As the atoms began to gather around him, Ethan's eyes flickered over their shifting forms, noticing distinct marks etched across their surfaces. A sense of unease gnawed at him, but he forced himself to stay composed.
"What are those marks on you?" he asked, his voice steady despite the pressure closing in.
The atoms pulsed, their presence growing denser. Then came the reply—calm, but laced with cruel amusement.
"The real question is: what is that mark on you? No one has ever carried something like that. You don't belong. You're a freak—an outcast. And we intend to correct that mistake."
A cold realization settled in Ethan's gut as the atmosphere grew hostile. They weren't simply observing him anymore. They were preparing to strike. "What why?" Ethan tried not to Panic, as a shiver surged through Ethan as one of the atoms lunged, its form twisting violently in the air. He barely had time to react—his body froze, his mind clouded with despair.
"No… this can't be it. I have to fight back!"
He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.
But the attack never landed.
A strange sensation pulsed through him, something foreign yet familiar. When he opened his eyes, his vision sharpened—his body felt different. A notification, an instinct, something beyond understanding… EXP gained.
"How…? I thought you had to kill someone to gain EXP," Ethan muttered, disoriented.
The atoms around him stirred. One of them trembled, its shape fluctuating with rage.
"You killed my brother, you monster!"
Energy crackled. The atom was preparing a long-range attack.
Ethan didn't have time to process his confusion. He had seconds—maybe less—to react. CRACKLE an electric beam shoot toward Ethan, He dodges but not fast enough to not get hit
"Fuck that hurt" Ethan says
"What do I do ? What abilities do I have???" Ethan says
then a window pops up you have the following stats: consumption of atoms, Atom corruption, Intoxication fog and the newly obtained ability martial arts
"There is no way he's alive, how did he survive my lightning attack no one has made out alive" says the atom that shot the lightning beam at him
"Intoxication Fog" says Ethan
As black steam comes from his body and engulfs the area where atoms are making them blind and disoriented as Ethan uses Atom corruption to take them out one by one the atoms try to fight back but the can't see until all but on standed of the 10 atoms that were surrounding him
"So you think you are hot stuff well i will show you true power" says the atom atom he first met as he charges up a massive arrow of fire
" You think I will die this easily after all the thing i've been through in this short amount of time, you've got another thing coming" says jack as the arrow hits him making the arrow of flame dissipate against his deadly atom form,
.
"How is this possible there just no way someone could survive that" says the leader in a panic
trying to make a conclusion on what just happened then he decides to run away but Ethan doesn't let that happen shooting an arrow of his own but using atom corruption to attack killing the leader.
Ethen wakes up to reality wondering what just happen finding no trace of the atoms that once tried to kill him as if someone or something was controlling him. Ethan decides it better going unsolved for now