A few hours later, Remedy opened his eyes. A dull but manageable ache resided in his body, proof of the abuse he had inflicted upon himself. He rose slowly, sitting on the cold floor.
[DING! THE HOST HAS REACHED 100% OF HIS POTENTIAL AT LEVEL 10. TRAINING WILL NO LONGER HAVE EFFECTS.]
He stood up in a smooth motion. His condition had improved. Much improved. A dense, perfectly controlled energy coursed through his veins.
To test it, he began running across the empty room. A surge, then a series of sharp pivots mimicking imaginary dodges. His speed was incredible, his stops brutally precise.
Top speed: 40 km/h.
Reaction time: 0.09s.
He paused, taking a deep breath. A wild, almost predatory grin split his face. Then, he manifested his hammer in a pixelated flash.
[DING! THE HOST HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM USERS OF THE "FEATHERWEIGHT" CONCEPT FOR THE GIANT HAMMER.]
He grasped the handle. The metal, cold and infinitely heavy, responded to his grip. With a single outstretched arm, without a tremor, he lifted it off the ground.
— One ton… I can lift a ton with sheer strength now, — he noted, his voice vibrating with deep satisfaction. — I'm truly at the peak of what Level 10 can offer.
But the difference was obvious.
[DING! THE HOST HAS BEEN ADDED TO USERS OF THE "FEATHERWEIGHT" CONCEPT FOR THE GIANT HAMMER.]
The colossal weight reverted to a feather in his palm. He twirled it around himself, creating a silent whirlwind, mastering the nullified inertia perfectly.
Yes. This is it.
Then the pending message resurfaced, blinking insistently in his field of vision.
[DING! CONCEPT ESSENCE SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED. DO YOU WANT TO CREATE THE CONCEPT: "VIRUS"?]
Surprise, then an electric excitement lit his face.
— Finally… another concept.
He didn't hesitate.
— Yes. Create.
[DING! 300,000 RP CONSUMED.]
[RP: 540,000 → 240,000]
[CONCEPT CREATION IN PROGRESS…]
A heavy silence, almost tangible, settled over the sterile room.
["VIRUS" CONCEPT CREATION COMPLETE.]
[THE "VIRUS" CONCEPT CREATED IS…]
The system's words appeared one by one. Remedy read them.
His face, still marked by fatigue and anticipation, froze. Then slowly, a complex expression formed — a mix of pure astonishment, rapid-fire calculation sparking in his mind, and a satisfaction so deep it was almost unsettling.
— What… an absolutely incredible concept, — he whispered, his gaze alight with a new, cold determination.
Outside, in the bluish shadow, the frozen figure waited, patient and deadly, unaware that her target had just crossed a threshold and armed herself with a completely unexpected defense.
---
Meanwhile, atop the Sullen secondary guild building, the manager stood at the edge, phone pressed to her ear. The night wind whipped her jacket across her shoulders.
— How is this possible? — she spat, her voice tense with anger and worry, as if a disaster had just occurred.
— That's right, — the voice on the other end replied after a pause. — No team is available; most are in a dungeon. Only the rookies remain.
— Then you need to go to the intelligence team and get his exact location, — the voice commanded, authoritative. — Stay with them and supervise. And do it fast.
The call ended.
The manager let out a long breath, gripping her jacket as if to contain herself.
— The intelligence team is about 25 km away… If I went myself, it would take me roughly six minutes.
Strict rules prevented players from using powers in the city without absolute necessity, so as not to panic civilians.
But for an emergency of this magnitude, the guild could assume responsibility. As many times as needed.
— But I can't do this… It would draw too much attention… alert other forces.
I'll have to go by car.
With a growl of frustration, she headed for the stairway access door.
— How could those two fail to protect her? — she muttered into the empty air, anger rumbling in her voice.
---
Remedy eventually stepped out after washing his face, removing the last traces of dried blood. He emerged into the main hall, still busy at this late hour. His gaze scanned the crowd, searching in vain for the familiar black mane with a hint of violet—the manager.
He approached the counter, addressing an employee.
— Good evening. Is the… older sister, the manager, here? — he asked, then immediately corrected himself, embarrassed.
— Older sister?! — exclaimed the employee, eyes wide.
Remedy cleared his throat.
— Ahem… I mean, the manager. Is she here?
The employee gave a knowing smile. She was well aware of her superior's habits.
— She's not here. She was called away for an emergency.
— Oh, I see…
— Are you the "little brother" she gave VIP access to? — the employee asked, amused.
— Uh… Yes. That's me.
— I suspected. She just left, in a hurry. Said she'd see you next time.
— Alright. I'll come back later.
— Very well.
Remedy nodded and continued, walking purposefully through the hall.
He stepped out onto the plaza. Night had fallen, painting the city in artificial blues and oranges. He inhaled the cool evening air and headed toward home.
In a perfect shadow near the entrance, a figure that had remained motionless for hours stirred. Silently, it detached from the wall and began following him, hugging every shadow, every corner.
---
Remedy entered a darker alley, a shortcut he knew well. Streetlamp light was rare, creating pockets of deep darkness.
He walked confidently, attention caught by his mental interface as he scrolled through it.
— Incredible… this concept is absolutely broken, — he murmured to himself, fascinated. — But if the effect works as described on a normal human… I wonder what it would do on someone my Level, or higher?
Behind him. In the thickest darkness, a pair of icy blue eyes, devoid of warmth, locked on his back. They didn't blink.
— And I still can't believe it cost me 300,000 RP… — he muttered, shaking his head.
A chill ran down his neck. A sharp, precise sensation, like icy fingers brushing his skin.
He spun around swiftly, senses on maximum alert. Nothing. The corridor was empty. His sharpened 0.09s senses detected no presence, no hostile intent, no disturbance in the air.
Something existed… without ever entering his senses.
— A hallucination? Training aftershock lingering? — he wondered, a trace of irritation in his voice.
He resumed walking, shrugging slightly.
Immediately.
Something shot behind him. A speed defying perception, like a missile too eager, tearing straight through the air toward him.
His senses screamed.
He spun around, eyes wide in a mixture of disbelief and ultimate alertness.
— What…?!
The thing — a blinding light, preceded by a three-pronged spear — was already there. A few centimeters from his skin. No sound. No warning… just the laughter of death approaching.
---
Chapter 24 — End