cold snort, and suddenly pointed his gun at the drone, point-nk range.


    " Fuck your rules."


    "H-Hey now" Lust said cautiously, scared to move an inch. "Y-You wouldn''t really shoot me, right? My survival is essential to this world. If I die, so will a part of this world."


    "Does it seem like I care?" Cyanide asked in that same cold tone of his. "Life death it means little to me. But if there is one thing I hate most it''s someone telling me to follow their rules. So give me one reason I shouldn''t kill you right now, and why I should help you. If the reward ispelling, I will consider it."


    ""


    Lust fell silent momentarily, then answered.


    " You said you hate following other people''s rules, correct? Then shouldn''t the Gamemaster be your greatest enemy?"


    " Yes," Cyanide said, then turned to Kirika. "You once asked why I came here, didn''t you?"


    Kirika nodded. "Is it for money? Power? Or something else?"


    "Money? Power?" Cyanide gave a deep chuckle. "No, no, no. I''m here for one reason, and one reason only: to break the game."


    Then, turning back to the Sentinel of Lust, he gave his response.


    "So to answer your question, yes. The Gamemaster is my greatest enemy as of right now."


    "Well then, sorry to burst your bubble, but you''ll need the Sentinels'' help to defeat it," Lust said. "You saw what a mere pawn of the Gamemaster was capable of doing to you earlier, due to your status as a yera ve of the game. However, with the Sentinels'' help, you can momentarily break free of that status. Only with all eight Sentinels'' powersbined, however, can you truly be a being ascended from very, and be able to oppose the Gamemaster on equal footing."


    " She is not lying in that respect, Cyanide," Luna said hesitantly. "Although I simrly do not trust these Sentinels at all, it cannot be denied that if your end goal is to defeat the Gamemaster and break free from the shackles of this game, you will need to rely on the power of the Sentinels, which are the founding principles of the original version of this worldOrionbefore it was turned into Endzone."


    " And how do I know you will not betray me the moment you get a chance?" Cyanide asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "That is simple," Lust replied. "Just as you require us to defeat the Gamemaster, we too need you. Our original bodies were all long destroyed with no hope of ever getting them back, so we need to rely on a strong human vessel to exert our powers from. You have that potentialthat is evident from how well you handled the sudden Ascension process I used earlier. Coming across someone like you is not easy, so naturally we will not dispose of you."


    Blinking happily on her disy, Lust twirled around despite being at gunpoint.


    "So? How about it? Isn''t that good enough for you? We both share amon enemyamon enemy that we need to rely on one another to defeat. Makes sense that we join forces, no?"


    Cyanide wanted to ask ''what about after defeating the GM'', but ultimately decided against it. Even he didn''t know what he himself wanted to do after that. If the Sentinels turned on him then, he would most likely be strong enough to take them on anyway.


    This was a risky dealhe knew that. But he also knew the stark difference between confidence and arrogance. If even Luna was confirming he needed the Sentinels'' help to aplish his goal ining here, then he had no choice but to ept.


    Cyanide was not someone blinded by hubrishe knew his own limits, and when he couldn''t take something on solo.


    And so, realizing this was one of those times, he closed his eyes, confirmed his decision, and opened them again.


    " Very well.. I ept your offer."

 Chapter 81: Crude Visitor

    Chapter 81: Crude Visitor


    After sessfully forming a pact with the Sentinel of Lust, Cyanide discovered that he could form an Oathsworn bond with them as well just like he had with Kirika, despite the Sentinels supposing to be ''outside'' the game''s control.


    He had already suspected it before due to various clues, but this only confirmed it further. Apart from the Gamemaster, the being who turned this world into a ''simtion'', there was another entity who was working in the shadows, against the GM. Certain implementations in this game world and the system of the game itself directly contradict with the Gamemaster''s ideals and motives. The fact that Cyanide could form an Oathsworn bond with a Sentinelor rather, the fact that the Sentinels were included in the Companions tab in the first cewas one of those contradictions.


    Another example would be how the Underground Laboratory was marked as a POI on the map. Had that not been there, Cyanide would never have thought that ce held such a deep secret beneath the surface. The GM clearly does not want any yers discovering that ce, so why was it pointed out to yers in such an obvious manner on the map?


    Either way, it was clear there was someone capable of standing against the GM in terms of power, even in this world where the Gamemaster was supposedly the ''god''. It made Cyanide wonder just who this entity was, but he wasn''t about to get any answers anytime soon, it felt like.


    *****


    By the time Cyanide and the others got out of the undergroundb, the sun outside was setting. As Cyanide''s body was still feeling weak from the Ascension process with Lust, they took no detours and headed straight home, for Aterra Headquarters. It was difficult for Cyanide to even keep his eyes open, as much as he wanted to. He may be expertly trained and the ultimate human being, but he was still but a mere human in the end. Luna and Kirika carried him by the arms, while Silverfang trotted alongside them to watch for any enemies and Lust flew around, patrolling the area.


    Soon, they arrived at the Aterra Headquarters. Kirika prepared to help Cyanide inside, but Luna stopped her.


    "Wait. There''s something wrong."


    "Hm?" Kirika paused as well, and tilted her head in confusion. "What is it?"


    "Those rotating doors they are in a different position from when we left."


    "Mutants?" Cyanide murmured under his breath, panting heavily. He was not thinking straight anymore, and was barely hanging onto consciousness.


    "No this doesn''t seem like the work of mutants," Luna replied. "Mutants would have simply entered through the broken ss panes on the side, not the door. They are not smart enough to figure out how the door works, unless they are Stage Twosand even then, they will tend to choose the easier route in. Using the door it can only be the work of either a Stage Three Mutant or above, or another yer."


    "Indeed" Silverfang sniffed the air, growling. "I can smell someone unfamiliar inside it appears to be a human."


    "Huh" Kirika closed her eyes and used her aura sensing abilities on the building, then opened them again after several seconds. " He''s right. I can sense their aura, close to the Doc''s. They seem to be formidable, too but still weaker than us."


    "But Cyanide''s current state" Luna murmured quietly, ncing down at her master. " We should avoid fighting if possible, lest they strike us by surprise."


    Kirika nodded. "Just hiding outside is not an option either, as the Scarlet Hour will be upon us soonnot to mention Doctor Finch probably already spilled all the beans about us"


    Indeedthere was no point in hiding. Doctor Finch may be contracted to Cyanide under the effects of Imprinting, but Cyanide was not there to directly order him not to say anything, and neither was his control over Finch strong enough tost from that far away either.


    As a result, the group carefully ventured into the building, together,


    *****


    " So, they''ve arrived."


    Ragnar let out a deep breath, preparing for his encounter with his long-term nemesis, even from back on Earth.


    That''s righthis name was Cyanide. And now, he was but a few meters away from him. At longst, he would be able to catch him, and put an end to this one-sided feud once and for all.


    "Mmf-! Mmn! Mmnf-!" An old man''s struggling noises emitted from a corner nearby, where Doctor Finch was tied up and gagged, mouth stuffed full of paper. Ragnar shot the manor rather, the mutanta nce, then promptly ignored him and continued waiting patiently for his enemies to arrive.


    This mutant had told him everythingfrom Cyanide''s identity, to the Imprinting process, to himself being a mutant. Ragnar did not care about the Imprinting process whatsoever since he was always a solo hunter, but the name Cyanide did stand out to him. There was no one else who went by a name like thata name, not an alias. Ragnar was certain this was the same clever assassin who has managed to evade his grasp every single time out of the 521 times he has chased after him and failed.


    Very soon, he heard of footsteps descending from the staircase. It was clear they knew exactly where Ragnar was. That''s fine. He wasn''t nning on ambushing them or anything anyway. Doctor Finch, however, seemed terrified. Ragnar didn''t know whyshouldn''t he be happy that his allies wereing, so he could be rescued? Why did it seem like he was going to faint, then?


    Ragnar didn''t know, and quite frankly, he didn''t care either. As he heard the click of the doors leading to the basement opening, he stood up, and tightened his grip around his weapon before dragging Doctor Finch by the ropes out of the room he had tossed him in.


    Walking outside, he spotted quite the entric group. There were two beautiful girls carrying a handsome young man on their shoulders, a menacing metal tiger robot of some sort by their side, and a flying sphere that had a monitor disying an eye that blinked and moved.


    " So, it was another yer after all," one of the two girlsthe blindfolded onesaid coldly, an air of chilly coolness around her. "Who are you, and what do you want? Choose your answers carefully."


    Ragnar narrowed his ck eyes slightly. This girl she was an entity he could not fathom, much like the flying drone. By using Inspect, he discovered that the tiger was a mutant, and the young man and other girl were yers just like himself, but this blindfolded girl


    "Hmph." Ragnar gave a snort, then red at the young manCyanide.. "I am the Titan of Shadows, here to y my enemy."

 Chapter 82: The Titan Of Shadows

    Chapter 82: The Titan Of Shadows


    "Who?" Cyanide muttered to the best of his abilities, utterly perplexed.


    " My real name is not important," Ragnar said after a while, and slowly raised his greatsword at the group of people. "All you need to know is that I am someone who has chased after a man named Cyanide for seven long years. And now he is before my very eyesmy mortal nemesis, and the only person to have ever escaped me."


    "Uh" Luna arched an eyebrow beneath her blindfold. " Do you have the slightest idea just how little that narrows it down?"


    "Psst, hey," Kirika whispered into Cyanide''s ear. "Who''s this? Seven long years? A jealous lover, perhaps?"


    "" Cyanide remained silent, ignoring her, as he was too tired to even respond.


    "Hmph." Ragnar gave a snort, then red at the young manCyanide. "I am the Titan of Shadows, here to y my enemy."


    " Are you certain?" Luna asked, voice carrying a hint of threat. "As you are right now, challenging us is fatal. Not only do we outlevel you, you are also outnumbered."


    "I''ve fought my way out of many simr situations before, back on Earth," Ragnar replied confidently, without a shadow of doubt. "At the very least if I cannot beat you, I can guarantee a clean escape."


    "Oh? Then let us test that, shall we?" Luna asked softly but menacingly, a deadly purple aura emitting around her. The weapons in her arsenal were about to spout out of her back, but-


    "Alright, time out," Kirika interjected, frowning. "Didn''t you just say outside that we should AVOID fighting if possible? Why are you trying to provoke a fight right now then?"


    "If possible," Luna emphasized. "This man has clearly identified himself as Cyanide''s enemy, so he must be eliminated. There is nothing more to say."


    "Yes, there is," Kirika continued, rolling her eyes. "Why are you people so quick to resort to violence? God gave us mouths for a reason, you know. We can talk first."


    Then, turning to Ragnar, she continued. "Now if you try to fight us here, it isn''t going to end well for either of us. Cyanide is currently in no state to fight due to certainplications, andwell, like we already saidyou are severely outnumbered here, four to one. What do you say we uh, reschedule your fight with Cyanide?"


    "" Ragnar fell silent, wondering if this girl was being real right now. It was a valid proposal, yes, but it all sounded so absurd to Ragnar that well, never mind.


    Seeing his hesitation, Kirika sighed.


    "Alright, look. You came to this ce for a reason, right? I''m going to go ahead and assume that reason is not just to look for Cyanide, in which case, uh, I''m going to look really stupid in a second, but I certainly hope that''s not the case. Even if you do manage to take out your ''long term nemesis'' or whatever right here, right now, you won''t make it out alivethat''s for sure. Is it truly worth it? Ask yourself that question."


    Ragnar paused briefly, and genuinely considered the girl''s words.


    It was true, he hade here for a purpose, and that purpose was definitely not to find Cyanide. He never expected to encounter his long lost enemy here, and it most certainly was not his end goal. He had a wishandpared to that was killing this one criminal really worth it? If he was able to make his wish, then well, Cyanide would be erased anyway.


    As much as he hated to admit it, the girl was right. Fighting them now was not a good idea. He needed to choose a time when Cyanide was alone, or they were busying fighting someone else, then ambush him.


    Closing his eyes, he gave a sigh and sheathed his greatsword onto his back, before folding his arms.


    " Fine. I ept. And as much as I want to use him as a hostage" He paused, ncing at a terrified Doctor Finch in the corner. " I can tell you all do not even care about him. There is no point."


    "Got that part right, at least," Kirika chuckled with a shrug.


    " We will meet again," Ragnar said as he brushed past the lot and headed up the stairs, preparing to leave. "Cyanide I look forward to the day we fight."


    As the metal doors nked shut behind him and his footsteps faded to silence, Kirika confirmed he was long gone from the building using her aura sensing abilities. Then, without any further ado, she and Luna set Cyanide down on the bed in his room, and got to work.


    By this time, Cyanide was already unconscious. Kirika was too embarrassed to help him change clothes and whatnot, and Luna was more than happy to do it on her own. ncing down at Cyanide''s unconscious, sleeping figure, she felt somewhat relieved to be the only one to ever witness him like this, in such a vulnerable state. The number one professional assassin of the underground, sleeping like a peaceful baby. For the first time in forever, he wasn''t sleeping with a knife in his hand or a gun under his pillow, and instead, on Luna''s thighs.


    " I''ve always wanted to do this with you, you know," she whispered despite knowing Cyanide wasn''t listening, and gently patted his head on her legs. "I''ve seen so many couples online do it, and well, I just think it''s cute is all."


    In the end, Luna ended up simply sleeping in the same bed as Cyanide for that night. Such an opportunity would never present itself again, so she had to take advantage of Cyanide''s unconsciousness now and wrap him close in her arms. The tangible feeling of her long-sought creator, was atst in her handsand she felt warmth radiate throughout her body like never before.


    Leaning close to Cyanide and snuggling her head cozily against his chest, she whispered.


    "I''ll never leave your side, Cyanide never."


    *****


    P.S. No one remembered about Doctor Finch being tied up until the next morning, when they finally freed him.


    Well, either that, or they purposely ignored him for punishment reasons.. One or the other.

 Chapter 83: Weapon Enhancement

    Chapter 83: Weapon Enhancement


    The next morning, when Cyanide woke up, he felt a warm body next to him.


    Instinctively, he reached under his pillow to find a weapon, but his hand was intercepted by a soft, gentle bouncy feeling. Squishing it slightly in his fingertips, he frowned in the dark, unlit room.


    '' This... is not a weapon.''


    Suddenly, a girl''s voice moaned gently, and Cyanide hurriedly backed away against the wall, cautious. Due to the lights being off, he had no idea who it was, but judging from the voice, it sounded like...


    "... Luna?"


    "Mmn...? Oh... Cyanide... good morning..."


    Slowly, the girl sat up on the bed, stretching her arms cutely.


    "... Why were you in my bed?" Cyanide asked hesitantly, but Luna only giggled.


    "I changed you out of your dirty clothes and washed you upst night," she said. "I think sleeping with you was an apt reward for my hard work, no?"


    "..."


    Cyanide could argue with that, but he knew Luna didn''t mean any harm. Besides, it would be a lie if he said he ''disliked'' her sleeping with him. He certainly wouldn''t go out of his way to invite her in, but he also didn''t care if she did. After all, she had just gotten her new physical bodyCyanide could understand her wanting to try hugging someone and embracing the feeling of touch. Still, he didn''t know how to feel about Luna changing his clothes and washing his body without him even knowing, but that was a matter for another time.


    In any case, once Luna left to try her hand at cooking, Cyanide realized that he was Level 31 after checking his system, and had unlocked a whole new plethora of abilities. He didn''t recall ever seeing a level-up message telling him so, but it must''ve been from killing that purple entity yesterday. Due to its strength, he gained 2 straight levels from it, and the reason he missed it was simply because of the side effects of the Ascension process.


    He was also informed of what happened with the so-called Titan of Shadowsst night, and quite frankly, he had no idea who the guy was. He called Cyanide his mortal nemesis, sure, but Cyanide had about over 500 of thosemainly the friends and family members of his past assassination targets.


    Still, the Titan of Shadows was not yet a threat to Cyanide in any way or form. He learned from Kirika that the guy was Level 29 currently (the same as Kirika, who had also leveled up from the fight the day before) but that was still 2 levels down from Cyanide. If he dared to challenge Cyanide again, Cyanide would first test out his abilities, then kill him using an adequate amount of strength. As simple as that.


    Before that, though, he first wanted to go through what new abilities he received from hitting Level 31or, more urately, Level 30. Reaching Level 31 didn''t unlock anything else apart from the usual CP and SP. He spent the former on STR to make it a nice solid 100 as there really was not much else that needed to be leveled up right this instant, while conserving thetter forterhe now had 6 SP saved up.


    The two system features unlocked were, quite coincidentally, rtedone of them was Weapon Enhancements, and the other was Weapon Modifications. Both had to do with customizing and enhancing weapons, and after fiddling around with the system a bit, Cyanide discovered that there was, in fact, a Tutorial tab all along.


    Of course, this was essentially useless to Cyanide since Luna existed, and that was probably why he never found out about it earlier. But now that she had a physical form, it would be more difficult to be by Cyanide all the time and exin every little piece of new information t-


    "Oh, Cyanide! Good morning again~" Luna said, suddenly appearing in a screen beside the main system''s hologram. "I''m cooking right now, but worry notI can multitask and exin what this is all about at the same time."


    Cyanide, staring at his almost too-helpful partner, blinked. "... Right."


    As it turned out, he was proven wrong. Even though Luna did have a physical body now, she could still help him out in ways simr to before, since her core was ultimately still in the virtual, digital world.


    After listening to Luna''s exnation, Cyanide had a pretty good idea of what Weapon Enhancements and Modifications were. It was a lot easier than reading the Tutorial pages, and saved time tooby the time the two were done, Luna had finished cooking as well and invited Cyanide to breakfast.


    Essentially, Weapon Enhancing was a system that could directly upgrade a weapon''s base statsthings like its ATK (attack) or refreshing the DUR (durability)as well as increase the number of modifications that could be equipped on it. Enhancing required finding multiple copies of the same weapon, and for each rank it was enhanced to, more copies would be needed for the next level.


    Weapon Modifications, on the other hand, required finding weapon modsmodificationswhich can now be dropped from mutants after unlocking this feature. There were different rarities of modifications, and the rarer it was, the more powerful it was. That was the general rule of thumb, anyway. On top of Modifications and Enhancements, though, the Infusion system which he had already unlocked a while back still applied to weapons as well though with weapons, it transferred a special trait of said weapon rather than a stat like with armor, and Cyanide did not have any weapons with special traits that could be transferred yet.


    Of course, right now, Cyanide did not have any mods either, since he just unlocked this feature. He did, however, have plenty of copies of the security officer pistol and kitchen knife he used inbat. He originally had taken multiple duplicates of the item in case his old ones broke, but he never expected saving multiple copies to have this use as well.


    And so, without further ado, he decided to experiment a bit. There was no need for any exterior equipment or anything, and the system could just take care of everything on its own. All Cyanide had to do was select the weapon he wanted to Enhance, click on the [Auto-Add] button to add the copies into the process, and...


    "... Done," he whispered under his breath as the system agreed with a ''Ding!'' sound, and a message was disyed before him:


    [Enhancement Complete]


    [Your Kitchen Knife has ranked up!]


    [Rank 1  2.]


    []


    [ATK 25  30.]


    [DUR 62%  100%.]


    [Avable Mod Slots 1  2.]


    The row disying the four-pointed stars, of course, represented the rank at which the weapon was at: 2 out of 5.


    "Hm... neat."


    Cyanide liked the idea of upgrading his weapons like this. It was satisfying to watch, andpared to training, depicted a more numerical and urate representation of his exact increase in strength. He could appreciate thatit''s been a while since he wasst intrigued like this.


    In the end, he ended up using up all the [Kitchen Knife] and [Officer Pistol] duplicates he had to continue enhancing them.... leaving only one of each as backup.

 Chapter 84: Persistent Enemy

    Chapter 84: Persistent Enemy


    By the time Cyanide finally went to eat breakfast after Luna called for the fourteenth time, he had achieved a Rank 3 [Kitchen Knife] and a Rank 3 [Officer Pistol]. To hit Rank 4, he needed 25 duplicates of the weapon, which he regrettably did not have after already Enhancing both of them twice.


    Someone else would''veughed at that loadout, especially the [Kitchen Knife] part, but to Cyanide it was more than enough.Did he need stronger base weapons? Yes. But was he satisfied with his current simplistic but effective loadout? Well... also yes.


    "Mmnnnn, this is delicious!" Kirika eximed, wolfing down her food in an extremely udylike manner. "Luna, you sure this is your first time in a physical body?! How can you cook this well?"


    "Er... well, I did do plenty of research on the inte in my own time," Luna replied, a touch of smugness and shyness in her voice. "I studied and researched cooking a lot, watching top chefs from around the world cook and the like... all so that the first meal I cook for Cyanide would be top-tier."


    "Mmnph, werow! Whell, wu hertainly did it!" Kirika praised, though her voice was muffled due to her mouth being stuffed full with food. No one seemed to particrly care about her bad manners, though.


    "... Where''s the old man?" Cyanide asked, looking around for any sign of Doctor Finch.


    "Well aren''t you an expert at subtly changing the topic..." Luna muttered in sarcasm, sighing deeply. "But that aside, I locked him up in his own room. He deserves some punishment for leaking so much information about us, so I''m thinking of keeping him in there forever unless we need him for anything."


    "Sheeeesh, Luna, didn''t know you were such a harsh character as well," Kirika said with a snicker, finally swallowing all her food. "Wonder where you got that trait from, huh?"


    Cyanide pondered Luna''s decision for a moment, listening to the desperate begging sounds of ''I''m sorry''ing from a room further down the hall, then gave a brief nod.


    "... Hm. An adequate solution."


    "See?" Kirika rolled her eyes as if to show her earlier point was correct, but once again, everyone just ignored her.


    "In any case... Cyanide, I believe we should be careful of the man fromst night," Luna said, turning serious. "I am very aware of just how many enemies you have made over the years as a result of your job, but this one... he seems different. Something tells me he is not simply seeking revenge."


    "You''re quite an expert at subtly changing topics too, huh?" Kirika continued, still not realizing literally no one was listening to her, like she was on mute in a voice call.


    "The man fromst night..." Cyanide narrowed his eyes a bit, trying to search his extensive memory for any sign of that person. "His voice... I faintly feel as if I have heard it somewhere before, a long time ago, but I cannot be sure. In other words... I believe he and I may have met each other before on one of my jobs, but if we truly had, the meeting must have been very brief. I believe I may have justpleted a target kill, and he was chasing after me, but my memories are hazy."


    Even though Cyanide''s memory was insanely goodpared to a normal person''s, he still could not remember the details of things did not bother remembering.


    "Oh? There are very few in the world who have encountered your assassin persona in-person and lived," Luna said, now intrigued as she rested her chin on her hand. "How peculiar that man is not just your average weakling, it seems."


    Cyanide gave a brief nod. "It is best to be on guard. There are very few people in this world who have an air to them powerful enough to make me be cautious, and he is one of them."


    "Alright, alright, that''s enough of the ominous talk," Kirika interjected, forcibly putting an end to this conversation. "Where are we off to today?"


    "Heading to the next Sentinel''s location," Cyanide replied. "The sooner we collect them all, the better."


    "I like the sound of that," another voice interrupted, swooping into the room (literally). "It was not a mistake choosing an initiative young man as my vessel."


    "Understood, Cyanide," Luna said, setting her hand on her chest. "I was going to ask if you were feeling well enough to do that, but since you have made up your mind, there is no point doubting your decision."


    *****


    After cleaning the dishes and freshening themselves up, Cyanide, Luna, Kirika, and Lust headed out. Silverfang was left behind as a guard in case anyone else tried anything like what happenedst night, and he was quite happy to be a guard dog, actually.


    "Hm that guy fromst night said he was looking forward to the day you fight him, right?" Kirika asked Cyanide as they walked up the stairs from the basement.


    "Yes."


    "So, are you going to fight him?"


    "No."


    " Wow, I thought you liked violence a lot," Kirika muttered, folding her arms.


    "Cyanide can be cruel when needed, but he does not take any unnecessary and pointless fights," Luna exined. "If that man shows up and gets in our way, then he will get rid of him like an obstacle. But if he never appears before us again, then it''s not like we will go hunting him down in particr either. It''s that simple."


    "Huh, I see well, I doubt that man''s going to encounter us again this so-"


    " Yo. Looks like you''re feeling all better, huh?"


    " You''ve got to be kidding me, right?" Kirika muttered as Luna gave a deep sigh.


    "Speak of the devil"


    Indeed, just as they stepped outside the rotating doors of Aterra HQ, they found themselves face-to-face with the same man who had just left themst night: The Titan of Shadows.


    He had a ck greatsword on his back, made of stone and presumably created using the Crafting function of the game system. Slowly, he hauled it off and pointed it at Cyanide, narrowing his eyes.


    "If you''re ready, then let''s fight."

 Chapter 85: Challenge Accepted

    Chapter 85: Challenge epted


    "" Cyanide was silent, contemting whether or not to respond to the man''s challenge. Luna and Kirika, however, both had more to say.


    "Well you''re dedicated, I''ll give you that," Kirika said with a sigh and a shrug. "But you''re still quite outnumbered, you know? If anything, fighting us now is even worse of a decision than fighting usst night. What makes you think Cyanide will fight you one-on-one? He''s never been one to fight fair."


    "Some people just don''t know when to give up" Luna muttered, then turned to her creator. "Allow me to teach him a lesson, Cyanide."


    But to both of their utter surprises, Cyanide brushed past them and stepped forward, having changed his mind.


    " Very well. I ept your challenge."


    "E-Eh?"


    "C-Cyanide?"


    "Oho" Lustmentated from one side, intrigued by this unexpected turn of events. Ragnar, on the other hand, merely snorted, as if he had predicted this would happen.


    "So you remember me too, huh?" He chuckled, hauling his greatsword off his back and mming it into the concrete ground to send splinters and fractures across the pavement. "A rather unexpected oue! I never thought someone like you would bother remembering each of your enemies individually."


    "I don''t," Cyanide replied. "But you are not just any enemy."


    "What" Luna and Kirika were both stunned speechless at the dialogue unfolding before them, utterly confused and bewildered at what the hell exactly was going on.


    Slowly walking towards the man until the two were merely several feet apart, Cyanide narrowed his eyes.


    "They call you the Hunter of the underground. A dark vignte, working for no one but yourself. Unsatisfied with how the police settle things, you took it upon yourself to exorcise thew, and handle criminals your own way: death. Ragnar Creed, the Titan of Shadows."


    At this, the manRagnarfrowned, almost as if cringing at the nickname.


    " I see my reputation precedes me but you also know my real name, somehow. Guess I should not underestimate a top assassin''s informationwork, huh?"


    "I did a little digging around ever since our encounter, as I was bored," Cyanide said. "Came across a few rumors here and there. But to think we really would meet again what an interesting twist of fate."


    "I, Ragnar Creed, will always do what I say," Ragnar said, pulling his greatsword back out from the ground and pointing it towards Cyanide. "That is why I chose thisst name in the first ce."


    ''Chose?'' Cyanide furrowed his brows a bit at this choice of words, but decided it didn''t matter anyway.


    "You want a fight with me? Fine," Cyanide said a wry smirk tugging at his lips. "It''s been a while since I''ve faced an opponent as capable as you. But I wonder are you capable enough to survive?"


    "Hmph you talk big, but you''ll be calling me big brother in a second," Ragnar snorted arrogantly, deep brown eyes shining with indignation. "Bring it on, Cyanide."


    "Wait," Luna interjected, unable to just watch this any longer. "What''s going on, Cyanide? Why are you taking this one-on-one fight? You''ve never done something like this in the past, even with all the so-called ''capable'' opponents you''ve faced before on your missions."


    "You''re right. Back on Earth, I never would''ve taken a fight like this," Cyanide said, twirling his gun around his finger. "But the reason I even came to this ce was to break boredom. If I don''t even try a little something new in this new world where''s the fun in that?"


    Of course, that was not the real reason. But since Ragnar was present, Cyanide couldn''t afford to speak his thoughts out loud. While it was true, the two had met before, back on Earth, Cyanide couldn''t care less about that. The true reason he was humoring this man was simplehe could be made into a valuable pawn. Nothing more, nothing less.


    Well that, and the thrill of trying out all his newfound powers in this world on a real, living experiment subject.


    "I see" Luna murmured to herself, setting her chin on her fingers. "Understood, Cyanide. If that is what you wish, then I have no reason toin."


    Kirika, on the other hand, merely gave a sigh. "Really I can''t understand you sometimes. On one hand, you are always so calcting and don''t take any unnecessary risks, but now, on the other, you''re doing something like this"


    "Hm I think I understand," Lust said as Cyanide and Ragnar headed off to their arena a few meters away to get some open space. "From what I have gathered, he was a professional assassin in his old world, correct?"


    Luna gave a nod. "The best of the best, in fact."


    "Exactly it. Can you imagine how taxing on the mind that upation is?" Lust said with a chuckle. "Always living on the edge always calcting always being cautious of every little thing you encounter. When you live a life like that for so many years, always having your guard up, it slowly bes a habit. Routine. And when a routine is repeated many, many times, it bes boring, does it not? That is why he came here, no?"


    "Ah so, basically, he wants to get rid of those habits, those routines, bying here and now this fight?" Kirika asked, scratching her head.


    "That might be a too extreme way of putting it," Lust replied. "Some habits can never be ''gotten rid of'', as you say. Even now, I''d assume he is calcting his opponent''s moves, nning ahead, and spotting the tiniest of weaknesses and openings that anyone else would easily miss. But this one-on-one fight it is something new. Something fresh. Something he has never truly experienced before. So if I had to coin a term for what he is doing right now with this fight it would be to simply ''explore''."


    "That does make sense," Luna admitted. "In the past, contrary to what you may think, Cyanide did not actually get into too many fights. Nearly all of his assassinations were pulled off perfectly smoothly, and actualbat was rarely if ever involvedshowing just how good his assassination skills truly are. There were certain times when things did not go as expected, and he was forced to fight his way out of a predicament, but have ever involved a one-on-one duel like this."


    "Huh" Kirika murmured, as if trying to contemte that very fact. "Where I came from, duels were an everyday asion. But if what you say is true, then that means he utterly crushed me in a one-on-one without any prior experience?"


    Her eyes widened in fear at Cyanide''s capabilities for a second, and Luna merely smiled.


    "Yes. He has a tendency to pull things off sessfully, even without any former experience. If I had to say, though, even if he did not show it, he enjoyed the environment and feeling of his duel with you, and thus wants to try it again here. Besides it seems he and this Titan of Shadows person have a historyone that even I have no idea about. But now that I think about it that name is familiar"


    That''s rightthis was not the first time Cyanide and Ragnar had met. Theirst meeting had been brief, but it was enough to make Cyanide intrigued enough in the person to research him.


    Indeedit was the first, and only time, Cyanide had failed to deliver a killing blow.

 Chapter 86: Nemeses Clash

    Chapter 86: Nemeses sh


    Ragnar faced Cyanide, a good thirty meters opposite him in a decrepit and overgrown area of grass and trees. Probably what used to be one of the parks near Aterra HQ, now deste and overrun by the ravages of time.


    "So, Cyanide," he boomed, inspecting his greatsword as he spoke. Cyanide scoffed at his insolence. "You im to know me. My history. So it begs the questiondo you consider me a threat?"


    Cyanide responded bluntly, voice devoid of any emotion or arrogance.


    "No."


    But rather than being pissed at this like any normal person would, Ragnar gave a deep chuckle. "Hmph. I would call you arrogant, but it would be more urate to call you blinded. Let''s see if I can knock that ego down a few hundred notches!"


    Cyanide ignored his goading, and immediately dashed away as Ragnar leaped forward with a frontal cleave of his greatsword. So predictable.


    Ragnar, however, didn''t back down, and ran at him once more, only to be out-maneuvered yet again. Cyanidended on his head with one foot, as if taunting him, and then did a somersault in the air before gracefullynding behind Ragnar.


    " Hmph," Ragnar snorted, and turned around to face Cyanide once again. "You fight like a bitch, Cyanide. I''d expect more from a man of your caliber. Is that all you got?"


    Naturally, Cyanide wasn''t fazed in the least by his goading, and instead merely stood still, tapping his finger on his elbow as he folded his arms, beckoning Ragnar to attack again.


    Also naturally, Ragnar took the bait.


    From this, it was clear this man was just a simple brute who charged into every battle without a second thought. Cyanide had originally believed he could be used, but as it would seem he was too useless for even that.


    Jumping up into the air as Ragnar sweeped at him with the heavy stone greatsword, Cyanide pulled out his knife atst, and prepared to end this pointless conflict. But just as he dove downwards, aiming straight for the neck to pull off a perfect [Stealth Takedown] to execute his enemy-


    "The same trick won''t work twice, you dunce!"


    "!"


    -Cyanide felt a hand close around his ankle, and his eyes widened.


    Instantly, he turned towards Ragnar to see him staring up at him with a triumphant smirk on his face, but the battle was not over yet.


    ''Petrify.''


    "What the fu-?!" Ragnar''s mouth opened wide in surprise, but it was toote. The petrifying gaze from Cyanide''s skill turned his entire body to stone, from feet to head. Cyanide forcefully tore out of his grasp andnded a few meters away, narrowing his eyes.


    That was closer than he would''ve liked. Had this been back on Earth, without the help of something like Soul Arts, that fatal mistake could''ve very well spelled his death.


    He had underestimated this man. If his teacher were still here, he definitely would''ve berated Cyanide for it. Even though Cyanide was crafted to be the ultimate human being, normal people could still catch him off-guard, given the circumstances. He knew this fact very well, and thus always kept his guard up no matter how weak his opponents were, but this this was a surprise indeed.


    But no matter. Ragnar had been turned into a statue of stone, mouth still hanging open like some kind of moron, and greatsword in his hand. He looked like a ridiculous sculpture of a barbarian, nothing like his armored appearance thest time Cyanide and him met, back on Earth.


    Slowly, Cyanide raised his gun and pointed it at the statue''s forehead. Ragnar Creed, was done for-


    Crrrack.


    Suddenly, theyer of stone on Ragnar''s skin burst open into shards and splinters, and Cyanide''s bullet ricocheted off of one of the shards. He was forced to cover his eyes to defend against the dust, and when the smoke settled, Ragnar, fully alive and well, walked out with his greatsword over his back.


    "Haha, you got me there, I''ll give you that!" he snorted with derision as he walked towards Cyanide, eyes no longer carrying any sign of yfulness and only sheer, raw anger. The greatsword on his back symbolized destruction, and his formal aliasDreddnoughtreferred to ''dread nought''fearless. Even as he stared down at the greatest assassin in history, he was not fazed.


    Of course, the opposite was true as well. Cyanide too was not scared of his opponent in the least, but he was a bit warier now that Ragnar had disyed what he was truly capable of. Before, Cyanide only saw him as a mere maggot, nothing more. But now? He upgraded into an ant.


    Deciding to test Ragnar''s abilities further to see just how far he could go, Cyanide needed to show some more of his own cards as well. Slicing his hand in front of him, he called forth a mist of dark ck smoke, shrouding himself and blinding Ragnar''s vision.


    At least, that was the n.


    "ming Crescent!" Ragnar roared, his de catching a furious red me as he swung it through the air. The heat reflected Cyanide''s [Toxin Air], dispersing it immediately.


    At this, Cyanide cocked an eyebrow in interest. So, this so-called ''Titan of Shadows'' wasn''t just a meatheadnotpletely, anyway. Very well. Cyanide realized thereperhaps there was some use in turning this man into his chess piece after all.


    But of course a pawn could not be TOO smart either, lest they betray their king


    Ragnar charged at Cyanide, his sword still zing. Cyanide narrowed his eyes, waiting for the right moment, then dashed out of the way right at thest second. Ragnar''s de hit nothing but thin air once more, but it was fine.


    He was learning.


    For every time he swung his de, even if he missed, he was observing his enemy''s movements. So that the next time he swung, his sword would hit its mark.


    Just as they say, the greatest power of mankind is the power to learn.


    The same, however, applied to Cyanide. He too was studying Ragnar''s movements, his fighting style, and the way he handled himself in the heat of battle. Both of them had yet tond a single actual damaging hit on one another, and both had not revealed all their cards yet.


    Earlier, the true reason Cyanide chose to fight this man was because he was interesting. When Cyanide used [Inspect] on him, he discovered that Ragnar''s stat distribution was utterly horrid: everything poured into STR and VIT, with only 20 points in AGI.


    Under normal circumstances, there was no way anyone could survive in this world with those kind of stats. No matter how strong one was, they were worthless if they could too slow to hit anything, and couldn''t run away either. Little by little, they would be worn down, and ultimately killed.


    And yet here Ragnar was, alive and well.


    That could only mean one of two things: either he was extremely lucky (not the LUC stat) or he was so skilled and experienced in this method of fighting that he was able to make it work, despite the stark disadvantages. Cyanide believed it was thetter.


    If it truly came down to it, Cyanide was confident he could take this man down. It wouldn''t be easy, but he had the level advantage, not to mention the great benefits Weapon Enhancement gave, which Ragnar had yet to unlock since he was not Level 30 yet. However, back on Earth, the battle may have ended in a tie, or even Cyanide''s death. The chances were slim, but it was evidentthis man, Ragnar Creed, was nothing like any opponent Cyanide had ever faced before.


    " Heh."


    Before he even realized it himself, he was smiling. It was a sadistic, borderline psychotic smile, passed onto him from his former teacher, Anthrax. The thrill of a challenging battle, the taste of blood Cyanide wanted it. And this man would be the first to teach him.


    Smirking like a crazy devil and licking his lips, Cyanide activated the Weapon Art [Vampiric de], causing the knife in his left hand to light up red, thirsty for blood.


    "Now let the real fight begin."

 Chapter 87: The Lust For Battle

    Chapter 87: The Lust For Battle


    Ragnar and Cyanide shed again and again, striking their des against one another''s. The sound of metal nging against stone rang out in the air time and time again, as the onlooking audience, consisting of Kirika, Luna, and Lust watched on in wonder.


    It was the first time anyone has eversted this long against Cyanide, and still going at that. What''s more, both fighters seemed to be enjoying the battle as well despite both trying to kill the other.


    At first, it seemed like Cyanide was winning. With his fast movements and rapid relocation skills, he was able to take advantage of Ragnar''s low agility, heavy weapon, and somewhat clumsy movements to dive in and cut Ragnar with his short de. However, as the battle dragged on, it became clear Ragnar never expected to win the early segment of the battle at all.


    Instead, he was ying defensively on purpose, and waiting for Cyanide''s stamina to slowly run out.


    Ragnar''s experience taught him that a hulking weapon like his was ineffective against Cyanide''s smaller, more precise de. As such, he guarded only his vitals with the t of his sword, using it like a shield. Yes, he was sustaining heavy injuries from Cyanide, but he knew his limits. Things were just about to get started.


    After a while, Cyanide took a few steps back and paused his flurry of attacks, narrowing his eyes. Ragnar was just standing there, taking his attacks like a moron. Any normal person would''ve called Ragnar ''stupid'' or ''cowardly'', but Cyanide knew better. He was purposely doing this, in an attempt to drain Cyanide''s stamina.


    If that''s the case, then


    "" Slowly, Cyanide lifted his gun and pointed it at Ragnar, deciding that the fun was over. shing with des was nice every once in a while, but a gun was an assassin''s primary weapon. More often than not, a bullet was what ended the target''s life, not a fatal cut.


    Cyanide didn''t care how strong Ragnar''s defense stat, VIT, was. All he knew was that his enemy''s HP bar read [20/290]. A bullet to just about anywhere on Ragnar''s body would end him for good, and that was exactly what Cyanide was going for. He was too dangerous to be left alive as a pawn.


    Some people just needed to die.


    As Cyanide pulled on the trigger, however


    "Eat this special DELIVERY!"


    "?!"


    Ragnar suddenlyunched his nearly 6 foot tall greatsword at Cyanide with barbaric force so immense that it created a wind current around it powerful enough to kick up dust from the battlefield, blinding the audience and Cyanide himself, catching him by surprise.


    The sound of the greatsword mming into something erupted moments after, and shook the earth itself as the impact struck its target.


    Kirika''s jaw dropped. Luna''s eyes narrowed.


    "L-Luna he''s okay, right?" Kirika asked hesitantly, fear creeping up in her heart as she stared at the yellow dust that had been kicked up, creating a smokescreen that prevented everyone from seeing what happened.


    "He is fine," Luna dered adamantly, arms folded over her chest. "But if he wanted a challenge, he has one now."


    Luna was 100% certain. Cyanide, her beloved creator, would not die so easily. That was faithing from twelve years of being by his side, something only Luna could say with such confidence.


    Ragnar, however, seemed to be perfectly confident that Cyanide was, in fact, dead. With a wide smirk of victory on his cut, bruised face, he walked towards the rising smoke from the ground, aiming to retrieve his weapon and confirm his nemesis'' death.


    But from the dust came zooming forward, the same greatsword Ragnar had thrown at Cyanide.


    "Oh, you''ve gotta be shitting m-"


    The greatsword mmed into Ragnar''s stomach like a hammer on anvil, and he was sent flying backwards, crashing into amp post and falling to the floor.


    From the still-rising smoke and ash came the sound of a footstep, followed by another. And slowly but surely, Cyanide emerged,pletely unharmed.


    That is, except for his right hand, which looked burnt to the point of no return. A little more and it would''ve been reduced to ashes. One can imagine how much the burning process hurt, but Cyanide''s expression was as nonchnt as ever, almost like he didn''t even notice what happened to his right hand.


    That was all it took for everyone watching to realize what happened.


    "No way" Kirika breathed in utter shock. "He caught the sword?! It must''ve still been burning hot from the Fire Weapon Art earlierdoes he not feel pain?!"


    But Luna only smiled and nodded in approval. "That''s my master."


    "My, my" Even Lust was impressed, and couldn''t help but give a chuckle. "The more I watch him, the more I am convinced I made the right choice in choosing him as my vessel."


    Cyanide, however, did not pay any attention to his stunned audience, and instead focused his gaze on his enemy and his enemy alone, straight ahead of him.


    Ragnary pinned to a brokenmppost by other than his own stone greatsword, shoved in his stomach. His arms hung limply by his sides, and by all ounts, it would seem he was dead. Even his chest waspletely still, showing no sign of breathing, but-


    " When do you n on doing that until?" Cyanide asked, pointing his gun at the man ahead of him.


    -Such a simple trick wasn''t going to work on the world''s number one assassin, who had gone through many simr situations already in the past.


    "Heh that was just a little prank," Ragnar said with a deep chuckle, straightening up like the greatsword hadn''t pped him in the abdomen at allwhich was partly true, thanks to his passive [Warrior Zen] skill that deflected one fatal physical attack, but with an enormous cooldown timer of three months and required a VIT stat of at least 100. "I don''t need to rely on tricks or underhanded tactics to win, unlike you."


    As Cyanide narrowed his eyes cautiously, Ragnar unleashed a terrifying bellow of sheer rage, transforming into something new.


    Transformed into his ultimate form, and the final ace up his sleeve:


    Pyromaniac.

 Chapter 88: Pyromaniac

    Chapter 88: Pyromaniac


    From Ragnar''s chest, a furious orange me tore its way out of his heart, embracing his body in fire and heat. His eyes zed with pure congration, and his shoulder des and wrists spouted out fire like methrowers.


    His original body was no more, and he was now a being of raw, pure fire. Heat and smoke radiated from him like a burning fire itself, and his face was no longer recognizable. Instead, what took its ce was an ancient evil, a demon of fire and wrath. His eyes were angled upwards and pure white with no pupil or iris, and from his mouth, a forked white tongue simr to that of a snake hissed.


    "Heheheheh well, would you look at that? Guess what they say is true what doesn''t kill you, makes you stronger."


