The exposition ended as dusk fell, casting long shadows across the city. Rayn wandered the streets of New York, the realization of his situation slowly sinking in. No phones, no internet, no safety net—just him, his system, and a dangerous timeline that would soon erupt into global conflict.
He found a small alley behind a diner and leaned against the brick wall.
"System, show mission log."
[AVAILABLE MISSION: Intervene in street mugging nearby.]
[Reward: +2 Strength, +1 Agility, +1 Durability]
Rayn's ears picked up a scream—a woman, frightened. He sprinted in the direction of the noise, heart racing. Rounding a corner, he saw two thugs harassing a young woman, their backs turned.
"Hey!" Rayn shouted. The men turned, smirking.
"You lost, kid?" one of them asked, stepping forward with a knife.
Rayn focused.
[APPRAISAL - Activated]
Target: Thug A
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Durability: 9
Mental Strength: 7
Intelligence: 6
He tightened his fists. "System, prepare Shadow Extraction."
[Notice: Target must be dead for Shadow Extraction.]
Rayn gritted his teeth. "Fine. Let's do this the old-fashioned way."
The thug lunged. Rayn ducked, twisting his body and delivering a punch to the man's gut. Surprised at his strength, Rayn pushed the man into the wall. The second thug charged, but Rayn swept his legs and knocked him to the ground.
Moments later, both men lay unconscious.
[MISSION COMPLETE. Strength +2, Agility +1, Durability +1]
Rayn exhaled sharply, the adrenaline still surging through him. The woman thanked him profusely before running off.
He looked at the unconscious bodies, eyes narrowing. "This world is cruel. I need every advantage I can get."
[SHADOW EXTRACTION - Ready]
He focused on Thug A.
[Extracting... Shadow Soldier created.]
A dark mist swirled as a humanoid form emerged—silent, tall, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
[ Name: Shadow Soldier A ]
Strength: 18
Agility: 20
Durability: 18
Loyalty: 100%
Rayn's lips curled into a smirk. "Let's build a shadow army."
---
(To be continued...)