Jack couldn't help but flinch when he saw the notifications, but instantly composed himself, and continued his advance up the stairs.
'This is really true? One of the terrorists is a city hall employee?'
Jack do not know how to react anymore. Nonetheless, it concerned him more that the guy was Level 6, four levels higher than him.
He was starting to doubt himself.
What was he even thinking rushing here as if he was going to do something? His heart wasn't just pounding against his chest. It was crashing like a couple of fists punching his ribs in an attempt to break free.
Jack wanted to go back there now, but chose not to in order to not raise any further suspicions.
'I'm just going to walk through the hall and exit in the other side,' Jack decided.
He reached the top of the stairs, and ignored the employee clearly eyeing him. He was about to enter the door but the man wouldn't move and continued blocking his way, making his heart spike.
"Where are you going, Sir?"
The man said.
The man wasn't visually scary at all. It was a 5'4" feet man in height, so short in stature though have a wide frame and wide shoulders but a balding head despite seeming young of age. He also wore glasses which only made him look frail and only seemed like your common hardworking civil servant. If only did the red flag floating atop his head didn't give his identity away.
"I am Leo, an intern. I have a message to the Office of the Mayor." Jack said without breaking a sweat.
'Shit!' Jack wished he could take it back. The man's sudden actions flustered him and made him blurt out what he initially thought he would say.
Jack's eyes then gleamed in blue as he swept the man, revealing more details.
[Grid J. Smith.]
[Level 6.]
[Race: 32 % Human, 21 % Salamander, 10 % gnome, 12 % hobbit and 25 % dwarven]
[Kill count: 2]
[HP: 30]
[MP: --]
[STR: 13]
[SPD: 14]
[STM: 12]
Jack's pupils almost sank to its roots when he saw the data. Upon comparing, he was just level 2, and his stats were also inferior.
[HP: 12]
[MP: --- ]
[Strength: 10]
[Speed: 8]
[Stamina: 6]
'There is no way I'm beating this guy in a fight! He's also a murderer. I need to be careful.'
"An intern?" employee Grid said, but then looked down at Jack's neck, but didn't see any id lace. "Can I see your ID?"
"Ah, I forgot it in the office. I am sorry, I am still new here, so I forgot Sir. I am really sorry. I will wear It after I deliver the message." Jack said while laughing friendlily and tried to go past the big yet small man.
"Ho, can I ask what's the message?"
Employee Grid asked, and his vibe clearly wasn't willing to let him go.
"I was told it was confidential."
"Can I ask what office are you from?"
"…"
Employee Grid then grabbed his shoulder, and Jack could feel the increasing weight behind his hands, which seemed wider than average, threatening his life.
Feeling this, Jack's face darkened and turned silent.
Just as he was about to open his mouth and flee, Jack's body moved on its own.
[Adrenaline surged.]
[Basic Fighting Skill has been automatically activated.]
[Your physical coordination, balance, movement accuracy, strike synchronization and reaction timing has been enhanced.]
Without warning, Jack suddenly swung his hands backwards, and dished out an elbow aimed at the employee's neck. The attack connected successfully, making the employee stagger backwards as blood dripped from his nose.
'Shits!' Jack cannot believe what he has done. Maybe it was due to the other party's short stature, but he had really hit him.
"I missed, huh." Jack dramatically said and a fake smile formed on his face.
Jack clicked his tongue but screamed internally.
'I really done it now!'
Jack had prayed that his opponent fall from that but his prayers weren't answered. Of course, he had already saw the man's stats, and it was enormous compared to his. He was lucky to have landed a clean blow.
His opponent recovered fast and glared at him with killing intent. Then the little man smiled. It was the kind of smile that would send chills to anyone's spine. The employee had clearly affirmed his suspicions.
Jack ran for the door, but the man grabbed a chair nearby and threw it at him.