    Raising his greatsword, caught on fire from the rest of his body, Ragnar charged towards Cyanide whileughing like a maniac. It was as if some other entity had possessed him, and was making him go insane. Cyanide, realizing he needed to step up his game as well if he wanted to remain in the fight, used his left hand and fired a special shot from his gunthe [Shock Ray] Weapon Art, able to stun any enemy. He usually used his right for the gun and left for the knife, but he was ambidextrous as a result of countless hours of training and practice.


    At least, that was the n.


    Ragnar charged straight into theser beam of electricity without any thought, and showed no sign of stopping either. The stun effect was rendered useless by the mes all over his body, and Cyanide narrowed his eyes as he thought of another countermeasure.


    He fired a couple more bullets into Ragnar''s zing body, but anything that came close was simply burnt to a crisp. Realizing there was nothing else he could do for the time being, Cyanide decided to go on the defensive for a bit, and focus on evading Ragnar''s attacks.


    As Ragnar cleaved in front of him with his ming greatsword, Cyanide evaded with a deft tumble to the right, then swiftly leaped up to a nearby still-standingmppost before swinging himself onto the top, and sitting there.


    "Sly bastard"


    With a low, inhuman growl, Ragnar dashed towards themppost Cyanide was standing on top of, aiming to strike it down with a heavy swing of his greatsword. However, a tiny bit of time was all Cyanide needed to use [Inspect] on his foe, and see what was going on.


    Apart from the usual stats and whatnot, there was one particr part of the listed information that was peculiar:


    Ragnar''s HP.


    It was rapidly decreasing.


    And not only that, the speed at which it decreased seemed to also get faster as time progressed. Without a doubt, this was the effect of this fire-demon-esque ability of Ragnar''s.


    " So, all I have to do is wait it out."


    It was a simple conclusion, one just about anyone could figure out. As Ragnar mmed his greatsword into themppost''s base and set it aze, toppling its bnce, Cyanide leaped off gracefully like a cat, andnded behind Ragnar.


    "Alright, Cyanide now I''m getting PISSED!" Ragnar roared, and charged at Cyanide again, but-


    ''Invisibility.''


    -Once again, he cut nothing but thin air.


    Of course, this wasn''t necessary. Cyanide was simply turning invisible to spite Ragnar, just to see how angry he could get. To Cyanide, this was amusing.


    But that, would prove to be his downfall.


    "Burning Moon!"


    "!"


    Suddenly, a winged circle of fire flew out all around Ragnar, including straight towards Cyanide''s exact location. Quickly, he reacted, using [Skulls of Hell] to block the attack.


    Unfortunately, that in turn gave away his location, and


    "There you are!"


    Ragnar immediately charged towards Cyanidethis time, there was no time to run. He had to take this hit head-on, and Ragnar''s triumphant, devilish grin on his ming demonic face showed that he knew it as well.


    In his Pyromaniac form, Ragnar''s attack power was vastly enhanced. He had confirmed earlier when using [Inspect] on Cyanidehis VIT stat was not high enough to tank this hit. Cyanide may have survived the sword throw earlier, but this was point-nk range, using Ragnar''s ultimate trump card. There was no chance he would liv-


    Suddenly, Cyanide began running towards Ragnar, catching thetter off-guard. What the fuck was this guy thinking? Ragnar was utterly bewildered. He was about to impale Cyanide with his greatsword, and this man was running straight TOWARDS him? Did he want to die faster, or something?


    At least, that was what a normal person would''ve thought upon seeing this. But Ragnar knew Cyanide was not as simple of a person as that. Yes, he was sadistic and fucked in the head, but he was not suicidal. He would not do something like this for no reason.


    Still, there was no countery against something when Ragnar didn''t even know what that ''something'' was. Ragnar knew this, and so did Cyanide. That was why thetter was simply running forward right now, waiting for the final moment possible to make his move.


    Following his own momentum, Ragnar stuck to his original ncharging forward with his ming sword, his HP running dangerously low, and swung his de with all his might.


    And it was at that moment that time seemed to slow down.


    As the audience''s eyes glued onto the final exchange of the battle, right before the mes of Ragnar''s massive sword seared him, Cyanide slid underneath his opponent, right between Ragnar''s zing legs, before pushing himself off the ground with one hand and performing a graceful yet deadly attack that would end this battle.


    Performing a stunning in-air backflip from a sliding position, Cyanide''s foot drew a circle in the air as he kicked upwards and backwards, hitting Ragnar directly in the back of his head and taking advantage of his opponent''s own momentum before they could even react.


    "Ngh-!"


    As Ragnar was sent flying forward against his will, Cyanidended on both feet in a manner that would make any gymnast or acrobat gape in awe, right as the sound of a man crashing into an oil truck could be heard, followed by a booming explosion as the fire from Ragnar''s body triggered a chemical reaction with the petroleum stored within the vehicle''s tank.


    "Woah" Kirika watched in amazement, too intrigued to even blink. Luna, however, only continued smiling as if this was all within her expectations, and Lust''s emotions were unknown as she stared at her chosen vessel.


    " Hmph." Cyanide, not even bothering to look back to confirm the kill, dusted his clothes off and began walking back towards the others without a single injury on him apart from his right hand, confident that the battle was over.


    But once again, crawling straight out of the mouths of hell


    " Urgh where do you think you''re going?!"

 Chapter 89: Gentlemans Agreement

    Chapter 89: Gentleman''s Agreement


    " Hah where do you think you''re going?!"


    At those hagged, angry words, Cyanide stopped in his tracks, momentarily stunned. It was the first time he has been truly impressed in his life. Even a whole ass explosion was not enough to kill that brute? What was he, too angry to die?


    Spinning around, Cyanide narrowed his eyes, only to see his enemy struggling to his feet, breathing ragged and heavy.


    His entire body was bruised, battered, and painted ck from smoke and ash, but he was alive. Alive, despite an entire oil tank''s worth of explosions and fire.


    " You still want more?" Cyanide asked, voice as cold and emotionless as ever as he ced his hand on his gun.


    But contrary to what he expected, Ragnar shook his head.


    "Hah no. A man knows when he''s lost. If I didn''t cancel my Pyromaniac form at the final possible moment there, both blocking the damage of the explosion and preventing the skill from draining my HPpletely, I would''ve died. It''s hard for me to ept, but this time, you win."


    The first time Ragnar has ever been defeated in his life. His pride had been stepped all over on, but a loss was a loss.


    "" Cyanide fell into silence, waiting to see what Ragnar was going to say next. If it wasn''t anything interesting, he would put a bullet in his head. That simple.


    "Assassin. I hold an offer for you, and you may not fuckin'' like it, but hear me out." he grunted, stabbing his somehow still intact sword into the floor.


    That was interesting.


    "Speak," Cyanide ordered, finger still on the trigger steadily.


    "You and I. I know about the Gamemaster, as do you. I know about the wish. I know aboutyou. You seem likeno, you ARE a persistent man. Potentially a misguided one, yes, but that is irrelevant," he boomed despite his body''s weak state, able to make just about anyone fear his tenacity.


    Not Cyanide, though.


    "Are you going to get to the point, or keep going in circles like you did when trying to chase after me?"


    At this, Ragnar grunted. Emotional damage.


    "Alright, fine. I propose that you and I work together. I may not be able to best you in a one on one duel, but you and I both know damn well your fighting style is not suited for taking on waves n'' waves of enemies over n'' over, which is what we''ll be mostly doing in this god forsaken ce."


    "" Cyanide didn''t respond, considering his words. It was true, Cyanide''sbat style definitely paled inparison to Ragnar''s when it came to fighting against entire groups of enemies. He realized that.


    "Just like you, I don''t like being controlled and leashed," Ragnar continued. "I do what I fucking want, and what I think is the best choice. That damned Gamemaster is in my way, and I''ll work with you to take it out. We hold different goals, or I can assume as much, since a man like you has no real wish to make. So we won''t be at a standoff with our desires, either. And besides all that" he paused, looking down at his sword in the ground. "I want to get to know you. Either I die here, or I survive. No harm in getting to know the guy I''ve been after for seven years."


    Cyanide cocked an eyebrow. Mighty offer to make, considering they''d spent thest hour or so trying to kill each other. But it did indeed, make some degree of sense. They had different aims, ones that did not contradict each other. Or so Ragnar said.


    Luna, however, was not in such an agreeable mindset. She stormed into the arena, all manners of missiles and machine guns cocked from within her back. Ragnar nced at her momentarily before looking back at Cyanide, his expression one of mild surprise and amusement.


    "She''s pretty," he stated factually. "Your girlfriend?" He queried before grinning.


    Luna let off a missile at this, a "warning shot". But to her surprise, Cyanide shot the projectile out of the air with one of his bullets, the smoke rising out of his gun as a beautiful explosion went off in the air.


    " No."


    "Cyanide?" Luna tilted her head in confusion. "But this person is clearly just making excuses to run away after he''s lost a fight. Calling for a deal to work together from now on? Don''t make meugh. You''ve been hunting Cyanide for seven years. Do you think it''s believable for you to suddenly want to work together with him, and not stab him in the back the first chance you get?"


    "Heh, she''s pretty overprotective," Ragnar said with a chuckle. "You''re into this kind of women? I''m more about the submissive kind, mysel-"


    BANG!


    This time, it was Cyanide''s turn to let off a warning shot, and Ragnar froze as the bullet just barely whizzed past the side of his head, by a margin of about one millimeter exactly. Cyanide''s sharpshooting skills and uracy they were nothing to scoff at.


    "G-Geez, touchy topic, I guess. Both of you are, uh, quite quick to resort to violence. Maybe you guys should invest in some y''know, counseling," Ragnar cracked, chuckling at his own joke for several seconds before finally realizing no one else wasughing. Awkwardly, hisughter slowly died down.


    " Cyanide, he seems like an idiot," Luna observed, nose turned upwards indignantly.


    "I agree," Cyanidemented. "However, his skills in battle are adequate."


    At this, both Luna and Kirika widened their eyes.


    "Did I just hear apliment,ing from Cyanide?!" Kirika gasped in shock, and Luna was briefly taken by surprise, but eventually nodded.


    "Yes, he is stronger than most, but is it really wise to ept this deal?"


    "Perhaps not," Cyanide said with a devilish smile. "But this man is a worthy opponent. I may have bested him this time around, but I still consider him dangerousa threat. I''m looking forward to our second fight, once all the other yers have been eliminated."


    "I see so that is why" Luna murmured to herself, carefully attempting to understand her creator''s emotions and unorthodox psychology.


    Cyanide, turning to Ragnar, atst lowered his gun and holstered it on his waist.


    "I ept your offer, Mr Titan of Shadows."


    "Ugh, fuck that name. Call me Ragnar, or Dreddnought. Either my first name or my vignte alias," Ragnar responded sincerely. "We can meet tomorrow to figure out what we''re going to do from now on. For now, though I need to heal."


    As Cyanide acknowledged his statement with nothing more than a nod and prepared to turn away, Ragnar called out again.


    "Oh, and Cyanide?"


    "Hm?" Responded the underground menace, turning his head slightly to the side.


    "Don''t think you''ll be able to dispose of me so easily. I''m not another Anthrax."


    Cyanide stopped in his tracks at this, not turning his head any further.


    " I can dispose of you right now, if that''s what you''d like."


    At this, Ragnar gave a snort, knowing that Cyanide wouldn''t actually do anything. He wasn''t the type to be provoked by a little taunt like this. All of his kills were done with meaning, though those ''meanings'' differed very much from Ragnar''s ones.


    Even so, Ragnar''sment was enough to make Cyanide a bit wary.


    ''So, he knows,'' he thought to himself. And as Ragnar walked past him, he stopped next to him, as if trying to show that he was about six inches taller.


    "You''re not the only one who does his research," he muttered quietly, before lumbering on ahead with his injuries.


    As Cyanide watched him walk off, his lips unknowingly curved into a smile, one that had not appeared on his face for ages now. Thest time was when he fought and killed his former teacher, Anthrax.


    It''s been a long time since he hadst faced an opponent as interesting as this. Despite being two levels down and having abat style not suited for one vs one duels, Ragnar had survived an encounter with the world''s number one assassin. Not only that, Cyanide had a feeling that even if he chose to fire his gun there instead of epting Ragnar''s deal, the Titan of Shadows would''ve still found some ridiculous way to escape death.


    If Cyanide had to choose he would say Ragnar was even stronger than Anthrax, since he had an incredible powerthe power to grow. Anthrax already reached his peak in life, so he couldn''t do that any longer. But Ragnar was different. Despite the two having very different aims and being nemeses, Cyanide and Ragnar both had the word called ''potential''. They observed, they learned, and they adapted to get stronger.


    That''s what made them dangerous. That''s what made them strong.


    Truly, to Cyanide, Ragnar Creed was a one-of-a-kind opponent.


    And only time would tell what else he could be in the future.

 Chapter 90: Fates Deal

    Chapter 90: Fate''s Deal


    " So, they have met atst."


    The woman named Fate, from her vast bedroom chambers, watched everything unfold through a projected television screen. Her legs were crossed one over the other, contemting, and her eyes held a deep, wise glint to it that could only be born from eons upon eons of observing and experience.


    Fate was the third child of the primordial chaos that gave birth to the multiverse. The first was Space, the second Time. Together, the three siblings mapped out the various universes of the cosmos. Fate wrote their destiny, Time carried it out, and Space set the stage.


    Now, however, the other two children of the primordial chaos are on the brink of copse.


    " There is not much time left," Fate muttered to herself, narrowing her eyes. "Jace ''Cyanide'' Silverdale he has just met the first Sentinel. At this rate, he will not make it in time"


    Fate wanted to take things into her own hands. But s, she could not. As one of the three governing powers of the multiverse, she cannot directly interfere in any matters, even if it means her own siblings are dyingas that, is their fate. She must rely on a mortal, a mortal whose fate was to oppose celestial powers such as herself.


    Fate was absolute. She knew that very well. There are certain people in the world who believe they can break past their destinies and defeat fate. Cyanide was one of them. Ragnar was another.


    But s, in the end, of the two, one was destined to lose, and one was destined to win.


    Fate was absolute.


    Suddenly, a ringing noise red out in the woman''s paradoxical room, and after some slight hesitation upon seeing who it was, she picked it up.


    " The Gravemind," she murmured under her breath. "What business do you have with me today?"


    From the other end, theughter of a man echoed in Fate''s ears.


    "Hahaha long time no see, my friend."


    Fate gave a chuckle. "It has not been long enough. And besides we aren''t even ''seeing'' each other right now, are we?"


    "Indeed," the man replied in agreement. "But that does not have to be the case."


    Fate gave a sigh. " This again? My answer will not waver."


    "Are you certain? Time and Space have already been nearly exhausted. If you really choose to defy us further you will end up in the same manner. That would be very painful for me to watch. Join uswe can craft a new world."


    "It is too early for me to give up," Fate said confidently. "Time and Space may fall to you, but without me, your master cannot do anything. And I still have four trump cards."


    "Oh?" The man seemed intrigued at her words. "So that is why you decided to stick your hand into my game I see. The victor who meets your requirements will be one of your cards. Of course, I am certain the other three cards of yours are scattered elsewhere in the multiverse, but I will leave that to my colleagues to deal with. As for me that yer 097, was it? Is he one of them?"


    "Who knows?" Fate shrugged. "You are the GM, are you not? You should know better than me."


    "Hahaha yes, you are right," the man chuckled deeply. "But s I''m afraid it does not matter."


    At this, Fate paused. What did this man mean?


    Sensing the woman''s momentary silence, the man titled ''GM'' gave a lowugh.


    "I know what you are thinking, Lady Fate. The number of yers are dwindling fast, and by my game''s rules, the arena will be shrunk for every 100 yers dead. At the rate things are going, your precious little pawn will not be able to free all eight Sentinels before the Squall closes in on theirirs. Hence, you wish to speed things up. But I''m afraid it won''t be so easy for you, who cannot directly interfere with anything, correct?"


    Fate remained silent. The man had been right on the mark.


    After several seconds, the man chuckled, and Fate could hear him pping his hands together on the other end of the call.


    "As such, I have an idea. How about we y a little game of our own, Lady Fate?"


    " Oh?" Fate replied, arching an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."


    "Just for this batch of survivors, I will add some special equipment into the game. This equipment will allow the yers who wear them to enter the Squall without taking damage, and although it cannotst forever and needs to be recharged with time, even within the Squall, indoors locations are immune from the damage."


    "So, you are giving my trump card a chance to gather the Sentinels, and defeat you?" This time, it was Fate''s turn to chuckle. "How peculiar."


    "Ah, but that''s not all," the man replied with a ''tsk-tsk'' sound. "With every opportunity,es an equal amount of risk. As such, just for this batch of yers I will add in a special candidatea pawn of my own."


    At this, Fate tightened up, and narrowed her eyes.


    " I thought you were all about fairness, so-called Gamemaster."


    "I am," the man chuckled. "You are bestowing game-breaking powers upon your little trump card by using the Sentinels, are you not? Naturally, I must do the same to my own, to maintain fairness."


    ""


    It was hard to argue there.


    "So, my dear chairwoman," the man said calmly, warmly. "How about it? Your pawn against mine. If yours wins, I will tell you the locations of where Time and Space are being held captive. But if mine wins"


    Fate closed her eyes, and smiled.


    " Hmph. I understand. If your pawn wins I will sumb to your side."


    "Very good!" The man said happily, pping his hands together once more. "A pleasure working with such a straightforward and concise woman, Lady Fate. Now then"


    The man went to work, implementing his own pawn into Endzone. Once the process wasplete, he gave a darkugh.


    " Let the game begin."

 Chapter 91: Jace Silverdale SS: From Teacher To Student

    Chapter 91: Jace Silverdale SS: From Teacher To Student


    Within the CEO room of the corporate building of a massivepany, a man sat. He looked to be quite aged, having white hair and a mustache, but his skin was actually quite young. He sat within hisrge leather chair, seemingly quitefortable, but his expression was anything but. His eyes held worry in them, and a slight sadness that was usually never found in this ingenious and crafty assassin''s gaze.


    His name was Anthraxor rather, that was his alias. The number one assassin of the underground at the time, and despite his usually gentlemanly and almost yful manner of executing targets, his skill in assassination was unparalleled mostly. His real name was Giovanni Vittori, but no one knew that except his one and only studentand also the only person who he believed would be able to seed him as the world''s best assassin.


    Soon, the sound of knocking could be heard on the door, and Anthrax responded with a simple ''Come in''. It was weak, dispassionate. It was the voice of a man who had already epted his fate.


    The door opened with a click, and entered a young man with teal hair plus light turquoise highlights. His face was emotionless as it always was, but that did not mean he did not feel emotions. He was just always calcting, and thus that makes his brain forget about extravagant emotions, much less showing them on his face. He still looked to be in his teenage years at the time, about 16 at most.


    Bowing down slightly out of respect, the boy spoke.


    "You called for me, teacher. Is it a new job?"


    " You could call it that, yes," Anthrax replied after some hesitation, sighing.


    The boy did not miss Anthrax''s unusual attitude. He''s been this way for a week now. It was not his usual way of conduct, that was for sure. As someone who has worked by his side for ten years now, the boy knew that much. However, it was not his position to ask, so he didn''t. Rule number seven of survivaldo not ask pointless, meaningless questions. Why his teacher was feeling this way had nothing to do with the job that he had to do. It was just another assassination target, like another patient for a doctor. The boy needed only to focus on that and that alone.


    "Who is the target?" The boy asked, ready to memorize every single detail about the target that was provid-


    " Me," the man across from him said quietly. "I am the target."


    Silence.


    "" The boy was quiet, utterly stunned by this response. But of course, his expression showed no change, and instead, he simply closed his eyes.


    " I see."


    "This is not a joke," Anthrax said warily.


    "I know."


    "I know I mess around with you all the time, but I am not kidding around this time, Cyanide. I"


    "I am aware."


    Anthrax blinked, then took a deep breath. "Ya know while it''s true, emotions are weaknesses, ya can at least show some consideration for your teacher, maybe? Just a little bit? I taught ya for ten years, kid! And now I''m about to die, the hunter turned prey. Are ya really just going to sit there emotionlessly even after hearing that?!"


    "Yes."


    " Heh," Anthrax chuckled softly, a glimpse of his former self leaking through the empty shell of a man that he was now. "Good. Wouldn''t want my dear student cryin'' over my corpse, right? Doesn''t suit ya. Can''t even imagine it. Ya didn''t even cry when your father died. No way you''ll cry for me."


    "When will the mission be carried out?" The boy asked, ignoring the emotionalments, and Anthrax turned serious as well.


    "Tonight. Right now."


    " I see."


    Cyanide pulled out a gun from the holster on his waist and pointed it at his teacher coldly, before tapping on the trigger without any hesitation.


    BANG!


    ""


    As smoke rose out of the gun''s tip, the man on the receiving end gave a chuckle, eying the bullet hole in his leather chair that appeared right next to where his ear was.


    " Heh. Knew ya weren''t going to do it just like that."


    "" The boyCyanideremained silent, still not moving his gun. His expression showed no change, but Anthrax, who''s raised him for the past ten years, could see something change in his eyes. Something that needed to be refined. This kid was already the perfect assassin and had long surpassed Anthrax in terms of raw skill, but all assassins, in the end, were still humans. There was one valuable life lesson that Anthrax needed to teach him still.


    Just one, and only one.


    With a smirk, Anthrax rose from his chair, and cracked his knuckles before pulling out a knife and gunbo of his own from his clothing, and adjusting his monocles and top hat to set the perfect stage.


    "Now I said I was the target, but I never said I wouldn''t fight back."


    " Hmph. So in order toplete the job, I need to defeat you?" Cyanide asked calmly, pulling out his own knife as Anthrax gave a warm, familial grin.


    "Quite so. Isn''t it fitting? You''ve faced many, many tough targets in the past few years. But now, lies the biggest challenge yetyour teacher himself. I think this will make a great final test to seal our rtionship off once and for all, no?"


    " So be it."


    The two moved to the roof for better space. Up here, they could duel to their heart''s content, without worrying about anyone else in the building interfering. The cold night wind blew harshly against their cheeks, butpared to the showdown that was toe between teacher and student, that was nothing.


    "Whew, the wind''s feelin'' nice today," Anthrax breathed, letting out a sigh of relief and spinning his weapons around in his hands much like the habit Cyanide has.. "If I''m going out, I''m going out with a bang! What better way to do that than to get beaten by my own student? Bring it on, kid. Show me what you''ve learned in the past ten years, and the result of my education!"

 Chapter 92: Jace Silverdale SS: From Teacher To Student II

    Chapter 92: Jace Silverdale SS: From Teacher To Student II


    Anthrax and Cyanide dove into battle against one another, both simultaneously beginning with a gunshot, then rushing to close rangebat with their knives. This would be a tough battle for Cyanide, unlike any other fight he''d experienced before. All his tricks and moves were taught to him by Anthrax himself, and thus he would know how to counter all of them.


    If Cyanide wanted to win this fight, he would need to use some moves of his own. Break free from the shackles of ''student'', and be his own independent person. Perhaps that was why Anthrax wanted this fight to happen as hisst. Even though his death was set in stone against his will, he was still taking his fate into his own hands to the best of his abilities, and fulfilling his role as teacher one final time.


    Cyanide shed towards Anthrax aggressively, teal-green eyes gleaming with coldness and malice. This man was not his teacher anymore. This man was his target, and Cyanide the assassin sent to take him out. Seeing this, Anthrax gave a crooked smile and evaded his attacks, sometimes blocking with the body of his gun.


    "Heh good, good. Not holding back at all just the way I like it!"


    Parrying Cyanide''s knife with the tip of his gun, Anthrax took this opportunity to go on the offensive. However, he was met by a bullet, forcing him to back away and smirk.


    "Oho not bad. Quick reactions. That''s the beauty of the simple gun and knifeeven after one is rendered unusable, the other can still save ya in a pinch. Now let''s see if ya can defend against this!"


    Suddenly, Anthrax pulled out two more knives out of nowhere and held them in between the fingers of his knife hand, then threw them towards Cyanide. The younger assassin''s eyes widened slightly at this unexpected move, but he was fast enough to shoot two down and evade the final one.


    "" He stared at Anthrax momentarily, confused on what that move was since he''d never seen his teacher use it before, but ultimately decided it was idiotic to try and figure out why a target would use a certain move, and instead went back on the offensive, dashing towards his former teacher with both weapons in hand.


    Anthrax watched as he came closer, and threw knives towards Cyanide in an attempt to stop him. They were more effective they gunshots since he could throw many at the same time, but Cyanide, having experienced them once already, already knew how to avoid and counter them. Anthrax smiledthat''s his student.


    It still was not enough, however, as Anthrax shed against Cyanide''s in silver knife with his own, elegant and perhaps excessively decorated white one. In terms of dework, Anthrax had far more experience, and soon was pushing Cyanide backwards with a smile on his face, as if he was enjoying this.


    " Tch."


    Cyanide backed away, realizing he couldn''t win using a melee fight like that, and considered his options as he dodged from several gunshots from Anthrax (he ran out of throwing knives, apparently). There was no downtime in a fight. Your enemy wasn''t going to just let you think about what to do next, and Anthrax wanted to drive that point home.


    One of his bullets, however, hit an area close to a corner where several cans of oil were stored. For what reason, that was unknown, but an assassin didn''t care about why. All Cyanide knew was that this was a chance. A weapon. An opportunity. Cyanide picked up on this with his eyes, and quickly, a n formed in his head.


    Sliding underneath a barrage of bullets shot by Anthrax, Cyanide ced one of his feet behind an oil can, and kicked it upwards right as Anthrax shot another bullet.


    BOOM!


    As the can of oil blew up in mes in the air and Anthrax''s eyes widened, Cyanide dashed through, using the explosion as a shroud while protecting his body from the mes and heat with his special heat-resistant ck cloak. Then, he tackled the surprised Anthrax, and knocked the gun out of his hand.


    As the two tumbled to the ground, the knife fell out of Anthrax''s hand as well due to the impact, and slid a few meters away. Cyanide, straddling Anthrax''s lying down body, pressed his knife against his former teacher''s throat.


    " You could''ve shot me there. Why didn''t you?"


    "Hm? Whaddya mean?" Anthrax asked, ying dumb with an innocent smile on his face. "I wasn''t expectin'' that oil tank y, kid. Ya got me good. Now finish the job."


    "Cut the bullshit," Cyanide said harshly, narrowing his eyes. "I''ve fought by your side for ten years. I know what you are capable of. That fight you weren''t trying at all."


    At this, Anthrax let out a deep sigh, and stared up at the night sky, glittering with stars. And then, while Cyanide wasn''t expecting it, he grabbed his student''s wrist and forced him to stab the knife down into his chest, drawing blood.


    "N-Ngh"


    "Wha?!" Cyanide''s eyes widened at what just happened and tried to move away, but Anthrax pulled him back down with his arms as blood spurted out of the aged man''s mouth.


    "Listen closely, boy I wanted this to happen," he croaked, eyes filled with emotion that should not be in the gaze of an assassin who has killed hundreds. "If I am to die anyway I at least want to die in the hands of someone I know, and trust."


    At this, Cyanide tightened his hand around the handle of the de, still inside Anthrax''s chest, and trembled a bit from anger. He knew it wasn''t right. He wasn''t supposed to feel emotions like this. But


    " I don''t understand," he growled deeply after a while. "Why who wants to kill you?"


    " Hah. I have plenty of enemies in this world, kiddo," Anthrax said with a quiet chuckle, eyes slowly zing over. "And sometimes no matter how strong you are you can still get driven into a corner."


    "That makes no sense," Cyanide replied. "If you are strong enough, no one will be able to kill you."


    At this, Anthrax closed his eyes, and gave a deep sigh, hanging onto life for a bit longer. Just a bit, enough to teach his student this onest conceptone that he needed to know, no matter what.


    With a quiet, mncholy voice, Anthrax spoke.


    "It''s time, kid for my final lesson."


    *****


    (This short story will be continued in the main story in a couple of chapters.. Hang in until then.)

 Chapter 93: A New Begins

    Chapter 93: A New Begins


    After Ragnar left to recover, Cyanide decided to head for the basement of Aterra HQ. There, Luna tended to his wounded hand, far better than Doctor Finch ever could. The sun was still high, and it was only noon, so Cyanide wanted to head somewhere else after this.


    "Cyanide I believe in your decision, but I still can''t help but worry," Luna said as she wrapped a bandage around his hand. "Was it really wise to ept that man''s offer?"


    "The Oathsworn bond exists, if you are concerned about him betraying me," Cyanide replied calmly. "Did you see his stats? He sped out all into Strength and Vitality. He''ll make a good meat shield and distraction, should the need arise."


    "That is true, but" Luna still had an ufortable look on her beautiful face, and Cyanide smirked.


    "What, you''re worried he''ll be able to beat me in the future?"


    "No, that''s not it," Luna replied. "I am 100% confident you can defeat him. However, regardless of his personality, his strength is to be acknowledged. Even if you do beat him, it will be at the cost of injuries."


    " Injuries are fine by me," Cyanide replied. "So long as the battle they were from was interesting."


    "Cyanide" Luna sighed. "Really, sometimes I can''t tell if you''re a genius or just insane or both, perhaps."


    Cyanide ignored this remark and nced down at his hand, now fully bandaged with materials found in the room. The wound was alreadypletely gone, his HP back to full. There were multiple ways to heal in Endzone, Cyanide discovered. Treating wounds like so was one of them, but a more efficient way was simply to use certain potions, which


    Yeah. He didn''t have.


    Doctor Finchwho, by the way, had been released from his room by Kirika out of pitycould make these potions, but needed the right ingredients and materials. The responsibility of gathering said materials fell to Cyanide and thebat crew, of course, since they couldn''t rely on Finch to go anywhere without getting himself killed.


    But in any case, those ingredients were all found in the wild, not here in the city. The mutant blood was the base ingredient, of course, which Cyanide had a ton of, but the materials that made a potion do what it does were all various herbs and flowers.


    Still, getting those would be postponed to ater date. Right now, Cyanide had a different goal in mind.


    As he stood up and headed for the door, Luna tilted her head.


    "Where are we off to today, Cyanide? Searching for the Sentinels?"


    "No," Cyanide replied with a shake of his head. "If we do that, chances are, we''ll need to camp outside. Our equipment and items right now aren''t fit for that just yet. Need more blueprints."


    At this, Lust gave a beep of agreement. "My siblings and I all have ourirs very spread out from one another, to prevent us from helping one another escape. I rmend stocking up before then."


    "Hm that is true," Luna said, before curving her lips up into a smile. "Or, alternatively we can just craft a portable teleporter that we can bring us back to here whenever we want."


    " That''s a thing?" Cyanide asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Indeed it is," Luna replied confidently with a wry grin. "And luckily for you I found the Blueprints, on the way out of that undergroundboratory."


    Saying that, she reached her hand out in front of Cyanide, and swiped across to bring up his system. Since she technically was virtual herself, she could summon his system like so just like how she used to before receiving her physical body.


    On the holographic screen, the Crafting menu was disyed. There were quite a few Blueprints Cyanide had obtained from all the mutants he''d ughtered over time, but all of them were quite worthless. Pens, phones (but without any signal or inte), and even a toilet?


    But the two highlighted by Luna''s maneuvers were anything but worthless. The first was titled [Teleport Beacon], and the second was called [Portable Teleporter].


    "To teleport long distances excluding Soul Arts, two things are required," Luna exined, folding her arms. "The first is the Teleport Beacon, which can be ced anywhere we want. This will act as the destination for our teleportation. As for the second thing, that is the Portable Teleporter. It''s the device that enables us to teleport from wherever we want to a Beacon weid down beforehand."


    "So we can choose which Beacon we want to teleport to via the device?" Cyanide asked, and Luna gave a nod.


    "Correct. However, to be able to teleport to a Beacon, you must first activate it and register it on your Portable Teleporter. This means you can''t randomly teleport tofor exampleanother yer''s Beacon without registering it first."


    "I see so? Where do we get the materials for this?"


    "Well, the only rareponentthe Spacetime CoreI already collectedthey were all within thatb as well, in the deepest part beside where Lust was kept. I was only able to find two there, though, since it can be assumed this technology was still in the development stage when the apocalypse struck this world. That being said, it''s two is just enough for the Teleporter and one Beacon. The other materials needed are all things you mostly have already, such as Metal, Sr Panels, Wire, and wait, Batteries?"


    " Mutants don''t drop those," Cyanide muttered. "Their mutant cores convert the sr power directly into energy, so there''s no need for a battery."


    "Hm you also need ss, but that is easily obtainablejust break some windows and it should be fine," Luna said. "But the Batteries"


    "Theputers in this ce could work. All PCs have small batteries within them to power the CMOS chip," Cyanide stated.


    "Unfortunately, those are too small to be salvaged," Luna replied. "They are only meant to power one tinyponent, and won''t be enough to supply power to a Teleport Beacon or the Portable Teleporter device."


    "What about cars?" Kirika interrupted, popping her head into the room, having overheard the conversation. "There''s a bunch of them outside, no?"


    "If they''re outside still, that means they''ve all been damaged beyond repair," Luna sighed. "But the car idea could work"


    Suddenly, Cyanide stood up, and everyone turned to him in surprise.


    "Did you figure something out, Cyanide?" Kirika blinked.


    " The car park," he said. "During the first Scarlet Hour I went there once. There must be still-undamaged cars in there."


    "Understood," Luna said. "In that case, let''s set off, and return before night falls."


    "I will remain here to try and contact the other Sentinels," Lust said. "It will be difficult, but if I can get in touch with one of them''s signals, it will make tracking them down a breeze."


    Cyanide nodded, and together, the three headed out.

 Chapter 94: The Abandoned Parking Garage

    Chapter 94: The Abandoned Parking Garage


    Soon, Cyanide, Luna, and Kirika arrived at the abandoned multistorey car park, also known as a parking garage. Of course, given how many of these there were in the massive city of Lumina, it should''ve taken a long time to find the correct one, but luckily, thest time they were here during the Scarlet Hour on the first night of the game, Cyanide had marked the ce down with a waypoint.


    That made navigating back towards it easier, since he could simply ''track'' the waypoint as a built-in feature of the game''s system, essentially showing the target location with a little icon in the real world along with a distance marker, even after closing out of the map. It was truly like in a video game, where you could simply follow the direction the marker was in even after exiting out of the map screen.


    "Geez this ce is dark, even though we''re under broad daylight," Kirika remarked, shivering a bit. "I don''t like the looks of it."


    "This is just how parking lots are," Luna replied. "The electricity Cyanide restored to the city by defeating that Stage Five Mutant in the sewers unfortunately was not enough to cover the outages in this region as well, it seems, so we''ll just have to make do."


    "Yeah" Kirika sighed. "I can''t believe of us have found a Blueprint for a shlight yet, honestly"


    "It''s fine," Luna said, bringing out two mechanical appendages out of her back, each carrying two mega LED lights that shone as brightly as the sun itself. "I have these."


    At this, Kirika blinked in surprise. "Wow you really have everything, huh?"


    Cyanide, after some thought, interrupted the conversation with a rather surprising interjection.


    "We''re splitting up."


    Both Luna and Kirika were taken aback by this sudden proposal, and looked towards Cyanide in surprise.


    "Eh? But why?" Kirika asked, tilting her head.


    On the contrary, however, Luna seemed to ept this perfectly well despite her initial surprise, and gave a slight bow.


    "Understood, Cyanide. Kirika and I will search the other park building beside this one, and leave this one to you."


    Cyanide nodded in satisfaction at her quick agreement, and without any further dy, Luna grabbed Kirika by the wrist and pulled her away, heading for the sister car park.


    "W-Woah, wait!" She cried. "Why are we splitting up? I don''t get i-"


    "Survival rule number nine," Luna cut in coldly, not letting her go. "Don''t ask meaningless questions that don''t aplish anything."


    " Did Cyanide teach you that?"


    "Yes. It is a rule he added to the original Eight Rules of Survival, taught to him by his former teacher Anthrax."


    "I see"


    ''Yep,'' Kirika thought in her head. ''Sounds like him alright.''


    *****


    Once the two girls were gone, Cyanide entered his assigned building. The two werepletely separate, standalone buildings, but they were right next to each other.


    Of course, on the surface, this decision he made made little to no sense. After all, even if he wanted to save time in their search by splitting up, there really was no need given that there were still 6-7 hours until nightfall.


    But naturally, that wasn''t the real reason. Nothing Cyanide did was as simple as what''s on the surface.


    The true reason he wanted to split up with Luna and Kirika was because thest time he was here, there had been a mysterious presence haunting this ce. It was powerfulpowerful enough to make even him tremble at the time, due to his low level. But now, the pressure no longer bothered him, given how much stronger he was.


    As such, he wanted to take this mysterious presence on, and if possible, convert them to his side. The more powerful chess pieces he had, the easier it would be to win this game. If Luna and Kirika entered with him, though, the presence might consider this to be too difficult of a fight, and retreat. That would be troublesome. Cyanide WANTED them to target him, fight him one on one.


    After all that was his specialty.


    As soon as Cyanide stepped foot into the shadows of the abandoned car park, he felt it. The presence. It was still here. He was not trembling likest time, but the atmosphere certainly wasn''tfortable. Still, onwards he walked. This was nothing to the underground''s number one assassin, the world''s ultimate human being.


    Just like what it seemed on the outside, the interior of the building was dark as hell. The lights were all off, and the only thing the sunlight outside contributed to was the shadows of the various vehicles and stone pirs inside the structure.


    Cyanide looked around, wary and cautious, listening for anythinganything at all. He''ll leave the search for the battery to the other two. Had Luna not brought up the matter of the battery, this was the ce he had been nning on going anyway for today, in search of the mysterious presence here. It''s only been a few weeks, nearly a month, but it felt like a lot longer.


    Suddenly, he heard the sound of a metal can hitting something, and he immediately stopped in his tracks, activating his [Radar]. No hits. The sound of the can continuing to roll on the floor, though, rang in his ears.


    And then-


    "?!"


    Abruptly, Cyanide heard the sound of something flying in the air behind him, and tilted his head to dodge it. Unfortunately, he was about a microsecondte, and the sharp projectile sliced the edge of his right ear, spewing blood out of its tip, before cutting into the stone pir a few meters in front of him, and getting lodged there. It was then that Cyanide saw the object''s true forma throwing knife, used with perfect uracy and technique.


    "Oho not bad," a woman''s voiceplimented, mature and seductive yet with a yful tone to it. Despite sounding closeby, Cyanide''s [Radar] still was not picking up on any hostile signatures, and the strong echoes and reverb within this parking garage was not helping.


    '' ying stealth with me?'' Cyanide thought to himself, before sneering like a psychopathic devil, a gleam of bloodthirst in his eyes as he twirled his knife in his hand and lifted his gun.. ''Very well if this is what she wants the game to be then I''ll y along.''

 Chapter 95: The Assassins Game

    Chapter 95: The Assassin''s Game


    As throwing knives came at Cyanide one after another, he evaded them with ease. The first one had been camouged by the sound of the metal can rolling on the ground, but these ones were all easy to avoid.


    Still, this strategy was not going to work in the long run. Cyanide''s aura reading and Radar both were still not picking up on any energy signatures on this floor, and yet these throwing knives seemed to be following him around as he maneuvered.


    He needed to move somewhere else, fast. Somewhere without this utter darkness.


    There was no way to make anything out in the dark, such as a staircase or the like, so he was forced to go up another wayfrom the outside. Sliding just barely outside the shadow of the parking garage building and back into the sunlight, he kicked off from one of the supporting pirs of the structure and grabbed onto the ledge one story up before flipping himself onto it. However, the instant he did so, another throwing knife came flying straight for his forehead


    If only he didn''t predict that.


    BANG!


    Hitting the knife aside with a bullet, he continued his journey up, each time preparing to dodge as he went up to a new floor. Whoever this presence belonged to, they were able to match Cyanide''s speed and reaction times, and also specialized in stealth as well, it seems.


    Soon, he reached the rooftop, but no flying knives came at him this time. In fact, it waspletely empty. It would seem that the presence didn''t want to fight up here, where stealth could hardly be used. Cyanide concluded they weren''t dumb either, if that was the case.


    However reaching the rooftop wasn''t exactly his goal in the first ce. His aim was the highest floor that wasn''t the roof, where a portion of the ceiling had caved in due to the apocalypse. As such, the sunlight provided some illumination on this floor, and would make things easier for him.


    The presence realized this too, and thus did not make any sudden moves even as Cyanide descended from the rooftop onto this floor. It was eerily quiet, and both parties were waiting for the other to make the first move. Cyanide still could not pick up on an exact location for his target through aura reading or the [Radar] skill, but he could feel their dangerous presence coating this entire floor. They were herehe was sure of it.


    Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him where the sunlight wasing in from, and immediately turned around and fired just after the figure ducked back into the shadowy areas of the floor like an agile cat.


    "Fufufu zero hesitation, hm~?" She gave a giggle. "Not bad. However"


    All of a sudden, the rest of the ceiling there caved in as well, creating a huge noise as the sunlight was blockaded by all the debris, plunging the floor back into darkness along with the rest of this building.


    " My job is already done."


    With a smug grin, the figure dashed towards Cyanide behind him, utilizing the noise of the copse to cover up her own tracks. But-


    "?!"


    Her wrist was grabbed by Cyanide''s hand right before she could use her metal ws to slice him to pieces, and without even turning around, Cyanide spoke quietly like the Grim Reaper himself.


    " Rule number seven of survival. Against a skilled opponent never use the same trick twice."


    With a devastating elbow to the abdomen, followed by a kick straight in the gut, the woman was sent flying backwards. But right before crashing into the wall, she stopped herself by wing her sharp metal talons on the ground, mitigating impact damage.


    Then, slowly, she straightened her back and stood up properly, before gently touching her own face with her metal ws.


    "Fufu~ that''s the first time someone''s managed tond a hit on me since bing a mutant. You truly are an interesting one my instinct did not deceive me, back then."


    "Interesting?" Cyanide arched an eyebrow. "No, that''s not it. You''re just stupid, trying to use stealth against a former assassin. That''s all."


    "Hm you''re right. I had suspected as much from your movements, and that ''rule of survival'', but are you rted to a man named Anthrax, by any chance?"


    At this, Cyanide froze, and his eyes widened slightly.


    " Who are you?"


    " Fufu."


    With a soft and gentleugh, the woman pressed on a button on her remote controller, and instantly, the lights within the entire parking garage lit up one-by-one, each with a ''pang'' sound. The shadowy woman''s true appearance was revealed, and she smiled at Cyanide alluringly, who faced her with caution.


    She was beautiful.


    One couldpare her to Luna, and she would be on par with her if not better depending on the person''s tastes. She had a mature, voluptuous body, with a busty bosom and butt that was only highlighted by the tight one-piece jumpsuit she was wearing, but her light skin looked very youngslightly older than Cyanide at best. Her long, blond hair revealed that she was most likely of Western descent, but when mixed with those dazzling red eyes that shone like rubies, it was clear she was notpletely human.


    That was no makeupthey were genuine, bright red eyes like a vampire, which theoretically should be impossible for a human. And as Cyanide used [Inspect] on her, that was only confirmed further.


    [Name: ??? Motorcyclist Mutant (Stage Five)]


    [Level: 35]


    [HP: 340/350]


    [ss: Humanoid]


    Cyanide narrowed his eyes. Being a Stage Five Mutant was one thing, but to know about Anthrax, his former teacher?


    Slowly raising his gun at the woman, not caring how beautiful and alluring her body was, Cyanide cocked it back.


    " Answer me. Who are you, and why do you know about Anthrax?"


    "Fufu can''t you tell from my appearance?" The woman asked with a seductive smile, tilting her head slightly and ying with her long hair.


