>>>>
You have successfully defeated (killed) your challenger.
You have been rewarded.
Reward: 500 exp.
You have been rewarded.
Reward: 2 green mana rocks.
The lumps of alien meat disintegrated like pixels, reforming into valuable loot boxes.
Your challenger dropped loot boxes: 3 green loot boxes and one bronze loot box.
Do you wish to collect loot boxes?
"Accept loot boxes," Ivan said, his voice a little hoarse from exertion.
Ten vibrant green mana rocks appeared on the ground before him. A formidable switch-axe also materialised on the ground, its dark metal gleaming.
The player does not have an inventory; hence, they cannot store loot items.
Ivan facepalmed, a wave of exasperation washing over him. He realised, with a sigh, that he would have to physically carry the items with him until he could locate a safe space to store them. The switch-axe on the ground bore a striking resemblance to the formidable weapon previously wielded by the defeated alien.
Ivan looked into the distant, hazy sky when he heard a low, rumbling noise. He spotted two imposing enemy carrier crafts approaching, their dark silhouettes growing larger against the horizon.
A deep, resonant voice spoke to Ivan, "The river is almost dried up. The power you can siphon from it will not suffice to obliterate those carrier crafts and the numerous troopers aboard."
"What should I do?" Ivan enquired, genuine fatigue weighing heavily on his voice. He was entirely open to any suggestions that would simplify the daunting task ahead of him.
Merlin_13's ethereal phantom appeared silently beside Ivan. The phantom instructed, "Use the mana rocks to form a small circle in the shallow water."
Ivan did precisely as instructed, his movements precise and unhesitating.
Merlin_13 then commanded, "Lodge the Black Riot into the space the rocks have formed. Then sit down and rest. Wait for a minute."
Ivan didn't dispute any of the instructions, his trust in the phantom absolute. He sat down on a drier corner of the street, his gaze fixated on the rapidly approaching enemy carrier crafts. The depth of the water on the street was now barely six millimetres deep. Merlin_13 closed his eyes and folded his hands, adopting a serene meditation pose.
Sounds reminiscent of high-voltage electricity passing through cables emanated from the sword. Ivan stole a quick glance; he saw a vibrant green surge of light flow from every rock, through the ground, and into the black sword.
Merlin_13 explained, "Your power rank is low; that is why I'm the one doing this. In my phantom state, I have been depowered and heavily restricted, but my true power rank is at the Awakened Transcendent power level. I'm using the power of the mana rocks to consolidate for the power of the river."
Ivan simply nodded, absorbing the crucial information. When the designated minute had passed, Ivan stood up and firmly grabbed the hilt of Black Riot, pulling it out of the ground with renewed strength.
Merlin_13 gave Ivan a cryptic hint: "Sword projection is not only defensive. You just have to have the will to act."
"Double Sword Projection!"
Two massive, radiant sword projections formed mid-air, each one positioned directly above one of the two approaching carrier crafts. The colossal swords descended upon the aircraft with devastating force. The effect wasn't like a single sword cleanly cutting a solid object into two parts, but it was akin to the cumulative effects of a thousand individual sword slashes. The carriers were bizarrely shredded, resulting in cataclysmic explosions.
Ivan felt a significant surge of power leave his body. He looked at the water on the street; there was nothing. It was as if water had never submerged the street at all.
>>>>
You have completed a mission.
Slay one thousand Unds.
You have been rewarded for completing the mission.
Reward: 1000 exp.
You have slain 404 Unds.
You have obtained 404 exp.
Merlin_13 clapped for Ivan, a rare gesture of approval.
Ivan turned his attention to the Phantom. "I thought you were dead."
Merlin_13 said, "Yes, I'm dead."
Ivan's brow furrowed in genuine puzzlement. "Then how are you here physically but yet look like a ghost?"
Merlin_13 chuckled softly. "I'm indeed a ghost, but I cheated the system. I cheated the system to give rise to more fighters. We need to be free from this game. Heck, we don't even know the complete reason for being in this game. We just know that we are in a game and we need to escape."
After the launch of the Torn Indigo game—designed to save humanity from destruction—every individual who awoke within it lost their identities in the real world. They no longer remembered who they were or what roles they played. All were equal, from commoners to world leaders; everyone had to navigate their new reality and strive toward their aspirations.
One thing everyone knew was that the Unds were the enemy and they had to be vanquished. Everyone also felt the urgent need to escape this game and return to the real world. They all believed being in the real world was inherently better than being trapped in this game reality.
Merlin_13 said, "People are starting to accept the current reality and are cosying up to living in it. If things continue on this trend, we will all forget that we came from another world. That is why I had to cheat and give opportunity to people who will need it."
Merlin_13's expression shifted, as if struck by a sudden, deep realisation, and he stopped his speech abruptly.
Ivan asked the phantom, "What if your action was a mistake?"
Merlin_13 sighed, a sound of weary resignation, and said, "I hope I didn't make a mistake. Our kind are very unpredictable; you just have to act and hope that everything turns out right."
Merlin_13 slowly depixelated and disintegrated, his form dissolving into glistening motes of light. He spoke his final words to Ivan, his voice fading.
"Don't make me regret giving you an opportunity to fight."
Ivan turned his gaze away, finding the scene of the phantom's disappearance disheartening.
"I will be better than you," Ivan forced these words from his lips, a vow whispered to the empty air.
Ivan lingered around the area for a while. As he loitered, he fervently hoped that there were no enemies lurking in the vicinity, and he prayed that no enemy would visit anytime soon. He was lacking in confidence, and more importantly, he lacked the raw power to face stronger adversaries.
An hour of restless loitering went by, and he grew tired of simply waiting. His thoughts assured him that everything was fine and he could finally go home.
Before he embarked on his journey home, he bought a sturdy kit bag and carefully placed the sword and the mana rocks inside it. The switch-axe, however, was far too big to fit in the bag, so he had to carry it openly. The conspicuous presence of the oversized switch-axe attracted a lot of unwanted attention, making Ivan feel increasingly uneasy.
He boarded a cab back to Section 2.5. He couldn't wait to get back to the familiar comfort of his apartment.