Raleigh landed on the rooftop of the high-rise building. Thanks to his exoskeleton armor, the impact barely registered. He quickly steadied himself and scanned the text that appeared in his vision.
A trial scenario with a doomsday monster theme… huh.
According to the Abyssal Mark, a mysterious biochemical virus had wiped out an entire civilization in just three days,a terrifying scenario by any measure. Yet, as General Stroud had explained, trial scenarios, even future Abyssal explorations, were essentially Old Shadows constructed by the Abyss. Semi-real, semi-illusory.
No matter how deadly the virus or how grotesque the mutants, they could not harm a Mech Warrior who bore an Abyssal Mark. With that knowledge, Raleigh felt only focus, not fear.
He scanned the rooftop for anything useful. A crashed helicopter lay to one side. Approaching it, he grabbed a long iron rod and twisted it with his enhanced strength. A sharp snap echoed across the building,he now possessed a makeshift weapon: [Damaged Metal Rod].
Inside the instance dungeon, modules that enhanced Mech Armor could only be acquired by killing enemies and absorbing Abyssal Aura. That was why General Stroud had emphasized making full use of the environment to find improvised weapons.
Even a Zero-Type Mecha, with minimal starting strength, could turn its wielder into a powerhouse. Just an iron rod in Raleigh's hands could deliver devastating blows. He swung it experimentally, and the air rushed past with a sharp whoosh. If it hit a target, bones would shatter and tendons snap with terrifying force. This was the power of the armor.
Perhaps it was the sound of his fall,or the noise of the rod snapping,but from the passage entrance on the left side of the helipad, a mutant suddenly emerged. It moved on all fours, its humanoid body withered gray and covered in pulsating purple veins. A jagged metal plate protruded from its back, giving it a grotesque, armored appearance.
The Mutant caught sight of Raleigh. Its jaws opened wide, revealing teeth stained with dried blood, and it let out a shrill, ear-piercing screech. It lunged forward with terrifying speed, almost a blur.
Raleigh tightened his grip on the rod, his mind sharp. He had prepared for this. As the gray shadow of the mutant approached, he waited for the perfect moment.
Now.
He swung the iron rod down in a smooth, powerful arc. Whoosh!
The rod struck the mutant squarely on the head. Though metal plates covered its back, its skull offered no such protection. The sound of cracking bone echoed as its head caved in. Purple fluid spattered across the rooftop. The mutant flopped helplessly, twitching briefly before going completely still.
"Phew…"
The grotesque appearance and purple blood didn't provoke disgust in Raleigh. Instead, a sigh of relief escaped him. First kill complete.
A faint aura rose from the mutant's head, traveling through his mech glove and into the abyssal mark on his palm. Information flashed before his eyes.
[Killed Primary Mutator, obtained Materials: Blood Fusion Alloy.]
Only one monster down, and it had dropped materials? Raleigh blinked. The drop rate in basic trials was high, but this… this was ridiculous!
He clenched his fist and touched the Abyssal Mark. Lines of data appeared:
[Blood Fusion Alloy]
[Quality: Common]
[Type: Material]
[Effect: When used to reinforce Mech Armor, slightly increases virus and corrosion resistance and energy regeneration speed.]
[Description: Metal born from flesh and blood; its soul still seems to be wailing.]
A strange, eerie material. Raleigh made a mental note not to remove it from the Abyssal Mark's storage space. While Mech Armor modules could be installed directly, materials like these required specialized Reinforcement Masters to be used effectively.
Still, its mere existence confirmed something: this trial was designed to benefit newcomers. Killing even a random small monster could yield usable materials.
Under safe conditions, farming monsters here could be a tremendous advantage.
And I have Titan Assimilation, Raleigh reminded himself. Even if I want to survive, I can wait for my Mech Armor to break and gain bonuses directly. Being cautious is too cowardly.
The rooftop remained quiet after the Primary Mutator's death. No other monsters appeared for some time. Raleigh didn't rush to leave. Instead, he carefully dismantled the mutant's corpse, removing the metal plate from its back. While touching it didn't reveal any information,Old Shadow objects weren't usable materials,it could serve as improvised armor if tied to his body.
The Zero-Type Mecha offered decent strength but very limited defense. Realizing this, Raleigh broke off iron pieces from the crashed helicopter and tied them strategically to his body with wire, creating additional protection. He also dismantled several small rods to use as throwing weapons. Accuracy wasn't guaranteed, but with the exoskeleton's strength, even a crude toss could be deadly.
Preparation was key. If he failed, it wouldn't be hunting,it would be seeking death.
Once ready, Raleigh approached the passage entrance.
The elevator is useless. I'll have to descend manually.
Looking down, the building seemed endless. Each floor was massive, and the number of potential mutants inside was unknown. Even with the Zero-Type Mecha's strength, clearing all of them within twenty-four hours was unlikely.
I'll take what I can handle and farm. Small monsters first. Then… the big one.
Tiptoeing down, he encountered locked metal doors labeled for storage. Some floors had open passages, but traces of dried purple blood hinted that previous mutants had already been there. Cautiously, he continued his descent.
Finally, on the fifth floor, the passage opened to an unobstructed hallway. Through floor-to-ceiling windows, he glimpsed the faint sea of clouds outside.
But then his gaze froze.
A massive mutant lay near the window. Its body was four or five times the size of the Primary Mutator, with multiple metal plates embedded in its arms and chest. Its upper body ballooned into a comically inverted triangle compared to its withered legs,but anyone could see its strength.
Elite monster… or worse, a boss.
Raleigh held his breath. He couldn't risk a fight now. Patience was key. He would first hunt smaller monsters, farm Mech Armor modules to enhance attributes, and only then return to challenge this terrifying giant.
Survive first… grow stronger… then hunt the big fish.
With careful steps, he advanced into the hallway, every sense on high alert. The trial had begun in earnest.