    Cyanide was confused. What did she mean? All Cyanide could see from her appearance was that she was very beautiful, sexy, and


    Wait.


    In his final, dying breaths, Anthrax had given Cyanide something. A pendantone he never wore on missions, but would always look at in his spare time. Cyanide had always been confused about that back in the day, but on the day of Anthrax''s death, he revealed to his student that inside the pendant was a picture.


    A picture of his wife and his daughter, when thetter was still but a mere child.


    And that picture it was hard to believe, but Cyanide could see the resemnce.


    "You''re" He began, but was interrupted by the woman''s own words.


    "It seems you''ve figured it out," she said with a slight smile.. "YesI am Anthrax''s daughter, Dianna Vittori."

 Chapter 96: Dianna Vittori

    Chapter 96: Dianna Vittori


    Dianna Vittori. Thatst name it was the same as Cyanide''s teacher''s, Giovanni Vittori, alias Anthrax.


    The picture Cyanide had seen of her was age five, six at best. It was difficult to imagine the adorable little girl from that photo would grow to be such an alluring and seductive woman upon maturity, but the resemnces were real, and so was this girl''s knowledge.


    Without a doubt, she was telling the truthshe was the one and only daughter of Anthrax, and the same person Anthrax had told him to protect in his dying breaths.


    "So are you going to seek revenge for your father?" Cyanide queried, narrowing his eyes. But to his surprise, Dianna giggled.


    "As expected you are the one who killed him," Dianna smirked, folding her arms beneath her ample, bouncing chest. "I never thought anyone would be able to, but when I heard he took in a student fufu."


    "If you want to kill me, go for it. No need to waste so much time by talking."


    "Why would I do that?" She asked rhetorically, and Cyanide answered in the bluntest way possible:


    "I killed your father."


    But at this, Dianna''s expression turned serious for a moment, an almost sad gleam in her eyes as she lowered her tone.


    "Hey tell me. Is a father who you''ve never met really considered your father at all?"


    "" At this, Cyanide fell silent. He wanted to defend his former teacher, saying that he had his reasons for not visiting home due to the job, but he soon realized he was in no position to do that. After all, his hands were stained with Anthrax''s blood. What sense was there in standing up for him?


    So, instead, he chose to take a different approach, and asked a question of his own.


    " After I killed Anthrax, I went searching for you."


    "Oh? Why?" Dianna inquired, arching an eyebrow and smiling wryly. "To finish off the bloodline to prevent a situation of revenge, perhaps?"


    Cyanide pondered for a moment, then replied, "Yeah, pretty much. But to think this is why I couldn''t find you you were already in the game back then, huh?"


    That wasn''t the truth at all, but there was no reason to tell her the real reason. Not right now, at least.


    "Yep~" Dianna said loftily, making a peace sign with her hand and winking. "I was part of the previous batch of yers. After I died in the game well. Next thing I knew, I''d be a mutant."


    " Why?"


    "Hm? Why did I be a mutant? Huh, that''s a tough question-"


    "Not that," Cyanide interrupted, rifying his question. He knew why she became a mutantit was the work of the virus, still present in the world, just on a less powerful scale. While it didn''t turn all living beings into mutants anymore, it still turned corpses, which were defenseless. What Cyanide was asking was something else


    "Why did you enter the game in the first ce?"


    "Oh that."


    Dianna fell silent for a moment, then smiled innocently at Cyanide.


    "It was for fun, of course!"


    "Cut the bullshit," Cyanide said,pletely unfazed, as he clenched his fists tightly around his knife and gun. "I will make you tell the truth by force if necessary."


    "Fufu that''s the spirit," Dianna replied, smiling invitingly. "That deadly gleam in your eyes I like it. Care to entertain me, my assassin?"


    Saying that, she crossed her arms in an X-shape in front of her chest, showcasing her sharp metal ws, before smiling and dashing towards Cyanide. The assassin, naturally, did not simply take the hit, and evaded to the right. But-


    "Too slow~"


    With a yful smile, Dianna cupped Cyanide''s face with her hand, tapping her long w on his cheek as if trying to show how she was toying with him right now.


    "Mm you''re handsome."


    " Hmph."


    Cyanide pulled out the gun he had been hiding behind his back and let out a hip-fire shot, causing Dianna''s eyes to widen a bit. She leaped backwards with a couple acrobatic cat-like continuous backflips, agilely avoiding the bullet.


    "Oh, my that was dangerous," she remarked, cing her fist against her mouth and blinking cutely, using the sad puppy dog eyes. "To think you''d actually use a gun on me how cruel"


    Cyanide savagely unleashed another bullet at her, as if to say ''and I''ll do it again''. Rather than being mad, though, Dianna only smirked as if she was enjoying this, and evaded the gunshot with ease.


    This time, however, it was Cyanide''s turn to go on the offensive. Using [Invisibility], he concealed himself and took advantage of the passive skill [Silent Footsteps] to appear in a location his enemy would not expect.


    BANG!


    Dianna heard the sound of a gunshot in front of her, and instantly reacted, tilting her body slightly with one shut eye to avoid the shot much like her father would''ve. Her movements were graceful and nimble, just like how Anthrax operated: a smooth criminal. In fact, her movements reminded Cyanide so much of his former teacher that he just had topliment her.


    "You''re good," he said from behind, and Dianna froze as she felt a knife on the back of her neck. "But not that good."


    The fight was over. Although Dianna was very fastpossibly faster than Cyanideand possessed special mutant abilities, shecked experience. Cyanide had fought countless battles like this before, and knew every scenario, every situation. Every trick in the book was carved into his memory, able to be used every time. Even if he went up against someone far stronger than he was, he could still win the fight, simply using his experience.


    Knowledge was power, after all.


    But despite the situation a smile tugged on the corners of Dianna''s lips, without even turning around.


    "Fufu is that so?"


    "!"


    It was then that Cyanide saw the four spinning knives around Dianna''s body. His eyes widened as he tried to avoid them, backing away, but it was toote.


    The four knives tore through his clothes and sent him flying to the wall, pinning him against a stone pir. They were positioned perfectly to not damage him one bit, and only pierce his clothes. Cyanide struggled and did his best to break free, but the knives were too powerful.


    "Tch"


    The tables have been turned on him.

 Chapter 97: A Fathers Wish

    Chapter 97: A Father''s Wish


    Slowly, Dianna turned around and began walking towards Cyanide, an alluring smile on her face. It was yful and teasing, almost seductive. Once directly in front of him, she bent over forward a bit, as if to let Cyanide get a peek at her generous cleavage, and shut one eye as she waited for his reaction.


    But of course, there was. At this, Dianna was confused, and rested her chin on her hand as she straightened back up.


    "Hm how surprising. That''s the first time a man hasn''t showed any reaction to my body, even after doing that"


    " If you''re going to kill me, just do it," Cyanide said coldly. "I won''t apologize for killing your father."


    Dianna sighed and facepalmed lightly, shaking her head. "Didn''t I already say? I''m not here for revenge. If he never even thought of me like a daughter, why should I think of him like a father? Killing you, though I''ll consider it~"


    " Heh. Never thought of you like a daughter, huh?" Cyanide gave a low chuckle. "Is that why that old geezer was always staring at that picture of you and your mother before he died?"


    At this, Dianna blinked innocently. "Hm? What picture?"


    " 12 years ago," Cyanide breathed. "Sa Colonia Beach, Italy. You were 7 at the time. Don''t tell me that doesn''t bring up memories?"


    Dianna clenched her fists tightly, glistening metal ws reflecting the lights on the ceiling. Her red eyes held a silent, angry gleam as she recalled the memory, but she didn''t say a word. Cyanide, noticing this, decided to take things a step further, and continue his mind games.


    "You can kill me if you want," Cyanide said calmly, staring Dianna straight in the eyes. "But before I die I want to tell you a story."


    *****


    - Several Years Ago, The Night of Anthrax''s Fall -


    (Continuation of the short story, ''From Teacher to Student'')


    " The final lesson?" Cyanide asked, narrowing his eyes. "I''ve already learned everything there is to learn from you. Yourbat skills, your stealth techniquesI have mastered them all. What else is there for you to teach me?"


    " It''s not that," Anthrax said with a slight smile. "You''ve already be the perfect assassin. There''s not much left for ya to learn, skill-wise. But as a human ya still have a long way to go."


    Cyanide frowned. " What?"


    "Your father made ya to be the ultimate human being," Anthrax replied. "A god amongst men, the perfect intelligent entity. But he was wrong."


    Sensing Cyanide''s silence, Anthrax continued.


    "In order to make ya ''perfect'', he did not teach you any emotions or morals. As an assassin, it''s been etched into his head that emotions are weaknesses."


    "You taught me that as well," Cyanide muttered, to which Anthrax nodded to the best of his ability.


    "Yes I did. And while it''s true, for an assassin, emotions are weaknesses assassins, even you, are also human. And emotions are part of us inherently. You you need to ept that. You are not just an assassin, kid. You are also a human, with your own life, your own choices, and your own feelings. Embrace them. Emotions can be a weakness, but they can also steer you away onto the right path.


    "What we do ain''t just," Anthrax continued. "I know that. But that''s part of the job. We''re not killin'' because we want to. We''re killin'' because that''s what we have to do. And if ya ever forget that you''re no assassin. You''re just a murderer. What separates us from those scumbags are emotions. Outside of our career, we don''t kill. We still have morals. Feelings. Love. That is my final lesson to you."


    As Cyanide tried to digest what he was just told, Anthrax blindly fumbled around his neck, and slowly pulled out a circr golden pendant with a trembling hand, before opening it up and staring at the picture inside. Despite the knife in his chest and his impeding death, the aged man smiled as tears fell out of his emotion-filled eyes and down his cheeks.


    "This is my family," he whispered, voice quieter before. "My wife is already gone, but my daughter I want you to protect her."


    At this, Cyanide froze, confused. " What? Protect her?"


    "Listen, kid over the years, teacher here hasn''t asked you for much, have I? This this is my one and only request. My daughter she is in danger. For how sessful I was in the job of assassination I could not fulfill my job as a father. So I hope you can, in my ce. Protect her please."


    After a short silence and some hesitation, Cyanide took the photo out of the pendant, and ced it in his pocket.


    " I will, teacher."


    Anthrax smiled slightly, satisfied, and closed his eyes peacefully.


    "Please end it."


    " Understood."


    Cyanide got up off of Anthrax''s body, and lifted his gun before pointing it at his teacher''s forehead. The same man who had taken care of him for the past ten years; the same man who was more like a father to him than his actual father.


    "I''m sorry, Mia I''m sorry, Dianna"


    Cyanide closed his eyes, tilting his head towards the sky, and pulled on the trigger.


    *****


    "" Dianna, stunned, had a tear rolling down her face by the time Cyanide''s story was done. She didn''t even realize when she had began crying, but family was family.


    " Later, after doing research, I discovered the true reason why Anthrax said he was the target that night," Cyanide continued in a quiet voice, not fond of these memories. "His wifeyour motherhad already been targeted and killed by a different assassin organization, the Yingshe. Anthrax killed their previous boss as part of a job, and somehow, they managed to find information on him and his family. They couldn''t take down Anthrax himself, so they targeted you and your mother instead. The Yingshe told Anthrax that if he didn''t die, you, his daughter, was next."


    "" Dianna copsed onto the floor, leftpletely stunned by the story. "Father"


    She no longer was using her mind to control the throwing knives, so they ttered harmlessly to the floor and Cyanide was able to break free. He lifted his gun instinctively and aimed it at Dianna, but


    "Protect her please."


    Anthrax, his former teacher''s voice rang out in his head, and hesitantly, he put the gun away. Then, bending down to one knee, he did something he has never once done before in his life


    And wrapped his arms around Dianna, pulling her close into a hug.


    Met with this warmth, the warmth of family she had lost so long ago, the girl fully broke down atst, and began sobbing into Cyanide''s chest. Once a battle was now turned into a touching scene, and for the first time, Cyanide was able to experience someone''s ''emotions'' so intimately.


    Strangely, as he held Dianna in his arms, feeling her heartbeat and tears alike, he remembered Anthrax''s final lesson to him, and he smiled slightly. Not the cynical smile he usually had in fights, but a genuine, warm smile.


    ''Teacher is this what you meant by feelings?''


    He still couldn''t say he agreed with thest lesson. After all, Anthrax''s death was caused by these same ''emotions'', his attachment to his family. In the end, Cyanide wasn''t experiencing these emotions for himself yet, and thus couldn''tprehend them.


    But at the very least he understood what emotions are now, on a deeper level.


    At the very least he had fulfilled his teacher''s dying wish.


    Even though Dianna was already dead and a mutant now, Cyanide made a promise to his teacher. Ten years of teacher and student, one single wish. Cyanide had to do it no matter what.


    Dianna will be safe so long as he is alive, regardless of what happens.. To that, he vowed.

 Chapter 98: Returns

    Chapter 98: Returns


    Soon, Dianna got tired of crying, and fell asleep from exhaustion. Cyanide decided to take her back to his base for now, and see what happens once she wakes up.


    Luna and Kirika had returned as well, having found and extracted the batteries they were looking for from the many cars in the other parking garage. Kirika had thought it would''ve taken some fine motor skills to get the batteries out of the car''s bodies, but apparently, all they needed to do to harvest it was destroy the car. This was a game, after all.


    When the two girls saw Dianna''s unconscious body on Cyanide''s back, though, they were confused. Kirika nced between Cyanide''s nonchnt face and the slightly down zipper of Dianna''s jumpsuit, showing a bit of her cleavage, then quickly backed away a couple of steps, a look of disgust on her face.


    "Y-You what did you do to her?"


    Luna, however, was different. She recognized Dianna at first nce thanks to the photo Cyanide brought back all those years ago and the research he had her conduct on her in an attempt to track her down. They didn''t end up finding her in the end but that''s because she went into Endzone, as it seems.


    "Cyanide, is that" Luna began, and Cyanide gave a nod.


    " I see. We should head back as soon as possible, then," she said ignoring Kirika''s confused looks before whispering in her ear, "I''ll exinter."


    Kirika was satisfied with this response, and didn''t inquire any further.


    *****


    While Luna helped wash Dianna''s body and tuck her into a bed neatly, Cyanide worked on putting together the Teleport Beacon and Portable Teleporter. Some metal, the batteries obtained from the cars, some ss taken from whacking windows, and the Spacetime Cores Luna picked up from the undergroundb were enough materials to craft the two items.


    By now, several hours had passed since the fight with Ragnar, and the sun had set. Cyanide was resting on the roof of the Aterra Headquarters building, staring out at the sunset and enjoying the breeze. He''s always liked the time of sunset the best, and whenever he was bored, he would always climb to a high ce and just sit there for hours on end, thinking. Contemting about the future.


    For today, he considered going out for the Scarlet Hour to farm a bit, but before he could settle on a decision, he heard footsteps emerging from behind him. They were soft, gentle, as if their owner didn''t want to be detected, but naturally, Cyanide''s ears were sharper than most people, and he heard it with no problem at all. In fact, just by the footsteps, he could tell who it was.


    " If you''re trying to sneak up on me, it''s not going to work," Cyanide said without even turning his head around.


    The footsteps paused for a moment, then resumed, this time without trying to hide, followed by a sigh.


    "I know, I know but you couldn''t have yed along?" The girl asked, smiling as she sat down next to Cyanide, dangling her feet over the edge of the roof.


    " You recovered awfully quickly," Cyanide replied, still not bothering to even look at her. She seemed to be fine with that though, and continued smiling as if there was nothing wrong.


    "I''ve gotten over it. If I''m always fixated on something that happened in the past, I''ll never be able to look at the future," the girl replied with a cute wink. "Besides I still haven''t forgiven him, even though I understand where he''sing from now."


    The ''him'' in question was, of course, Anthrax, and the girl in question was naturally Dianna. She had finally woken up from her sleep, and the first thing she did was ask where Cyanide was. Luna, knowing what this was about, told her the truth, and here she was.


    Suddenly, a familiar ring noise rang out across the entirends of Endzone, and following it came the calm but stern voice of the female announcer of the game, here to make another announcement.


    [Attention: Arena Closing. Survivors Remaining: 800.]


    Neither of the two spoke a word after hearing this, as both of them had already experienced this once before.


    " Hey," Dianna said after a short silence. "After my father died why didn''t the Yingshe stille after me? Assassins are people who like to sever all possible risks. It would make sense for them to hunt me down to prevent me from trying to avenge my father and being a thorn in their eyes, and yet my life up untiling to this ce was perfectly safe and fine. Why is that?"


    Cyanide''s voice was calm, quiet, as he spoke.


    "I wiped them out."


    At this, Dianna blinked in surprise, a pink blush on her cheeks.


    "You wiped them all out? To protect me?"


    "Yes. Your father taught me for ten years. If I didn''t at least do this and fulfill his final wish I would be an utter failure."


    But Dianna onlyughed and suddenly tackled Cyanide with a hug, causing him to copse backwards and end up in a lying down position. The Italian beauty smiled with flushed cheeks, red eyes shining alongside the sunset, and for a moment, even Cyanide was entranced by her stunning beauty and cuteness. Taking advantage of the momentarypse in thinking, Dianna took the initiative and nted a gentle kiss on Cyanide''s lips.


    It was short, but effective. A fleeting moment of warmth and pleasure, held just long enough to make him crave more. At least, that would''ve worked on any normal manjust not this one.


    "" He remainedpletely expressionless even as Dianna backed away with a wry smile before winking at him yfully.


    "That''s your reward for protecting me from the shadows~"


    Cyanide averted his gaze, staring back at the sunset.


    "I only did what needed to be done. It was part of a job. Nothing more."


    "Fufu~ sure," Dianna giggled softly, then leaned her head against Cyanide''s shoulder as the two sat side by side, romantically watching the sunset. She wrapped her arms around Cyanide''s, and whispered into his ear a vow for herself.


    "One day, I''ll make you say the truth with your own mouth, Cyanide. One day."


    From somewhere beyond the grave, Anthrax''s soul cheered his daughter on.

 Chapter 99: Setting Out

    Chapter 99: Setting Out


    The next morning, Dianna formally introduced herself to everyone, exining her history with Cyanide and what happened in the abandoned parking garage. Doctor Finch began sobbing at the story since he had a daughter himself and could rte to how Anthrax felt as a father, and Kirika too was moved to tears.


    The atmosphere was nice and calm, with everyone enjoying themselves as they chatted and made small talk, until-


    BOOM!


    The doors to the basement were burst open, and a man stepped through, heavy stone greatsword on his back.


    "Good mornin'', fes. Your favorite dark hero of justice has arrived!"


    ""


    The crew stared at Ragnar like they were seeing some sort of alien, and Kirika quickly whispered into Dianna''s ear, "We don''t have any connection with that guy."


    "Oi, I heard that!" Ragnar dered, folding his arms in contempt. "Also a new girl, seriously?"


    He eyed Cyanide, and cocked an eyebrow. Cyanide showed no reaction, calmly sipping on his soup. He didn''t even seem to be listening to the conversation, nor Ragnar''s somewhat dramatic entrance.


    "So, since we''re allies now," he said, still attempting to making conversation despite the clearly awkward atmosphere now that he''d arrived. "What''s the n moving forward? We''re fighting against this Gamemaster, right? How do we do that?"


    "In other words you proposed we work together, without even knowing that," Luna muttered. "Who even told you about the GM''s existence?"


    "Oh, that was simple," Ragnar said with a chuckle. "I tried asking the assistant some things, but she told me she was not authorized to do so. That must mean she''s being controlled by someone, or somethingnamely, the Gamemaster."


    "Not bad," Cyanideplimented. "But before anything else form an Oathsworn bond with me."


    At this, Ragnar blinked. "What''s that?"


    "A bond that prevents two people from harming one another, either directly or indirectly," Kirika exined with a sigh. "Cyanide is a very careful person, so he forced me to form one with him as well when we first agreed to a deal in working together."


    "So in other words, I can''t spar with him if I form this bond?"


    "I''m assuming not, though I''ve never really tried" Kirika shrugged as Ragnar gave a snort.


    "Hmph. In that case, I refuse."


    " I''m afraid you don''t have much of a choice," Luna said coldly, leaning against a wall nearby, arms folded beneath her ample chest. "It''s either you form this bond, or we kill you right here, right now."


    "" Ragnar fell silent, contemting his choices, though there really wasn''t much to contemte.


    "But," Luna continued. "If it''s just a sparring match you want, that''s not impossible either. Light damage and exchanging blows is allowed by the Oathsworn bond, but attacks that will cause life-threatening injuries will be simply omitted."


    "Heh," Ragnar chuckled. "You hear that, Cyanide? Just because we''re working together now, doesn''t mean I don''t see you as my rival still. I''ll still be challenging you to fights every now and then, so don''t let your guard down!"


    "I don''t think you need to tell him of all people that" Kirika murmured, facepalming her forehead.


    Cyanide, on the other hand, simply took a sip of water, as calm as ever, and stood up from his seat.


    " Suit yourself."


    In his head, he was looking forward to these challenges from Ragnar, since he was certain this man would be able to keep him entertained each and every time unlike most opponents he faced. Ragnar Creed was specialhe was the first person to make Cyanide look forward to a fight like so, and actually enjoy himself in a duel.


    Ragnar too was the same, of course. Whereas before, he only saw Cyanide was a simple nemesis, just another enemy to take out, he now saw him as a legitimate rival. Truth to be told, Ragnar didn''t want to even kill Cyanide anymore. He wanted to just keep fighting with him over and over again, and test both his own and Cyanide''s limits.


    With a smirk, he held out his hand towards Cyanide.


    "So. How do we do this Oathsworn thing?"


    *****


    Minutester, the process wasplete. Cyanide and Ragnar both checked their game system screens and found that each other''s names were registered in their Companions tab, under the list of ''Oathsworns''.


    Slowly, Ragnar turned to Cyanide, and a smirk rose on his face as an idea formed in his head. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, however, Luna had her entire arsenal of weapons readied and aimed at him, including (but not limited to) a methrower, four homing missiles, aser beam, a minigun, a sawde, and a sharp metal de.


    " Don''t even think about it," she said coldly. "We have things to do."


    "A-Ahem right," Ragnar agreed solemnly, clearing his throat. Then, turning to Cyanide, he whispered, "Geez, your girlfriend''s scary."


    At this, Dianna''s ears perked up, and from a seat a short distance away, she set down the ss of water she had been about to drink.


    "Oh? Is that ''girlfriend'' I just heard, Cyanide?" She asked, smiling innocently at him.


    "She''s not," Cyanide replied truthfully. "But she is right in the fact that we have things to do. If you''re so eager to fight you''ll get your chance soon enough."


    " Huh?"


    Afterwards, Lust exined the whole deal with Sentinels and whatnot to Ragnar. She imed that Ragnar''s potential could mean he was also a suitable candidate to be a Sentinel''s vessel, just like Cyanide. Ragnar didn''t particrly care, since he normally didn''t like to be possessed by others (the Pyromaniac ability was already more than enough) but after being told this was necessary to fight against the GM, he reluctantly epted.


    "We setting out today, or what?" Ragnar asked once the exnation was over. "I''m ready whenever."


    "Yesyesterday, while Cyanide and the rest were all out salvaging materials, I was able to pick up on a trace of a fellow SentinelVanity. There is a forest to the west of here, originally called the Ancient Forest by the inhabitants of this world. Vanity is being held captive thereI am certain of it."


    "A forest to the west of here" Luna murmured. "Is that"


    "Yes," Silverfang cut in, trotting out of his room. "Myir that was still near the outer edges of the forest. I know not what lies further inside, but it will be dangerous."


    As Kirika recalled the memories of what happened in that cave and told the story to Lust and Ragnar, Dianna discretely got up from her seat and headed for somewhere alone.. Cyanide, not missing this, also got up and followed after her, with Luna following him in turn.

 Chapter 100: A Different Kind Of Food

    Chapter 100: A Different Kind Of ''Food''


    [Skip this chapter and the next if you''re ufortable with smut. You have been warned. Those of you who are especially horny, please continue.]


    Dianna stumbled into the female shower room in the basement, clutching her rapidly-beating heart.


    "Ngh what''s wrong with me"


    Ever sincest night''s exchange with Cyanide on the rooftop, she has been feeling like this. ncing in the mirror, she found her cheeks flushed pink, and sweat on her body like an animal in heat. She had tried to hide it during breakfast by not speaking to anyone, but she had to speak up after hearing Luna being called as Cyanide''s girlfriend. In doing so, she needed tomunicate with Cyanide, and that only made her symptoms worsen.


    "Hah hah hah" She panted heavily, trying her best to control her urges, but she could not. Her hands moved on their own, sliding down her alluring figure and arriving down at where her crotch was.


    A tingling feeling electrocuted her entire body as she began moving her fingers, and sliding it across her jumpsuit. She wore no underwear underneath the suit since it was ufortable for her, meaning the only thing separating her finger and her soaking wet pussy was the thinyer oftex that made her one-piece suit.


    "Ahn~" Subsconsciously, she let out a few soft moans, covering her mouth and trying to keep it down, but outside the door, Cyanide already heard them.


    Folding his arms and leaning against the wall, he had his eyes closed, listening.


    " What is going on here?" He asked Luna, who was beside him.


    "Hm as a Stage Four Mutant, her source of food is supposed to be human fluids. However, all mutants can also sustain themselves simply through sr power, so ''food'' is really more like a delicacy than anything. Since we have unlocked one of the eight Sentinels, the Gamemaster''s restrictions on me have been loosened a little, and I can see knowledge a little deeper than the surface. And ording to what I can ess in the database here"


    She fell into silence momentarily, and continued after several seconds.


    "Yesas expected. Here, it tells me that any Stage Four that are Imprinted on will develop urges for their respective desired fluid from the human who Imprinted on them, turning it into more of a ''need'' than a ''want''. Before being Imprinted on by anyone, though, most Stage Fours simply rely on the sr power, since consuming human fluids is somewhat disgusting. Stage Fours are intelligent, after all."


    "And Dianna''s ''desired food'' is"


    Luna turned away awkwardly, scratching her cheek, as the sound of Dianna''s soft moans continued toe from the bathroom. " I''m afraid so, yes."


    " What will happen if she doesn''t get her need fulfilled?" Cyanide asked, just in case.


    "Well that much is not written here, but it can be safely assumed that the consequences will not be good. Either she dies or she goes berserk."


    At this, Cyanide sighed. Looks like if he wanted to fulfill his promise to his teacher, who taught him for ten years and whom he owed a great favor to, he had no other choice but to satisfy Dianna''s urges.


    "It''s notpletely just satisfying her need, and that''s it, though," Luna suddenly said, shing Cyanide a thumbs-up. "You see, ording to the database, the more desired ''food'' you give to an Imprinted Stage Four Mutant, the stronger they will be. Just like yers, mutants too have EXP gains and levels. You can give a lot of EXP to an Imprinted Stage Four Mutant through this method, depending on how much you satisfy them, allowing them to level-up and power-up quickly."


    So, there was that benefit as well


    Taking a deep breath, Cyanide made his decision, and pushed himself off the wall.


    " You''re doing it?" Luna asked, and Cyanide gave a nod.


    "It''s not like I have a choice, do I?"


    Luna smiled. "I suppose that''s true."


    As she watched Cyanide enter the female shower room, she gave a sigh. She wasn''t particrly jealousthis wasn''t the first time Cyanide was going to do this with another girl. In past missions back on Earth, there have been instances where he had to charm a woman, so part of his training was how to pleasure girls sexually. He was no virgin, that was for sure.


    "But" Luna folded her arms. "It would be a lie if I said I didn''t want to try it too, sometime"


    *****


    Inside the shower room, as Dianna was still busy fingering herself, eyes closed and other hand covering her mouth, she didn''t even notice when Cyanide approached, until he was right up in front of her. She blinked in surprise, sexual urges momentarily disappearing, but that surprise quickly turned to something else as she licked her lips seductively, and smiled at Cyanide.


    "So you''ve been listening in all along and came in right when I was the most defenseless? Fufu how naughty"


    Without saying a word, Cyanide stepped forward, pressing his body against hers on the sink, and kissed her deeply.


    Always start with a kissthat''s what Anthrax taught him. It was the best way to initiate, and could stimte sexual urges without diving right into the action.


    Cyanide''s tongue skillfully entered Dianna''s mouth and began exploring it, and though she was surprised a bit by the forwardness of Cyanide for a moment, she quickly embraced it, wrapping her arms and legs around his body and kissing him back.


    Cyanide''s member hardened, signaling that it was ready for what''s toe, and Cyanide himself was as well. Breaking the kiss momentarily, he took off his upper clothes, revealing beautiful ripped muscles underneath on his chest, abs, and arms. As Dianna admired them in awe, Cyanide went to work on her, unzipping her tightly zipped one-piecetex jumpsuit, and sucking on the tip of her breasts tenderly.


    "Ahn~! Wait that''s mmn~!"


    Dianna couldn''t stand the insane pleasure and wanted to tell Cyanide to stop, but she just couldn''t. He was so skillful at this, and by contrast, this was her first time despite having seen many pornos.


    Then came the final straw, when Cyanide raised her legs up to pull off the jumpsuitpletely along with her shoes. This revealed Dianna''s pure, gorgeous naked body, enough to make any man faint from a nosebleed. Cyanide, however, was immune to that sort of damage, and instead began teasing her pussy instead, licking it with his tongue to make sure she was fully prepared for what''s toe.


    "Engh~! Stop, Cyanide I''m going to!" Dianna cried, nearing orgasm, and-


    Cyanide paused, rising back up. A moment of awkward silence ensued as the two stared at each other, and Dianna atst broke it with a question.


    "E-Eh? Why did you stop?"


    Cyanide''s answer was simple, blunt:


    "You told me to."


    At this, Dianna gave a soft giggle, followed by a smile.


    "Fufu idiot. For someone so skilled at sexually pleasuring girls you''re not very bright at guessing the hidden truth behind their lies."


    Hooking Cyanide closer and locking him in ce with her legs, Dianna shut one eye as if winking, and licked her lips.


    "Now satisfy me more, Cyanide~"

 Chapter 101: A Different Kind Of Daddy

    Chapter 101: A Different Kind Of ''Daddy''


    Sliding his hands down Dianna''s naked body to her waist groping her by the butt, Cyanide lifted the Italian beauty off the sink and into a nearby shower room, before locking the door. There, he pinned her against the wall, kissing her intensely, before taking off his pants and turning on the water.


    Anthrax taught him having sex in the shower under the heat and steam of hot water was a turn-on for many girls, and since he wanted to achieve maximum satisfaction here in order to give Dianna the highest possible amount of EXP, he was doing everything he could with the environment and tools he was given to provide the best sexual experience possible.


    Dianna was, surprisingly, a good kisser as well. Although this was her first time having sex, it wasn''t her first kiss. She was quite the charmer back in Italy before entering Endzone, the boss of a motorcycle gang. She often charmed the leaders of other gangs and took them down from the inside, but this was the first time she truly felt passionate about a kiss, and craved everything about the man on the receiving end of it.


    " You ready?" Cyanide asked softly, whispering into her ear, and she gave a gentle nod, spreading her long, beautiful legs a bit wider as if inviting him in. Cyanide naturally responded ordingly, rubbing his long, thick and hard cock against the entrance of herparatively tight pussy.


    Slowly and gently, he pushed forward, knowing that this was her first time just judging from how she reacted earlier when he teased her, and Dianna''s eyes widened at the feeling.


    "Ahn" She moaned a bit from the pain as Cyanide''s thick and experienced 6-and-a-half inch long dick entered her virgin pussy, pushing right up into the entrance of her womb. Cyanide too subconsciously let out a groan under his breath at Dianna''s pussy''s incredible tightness, unlike anything he''d experienced before.


    Looking at Dianna like this, face flushed and fully naked,pletely exposed to him, Cyanide thought she was even more beautiful and attractive than usual. The water drops sliding down her body made her pale skin glisten, and her perfectly proportioned mouth, slightly open and exhaling hot air, was practically begging to be kissed.


    Slowly, Cyanide began moving, thrusting in and out of her pussy. Every time he did so, Dianna let a soft moan escape her mouth despite trying to hide it, making her cute. Every time his dick entered her body, the tightness made it seem like she didn''t want him to leave, and wished to stay in this position forever.


    Dianna threw her arms around Cyanide''s neck and kissed him deeply, locking her legs around his waist, making her pussy even tighter. Cyanide didn''t stop thrusting, however, and supported her with his hands on her ass, groping it and lifting her up and down to match his own movements.


    Soon, Cyanide was nearing his limit, and broke the kiss.


    "Dianna, I''m going to"


    "Fufu, already?" She smiled wryly, and licked her lips. "Well as a reward for satisfying me this much, I''ll let you do it inside."


    Cyanide was nning on doing it inside anyway since she couldn''t consume it otherwise, but at least he obtained her permission now. Speeding up his thrusting and tightening his grip on her soft buttcheeks, he lifted her up and down at a faster pace while pumping his dick into her womb, and atst


    "Ahn-" Dianna was about to let out a loud moan, but Cyanide silenced her with another kiss as his hot semen entered her pussy and womb.


    The two remained in that position for several seconds, until Cyanide atst moved his face away from Dianna''s.


    " You should be fine now, right?" He asked Dianna, but she only tilted her head and giggled.


    "Only one time? You seriously think that''s enough to satisfy me~?"


    cing her finger against her lips and turning around so that she was against the wall and her nice and bountiful ass was pointing towards Cyanide, she used her other hand to stretch open her butthole.


    "Since you killed my dad you wouldn''t mind taking his ce name-wise, right?" She asked, wiggling her butt a bit in anticipation. "I can''t wait any longer pleasure this hole of mine too, daddy~ "


    Recalling Luna''s wordsthe more times he came inside Dianna, the more EXP she would receiveCyanide made his choice.


    " Fine. Just don''t me me if I go too rough."


    Setting his hands firmly on Dianna''s two buttcheeks, shining like pearls thanks to the shower''s hot water beads, he aimed his still-erect cock right where Dianna was stretching her butthole at, and thrust inwards.


    "Oh~!" Dianna''s eyes widened at the sudden pleasure, different from normal sex. She''d always wondered what anal was like and was quite into it as well, and this only solidified her opinion.


    Grabbing one of Dianna''s wrists, Cyanide pulled back as he thrust forward, going as deep as he possibly could in her butthole. With his other hand, he spanked her butt, knowing that some girls were into this. And judging from Dianna''s expression of pleasure every time he did so it was safe to assume she was one of those girls.


    "Oh~ yes, daddy fuck me harder~ "


    Completely giving into the pleasure, Dianna begged for more as Cyanide delivered. mming his cock into her asshole with no sign of the gentleness from earlier, he sped up again and again until finally, he came once more, this time in her ass.


    "Hah hah hah" Dianna panted heavily as she copsed onto the shower floor, on her knees, before crawling closer to Cyanide and resting his cock on her face.


    "Now it''s time for the clean-up blowjob~"


    Cyanide cupped the back of Dianna''s head with his two hands as he pushed her mouth onto his cock, sliding it in and out. She eagerly licked up every bit of his semen, having never experienced it before, and Cyanide came onest time before finally pulling out.


    *****


    Meanwhile, outside, the others were beginning to wonder where Cyanide and Dianna had disappeared off to.. Luna of course, covered for them, saying Dianna went to shower while Cyanide often disappears randomly like this, and it was no big deal.

 Chapter 102: The Ancient Forest

    Chapter 102: The Ancient Forest


    After cleaning up and actually taking showers, Cyanide and Dianna prepared to reluctantly slip on their old clothes since they didn''t have a fresh set ready to change into right away, but when they touched their old clothes, they found that they had already been cleaned and dried off in the short time that they spent in the shower.


    " Luna," Cyanide murmured.


    "She did this?" Dianna asked, arching an eyebrow curiously. "Hm she sure works fast."


    "" Cyanide too was somewhat impressed. Now that she''s gotten a physical body, she has unlocked many new abilities and powerspared to the limitations of the virtual world she was confined by before. Even cleaning and drying clothes she was like the perfect maid anyone could ask for, in a sense. She just didn''t look the part.


    "By the way" Dianna continued, sliding closer and winking at Cyanide, flicking her beautiful blond hair back. "You''re pretty good at pleasuring girls. Have you had experience before?"


    " I have," Cyanide replied calmly. "Your father taught me how."


    "Heh that son of a" Dianna began, but then ultimately decided to simply smile and refrain from insulting her own father. As much as he was scum for sleeping with other women, even if it was for missionary purposes, he was still her father. Nothing could change that, and even if she continued with that sentence, she would only be insulting her grandparentswho, by the way, she also never met.


    "Well, whatever," she said after a while, hopping off the edge of the sink and zipping her jumpsuit back up tight. "That felt good, Cyanide. It won''t be thest time, mkay? You''d better take responsibility for your actions~ "


    shing him a yful wink and a peace sign with her hand, Dianna headed out of the shower room. Cyanide sighed, waiting for his turn to exit so it wouldn''t seem suspicious, and stared up at the ceiling.


    Was what he did really right?


    Sure, it improved Dianna''s strength and would make her a more lethalbat power, and she seemed to enjoy doing it with him as well, but Cyanide still had second doubts about having sex with his teacher''s daughter, even if said teacher was dead now. He wondered how Anthrax would react if he saw this. Would he be mad? Sad? Or happy, perhaps?


    There was no way to know.


    *****


    Soon, everyone had gathered back together, with Cyanide beingst. When he arrived, Ragnar raised an eyebrow at him.


    "Where''d you disappear to?"


    "The roof," Cyanide lied in reply, not showing any change in hisplexion despite the clear and tant deception.


    "Huh" Ragnar was skeptical still and folded his arms, but he didn''t question it any further. "Anyway, since we''re all here now, we''re heading out, right?"


    Luna gave a nod. "The longer we wait, the more we are giving the Gamemaster an opportunity to fight back. Without a doubt, they already know of Lust''s escape, and will be plotting to prevent us from freeing the others."


    "Which means we should be careful, and not walk around swinging that greatsword like its a toy," Kirika said, folding her arms and shooting a nce at Ragnar.


    "Hey! I can be careful when I want to, alright?" Ragnar roared, and Kirika gave augh.


    "Sure, I believe you."


    As for Cyanide, he really did believe Ragnar. Without the ability to be careful when necessary, Ragnar would not have survived up until now. Although he seems like a barbarian and brute at first nce, he was a lot more than that. Cyanide was able to recognize that, and so was Luna and Dianna, judging by their silence.


    Standing up, Cyanide began heading for the stairs.


    "Let''s go."


    Ragnar, standing up as well and following after him, gave a chuckle.


    "Heck yeah can''t wait to p some mutant ass!"


    Little did he know, Cyanide did already p some mutant ass just a few minutes ago, in the shower


    *****


    Having been to the forest once before already, it was easy for Cyanide, Kirika, and Luna to lead the way. Once they entered, Silverfang took over, making sure no other mutant animals hiding in the wild forest dared to step out of line.


    However, even though he was here, the forest was still ominously quiet. Before, one could tell the animals were simply hiding. But now


    " I''m not sensing any auras," Kirika muttered. "This shouldn''t be possible"


    "The air in this ce it''s dirty," Silverfang growled.


    Ragnar frowned. "Dirty? What''s that supposed to mean?" He sniffed the air. "I don''t smell shit."


    "That''s the problem," Luna muttered. "A forest like this should be teeming with lifethe smell of nts, animals, nature. And yet we can''t smell anything. It''s as if all the life in this forest had gone away."


    " Can''t smell anything?" Dianna snickered darkly. "That''s not fully urate. Cyanide you smell it too, right? The smell"


    " Of death," Cyanide finished, carrying on walking as if nothing was wrong. "In the short time between ourst visit here and now, something big happened in this forest."


    " But what could wipe out an entire forest''s worth of life in such a short time, without making a big enough impact to alert the forest''s surroundings?" Kirika murmured in thought.


    "Cheh I don''t like this," Ragnar muttered, keeping a keen gaze on their surroundings.


    Before, the forest was filled with beautiful green trees and rich brown soil. Insects, both crawling and flying, were everywhere, and the sounds of life could be heard despite them all being mutants. Now, however, although the trees'' leaves were still green, they were no longer the same bright hue as before.


    They were dying.


    It was difficult to tell on the surface, but if one looked closely, they could see some leaves were turning purple, just like everything in the Corrupted Zone of the city.


    The virus the sentient virus it came here, for whatever reason, and further poisoned the already mutant-fied life beings.


    "" Lust was silent the whole way through as they walked, and Cyanide, Luna, and Dianna did not miss this tiny detail.

 Chapter 103: Player 000

    Chapter 103: yer 000


    As the group headed deeper into the forest, the stench of rot and death grew more and more. At the beginning, only Cyanide, Luna, and Dianna could smell it thanks to their experienced and super-enhanced mutants, but the other two soon realized it as well. Despite the time being noon theoretically, the thick virus-filled air that had taken over this forest created smog that made it seem like evening.


    Ragnar, who was used to his supersoldier biomechanical enhancements, was essentially hard nerfed aftering to Endzone. Had it been back on Earth, he would''ve detected this smell of death long ago, but now, it took him longer than usual. His usual barbarian attitude was nowhere to be seen, and just like he had one imed he could, he was now being serious. In his head, he was calcting, waiting.


    "Wait," Luna said, stopping in her tracks before a cave. "That cave up ahead the death aura seems to be leaking out from there."


    Kirika''s eyes widened a bit. "Isn''t that"


    " Yes," Silverfang growled, wing at the ground. "That cave was my oldir."


    "Seems someone else has taken over, eh?" Ragnar chuckled darkly, tightening his grip on his greatsword on his back. "Let''s see who it is."


    "Hold on," Cyanide said. "There is no point taking meaningless fights. Our goal is the Sentinel, nothing more."


    "Yes, but I''m afraid going through the cave is the only way to reach the other end of the mountains in the way," Luna said. "Climbing the mountains or walking all the way around them is also an option, but both of those methods will take a ridiculous amount of time."


    Cyanide sighed. "I see. If there''s no other route, then Ragnar and I will go in."


    "Only you two?" Kirika asked, confused. "Wouldn''t it be better if we all went in? Otherwise, it''s too dangerous."


    "Are you stupid?" Ragnar asked coldly all of a sudden, and red at Kirika. "Can''t you tell that they''re baiting us to go inside? If we all went in at the same time, that would be falling into their trap."


    "Wha" Kirika was a bit surprised at the sudden outburst on Ragnar''s part since he didn''t seem like the type to be able to be so harsh with words at first nce, but now she knew better. No one else said anything in her defense, mostly because as much as Ragnar''s words hurt, he was right. It was quite obvious that whatever was in the cave was luring them in on purpose, most likely to trap them inside or something of the sort.


    " We will remain out here, in case anything happens." Luna concluded. "I don''t have a good feeling about this, so Cyanide be careful."


    Cyanide gave a nod in agreement, and together, he and Ragnar prepared to enter the cave. But then, all of a sudden-


    Multiple hungry growls began emerging from the forest all around them, and looking into the shadows between the trees, they spotted countless pairs of glowing, possessed purple eyes, all of different altitudes and sizes.


    "This is!" Kirika''s eyes widened. "Impossible I didn''t sense their auras!"


    They were ambushed.


    "Grrrr" Silverfang let out a deep growl, trying to scare them off, but it did nothing. The animals no longer bowed to the forest''s kingthey served a new master now.


    "It must be because of the virus in the air, interfering with our cognition," Dianna analyzed calmly, closing her eyes and smiling, before activating her metal ws and creating a ring of throwing knives around herself. "Well no going back now."


