The First Encounter Part 4
Day Three
Date: 03/01/01*
Location: In the city.
Test period: Three days (Completed)
Mission Duration: Three Days
Remaining Time: Two Day and 18 hours
Objective: Reach the City Gate
Subject Name: Thomas
Subject age: 20 years
Previous success rate: 85%
Expected success rate: 55%.
Failed Subjects: 223
Successful subjects: 6
Thomas was a ghost in the ruined city, his vehicle a silent predator gliding through a world of dust and rust. It had been over an hour since his fight with the Haigan, and the adrenaline had finally left his body, replaced by a deep and heavy exhaustion. His arm, where the beast had scraped him, throbbed with a dull ache. He had patched it up with a piece of cloth torn from the shirt he was wearing, but the pain was a constant reminder of how close he had come to becoming a statistic in the System's records. He was no longer just a human on Earth; he was a survivor in another world, and this city and world were a battlefield.
He returned to his vehicle, seeking comfort and safety. No one could predict when he might encounter another beast—or even many more. From that moment on, he resolved to be cautious of everything around him. As soon as he sat in the driver's seat and the adrenaline subsided in his body, he realized that he had fought an alien beast and survived. Little did he know, this was just the beginning.
The green line on the windshield, his only guide after rerouting—appeared again, continuing its long, twisted path through the streets of Ramendal. The car moved at a slow, careful pace as Thomas scanned the destroyed buildings, his eyes searching for any sign of movement or a hint of another monster. He was alone, completely alone, in this dead city.
The loneliness was a heavy burden. Although he wasn't the social type who was constantly surrounded by friends, he had no idea where that feeling originated. He knew he was not alone in the city, yet the fear was worse than the monsters. He had no one to talk to, no one to share his thoughts with. Not that he was in a situation that allowed him to dwell on such trivial matters. Maybe it was The System, he thought. It had been a great help to him during the fight with the Haigan, but was it truly a friend or a foe? He knew, somehow, that it could read or see his thoughts and memories, yet he couldn't help but remain wary of it.
The mission to reach the city gate was still his goal, but he knew the city was not empty. The monsters were real, and they were dangerous.
He looked at his new skills, which the System had put into his menu:
Martial Arts (Level 1)
Qadab (Level 1).
The first was his own knowledge, given a digital name and power. The second was a monster's skill, a terrifying surge of rage and strength that he was now able to use. The thought of using Qadab scared him. He had seen what it did to the Haigan—it turned it into a mindless beast. He had a feeling it would do the same to him if he wasn't careful. He was a survivor now, a fighter. But was he slowly becoming a monster, too?
Suddenly, a new sound cut through the silence. It wasn't the wind or the hum of his vehicle. It was a distant, sharp cry, a sound of fury and pain. It was too far away to tell if it was human or a beast, but it was a sound of conflict. His heart began to pound in his chest. Was it another monster fighting something? Or… was it another human?
A small red warning sign flashed on his windshield.
{Conflict detected. Human subject in danger. Location: Two kilometers ahead.}
Thomas didn't even have to think. He pressed his foot down on the mental accelerator, and the vehicle's hum grew louder as it sped forward. The loneliness that had been his constant companion for hours suddenly vanished, replaced by a fierce hope. He wasn't alone. There was another human here, and they were in trouble.
He pushed the car faster, weaving through the rubble and abandoned alien vehicles. Turning a corner, the scene ahead struck him like a physical blow. In the middle of the wide, dusty street, a human figure was fighting a monster. The human was a young woman, and she was moving with a speed and grace that seemed almost unbelievable. She wielded a large piece of twisted metal as a shield, deftly dodging the monster's attacks with quick, clever movements.
She was a young woman, a little younger than him. Her clothes were simple, like the ones you would wear for a day of studying, and her dark hair was tied back.
The beast she was fighting was not a Haigan. It was a massive creature, perhaps twice the size of a bull, with a thick, leathery hide and bony plates on its back that resembled armor. Its head was small, but its mouth was filled with long, sharp teeth. It had thick, powerful legs, and its roars were a deafening sound that shook the ground. Thomas saw the System's information flash above its head.
Korgian
Level: 8
State: Aggressive
Strength: 80
Speed: 20
Skills: Battering Ram (Level 2), Armor Skin (Level 1)
Points: 500
The Korgian was slow, but its power was immense. It charged, using its head like a battering ram, and the young woman had to dodge quickly. She was fast and smart, but the beast was relentless. One of her dodges was too slow, and the Korgian's shoulder clipped her. She flew backward and hit a fallen piece of concrete, her shield flying from her hands. She was hurt.
Thomas had no time to think. He had to help. He saw a pile of large, of what looked like rusted pipes on the side of the street. He drove his vehicle into the pile, creating a loud, crashing sound. The Korgian turned its head toward the noise, shifting its attention from Samira to the new threat.
{Martial Arts (Level 1) skill activated.}
He jumped out of the vehicle, his body already moving. He was no longer the man who was just scared he was filed with new emoticons that he couldn't figure out it's source.He ran toward the Korgian, not with strength, but with speed and agility. Samira, still on the ground, looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. Wondering for an instant what is going on and how and where did he came from, Thomas knew he didn't have to speak. He had to act.
The Korgian roared and turned its focus toward him. Thomas was faster, but the beast's armor was too thick. He delivered a series of quick, targeted kicks and punches to the Korgian's legs, its only weak point. Although the kicks were not powerful enough to cause significant damage, but they were sufficient to make the beast lose its balance.
Samira, waking from her daze and seizing the opportunity, stood up, ready to join the fight. Realizing that the young man—whoever he was—had come to help her, she looked around for something to use as a shield. At that moment, a new message appeared in front of her.
{{New skill unlocked}
Trans Shield
Level: 1
{Trans Shield: You can summon a transparent, flexible shield on demand. It can change shape according to your desire..}
Using a mental command, a new glowing shield of pure light appeared in front of her— a skill granted to her by the System. She activated this new ability on her own, and a powerful strike of energy instantly covered her entire arm from shoulder to wrist. She launched the shield like a discus, aiming for the Korgian'si head. The shield struck the Gargon with a loud bang, stunning it for a moment.
This was their chance. Thomas saw the Korgian stumble, its head ringing from the impact. He ran to its side, his feet a blur. He used a move he hadn't thought about in years, a move his grandfather had called "The Eagle's Clutch." He climbed onto the Korgian's back and, with a fierce grip, grabbed the plates of bone on its neck. He held on as the beast roared and tried to throw him off.
Samira, now on her feet, shouted at him. "The eyes! Its eyes are the weak point!"
Thomas understood. The Haigan's eyes were also a weakness. He held on tight, and with a burst of strength he didn't know he had, he twisted the Korgian's head with all his might. The Korgian roared in pain, its powerful neck twisting. The beast finally collapsed, its neck broken. It lay motionless on the ground, a new silence filling the air.