A cool breeze swept across the bustling streets of City J, carrying the sounds of vendors shouting, mechanical carriages humming, and the faint aroma of roasted meat from the bazaar stalls. The city pulsed with life—merchants bargaining, adventurers swaggering with weapons on their backs, and children darting between stands.
Raiden walked in with wide, curious eyes. His clothes—rough, faded farmwear—made him stand out like a grain of dust on silk. Still, he couldn't help but marvel. So this is City J... a tier higher than my old home.
Citadels like this one were humanity's last bastions, ranked from A to Z—A being the most fortified and luxurious, Z barely clinging to life. Each was walled, shielded by mutant-powered defenses, keeping the horrors of the wilds at bay.
Raiden took it all in—the markets alive with chatter, hawkers displaying shimmering ores, and guards with mechanical rifles pacing with precision. The air was thick with tension and survival, but to him, it was freedom.
He smiled faintly. "Yeah… finally in."
After wandering for a while, he found himself at a bustling market square. He approached a vendor, an elderly man selling bundles of herbs.
"Hey, sir," Raiden said, voice loud and casual, "can you point me to the nearest bank? Just came from the farmland. Got some money to deposit!"
The vendor blinked, startled. His lips twitched. "Ah, yes… take the road to your left, walk straight ahead. You'll find a large bank there."
Raiden thanked him cheerfully and walked off, smiling as he felt three pairs of eyes lock onto his back.
Hook, line, and sinker.
---
A few streets later, he ducked into a narrow alley. The noise of the city faded, replaced by dripping pipes and the low hum of neon lights. He felt their presence closing in.
"Alright…" he murmured, turning a corner into a dead end. "Time for the show."
Moments later, three figures emerged—black bodysuits, combat masks, and gleaming blades at their sides.
"Not so smart, are you?" one of them jeered, twirling a dagger.
Raiden feigned a trembling step backward. "Wh-what do you want from me?" His voice cracked perfectly.
The leader, a tall man with a scar over his eye, smirked. "Money. Or blood. Your choice."
Raiden's grin flickered for a split second.
Then—
> [QUEST RECEIVED: DEFEAT THE BANDITS]
[REWARD: New Skill Unlocked Upon Completion]
His smirk widened. "You want everything, huh?" He raised a stone from the ground. "Then come get it."
Before they could react—
WHST!
The stone shot through the air like a bullet. It struck the leader's chest with a crack, sending him flying backward. The impact echoed through the alley.
"CABAL!" one of the men shouted.
The remaining two drew their weapons—a greatsword and twin katanas—eyes filled with rage. They lunged, their speed blurring to normal eyes.
Raiden's world slowed. He could see their movement paths, their momentum, the faint glint of metal before the strike.
He bent backward—WHOOSH! The katana sliced inches above his nose. Using the motion, he twisted mid-air and drove his heel into the swordsman's temple.
CRACK!
The man spun through the air, landing face-first.
Raiden landed lightly, just as the second attacker came in from the side, swinging the greatsword upward. The blade cut through air—then flesh.
> [-5 HP]
Raiden gritted his teeth, catching the blade with his bare hand. Sparks flew. Blood dripped down his palm—but he didn't flinch.
The attackers' eyes widened.
"Impossible…"
Cabal roared from the ground, igniting his sword in flame and charging like a raging bull. The alley lit up in molten red as he swung—a blazing vertical arc aimed to cleave Raiden in two.
Raiden leapt back just in time, the flames grazing his face. He could feel the heat.
Then—
> [Analyzing Flame Source…]
[Fire Type Energy Detected – Compatible With Host]
[ATTACK NULLIFIED]
The flames vanished from Raiden's body like mist meeting wind. His torn shirt disintegrated, leaving his chest bare—but unharmed.
"What…?" Cabal whispered, fear creeping in.
Raiden looked down at his fist, flexing. The air shimmered faintly around his arm.
> [Agility +5]
[Current Agility: 22]
He blurred.
To the bandits, it looked like teleportation. One instant he was standing still; the next, his fist was buried in Cabal's torso.
BOOM.
The shockwave threw the others off balance. Cabal coughed blood, the strength draining from his limbs as he was sent flying through two trash bins.
Raiden turned—expression cold—and dashed toward the others.
The first swung his blade, but Raiden ducked, driving an uppercut so fast it tore the air. Teeth flew like shrapnel.
Before the body even hit the ground, Raiden was already on the next one. The last bandit smeared poison along his blade—a green shimmer that reeked of death.
He lunged.
The blade nicked Raiden's forehead.
> [Poison Detected]
[Host Resistance: High]
[Damage Over Time: -1 HP / 2s for 1min]
Raiden wiped the green smear away and smiled. "Cute."
The man froze. "You'll die—you'll—"
Raiden's fist slammed into his abdomen, folding him in half like paper. Blood sprayed, and the man collapsed instantly.
Cabal, barely conscious, tried to crawl backward. "You… you're a monster…"
Raiden walked toward him, step by step, the glow of the alley lamps reflecting in his crimson eyes.
> [QUEST COMPLETE: DEFEAT THE BANDITS]
[REWARD: SKILL – DASH UNLOCKED]
Raiden blinked as the text appeared before him, the system's voice echoing in his mind.
Then, his lips curved upward. "A monster? Maybe."
He turned, walking out of the alley as police sirens wailed faintly in the distance.
The wind brushed against his burned shirt, revealing faint ember marks on his skin that pulsed—like a heartbeat.
And for the first time since Silva's death, Raiden smiled… a real, dangerous smile.
---