    Shooting about a dozen throwing knives with a mere thought, Dianna sliced through one of the possessed mutant animalsa monkeywith ease. The machine fell backwards, off of the tree it had been on, four limbs and headpletely dismembered from the rest of its body. It appeared to bepletely dead, but then, somehow, the body spasmed a bit, and a mysterious maic force pulled the parts back together and healed it.


    The monkey slowly sat up, purple eyes glowing creepily, and smiled.


    Immediately, Luna activated her arsenal of weapons and turned her head to her Creator.


    "Go, Cyanide! These things won''t stoping until whatever''s possessing them is destroyedand that must be in the cave!"


    " Tch." Turning to the Ragnar briefly, Cyanide spoke. "Let''s go, you brute."


    "Don''t order me around, assassin," Ragnar replied, but took his greatsword off his back anyway and did as told.


    The two charged into the cave without any hesitation to fight their own battle while Luna, Dianna, Kirika, and Silverfang faced off with the iing horde of possessed animal mutants outside.


    Thetter group needed to buy as much time for the former duo as possible, while the former needed toplete their task as fast as they could, before thetter was overwhelmed.


    It was a race against fate itself, with the lives of both groups resting on both shoulders.


    *****


    From atop one of the tall mountains above the cave, a young man watched. He had white hair with some ck strands, and a lean figure that was simr to Cyanide''s, but shorter. One of his eyes gleamed bright purple, much like the possessed mutant animals attacking the others in the forest, while the other had a dark ck sclera instead of the usual white, paired with an ominous darker purple glow.


    But this man was no mutant. He was exactly human, either. If one were topare him to someone else the closest would probably be Luna.


    As Cyanide and Ragnar entered the cave while the others remained outside and fought, the young man bit on his nail and chewed on it, remaining in a crouching position on the very peak of the mountain.


    "Hehe they think that they''ve outsmarted me, but this is all ording to n."


    Focusing his gaze on Cyanide in particr, heughed like somewhat of a psychopath.


    "Hehehehe~! Don''t die now, Cyanide I want to be able to face you with my own two hands. Show me you''re worth the trouble, okay?"


    With a gentle voice that almost seemed like obsessive love, the young man giggled and finally stood up, revealing his loose, bandaged clothes, and the deadly and corrosive purple aura of the virus all around him.


    He was not like any other yer. Whereas all the other contestants had a number assigned to them, this one did not.


    Of course he didn''t. After all, he was not a contestant from the outside to begin with.


    He, was yer 000.


    With a borderline-maniacalugh, he spread his arms widely.


    "Now let the show begin."

 Chapter 104: Virus Tumor

    Chapter 104: Virus Tumor


    Inside the cave, the chaos outside could not be heard. It waspletely silent, the sounds outside being buried by the thick aura that coated the air. It was ominous, dark. It wasn''t direct poison, per se, but it felt like it.


    Cyanide and Ragnar walked closely together, careful to not be separated. The coat and dense air that shrouded the entire cave''s interior was not forgiving, and would punish the two if they let their guards down for even one single moment.


    After sniffing the air, Cyanide determined the direction of the root of this air, and shot a nce at Ragnar. Understanding the meaning of his gaze, Ragnar gave a nod, and followed after him.


    Soon, they arrived at what looked like a massive tumor. It was noxious, emitting the virus''s purple energy all around it, and had a stone outer shell around it. It pulsed with light, pumping the venomous virus-filled air out with every time it glowed.


    " So, we just got destroy that, huh?" Ragnar muttered, readying his stone greatsword.


    "Seems like it. But-"


    "ming Crescent!"


    Cyanide had been about to tell him to wait and observe for a little longer, but it was already toote. Ragnar unleashed a deadly crescent-shaped projectile of raw fire at the tumor, striking its shell directly. Unfortunately, the stone absorbed the fire, rendering his attackpletely useless.


    " Tch. Pretty tough, for a slightly-decorated piece of rock. And wait is it just me, or is it getting bigger?"


    Ragnar was rightthe tumor had increased in size just a little as a result of the attack. It would seem the rock shell had absorbed the energy of the Soul Art, and converted it into energy for the virus tumor.


    " This is why I was going to tell you to wait," Cyanide muttered. "Look up there."


    Ragnar followed where Cyanide was pointing with his gaze, and arched an eyebrow. "Tendrils, of some sort?"


    "That seems to be what''s fueling power to the tumor," Cyanide analyzed, lifting his gun and aiming at the two twisted vein-like rock tentacles hanging the tumor in the air. Then, he unleashed two bullets, each urately hitting one of the two tentacles. They swung a bit, but didn''t break.


    Ragnar, seeing this, gave a chuckle and stepped forward.


    "Can''t be attacking like that, little guy. To take out something like this you need the big boy weapons."


    As if to demonstrate, Ragnar leaped upwards and swung at the two tendrils with his massive stone greatsword, shattering the two tentacles instantly.


    The massive tumor fell to the cavefloor, shaking the earth. Standing atop of it, Ragnar rubbed his nose in triumph, greatsword over his back.


    "Heh. Just like that."


    But Cyanide,pletely unamused, merely pointed up, above Ragnar''s head.


    "?" Ragnar turned up, confused, and saw multiple enormous stctites shaking above him.


    " Oh, crud."


    Immediately, he leaped off the top of the massive stone-encased tumor as the chunks of rock came crashing down, and hended on the ground solidly, using his greatsword to bnce himself. Then, ring at Cyanide, he gave a snort.


    " You baited me to do that on purpose, didn''t you?"


    Cyanide closed his eyes and shrugged, then opened them again and stepped closer to the tumor, now withyers of rock piled on top of it. He bent down, pointed his gun at the center of the debris, and unleashed a bullet.


    Instantly, from the pile of rock rose the massive tumor once more, though it was no longer attached to the cave ceiling. Instead, it was now simply hovering in the air, with those two tendrils hanging to the ceiling from earlier now converted into long, colossal arms made of pure rock. The stone casing around it shifted and opened up slightly, revealing an eye-like inner purple core that glowed and pulsed.


    " Hmph. Knew you weren''t dead," Cyanide muttered, backing away a good distance.


    "So, that''s its true form, huh?" Ragnar said, stepping up beside him. "Well, a few good swings will do the trick."


    "Do you not learn?" Cyanide asked, staring at him coldly, but to that, Ragnar only gave a low chuckle and tightened his grip on his greatsword.


    "Heh nothing can''t be solved with a good beating."


    Growing tired of the two''s little conversation, the massive flying tumor swung one of its stone arms down between the two, and Cyanide and Ragnar both leaped away, albeit thetter was far slower. The creature, however, did not stop there.


    Swinging its long tendrils against the pirs and stgmites in the cave without any remorse, the tumor destroyed anything who got within range and seemed to show no sign of ending this rampage anytime soon. Cyanide looked for any sign of openings or weaknesses, and ultimately determined that the purple core was what they needed to hit. But the question was how were they going to even get close like this?


    The next time the tumor swung down with one of its tendrils and hit the ground, however, Ragnar was ready. Smirking, he immediately began his counterattack. Hopping onto the creature''s tentacle and using his own weight to keep it down, he rushed upwards towards the creature''s core and mmed down with his greatsword.


    The massive tumor immediately shielded its inner core with its stone shell, but as a result, this left the other end open. Cyanide, sliding underneath the same tentacle Ragnar had stepped on, emerged on the other side, and hip-fired an array of bullets directly into the tumor''s exposed core.


    "EEEE-!"


    A loud shriek echoed across the interior of the cave as the core was damaged, but the duo wasn''t quite done yet. The tumor was confused at being attacked from both sides, and for a moment, its defenses were leftpletely down. Cyanide had done so much to give Ragnar this beautiful openinghe wasn''t about to squander it and let it go to waste.


    With a dangerous gleam in his eyes, he charged up a Fire Affinity Weapon Art:


    "Searing Edge!"

 Chapter 105: Furys Edge

    Chapter 105: Fury''s Edge


    mes burst out of Ragnar''s greatsword''s de, zing and erupting with hot orange fire. Mustering up as much strength as he could manage, he leaped upwards and cut straight into the tumor''s core, carving out a bright white line with his mes.


    "SHREEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!" The tumor screamed in agony as it was burned apart, and began swinging its tentacles wildly and spasming from pain. Ragnar was thrown off andnded a few meters away, digging his greatsword into the fractured stone ground to keep himself from getting tossed away by force.


    "Shit it''s goddamn tough," he muttered, breathing heavily. Due to getting so close to the virus-filled core, his HP had drastically gotten drainedagainst poison, the DEF stat was useless. "Even after that, it''s still alive?"


    " Not for long."


    The whisper of death came by his ear as Cyanide appeared out of seemingly nowhere beside him and cut through the core using the one-hundredth of a millisecond''s opening before the tumor could use its shell to protect itself. It was a suicidal move at first nce, attempting to dive through the core itself which theoretically contained a dense amount of the virus and would drain the HP of anyone who attempted to go close to it, much less enter it directly.


    Cyanide knew that, however, and that''s why he used the Weapon Art, [Vampiric de]. The additional extra HP he gained with the kill based on the target''s max health would serve to heal him up nearly back to full, allowing him to withstand the poison of the virus.


    As the massive purple tumor''s core slowly fractured into lines of white light, the cave shook more and more. Until finally, atst, it exploded into a mysterious purple liquid that stained the cave ceiling and floor all around.


    Cyanide was revealed behind where it had once been floating, just in time to stow away his weapons calmly. Before him, several messages disyed:


    [Obtained Heart of Corruption x1]


    [Obtained Fury''s Edge x1]


    [Obtained Corruption Seed x5]


    Then, slowly, he angled his head at Ragnar, and spoke.


    " Not bad, for a mindless brute."


    At this, Ragnar gave a chuckle.


    "Heh. You too, show-off."


    "By the way you want this?"


    Cyanide pulled the weapon called [Fury''s Edge] out from his inventory and swung it around a few times. It was made of stone just like Ragnar''s old one, but this one was clearly far deadlier. Strangely, the de was in fact not intact, and was instead made of several pieces of rock hovering near each other to form a sharp, de-like shape. The sword pulsed purple stemming from the purple orb held within the weapon''s crossguard, powering the de and giving it the maism-like force it needed to string all the rock pieces together.


    Cyanide inspected it up and down, and ultimately nodded.


    "Take it. Too clunky for me."


    "Oh? You''re just gonna give this to me for free?" Ragnarughed. "Didn''t know you were this nice, assassin."


    "Don''t make meugh," Cyanide snorted. "I don''t do free favors. I''m giving this to you now, but in the future, I''m expecting you to give me something in return as well."


    "Ha! Don''t worry, I''m a man of my word, unlike you," Ragnar said boldly, taking the greatsword in his hand. "I don''t want to owe my nemesis anything, so you can rest assured I''ll pay you back. But for now I owe you one."


    *****


    Outside, Luna, Dianna, Kirika, and Silverfang were struggling. They had already killed hordes and hordes of these mutant animals, but every time they killed one and turned to another, the ones they killed before rose back from the dead, brand-new, eager to kill, and even stronger.


    "This isn''t good" Luna muttered, gritting her teeth. Even though she was an AI super-robot with a powerful physical body kitted with countless deadly weapons and insane mobility, even she did not have infinite energy.


    Moreover, Dianna and Kirika were both struggling as well as the fight dragged on, and Silverfang, who already had countless injuries and scratches on his supposedly immune armor was breathing heavily.


    And yet, of them were giving up. The thought never once even crossed their minds, because they knew. They knew that if they were to give up here, Cyanide would have to be the one to take over their mess. And if there''s one thing all four of them shared inmon it was the fact that all of them cared about Cyanide in their own way. As for Ragnar well, they could care less.


    Still, the four''s conditions were not looking so good. All of them were running low on HP from wear and tear throughout the length of the fight, and Luna''s ammunition on her artillery of weapons were all running low. Shecked a proper melee weapon even now, so she was forced to rely on ammunition, which recharged overtime on their ownbut that time was extremely slow.


    Needless to say, the battle was starting to shift in the mutant animals'' favors.


    "Hngh" Kirika blocked a mutant bear''s sharp and tough ws with her katana, doing her best to push it back, but from behind her, a mutant shake''s fangs bared.


    "Look out, Kirika!" Luna yelled, but it was toote. Dianna and her were too upied to help,pletely surrounded by enemies of their own.


    "!" Kirika''s eyes widened as she saw the snake behind her, but there was no way out. She had already expended all of her Soulforce, and the rest of her skills that could be used to escape were all on cooldown.


    Her HP was already lowwithout a doubt, if that snake sank its fangs into her ankle, she would die.


    But that''s IF it got the chance.


    BANG!


    A bullet flew out of nowhere, past all the obstacles in the way. Just over Dianna''s head, through the legs of a towering mutant ape, beside the ear of a mutant tiger, whizzing past everything else and striking the serpent straight through its open mouth, taking its life instantly.


    And unlike before it did not get back up.


    Luna''s eyes widened beneath her blindfold, and she instantly could tell who it was.


    "Cyanide!"


    There was no time to respond, however, as there were still plenty more mutant animals to defeat. Cyanide and Ragnar immediately dove into the battle. Cyanide used [Lightning Chain] to stun all the mutant animals and unleash a devastating [Toxin Air] on the field, while Ragnar summoned his Pyromaniac form and wentpletely berserk on the mutants.


    Within minutes, all the mutant animals on the field had been killed. They did not revive. Not anymore, now that their source of energy had been destroyed.


    " Whew, that was a workout," Dianna said, punching Cyanide in the shoulder. "I worked really hard today better give me a reward when we get back, mkay~?"


    Cyanide nodded so that she would be happy, but his focus was more directed at the level-up message he received, telling him that he''d reached Level 32.


    As for Ragnar he leveled up as well, saving the need for any healing (when one leveled-up, their HP was restored to full), and was now sitting in a corner away from everyone, reading about Weapon Enhancement and Refinement.

 Chapter 106: Corruption Zones

    Chapter 106: Corruption Zones


    Through this once-endless onught of the mutant animals, everyone in the group gained one level, and thus were healed back to full HP and Soulforce. As such, there was no need to find methods to heal or anything of the sort. Their minds and bodies still needed some rest, though, so the group decided to take a short break for about 15 minutes, and just relieve some stress.


    Cyanide, naturally, took this time to allocate his newly-obtained CP as well as browse through the [Skills] shop. In the end, he spent the CP on INT to further amplify his Soul Art and Weapon Arts'' power levels, and of course, the SP he spent was also tailored to that. He had 7 in total, so it was going to be a nice shopping spree.


    First, he obtained a skill called [sh Shooter]. It cost 3 SPvery expensivebut the trade-off was also great. It allowed him to transform his gun into one that shot lightning instead of real bullets for a set duration, dealing more damage and also inflicting the Shock status ailment on enemies with enough stacks. But that wasn''t even allwithin this duration, reloading was unnecessary, he had infinite ammo, and every time his lightning hit an enemy (counting the chaining effect between enemies), he would gain movement speed, jump height, and agility overall.


    With the remaining 4 SP, Cyanide decided to obtain some Soul Arts instead. [Death''s Culling], a rare passive Soul Art that allowed him to reap the remaining lifeforce of enemies from their corpses when they died, restoring HP to Cyanide, and [Thunderflight], a Lightning Affinity Soul Art that allowed him to fly for about a minute or so at its base level. During this duration, he could rain down sharp feathers charged with lightning from his wings, but every time he shot one, the remaining duration of the effect would be reduced.


    Both were extremely useful skills that could be used both offensively and defensively,plimenting Cyanide''s bncedbat style.


    Soon, however, someone sat down next to him, and disturbed his quietness.


    " Do you need something?" He asked, shooting the neer a nce.


    "Yeah. I just wanted to say thanks," the girl said, biting her bottom lip nervously. Cyanide didn''t fail to notice this, and gave a sigh.


    " You should know better than to thank me, Kiri. Are you expecting a ''you''re wee''? If so, I''m afraid you''ll find yourself disappointed. I''ve never been told ''thanks'' before in my life, and so neither have I ever said the words ''you''re wee''until now, that is."


    "I''m not expecting anything," Kirika said softly, hugging her knees. "It''s just my family''s code states that as a samurai, I must always show courtesy to others, and repay favors tenfold. And since you saved my life, but I don''t have anything really to offer for now all I can say is ''thank you''. It''s a bitme, I know, but-"


    "It isme," Cyanide agreed, nodding.


    "Hey! Can''t you learn to beforting to girls, for once?" Kirika pouted, folding her arms.


    "Oh? Is that forting girls'' I hear?" A third voice interrupted as Dianna approached with a smile and sat down on Cyanide''s other side. "My father was an expert at that. It''s hard to believe his pupil isn''t or does he just not want to beforting, I wonder?"


    Cyanide looked Dianna in the face, but she only smiled innocently at him,pletely unfazed by his look. If there were two people in this world who were undaunted by Cyanide''s death-spelling gaze, it would be Ragnar, and Dianna.


    " If this is all you two came for, leave," Cyanide said atst. "I''m busy."


    "Now, now, don''t be like that," Dianna said with a giggle, tapping him on the shoulder. "I have a question for you, that might help exin what the encounter just now was all about."


    Cyanide frowned. " What is it?"


    "That thing inside the cave what did it look like?"


    Dianna''s expression was wholeheartedly serious, and by the gaze in her eyes, it was clear she wasn''t joking aroundnot this time.


    " It was a core," Cyanide said. "A massive purple orb of virus energy, protected by a stone shell. Two rock tentacles were on either side of it like arms, and they, along with the cave''s stctites and stgmites, were its weapons. Does that help?"


    " Hm." Dianna fell into thought. "As expected this confirms my theory."


    Cyanide narrow his eyes. "You''ve been through a simr situation before?"


    Dianna nodded. "It was back when I was still a yer, nearing the end stages of the game. At the time, there were many Corruption Zones all around on the map, and each had one of these ''cores'' at its center."


    "In other words the Corruption Zones can be cleansed by destroying the core," Cyanide murmured."


    "Yes. But just like with anything else in this world, Corruption Zones alsoe in levels. The longer one remains active for, the more dangerous it will be, and the further it will spread. They are living, sentient. As for the one we just encountered it would seem to be fairly newperhaps a day or two at best."


    "And how, exactly, are Corruption Zones born?" Ragnar asked, joining the conversation from across the path, leaning against a tree with his greatsword by his side. "Do they just randomly appear out of nowhere, or what?"


    "That I''m not sure," Dianna murmured. "Before, I believed they were simply random, but this one it seems too perfectly timed to just be a coincidence."


    "Somebody is trying to get in your way," Lust said, hovering around. "They are trying to prevent you from reaching the other Sentinels. Thinkwho could it be?"


    "The GM is the most usible answer, but" Luna frowned, resting her chin on her hand. "For some reason, I find it difficult to believe this is his doing. If he wanted to directly interfere like so, there are a million better, more effective methods to kill us."


    "In other words, there''s someone else onto us, huh?" Cyanide sighed, standing up. "So be it.. We''re going."

 Chapter 107: Venomization

    Chapter 107: Venomization


    As Cyanide and the others walked on ahead, Dianna hung back with Kirika, and draped her arm on the other girl''s shoulder.


    " Hey, cheer up."


    "E-Eh?" Kirika blinked, slightly surprised. "What?"


    Dianna sighed. "Really it''s no use ying dumb, if your acting skills are this bad. It''s practically written on your faceCyanide knows as well, but since he doesn''t know how to deal with things like this, he chose to ignore it. Tell methe real reason you came to say ''thank you'' to him wasn''t because of your samurai code, was it?"


    "That" Kirika averted her gaze, trailing off. Dianna smiled slightly in mncholy, knowing that she was on the mark.


    " Listen. I know how you feel right now. Like a burden, right? Like a failure? Like you can''t do anything except get protected by others?"


    "" Kirika was silent, but her clenched fists showed that she was listening to Dianna''s words.


    "I know. I know, because I once felt the same way."


    "Eh?" Kirika''s eyes widened a bit as she turned to Dianna. "But you''re so strong how?"


    Dianna smiled cryptically, and closed one eye. "What if I told you you''re only weak because you think you''re weak?"


    "Wha"


    "The way you fight says a lot about you," Dianna stated, folding her arms. "Now, I don''t know much about samurai, but I''ve heard they''re pretty focused on honor and discipline. And yet you aren''t."


    At this, Kirika was confused. "I I don''t understand. How am I not fighting with honor and discipline?"


    "Your techniques and heart are both good. Honor and discipline should be easy for you. But you''re missing one crucial factor thates before everything else when ites tobat."


    "What''s that?"


    Dianna smiled.


    " Confidence."


    Kirika blinked. "Confidence?"


    "Yes," Dianna replied. "Can''t you see? If you''re constantly thinking of yourself as a ''burden'' or a ''failure'', you''ll never be able to unlock your full potential. That researcher girl she taught me that. When I first came into this world, I was just a clueless teenager, young and stupid. I was weak, and needed to rely on others to protect me. But once I learned the meaning of confidence, the meaning of ambition I was able to finally stand up and fight for myself."


    "I see" Kirika murmured, clenching the hilt of her katana tightly. "Confidence you''re right. If I don''t even believe in myself, how can I expect myself to get stronger, and for others to believe in me?"


    At this, Dianna smiled.


    "That''s the spirit."


    As she began walking away, making a peace-sign with her hand and winking, Kirika smiled back, hope renewed.


    " Thanks, Dianna."


    *****


    As the group set off and left the scene, the dead mutant animals'' bodies disappearing one after another, a figure gently flew down from the air high above, andnded in front of the cave.


    "Hm looks like the improvised Venomization process didn''t work," the boy said, giggling to himself. "They''re stronger than I originally anticipated I was hoping to get rid of everyone else around the target with this move, but heheheh. This makes things more interesting- ngh!"


    Suddenly, a voice thundered in his head, and he fell to the floor, clutching his white hair in pain.


    [I care not about whether it is interesting or not, gue. I only want one thing: results.]


    "Agh!" The young man screamed in pain, rolling around on the floor. His left eye, the one with the ck sclera, shone an intense, zing purple, as if glowing, and beneath his skin, dark violet liquid ran through his veins.


    After several minutes of wild thrashing, the young man finally settled down, and the pain faded away from his bones.


    "Hah hah hah" He was left panting as he struggled back to his feet, body shaking, but his expression was that of a smile. A maniacal, psychopathic smile, one that rivaled if not surpassed Cyanide''s own.


    [ Hopefully, that has taught you a lesson. I will allow you to y around and do your own thing, but do not forget what I created you for. Your purpose. Your meaning. And most importantly your target.]


    Smile broadening, the young man named gue bared his teeth, eyes still shining an ominous purple.


    " Yes, my Creator."


    Then, turning to a nearby mutant animal in the forest who just barely managed to escape the fight, he walked closer to it and picked it up. It was a small squirrel, injured and terrified. The boy smiled like a madman, opened his mouth, and


    Devoured it whole.


    *****


    - Some Days Earlier, After the GM''s Conversation with Fate -


    " Boy. Wake up."


    "Hm?"


    A young teen who seemed to be in his fifteens or sixteens struggled to open his eyes, as a tall man towered before him like a statue.


    "At longst, it is time for you to show yourself."


    "Oh?" The boy sat up, intrigued, as the man continued.


    "Do you remember what the initial purpose of creating you was, gue? The one and only reason of your existence?"


    "Of course," the boy replied obediently. "I am your cleaner. The sentient virus. The one who finishes off thest yer when they think they''ve won."


    "Good," the man said in acknowledgment. "It seems the years have not polluted your memory. Regardless, you were never needed this way in the past, since you were the ultimate,st card I wanted to y, but this time, things are different. There is a yer who is part of this batchcode 097, alias Cyanide. He not only stepped beyond the rules but shattered them altogether."


    " C-y-a-n-i-d-e," the boy murmured innocently, sounding out the word.


    "You have one task," the man said quietly, coldly. "Get rid of him, before it''s toote. Is that clear?"


    Slowly, the boy nodded, curious at his new job. He''s never done something this interesting before, just always shut in his dark cage and called out when he was needed to kill the final survivor of the batch.


    Perhaps this was his chance to have some fun.


    "Remember," the man said, turning around and beginning to walk away.. "Failure is not an option."

 Chapter 108: Mutant Anacondas

    Chapter 108: Mutant Anacondas


    With the help of Luna''s lights, navigating through the cave was easy. Earlier, when Ragnar and Cyanide were fighting the massive virus tumor, the purple light being emitted from its core was enough to provide illumination for them, but now that the tumor had been destroyed, they were forced to rely on a different source of light.


    Luna, naturally, was perfect for that. She had everything in her toolkit, from highly advanced weapons to a whole set of kitchen cookware. Lights, of course, were no exception.


    Even after the tumor was destroyed, however, the cave''s interior was still filled with the virus''s remnants. They didn''t affect yers or Luna, and Silverfang seemed to be coping fine as well, but Dianna in particr was suffering. Her breathing was heavy as she tried to control herself from being possessed, but after a while, Cyanide decided to simply make things easier by striking her on the back of her neck, knocking her out cold, and carrying her on his back. Taskplete.


    Soon, they arrived at the exit of the cave, all the way on the other end. It was stuffed full with debris thanks to thest time Cyanide was here and fought Silverfang, but with a good couple of swings from Ragnar''s greatsword, the exit was cleared.


    And on the other side they found what would be called a jungle. Not like the forest on the other side of the cave and all the mountains, but a real, Amazon rainforest-esque jungle.


    "Holy shit" Ragnar muttered, and Cyanide shot him a look.


    "Never seen a rainforest before?"


    "No, not that," Ragnar said. "It''s just goddamn hot, without my equipment from Earth on."


    "For a Fire Affinity user, I''d imagine you are quite apt at handling heat," Luna stated airily. "I suppose not."


    "I am," Ragnar said. "Just not without my proper equipmentthe same equipment I''ve been wearing for years beforeing here. I feel naked without it."


    "Ragnar," Cyanide suddenly said as he came to a stop.


    "What?"


    " Do you have any way to keep your footsteps quieter?"


    "Uh"


    It was then that he realized his footsteps were the only ones making sounds as he walked through the rainforest jungle, whereas everyone else''s was either very subtle or silent altogether.


    " Nope," he concluded. "Not really."


    Cyanide sighed. "Well, whatever. You can serve as a distraction in case anythinges up, then."


    " Really?" Ragnar shot him a deadpan re and Cyanide shrugged.


    "You''re the tank anyway, no?"


    " Fine."


    With that settled, the group continued moving through the tropical rainforest, keeping a keen eye around them for any sign of danger. Fresh green shrubs and bushes lined their sides, andrge and twisted roots climbed up the nearby trees. The sound of cicadas filled the group''s ears, and all around them, nature in its finest shape stood.


    " It hasn''t been all that long since we''ve came to this world, but it sure feels like it," Kirika said, ncing around in wonder at the natural beauty around them. "Such a raw disy of nature it''s been a while since Ist saw a ce like this."


    "Yeah the forest on the other side of the cave was somewhat unpolluted by the virus before today, but this is something else," Luna said. "This ce it makes it easy to forget we''re in a post-apocalyptic, abandoned world of mutants."


    "That is because of Envy''s presence," Lust stated, hovering around. "Her influence has prevented the virus from corrupting the state of things here."


    "Why would the GM station a Sentinel here, though?" Ragnar asked, folding his arms. "If they''re trying to keep yers away from finding the Sentinels, why put one in a safe haven like this?"


    "He''s right, it doesn''t make sense," Luna said. "However"


    " It''s simple, really," Cyanide said. "This ce it''s not a safe haven at all."


    "Correct," Luna finished. "The tropical rainforest is widely regarded as one of if not the most dangerous biomes in natureeven above deserts. The amount of dangers that can be found here are tremendous, even without any virus affecting it. Any inexperienced person stupid enough to choose this ce as their ''safe haven'' will soon find themselves meeting a gruesome end."


    "Huh? Like what, giant snakes?" Ragnar scoffed. "If theye, I''ll whack their asses. No big deal."


    With augh, he swung his greatsword over his back, and carried on walking. But then, the entire group stopped as they heard a sound.


    "Ssssss."


    The sound of snakes. Multiple of them.


    "Look up!" Kirika yelled, pointing up at the trees. There, coiled around the branches and trunks up high in the air, were six enormous anacondas, staring down at us like predators looking at their prey.


    " Oh, shit."


    Cyanide lifted his gun and shot a bullet at one of them, but it bounced harmlessly off the serpent''s scaly body. It was clear these were no normal anacondassomehow, they had skin as tough as metalfighting them here was impossible.


    And if fighting was out of the option, then


    " Good luck," Cyanide said before dashing away deeper into the rainforest, followed by Dianna and Luna. Kirika dashed by as well with Lust trailing shortly behind, leaving Ragnar the only one who still hadn''t moved.


    "Wha-?! Hey, you guys- ugh, dammit!"


    He knew his limits, and began running as well. He''ll be damned if he has to fight those six massive snakes on his own. Bullets didn''t even work, so chances are, his greatsword wouldn''t do much better without the use of Weapon Arts. And despite how he seems on the surface, he wasn''t stupid enough to risk burning down the entire forest and Envy with it by creating a forest fire with his Fire Affinity Weapon Arts.


    "Ssss!"


    The six massive snakes, each at least 7 meters in length, chased after the group by sliding along the trees with their huge bodies. Despite their weight, however, the tree branches did not snap or break, and instead provided an excellent terrain for them to ride on as they hunted down their prey.


    "Agh, dammit! Is this what they call karma?!" Ragnar cursed in fury as he ran. "Fuck!"

 Chapter 109: The Rainforests Traps

    Chapter 109: The Rainforest''s Traps


    "Uhhhhh, they''re catching up!" Kirika yelled, ncing back at the half a dozen massive anacondas chasing after them, slithering on the tree branches. "We''re not gonna make it, just running aimlessly like this!"


    " Now, Luna."


    "Understood."


    Suddenly, the trio ahead of them, consisting of Dianna, Luna, and Cyanide, stopped in their tracks and spun back around to face the serpents. They had sessfully lured them out into the open, an area with no trees close by, where the snakes no longer had any ce to retreat to.


    Luna opened up her homing missileuncher from one of her metal appendages spouting from her back, but instead of normal, explosive missiles, these ones werepletely harmless and only meant to create smoke.


    But of course, what''s smoke without a little fire?


    "Ragnar," Cyanide began, but the underground vignte was already on it.


    "Yeah, yeah, I know!"


    Activating his Weapon Art [Searing Edge], he swiped his sword seemingly at nothing but thin air. Naturally, however, that was not the purpose of this movementinstead, it was to create the smell of something burning, the smell of heat.


    And now, for the final act


    "Finally, my turn," Kirika said with a smile, and pulled out her katana in a vertical fashion.


    "Way of the Tempest  Spinning Gale!"


    Creating a light tornado that sweeped up the air, Kirika''s wind carried the smell of Ragnar''s burning sword into the smoke using the status ailment reaction of ''Spread'': Fire plus Wind.


    All the preparations were in ce. Now, all that was left was to execute the n.


    Cyanide and Dianna leaped into the gas with their high agility, scaling the trees to use them as a foothold to jump off of. There, Cyanide used [Inspect] to determine the serpent''s locations, and pulled out his knife. Down below, Luna fired a couple of warning shots her minigun to further confuse the serpents'' senses.


    Instantly locking onto his target, Cyanide swung himself from a vine on the tree andnded directly on top of one of the snakes. It was clearly surprised at the sudden attack from a direction it did not expect with all the distractions around covering each of its senses, but it was already toote.


    Cyanide stabbed the snake directly in the eye with his charged up Vampiric de with enhanced ATK, and watched coldly as the sound of ss shattering rang in his ears. The serpent opened its mouth widely to scream in pain, but Cyanide harshly shoved his gun in its mouth and unleashed a flurry of silent bullets, all the while keeping apletely neutral expression on his face.


    The anaconda''s eyes widened as its entire body''s interior was sted open with holes, and the light faded away from its mechanical eyes as it turned into nothing but shards of white light and experience for Cyanide.


    [Obtained Snake Scales x8.]


    [Obtained Snake Fangs x2.]


    [Obtained Snake Meat x5.]


    On the other trees across from Cyanide, Dianna had taken down one of the anacondas as well with her ability to control throwing knives. However, the fight was not yet overthere were four more to go, all four of which still didn''t even know their brothers had been massacred already.


    The prey had be the hunters. The predators had be the hunted.


    Because [Inspect] had no cooldown, Cyanide could continue to abuse it to find the serpents'' locations. As long as there was no solid object between the entity and himself, [Inspect] would always work. That''s how the skill functioned, and it was an exploit Cyanide discovered long ago.


    [Name: Mutant Anaconda (Stage Two Mutant)]


    [Level: 30]


    [HP: 3000/3000]


    [Category: Beast]


    Quickly, he located the next serpent and moved towards it, getting the jump on it once again. The poor snake had been busy trying to detect its surroundings by sticking its tongue out like most serpents did, but Cyanide casuallynded on its hand and stomped down as hard as he could, causing the anaconda to bite its own tongue. Once again, it could not even open its mouth to attack before it was promptly finished off with two bullets straight in the eyes.


    After all, those were its weaknesses. Its defense was immense on its scales, but the eyes and inside of its mouth were two critical spots that could guarantee a kill with ease. What use was all that attack power if you died before you could even use it?


    On the other end, Dianna took down two more snakes using her knives'' tracking abilities, meaning there was only one remaining. Cyanide saw a glimpse of it in front of him, but it appeared to be retreating. It knew that staying here was suicide... but then again, it''s not like running away now was going to do much.


    Cyanide was an assassin. And this serpent... was his target.


    Using [Thunderflight], Cyanide rose into the air. Two abyssal purple wings shot out of his back, lined with electricity, and he immediately dove towards where the final serpent was. He couldn''t afford to let it get away, and call for help.


    He shot forward a bolt of purple lightning from his wings, striking the serpent in the back and stunning it momentarily. Of course, this meant the flight effect was cancelled early, but that didn''t matter. He was already there anyway.


    Landing on top of the snake, Cyanide executed it with the second variation of Stealth Takedown, from above. Because the snake was inflicted with the Shock status ailment, its defense stat was reduced to zero, thus making the kill easy.


    As the final serpent faded away to white light and EXP, Cyanide holstered his weapons and silently awaited the item gains feed to pop up.


    [Obtained Snake Scales x7.]


    [Obtained Snake Fangs x2.]


    [Obtained Snake Meat x6.]


    [Blueprint Unlocked: Anaconda''s Fang]


    [Achievement Unlocked: Beast Hunter I]


    The first three items were all the usual, but... this blueprint... it seemed to be for a weapon. That was the first time Cyanide''s gotten one to drop. The achievement, of course, was for taking down three mutants of the Beast category.


    ".... Hm, how interesting."

 Chapter 110: Anacondas Fang

    Chapter 110: Anaconda''s Fang


    Soon after defeating the massive serpents, the group found a good ce to get some restanother cave, simr to the one they had came here through but far smaller. In all honesty, it was more like a canopy than a cave with how shallow it was, but that was fhis wasn''t meant to be a long rest anyway.


    "That was some good teamwork back there," Ragnar chuckled, resting his arm on his knee. "None of us said anything beforehand, but we all just instinctively knew what the n was all about and contributed our part. Not bad at all for a first-time team, I would say."


    "Yeah, I agree," Kirika added, sitting across from him. "Just an hour ago, I wouldn''t have been able to pull something like that off. But after being told a speech about confidence by a certain someone I felt the boldness needed to make that move."


    "Oh? A certain someone?" Ragnar lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "Cyanide doesn''t seem like the type to give encouragement."


    "Not him," Kirika said with a smile. "Dianna."


    "Ohhh. Yeah, that girl''s hot. I prefer older women though."


    " Speaking of," Kirika hurriedly said, voluntarily deciding to ignore Ragnar''s statement. "Where are those two, anyway?"


    "They''re above," Luna interjected, standing at the entrance of the cave. "Working on something, it seems like."


    "Hm? The girlfriend ain''t jealous?" Ragnar snickered, to which Luna gave a snort.


    "Why would I be? In fact, I am happy Cyanide is opening up to more people. That is healthy, psychology-wise."


    But Ragnar onlyughed and said, "Copium."


    Luna ignored hisment and instead simply walked away to somewhere alone, where she could perform maintenance on all her parts.


    Meanwhile, up on the roof of the cave


    " Hm."


    Cyanide inspected the Crafting system in his inventory, carefully observing at one particr item he could Craft in particr: The Anaconda''s Fang.


    It was a weapon with a purple background in the system, marked as ''Epic'' rarity. ording to Luna, there were only two rarities above Epic: Legendary, which was marked by a gold background, and Mythic, which was marked by a red background. Regardless, this weapon would be a major upgrade from Cyanide''s current weapon, even if it was enhanced to Rank 3. The [Kitchen Knife] he had currently only had a meager ATK stat of 35, but the Anaconda''s Fang at Rank 1 was already 75 ATK.


    The question was whether or not Cyanide was willing to switch things up.


    He''d always used a knife in the past to pair with his gun. This weapon, however, is more like a scimitarlonger and less simplistic to use. He could still pair it with his gun, but he would need to slightly adjust hisbat style to amodate the new type of weapon.


    "What are you still hesitating for, Cyanide?" Dianna asked, bending over slightly from beside him to look up at his face. "You can''t stick to your old ways anymorenot aftering to this world. I learned that the hard way. Didn''t my father teach you? Adapt."


    "I am aware. But" Cyanide nced down at his knife. It wasn''t emotional attachment. A knife was simply a weapon, a tool to kill. Nothing more. However the feel of a knife in his hand still beat any other tool. Adaptyes, Anthrax had taught him that. The power to change and learn was one of the most powerful abilities of humans. But even so the idea of changing the same weapon he''d used all his life was somewhat of a challenge.


    But still, what needed to be done needed to be done. With a sigh, Cyanide crafted the [Anaconda''s Fang]. It cost 2 [Snake Fangs] and 2 [Wood] to make one, both of which he had. Wood was easily obtainable from all the trees around here, and Snake Fangs were dropped by the anacondas they just killed. Right now, Cyanide had 6 Snake Fangs, which was enough to make three, meaning Rank Two Enhancement, but


    He turned to Dianna, who met his gaze with a smile.


    "Want mine?"


    " I owe you one," Cyanide said, and Dianna giggled.


    "Don''t worry about it. I owe you a lot more, don''t you think?"


    "" Cyanide didn''t respond to that, instead simply taking the Snake Fangs from Dianna, who retrieved them from her inventory. Then, he got to crafting using the Blueprint, dragging the wood and Snake Fangs from his inventory into the crafting menu like a simple drag-and-drop mechanic.


    Since Crafting was instant, within seconds, Cyanide had six copies of the [Anaconda''s Fang] readily avable. He then proceeded to Enhance the weapon with five of the copies, turning it into a Rank 5 [Anaconda''s Fang] with an ATK stat of 150. The final copy was left as a spare back-up, just in case the enhanced one broke or got lost somehow.


    It would seem that higher-rarity weapons not only had a higher base ATK, but also gained more ATK upon enhancing to the next rank. Whereas the Kitchen Knife only gained 5 ATK for ever rank, the Anaconda''s Fang gained 15.


    Cyanide held his newly acquired weapon in his hand, inspecting it carefully.


    "See?" Dianna said with a smile. "Not bad, huh? Just need to try it out on a mutant now."


    "Do you want the spare one?" Cyanide asked, but Dianna shook her head.


    "Doesn''t suit me. I much prefer using my mutant abilitiesnamely, these ws and throwing knives. But if you''re so eager to pay me back how about a nice meal? I''ve heard from Luna you''re actually quite skilled at cooking."


    For a second, Cyanide thought she was referring to a different kind of ''meal'', but to think she was actually saying something without hidden meaning for once


    " Sure," he ultimately agreed, stowing away his new weapon on his waist.


    "Then it''s a deal," Dianna said, brushing past him. After a few steps, however, she stopped, and turned back to send him a wink.


    "Oh, by the way? im your achievementsjust a tip from a yer from the previous batch."

 Chapter 111: Envys Lair

    Chapter 111: Envy''s Lair


    After the short rest was over, the group picked up their pace and headed back on the road. Cyanide took the tip from Dianna and opened his Achievements tab. He had a bunch of themplete in there, but all the ones before the [Beast Hunter I] didn''t actually yield any rewards. This one, however, dida Weapon Mod, titled [Beast Hunter]. How fitting and utterly uncreative.


    Regardless, the utility of this mod was very simple: +5% increased damage to mutants of the beast category. Of course, this wasn''t much at all, but since Cyanide had no other mods and plenty of mod slots on his new Rank 5 weapon, what was there to lose?


    Besides, as long as he kept killing Beasts, he would eventually unlock the [Beast Hunter II] and [Beast Hunter III] achievements, which both granted better versions of this mod. If he was really lucky, he could even get the [Apex Predator] achievement, which required the ying of a Blood Baron known as the ''King of the Forest'', much like the Scowling Sawde of the factory a while back. This achievement gave an amazing rewardthe Blueprint for a Mythic Weapon, Eye of the Storm.


    In any case, the group made their way deeper into the rainforest. This ce was huge, far bigger than the forest on the other side of the cave they had fought the Corruption Core in. It took a long time to navigate what with the rainforest''s difficult terrain and various dangers, but with Lust''s help, they soon made it to what seemed like tworge stone double doors side by side, hidden behind some thick vines.


    " This is where the Sentinel is?" Ragnar asked, tapping his feet on the ground. "And here I was, thinking it was going to be heavily guarded with mutants or something."


    "It still may be," Kirika said. "Just inside."


    "Well, how bad can it be, right?" Ragnar gave a chuckle. "Massive venus flytraps? Flying monkeys?"


    But in response to hisughter, everyone else in the group merely red at him, and slowly, his awkwardughing died down. Last time he said something along these lines, they really happened.


    So, instead, he merely walked forward and prepared to part the vines with his hands, but Cyanide stopped him with his words.


    "If you want don''t want to die, don''t touch those vines."


    "What" Ragnar slowly backed away, and narrowed his eyes. "It''s poisoned?"


    "I was hoping no one would warn him," Luna muttered.


    "Stop pretending," Cyanide said calmly to Ragnar. "You were just baiting us to see if any of us would say something, weren''t you?"


    At this, Ragnar smirked. "Nothing escapes your eyes, assassin."


    "There is no point trying to test us, Titan of Shadows," Cyanide said in an almost mocking tone. "I am the only one here who somewhat cares about you staying alive. That much should be obvious."


    "Yeah, well. Can''t hurt to try, can it?" Ragnar smirked and cast [Searing Edge], setting his de on fire before swinging his Fury''s Edge at the vines. The burning rock de immediately set fire to the greenery, and burnt them all to a crisp with ease. The ashes fell to the ground, revealing the stone doors in its whole.


    "She''s beyond this door," Lust said, voice eager. "I can feel it. My sister"


    "Huh? You things got genders too?" Ragnar arched an eyebrow, greatsword slung over his back. "Learn something knew everyday, I guess."


    Saying that, he boldly kicked open the stone doors leading inside, and-


    "Woah, shit-!"


    Suddenly, he was pulled inside by what looked like a slimy green tentacle, and raised high up in the air. The others immediately crowded around the main entrance in surprise, and looked inside.


    There, dangling high in the air, was Ragnar, being held by the same green tentacle that had grabbed him inside. Below him, a massive lotus-shaped flower opened towards him, but it was nothing as peaceful as a lotus. Instead, it had multiple rows of sharp, sharp teeth, and a tongue that looked more like a sword than a tongue.


    The flower stroked its own mouth''s innards with its tongue eagerly as Ragnar struggled to free himself from its grasp, but he was being constricted so tightly, and his greatsword was hard to maneuver in that position.


    "Tch really wish I had a short weapon right now, assassin!" He yelled, and Cyanide gave a sigh before pulling out his Kitchen Knife. He had been nning on dismantling it earlier, but luckily he chose to wait forter.


