The air that hit Kael as he stepped through the shattered lobby doors was thick with the coppery scent of blood and the acrid smell of burning plastic. The sun, a hazy orange disk in the smog-filled sky, was beginning to set, casting long, distorted shadows that seemed to writhe with a life of their own. This was it. The open world.
He didn't run. He scurried, hugging the wall of his building and immediately ducking into the narrow alley beside it. His back pressed against the cool brick, he risked a peek around the corner. A pack of five goblins was shuffling down the middle of the street, their heads on a swivel, their Intent strings all reading [Patrol_Area]. They weren't hunting him specifically, but they would attack anything they saw.
He shrank back into the shadows of the alley, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs. He was weak, terrified, and armed with little more than a piece of junk metal. He needed an edge. Any edge.
His hand went to his pocket, his fingers closing around the two smooth, slightly warm stones he'd taken from the dead goblins.
// Item: Lesser Monster Core // Description: A crystallization of basic System energy. Can be absorbed...
Absorbed. How?
He pulled one of the cores out. It pulsed with a faint grey light in the growing twilight. He focused on it, channeling the same mental energy he'd used to edit the world's code. He didn't try to change the core; he tried to accept it. He imagined his body as a battery and the core as a charger, willing the energy to flow into him.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the core in his hand grew warmer, and the light within it intensified before dissolving into particles of light that flowed into his palm and up his arm. It felt like drinking ice-cold water on a blazing hot day—a refreshing, revitalizing coolness spreading through every cell in his body.
And then, a new window opened in his vision. One he hadn't seen before.
--[STATUS]-- Name: Kael Class: [Undefined Error] Level: 1 Experience: 10/100
--[ATTRIBUTES]-- Strength (STR): 6 Agility (AGI): 7 Stamina (STA): 5.1 (+0.1) Intelligence (INT): 12 Vitality (VIT): 6
[You have absorbed a source of raw mana. Your understanding of the System has deepened.]
Kael stared, dumbfounded. His own stats. They were pathetic. An average adult male would likely have a 10 in the physical attributes. His were far below that, a testament to his lifestyle of coding marathons and poor nutrition. Only his Intelligence was above average. But he also saw the (+0.1) next to his Stamina and the 10/100 on his experience bar. He had gained something tangible.
Without hesitation, he pulled out the second core and absorbed it. The same cool rush washed over him, and he watched his stats change again.
Experience: 20/100 Stamina (STA): 5.2 (+0.1)
It was a minuscule improvement, but it was real. The crushing exhaustion that had been setting in seemed to recede slightly. He felt a little stronger, a little more alive.
Empowered by this small victory, he peered back out onto the street. The goblin patrol had passed. Using his [Code Perception] as a sort of radar, he could "feel" the data of entities around corners, their Intent strings giving him a crucial warning. He began to move, flitting from one shadow to the next, a ghost in the ruins. His goal was the university library, miles away, but his journey would be one of alleyways and backstreets.
He was two blocks from his apartment when he heard the sounds of a real fight. Not the shriek of a lone goblin, but the clang of steel and a woman's sharp cry. He ducked behind a rusted-out delivery van, peeking through the shattered windshield.
Three people, clearly Players, stood back-to-back. A burly man held a glowing shield and an axe—a 'Warrior'. A young woman in a hoodie flung bolts of fiery energy from her hands—a 'Mage'. Another man darted in and out with a pair of daggers—a 'Rogue' or 'Assassin'.
Their opponents were two of the dog-like creatures he'd seen from his window.
// Entity: Corrupted Hound // Int: Level=5
The hounds were terrifyingly fast, their movements a blur of mangy black fur and snapping teeth. They moved with a predatory teamwork that the three Players couldn't match. The Rogue lunged, but a hound sidestepped and clamped its jaws on his leg, shaking him violently. The Mage launched a firebolt, but the other hound leaped over it, crashing into her and sending her sprawling. The Warrior roared and charged, but it was too late. It was a slaughter.
Kael watched, frozen, his stomach churning. These were real Players with real classes, and they were torn apart in seconds. His rusty blade suddenly felt very small and very useless. His clever tricks felt like children's games.
When it was over, he forced himself to move, his earlier confidence shattered and replaced with a cold, clear understanding of his own fragility. He stumbled into a deep alleyway, collapsing behind a large dumpster, the horrific scene replaying in his mind.
Adrenaline faded, and a wave of dizziness washed over him. His throat was sandpaper. He hadn't had a drink since that morning. How long could he last without water?
His eyes scanned his surroundings and landed on a building across the street. A convenience store. "24/7 Mart." Its glass doors were shattered and the lights were out, but it was his only hope. It was a death trap, an obvious place for scavengers, both human and monster.
But the thirst was a physical pain, a screaming need.
He looked both ways down the street. It was momentarily clear. Gripping his blade, Kael took a deep breath. He had to risk it. He had to cross.