'Let's see how this goes.'
Unlike the other soldiers, whose breathing had become strange, their leader leaped high, swinging his spear downward toward Vio's head.
Vio dodged, but he couldn't avoid the cold energy emanating from the spear, which pushed him backward.
'What's with this wind?'
The leader didn't let up, spinning the spear and slashing again.
But contrary to the leader's expectations, Vio didn't block the spear. Instead, dodged it again, turning his back to the other two soldiers. The leader's eyes widened in alarm.
"Watch out!" the leader shouted as the wind from his spear pushed Vio toward the others.
While being propelled, Vio regained control of his body, twisting mid-air and aiming a punch at the first soldier he reached, who was still breathing erratically.
But the other soldier intervened, swinging his sword. Instinctively, Vio struck the side of the blade, redirecting its path. Since it wasn't charged with electricity, the action came easily to him.
Realizing the danger, the second soldier tried to retreat, but Vio quickly grabbed his collar. His companion didn't give up, swinging his sword again in an attempt to sever Vio's arm—a mistake.
As the blade descended, Vio yanked the soldier forward, causing the sword to land on his comrade's shoulder.
"Ahhhh!" the unfortunate soldier screamed, while the other froze in panic.
Vio had an opportunity, but he decided to forgo it, leaping over them instead. He felt a cut along his back mid-air.
"Swish!"
'That spear is dangerous,' Vio thought as he adjusted his body in mid-air, preparing to land.
The wind rippled from the leader's movements, scattering the snow. Vio landed, finding the two soldiers positioned between him and their leader.
"What are you doing? Get your sword out of his shoulder, now"' the leader barked at the panicked soldier. The command was followed, prompting another scream from the injured one.
"Ahhh!"
Not wanting to waste the chance, Vio charged toward them. This time, he wanted to see how the leader would protect them.
As Vio approached and was about to strike, he noticed something unusual. Instead of throwing a punch, he raised his arm to shield the side of his head. His other hand supported his forearm for reinforcement.
The spear, as if it were a snake, curved unnaturally instead of moving in a straight line, weaving past the soldiers and targeting Vio directly.
Fortunately, he was ready.
"Boom!"
The blunt side of the spear struck, forcing Vio to stagger backward. This time, however, he braced his legs and skidded to a halt after sliding a short distance.
"Damn it," Vio muttered.
His arms felt as if they were stung by molten lava. He shook off the frost as if it were dust.
'Is this ice or a volcanic bath?'
"Pull yourselves together!" the leader ordered. The other two soldiers clenched their teeth, their eyes brimming with hatred as they glared at Vio.
'Why are you giving me that look? It's not like you were about to start a friendly conversation with me,' Vio thought.
The leader grabbed a handful of snow, pressing it against the injured soldier's wound before leaving him behind. He then fixed the remaining soldier with a death glare.
"I didn't mean to!" the soldier muttered.
"Shut up and focus on the fight!" the leader snapped.
"Who are you, and who sent you?" the leader asks, turning his focus back to Vio.
Vio, of course, didn't answer. The leader tightened his grip on the spear and resumed business.
The leader jumped, just like before, but this time, Vio charged forward to meet him mid-way.
The spear descended, and Vio raised his arm, using his elbow to intercept the shaft, avoiding the sharp tip.
The impact sent wind rippling outward, scattering snow from the ground. The leader pressed down with his weight, trying to pin Vio in place.
Finally, one of the soldiers prepared to strike, swinging his sword—this time charged with Lightning—at Vio's side.
Vio's joints, resembling black spheres, rotated to generate force, allowing him to shift his arm—on which the spear rested—to the side. This maneuver caused the spear to collide with the sword.
"Clang!"
"Die, rat" shouted the other soldier, who joined late, swinging his sword from the opposite side.
'Man, did you think I forgot about you?'
Vio lifted his leg, striking the soldier's head, sending him flying backward.
"Boom!"
Vio felt a slight vibration through the spear and turned to see the leader beside him, forming a fist that emitted intense cold.
"You fought well," the leader said, aiming a punch at Vio, only to find Vio punching at the same time.
The punches landed simultaneously with the same speed but not the same force.
"Boom! Boom!"
Vio's punch shattered the leader's head, while the leader's blow sent Vio flying backward.
Vio skidded across the ground, blood splattering from the leader onto the white snow, forming an artistic pattern.
The remaining soldier, who had witnessed the scene up close, turned pale. Terror gripped him as he realized he was no match for Vio. The man who had killed their leader with a single punch.
The soldier hesitated, but his instincts screamed for him to flee.