    Winding his wrist up, heunched the knife at where Ragnar was with perfect uracy, and from beside him, Dianna whistled in apuse.


    "Not bad, Cyanide. I approve."


    On the receiving end of the throw, Ragnar caught the knife like a champ, and immediately stabbed down on the flower''s tentacle. The massive nt screeched in pain, letting go of him, and Ragnar began falling from the air.


    "Woah-!"


    He was well on his way to falling into the monster''s mouth with no hope of making it out, but luckily, Cyanide was present. Immediately dashing into the air with his insane agility and speed, the assassin


    nded a painful kick in Ragnar''s stomach, and sent him flying into a wall.


    "Oof!" Ragnar grunted as he hit the ground, clutching his abdomen in pain. "Ugh goddammit, Cyanide! Was that really the only option you had?!"


    "Yes," Cyanide replied calmly as he evaded the iling flower''s various tentacles with ease, and did a backflip. "What else did you want me to do? Princess carry you out of danger?"


    "Tch whatever," Ragnar snorted, looking around. "But that aside where''s my goddamn sword?"


    Cyanidended beside him, dusted his clothes off, and pointed at the still-wildly-thrasing flower.


    "He ate it."


    ""


    ""


    "Oh, NOW I''m PISSED," Ragnar muttered through grit teeth, cracking his knuckles and ring at the massive flower. "GIVE ME MY FUCKING SWORD BACK, YOU BOTANICAL BASTARD!"


    Saying that, he charged at the enormous Venus Flytrap-esque nt, fists bare and head fuming.. Cyanide gave a sigh in exhaustion, closed his eyes briefly, then followed after him to take the flower down once and for all.

 Chapter 112: The Flower Of Envy

    Chapter 112: The Flower Of Envy


    Ragnar transformed into his Pyromaniac form before anyone could stop him, and dove towards the massive flower with his ming body and enhanced strength. Hetched himself onto the stem of the nt, and burned it with the fire on his body while the nt thrashed wildly. It couldn''t get him off either, since any tentacles that got close to the guy simply burned to ashes. All the nt could do was sit there and bear the painserves it right for eating Ragnar''s weapon.


    Just kidding. That would be too easy.


    The nt suddenly gave off a loud screech, and from its stem, multiple sharp green spikes shot out, piercing Ragnar''s body. Unfortunately for the nt, however, Ragnar was truly a maniac in this form, and despite still feeling pain, he was actually immune to all iing physical damage. Laughing like a psychopath, he let out a bellow.


    "HAHAHAHA! Is that all you got, damn flower?! Now, spit out my sword, asshole, or I''ll burn straight through you and get it myself!"


    " Idiot," Cyanide muttered. Ragnar probably forgot this skill of his had a duration limit and drained his own HP, meaning the moment it was over, he was screwed.


    Kirika, Dianna, and Luna were allbating the flower as well, but the flower''s thick green tentacles blocked everything they threw at it. Unlike before, the tentacles were no longer vulnerable to sharp objects, and now had some sort of faint green defensive aura around them. Things weren''t looking goodand when Cyanide ran [Inspect] on the botanic creature, he saw something he''d never seen on any other enemy before:


    [Name: Flower of Envy ?]


    [Level: 35]


    [HP: 4570/5000]


    [Category: nt]


    The shield icon. It was weird. It definitely wasn''t part of the nameit was more like a status effect, like it had a shield?


    Even though Ragnar wastched onto the flower''s stem with his burning body, the nt''s HP was not dropping at all. Obviously, the girls'' attacks were ineffective as well.


    "It''s no use," Kirika muttered, gritting her teeth. "Our attacks aren''t damaging it at all!"


    "Hm" Dianna narrowed her eyes as she tried to analyze the enemy, but couldn''t find any weaknesses.


    If Cyanide had to guess where they needed to go to break this shield, however


    Suddenly, the nt swiped a tentacle at him, and he leaped up into the air to dodge it before immediately pulling out his newly-obtained weapon, the Anaconda''s Fang. Then, to everyone''s surprise, he performed a stunning frontflip in the air, and dove straight towards


    The mouth of the flower.


    "Cyanide!" Luna yelled in shock, as Kirika covered her mouth in surprise. Luna immediately tried to take off and save her master, but a hand pulled on her forearm and stopped her.


    "What are you doing? Let me go!" Luna cried, but Dianna, the owner of the hand, held firm.


    "Rx. He has a n. Shouldn''t you, who has been at his side for far longer than I have, know that he never makes a move without thinking first?"


    "That''s" Luna bit her bottom lip as she watched Cyanide disappear into the mouth of the flower, and clenched her fists. " Fine. You''re right. Cyanide please be safe."


    "It''s all up to you now, assassin!" Ragnar yelled. "Bring me my damn sword back!"


    *****


    Cyanide slid down the slippery throat of the flower andnded in what seemed like its stomach. The air here was humid and carried a horrible odor, but that was the least of Cyanide''s worries. All around him, strong, corrosive acid dripped and dropped from the ceiling of the flower''s stomach, and as one drop hit Cyanide''s armor, it immediately began sizzling. His HP dropped by 5 at the initial hit, then ticked for 1 HP for several more seconds afterwards. Not to mention the constant movement and rumbling of the flower was making remaining bnced and stable in here very difficult, and avoiding the acid would be hard.


    In other words, it acted simrly to poison. But unfortunately for the flower it was not the only one who had poison.


    In here, it no longer had the shield protection it had on the outside. In here, the nt was defenseless. Cyanide had managed to catch it by surprise and avoid being chomped by the flower''s teeth, thus making it down here in one piece. And now it was time for some revenge.


    Pulling out his weapon, Cyanide stabbed down at the flower''s internal organs with his sword. And outside, the flower bellowed in pain, letting out a powerful screen enough to make ears bleed.


    All Epic Weapons and above had special traits unique to that weapon and that weapon alone, along with a special perk unlocked at Enhancement Rank 5. In the Anaconda''s Fang''s case, the base special trait was called [Serpent''s Venom]: for every sessful, damage-dealing hit with this weapon, the enemy who got hit would suffer from 1% max HP bleed damage every second for 5 ticks, ignoring all DEF.


    That may not seem like much, but the trick here was that at Rank 5, the bleed effect could stack. If the initial hit with the weapon was followed up by another during the 5 seconds when the poison was still active, the [Serpent''s Venom] damage would increase from 1% to 2%, and the duration would be refreshed. This effect could stack all the way up to 10 times, meaning 10% max HP damage poison per second.


    Normally, it would be hard to execute consecutive hits like this to keep the stacks up. But in here, there was no defense mechanism against Cyanide. The acid? What was that going to do against a professional assassin with an agility stat of nearly 100?


    Within seconds, the venom stacks was raised to the maximum, and on the outside, the flower screeched in pain as 10% of its max HP was being drained every second. To keep this effect going, Cyanide was relentless and continued to strike at the nt''s innards. The flower had 5000 HP total, so every second it was losing 500.


    And after 9 seconds, the flower was left with only 70 HP remaining. The flower realized its end was near, but even so, it wasn''t going to go down without a fight.. Suddenly closing its petals and balling itself up as if charging up energy, the people watching outside widened their eyes.

 Chapter 113: Dangers Of Nature

    Chapter 113: Dangers Of Nature


    "Shit the flower''s going to fuckin'' explode," Ragnar muttered, panting heavily from a short distance away as his Pyromaniac form wore off and his HP was left dangerously low. "My sword''s still in there and that damned assassin too."


    "Cyanide" Luna whispered under her breath, but there was nothing she could do now. Even Dianna''s confidence earlier was nowhere to be seen, and she too was holding her breath as she focused her gaze intently on the closed flower, pulsating glowing as condensed, explosive energy ran through its veins.


    Of course, Cyanide, inside the nt, realized this as well. Unfortunately, his Anaconda''s Fang, being a light, one-handed weapon,cked the raw brute strength to break out of this hellhole that was the flower''s abdomen. On the surface, he was essentially stuck here, with no way out.


    Luckily, however, that was not truly the case.


    When making the decision to jump in here, Cyanide already nned ahead. He expected something like this to happen, and factored the possibility into his calctions. As such, naturally, he had an escape n as well.


    After looking around for a bit, he found what he was searching for a few meters away, coated in thick stomach acid and horrible stench. Still, Cyanide didn''t care about either of those things, and took up the greatswordFury''s Edgein his gloved hands. It damaged him and stung like hell since the sword was coated with acid, but he didn''t care. He had one goal, and one goal only: to break out of here.


    And since Fury''s Edge''s special trait was the lower the user''s HP, the more damage the weapon would deal it was perfect if Cyanide took some HP. In fact, he purposely got hit by a couple more drops of acid, just to ensure his HP was as low as possible while still being able to handle the heavy weapon.


    Heaving the greatsword in his two hands while his primary weapon hung on his waist, he readied himself for one single attack. It was the only chance he was going to get, and he needed to put all his strength into it if he wanted to make this work. If he failed, he dies. As simple as that.


    Gripping the rock greatsword''s hilt tightly, Cyanide''s eyes shed with a moment of determination, and after casting [Vampiric de] (it worked on all de-type weapons


    ), he swung the sword at the flesh of the flower. An immense shockwave was unleashed as he channeled all of his muscr strength into the swing, and the interior organs of the flower shook violently from the force of the strike.


    Slowly, a crack appeared in the flower''s flesh, and it seemed like the attack was going to work. However, the strike also served to speed up the self-destruct mechanism of the flower, and the entire chamber they were in began violently shaking as if an earthquake was happening.


    Bit by bit, the crack grew bigger and bigger, and the shaking intensified. Chunks of rocks began falling from the ceiling, preventing the others outside from helping out. At this rate, Cyanide wasn''t going to make it. The flower was growing brighter and brighter, nearly turning into a silhouette ofplete whiteness, at which point it would explode. And Cyanide still was not yet out.


    But then, just as all hope seemed lost a chunk of rock that fell from the chamber ceiling revealed a gleam of sunlight that dawned upon the cave, which was illuminated only by glow-in-the-dark nts before. Then, another chunk fell after the first, giving way to even more of the sun''s rays. Like dominoes, the rocks fell one after another, and very soon, there was a massive hole in the chamber of nature''s ceiling. The sunlight from outside converged and struck the nt as one, single ray, and to everyone''s surprise, the entire flower


    Turned into stone.


    " Woah," Kirika breathed, mouth agape. "This is"


    "Goddamn" Ragnar muttered, gazing at the massive flower, now turned into nothing but a statue.


    But


    Both Dianna and Luna were still intently gazing at the flower, for a different reason. And to their relief, soon came the sound of stone being smashed open, and from the base of the massive botanical statue, a man emerged.


    "Cyanide" Luna immediately rushed to his side and embraced him,pletely not caring about the horrid stench all over his body. "Seriously you do the most risky things"


    Cyanide snorted. "It worked though, didn''t it? Also, get off me. The smell will rub onto you as well."


    "I don''t care," Luna said, pouting slightly. "It doesn''t bother me at all. So for now just let me do this."


    Meanwhile, Dianna''s reaction was far more subtle. She only closed her eyes and smiled, leaning against a thin stone pir nearby.


    " That''s the student of my father," she whispered quietly to herself with a smug grin.


    From beside her, Kirika approached, and gave a pat on her shoulder.


    "Hey, y''know you don''t have to act all cool and generous, standing up here," Kirika said with a wink. "If you want him, you''ll have to fight for him. Just because those two have been together for years, doesn''t mean you can''t be as close to him as she is. Time isn''t the deciding factor of love, after all. Confidence, remember?"


    Dianna blinked her beautiful red eyes in surprise at the other girl for a moment, then ultimately gave a smile followed by a sigh.


    "To think I would be lectured by the same girl I lectured just a few hours ago oh, how far I''ve fallen." She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again with a new determination in her eyes. "But you''re right about that. Cyanide and Luna may have been together for far longer than I''ve known him for, but there''s one thing Luna can''t beat me at."


    "Oh? What is it?" Kirika asked with a wry grin, and Dianna winked at her yfully.


    "The art of charming a man~"

 Chapter 114: Safe Water...?

    Chapter 114: Safe Water...?


    Through the ordeal they just went through, Cyanide leveled up to Level 33. The others didn''t gain as much EXP since they didn''t do much damage to the nt at all, but ultimately, Cyanide was the main reason they managed to beat that miniboss anyway. Someone had to the dirty workand the person who did, would reap the rewards.


    Since he''s leveled up his other stats decently by now, Cyanide decided to return to focusing on the two major stats he believed to be most important forbat: STR (strength), and AGI (agility). For the purpose of the 10 CP he obtained from this level-up in particr, he chose to use it on AGI. And like usual, he conserved the SP, since now wasn''t the time to decide on what to spend it on.


    Even though they had defeated the giant flower, their journey in Envy''sir was still not quite finished. That was just the first gatekeeperthere were many more challengesing their way.


    First, however Cyanide (and Luna both) needed a good cleaning. They both smelled like stomach acid, whichquite franklywas not a great smell. Thankfully, just when they were debating what to do


    " Woah, look over there!" Kirika cried, pointing at what was ahead of them:


    A pool.


    " Damn, that water looks nice," Ragnar remarked, stretching his arms a bit. "These two really need a good wash," he continued, ncing at Cyanide and Luna.


    "As if you''re any better," Luna muttered.


    "Well, it''s true. My sword needs one too."


    "Hm" Dianna fell into thought but didn''t say anything, closely observing the water. Cyanide was the same. The others were wary as well, but just didn''t show it on the surface. After all, they''d just been caught by surprise by a massive carnivorous flower. It made sense for them to be careful.


    Here, there was a bit of sunlight peeking down from above from a few slight cracks in the ceiling. It wasn''t much, but the aesthetic setting was perfect. Just the right amount of lighting, just enough to create a morous gleam on the surface of the water. The pool was separated into two halves by a semi-broken log of decent size, diagonally lodged in the water. It was clearly not part of the tree it once belonged to anymore, but strangely, it still carried the aura of life on it.


    As the group approached the water, Cyanide bent down and hovered his hand over the pool surface. Then, after closing his eyes for about a second or two, he stood up again.


    " No poison."


    "There doesn''t seem to be any sign of intelligent life anywhere, either," Luna murmured. "It''s hard to believe, but this water may truly be safe to enter."


    "Any hidden mechanisms?" Ragnar asked, arching an eyebrow. "It could suddenly, y''know, cyclone us into a deathtrap or somethi-"


    "Shut up, before I make you shut up," Cyanide said coldly, shooting him a re. Ragnar gave augh.


    "Bet! We''re both low on HP, this will make for an intense fight!"


    "Both of you, please" Kirika sighed. "In any case this doesn''t seem to have any hidden mechanisms or anything in the water, at least as far as I can tell. That being said it never hurts to be more careful. So, just for experiment''s sake"


    She picked up a stone nearby, brushed off the dust on it, and lightly tossed it into the water. The stone drifted down a bit from the initial impact, then slowly rose back up out of buoyancy.


    "See? Nothing happened," she said with a shrug, and after exchanging nces with Luna, Cyanide tenderly reached his hand inside the water.


    "!"


    Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his entire body froze up.


    "What''s wrong, Cyanide?" Luna asked hurriedly in worry, but Cyanide didn''t take his hand out of the water. Instead, he merely took a deep breath of rxation.


    "This water it''s healing."


    " Come again?"


    "Use Inspect on me," he said calmly. "Tell me what you see."


    Kirika was dubious, but did as told. And as soon as she did, her eyes widened.


    "Your HP it''s being restored back to full?"


    "Oh, so it''s a pool of regeneration," Ragnar said with a smirk, and began to undress. "Well, give me some of tha-"


    "Hold on," Luna said, pointing at the log splitting the pool in half. "Look closely at what''s flowing through the log there."


    "Red water?" Kirika tilted her head. "Huh it seems to be heading into the other half of the pool, though."


    "Red water" Dianna narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "That''s not it. That is blood."


    "What" Kirika was taken aback by surprise, and blinked several times.


    " She''s right," Ragnar said in a lower tone than usual. "I''ve seen enough blood to tell. There''s no doubt about itthat''s fresh, organic blood."


    "So the question bes" Luna began, as Cyanide took over, standing up from the pool and taking his hand back out.


    " Where the blood ising from," he concluded, then walked around to the other side of the pool and bent down to inspect it. "This water it''s poisonous."


    "So one half is good, but the other half isn''t, as soon as someone touches the first half?" Kirika raised an eyebrow. "What could that symbolize"


    "Envy," Lust interrupted, twirling around in the air a little. "When one half sees the other half''s enjoyment and happiness, it falls into jealousy. This is a depiction of that. Had you all not been careful and tried to use the entire pool, you would''ve been met with a horrible death."


    "And you chose not to watch us, only observe?" Ragnar grunted, frowning at the flying drone.


    "Of course. If you could not even handle this much, you are not worthy of being the Sentinels'' vessels. I am still testing you."


    " Hmph." Ragnar gave a disapproving snort, but didn''t say anything further on the matter and instead turned back to the pool. "So we can only use one half? Well, that sucks. It''s too small to fit all of us."


    "You all can go first," Luna said. "Cyanide and I will go secondst, since our smell may pollute the water."


    "Uh secondst? Who''sst then?" Ragnar asked, and everyone''s gaze focused on him.


    " Wait, you''re kidding, right? Howe I have to best?"


    "Your weapon needs a cleaning too, doesn''t it?" Kirika said. "That''s why."


    "Still-"


    "Rx," Cyanide said, interjecting the conversation. "The rest of you can go first. Ragnar and I will gost. Split by gender.. Easiest method."

 Chapter 115: The Vigilantes Story

    Chapter 115: The Vignte''s Story


    In the end, the group decided to go with Cyanide''s proposal. It was the simplest method. Dianna and Kirika went first, followed by Luna. And while the girls were cleaning themselves, Cyanide and Ragnar sat on the other side of the log: the former by will, and thetter by force. Either way, the girls'' naked bodies weren''t getting peeped on anytime soon, since Lust opted to be a makeshift security camera.


    Neither Ragnar nor Cyanide seemed to be the type to care about that kind of stuff, though, anyway. Instead, the much preferred to just have a conversation of their own while they waited.


    "So, Cyanide. What made you be an assassin?"


    " What an interesting thing to ask," Cyanide replied, dodging his inquiry.


    But of course, Ragnar saw through this trick with ease, and gave an unamused snort.


    "Just answer the damn question, assassin."


    "Do I have to?"


    "You wanna fight?"


    "Right now? No, I can''t say I do."


    Ragnar gave a smirk, as if to say, ''well?'', and Cyanide gave a sigh.


    "I became an assassin because I was trained to be one."


    " What?" Ragnar frowned as if the answer confused himand for good reason, too. "You''re telling me you just became whatever you were raised for?"


    Cyanide gave a nod, and Ragnarughed.


    "Ha! You''re more of a wimp than I thought. You disappoint me, Cyanide. Here I was, thinking you had some kind of reason to be an assassin, and the best one in the underground at that. But who knew you were just someone who went along with whatever others told you to do, like a little coward?"


    Cyanide didn''t respond to that. Not because he agreed with the other man''s words, but because he simply didn''t care. To him, starting an argument was like killing an innocent:pletely and utterly pointless. Not good, not evil, just pointless.


    " Hey. Let me tell you something, Cyanide. A bit of my own past."


    "Oh? I don''t believe asking."


    "Shut it. You told me some of yours, so it''s only fair for me to tell you mine. I don''t want to owe you anything more than I already doso listen up, real close. I''ll only tell this story once."


    *****


    - Many Years Ago, Earth -


    Two steel toe-capped boots sshed against the rough, weathered roof of the apartment block, creatingrge ripples in the wet, rainstained concrete. A massive figure stood there, like a behemoth of stone. Legs like marble pirs, d in darkbat trousers. Torso armored with thick Ker. Moonlight and raindrops alike glinted off a blood red mask, one that resembled some kind of malicious knight. A harbinger of destruction.


    Any normal man would have been out of ce on this night, over 90 feet up on a rooftop. But this was no normal man. His name was Ragnar Creed, and he had a job to do tonight.


    Police intel had informed him that in the supposedly abandoned factory building a hundred meters away in this area of the downtown city 0f Detroit, therey in disguise human trafficking headquarters.


    As per his typical position, he''d been the first to raise his hand to lead the charge in. He and the police had a dealthe police let him handle criminals, and in return, he saved the police tons of time and energy.


    Of course, Ragnar was still only one guy, and couldn''t get around to every little criminal on the streets. Just the average robber or drunkard wouldn''t even catch his eye, but of course, if he encountered one randomly on the street, he would be sure to step in.


    Still, mainly, his focus was on the bigshots. Corrupt politicians, infamous serial killers, and entire mafia organizations. Ragnar Creed hunted down the big criminalsthe criminals that the police could not deal with, either due to theck of strength or theck of authority.


    This was a seemingly fair deal. Both Ragnar and the police benefited from this deal on the surface. The police were saved time and resources, while Ragnar got to do what he does best: take down criminals his own way.


    But just like everything else in this world, this isn''t always what it seemed.


    Firstly, even though the police were saving time, money, and effort by having Ragnar take care of all the bigshot criminals, that came with a price: their reputation. To the public, Ragnar had achieved far more than the police ever have, and people have began calling the police force ''ipetent'' or ''useless''. Of course, the people had yet to find out the man beneath the mask was Ragnar Creed. Most just knew him as the Titan of Shadows. ''Silly name,'' he''d originally thought, but every hero has their identity.


    Second, Ragnar himself was also not extremely happy with the current deal he had with the police. Yes, he could deal with evil his own way like this, and before the formation of the deal, he was being chased down like he was a criminal himself due to his violent measures, but the current situation wasn''t exactly ideal.


    The deal with the police wasn''t without its downsides. Ragnar was being held backeven though he was allowed to do things his way most of the time, and the police would turn a blind eye to it, sometimes, for extremely big targets, proper questioning and interrogation was needed. Unfortunately, Ragnar wasn''t too big about that. He preferred more bloody interrogation methods, something that the police force could now allow. Both sides were growing tired of the other, and it was uncertain how much longer this partnership wouldst.


    Of course, Ragnar was ready for that day. But right now, he had a different target in mind.


    He crouched down, before leaping gracefully for such a titanic figure, 6''6 of muscle. Hended nearby the factory, almost silently - his jump had been calcted perfectly. Supersoldier gic engineering did wonders for one''s physical abilities. He stalked over to the rusty iron doors that held the factory imprisoned, his back against the wall beside them.


    He put his ear to the king metal, hearing sounds inside - crying, shuffling, shouting.


    Slowly backing away, he knew: he was in the right ce.

 Chapter 116: The Vigilantes Story II

    Chapter 116: The Vignte''s Story II


    Drawing a leg back, Ragnar busted down the entrance of the kidnappers''ir, both doors making contact with one of the many traffickers inside with a stifled scream. Were they dead? Either way, Ragnar didn''t care. No room for scum like them on this already ruined Earth.


    "Who the fuck are you!?" shouted the man who was supposedly the ringleader. Tattoos, Caucasian, bald. About 5''11, seemingly somewhat well built. The jewelry on him indicated some strong profits at some point in the past.


    "Ooh," replied Ragnar, following up with a gravely chuckle that made his adversaries raise their guns. Ten to one, handguns rather than automatics. He liked his odds. "I''m what you might call a nice, cold can of beat-your-fucking-ass like a drum at a rock concert."


    Immediately, he began brawling. Ragnar grabbed the nearest henchman by the throat, crushing his trachea with a sickening squelch as he used the dead body as a shield against the bullets, then throwing the corpse at another two of the men who crumpled. Like lightning he dashed around the room, running too fast for them to aimstrides long, legs powerful. Easily moving at twenty miles an hour and punching like a goddamn truck, thanks to the sickeningly-strong bioenhancements he''d received as a supersoldier. An uppercut to the jaw, a steel-toed kick to the ribs, a face crushed against a concrete pirall of them dead in seconds, till it was just Ragnar and the employer of the deceased.


    "What do you w-want? Money? I can give you money. You want the people? They''re you-"


    "There''s only one thing I want, you fucking maggot." Ragnar retorted, kicking someone''s entrails off his shoe. His scowl was audible behind his metal mask as he towered over his target.


    "W-what is it? I''ll do anything, please, just let me go!" he dropped to his knees, blubbering and sobbing as his tears fell onto the concrete floor. Ragnar grunted in disgust at the groveling fool, turning away slightly before speaking.


    "For you to feel pain. I will drag your sorry ass to the pits of the underground metropolis and exact every bit of agony you exacted onto your victims. I will make you eat your own fucking slimy organs raw, bite by bite. I will ensure you tread the thin line between life and death for days on end, till you are a carcass in limbo kept barely alive. The only sensation you will know is agony, right till the end when I throw your body to rabid dogs to tear apart."


    Right as the poor man pissed his pants out of fear, however, Ragnar''s growling rant was cut short by the entry of the police. Mutted bodies were checked. The policemissioner walked in - Commissioner Smith, a gray-haired, balding man of about seventy with a thick bushy mustache that wriggled when he spoke, wrinkles and furrows along his face from years of stress.


    "Christ''s fucking sake, Titan. What the fuck happened here!?" he spluttered, in awe at the horrific scene around him. "We''ve talked about this. You can''t just dispose of people. They need to be brought in for questioning, for fair trial-"


    "Yes, we have talked about this. And I distinctly remember telling you to go fuck yourself. I didn''t see anyone else doing the dirty work here. You wanted to wait another week, but they were getting ready to move operations," Ragnar''s voice raised the longer he spoke, keeping the ringleader in his range of vision before picking a handgun off the ground.


    "You had information you weren''t sharing!?" Themissioner was furious, prodding his finger into Ragnar''s chest oncebut that was one too many times. "I''ve fucking had it with you. We''re taking you in, Titan. Your identity can stay a secret, but you''re obstructing our investigations-"


    Ragnar tossed the gun once into the air, catching it again in its firing position. The weight indicated it had a single bullet left. Ragnar looked at the police forces that had entered, scanning faces, before taking aim with lightning speed and firing a round into the left eye of one of the constables, blowing his face apart instantly before anyone could even react.


    "He was a rat," he said quietly. "Telling them whatever intel he had, letting them stay one step ahead. That''s why I don''t work FOR you, Commissioner. I work with you. I''m my own general, soldier,mander and weapon. You don''t tell me what to do, especially when I''m the one risking my neck to keep your officers safe." Ragnar raised his head from eye contact with themissioner at the sound of clicking. Over twenty handguns and assault rifles belonging to shocked and frightened policemen were aimed at him due to his outburst just now.


    "Come quietly," themissioner said coldly, despite the truth that had just been exposed. "This is the time I am going to ask."


    Ragnar thought back to why he''d be a hero. Why he helped people. Ever since those news reports, the fights he''d gotten into. He knew he could very well do whatever he wanted, he had the power to do so. Few could stop him. But what purpose was there in that? Spend time stepping on others, only for it to copse one day when he finally kicked the bucket? No, he had wanted to impact people''s lives in a good way, help them. Better to better his own life and that of many others. There was a limit to what materialism could bring in terms of happiness, and he had reached it long ago. The first people he''d helped had been in awe. Thanked him, encouraged him to do more good. Theirfort and smiles supported his forced self-certainty he could be more than a monster, more than ab project.


    But then the police got involved. Started using him as a tool for their inefficient ways. They let the worst criminals off with a swift death or a life sentence in humane conditions. It disgusted him. Ragnar wanted to do things to criminals that sent a message to stop the other ones. They didn''t let him. He was tired of being leashed and ordered around. This was hisst straw. Guns? Aimed at him? When he''d STOPPED the unnecessary loss of life? No.


    This world was an unjust one. And if he wanted to change it he couldn''t do it on his own, with his meager power as one single man, no matter how individually strong he was. He needed more power. He needed more strengththe strength to change the world.


    But for now ncing at all the gunpoints aimed at him and the slowly ticking clock, counting down to his demise, he''d need to break out of this situation, before anything else.

 Chapter 117: The Vigilantes Story III

    Chapter 117: The Vignte''s Story III


    Ragnar sighed deeply and stood still, assessing his options. He could either turn himself in like this like a coward, and then find some other way to escape during the ride to the station orter on, or he could go for a more ''violent'' escape, right here, right now.


    Naturally, he chose violence.


    Suddenly grabbing the ringleader by the cor, Ragnar dove through a skylight, carrying his target with him as it screamed. The ss shattered, the sounds of gunfire filling the smoggy downtown air as Ragnar leaped and ran. He found his way into the underground areas, the ck markets, the dingy caverns where crime was rife. But at least here, Ragnar had free rein. He headed to one of his safe houses - rtively well kept and made for an underground home, not too many missing floorboards or windows. He left the criminal gagged and bound as he struggled in the basement, then went to the local armory.


    "I need some armor from your forge. Fast. High quality alloys, good metals. Red highlights, grey ting. And a really big fuckin'' sword to match." grunted Ragnar.


    "We''re already fully booked. We don''t have that kind of material anyway," retorted the armorer, a grizzled man of about 45 with musclebound and tattooed arms.


    "You misunderstand me, Grayson. You bring me the materials and tools. I''ll be making my own armor."


    The man named Grayson was still dubious, but after Ragnar mmed down a massive stack of bills on the countertop, the deal was sealed. Within 72 hours, after long hard work, swearing, roaring, bellowing, hammering, molding, measuring and forging, the work was done. A set of armor that was bulletproof, explosion resistant and had very few weak spots. Was it too heavy for any normal man? Absolutely. Their spines would snap. But for Ragnar it was like wearing a winter jacket.


    He returned to his house, and subjected the trafficker to the exact fate Ragnar had promised. The sounds of ribs snapping, pleading screams of horror and organs ripping from their correct positions was heard for two days before the dogs got their meal.


    On this night, Ragnar made a vow. He would eradicate all crime that harmed other people. He would make the world a safe ce for everyone to learn and grow. He would prevent the need for the creation of people like himself. He was fearless in this aim. He was sure, and he was driven. He dreaded nothing, and so dubbed his vignte name as "Dreddnought". A monstrous behemoth that appeared silently, a de honed to a molecr edge bysers.


    That was Ragnar. And this, was his creed.


    *****


    - Present Time -


    " And that''s it," Ragnar said. "After that, I wandered around, doing my own thing. Settling crime in my own way. I''d caught wind of your ass a long time ago, and always wondered if you were as good as the rumors say. But after that time heh. You know the one."


    " The millionaire?" Cyanide arched an eyebrow, and Ragnar gave a nod.


    "That man a friend of mine rmended me to him, as a bodyguard. He was searching for one at the time, since he somehow knew he was being targeted. I''d never been much of a mercenary type of guy, but this was a request from a friend, and I didn''t want to let him down. Not to mention the money that man was willing to pay was pretty damn good."


    " I remember. It was quite a hassle, having to get past you. You''re quite the careful person when serious, after all."


    "But you still managed in the end," Ragnar spat angrily, clenching his fists as he recalled the moment. "There were guards everywhereI stationed them at every entrance, every window, even every damn vent cover. There were also several on the roof. And despite the client''s annoyed words, I forcibly remained in the same room as him so I could protect him at all costs if anyone came. It should''ve been perfect. But what I didn''t expect, was"


    " The snipe."


    " Yeah."


    " For that mission in particr, I was working with someone else," Cyanide said after a short silence. "It''s not usually my way of doing things, but that job was an exception."


    "I kind of figured," Ragnar muttered, averting his gaze and not prying on the matter since he knew Cyanide wasn''t going to borate anyway. "I''ll never forget how youpletely made a fool out of me that day. You know how pissed I was when I found out I was tricked, and that the person I was supposed to be protecting was killed before my eyes? I never thought your entire borate infiltration, murdering all those guards, was all but a simple distraction. I never thought your running away from our fight was nothing but an act. On that day, you had me in the palm of your hand the entire time, Cyanide."


    But Cyanide''s next words surprised him.


    "It wasn''tpletely an act."


    " Oh?"


    "You are quite capable at fighting. Although I was confident I was more skilled inbat, your supersoldier bioenhancements are an unstable factor to me. An unknown variable. Depending on the power they held, I could very well have lost the fight, and my life along with it. Ultimately, I had still wanted to finish off the target myself, since I didn''t fully trust my partner for that job to be able to pull it off. But in the end, I decided retreating and sticking to the n was the better option."


    " Ha. Save it," Ragnar scoffed, folding his arms. "Even with my supersoldier bioenhancements, you could probably find some way to turn the fight into a tie. And now, in this world, without those enhancements I''m definitely not as strong as you. But that won''t be for long, y''know. The anger from all those years ago I remember it. And in this life of mine, I''ll never forget."


    On the contrary to his heavy, dark words, Cyanide''s was lighthearted and utterly pragmatic.


    "Hm. Indeed, you''re not cut out to be a mercenary. Mercenaries are paid a portion of the money beforehand, so they aren''t losing anything even if the target they''re supposed to protect dies anyway."


    "That''s not the point here, damn assassin," Ragnar muttered. "That was the first time I''ve failed. The first time I''ve failed to stop a crime that happened before my very damn eyes. The first time I personally LET a murder happen. That millionairethere was no reason to kill him, was there? I did a bit of digging. His records were all clean."


    " Correct," Cyanide said after some hesitation too short to notice. "I care not if there is a ''reason'' to kill someone. The fact that he was the target of a job I took is ''reason'' enough."


    " You disgust me, bastard."


    "The feeling is mutual. Your so-called, self-righteous form of ''justice'' the contradictions lining your logic like insects on flowers they sicken me to no end."


    "Hmph. Agree to disagree, then," Ragnar said, and Cyanide gave a nod.


    "Agree to disagree."

 Chapter 118: The Tree Of Jealousy

    Chapter 118: The Tree Of Jealousy


    Soon after, the girls finished their bath, and Ragnar and Cyanide used their side of the pool to clean themselves. It was a bit awkward to use the same bathwater in such a tiny pool, though, so the two both kept to themselves and remained silent throughout the entire bathing time. The girls, on the other hand, had been chatting happily earlier in stark contrast.


    In any case, once everyone was fully cleaned up and the nasty odor was gotten rid of from their bodies, the group headed onwards. Beyond the pool was another stone door, and simr to the first one, it was closed but not locked.


    This time, however, none of them were eager to open itnot even Ragnar.


    " You think there''s another one of those things beyond this door?" Ragnar asked, and Luna shrugged.


    "Who knows? They did not appear for Kirika''s aura reading skillsst time, so there''s no way for us to determine whether there is another one beyond this door or not."


    "I don''t think they''ll put another one here in the same fashion as before," Kirika stated, folding her arms. "After all, these mechanisms are all designed to be ''tests'', right? What kind of test will have the same question twice?"


    "That''s sound logic, but heh," Dianna snickered cynically. "Normal logic hardly applies to this world, most of the time."


    "Well, it''s not like waiting around will do us any good either," Ragnar muttered. "Not to mention someone could fully tell us what''s going to happen if we open this door, but refuses to."


    Saying this, he red at the floating ball in the air known as Lust, who beeped twice to show her disagreement.


    "In fact, even I do not know whatys ahead. You all seem to be under the misconception that I am some all-knowing deity. That is not true. As I am right now, I am extremely weak, and have to rely on a vessel to even utilize my power. The most I can do is sense my brothers and sisters, the other Sentinels. That''s all."


    Tired of their hesitation, Cyanide stepped forward and gently opened the door, ready to dodge out of anything that was shot in his way. But to all of their surprises, nothing came. Instead, they found themselves staring at a mountain of dirt covered with grass and greenery. At the very top of the small hill, arge tree stood, illuminated by the tiny hole on the ceiling on the cavern, leaking a bit of sunlight into the chamber.


    "What is this" Kirika murmured, ncing around in awe.


    "Therein the tree," Luna pointed out. "Is that"


    Everyone turned their gaze to where Luna was pointing, and saw a ball-shaped machine simr to Lust. It appeared to be off, however, and was being trapped within the tree trunk with some vines.


    " That''s the Sentinel?" Ragnar arched an eyebrow. "Those bastards they really caged ''em like this, huh?"


    Slowly, the group moved forward, climbing up the hill and getting closer to the tree. It wasn''t steep at all, so it was easily climbable, but as soon as they got near the tree-


    "!"


    All of them froze in their tracks, and they stared straight up ahead at the emptiness in front of them. To an outsider, it would seem they just suddenly stopped and were now staring at empty space for no reason, but to themselves, it was a nightmare indeed.


    Ragnar saw Cyanide with a happy family, friends, living in a world filled with joy and peace, rid of crime and evil. A Cyanide with everything Ragnar did not have but wanted, a Cyanide who evoked jealousy from him. He should be the one there, in the vision. He should be the one to be enjoying all those things, after how long and hard he''s worked towards that goal.


    And yet it wasn''t him. It was his mortal nemesis who benefited from his actions.


    "" Clenching his fists in anger, he turned to the real Cyanide a short distance away, andunched himself towards him.


    But-


    "Not today."


    From nowhere, Luna leaped out in front of Cyanide and blocked the hit with her criss-crossed metal appendages, causing Ragnar to back away a short distance.


    " Move, Luna. This has nothing to do with you."


    "Move? I knew you were plotting something like this all along. Cyanide should never have gotten close to you. His bestpanion is meand me only. If you even think about touching a hair on his body I''ll cut you down."


    Indeed, her vision was one of Cyanide and Ragnar sharing drinks and talking happily, like good friends who have known each other for years. They fought by each other''s side, watched each other''s backs, and vented to one another about life troubles. Ragnar was like a true friend to Cyanide, a truepanion, in a way that Luna never had been. It should be her in the vision, not Ragnar.


    And now he was trying to attack Cyanide?


    Luna had been right all along. Ragnar was not to be trusted. Fueled by jealousy, she and Ragnar leaped intobat with one another, shing and slicing with their weapons and bombarding with artillery.


    On the other hand, Dianna and Kirika were suffering their own visions as well. Dianna saw Kirika with a loving family, warm andplete, unlike her own. Kirika saw Dianna''s confidence, able to handle herself perfectly fine no matter the situation she was in. She had intelligence on par with Cyanide''s, and the two were a perfect match for each other. She was a lot more useful to him than Kirika could ever hope to be, and that made Kirika envious.


    Normally, these visions wouldn''t be able to cause anyone to actually start fighting like this. But under the influence of this test (clearly given to them by Envy) violence was being promoted, and thus caused them to turn on one another and fight.


    The purpose of this test was to examine how much jealousy they could take. And amongst them all


    Only one seeded.


    Why?


    It''s simplehe did not even see any visions.

 Chapter 119: Envys Test

    Chapter 119: Envy''s Test


    To feel envy, one needed desires. And Cyanide, did not have any desires. He had no wants, no dreams, no purpose. He was born to be a weapon, and he fulfilled that role perfectly. Other than that, though, he was nothing else. While biologically speaking, he was a human, in reality, he wasn''t. All humans had desires of some shape or form. Cyanide did not.


    Of course, there was one exception.


    He wanted a challenge. That cane in any forms. Someone strong enough to stand up to him, a world filled with new possibilities previously unobtainable on Earth, and a near-death experience.


    But all of those things couldn''t be shaped into envy. Cyanide''s desires are a bit special. He doesn''t care about whether someone else experienced the same things he was searching for. The reason? He was too self-centered.


    Naturally, that wasn''t a great thing most of the time. But in Cyanide''s case, it wasn''t an egotistical kind of self-centered. It was simply the fact that to him, someone else''s life didn''t matter. To him, another human was just a life. A life that would eventually taken, possibly by him if said human somehow ended up bing a target. As such, he didn''t care about what happens in their life at all, as all will sumb to death anyway.


    As such, feelings of jealousy or envy did not affect him in the least. That''s why, while his allies were busy fighting, he decided to go straight for the Sentinel of Envy in the tree. Trying to break apart their fights waspletely and utterly pointless.


    Lust watched as Cyanide did so, carefully observing him and his thought process. He was unorthodox yet ingenious, that was for sure. Normally, anyone else would probably try to stop the fighting between his allies. But not this man.


    Walking straight towards the tree,pletely unaffected by the visions his allies were having, Cyanide wrapped his hand around the vines trapping Envy inside, and tugged on them harshly. Instantly, they tore apart, and inside, the drone''s disy flickered green a bit, before stabilizing. The machine then rose up and floated into the air, narrowing its eye a bit.


    " You. Why are you not affected by the visions? Jealousy is the most dangerous emotion of all, and all humans are prone to it."


    Cyanide''s reply was simple, blunt.


    "I''m not human."


    " Scanning scanning scanplete. Your biological signs all indicate towards you as being human. Exin."


    "Save it, Envy," Lust interjected, flying to her side. "This one is special."


    " Lust," Envy murmured. "So, he freed you too?"


    "Yes. He''s also acting as my current vesselthough I would much rather prefer someone more lustful, his soul is like a nk te. It can amodate any of us, hence why I am using him right now."


    "I see how interesting. A nk te of a soul I have never witnessed such a thing before. Analyzing possibilities   none found. All humans have some sort of inclination towards a certain sin, or multiple sins. Apletely nk and fresh te is impossib-"


    "Like I said, Envy, he''s a special case," Lust cut in, tired of her sister''s talking.


    " I see. Understood."


    " If you two are done talking, mind getting rid of your stupid test?" Cyanide asked, ncing at his allies briefly before turning back to Envy. "They''re about to kill themselves if this goes on. I don''t care too much about the others, but I don''t want to have to find another body for Luna."


    "" Envy fell silent for a moment, ncing at the still-fighting members of the group, then ultimately blinked and turned away. " Fine."


    Instantly, Ragnar, Luna, Dianna, and Kirika all froze. They were stunned momentarily as the visions disappeared and they snapped back to reality, and they all nced around briefly in confusion at what exactly they were doing.


    " What the was I fighting you?" Ragnar arched an eyebrow at Luna, switching his eyes between her and his own sword.


    "It would appear so," Luna said, readying her various weapons once more. "Not that I mind. Never liked you much, anyway."


    "W-Woah!" Ragnar hurriedly backed up, not wanting to fight her, but Luna dove towards him at insane speed, razor-sharp sawdes protruding from her back.


    "Di-"


    Suddenly, Cyanide appeared out of nowhere even faster than Luna, and struck her on the head.


    "Ouch-!"


    She ducked to the ground, holding her head painfully.


    "Ow Cyanide, that hurt" She whimpered, but Cyanide showed no sympathy.


    "Don''t go looking for trouble, or the punishment will be worse next time."


    "Understood"


    " She does not seem to be human," Envymented. "What is she?"


    "An AI given physical form, using a Warden''s body," Lust replied. "As a return favor for freeing me, I helped give her a physical form at the request of that man."


    "Error: Uneptable logic. Since when have you been one to return favors, Lust?"


    "It was also part of the deal we made," Lust exined. "I help him do this, and he serves as my vessel to fight against the GM."


    " I see. The Warden that was supposed to be guarding me appears to be missing. Did you defeat it?"


    "No," Lust said, sinking into thought. "And that is what concerns me the Warden that I had expected to be here was already missing for whatever reason when we arrived here. It''s almost as if the GM wants the Sentinels to be freed once again."


    "Impossible. Logic error. Why go out of his way to seal us if he is going to just release us again like so? He knows we will be seeking revenge against him."


    "That is what I am confused about as well, Envy," Lust said with a mechanical sigh. "But regardless for now, you must choose a vessel."


    At this, Cyanide and the rest of the group all turned their attention to them, as Lust continued.


    "The eight sins, just like the eight affinities, link with one''s soul. As such, each sin also has a respective element tied to them. Lust is Psychic, and Envy is Wind. And as you are right now, man named Cyanide you cannot hold two Sentinels within you. As such, Envy requires another vessel. One amongst the remaining three of you."