[-2 HP]
Jack moved his head and barely dodged, but was almost killed. Frowning, Jack's eyes scanned, and grabbed the nearest chair by the waiting area and lunged it violently forward, but the man just casually caught it as if it was a present.
Jack was pissed, but he wasn't going to let someone so little in comparison bully him.
Using the chair as a decoy, he used his increased speed to attack and whipped his right leg, successfully hitting the employee's ribs area.
Jack frowned as the man just raised his leg to block, which collided with Jack's feet, hitting the bone.
Pang!
Jack's face tightened as it felt like he hit a block of stone.
With his leg screaming in pain, Jack stepped backward to relieve the pain, yet the employee didn't stay still and went under him before grabbing Jack's right leg followed by whipping him into the air like a baseball bat and let him go.
'What an absurd strength.'
Jack could see his HP already down to 4, as he tried to stand.
'This is ridiculous.'
Jack thought realizing the man still had 25 HP out of his original 30. Jack didn't even hurt him.
Jack, in his haze, while pushed to the wall, was starting to feel light-headed.
"I am curious. Who sent you here?"
The man then asked.
"Your mommy."
Jack wanted to bang his head to the floor for sabotaging himself, but when he heard some footsteps climbing the stairs, he smiled bigger and opened his mouth before abusing his vocal cords.
"Help! Terrorists are trying to kill the mayor!"
Jack shouted, but when he glanced at the employee, the employee had a blank face, before laughing at him like he was an idiot. The footsteps then became clear and the figure showed another employee who had a red flag on top of his head.
"It's useless. He is one of us. In fact, no one can hear you here anymore."
Jack however had inched close enough to the big plant vase with a big tree as a display and grabbed the soil, before throwing a cup of it at the employee's eyes. When the latter opened his eyes, Jack was gone.
He looked at his surroundings but Jack didn't seem to have entered the door. It was too far.
"What happened?" the other terrorist who then arrived asked.
"Someone knows our plan." Employee Grid then replied.
"It had been leaked? Is it the authorities?"
"I have not confirmed that yet. I can't reach the others. This is the disadvantage of power jamming!" he said irritated.
Meanwhile, Jack had stopped running and was hiding inside one of the rooms, which was the one being used for janitors in the third floor.
Jack made an effort to look around for a better hiding place or escape area, but he noticed something unusual. It seemed like the total third floor indeed had been abandoned which was strange.
How was that even possible?
He had worked here before, and never did this seem possible, unless it was nighttime, weekends, or holidays.
Shouldn't there be at least employees somewhere? Did all of them seriously go out just because of the explosion earlier and the power outage? That cannot be the case. After all, the third floor even had a loggia.
Jack then as he tried to look for a way out saw something that he never thought he would see in real life.
At first, he thought the tiles were stained with rust as a raw smell of iron hit him.
There, he could see a pile of fresh dead bodies on the ground sprawled as if they were killed together. The crimson liquid on the floor was still fresh and moving in and out, covering the tiles.
His shoulders loosened involuntarily as his eyes stared at it long and silent.
Then afterwards, his shoes created footprints as he subconsciously stepped backwards, and he started to vomit.
'What happened here..'
But time wasn't in his favor, as he heard incoming steps again, and their voices implied they were looking for him. In truth, he didn't need to hear them. He could see two red flags going towards him from his map!
Then, after a minute, two men finally entered the room, Grid and the one earlier.
"…"
They started searching the place as if they were looking at a mere empty room, but just as employee grid searched behind a desk, a point of sharp scissors appeared out of nowhere and stabbed his eyes, which was followed by another stab in his chest, incapacitating him, right there and then.
[You have defeated an enemy. You have reduced their numbers.]
[50 exp gained.]
[You have defeated an enemy 4 levels higher than you.]
[80 exp gained.]
[Level up. You have leveled up to Level 3.]
[All of your stats have increased by 2.]
[Basic fighting skill have reached level 2 mastery.]