Vio didn't even have time to shake off the burning sensation on his face. He stood quickly to stop the soldier's escape but was momentarily halted by a whirlwind unleashed by the spear.
'What's f…?'
The whirlwind pushed both Vio and the soldier apart. Vio quickly regained his footing, unlike the soldier, who slammed into the rocks, vomiting blood.
The spear's force had also brought Vio closer to the soldier he had kicked earlier. The man, already badly injured, lay motionless on the ground.
Without wasting time, Vio delivered a punch, causing the soldier's head to explode.
The spear finally ceased its rampage, dropping to the ground and allowing Vio a clear view of the last soldier. The man had quickly turned his back, attempting to flee.
'Too late.'
Vio's knees bent, and with a burst of force, he leapt like a missile. He grabbed the fleeing soldier's head and slammed it into the ground with enough force to make it burst like a watermelon.
'Three down.'
The wind swept over him, causing his hair to dance as caught his breath, calming his racing heart.
"Why does this feel so similar to how my old human body used to react? It doesn't make sense," Vio said, panting.
A faint buzzing sound in his mind, accompanied by the familiar sight of words appearing before him. By now, he had grown used to what it meant whenever he completed certain actions.
[Mission 'Kill or Be Killed']
Type: Urgent
Requirements: None
Restrictions: None
Description:
Creatures have decided to stand in the Hero's path. It is the Hero's duty to eliminate anyone who prevents their progress.
Objective:
The Hero must ensure his safety by killing the enemies and ending their pitiful lives.
Rewards for Mission Completion:
15 EXP
3 Plastic
6 Metal
1 Steel
1 Point
Penalty for Failure: Minor Punishment: The Hero's heart will stop.
[Mission: 'Kill or Be Killed' completed successfully.]
[Calculation successful. Grade: A.]
[All rewards will be multiplied by 6.]
[Rewards obtained: 90 EXP, 18 Plastic, 36 Metal, 6 Steel, 6 Points.]
Side Missions and Their Rewards:
1 point for every life taken by the Hero.
[Side Missions completed.]
[Rewards obtained: 3 Points.]
[Congratulations to the Hero for leveling up from 1 to 2.]
[1 point has been added to all stats.]
'I leveled up...'
Before Vio could think, a gentle energy flowed through him.
'What's happening all of a sudden?'
It felt as though his energy had been replenished. His heartbeat steadied, and his breathing softened, no longer rough.
'Show me the stats, quickly.'
Name: Vio Kian
Age: 24 years (biological), 2 years (mechanical)
Level: 2 | EXP: [65/1000]
Rank: Proto-Cyborg
Titles: None
HP: 1000/1000 (100%)
EP:28/100 (28%)
SP: 0/0 (Locked)
[Stats]
Strength: 16
Stamina: 11
Agility: 16
Intelligence: 11
Perception: 11
Endurance: 7
(Available points to distribute: 9)
Cores: Alpha
External Data: 38/100 MB
His HP, previously 100 points, had now increased to 1000, and it had been completely refilled as if he had taken no damage at all.
'So, that's what leveling up does—boosting and refilling HP while increasing all stats by one point.'
Vio wasn't too thrilled, as he had expected more. After all, he had earned approximately 165 EXP from the missions so far, which equated to 16 stat points, whereas leveling up only gave him 6, with no freedom to allocate them.
However, the biggest advantage was the complete refill and increase of his health pool, making him harder to kill as he leveled up. Not to mention the prospect of unlocking the Inventory and shop systems, which Vio believed held far greater rewards.
'Looks like reaching level 5 won't be fast or easy.'
As for the system's grade of A, Vio didn't bother asking why. He already knew the answer.
He could have ended the fight with one direct punch to the leader's head, but instead, he split his focus to retrieve the horn from the leader's waist.
Vio's mindset was simple: What if my punch wasn't enough to kill him? What if he recovered quickly and blew the horn? This cautious approach had kept him alive on the streets. It wasn't easy for him to let his guard down, no matter how excessive his caution seemed.
'Alright, where should I allocate these 9 points?'
As Vio pondered, he noticed something strange happening nearby. One of the soldier's swords was slowly merging with the ground.
'What the—?'
Vio quickly began clearing away the snow, revealing the dirt beneath. However, there was no trace of anything buried. He turned to check the other weapons and found that they, too, had disappeared.
'So that's how the weapons vanished earlier.'
The cold, detached voice of the system interrupted his thoughts, increasing his confusion.
[You have obtained the title 'Skull Crusher.']
It seems the Hero has a fascination with crushing skulls. As a result, any attack, regardless of type, will have its Strength increased by 40% if it strikes an enemy's head.