    "Kirika is the only one with a Wind Soul Affinity here," Luna said with a shrug. "The answer should be clear."


    "Not exactly," Lust replied. "Just because the soul affinity matches with Envy''s element, does not mean she is a suitable candidate. Some finer requirements need to be metfor example, one''s capacity for that sin-"


    "No," Envy cut in, staring intently at Kirika, who could only blink back in speechlessness.


    " She''ll do."

 Chapter 120: The Second Vessel

    Chapter 120: The Second Vessel


    "E-Eh? Me?" Kirika pointed at herself, still in a daze from what happened earlier.


    " I don''t understand," Lust said after a short silence. "She does not seem to be the type to be prone to envy. Why her?"


    "I believe in my judgment," Envy said. "Not everything is as it seems on the surfaceyou should know that better than anyone."


    Lust fell silent after that, and no one brought up the hidden meaning behind Envy''s words.


    "Now" Envy turned back to Kirika, and flew closer to her. "Do you ept to being my vessel? I cannot enter your body unless authorized."


    "Er sure?" Kirika said hesitantly.


    "Such an unsure answer is uneptable in my programming," Envy stated. "Yes or no. 1 or 0. On or off. Binary."


    "R-Right." Kirika took a deep breath, closing her eyes, then opened them again and looked Envy dead in the eye (monitor). "Yes. I ept to be your vessel, Sentinel of Envy."


    " A much more adequate response, this is," Envy remarked after a short silence, then lowered herself and approached Kirika close enough to be felt, and then continued. "Touch my monitor. It willplete the process."


    Kirika did as told, reaching her hand out anding into contact with the Sentinel''s disy. As soon as they connected, Envy bursted into a rush of green energy, and crawled its way up Kirika''s skin and body.


    "Ngh!" She groaned a bit at the feeling, but didn''t resist and allowed Envy to fully enter her body.


    Instantly, she changed form, ck hair turning grey, green eyes turning pink. One of her eyes, however, was unable to take the sudden change, and began bleeding, but none of the group moved to help her. This was part of the processit was a test she must endure herself.


    Pain rippled through Kirika''s entire body as Envy installed itself in her, and as her features changed to be even more beautiful than before, like an ethereal beauty, the pain slowly dwindled away. Her arms became skinnier, her skin more fair, and her entire body felt so much lighter than before. The transformation process waspleteand had the clothes not stayed the same, it would''ve been difficult to recognize the girl before them now as Kirika Kishi.


    "Hah hah hah" She sat on the ground, panting, as the green energy left her and condensed back into Envy.


    " It seems the process was sessful," Envy noted.


    "Notpletely," Lust said. "The eye damage but still, I am surprised she was able to undergo a full Ascension. With this, she should be a lot more powerful than before, and even be able to use some special Sentinel Arts."


    "A full Ascension" Cyanide murmured. "You can''t do that with me?"


    "Afraid not," Lust replied. "Like I said before, you are like a nk canvas. Any Sentinel can choose you as their vessel and it would work, but you are not especiallypatible with any of us due to your utterck of emotion. Sin thrives from emotion, after all."


    "She needs rest," Envy said, looking at Kirika, who had fallen unconscious. "Find somewhere to bring her."


    "We do have the Teleport Waypoint set up back at base," Luna said. "Could that work?"


    "It''s best if we don''t leave the forest, actually," Dianna interrupted, folding her arms a short distance away and leaning on the trunk of the tree. "From my past experience, I can safely say there are still tons of hidden treasures and puzzles to be found in this ce. Also, it''s a great farming location for experience, no? Unless, of course, you want to bring Kirika back then walk all the way back here"


    "Fair enough," Ragnar added. "I agree. The more EXP we get, the more prepared we''ll be for the future."


    Luna gave a sigh. "Well, if that''s how we''re doing it, we''ll need a safe hideout to leave Kirika in while she recovers."


    "Uh we came across a small cave on the way here, right? How about there?"


    "Are you kidding? That''s not even a cave. It''s more like a slightly curved inwards piece of rock," Dianna said with a dry smile.


    "Just use this ce," Cyanide said matter-of-factly. "Simple."


    "That could actually work," Ragnar said. "Huh. Didn''t think of that."


    "Luna, stay here and watch over her," Cyanide said. "You have the highest fighting potential out of all of us right now, and EXP doesn''t matter for you anyway."


    "Understood," Luna said with a bow. "I will let off a shbang if anything happens, then."


    Cyanide nodded. "Sounds good."


    *****


    While Luna and the two Sentinels stayed behind to watch over Kirika''s resting body, the rest of the groupnamely Cyanide, Dianna, and Ragnarheaded out to do some hunting. It would''ve been easier to swipe through the forest as a team, but Ragnar, being Ragnar, challenged Cyanide to apetitionwhoever could y the most beasts until the time limit hit wins bragging rights. Thepetition would end at nightfall, at which they would reconvene in Envy''sir.


    Dianna, being the yful type, decided to join in on this littlepetition as well for fun, so the three ended up going in different directions, each to hunt their own prey. All three were capable enough to handle themselves, and all three were used to working alone. There wasn''t much to worry about there.


    Ragnar headed downstream to a low-lying wends area in the rainforest since that''s where anacondas usually dwelledhe wanted revenge from earlierwhile Dianna headed for an area thick with a bunch of trees. She liked leaping from one to another and possessed extremely high agility, so she would be able to make the most out of her abilities there.


    And as for Cyanide he headed up. His goal wasn''t to win thepetition. He didn''t care about thathe just went along with it because it would let him work alone.


    His true goal was ying the Apex Predator of this rainforest, and obtaining the weapon Blueprint for the Mythic-rank weapon, Eye of the Storm.

 Chapter 122: Blood Baron: ZulKrak, Thor Spawn

    Chapter 122: Blood Baron: Zul''Krak, Thor Spawn


    As the beast swiped at Cyanide with its two thick arms made up of rock, charged with electricity, the nimble assassin dodged time and time again. He''s already tried all sorts of counterattackssliding underneath, going for the eyes, Soul Arts, Weapon Arts, everything.


    Yet unfortunately, the beast was barely taking any damage. Normal attacks didn''t even leave a scratch, literally dealing zero damage since the beast nullified physical attacks, and the only thing that really was doing damage to the beast were his Death Affinity Soul Arts, such as [Skulls of Hell] and [Life Drain]. He had yet to try the inside of the beast''s mouth, but it was smart enough to not open it.


    Little by little, the creature''s health was drained down to about 8,000, but Cyanide was running low on Soulforce as well. He couldn''t keep this up foreverhis stamina wasn''t infinite either. Thankfully, with the help of [Death Infusion], the beast was slowed, making it easier and less energy-consuming to avoid its attacks.


    Still, this couldn''t continue. Cyanide was getting worn down at a far faster rate than the creature wasand they''ve only been going at it for less than an hour.


    This fight was unwinnablehe''d underestimated this boss''s abilities. He definitely didn''t know it was going to be a Blood Baron. He needed to escape, prepare, ande back once he was ready.


    Thankfully, he was always prepared for the unexpected, so he''d conserved enough SP to use his ultimate escape technique:


    [Thunderflight].


    Activating his wings of lightning and thunder, Cyanide attempted to fly away off into the horizon ande back to fight another day, but-


    "ROOOAR!"


    "!"


    -The Child of Thor was not going to let him get away that easily after picking a fight. To Cyanide''s surprise, he felt himself being pulled backwards, into the creature''s wide open mouth, even though it was clearly roaring, not inhaling.


    "Ngh!" He struggled to get away, but it was no use. The pull of the beast was too strongupon closer inspection, it was revealed that the beast''s sharp teeth were actually rows upon rows of mas.


    And Cyanide was being pulled back by the electromaic force.


    "Tch!" There was no going back now. As much as he wanted to escape, even if he deactivated his wings now, it was toote. He had no remaining Soulforce left to do any sort of fighting back, and ultimately, he simply gave in.


    He had came to this world looking for a challenge, and sure enough, this world gave him one. He may have taken on more than he could handle. But that was fine. In the end, he was satisfied. He had no regrets whatsoeverhe fulfilled his promise to his teacher, gave his creation the physical body she wanted so much, and even met a foe worthy of being called ''formidable'' by him.


    And this boss would be the first to expose Cyanide''s mistakes and mp down on them hard, never letting go. Out of all the things he foresaw, he simply could not foresee the electromas in the beast''s mouth, nullifying hisst-ditch escape.


    But he was satisfied.


    Thisst fight and every fight sinceing to this new world was far more intense and thrilling than he could ever imagine back on Earth. The idea of being reborn in a nk te of a body and working from the bottom back up again was exciting, and sure enough the people who invited him to this game did not fail to deliver the self-actualization they promised.


    To Cyanide, death was not a scary thing. Life and death were just two sides of the same coin, and often, he finds it difficult to believe how afraid of death some people are. It''s a natural course of nature, much like photosynthesis and the water cycle. To make way for the new, the better, the old ones must go. After all, a world with no future is a world with no potential for evolution.


    Now was just his time to go, to make way for the new, the better.


    But just as he epted his fate-


    SEEW!


    An immensely powerful bullet whizzed past his face, close enough for him to feel the small but violent wind field created by it, and struck the creature directly in its mouth.


    The projectile was so strong that it knocked the creature upwards onto its rear legs for a brief moment, and pierced straight through its entire body, armor and all. Cyanide, freed from the maism, dropped to the ground andnded before looking around for his helper.


    From on top of a nearby mountain even taller than this one, a girl leaped off the side of the cliff and slid downwards, riding the side of the hill. Then, once within range and at the right altitude, she kicked herself off skillfully before performing a trained, deft tumble forwards onto the mountain Cyanide and the beast were on.


    Landing with a front roll to soften the impact, she expertly rolled to her feet in one smooth motion, massive sniper rifle on her back, and shot a cold re at Cyanide.


    "What are you waiting for? Finish it off."


    Loading her own gun once more, she aimed at the inside of the creature''s nostril, and unleashed another bullet with zero hesitation.


    "ROARRR!"


    Once again, she hit her mark perfectly, and this bullet caused the beast to roar in agony and rage, subconsciously opening its mouth. Cyanide, naturally, did not need to be told twice, and instantly dashed in front of the beast''s wide open mouth, holding his de across his other shoulder.


    Then, he used the skill he obtained on the way here using the 1 SP he received from leveling up earlier:


    [The Reaper''s Cut.]


    ck energy erupted from his Anaconda''s Fang''s hilt,pletely epassing the de in the venomous gas of death. This Weapon Art allowed him to deal more damage to an enemy the less health it had, with anything below 25% HPmuch like this beast right now being an execute. What''s more, this Weapon Art did not cost SF, but rather half of his max HP.


    And right now, that HP was worthless if he could end the fight right here.


    Teal eyes shining like bright aquamarine gemstones under the moonlight, he swung his death-energy-infused sword downwards, and executed the remainder of the Blood Baron''s lifeforce.

 Chapter 123: Sniper Girl

    Chapter 123: Sniper Girl


    "GRAHHHH!"


    The beast let out one final, horrible roar of pain and rage as Cyanide cut downwards, before its entire body turned into nothing but a silhouette of white light and shattering into a million different shards. They flew into Cyanide''s and the girl''s bodies respectively, turning into a ton of EXP.


    { Blood Baron }


    [Zul''Krak, Thor Spawn]


    { Hunt Complete }


    [Achievement Unlocked: Baron''s Bane]


    - Defeat your first Blood Baron. -


    [Level Up.]


    [Lv. 33 -> 35.]


    [You received 20 CP and 2 SP.]


    [Obtained Ultimate Mutant Blood x3.]


    [Obtained Handle of Mjlnir x1.]


    [Obtained Might of Mjlnir x1.]


    [Obtained Electro-Charged Lizard Bone x3.]


    [Obtained Thunder God''s Helmet x1.]


    [Obtained Thunder God''s Gauntlets x1.]


    [Obtained Thunder God''s Leggings x1.]


    [Obtained Thunder God''s Chestpiece x1.]


    [Obtained Blood Shard x1.]


    From beside him, a simr level up message could seen being disyed on the beautiful sniper girl''s system screen, and it was revealed that she was only one level under him, at 34.


    " What are you staring at?" The girl asked coldly, ring at him. She didn''t seem to be recognize him which was weird.


    Because to Cyanide, she was an oldrade. Not necessarily a friend, per se, but a valuable ally nheless. They''ve only worked together on one mission in the past, but it was one Cyanide will never forgetit was the first time he left the kill to someone else, and believed in them to do it.


    He also knew that mission meant a lot to this girl as well due to certain circumstances. There was no chance she would forget about him, unless


    There were other factors at y here.


    What happened after they split apart to go their own ways after the mission?


    Cyanide was curious, but s, it wasn''t his problem to worry about. He was in a new world now. Better to leave old ties behind, as they ought to be.


    " I owe you one," Cyanide said atst with nothing else better to say, deciding to simply leave it at that. Turning around, he prepared to head back to Envy''sir to rest, but suddenly, he heard the sound of a gun clicking followed by the feeling of something cold and metal being pressed against the back of his head.


    "Hold it."


    Naturally, Cyanide stopped in his tracks, with no other choice. But rather than being nervous like anyone else would be in this situation, he only chuckled.


    " Still this impulsive, huh?"


    At this, the girl narrowed her yellow eyes, like a raven''s stalking prey. "What do you mean by that? Do you know me from somewhere else?"


    "Know you?" Cyanideughed. "No. I can''t say I do."


    "Cut the bull," she interrupted harshly, pressing her gun against the back of Cyanide''s head harder than before. "You definitely know something about me, judging from the way you were looking at me earlier and now, this. Tell meeverything you know about me and who I was in the past. And if you even think about lying to get out of this I won''t hesitate to pull the trigger."


    But rather than responding to her demands, Cyanide only pped his hands together slowly.


    "You''re still as observant as ever, Falcon. Let me guess they caught you after that day, and since you were too valuable of a soldier to let go, they cleared your memories and made you into a new person with the same old skills?"


    "Falcon" The girl murmured, falling into thought for a moment, but quickly tensed up again. "That''s not my name. I am called Raven. And as for the ''they'' you are mentioning are you referring to the American military? What makes you think they ''caught'' me after ''that'' day? Hmph. The higher-ups would never ''clear'' my memories, as you say."


    But suddenly, Cyanide knocked her gun away without even looking, then immediately stun around. Taking advantage of the girl''s momentary surprise at his stunningly fast movements, he kicked her ankle and swept her off her feet literally, before pinning her against the ground with his hands on her back.


    "Idiot," he spat coldly. "Have you really fallen this far? Blindly trusting the same people who were the very reason you left in the first ce? How foolish. You disappoint me, Falcon or should I say, Raven, now."


    "Wha" The girl was utterly shocked to hear these words, and for a moment, she failed to even resist. Soon, however, she came back to her senses, and tried fighting back.


    "Tch!"


    She tried to elbow Cyanide, but he evaded with ease. Little did he know, however, that was merely a distraction to turn his attention away from her hips, and now, she could reach for the hidden gun that was underneath her clothe-


    -But she only felt a human hand.


    ""


    "I know all your tricks," Cyanide said matter-of-factly, pinning her back down like a police officer arresting a criminal. "Don''t even try it."


    The girl clenched her fists, but there was nothing she could do.


    " Who are you?" She asked, voice softer but still carrying the cold tone from before.


    Cyanide pondered for a good response briefly, and ultimately settled with a cryptic message.


    " Just someone who''s crossed paths with the old you in the past. Nothing more. Now, if you''ll excuse me"


    Slowly, he rose back up to his feet, letting go of the girl, and began walking away.


    A big mistakeon the surface, at least.


    " You''re not afraid I''m going to shoot you in the back right now?" The girl asked, dusting herself off as she got back up.


    But Cyanide only chuckled.


    "Go ahead and try."


    " Hmph."


    The girl snorted, annoyed with this man''s confidence and the way he speaks like he''s so sure about himself, and pulled her handgun out and aimed it at his head. Surprisingly enough, he didn''t even budge an inch.


    "Last chance," the girl said, narrowing her eyes. "You had an opportunity to kill me right then and there, but you didn''t. Foolif you have already made up the mind to strike, do not-"


    "-Do not show mercy to anyone or anything, no matter who or what they are," Cyanide finished.


    And as the girl blinked in surprise at this, a smile appeared on the tips of Cyanide''s lips, and he gave a dark snicker.


    "Who''s the fool now, I wonder?"

 Chapter 124: Falcon

    Chapter 124: Falcon


    "?" The girl with the sniper blinked a few times in surprise at Cyanide''s words, but Cyanide had no intention of answering. Instead, he continued to toy with her using his words.


    "Shoot," he dared, still not even turning around to face her. "You won''t."


    The girl bit her bottom lip, lined with anger. You know whatfine. If this man wanted to get shot so badly, then she would grant that wish.


    Or rather, she would. But for whatever reason, her finger wouldn''t pull the trigger on her gun.


    The back of the target''s head was right in front of her, not even a meter away. Why couldn''t she just press one trigger, and end his life? She''s never had a situation like this happening before. She''d always been the perfect soldier. The ace sniper, the Girl Who Did Not Miss. Over the years, she''s been given countless nicknames by her peers and superior officersHawkeye, Owl, and of course, her formal alias, Raven. But for some reason none of them ever felt right to her, deep down in her heart.


    After a few more seconds of struggle on her end and a few more seconds of entertainment on Cyanide''s end, she gave up and stowed away her gun.


    "Tch damn it. Why can''t I shoot you? And more importantly how did you know the bottom half of that line, in its exact words?" She asked, eyebrows knitted together in frustration.


    "It''s simple," Cyanide said lightly. "I taught you it."


    "Wha"


    After a while of hesitation, Cyanide sighed and decided to lend her a hand. After all, as much as they were strangers now, they were once good alliesthe only person Cyanide considered trustworthy other than Luna, and what''s more, also on par with himself in terms of skill.


    " Answer me this first," he said, sitting down on the mountaintop and ncing at her. "Back there why did you save me?"


    "Why? I wasn''t saving you," the girl replied defiantly. "It was just a suitable opening, the right moment to fire. That''s all. Saving you was just a side effect."


    "That''s notpletely true either, is it?" Cyanide chuckled. "You needed me alive to deal the final blow to the beast, because you knew you couldn''t beat it on your own."


    " Well, yes. I admit that is part of the reason as well."


    "False," Cyanide suddenly said, to the girl''s surprise.


    "What? You just said-"


    "Yeah, that was a lie."


    ""


    "The real reason why you saved me was because you know me. Deep down, the old you still exists. Even if you don''t realize it, you subconsciously saved me because we were once allies who worked together at one point. But if I am to be honest you actually do realize it, don''t you? After all that''s why you entered this game in the first ce."


    Every word Cyanide said had been on the mark. It was as if he could read the girl like a book, and quite frankly, she didn''t take to that very nicely.


    " I hate you," she spat with venom, ring her yellow eyes at Cyanide. "Why do you know so much about me, even more than I do about myself?"


    "Of course I do," Cyanide said quietly. "You told me everything, once. Everything."


    " Tell me," the girl said softly, lowering her head and sitting down beside him. " Please."


    Cyanide shifted his gaze at the girl for a moment, who had her head buried between her knees, not wanting to look at him. Seeing this, he gave a light chuckle. For some reason, he felt ease around her. She was cold and ruthless, but for whatever reason, she was the first person Cyanide felt like he could truly understand and connect with. After all, the two shared many simr philosophies and beliefsthe old her, anyway. And now he was going to help her remember, as a favor for her saving him earlier.


    " Your old alias was Falcon," Cyanide began, staring up at the moon. "You were an expert sniper who used to work for the military, but quit and went rogue after they tried to experiment on your body and turn you into a bioengineered supersoldier. You were very prideful. You believed you were fine on your own, but when they insisted after your refusal, you couldn''t ept that and decided to simply leave."


    "The bioenhancements" She murmured, ncing down at her two hands. "No wonder every time they ran tests on me to make sure all theponents were working fine something in my heart was yelling at me, saying this was wrong."


    "But the story doesn''t end there," Cyanide continued. "Later on, you discovered that the man who came up with the entire bioengineering project and proposed you to be part of the first batch of test subjects was none other than your own father."


    "What" The girl was stunned. "Impossible my father is dead"


    "Yes, he is," Cyanide said. "By your own two hands."


    "But they told me-"


    "They told you lies, is what they told you," Cyanide interrupted coldly. "Deep down, you know. That''s why you came here, to look for answers. That is your wish, isn''t it? To find out the truth behind your background, and your past."


    " I did suspect it," the girl admitted atst. "It feels like there is another me inside this body. We''re the same person, but she knows things I don''t. A gut feeling tells me there was more to what I was being let on. One night, a masked man came up to me and invited me to participate in this game. His words made me question myself, and I was prompted to ask my superiors about just really who I was. But when I did they dodged my questions. And after that I epted their invitation. After all, I was ready to break free in case anything happens."


    " Well," Cyanide said, standing back up. "I''ll let you remember the rest on your own. If I tell you anything more than this, you won''t believe me anyway since you don''t remember all that much. I''ve done my part, to repay the favor of saving me. The rest is up to you."

 Chapter 125: An Old & New Comrade

    Chapter 125: An Old & New Comrade


    Leaving those words behind, Cyanide prepared to head back for the third time that night, but yet again, the girl named Falcon stopped him, pulling him on the arm.


    "Wait. I''m going with you."


    " Even if you ask me anything more, I won''t say anything. I don''t do things for free."


    "That''s fine," the girl said firmly. "What you''ve told me so far is valuable. The instinct in my gut tells me you are an important clue. If I want to uncover my full past you''ll be a great asset. And of course, I won''t ask you to tell me things for free. I believe in my capabilitiesI am certain I''ll be a good weapon for you as well."


    "In other words I use you, and you use me?" Cyanide asked, arching an eyebrow, to which the girl gave a nod.


    "Correct."


    Cyanide smirked. He''d heard those words somewhere before.


    "Good. Sure brings back memories."


    The girl naturally was confused, but Cyanide didn''t borate further, and she wasn''t in a spot to ask any more questions before contributing something in return first.


    After that, the two headed back to base together, amidst the quiet of night. Neither of them were much for talking, but since this was a new world, there was several things yers could discuss with one another (if they weren''t fighting and trying to kill each other, that is).


    For instance


    "Why were you there?" Cyanide asked while they walked. "Also going after the weapon?"


    She gave a nod. "It''s a sniper rifle. Why wouldn''t I go for it?"


    "Fair enough," Cyanide said. "But judging from what I see from the Blueprint we''ll need 10 Electro-Charged Lizard Bones to forge it. I only obtained 3 from the Bosseven if we both got the same amount, that''s still only 6. Where will you find the other 4?"


    "That''s simple," she replied. "Blood Barons respawn every week. We can keep farming the boss until we have enough."


    "Huh is that so" Cyanide murmured, turning away, and Falcon arched an eyebrow at him.


    "You didn''t know that? Was that your first time encountering a Blood Baron?"


    "Not exactly. I met one before, but it was too strong for me to fight at the time, so I simply left. I don''t bother reading tutorials, since Luna tells me everything I need to know at the right time."


    "Luna" Falcon fell into thought for a long while, looking away from Cyanide. "That name why does it seem familiar?"


    At this, Cyanide snickered. "Looks like the past you is influencing you more than I originally thought."


    " What is your name?" She asked, and Cyanide replied like he always did.


    "Cyanide. You can call me that."


    *****


    Once they returned back at Envy''sir, the others, naturally, were surprised to see the neer by Cyanide''s side.


    "Huh I was wonderin'' where you went," Ragnar said with a chuckle. "Turns out you were out getting yourself another chick, huh? Not bad, Cyanide. Sleek."


    "Oho I didn''t know you were such a yboy, Cyanide," Dianna said with a soft giggle. "Looks like I''ll need to work harder to keep you, hm?"


    "Wait," Luna interjected, stepping forward and looking at the new girl. "Cyanide, is that"


    Cyanide nodded. "The very same."


    "You are?" Falcon asked, to which Luna frowned.


    "You don''t recognize me?"


    "Her memories were wiped clean," Cyanide exined. "Mostly, anyway."


    "Huh? Why?" Ragnar asked, arching an eyebrow.


    "Long story," Cyanide said coldly. "One I don''t feel like exining."


    Of course, the real reason was that this was Falcon''s privacywhether or not she wanted the story to be told was up to her and her alone. It wasn''t Cyanide''s ce to outright decide to spill her past. He still had decencymost of the time, anyway.


    "So, what, did you just run into each other, or something?" Ragnar inquired, folding his arms. "World''s sure small, huh?"


    "Actually, I saved him from a Blood Baron," Falcon said calmly, shooting Cyanide a slightly smug look, but without any sign of a smile. "He recognized me, so here we are."


    " You spared a lot of details, but that is somewhat urate, I suppose," Cyanide said simrly in a calm fashion, but everyone else was clearly stunned.


    "H-Hold up, Blood Baron?" Ragnar cut in. "The hell''s that? Never encountered one before. Sounds edgy."


    "They''re essentially extremely powerful bosses in the game," Luna said. "There are quite a few of them spread across the game''s map, each varying in difficulty and strength. There is one in an abandoned factory within the City of Lumina as well, but to think there is one here too."


    "And? Did you beat it?" Ragnar asked eagerly, to which both Falcon and Cyanide gave a nod. At this, he rubbed his forehead and cursed.


    "Goddammit that means you won thepetition"


    " That''s what you were concerned about?" Luna asked with a scoff, and Ragnar rolled his eyes.


    "Of course! That''s the second time I''ve lost to this guy now. It pisses me off"


    "Technically, though," Dianna interrupted with folded arms. "Thepetition was about number of kills, not their level. So remind me, how many did you get again, Mr. Name-I-Can''t-Be-Bothered-To-Remember?"


    "Uh 43," he said. "I kinda got carried away with the time, though, so let''s say 35."


    "Hm I see. Well, hate to break it to you, but" Dianna smiled and winked, holding up a two gesture with her fingers. " I had twice your kills, at 82."


    "Wha- that''s impossible!" Ragnar roared. "82 kills in an hour? That''s more than one kill every minute, not to mention travel time!"


    "In this world, nothing is impossible," Dianna said softly, grinning smugly and leaning against the tree trunk nearby where Kirika was still sound asleep. "After all thepetition was just number of kills, was it not? Why go after the big targets when you can just eliminate a bunch of small, easy ones, all at once? For example insects."


    "" Ragnar wanted to call her a cheater, but really, this wasn''t cheating. She was rightthepetition only stated number of killshe''d made the rules himself. She was simply abusing and exploiting them to her will.


    So, in the end, the final winner of thepetition was neither Ragnar nor Cyanide, but rather the third-party who originally merely joined for fun.


    As Dianna continued wearing a light smile of triumph on her face, Cyanide brushed past them all and headed to where Kirika was lying, Lust and Envy watching over her from above.


    " How is she?"


    "Still not awake," Lust said. "The energy recovery process will take timebut rest assured, she will be fine."


    Cyanide turned to Kirika''s unconscious body, surrounded by a light green energy, and spoke.


    " I see."

 Chapter 126: The Girls Past

    Chapter 126: The Girl''s Past


    After taking a dip in the pool of Envy again to cleanse themselves in the same order as before, the group decided to just rest up for the night inside Envy''sir. Apparently, the water there was constantly being refreshed, so there would always be a fresh supply of clean water to useeven drinkable, ording to the Sentinel of Envy herselfnone of them were about to actually drink from it, though. That would be somewhat disgusting, considering they''d just bathed in it.


    In any case, for dinner, they had some snake meat thanks to Ragnar''s hunting efforts. It wasn''t especially tasty by any means and carried the stench of metal inside it due to the mutation process, but they had to make do. None of themined about the food, mostly because everyone here either had gone through far worse before (Dianna, Falcon, and Ragnar) or simply didn''t care about taste all that much (Cyanide and Luna).


    While they ate, Ragnar tried to make conversation to ease the quiet atmosphere, but apparently, he was the only one who thought this to be awkward. The rest all preferred the silence, especially Falcon. She refused to speak any more than her name, mostly because she didn''t know anyone here except Cyanide, and would only talk to him. Very vaguely, it resembled a little sister who hated everyone and refused to talk to anyone except her big brother, who was the only one who she felt close to and as a result was extremely attached to.


    Eventually, Ragnar gave up on trying to crack jokes since it really wasn''t working, and the group went to sleepwell, mostly. Cyanide stayed up, deciding to climb to the top of the cavern using the tree in the middle of the chamber through the hole in the ceiling. Whenever he wanted to get some thinking done or simply rx, this was his go-to action.


    Leaning back and lying down on the solid rock floor, he slid his hands beneath his head and stared up at the night sky. It was beautifulthe stars and moon shone brightly in contrast with the dark blue-purple sky, and the calming humming of cicadas was apanied by the gentle rustling of the wind on leaves.


    To think he would meet Falcon here, after so many years


    But then, Cyanide saw a face appear in his vision, upside down. Then, he felt his head being lifted onto something warm and soft, and the face turned into a soft smile.


    "Whatcha thinking about?" Dianna asked, tapping him on the forehead with a finger.


    "Not much," Cyanide replied. "What are you doing here?"


    "Hm mutants don''t need sleep. Since you were up here I figured I''d drop by and say hello, y''know?"


    " I see. This is not very interesting, is it?"


    "You''re right, it isn''t. So tell me something that is interesting, to make up for it, yeah?"


    "Like what? I''m an assassin, not a storyteller."


    "And I''m sure an assassin has many fabled stories to tell. For instance that girl. Who is she?"


    "Why don''t you ask her?"


    At this, Diannaughed. "Are you kidding? She won''t talk to anyone except you. So if I want to get her know her better and figure out a good way to approach her I''ll need some info."


    Cyanide pondered for a moment, and after noticing someone hiding behind a tree a short distance away, thinking they were discrete, gave a sigh.


    " Very well."


    *****


    Indeed, that mission was truly unforgettable.


    Not only did Cyanide meet Ragnar for the first time then it was also the first time he''d worked with someone elsenamely, Falcon.


    Indeed, she was the one who hadnded the beautiful, wless snipe on the targether very own father.


    Ragnar was right. Her father wasn''t some greedy CEO or corrupt politician. He wasn''t a criminal. His records were all clean. There was no reason to kill him.


    But that was all on the surface.


    Deep down, he invested a lot of money into the development of the bioengineered supersoldiers, and wanted to turn his own daughter into one without considering her own opinion and choices. He was self-righteous and thought what he was doing was best for his daughter, but


    Falcon herself was the one who put up the request. She offered no money for the jobpletioninstead, she offered to be an ally, essentially selling her skills. Any normal assassin would''ve simply scoffed and walked away after seeing this request. Seriously? Expecting to hire a hitman without any mary rewards? What a joke.


    But to Cyanide this wasn''t funny by any means. This was intriguing. What kind of person would be confident enough to sell their skills to an assassin rather than a mary reward? He''d never experienced something like this before, and just like usual, he was eager to try something new.


    As a result, he took the request. The two met, got to know each other a bitprofessionallyand executed the n. Both parties were distrusting of the other at first. Neither told the other much about themselves, keeping the rtionship strictly client and assassin, teammate and partner.


    But after Cyanide did some digging of his own through Luna, he discovered the truth behind this request. Luna was easily able to hack through any databasenothing on the web could be hidden from her, and thus him. Even after discovering the truth, though, he continued with the mission and didn''t let Falcon know he did research.


    This girl she was remarkably cruel.


    Just because her father was trying to force something upon her, he was still her father. To kill him with her own two hands was


    Impressive, to Cyanide.


    After all, he''d done the same exact thing to his teacher Anthrax, and that was because he had been told to by the man himself. If anything, this girl was even colder than he was, and that was something to appreciate.


    But right after the mission, that impression was suddenly left shattered.


    In the end, Cyanide was the only one who truly felt nothing.

 Chapter 127: Kirikas Awakening

    Chapter 127: Kirika''s Awakening


    Cyanide had originally been skeptical about Falcon''s abilities, but she had insisted on being the one to fire the shot. She had said she didn''t want her father to be murdered by anyone else. Cyanide hadn''t believed she couldbut because he couldn''t tell her he did research of his own, he had to go along with it.


    But to his surprise she was actually able to pull the trigger, and hit her target perfectly.


    Afterwards, though, when he found her again, she was sobbing in a corner on the rooftop where she sniped from. And it was then that Cyanide knewshe wasn''t the same as Cyanide. Not by arge margin. She still had warm emotions. She still felt sadness, anger, frustration. The mask she put on was just sturdy enough to hide all of that.


    Cyanide? He didn''t wear a mask. He WAS the mask.


    Whether it was subconsciously or consciously, she had cried out her entire past to Cyanide, who had been hiding behind the door at that time. When she was finally finished and the two met to clean up the job process, he refused her skills.


    Not because she wasn''t good enough. Definitely not that.


    But because he didn''t want an emotionally-burdened girl to fight on his side. What if the target next time was her mother? Her best friend? Her sibling? Her mask could hide all her feelings. But no matter how sturdy a mask was, it could not protect the heart.


    Eventually, she would die from being overburdened with emotionand Cyanide did not want such an unstable variable in his equation.


    *****


    " And that is the story," Cyanide concluded, eyes never once leaving the night sky.


    "Unbelievable" Dianna murmured. "I was very close to bing just like her, y''know. Killing my own father, that is. But that aside how long do you n on eavesdropping, I wonder?"


    She turned her head to the tree standing a few meters away, and after several seconds, a figure walked out of its shadow.


    " So, you knew all along that I was here."


    "Naturally. If you weren''t, Cyanide wouldn''t have agreed to tell the story," Dianna said with a smile. She was scarily observant like that.


    " Well, you''ve heard everything now," Cyanide said, sitting up as calmly as ever. "That is all I know about you, and your past. Think of it as advanced payment."


    Falcon frowned. " You''re not afraid I''m going to just ditch you now that I''ve learned what I needed to learn?"


    "You''re not afraid everything I said just now were lies?" Cyanide asked right back, witty as usual. But Falcon''s response was as serious as a response could possibly be.


    "No. I trust your words, because the person inside me does."


    "Oh how curious," Dianna remarked, folding her arms beneath her bosom. "So you cannot remember any details of your past on your own, but upon hearing about them from others, you can verify their truth? Interesting"


    "So?" Cyanide arched an eyebrow. "Are you going to leave? I won''t stop you. You''re more of a lone hunter anyway. Trying to tame a wild wolf doesn''t do either side any good."


    But unsurprisingly, Falcon''s response was the exact opposite of that.


    "I will stay. If what you said is true, then I owe you my skills. Even though you turned them down back then it''s not toote to pay you now."


    At this, Cyanide chuckled as if having expected this, and Dianna gave a wry smile.


    "However," Falcon continued, pointing at Cyanide with her finger. "This will be under one condition."


    "What?"


    "Tell me my real name."


    " What good will that do? I doubt they changed your real name after wiping your memories," Cyanide said.


    "It will prove if you truly know me or not."


    "Just a name?" Dianna sighed. "Sorry, but I''m afraid you underestimate this man''s intelligencework. Even if he didn''t truly know you, he would still know your name."


    Falcon did not respond to that, and instead kept her gaze focused on Cyanide''s eyes. The two stared at each other for a moment that felt like eternity, and atst, Cyanide spoke.


    " Ivy. Ivy Greene. That is your name."


    Falconor rather, Ivynarrowed her yellow eyes a bit, then turned away and began heading back down into the chamber. Before she disappeared, though, she left behind one final message:


    "I look forward to our cooperation, Cyanide."


    As her figure disappeared, Dianna leaned back and stretched her arms, looking up at the sky together with Cyanide.


    "Ah one morepetitor, huh?"


    "What?"


    "No-thing~"


    " Hm."


    *****


    The next morning, the group woke up as per usual. They ate the same thing they atest night for breakfast, and the n today was to do some more experience farming in the forest. There were still plenty of animals left in this rainforest, ready to be converted into EXP.


    Just when they were about to leave, however they heard the rustling of leaves, and from behind them, Kirika slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.


    "Mmn where am I?"


    "The same ce you fell unconscious," Ragnar remarked with a grin.


    "Happy to see you alive and well," Dianna said with a beaming smile, then added to the side in a jealous tone, "Mostly."


    "Oh, guys" Kirika smiled at Dianna and scratched her hair. "How long was I out for?"


    "Almost a full day," Luna said, folding her arms. "But apparently, that''s actually quite short."


    "Indeed," the Sentinel of Envy agreed. "You are a better vessel than I initially assumed."


    "Vessel right. So does that mean you can control me now? How does it work?" Kirika asked, puzzled.


    "It''s not as straightforward as that," Lust said. "But simply put, she is using your body as a means to exorcise her powers, and you possess the ability to use those powers. You still have full control over your body, but we can decide the amount of power we lend to you as Sentinels, since we know better than you your own limits. Use too much of our power, and you will be overloaded and eventually die."


    "I see" Kirika turned to the direction of the pool. "Well, if I''ve really been sleeping for nearly a full day I''d better wash myself a bit. I''ll be right back~!"


    Watching her go, Dianna couldn''t help but stifle augh. Cyanide arched an eyebrow at her.


    "What''s funny?"


    "Oh, nothing. It''s just in about a couple of seconds, we''ll be able to watch a good show."


    And sure enough, a couple of secondster, a loud scream could be heard from the direction of the pool.


    "E-Eek! W-Why do I lookpletely different?! G-Guys, help! W-Wait, no, not the guys! I mean the girls! Come help me!"

 Chapter 128: Alchemys Way

    Chapter 128: Alchemy''s Way


    Once things had settled down and the other girls exined to Kirika that this was her new appearance now, it was settled that the group would go do the usual: farming EXP. However, this time, there was a catch.


    ording to Dianna, in her past experience as a yer, forests and jungles such as this were home to many rare and valuable herbs that could be used in crafting potions and elixirs. Of course, to actually craft them yourself, you would need a DEX stat of at least 100 due to its extremeplexity, but Cyanide had Doctor Finch. He quotes, "so long as he brings him the materials, he can make the potions." Alchemy was what the crafting of potions was called in this world, apparently.


    And now? Well... here they were, collecting the materialsand a whole damn lot of it at that. There was no telling when they would go to another spot like this, so if this ce held plenty of rare and valuable resources like herbs, why not take them all right now?


    But of course, as with all things, risk and reward were two sides of the same coin. As such, there would naturally be dangers associated with collecting these herbssome are guarded by powerful mutants, others have traps surrounding them, some will even attack on their own, and some are just stupidly difficult to collect.


    Thankfully, the Sentinel of Envy, who had been here for a good couple hundred years now, knew all the locations for every possible species of herbs within this rainforest (which, by the way, was called Shunned Canopy). She even hand-drew three maps using some leaves as paper, somehow, and it was revealed that the herbs were spread out all across this region.


    In other words, if the group wanted to collect everything in one day, they would need to split up.


    Potions and elixirs, ording to Dianna, were invaluableter on. They provided temporary stat boosts and could make the difference between life and death. Hell, they could even provide a second life momentarily, or block all iing damage for a brief period of time. And so, collecting the materials necessary to craft them right now was pretty important in the long runand besides, harvesting and collecting herbs apparently rewarded a decent amount of EXP as well, so there was that too.


    As such, the group divided themselves into three teams, each with a map: Dianna and Ivy (Falcon), Kirika and Luna, and Ragnar and Cyanide. Apart from the way they entered the rainforest from in the first ce, there were three other directions the rainforest expanded towards: North, South, and West.


    Each duo took one direction each, and agreed to rendezvous back here by tomorrow morningmainly because some of the herbs actually can only be harvested at night or even past midnight.


    With this, the team setups were pretty bnced. Each one of them were skilled enough to handle themselves, so there was nothing to be worried about. Yes, this rainforest was dangerous, but... quite frankly, all of the party now were above Level 30, meaning they''d outleveled this area already.


    And fast forward to about an hourter, well...


    "Alright, Cyanide. I lost thestpetition, but I''ll shit on you this time around is what I''d like to say, but this is going to be a tedious journey, so turning it into anotherpetition might not be too great of idea," Ragnar said with a smirk. "Now, let''s see what''s on our list... Insanire, Moonflower, Odium, Prefilicous Sage, Shrieking Mandrake, Anastasia, and uh wait a minute. How the hell do I pronounce this one?"


    " Farmakeftiks," Cyanide said with a breeze.


    "The fuck?"


    "Far-ma-kef-ti-ks," Cyanide repeated, syble by syble this time.


    "Uh yeah, sure. That. What about this one?"


    Ragnar held Envy''s list of herbs in this direction up to Cyanide, who promptly read thest one on the list.


    " Yobendover."


    " What?"


    "Yo. Ben. Dover."


    "No, no, you want me to what?"


    "What? That''s how you pronounce the herb''s name."


    "Jesus Christ, Cyanide, read the D with ''Ben''."


    "Yo-bend-ove- oh."


    It was then that Cyanide finally realized what the nt''s name was, and he fell into silence as Ragnar cackled.


    "Ha! It took you way too long to realize, assassin! But still, what kind of stupid nt name is this?"


    "Quite the interesting one," Cyanide said,pletely unaffected. "But in any case we should move."


    "Yeah, yeah," Ragnar said, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "So? Where''s our first stop?"


    "Shrieking Mandrakes," Cyanide said. "They''re found in tall trees, and there are quite a few of those right in front of us."


    "Ah, shit I was hoping we wouldn''t have to do those untilter," Ragnar muttered. "Fine, fine, whatever. Just know my high VIT stat doesn''t cover my eardrums."


    Heaving his greatsword up on his back, Ragnar approached one of therge trees and observed them closely. Envy''s list also had descriptions for the herbs and where to find them, so Ragnar and Cyanide knew what to expect. Shrieking Mandrakes in particr were found along trees, big trees. They ''camouged'' themselves within the tree trunk and some within thick branches, but if one looked at the tree for more than two seconds, they would be able to tell something odd about the way it looked. In other words, the camouge was pretty damn bad.


    Even if one spotted them, however, the retrieval process wasn''t exactly easy. If they were spooked, they would SCREAMvery damn loudly. It was enough to cause permanent damage to the ears, ording to Envy, so some protection was necessary.


    " Hey. There''s a couple right on this tree right here," Ragnar said, not taking his eyes off the trunk. "You ready? I''ll whack the tree real good in a second, and you''re gonna be responsible for taking them out. Remember, no guns."


    Cyanide nodded and prepared his knife in his hand. "Get on with it."


    Ragnar cocked his neck back, stuffed two crumpled leaves into his ears as safety for what was toe, and reared his arms back to prepare his strike.


    "Well here goes nothing!"

 Chapter 129: Shrieking Mandrakes

    Chapter 129: Shrieking Mandrakes


    As soon as Cyanide saw Ragnar preparing to swing, he threw his sword at the skinny tree across from this one, handle first, then quickly covered up his own ears with his hands.


    Ragnar''srge greatsword mmed into the tree harshly, nearly splitting it in half, and from the trunk and various thicker branches, about a dozen mandrakes popped out of their camouged homes. They screamed loudly like a banshee''s wail, enough to make ears bleed. Thankfully, both Ragnar and Cyanide had their ears covered up, so they wouldn''t receive anysting damage.


    As for Cyanide''s sword, well it ricocheted off the skinny tree''s trunk, and in a perfect, calcted angle, cut through all twelve screeching mandrakes in the air before they could even touch the ground, like a skewer. Each mandrake wasn''t very big, so the Anaconda''s Fang''s de was long enough to catch them all. The sword, along with the mandrakes, then flew back into Cyanide''s hand, who promptly plopped the harvested herbs into his inventory.


    Part of the uracy of this throw was made possible using the [Boomerang Knife Throw] skill, of course. Although the Anaconda''s Fang was more technically speaking a sword, this skill applied to all one-handed de weapons, thus it was possible to do this.


