The courtyard was a mess.
Cracked concrete, shattered glass from nearby windows, and black scorch marks covered the ground where the explosion of powers had taken place. Smoke still rose slowly into the night air. Somewhere in the distance, car alarms continued to wail.
Gam stood in the middle of it all, one hand pressed against the deep cut on his left shoulder. Blood had already soaked through his black hoodie. His breathing was heavy, but his eyes remained sharp as he stared at the empty space where Kael had disappeared.
David dropped to one knee, fire still flickering weakly around his fists before it finally died out. Sweat ran down his face.
"What… the hell was that guy?" he asked between deep breaths. "I've never felt pressure like that before. It felt like the air itself wanted to crush us."
Emma walked over to Gam quickly, her yellow top still glowing faintly with leftover sunlight energy. She looked worried.
"Gam, you're bleeding badly. Let me see."
She carefully pulled his hand away from the wound. The cut was deep and still burning slightly from the shadow energy Kael had used. Emma placed both hands over it. Warm yellow light spread from her palms, slowly closing the wound and easing the pain.
"Thanks," Gam said quietly.
Jane stood a few steps away, her blue outfit still damp from the water blades she had created. She kept glancing at Gam, her expression complicated. The way she had looked at him earlier with interest had now turned into something closer to concern mixed with curiosity.
[Host, your HP has dropped to 2,840/4,800. Recommend resting soon.]
Gam nodded slightly to the system voice in his head.
David finally stood up and looked around at the damaged courtyard. "We need to leave before more police show up. That explosion was loud. People are probably already calling them again."
Gam agreed. "Let's go to my place. The door is already broken anyway."
The four of them moved quickly. Gam led the way back up the stairs into his apartment. The door hung loosely, and the room still smelled faintly of the earlier energy from his painful upgrade. Once inside, David used a small amount of fire to seal the broken door temporarily so it would at least stay closed.
They sat on the floor in a circle. The only light came from a single lamp in the corner.
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then David broke the silence.
"Alright. Explain everything. How did you jump from Level 9 to Level 15 in one night? And who the hell was that silver-haired guy?"
Gam leaned back against the wall. He decided to tell them the truth — or at least most of it.
"My system is different," he said. "It's called an Evolutionary Game System. When I upgrade, the growth is much stronger than normal. Tonight I used a large amount of GS at once. That's why the upgrade was so painful… and why I released that energy wave Kael felt."
Emma's eyes widened. "An Evolutionary System? I've never heard of that before."
Jane finally spoke. Her voice was softer than usual. "That Ranker… Kael. He said he was hunting unusual energy signatures. Does that mean there are more people like him looking for strong players?"
[Host, I can answer that.]
Nax's voice echoed clearly in Gam's mind, and he allowed the others to hear it as well by sharing the system communication.
[Rankers are players who have reached Diamond Rank or higher. Most of them work alone or in small groups. Some hunt weaker players with special systems or unusual growth rates. They either recruit them… or eliminate them to remove future threats.]
David clenched his fists. "So that guy might come back to kill Gam?"
[Correct. Kael has marked Host as a person of interest. He will return once he has more information or when he decides Host is ready to be taken seriously.]
The room fell quiet again.
Emma hugged her knees. "This is getting dangerous. We're only Silver and Bronze Rank. How are we supposed to fight someone like that?"
Gam looked at each of them.
"We get stronger. Together."
He opened his status screen and shared it with the group so they could all see.
[Name: Gamerboy]
[Age: 15]
[Level: 15]
[Rank: Gold]
[HP: 2840/4800]
[GP: 2100/2500]
[GS: 0]
[Stamina: 25]
[Agility: 25]
[Virtual: 25]
[Rage: 30]
Power List:
- Game Streak
- Game Slot
- Game Dust
- Lightning Domain
David whistled. "You're already so far ahead of us. I'm still Level 7."
"That's why we need to train together," Gam said. "If we keep playing separately, the gap will only get bigger. From now on, we form a real team. We clear matches together, share points when possible, and prepare for the next time Kael shows up."
Jane looked at him for a long moment. There was still that quiet interest in her eyes, but now it was mixed with determination.
"I'm in," she said.
Emma nodded. "Me too. I don't want to be left behind."
David grinned, even though he still looked tired. "Obviously I'm in. Someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed, Gam."
A small smile appeared on Gam's face for the first time that night.
[New Team Formed: Unnamed]
[Team Leader: Gamerboy]
[Members: David, Emma, Jane]
[System Recommendation: Accept a Team Quest to strengthen your bond and gain shared rewards.]
A new screen appeared in front of all four of them at the same time.
[Team Quest Available]
Title: First Territory Defense
Objective: Protect a system-assigned territory from three waves of enemy players within 48 hours.
Reward: Large amount of GS for all members + Team Skill Unlock
Failure: Loss of territory and temporary ranking penalty.
Gam looked at his teammates.
"This might be our first real test as a team. Are you ready?"
David cracked his knuckles. "After what just happened? Hell yes."
Emma took a deep breath and nodded. Jane simply met Gam's eyes and said, "Let's do it."
Outside the apartment, the night was still quiet. But somewhere in the city, Kael stood on a rooftop, touching the small cut on his cheek. A faint smile played on his lips.
"Interesting little group," he murmured to himself. "Let's see how long you survive."
He turned and disappeared into the shadows once more.
Back in the apartment, Gam closed the system screen and looked at his new team.
The real climb was only just beginning.
I need more motivation
I am back to this book