    "Phew shy as always, assassin," Ragnar grunted. "You couldn''t have just done the same thing I did, and stuff something into those ears of yours beforehand?"


    "No," Cyanide said matter-of-factly. "They might be poisonous."


    "What the- poisonous?" Ragnarughed boldly. "Ha! You''re way too sensitive, bastard. We''re just collecting herbs, not fighting some boss. Easen up, will you? I get it, there are times you need to be tense and serious. But if you''re like that all the time, you''ll wear yourself out."


    "I have been living like this for twenty-two years. I am not worn out yet."


    At this, Ragnar sighed and shook his head. " You''re hopeless. But well, your skills are the real thing. Now, twelve ain''t enough for jack shit. We''ll need a shit ton more if we want this journey to be worth."


    And just like that, the duo continued on whacking trees and harvesting the Shrieking Mandrakes from them, each time causing a tremendous amount of noise. By the time they were done, they''d harvested about 67 Shrieking Mandrakes in total, and pretty much cleared the area out.


    " That''s enough," Cyanide said atst, stowing away his weapon.


    "Huh? You sure? There''s still a couple of trees up ahead, y''know," Ragnar said with a chuckle.


    "We have other herbs to collect, and it is already midday."


    "Oh, shit, you''re right. Let''s see next up is" Ragnar nced at the list he held in his hand, and narrowed his gaze. "Insanire. Found in hignds."


    He nced up at the hill in the distance, where Cyanide had fought the Blood Baron.


    " Well, time to head up, I guess."


    Unfortunately, however, just as the duo were about to leave the scene, they heard a growl from behind them.


    " You''re shitting me, right?"


    "Afraid not."


    "God fucking damn it can''t you let us collect herbs in PEACE?!"


    With a roar, Ragnar charged towards the tiger that had emerged behind them, who had probably been disturbed by all the mandrakes'' shrieking. Cyanide followed, swinging across the trees like an nimble ninja. He reached the lion first, sweeping underneath it and cutting its legs with Anaconda''s Fang to weaken it. The lion, who had been focused on Ragnar''s charging figure, didn''t see thising, and was thus taken by surprise and caught off guard as its defenses were lowered.


    Then, it was Ragnar''s turn.


    Charging his sword up with fire, he mmed it down on the weakened tiger, decimating its HP with a critical hit that rendered the beast immobilized and low on health. Ragnar then leaped over the beast using his momentum, making way for Cyanide, who finished it off with single bang from his gun.


    " Hmph. Not bad, for an improvised technique," Ragnar said, heaving his greatsword back up over his back. "Interestingly enough, though, I didn''t expect my attack to do that much damage. It showed up as a ''crit'' for me. You ever got that before?"


    "Yes," Cyanide said. "Check your tutorials screen."


    "Tutorials ah, here it is," Ragnar muttered, bringing up his system screen before reading aloud.


    "Critical hits are attacks that deal double the damage of a normal attack. By default, all yers have a crit rate of 5%. However, certain mutants have critical weaknesses that will guarantee a crit attack when struck, and other mutants can be given critical weaknesses by weakening them. Oh so that''s what happened there. You caught the tiger off guard, revealing its weakspot, and I struck with a crit hit. Hoho, not bad! What''s a good name for this technique?"


    "Agreed," Cyanide said. "But regarding the name, unnecessary."


    "Cheh, no fun," Ragnar snorted. "Whatever. Let''s go. We have some climbing to do."


    *****


    After that, the herb collecting journey was mostly sessful. Most of the herbs apart from Shrieking Mandrakes didn''t actually involve any disastrous fighting, and more just required careful handling.


    Insanire, for example, looks green on the outside and perfectly normal, but upon contact, will bloom into a dangerous, hellish orange and release spores that cause unnatural rage in any nearby creatures or people. When used as an ingredient, however, Insanire''s rage is lessened just enough to allow reasonable thoughts to cross the user''s mind, but remains powerful enough to cause the user to attack harder.


    So long as someone was careful, they could avoid being hit by the spores, wait for them to easen and go on cooldown, then harvest the nts. Ragnar, however, identally got hit by one and began going on a rampage towardsnaturallyCyanide, who kept on dodging his attacks with little to no effort until the rage subsided.


    Next was Prefilicous Sagethis herb didn''t have any special properties to them and were just normal nts, just like the Veridian Envy told the group to pick up whenever they saw them. Apparently, these were justmon green nts that could be found just about anywhere, and were essentialponents in any potion at all. As such, one should always collect them if they spot any.


    But those were just the simple ones.. The rest wouldn''t be so easy.

 Chapter 130: Lost Herald

    Chapter 130: Lost Herald


    Very soon, there were only four herbs left on the collection list for Cyanide and Ragnar: Odium, Anastasia, Farma-whatever-it''s-called, and Moonflower.


    Of them, Odium was probably the most pain to get. This was because they were found in the swampy areas of the rainforest, which coincidentally was also the most dangerous area. The snakes they''d encountered when they first arrived in the rainforest were nothingpared to the massive basilisks that resided in the swamps, not to mention the crocodiles and alligators thaty hidden, waiting for their prey.


    But naturally, Ragnar and his hatred of snakes prompted them to head there first.


    "This ce stinks," he spat, sniffing the air.


    "Have you tried not smelling the air?" Cyanide asked casually.


    "Not smelling the- what the fuck are you? How do you want me to just ''not smell'' the air?"


    Cyanide shrugged. "It doesn''t bother me for a reason."


    " You''re one weird dude, Prince Charming. Are you even human anymore?"


    Cyanide ignored that question and instead focused on locating the Odium. ording to the list, it was a disgusting purple herb that reeks foul odor. Life around the herb is scarce due to the high amount of airborne pollen particle, meaning it would be a ce with less life around.


    "This swamp is too big," Cyanide concluded after looking at his system map (not the one Envy gave them). "We''re splitting up."


    "Sounds good to me," Ragnar said with a chuckle. "I''ll leave the herbs to you, then, assassin. I''m gonna do some ughtering. I''M NOT DONE WITH YOU JUST YET, YOU LEGLESS NOODLES!"


    With a roar, he disappeared into the left side of the swamp, followed by various shrieks from the poor reptiles residing there. They had no idea what wasing for them170 kilograms of pure physical aggression.


    Cyanide watched him go, blinked, then activated his [Radar] and stuck to his original mission: finding the Odium.


    *****


    After a while of walking and taking out decently strong mutants here and there, Cyanide had hit Level 34 and put 10 CP into AGI. The 20 CP from the previous level-ups after fighting the Blood Baron were used on STR and INT respectively, 10 each. After all, those three stats were the only ones he really needed. The rest were all secondary priorities, especially since he has a meat shield now (cough, ahem, Ragnar). He had 3 SP to use, but now wasn''t the time to sit down and decide on what to spend to them on.


    With stats of now 110 STR, 110 AGI, and 65 INT, he ventured deeper into the swamp. At Level 36, these Level 30 to 32 creatures didn''t stand much of a chance. One level meant a lot in Endzone, and could make the difference between life and death.


    Strangely, however, even as he went to areas in the swamp without too many creatures around that he could sense with his aura detection techniques learned from Kirika, he was unable to find any of these purple nts. Their odor was what gave birth to the stench in this entire swamp, so Cyanide had originally thought there would be plenty of them when Ragnar made thatment about the nasty smell. But apparently that was not the case.


    After a while of exploring, though Cyanide came across a peculiar area. It was a wide open area in the exact middle of the swamp, and was shaped in a perfect circle. The swamp trees here, however, were different than the norm as well. They were twisted, coiled into shapes.


    Two in particr directly across from Cyanide looked like snakes, facing the left and right respectively. Between them was a stone wall that looked quite out of ce here, entangled by vines and with a carving of a multi-headed snake on it.


    This wasn''t just an arena anymore. It looked like some kind of weird throne room for some kind of mystical creature.


    But Cyanide''s focus wasn''t even on that. Instead, his gaze fell on the numerous purple nts surrounding the edges of the circr arena, half-submerged in the murky swamp waters. The horrible stench was also strongest around these parts, so it was confirmedthose were indeed the Odium that they''d came here for.


    But the question was


    How would he harvest them?


    It was clear this area was no simple ce. The water here was only deep enough to reach Cyanide''s ankles, but the moment he took a step forward into it, would the moment he awakened whatever the hell was lying in slumber here.


    But then again was it really that bad to awaken it? Cyanide didn''t know its strength. It could be weaker than him, or it could be Level 90. All he knew was that this was not a Blood Baronsomething like that would be far more visible, and he most likely would already be fighting it by now. Moreover, Blood Barons locations always show up on maps with an icon, even if a yer hasn''t unlocked them yetall the info will just bebeled as ''???''.


    So just what was this ce?


    Cyanide was getting an extremely uneasy feeling, one that he normally was unaffected by. Even when fighting Zul''Krak, the massive stone-lightning lizard, he didn''t feel like this. But this ce this swamp it held a terrible secret. A terrible danger.


    And-


    "Oh, limpdick! Fancy meeting you here!" Ragnar interrupted out of nowhere, and Cyanide turned to see him approaching from beside the stone b. "So? Did you get the nts yet? I didn''t find any while massacring th-"


    "Don''t step in that!" Cyanide yelled, but it was toote. Ragnar''s heavy boot plopped down into the water, creating ripples in it, and slowly, both of them looked down at the center of the water as they heard a low rumbling sounding from beneath the earththe sound of something slithering, biting its way through dirt and rock alike. And it was at that moment that Ragnar knew: he''d fucked up.


    " Oh, crud."


    The snake carving on the stone b lit up yellow, and suddenly, out from the center of the water came tearing out a horrible beast with its nine heads, each shaped like a snake and baring sharp fangs and forked tongues. Its body was huge, as tall as the trees and as wide as nearly the entire circr arena. The nine heads shrieked in unison rage, horribly dissonant, as Ragnar was thrown backwards in the direction of Cyanide, who promptly stepped aside and let him m painfully into a tree.


    "Agh-! Goddammit, you fuckwit I''ll get youter for that one," Ragnar grunted, climbing back to his feet and readying his weapon. "But for now what in hell''s name is that?"


    "That" Cyanide narrowed his eyes as a notification popped up in front of them both.


    [Lost Herald: Discovered]


    [Asmodeus, Nine-Headed Basilisk & King of the Serpents]


    " Is a Hydra."


    *****


    - STATS -


    [Name: Asmodeus, Nine-Headed Basilisk & King of the Serpents]


    [Level: 50]


    [HP: 25000/25000]


    [Category: Lost Herald]


    [Rewards: ???]

 Chapter 131: Asmodeus, Nine Headed Basilisk

    Chapter 131: Asmodeus, Nine Headed Basilisk


    "A Hydra as in the one from Greek myths?" Ragnar asked, and Cyanide gave a nod.


    "It would be safe to assume the two share simrities, just judging from appearance," he said. "However, by the looks of it"


    The nine-headed hydra gave a roar of anger, showcasing all nine of its heads. Each had a different appearancealthough they all stemmed out from the same bluish hue body, each gradiently changed into a different color. One was burning orange, one was dark blue like the ocean, one was light blue and lined with icicles, one was purple and sparking with lightning. The nine heads each covered a natural elementfire, water, rock, lightning, ice, grass, wind, death, and life.


    " This one''s going to be a lot more troublesome than the one written of in myths," Cyanide finished, narrowing his eyes.


    Ragnar snorted. "Tch, goddammit"


    The hydra, tired of their conversation, began its attack. The deep blue head mmed into the water, causing a powerful geyser to erupt where Ragnar and Cyanide had just been standing.


    The two immediately dashed away from one another, avoiding the attack, and began their counter-offense. Ragnar jumped up into the air and mmed down with his greatsword at the hydra''s body, but it did no damage whatsoever. The nine hydra heads collectively stared down at Ragnar like he was nothing more than a pest, an insect who could barely even tickle it.


    " You''re kidding, right?"


    No, they weren''t. The head of the Death element, emitting deadly ck gas, swiveled down and attempted to knock Ragnar away. If it wasn''t for him blocking it with the t of his sword, he probably would''ve taken a great deal of damage right there.


    "Don''t attack relentlessly," Cyanide said, sliding across to the side of the massive beast. "Aim for the headsbut it''s got to be the right one."


    "Yeah, yeah, if you get the wrong one two more will spawn in its ceI know the myth," Ragnar grunted, ring at the massive beast. "But the problem is, which one is the right one?!"


    "" Cyanide didn''t have an answer to that either, so he fell silent as he analyzed the beast. Naturally, however, the hydra wasn''t going to just sit there and let itself be observed. Collectively, the nine heads attackedbreathing fire and generating geysers, shooting freeze rays and creating a lightning storm. A cyclone of rocks surrounded the arena, and just like that, their escape route was cut off.


    To make matters worse, vines shot out of the ground and attempted to grab Cyanide and Ragnar. Naturally, the two weren''t going to just sit there and let themselves get hit. Ragnar used [Searing Edge] to charge his de up with mes, then swiped at the vines to burn them away. Cyanide, however, wasn''t as lucky. He didn''t have fire, so he needed to run to the trees surrounding the area to escape the vines.


    But just as he thought he''d gotten away-


    "!"


    He felt a wooden tentacle coil around his ankle, and pull him back.


    "Ngh" He grunted as his back was mmed into the tree, and four more arms grew out of the tree before binding him in ce like cuffs.


    "Dammit, assassin, I don''t have time to worry about you!" Ragnar roared, cutting down vine after vine and tanking damage after damage. One slip-up, and it was over. He couldn''t afford to help Cyanide right nowthe assassin pinned to the tree was on his own.


    "Tch" Cyanide pulled on the vines as hard as he could, but it wasn''t budging. Without a weapon to cut through the wood, there was nothing to be done.


    Or was there?


    The lightning head stared at Cyanide, bolts zapping around it. Then, opening its mouth, it prepared a massive purple beam of electricity. If that thing hit, Cyanide''s HP would be gonerthe hydra was about 15 levels higher than him.


    "Do something, you fuckhead!" Ragnar yelled, still busy fighting his own troubles. "You can''t fuckin'' die, you hear me?! We haven''t had our damn rematch yet! HEY! YOU ASSHAT!"


    But s, Ragnar''s roars of rage were drowned out by the sound of a destructiveser beam shooting out of the electro-head''s gaping mouth, and striking directly where Cyanide was pinned against the tree.


    BOOM!


    The calm after the storm settled in, and silence filled the arena. Both the beast and Ragnar were quiet as smoke rose from where the tree once stood, but that wouldn''tst long.


    A dark look on Ragnar''s face, he gripped his greatsword tightly as he slowly turned to face the nine-headed basilisk. He spoke no words. The anger he felt in his heart right now was far too great to be put into words. He didn''t need to speak, either. The deadly gaze in his brown eyes said it all.


    Even the creature was slightly stunned by the immense change in aura from Ragnar as the man walked towards the massive beast that towered over him. He knew not what fear was. In that moment, he only had one thought in his mind:


    This creature killed hispanionbut more than that, his nemesis. The same person who wasn''t supposed to lose to anyone except himself. And because of that, in order to prove he was better than Cyanide, he would need to take this beast down.


    He wasn''t angry because Cyanide died. His nemesis was finally ghat should be a good thing. NoRagnar was angry because it wasn''t him who dealt the killing blow. And that was unforgivable, for a fighter.


    Unable to contain his rage any longer, Ragnar unleashed a horrible bellow.


    "I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"


    With this bloodthirsty war cry, he leaped into the air, greatsword ming, and turned into a being of raw fire. This was his Pyromaniac formand no amount of damage was going to stop him from going berserk.


    But just as he was about tond on top of the hydra, Fury''s Edge burning with mes


    From the smoke, came two single words.


    " So noisy."


    Immediately, both Ragnar and the beast turned in the direction of where a tree once stood, and saw none other than Cyanide, emerging hurt but alive. From his back, two electric-charged purple wings sprouted, filled with energy. This was the [Thunderflight] Soul Artand it shone even brighter than usual.


    Why?


    Because it had absorbed the lightning hydra head''s attack, of course. Cyanide used the electric properties of his lightning wings to absorb the Hydra''sser beam, then used that power to break free from the bindings of the vines.


    And now that he was free it was time for some payback.

 Chapter 132: The Hydras Fall

    Chapter 132: The Hydra''s Fall


    "You lived?" Ragnar asked in shock.,nding back on the ground a short distance away.


    "You seem quite disappointed," Cyanide said calmly, not even bothering to shoot him a nce. "But unfortunately, I do not die that easily."


    Saying this, he hugged himself with his wings of lightning in a defensive posture, charging them up, before suddenly opening them again wide as several powerful purple streaks of lightning thundered across the air, threatening to tear space itself open, and bombarded the Hydra''s various heads.


    The Thunderflight Soul Art created wings of lightning. And what better conductor was there than electricity itself? Cyanide had absorbed the lightning with those wings, charged them up further, and now, shot them back towards the Hydra.


    "SKREEEEE!"


    The creature howled in pain and agony as lightning entered its body and rippled through its blood. The lightning head was fine, but the rest were not. Its own attack had been turned on it, and instantly, the HP bar disyed at the bottom of Cyanide and Ragnar''s perspectives went down to about 10%.


    Ragnar watched, awe-shook, as Cyanide''s wings disappeared and hended back in the murky swamp waters.


    "Goddamn how do you always escape death like that?" Ragnar asked with a chuckle. "Teach me sometime."


    "Were you worried?" Cyanide arched an eyebrow and asked, to which Ragnar gave a snort.


    "Pfft, worried? Nah. Just a bit pissed off I wasn''t the one to finish you off, fuckhead. But by the looks of it"


    He turned to the nine-headed basilisk, whose HP had already regenerated back to full.


    " Things ain''t quite done yet."


    Cyanide gave a nod. "They''ll never be until we find the right head to kill. And fortunately enough this dumb snake took the bait."


    " Heh. Ain''t that right. A beast is a beast in the end, huh?"


    The Hydra, now with all nine of its head squirming again, fully healed and without a scratch, was naturally confused. Its pea-sized brains (as a collective) couldn''t fathom what the word ''bait'' even meant.


    It did, however, have the bestial instincts to know that this puny human that should be dead already had not only broken out of its grasp, but also used its own attack against it.


    Now, the Hydra was pissed.


    Before, it had just been mildly annoyed, thinking these were just another two clueless idiots who dared to disturb its slumber. But now? Oh no no no. The nine-headed creature was going to make sure these two humans wished they died nine times overespecially the shorter one.


    Screeching in unison fury, noise loud enough topare with the Shrieking Mandrakes from before, four of the monstrous creature''s heads reared back towards the sky and began shooting beams of energy out of their mouthsfire, water, lightning, and wind respectively. The grass element head cawed like a crow, causing various tall vines to shoot out of the swamp waters and grab at Ragnar and Cyanide, but the two avoided with ease and narrowly dodged out of the way of the sharp icicles and rock chunks generated and falling from the air.


    "Oi, assassin, if you don''t do something quick, we''re both gonna die!" Ragnarughed wildly, blocking the dropping icicles and rock chunks with the blunt of his sword.


    In response, Cyanide''s reply was simple, blunt.


    " I know."


    Immediately, he leaped into action, scaling the Hydra''s body with his insane agility. The five heads who weren''t busy charging up the destructive attack tried to snap at him and knock him off, but the assassin''s moves were simply too quick and nimble. Due to the creature''s huge body, it couldn''t actually move muchmaking it an easy target for Cyanide.


    Soon, he found himself on top of one of the Hydra heads, and boosted himself even higher up into the air. If he tried attacking from below, the other heads would block the one he was going for. But up here that was impossible.


    Drawing his gun from its holster on his belt, he aimed it at the head of the Death Element. That was the one keeping this Hydra from dying. Normally, people would intuitively think it was the white Life Element onebut that was nothing but a trick.


    From the beginning, Cyanide had predicted everythingfrom his entrapment, to his escape, and now, the end result. All of it had went ording to n. The Hydra had been tricked from the very start, and even now, it did not realize that.


    Narrowing his eyes and focusing his aim, he pulled the trigger.


    The bullet made no sound as it soared out of the gun''s chamber, and headed straight for the area between the Death head''s eyes. But just as it was about to strikethe Life head jumped in the way and blocked the shot with a generated shield, hissing with venom.


    But rather than being frustrated at the shot getting blocked, a slight smirk appeared on Cyanide''s face.


    And from below, in the water, Ragnar made his move.


    "Take this, you bastard FLAMING CRESCENT!"


    In his Pyromaniac form, all of his Fire Affinity attacks, be it Weapon Arts or Soul Arts, are greatly amplified in power. The moon-shaped projectile zed through the air, ashes trailing in its wake, and cut straight underneath the Life Head''s shield before lopping its head straight off. The Death head screamed as the headless Life element stem writhed in pain. Just like how in mythology, Hercules used torches to cauterize the heads of the Lernaean Hydra to prevent them from growing back, Ragnar''s fire served to dy the respawning of the shielder/healer head of the nine.


    And that opened up the perfect opportunity for Cyanide.


    "Finish it, assassin!" Ragnar yelled, to which Cyanide gave a snort.


    "You don''t need to tell me twice."


    The other heads didn''t even have time to react before the executioner dropped down on them from above, Anaconda''s Fang in hand. He didn''t even bother using [Reaper''s Cut]this beast''s DEF stat was practically negative. It was more than easy to deal damage to itit was the fact that it kept regenerating that made it problematic.


    But that would happen no longer as Cyanide''s de drove home, striking the ck Death Element head straight in between the eyes.

 Chapter 133: Prey Slaughtered

    Chapter 133: Prey ughtered


    "SKREEEE!" The Hydra screeched in fury and pain as its second head fell. Seven leftbut there was a difference.


    Before, it had infinite lives. Now, however, these were itsst.


    Realizing they''d lost the fight, and even if they used that ultra-charged attack, they would be hurt themselves as well with no one to heal them or shield them any longer, the Hydra''s various heads unanimously decided it was better to simply escape.


    Turning tail, the creature attempted to burrow back into the swamp waters, but the two hunters weren''t going to simply let their prey walk away that easily after what it did to them.


    "Trying to run? Not today!" Ragnar roared, and chased after the creature. His HP was running dangerously low from his Pyromaniac''s constant draining effect, but he didn''t care.


    And as for Cyanide


    "Hit it with fire!" He yelled, to which Ragnar frowned.


    "Huh? The fuck?"


    "Just do as I say!"


    "Tch fine!"


    Ragnar wasn''t too happy to be taking orders from Cyanide, but he did as told and once again charged his sword up with fire. There wasn''t time to use ming Crescent, however, so he chose a more brutish alternative:


    Throwing his sword across the swamp.


    "Eat rock!"


    Rearing his arm back, heunched his greatsword like a missile across the swamp water, and it struck the Hydra right as it was about to dig back into the hole it emerged from. The fire just barely caught onto its body momentarily, but it was enough. The little fire symbol beneath the boss''s name showed that it had been inflicted with Fire.


    And that was all Cyanide needed.


    Lifting his hand, he used the Soul Art, [Lightning Chain]. Purple electricity zoomed out of his palm and struck the Hydra before it could do anything else, and immediately, the two affinities reacted.


    Fire plus Lightning made the Technical Reaction, Overchargean explosion that erupted in a small radius around the target and also guaranteed a Shock status ailment apply.


    Normally, bosses are immune against certain status ailments. But luckily for Cyanide and Ragnar, the Hydra wasn''t due to its already-overpowered regeneration ability. The massive creature spasmed a bit, croaking and making a weird gurgling noise, before crashing into the water, immobilized.


    "And now the final act."


    Cyanide dashed around the creature''s body, carefully cutting each still-alive head once with his Anaconda''s Fang. The venom weakened the Hydra and made it further vulnerable. Ragnar, not missing this opportunity, smirked and mmed down with his Fury''s Edge, dealing the maximum damage possible due to his 1 HP remaining from the Pyromaniac form''s side effect.


    Instantly, the Hydra''s HP vanished, and there was only one head left. As Ragnar gave a snort and began walking away, Cyanide stylishly finished it off with a single gunshot.


    Neither of them looked back as the Hydra''s enormous body turned into a billion shards of light, and flowed into their bodies as EXP. Immediately after, notification screens appeared before the two of them.


    { Lost Herald }


    [Asmodeus, Nine-Headed Basilisk & King of the Serpents]


    { Prey ughtered }


    [Achievement Unlocked: Dead Herald]


    - Find and y your first Lost Herald. -


    [Level Up.]


    [Lv. 36-> 38.]


    [You gained 20 CP and 2 SP.]


    [Obtained Hydra''s Fang x4.]


    [Obtained Element Shard x3.]


    [Obtained Vial of Hydra Blood x6.]


    [Obtained Hydra Chops x16.]


    [Obtained Asmodeus''s Head x1.]


    " Huh? That''s it?" Ragnar arched an eyebrow in confusion at the screen before him, and Cyanide looked at him.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "All I got was a level-up message," he said, scratching his head. "Wasn''t this a Lost Herald boss or something? I thought it was going to drop a bunch of shit."


    " It did," Cyanide said after some slight hesitation. " For me, at least."


    "The fuck?" Ragnar blinked in surprise. "Wait, don''t tell me item drops only go to the person whonded the final blow?!"


    "Seems like it," Cyanide said casually. "But Blood Barons are different, I believe"


    "Goddammit!" Ragnar yelled in anger. "I should''ve just let you die, jackass!"


    "You pretty much did that anyway," Cyanide said with a snicker. "Not like you did anything to help me there."


    "Tch" Ragnar gave a snort and began heading off, still pissed. Cyanide watched him go, then went around the edge of the swamp to pick up the Odium herbs they came here for before following after him.


    *****


    After that ordeal, there were only four more herbs on Cyanide and Ragnar''s list: Moonflower, Farmakeftiks, Anastasia, and Yobendover. Of them, Yobendover was the easiest to get. They were essentially four-leaf clovers, which were rare on Earth but actually plentiful here in this world. They were found in rtively open areas with little to no trees, and came in groupsmeaning it was very simple to obtain a great bunch of them.


    Truly makes one wonder why it was named Yobendover, though


    But in any case, now, there were only three left. Farma-whatever-the-name-is (courtesy of Ragnar) were found along riverbanks, and was a minty blue herb that releases a toxin that numbs pain upon contacting its leaves. It was to be used in healing and/or recovery potions.


    Anastasia, on the other hand, was slightly more difficult. ording to the description, they ''thrived in the cold''. The problem? Cyanide and Ragnar were in a rainforest. A tropical rainforest.


    Where the hell were they supposed to find somewhere ''cold''?


    After some thought, the pair decided to head for the ''coldest'' ce there could be in a rainforest: within a cave. On the small hill where Cyanide and Ivy had fought the giant lizard, therey a cave along the side of it. Inside, as expected, were the single-petaled flowers known as Anastasia.


    They were quite interesting, actually. Despite there not being any soil, sunlight, or water inside this deep, empty cave, these single-petal flowers thrived. They had what seemed like a human eye detailed at their edges, and oddly seemed to draw people in.


    Their existence itself was a mysterious puzzleafter all, these caves had no use for pollinators like it.. But Ragnar wasn''t here to consider such thingswhile Cyanide pondered about such facts, Ragnar simply took the flowers and left.

 Chapter 134: Upgrades

    Chapter 134: Upgrades


    At longst, it was time to collect the final herb on the list: Moonflower. This one was a bit special, however. ording to its description, not only did it grow in a very specific and unique location, it was also only visible and harvestable at nighttime. And right now, the sun was just beginning to set. There was still some time to kill before night set in.


    After some thought, Cyanide and Ragnar decided to simply take some time and rest while they waited for the moon to rise and night to kick in. The two sat on top of the hill where Cyanide had fought the massive lizard, and remained in silence as they each minded their own business.


    Both, naturally, were deeply focused on their game systems. They were both looking through the Skills Shop, trying to determine which skills to obtain, as well as which stats to spend their CP on. Cyanide had 20 spare CP, of which he put 10 into STR and 10 into AGI, while Ragnar emptied his 20 all into VIT. Once a bruiser, always a bruiser.


    As for skills Cyanide chose something different than usu Death Affinity Soul Art simply known as ''Control''. What it did was very straight-forward, but very powerful too if mastered:


    It allowed the user to possess and control mutants.


    This was different from Imprinting on a mutant or anything like that. Whereas Imprinting was permanent, the Control status ailment was temporary and could be canceled at any time. It was far easier to use, and didn''t involve the touching of any Mutant Cores or anything like that. All the user had to do was send out these invisible pyschokic threads that could attach to mutants and ess their central processing unit, allowing the user to take control of them andmand to do things.


    That was not all, either. Depending on the level of the skill, Controlled mutants can gain bonus ATK and DEF stats, as well as HP. Naturally, with level-ups, alsoes the ability to Control more mutants at once and reduces the Soulforce cost of doing so. Essentially, at max rank, it is theoretically possible to have an entire army of undead, bio-mechanically enhanced mutant soldiers at your service.


    Of course, for a skill as powerful as this, it was only natural that the cost would be high as well. It took 5 SP just to unlock the base skill, which only allowed Cyanide to Control one mutant at a timeand just doing so would take tremendous effort and practice. Still, Cyanide never had been one to shy away from hard and tedious work, which is why he even bothered saving up his SP to purchase this skill now in the first ce.


    Next, with CP and SP out of the way, he went to equip his new armor. Asmodeus, the Hydra, didn''t drop any, unfortunatelybut that was fine. He doubted it would be better than the one that massive lizard Blood Baron dropped anyway: The Thunder God Set.


    As he headed over to the equipment screen and switched out his current ck Lightweight Armor Set of cloth (but with Metal''s DEF thanks to Infusion Modules), he reced it with the Thunder God Set.


    Just from a nce, one could tell the difference. Cyanide''s old armor had a nd, grey background, signaling it was a one-starmon item, whereas this armor set''s pieces had yellow-orange backgrounds that indicated they were five-star legendary items.


    Not only that, but upon equipping the armor, a blurb of text appeared beside his character profile on the screen hovering before him, and it read as follows:


    [2-Piece Bonus: Thunder God''s Protg]


    [Lightning affinity ATK DMG increased by 18%. Any attacks that can trigger the Shock status ailment will be a guaranteed infliction.]


    [Full Set Bonus: Thunder God''s Decree]


    [After inflicting Shock on a target, call upon a lightning strike from the sky that does massive AOE Lightning DMG. The Lightning affinity ATK DMG bonus to Shocked targets is further increased to 50%.]


    Not only that, but each armor piece had their own unique stats as well:


    [Headpiece: Thunder God''s Helmet]


    [HP: 2500]


    [The design has an air of archaism to it, decorated with anguage of times long since past. It does however, boast a sheen unbing of anything of its age. The few who''ve had the privilege of donning this helm experienced headaches and episodes that border on hysteria, likely from the electricity that pulsates within, but for the unrivaled protection it instills in battle, some are keen to say it is worth it]


    [Chest Armor: Thunder God''s Chestpiece]


    [ATK: 75]


    [Rusty but morous, old but powerful, this chestpiece holds the memories of a long passed god. It is said that the chestte once took a strike from the most powerful heavenly tribtion of them all, Divine Lightning, which is what gave birth to the scar-like mark on the right breastte of the armor]


    [Gauntlets: Thunder God''s Gauntlets]


    [CRIT RATE: 5%]


    [Laced with metal spikes, these gauntlets are the gloves that once held the mighty Mjolnir in their hands. Said weapon, of course, has been lost to time, but it awaits somewhere deep beneath the ground, waiting for the day it would resurface and be picked up by these same gloves once more]


    [Leg Armor: Thunder God''s Leggings]


    [DEF: 25]


    [A wise old woman once told a young boy, "good shoes will keep you alive just as much as any good sword will." The young boy took those words to heart, and sure enough, these handmade leggings and boots he crafted himself have saved him from many dangers, carried him through countlessnds. Without it, he would not have lived until the day he achieved godhood but little does he know, the old woman from all those years ago was just a swine who wanted some money out of the penniless child.]


    Unfortunately, even with all these great upgrades and whatnot Cyanide was hesitant to use it. After all, not only did it make him look like some sort of ancient barbarian, it also made him slow and clunkypared to his old cloth armor. Overall, it would make him a bunch more powerful, but at the same time, it was going to change hisbat stylepletely. He couldn''t use Infusion Modules herethere were too many stats and bonuses to transfer.


    It was then that he noticed a tiny button beside the armor pieces'' names. It looked like a T-shirt icon, and Cyanide curiously clicked on it to see what it was.


    Instantly, a pop-up appeared before him, and read as follows:


    [Spend x1 Vial of Hydra Blood to Transmute this armor piece?]


    Cyanide blinked.


    Transmute?

 Chapter 135: Hydras Fang

    Chapter 135: Hydra''s Fang


    Curious, Cyanide pressed on the Confirm button below the prompt. A new screen popped upone Cyanide had never seen before. Below the title ''Transmutation Center'', a short paragraph of text exined what the Transmutation process was.


    [Transmutation allows you to morph the outer form of an armor piece into a different piece. This will let you keep the stats and abilities of your original armor piece but with a different outer form, either for appearance or agility purposes. Note that an Infused armor piece can still be Transmuted.]


    It was perfect for what Cyanide wanted to do. Not only could this make his armor less shy, it also reduced his hitbox, let him have the agility he previously had, and also make him harder to detect in darkness. What''s more, the only materials he needed to make this process work were the Vials of Hydra Blood he''d just obtained from the fight against the Asmodeus Lost Herald.


    Slotting in the Thunder God''s Armor piece into the first column, the ''Base'', and the corresponding Lightweight Cloth Armor piece into the secondthe ''Reactant''Cyanide tapped on the [Transmute] button at the bottom of the screen.


    A short animation yed, and the process wasplete. He retrieved his new item, then repeated the same process three more times for the other armor pieces. Each one took just 1 Vial of Hydra Blood, which meant Cyanide was left with two Vials remaining for future use.


    After equipping the new ''Lightweight Thunder God''s Cloth Armor'', he confirmed that the process did indeed work. Although he still felt like he was wearing his old armor with no exterior changes, he could feel that his overall stats had been buffed by a lot. For instance, his HP was no longer directly proportionate to his level, and neither was any of hisbat stats directly tied to his actual stats alone (e.g. ATK to STR and INT).


    Hisbat rating also shot up a whole lot as a result of this, and now looked like so:


    [Level: 38]


    [HP: 2880/2880]


    [SF: 65/65]


    [STR: 120]


    [AGI: 110]


    [VIT: 50]


    [INT: 65]


    [DEX: 16]


    [LUC: 15]


    [Avable CP: 0][Avable SP: 0]


    [ATK: 410][DEF: 475][LIFE STEAL: 25%][ARMOR PEN: 0%][Movement Speed: 1100][CRIT RATE: 10%]


    [CR (Combat Rating): 996]


    Basically, Cyanide had gotten an incredible surge in power with thisbut that wasn''t even the end. Just as he was about to exit out of the Equipment screen, he noticed a tiny exmation mark on the top-right corner of the icon disying his weapon, the Anaconda''s Fang. Usually exmation marks meant one should probably give attention to them, so Cyanide clicked into the weapon and was surprised to see yet another new button he''d never found before. It was probably present, but because he didn''t have the materials needed for it, there was no notification like this exmation mark telling him about it.


    In any case, the button had a single word written on it''Ascend''. Beside it was the same exmation mark Cyanide had seen on the previous screen, so naturally, he pressed on it to see what it was.


    Immediately, a new panel shot up, and on it wrote the following text:


    [Would you like to spend 1x Hydra''s Fang to Ascend this weapon?]


    [Y/N]


    The word ''Ascend'' was written in blue unlike the rest in white, so Cyanide tapped on itand as expected, an information screen appeared, briefly exining what Ascension was.


    [Ascension is the process of turning a Epic Weapon into a Legendary one. Every 4-star (Epic) weapon has a 5-star (Legendary) form, and each requires an unique item to Ascend, found everywhere from Lost Heralds to daily scavenging. Ascending, however, provides great benefitsnot only will the base stats increase, the unique weapon ability will also be improved, as well as provide a powerful additional effect. Note that weapon Ascension is only avable at Enhancement Rank 5.]


    And as Cyanide would guess it, the Hydra''s Fang item he obtained from killing that Lost Herald was the ''unique item'' needed to Ascend his 4-star weapon, the Anaconda''s Fang, because he was smart like that.


    Well, it''s not like he has anything to lose. If each ascension item was unique, then it''s not like he has any other use for the Hydra''s Fang anyway. Tapping on the ''Yes'' button below the confirmation prompt, Cyanide sessfully Ascended his weapon.


    An animation yed in the screen in front of him, and he also saw a shine being emitted from the actual weapon on his belt. The sword became nothing but a white glowing silhouette for a brief moment, but then, as the light faded away, it was revealed that its form had been changed.


    Whereas before, it was a simply designed sword made of the color of bone, it now had a gradient chroma in its crossguard. It was still made of bone, yes, but rather than being a dull de, it now had colorsalbeit the de remained more or less the same, just more sharp.


    Just from this appearance, it was clear something had changed. And to find out what Cyanide opened up his equipment screen once more and took a look at his equipped primary weapon.


    [Name: Hydra''s Fang]


    [ATK: 100]


    [Type: Sword]


    [Hydra''s Venom: This weapon deals bleed poison DMG on top of its base attack. Enemies hit will suffer from 1% max HP bleed damage every second for 9 ticks, ignoring all DEF. In addition, each tick will grant the weapon one stack of ''Asmodeus''s Rage''. Can be umted from multiple targets at once.]


    [Nine-Headed Wrath: Each stack of Asmodeus''s Rage grants this weapon ramping ATK, at a rate of 5% ATK per stack. At max stacks (9), grants the ability to charge the de with one element, dealing elemental DMG rather than physical. Possible elements: Fire, Ice, Earth, Wind, Lightning.]


    [Enhancement Rank 5 Perk  Serpent''s Bane: ???]


    Indeed, this was a huge upgrade from his previous weapon. Although he''d lost some base ATK since the new 5-star weapon was back to Enhancement Rank 1, these new perks, especially the stacking ATK percent, would make up for that.


    The only problem now was that he would need a lot more materials to get this weapon to Rank 5and since the rank-up materials required were Hydra''s Fang duplicates well. He only had three Hydra Fangs left after the initial Ascension process - the item, not the weapon. To forge them into the weapon, he needed to use the spare back-up Anaconda''s Fang he saved up before, and Ascend that into a Hydra''s Fang. Then, he would have enough to bring the weapon to Rank 2 - but no more than that, as he was missing more Anaconda''s Fang weapons.


    Still, one rank up was better than nothing, and Cyanide used it to get the weapon to Enhancement Rank 2, bringing its base ATK up to 150on par with his previous Rank 5 weapon.

 Chapter 136: What Lurks In Caves

    Chapter 136: What Lurks In Caves


    With all his upgradesplete, the sun had set, and the moon had risen before he knew it. Cyanide stood up from the grass he had been resting on and turned to Ragnar a few meters away, opening his mouth to speak, but then closed it again.


    Partly because he wanted to see if Ragnar had the basic intelligence to recognize that it was night, but mostly because of his utterly ridiculous getup.


    Ragnar''s old stone armor was nothing like this. Now, his armor was made of some tough material made of snake scales, andyered with thick anaconda hide to keep himself warm while being able to release heat at the same time so he wouldn''t feel hot.


    It was a nice bnce of protection andfort for sure, but they hardly were up to Cyanide''s standards of ''fashion''.


    After a few seconds, the other man noticed Cyanide''s gaze, and stood up as well with a smirk on his face.


    "Well, well, well," Ragnar said with a chuckle as he flexed his new armor, forged out of Anaconda Scales. Cyanide didn''t know where he got the Blueprint, but it must''ve been dropped by one of the many snakes this man had taken down. "What are you staring at? Jealous? Ah, but of course, I can''t me you. It does look fire,pared to your blunt ass ck cloak. You look like a wimp, I look like a warrior."


    "Like a reptile," Cyanidemented, before turning away. "Let''s go. We have work to do."


    "Fuck you," Ragnar said with a snort, then heaved up his greatsword up onto his back like usual and followed after the shorter man.


    Neither of them took the other''s insults to heart, of course. This bickering had be a daily urrence for the two of them, and both epted that subconsciously. Unknowingly, they had be a pair ofrades who could joke around and mess with the other while feeling natural about it. Calling them ''friends'' would be too far, but certainly, their rtionship wasn''t as simple as that of ''nemeses'' anymore.


    Arriving before the tallest hill in this rainforest, Ragnar and Cyanide found themselves staring at a cave.


    " This the ce?" Ragnar asked, arching an eyebrow, as Cyanide gave a brief nod.


    "Seems like it."


    The herb list written by Envy said that Moonflowers dwelled within the secretest of ces, deep within the heart of a cave. This was the location marked on the map, but certainly, under normal circumstances, there was no way a nt like Moonflower could grow in a cave.


    Then again, though Anastasia was found in one as well, so it was possible in this world, they supposed.


    "Man another cave," Ragnar groaned, sighing. "I didn''t like what happened in thest one."


    "The air of corruption is thin here," Cyanide said. "I doubt there is another Corruption Core in this cave."


    "That''s not the point," Ragnar muttered, rolling his eyes. "My point is caves are a bad omen for me now, and I just dislike ''em in general."


    "Feel free to remain outside, then."


    "Hmph. Like hell I''m gonna do thatthen you''ll get all the Moonflowers on your own, and I''ll lose thepetition again, no?"


    Cyanide shot him a sideways look. "What happened to not turning everything into apetition?"


    "Ha! They are in my heartyou don''t have to y along, that''s all."


    Cyanide didn''t say anything further to that, and instead simply headed on into the cave. Naturally, he kept his guard up, using his aura sensing techniques to remain aware of any threats attempting to sneak up on him. Of course, just for double-protection, he used the [Radar] skill as well, in case more of those aura-less creatures created by the Corruption Core from a few days ago appeared.


    Just a few steps in, however, Cyanide came to a sudden stop, and he tilted his head slightly towards Ragnar.


    " Hey."


    " What?"


    "Your sword. Light."


    Immediately, Ragnar knew what the assassin wanted him to do. But there was no way in hell he was going to just do what Cyanide wantedespecially not this.


    "You want me to turn my sword, my life, into a torch? Are you fucking serious?"


    "I am," Cyanide replied, voice as stone cold as ever just like the environment of this cave. "We need light, and you''re the only source."


    "Can''t you just use your Lightning Affinity shit? That would be better light than fire."


    "For about two seconds, sure," Cyanide said. "Unless you want me to use all of my Soulforce now, and leave all the fighting to youter if there is any."


    "Urgh"


    At this, Ragnar couldn''t argue any further, and reluctantly used [Searing Edge] to light his sword up on fire and hold it up as a torch. This effectsted quite the long time, so it would be far better in this situation than Cyanide''s Lightning Affinity Soul Arts or anything of the sort.


    " You owe me one for this, assassin."


    "I don''t owe you anything."


    Ragnar opened his mouth to argue further, but suddenly, he heard the sound of something scuttling across the cave floor, and stopped in his tracks.


    " What was that?"


    Cyanide heard it too, obviously, and slowly crouched down on the ground, not moving an inch.


    Skittle. Skittle.


    There it was again. The sound of dozens of tiny legs scraping against the rock walls and ground, ovepping with one another and growing louder by the second.


    It was then that Cyanide realized, and bolted to his feet.


    "Turn off the fire, quick!"


    "Wha- I can''t!" Ragnar yelled. "Do you not know how this skill works? I can charge it with fire, but when it goes away is its own problem!"


    "Tchthen there is only one option left: throw away the sword, and run!"


    "Like hell I''m doing that! But the running part, sure!"


    Saying that, he bolted forward into the cave after Cyanide, still holding his ming sword as a torch.. The sounds of dozens upon dozens of scuttling insects raced after them, following the streak of orange light that disturbed their slumber.

 Chapter 137: Moonflowers

    Chapter 137: Moonflowers


    As Cyanide and Ragnar dashed through the darkness of the cave, they had little light to work with. The former was a lot faster than thetter, but he couldn''t go too far ahead since Ragnar was the one with the fire.


    "Throw the damn sword away, idiot!" Cyanide yelled, but Ragnar once again refused.


    "I''d rather eat shit!" Ragnar fired back, footsteps thundering across the cave floor.


    "You will in a second if you don''t listen to me now!"


    "Ugh!" Turning around, Ragnar could practically see the dozens of enormous centipedes crawling towards him, getting closer and closer. They were faster than him, unfortunately, and after the fight with the Hydra earlier, he was in no condition to be using Pyromaniac again to get out of this.


    "It''s either you lose your sword, or you lose your life," Cyanide called out onest time, as his final verdict. "Choose your poison."


    With that, he sped on ahead, leaving Ragnar behind and creating his own subtle light using the Lightning Chain Soul Art to see ahead of him. Ragnar, stuck with little choice, gritted his teeth in anger and cursed under his breath.


    "Fuck well, as they say, the weapon of a warrior is in their body, not their hand! Sorry, Fury''s EdgeI''ll remember you well!"


    With makeshift tears in his eyes, Ragnar hurled his sword behind him at the mutant centipedes, striking a couple. The rest, however, stopped chasing, and instead all crawled around the burning sword, beginning to tear it apart thinking it was food. The warrior clenched his fists, but there was nothing to be done.


    Turning back around, he chased after Cyanide, remembering the evil these stupid bugs had done to him today.


    *****


    Soon, after several minutes of wandering around in the cave, Cyanide came across what looked like a source of light. It was quite faint, but in the cave''s darkness, it was easy to spot the soft blue hue being emitted from a certain direction.


    Curious, Cyanide walked over closer to it, and discovered an exit. On the other side, however, was not the open. Instead, it was a miraculous chamber of sortsso beautiful that just about anyone would gasp in awe.


    Not, Cyanide, though. He was merely surprised a ce like this could even exist in a cave.


    The chamber was small, but beautiful. Several tall trees twisted and intertwined with one another stood around the ce like a border of sorts, and on the circr patch of grass they surrounded, several illuminative flowers bloomed.


    They were shaped like roses, but had translucent petals that gave off a bright blue glow rather than the deep red as ustomed to on Earth. Their stems were slightly curved, and the flowers blew side to side softly by the gentle wind that came from the unknown. They were fragile and delicate; tranquil and luminescent. They were like the light in the shadow, the torch in the dark.


    A faint sweet aroma filled the air, cool and rxing. It wasn''t overbearingit was very gentle, just like the flowers themselves. The calming blue lighting created by the flowers also helped provide a soothing atmosphere, further enhanced by the small but eye-attracting sparks of blue light in the air that looked like fireflies.


    This ceeverything about it looked so natural, so transcendent, that it was hard to believe this chamber was found within a cave. In fact, the lighting seemed like real moonlight itself, thus granting the name ''Moonflower.''


    "These are" Cyanide murmured, trailing off as he realized this was the herb he''d been looking for. Moonflowersvery rare and very valuable, was a herb that had extremely potent, almost miraculous recovery effects. Without a doubt, it would be able to craft amazing healing potions, which Cyanide really was in need of in emergency situations.


    Soon, from behind him came the sound of footstepsloud, heavy footsteps. Without even looking, Cyanide knew who it was alreadywho else could it be?


    "Holy shit"


    Ragnar walked up beside Cyanide, entering the miraculous and paradoxical chamber that should not exist in this cave. Staring up above at what should be a rock ceiling, the two instead saw an illusive night sky, painted pretty with white stars and a pale moon on a gradient dark ocean blue background.


    " I know this is fake, just some kind of illusion created by those flowers, but goddamn, this feels real," Ragnar muttered. "Almost enough to make me forget about my sword. Almost."


    " Whine, whine, whine." Cyanide shot him a sideways nce, exhausted. "Rather than crying over your sword, how about thinking of a way back out of this cave? I''ll be fine since I already memorized the way in, but I doubt you''ve done the same."


    "Hold up, you memorized the way in?" Ragnar asked, blinking in surprise. "How the fuck did you do that?"


    Cyanide shot him a deadpan look, as if this was something obvious.


    " It''s simple. From the moment we entered this cave until arriving at this ce, I''ve been counting the number of steps I took and the directions I turned. In my mind, I''ve already got a basic mental map of the route to take down. The only problem I can think of is if those critters are still back there."


    Ragnar pondered for a moment, then a smile slowly appeared on his face.


    " Yo, assassin. I''ve got an idea."


    Cyanide wasn''t very keen on hearing Ragnar''s idea, but waited in silence for it anyway. Ragnar, taking his quietness for eptance, continued.


    "You go ahead and dash straight through them with a light in your hand, and distract them. With your speed, there''s no way they can catch up to you. And while you''re doing that, I''ll grab my sword back, and sneak up on the bastards from behind. We''ll hit them with a nk attackboom! Enemy incinerated."


    "A sound n," Cyanide said with a perfectly neutral expression, pping his hands together sarcastically. "But unfortunately, there''s one thing missing."


    Ragnar blinked. "What?"


    "What do I get out of this, my supposed nemesis?"

 Chapter 138: Shrine Of Divinity

    Chapter 138: Shrine Of Divinity


    "What do I get out of this, my supposed nemesis?"


    "Uh" At this question, Ragnar was stumped. He thought about it for a moment, then turned back to Cyanide.


    " My respect?"


    "Worthless," Cyanide said coldly. "You expect me to help you for no reason?" He chuckled. "I am an assassin, fool. A mercenary, if you will. I do things if you pay me. If not, I have no reason or obligation to help youespecially considering you are my archnemesis, ording to yourself."


    "Fine, fine!" Ragnar rolled his eyes. "I, uh don''t got anything I can give you in return right now, but I''ll owe you a favor after this, how ''bout that?"


    "A favor? Interesting. What makes you think I will need a favor from you in the future?" Cyanide asked, genuinely curious.


    "Hey, you never know," Ragnar said, shrugging. "Maybe you''ll end up having to throw away your weapon sometime as well, and will need my help to get it back."


    "" Cyanide was about to object to Ragnar''s utterly absurd words, since he would never get so emotional about some weapon, but ultimately decided to ept the proposal. After all, that weapon was part of their group''s fighting power as a whole. If Ragnar didn''t have it, he would be pretty uselessand that would ruin the point of joining forces with him in the first ce.


    " I have an idea," Cyanide said atst, and Ragnar arched an eyebrow.


    "Yeah?"


    "Snake Fangs. You have a number of those, don''t you? Give them all to me."


    "Uh... sure? But is that really all you want?" Ragnar asked, surprised. "I got nearly a hundred."


    "I''ll take them all," Cyanide said calmly, to which Ragnar folded his arms.


    "Man... I don''t get you sometimes, assassin. But a man knows when a question is not his to ask. Here you go."


    He retrieved the Snake Fangs from his inventory, handed all of them to Cyanide, who epted them without any hesitation. Then, getting back to business, Cyanide turned to the Moonflower on the ground, and bent down to collect them as Ragnar smirked in triumph, eager to get his sword back.


    Just as he finished picking thest translucent Moonflower off the grass, however, the glowing blue ''fireflies'' in the air suddenly converged together as if pulled by some mysterious electromaic force, and forged into what looked like a tiny holographic shrine, almost like a ghost object.


    It was small, but intensely brightso much so that Cyanide and Ragnar had to cover their eyes for a moment at first, before they finally adjusted to it and stared at it in wonder.


    " What is that?" Ragnar murmured, scratching his head. "Doesn''t look like it belongs here, that''s for sure"


    "This ce doesn''t belong in the cave in the first ce," Cyanidemented, before turning back to the shrine and using the [Poison Detect]. No pings came up, signaling it was safe to touch, and slowly, Cyanide rested his fingertip on the top of the shrine.


    Instantly, a surge of energy flew up out from the bottom of the miniature structure, and projected into the air above it arge screen disying a list of options below what looked like a torii gate graphic with animated sakura flowers fluttering by. Strangely, however, it was not as simple as a 2-dimensional screen. Rather, it was 3-D, so real yet so surreal at the same time. The fluttering sakura petals looked like they were tangible yet were not; they flew right through Cyanide''s hands.


    Down below both men''s chins, a tutorial screen popped up, and the two both looked down to read what it said.


    [World Tutorial: Shrine of Divinity]


    [Within Endzone, there are various Shrines of Divinity spread out amongst the world, found in locations rich in Soulforce. When one is discovered, they will be marked on your map for future use and cost-free teleportation. At a Shrine, you can recover HP and Soulforce to full, but bewareit is not unlimited. At base level, the Shrine can only hold 1,000 HP and 5 SF, slowly regenerating over time. However, as you contribute to it, it too may offer rewards in return]


    There was a second page, so Cyanide tapped on that and was brought to yet another tutorial page.


    [World Tutorial: Divinifly]


    [Diviniflies are special Soulforce-borne butterflies often found in ces rich in Soulforce. They have a bright glowing luster to them and cane in many different colors, but all share themon trait of being small but slow. When one is spooked, it will try to run awaybut if you manage to catch one and offer it up to a Shrine of Divinity, its level will be increased, granting rewards and higher capacity HP and Soulforce.]


    "Huh" Ragnar muttered, closing out of his tutorial and looking around. "Hey, assassin. You think those things over there are the Diviniflies the tutorial''s talking about?"


    Saying this, he pointed in front of him, at where a glowing purple butterfly was slowly fluttering about,pletely oblivious to the two men a few meters away from it.


    " Looks like its detection range is quite short, if that is the case," Cyanide said, folding his arms. "Appears to be deaf, too."


    Ragnar shot a sideways nce at Cyanide, then smirked as an idea formed in his head. Suddenly, he dashed forward, aiming to grab the fly. He moved quick, but-


    -Well, quick for him, anyway.


    The Divinifly flinched as it felt a gust of wind rushing towards it, and instantly began pping away. Ragnar''s hand closed around nothing, and his huge frame spun around to the best of his ability. The glowing insect was already out of his reach, though, and he cursed.


    "Damn it! What happened to it being slow?!"


    "It is," Cyanide said quietly, looking up at where the Divinifly had flown to in the sky. "You''re just slower."


    Saying this, the assassin immediately dashed towards a tree, climbing up on it and kicking off its top like a nimble cat. Striking with precision and uracy, Cyanide caught the Divinifly by the wings, careful not to crush it, and gentlynded back on the ground, sweeping the grass below him.


    " Hmph. Show off. Let''s see you do that against a group of enemies now, eh?" Ragnar snorted, clearly unimpressed. Cyanide wasn''t trying to impress him, though, and instead simply moved closer to the shrine and offered the butterfly up.


    The insect spread its wings as it was enveloped by the purple light being emitted by the holographic Torii gate, and soon vanished with a sh.


    Instantly, a purple aura pulsed around the shrine, and a string of text appeared beneath it.


    [Shrine of Divinity  Level Up.]


    [Level I -> II.]


    [Achievement Unlocked: So it begins]


    - Level up your Shrine of Divinity to Level II. -


    [Obtained Precepts of the Miner x1.]


    [Obtained Precepts of the Chef x1.]


    [Obtained Precepts of the Farmer x1.]


    [Obtained Precepts of the Alchemist x1.]


    [Obtained Precepts of the Craftsman x1.]


    [Obtained Precepts of the Beastamer x1.]

 Chapter 139: Cave Escape

    Chapter 139: Cave Escape


    Soon, after both Cyanide and Ragnar had rested up a bit, they prepared to head back. The Precepts Cyanide obtained from leveling up the Shrine confused him at first, but after reading their descriptions in his inventory, he discovered that they were used to level up various Masteriesskills outside ofbat that could potentially be useful. There were six Masteries in total: Mining, Cooking, Farming, Alchemy, Crafting, and Beastaming.


    All of them were quite straight-forward, but to be perfectly honest, they didn''t concern Cyanide all that much. Combat was all he truly cared about; the rest were just icing on the cake. And right now, whaty ahead of them wasbat indeed.


    "Alright. You know the n, yeah?" Ragnar said, staring out at the darkness of the caverns in front of him. "I''m trusting in you. Good luck."


    Cyanide gave a brief nod, then slowly stepped into the darkness. There was no need to rush right nowbetter conserve energy for when running was truly necessary.


    Retracing his steps, Cyanide soon heard the sound of clicking, like antennasing together. Without a doubt, they belonged to the insects who had chased after him and Ragnar earlier. They were attracted only to light, however, so since Cyanide had none on him right now, they didn''t turn hostile.


    Cyanide was sure they knew he was there. They just were pacifists until provoked with some source of light and heat, such as fire.


    Too bad Cyanide wasn''t the same.


    Lifting his gun, he fired Shock Ray, a Weapon Art that was both bright and shyliterally. A massive yellowser of electricity zapped through the air, filling the caves with bright illumination momentarily.


    "Gnarl?!" The insects, startled, leaped up from the ground in shock as some of their friends were unfortunately struck by the ray and immobilized, then quickly turned on the source of this nasty act and snarled in unison.


    Cyanide, blowing out on his gun, used [Inspect] on one of the insects, just to know what he was dealing with here:


    [Name: Crystalpede]


    [Level: 30]


    [HP: 6000/6000]


    [Category: Insect]


    Then, he bolted.


    Like a true master of speed and stealth, Cyanide vanished into the cave''s shadows, holding his still glowing gun in his hand to make the insects follow. After casting [Shock Ray], the gun would remain glowing with energy for a long while, which is why Cyanide was taking advantage of this. It wasn''t very bright, but as it was the only source of light around, it was enough.


    The critters scurried after Cyanide en horde, just as expected. The n was going wlessly  Cyanide had done his part. Now, it was up to Ragnar to find his sword and nk the crystalpedes from behind for a perfect pincer attack.


    Speaking of


    Several minutes after Cyanide took off, Ragnar heard the sound of rumblinging from a ways off in the cave. That signaled Cyanide had done it  he''d distracted the insects and bolted, taking the crystalpedes with him. It was also the cue for Ragnar to move, before the n fell apart and everything Cyanide did would be in vain.


    Not wanting to miss this only opportunity he had to get his weapon back, Ragnar charged out of the cave, holding a gun in his hand.


    Before leaving, Cyanide had left him with a pistol, saying it was a spare back-up he kept. He had used [Shock Ray], so the weapon was still glowing. It wasn''t much, but would serve as a shlight of sorts just fine.


    Cyanide had told him the general directions on how to reach the entrance of the cave, and that plus all the noiseing from his general direction was more than enough to lead Ragnar on the right track.


    Very soon, after not long of running, he came across the ce he had flung his sword about half an hour ago. Sweat lined his forehead, and although he was of the Fire Affinity, that didn''t mean he was resistant to heat.


    "Come on,e on where is it aha!"


    Chuckling as he finally spotted the greatsword he was searching for,ying on the cave floor a few meters away, Ragnar hurried over and picked it up.


    "Alright, no sticky saliva, no shit stains lookin'' good."


    With a wide grin of joy on his face, he leaned in and pecked the sword''s de on the tip to show his affection for the weapon, then slowly backed away. The stone didn''t taste quite like stone, but he figured it was fine. After all, this wasn''t made of material from Earth. He couldn''t apply Earthen logic here.


    Heaving his greatsword onto his back, he began moving, rushing after the sound of the insects chasing after Cyanide.


    *****


    Soon, Cyanide arrived at the entrance to the cave where he''de in here from, the insects still chasing after him. By now, Ragnar should be close to where they were, and readying for a counterattack.


    Knowing this, Cyanide dashed out of the cave, then immediately spun around before using [Lightning Chain] to open up the fight.


    Instantly, the few insects that were stupid enough to leap straight at him were zapped in the air, and fell to the ground, momentarily stunned. They had extremely high HP and DEF to begin with, however, so they didn''t take much damage  for now, anyway. The damage wouldeter.


    Pulling out his Hydra''s Fang, Cyanide immediately sliced the few insects that he managed to stun  five in total. It wasn''t to deal damage  though it did do a fair bit since the Stun status ailment voided all DEF  but rather, to stack up the Asmodeus''s Rage ability of the weapon.


    The second after the moment he cut the five crystalpedes, two ticks of Hydra''s Venom had been inflicted on all five targets. That totaled up to ten stacks of Asmodeus''s Rage in total, and was enough to execute the ultimate ability of the sword: Nine-Headed Wrath.


    Now, was where the damage came in.

 Chapter 140: Plans

    Chapter 140: ns


    Silent and cold, Cyanide charged his Hydra''s Fang up with Lightning Affinity power, creating a powerful purple aura around himself, before slicing the space across in front of him.


    A thunderous sh of lightning energy shot out of his de, tearing apart a minor rift in space and flying towards the Crystalpedes. The attack was extremely wide and traveled far too fast to dodgethe Crystalpedes stood no chance.


    All of them were struck by this ability, but unfortunately, it didn''t do much damage since they had such high DEF stats.


    That was fine, though.


    With the Thunder God''s armor set, any Lightning Affinity skills who could inflict stun had an 100% sess chanceand this, was no exception.


    The Crystalpedes all spasmed briefly before falling to the ground, electricity sparking from their bodies. Their countless legs twitched and bodies squirmed, but they could do nothingthey would be stuck in this form for about another few seconds.


    And that was all Ragnar needed to catch up.


    Rushing forward with a ming greatsword in his hand, he let out a loud battle cry.


    "I''M BACK, FUCKERS!"


    He swung his sword forward with all his might, shooting out a crescent-shaped attack that was just as wide as Cyanide''s, but instead of Lightning, it was Fire. The mes swept through all the Stunned Crystalpedes, invoking the Overload Technical effect on each one. A series of satisfying explosions ensued, each Crystalpede unleashing a powerful st of energy around themselves that did insane DMG to their now DEF-less friends thanks to the Stun status ailment. Within seconds, their bodies were no more, and they turned into EXP for both Ragnar and Cyanide.


    [Level 38 -> 39.]


    [You gained 10 CP and 1 SP.]


    [Obtained Crystal Exoskeleton x19.]


    [Obtained Crystal Shell x32.]


    [Obtained Arthropod Blood x31.]


    "Whew now that was satisfying," Ragnar chuckled, heaving his greatsword back over his back. "Bastards really thought they were going to get away with taking my sword, eh? Hmph."


    "That should be everything on the list," Cyanide said, checking over the herb list assigned to them onest time, before ncing up at the star-filled night sky. "It''s gettingte. I''m heading back. You do you."


    With those brisk words, he left, sopletely unimpressed by what just happened that it honestly stunned Ragnar.


    "Geez it''s not like he doesn''t have emotions, but it''s more like he only has a set few," the greatsword user muttered, before shaking his head. "Ah, whatever. No use trying to understand that guy anyway."


    With a sigh, he followed after the assassin, also nning to head back becausewell, there really wasn''t much else to do.


    ******


    After regrouping with the others back at Envy''sir, Cyanide and Ragnar discovered that they were thest and slowest group. Ragnar didn''t care about that, however. He only cared about how many herbs Cyanide and him each had in their inventory, and the results were


    Cyanide: 134 (total)


    Ragnar: 35 (total)


    "Agh, goddammit!" Ragnar yelled, mming his greatsword into the ground. "I lost again!"


    "Rx," Cyanide said, folding his arms. "I collected most of the herbs since you were always busy fighting something. It only makes sense that you lost by andslide."


    "Okay, you don''t gotta rub it in, ass-man," Ragnar rolled his eyes, using the term ''ass-man'' as a y on ''assassin''. "But truth to be told, today was pretty fun. The most fun I''ve had yet, sinceing to this world. You sure make things interesting, eh?"


    "I do?" Cyanide asked, and Ragnar nodded.


    "Yep. For better or worse."


    "Hm." Cyanide then turned to Envy, hovering a short distance away, and showed her his inventory screen along with the herb list she had written him. "Take a look. See if I missed anything."


    "" Envy fell into a shortpse of silence as she examined his inventory, switching between the list in his hand and the inventory screen in front of him. Then, after a few seconds, she moved away.


    "You have obtained all the herbs I listed. However, it would seem my handwriting requires some improvement."


    "Huh?" Ragnar arched an eyebrow. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "On the list, the ''cl'' looks like a b. The proper name of that herb is Yobenclover."


    "Ohhhh well damn did I get a goodugh outta that one," Ragnar said with a chuckle.


    " So that''s why they looked like clovers from back on Earth" Cyanide muttered, closing his eyes briefly before opening his eyes again. "In any case. Our business here in the rainforest is done. Let''s rest up here for tonight, then return to Lumina tomorrow morning."


    "Why not just go now?" Luna asked. "We have a teleport waypoint set at home camp. We can reach there instantly."


    "Yes," Cyanide agreed. "However, there are several ces you all need to go to first still, just to unlock their locations. Ragnar will show you the way tomorrow morning."


    "Wait, what?" Ragnar, who had been busy cleaning his sword with the pool water, suddenly looked up. "Why me?"


    "Because I have something to do," Cyanide said, and left it at that. "Luna,e with me tomorrow."


    Luna, who was more than happy to hear this, smiled slightly and gave a curtsy. "Understood. By the way what are you doing?"


    She asked Ragnar, who was still busy pouring the pool water over his Fury''s Edge.


    "Oh, this. Well, you see, earlier, my sword got captured by a bunch of insects, and now it has this weird stench all over it from their body. Don''t worry, there aren''t shit stains or anythingI double-checked."


    "Let me guess," Dianna interjected, a wry grin on her face. "They were Crystalpedes?"


    "Uh yeah. Why?"


    "Well, since their bodies are made of crystal so are their excrements. In other words, their waste is invisible."


    Ragnar blinked.


    "Wait, then"


    He recalled when he had kissed his sword right after getting it back, and that weird taste in his mouth that didn''t taste quite like stone.


    " Oh, god. Oh god no, no, no!"


    Screaming at the top of his lungs, Ragnar buried his face into the pool water below him, only to remember he''d just cleaned his sword using that same pool.


    "FUCK!"


    Hearing his cries of desperation and rage, both Dianna and Kirikaughed, while Cyanide merely sighed and Ivy leaned against a tree a short ways off, still as distant as ever.

 Chapter 141: Ivys Struggles

    Chapter 141: Ivy''s Struggles


    Since Ragnar had utterly polluted the pool of cleansing within Envy''sir, it would take quite some time for the water in it to be fully refreshed. Thankfully, there was a waterfall nearby with a clean and warm water pool beneath it, so the girls and Cyanide took a bath there.


    Ragnar naturally was banned from getting anywhere close to it, but since Cyanide didn''t care about anything sexual, the girls went ahead and let Cyanide use it at the same time as them. Kirika was opposed, but majority rulesLuna, Dianna, and Ivy all said they were fine with it. As a result, Kirika spent the entire duration of the bath blushing.


    " So, how did it go with Ivy?" Cyanide asked Dianna who was dangerously close to him, without turning to look at her.


    "Hm went okay, I suppose," Dianna said crossing her arms behind her head and leaning back, as if trying to get Cyanide to look down at her generous bosom. "She''s still very introverted and speaks very little, but I did get her to talk to me. That''s a start, right?"


    Dianna winked at Cyanide, who did not fall for her charms and carried on staring straight ahead of him, as stone-faced as ever.


    "She''s always been like that. But if you truly managed to get her to talk to you of her own will, that is quite the aplishment."


    "Fufu~ thanks. I pride myself on being easy to get along with."


    "So it''s easier for you to stab them in the back when you need to?" Cyanide snickered, knowing her too well.


    "Yes," Dianna said with a warm smile, as if embracing the fact. "That''s right."


    "You are just like your father."


    "As if you are any better, being his student and all."


    "You misunderstand," Cyanide said, staring up at the sky. "I learned his skills, and only his skills. I didn''t learn from his personality, nor his psychology. Anthrax was 25% assassin, 75% debonair con artist. I am purely an assassin, through and through."


    At this, Dianna giggled. "Heh. Hearing you putting it like that you know what, you''re right. But I am no debonair."


    "No, you aren''t," Cyanide said calmly. "But with those looks and your manner of handling yourself, you might as well be the female equivalent of one."


    "Are you saying I''m very posh?" Dianna asked, tilting her head.


    "No. I''m saying you charmed men on a daily basisbefore entering this game, anyway."


    "Oho seems like you''ve done some research on me."


    "Of course. How could I have protected you if I didn''t know anything about you?" Cyanide gave a snort, to which Dianna smiled softly, cheeks painted a faint pinkwhether that was from the heat of the water or simply shyness, no one knew. Then, leaning in, she nted a soft kiss on his cheek, causing him to lift an eyebrow.


    " What do you want?"


    "Oh, nothing~" Dianna said, winking yfully and backing away. "Just trying to charm the first man whom I haven''t been able to charm first try."


    *****


    After cleaning themselves, the girls and Cyanide returned to Envy''siror rather, tried to. Mid-way, however, Cyanide was pulled off to one side by Ivy, while the rest carried on. The two waited until everyone else was out of earshot, before speaking.


    " Yes?" Cyanide asked, not sure what this was about.


    "I heard the conversation just now, between you and that girl," Ivy said. "If she is trying to get close to me, tell her to forget it. I don''t want anything to do with themI am here to fulfill our deal all those years ago, nothing more."


    Faced with the determination in Ivy''s bright yellow eyes,plemented by her dashing white hair, Cyanide spoke with the most ingenuity possible:


    " Tell her yourself."


    Then, he walked away.


    "Wha- hey, wait!"


    Ivy hurriedly caught up to him and grabbed him by the wrist again, before quickly looking around to see any of the others had noticed what happened and then looking at Cyanide again, now with a flushed expression on her face and blushed cheeks.


    " L-Listen. I I can''t talk to her. Mymunication skills are not adequate. So help me?"


    She began stuttering all of a second, and Cyanide couldn''t help but simply remark at this whole new level of social anxiety and introversion. As much as he shared amon interest in the ways of societal istion, he was at least still capable of basicmunication and conversations. Ivy, on the other hand, could only speak professionally. She''d lost one of the most basic skills of being humanchatting normally.


    Well, he did owe her a bitit was thanks to her that his assassination sess rate was 100% and not like 99.9 or something. Without her on that mission, he probably wouldn''t have been able to seed. Might as well help her outwhy not?


    With that ideabined with his dark and cynical sense of humor, he smirked slightly, and whispered into her ear.


    " What''s the magic word?"


    At this, Ivy blushed even harder, eyes widening a bit, and clenched her fists before looking away shyly.


    " P-Please."


    " Heh."


    Enjoying the utterly embarrassed look on Ivy''s face and some unexpected cutenessing from her, Cyanide chuckled darkly, backed away, and began walking off againleaving behind only the words, "I''ll take care of it."


    As he rounded the corner to enter Envy''sir again, however, he spotted Dianna leaning against the entrance there, eyes closed.


    " Hm, so you heard everything."


    "Don''t lie," Dianna said with a wry smile, opening one eye. "You knew from the start, didn''t you?"


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about."


    "Well, either way, I appreciate it," Dianna said, pushing herself off the wall and shrugging lightly. "Looks like even you''re trying to get her to open up a bit more, huh? Even if the method is somewhat unorthodox."


    "One step at a time," Cyanide said, brushing past her, to which Dianna smiled and echoed.


    "One step at a time."

 Chapter 142: Controlling Mutants

    Chapter 142: Controlling Mutants


    The next morning, Ragnar was tasked with showing everyone else the various locations he and Cyanide had been to the day before, just as nned. He wasn''t exactly happy to be doing it, but well, Cyanide did help him get his sword back for the meager price of a couple dozen materials he didn''t even need. A favor was in order.


    Little did he know, those [Snake Fangs] were extremely valuable to Cyanide, but oh well. That was a secret he would never find out.


    In any case, while Ragnar did that to help the others unlock the Lost Herald, Blood Baron (Cyanide told him about the location when collecting Anastasia from the same hill), along with the Shrine of Divinity inside the cave fromst night, Cyanide and Luna headed in apletely different direction, searching for some experiment subjects.


    "What did you need me for, Cyanide?" Luna asked, walking alongside him, as Cyanide spoke without turning to her.


    "If anything goes wrong, I need you here. You are the most trustworthy among the groupthe only person I am willing to expose vulnerability to."


    Without even realizing it, Luna smiled to herself like a little girl who''d just gotten apliment, and blushed slightly. But Cyanide depending on her wasn''t the point here. The point was why he needed to ''expose vulnerability'' in the first ce.


    "What will you be doing?" Luna inquired, snapping back to reality.


    Cyanide made sure no presences were around, then finally stopped walking and turned to hispanion.


    "Luna. Do you remember the status ailment effect of the Death affinity you told me about?"


    Luna gave a nod. "Control, correct? Don''t tell me you obtained that skill?"


    Cyanide nodded grimly in return. "I am aware you told me to wait until I was Level 50 or somewhere close, but I had the SP, and I believe I have the capability to handle itat least, practicing it. The earlier I am able to get some training for this skill in, the easier it will be for me to use it in the future."


    "I see already nning ahead. That''s just like you, Cyanide," Luna said with a sigh. "But although I am confident in your abilities this skill is not easy to use. One misstep and you may end up harming yourself."


    "I''m aware. This is Death we are dealing with here. Poweres with a price. But the reason I am practicing this now is so that when I actually need to execute it, I won''t end up executing myself instead."


    "Fair enough. As you are right now you can probably handle Controlling one mutant, and a very weak one at that."


    "So something small?" Cyanide asked, but Luna shook her head.


    "Not necessarily. Yes, physical size ys a factor, but what determines a mutant''s strength lies in their core. The tiniest of insects could be a Blood Baron in disguise, so be careful when selecting a target. Personally, some species I would look out for are for example, bunnies, or squirrels. They seem the least hostile, thus having the lowest mental defense. It should be easiest to ess their cores using Control."


    "Bunnies or squirrels" Cyanide echoed, then turned around and continued walking, keeping a keen eye out for any sign of such wildlife.


    And sure enough, after just several minutes of searching, Luna''s blindfolded yet technologically enhanced eyes spotted a small grey mutant bunny, calmly eating on what appeared to be nts. Despite being a mutant, it still kept the same food habitsjust killed whenever it could.


    "There it is," Luna said, lying low in a patch of grass beside Cyanide a short distance away from their target. "Alright, Cyanide. It''s eating right now, so its guard is down. Now is your best chance to strike. Follow my directions, step by step."


    Cyanide nodded, confirming that he understood, and Luna continued.


    "Now the first step to Controlling a mutant is stealth. You mustn''t alert the mutant before attempting to Control them, since that will raise the security level of their core and make it harder to infiltrate with your Control ability."


    The first step was alreadypletethe rabbit hadn''t noticed either of them yet. Being an assassin, Cyanide was an expert on stealthand being the partner who had worked by his side for many, many years, Luna too was no beginner.


    Now, it was time for the second.


    "Next, the execution. To make things easier since this is your first time, close your eyes, Cyanide," Luna said softly, voice as gentle as a luby. "Then, imagine faint invisible strandsing out of your hand like glowing blue puppet strings, lighter than air and thinner than wind. Akin to a tree''s branches, they grow and lengthen, slowly and imperceptibly making their way towards their goal. They''re silent, but calming. Like a gentle death, they sweep towards your target"


    Cyanide concentrated intently, listening to each and every one of Luna''s poetic verses and following along.


    " And as they softly enter the bunny''s body, through its wires and into its core you whisper the word"


    "Control."


    " Control."


    The two finished at the same time, and Cyanide''s eyebrows furrowed as he felt his ''strings'' attach to somethingthe bunny. It felt weird, like a second heart pulse in his body. He felt connected to it on a spiritual level, like the bunny was now a mere extension of his own body.


    The creature, on its part, stopped eating, and paused all motion. It just sat there for a few seconds,pletely still, then-


    "!"


    Cyanide''s eyes snapped open as the ''string'' connecting himself and the bunny suddenly broke, and he fell backwards in surprise pain, clutching his head from migraine. The bunny dashed away, of course, but that was the least of their problems right now.


    "Cyanide!" Luna hurriedly caught him in her arms, and looked down at him in worry. "Are you alright?"


    "Ngh yes, mostly," he muttered in reply, struggling to open one of his eyes while still clutching his forehead. "What was that? I felt like there was a second set of heartbeats inside me."


    "I believe that was what distracted you, causing your visualization of the string to break and thus the Control process to be broken," Luna said, resting Cyanide''s head on her thighs. "But the fact that you felt those heartbeats meant the Control process was sessfulthose were the mutant''s heartbeats."


    "Mutants have heartbeats? I thought they were dead."


    "They do, Cyanide," Luna said with a smile. "I thought you already knew that, since y''know, you''re all cozy with Dianna and all. Haven''t you heard her heartbeat before, when you were so close to her?"


    Cyanide, having mostly recovered, gave a dark chuckle.


    "Heh. Is that jealousy I detect?"


    "No idea what you''re talking about," Luna stated with a neutral expression, giving a cute ''hmph'' and looking away. Cyanide smirked wryly at this, and got to his feet before looking around.


    "Anyway it seems we need another test subject."


    "You''re still going to continue practicing, Cyanide?" Luna asked, surprised, and Cyanide nodded.


    "Practice makes perfect, Luna," he said, walking out of the patch of bushes they had been hiding in.. "Practice makes perfect."

 Chapter 143: Return To Lumina

    Chapter 143: Return To Lumina


    After attempting to Control mutants for about another hour or so, Cyanide had gotten a good understanding of how the skill worked, and could maintain a connection for at least ten seconds now. Since his Soulforce was drained empty by this training session, he had no choice but to give it up for the day, and head back to the others who were probably done by now as well.


    The Control status ailment was quite interesting indeed. When connected to a mutant, it was as if their body was an extension of Cyanide''s, and he could see, hear, and feel everything the mutant could. He could also order it to perform certain tasks, but the moreplex, the harder it was to pull off. At Cyanide''s current stage, the best he could do was get a bunny to hop forward a few times, turn, and hop another few times. It was quite useless, but progress was progress.


    Sure enough, though, upon reaching back at Envy''s Lair, Cyanide and Luna found the others already there, waiting for them.


    "Oh, you''re finally back," Kirika said upon spotting them, standing up and brushing the dust off her clothes. "What did you even go do anyway?"


    "Is there even a need to ask?" Ragnar hollered from a short distance off, sitting by the pool and apparently busy with something in his hands. "It''s two fuckin'' lovebirds on their honeymoon, of course. Don''t go invading on their privacy like that."


    Everyone ignored hisment well, mostly. Ivy, who was standing beside Cyanide, gave a snort and closed her eyes, folding her arms.


    " He''s an idiot."


    Cyanide blinked. "Actually, he''s probably smarter than you."


    "He''s literally trying to cut fish with his greatsword."


    " Hey, I never said he shows it."


    Ivy sighed and turned away, shaking her head.


    " What a moron."


    "He''s a supersoldier too, you know," Cyanide said quietly. "Also went rogue, just like you."


    "Please don''t categorize him with me," Ivy said coldly. "Quite frankly, it is humiliating."


    "I see," Cyanide said. And that was all. Whether he actually cared or not, was a different matter altogether.


    *****


    With everyone present, it was time to return to Lumina at longst. The rainforest had pretty much been explored, the herbs collected, so there was no reason to linger here any longer. ording to Dianna, the world of Endzone refreshed every week. That meant any natural resources taken from the week beforents, trees, and other collectibleswould be able to be found in the wild again after the weekly reset, but items such as clothes found in an apartment in Lumina would never respawn. Only nature-rted items would.


    Of course, that wasn''t the limit of it. Blood Barons and Lost Heralds also respawned every week, meaning they could be farmed for more materials that way. Since Cyanide got a ton of [Snake Fangs] from Ragnar the other day, he just needed to farm the Asmodeus Hydra boss one more time to get the required materials needed to get his Hydra''s Fang to Enhancement Rank 5. He already had the Anaconda''s Fang weapons ready, just needed to Ascend them with the [Hydra''s Fang] items.


    That wasn''t going to be until a few dayster, though. For now, Cyanide wanted to focus on the task at handthey had just collected tons of herbs as a group. It was time to hand them all over to Doctor Finch, and stop him from freeloading any longer. If he wanted to stay with them, he needed to do some work. They got him the materials needed nowno more excuses.


    Luckily, when they returned this time via the Teleport Waypoint they''d set up before leaving a few days ago, they saw Doctor Finch standing a few meters away, observing what seemed to be a bulleting board. There was some kind of messy writing and drawing on it, but none of the group bothered to read what it read. Still, at least good ol'' Doc hadn''t gotten himself captured by a stranger again. That was good newsit meant no other yer had discovered this hideout just yet. Silverfang, who weed the group back, had done a good job of guarding the ce while they were away.


    "Hey there, Doc," Dianna said, waving. "We''re back~"


    "Oh, good timing," Doctor Finch said, an unexpectedly serious expression on his face. "I''ve discovered something quite intriguing about this simtion run in particr. Come here for a sec."


    Saying that, he brushed past the group and headed for the control room of this building, where all the electric panels and stuff were stored. Cyanide and the others were a bit confused, but did as told and followed him up.


    Once they were there, they were left speechless.


    The control room had been turned into something else entirelyit looked more like the mainframe of some spaceship now, with the main attraction being the massive radar screen disyed in the central monitor. On the two other monitors, one on each side of the middle one, several strings and numbers were shown, along with some kind of wavelength.


    "Wow, Doctor you built all this?" Kirika asked in awe, eyes shining.


    "Eh, you were all gone, so I figured I''d mess around with the equipment in this ce for a bit. I ended up making use of the lightning rod on top of this building and turning it into a radar of sorts. It can''t sense mutants with special camouge abilities, but it does have an incredible amount of range, thanks to this building''s height. But that''s not the pointthe point is, the Squall."


    "The Squall?" Cyanide asked, lifting an eyebrow, as Dianna gave a nod.


    "Yes. You know those Arena Closing messages, updating us on how many survivors are left in the game? The Squall is what closes the Arenathink of it as a circr force field surrounding the game''s allowed zone, and stepping anywhere beyond it will cause yers to take consistent heavy damage. We need to hurry with the collection of Sentinels precisely because of that, since if the Squall closes in on one of theirirs it would be quite difficult for us to retrieve them."


    "I see well, what about it?" Cyanide inquired, hands in pockets.


    "I''ve lived through the Squall numerous times," Doctor Finch said. "It doesn''t affect mutants, and doesn''t affect indoors locations. I know how it feels very well, and the materials its made out of. But this batch''s it''s different, somehow.. The Gamemaster altered it in some way, and now, there''s a way to step beyond the Squall you need is armor forged out a special material, and I can tell you where it is."

 Chapter 144: Alchemy

    Chapter 144: Alchemy


    "The Squall usually has a thick amount of mutant blood in it, turned to gas form. That is what causes yers to take consistent damage, and what makes mutant immune to it," Doctor Finch exined. "It''s be a habit of mine to try and analyze a way for yers to enter the Squall, even in past batches. I''ve had no luck thus far but that is, until now."


    With the smile of triumph on his face, the scientist operated the screens in front of him, switching to a new panel, disying what looked like an entire map of Endzone.


    "See these locations?" He said, pointing with his finger at various rippling points on the low-contrast green map. "These are the locations of the armor sets you''ll need to traverse through the Squall. I found them by tracing the energy signals within the Squall, inversing it, and using the radar I turned this building''s lightning rod into in order to send out a search signal. I''ve done this before and never discovered anything, and I didn''t get my hopes up going into this either. But what do you know I actually managed to track down something this time around. Guess you''re a lucky charm, eh, kid?"


    He chuckled at Cyanide, who didn''t return to smile and instead merely opened his inventory.


    "Cool. Now, make me some potions."


    Emptying his inventory of herbs on Doctor Finch''s body, he left the room. The others did the same, with only Kirika giving Doctor Finch words of praise shortly before exiting as well.


    "H-Hey! Oh,e on! This is a huge discovery!"


    Yes, it sure was. One that Cyanide didn''t need to worry about right now, given that all the armor locations are still well within the arena''s borders, a long ways off from the Squall. When he needed them, he would go get them. But right now, potions came first.


    *****


    While Doctor Finch struggled with the potion creation, the rest of the group took this time to themselves. Ragnar left to head back to his own base since he imed he didn''t feelfortable sleeping in the same building as Cyanide, even though they''d just dwelled in Envy''s Lair together for a couple of nights, but whatever.


    Kirika and Envy trained to improve her Wind Affinity skills since that was Envy''s specialized element, possibly learning some special new moves, and Dianna seemed to be training Ivy on sniping? Cyanide was a bit stunned to see this, but he decided not to question it and mind his own businessnamely, making some potions himself.


    Sure, Doctor Finch existed, but it was going to be nice to know how to make potions on the go should the situation ever call for it. As someone who was always prepared, this was an essential skill to Cyanide. As for Luna, she remained with the Doc, in case he needed any help. ording to him, Anexerdyte, the green fluid Cyanide had obtained on his first day here, was a special serum that could be used as the base for any potion in ce of Veridian, since apparently Veridian was an ingredient in Anexerdyte to begin with but that''s another story.


    To do some practicing on his own, Cyanide kept some of his own ingredients, and brought up the Alchemy menu. He had unlocked this a long time ago, but never got the chance to actually use it due to theck of materials. That problem was solved now, though, and he was immediately met with a tutorial as he opened the screen.


    [Tutorial: Alchemy]


    [In Endzone, Alchemy is the art of potion crafting. Potion crafting involves collecting the necessary materials to concoct a certain potion, and then using this menu to craft them. There are various levels of potionslow-grade ones are simply known as Potions, mid-grade ones are known as Serums, and high-grade ones are known as Elixirs. The difficulty of crafting each type scales with power, but perhaps Precepts of the Alchemist can raise your proficiency]


    So, basically, only things he knew already. But thankfully, there was a second page to the tutorial. Cyanide wasted no time clicking on it, and reading through:


    [Tutorial: Alchemy II]


    [To perform alchemy, all you must do is gather a correctbination of ingredients and put them into the alchemy menu. Then, tap on the ''brew'' button at the bottom of the screen, and press ''stop'' once the progress bar reaches the Perfect zone, marked with a bright blue highlight. Once a potion recipe has been unlocked, you can Quick-Craft that potion with a single click so long as you have the necessary materials.]


    Next page


    [Tutorial: Alchemy III]


    [A tip to figure out a possiblebination of ingredients to make a potion: every potion has three factors. The base, the reactant, and the reactor. The base is usually Veridian, while the reactant is often a MILD substance. The reactor, on the hand, is more VIGOROUS, and tends to be have more AGGRESSIVE properties.]


    "So basically, trial and error, huh?" Cyanide murmured as he closed out of the tutorial screen. In all honesty, he wasn''t a fan of thishe much preferred a more skill-based system, where the elite coulde out on top. Yes, he very much believed in meritocracy philosophy.


    Still, there was nothing to be done about the game system, and he just had to go along with it. Narrowing his eyes, he returned to the Alchemy menu from the tutorial and examined it. On the left half, his inventory was disyed, though it was limited only to items rted to alchemy like herbs, and on the right half, there were three nk slots arranged in a triangr shape from one another on a circle''s circumference that connected them all. It was somewhat simr to the Crafting menu, but far more simplistic and perhaps more archaic.


    It was quite self-intuitive, actually. Looking at this now, Cyanide believed he could''ve figured out how to operate this menu without even reading the tutorial that popped up and filled his screen, but that''s another matter.


    Without further ado, he began his work.


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