In the forest, Jayarstood on a branch of a withered black tree. He looks around looking for a mechaspider.
"I'm not going to eat it... Is that so?"
Very far away from himself, he notices a mechaspider. Jayarwent downstairs. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the mech spider began to move towards Jayarwith great speed.
[Crystal Blaster kanteeegan]
Jayarfired his blaster seventeen times before the mechaspider fell right in front of his feet. The blaster was smoking from the speed of the shots.
[Title: Crystal Blaster kanteeegan
Condition: Excellent
Shot charges: 17/20
Charge reserve : 3/20
Hit rate: 100%]
Jayarchecks the watch on his wrist every now and then. He doesn't touch the spider's body.
"and how is breakfast distributed? After receiving it, does it count as lunch? Instructions should be attached to such things."
Jayarleaned back, addressing the machine with a casual tone.
"Carmen."
The robot's voice answered at once, smooth and unwavering:
"Always at your service, sir."
"What's the usual meal time?" Jayarasked.
Carmen responded with precise clarity, as if reciting from an internal clockwork:
"Breakfast is typically taken in the morning, from six o'clock until noon. Lunch follows, usually between noon and three or four in the afternoon. Dinner is observed from six in the evening until late, often extending to ten o'clock."
Jayarnodded slowly, then pressed further.
"And when do the BB16S usually go hunting?"
There was a faint pause, as though Carmen were sifting through endless streams of data before replying:
"Their activity is most often detected in the early hours. Around five in the morning… or, at times, as early as one o'clock by the lake. It is presently eleven a.m."
Jayar rubs his face in anger. "daily task"
Ding~
[Daily Assignment: Preparation for Improving the FB level]
[Deadline: Twenty-nine days]
(Not Completed) | BB16 Meat Breakfast: 0/10
(Not Completed) | Lunch is a Mechaspider: 0/8
(Not Completed) | Dinner smoked Yolt: 0/10
(Not Completed) | Water from Lake Fii: 4/10
[Note: It is a body workout to prepare the body for future changes. You can adjust the tasks to suit your needs]
"Will there be anything for me if I don't complete more than one of these tasks?"
Silence.
"the consequences of not doing so?"
"the result?"
[Download... ]
[name: Jayar Flynn.
Age: 27 y/o.
FB is under development.
Nexus: not available at the moment.
He is taking a course to improve his FB level.
Result : unsuccessful. C±]
Jake's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence.
"Carmen, what's my FB?"
The machine hesitated for the briefest instant before replying, her tone still polite, yet carrying an unusual edge of apology.
"I am afraid your FB is not available for authentication, sir. I am… truly sorry."
Jake's eyes widened. He leaned forward, disbelief tightening his voice.
"What? That's not possible!"
...
Felix and Kayav, heading to the global market, found themselves surrounded by the most exotic and dangerous creatures, none of which were suitable for regular consumption. In their search:
• BB16 Meat – a rabbit that literally explodes on impact, causing chaos. This type of meat is not meant for regular food and is difficult to acquire without consequences.
• Mechaspider – a giant two-meter spider with iron legs, which is not only inedible but also poses a danger to anyone who dares to encounter it. No one is planning to eat it.
• Smoked Yolt – a rare, protected species resembling a deer, but not quite. It's an endangered animal listed in the red book, and while it has unique traits, it is definitely not intended for consumption.
Felix and Kayav carefully navigated the market, trying to find the right items for their needs, knowing that they were dealing with something far more unusual and risky than simply buying food.
Kayav folded his arms, his gaze fixed on the bustling street ahead.
"I'm honestly interested in the BB16," he admitted.
Felix arched a brow, almost amused.
"Thinking about how to tell one apart from an ordinary rabbit? You're right—it won't be easy. And the real question is: how?"
Kayav hesitated, frowning.
"I'm not sure. Maybe… the smell? Something strange, like it's about to self-destruct. But no, you're right—we can't rely on that. Perhaps there are other signs. Less fur, or some unnatural color?"
Felix leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"What if it's the eyes? I heard BB16's eyes glow just before it explodes. If we see that, we'll know it's the one."
Kayav nodded slowly.
"That would help. And if the fur has a metallic sheen, or anything that doesn't look right, we'll spot it. But if it starts moving toward us…" His tone hardened. "…we run."
Felix smirked faintly, though his eyes betrayed unease.
"Agreed. If one gets anywhere near us, we stay out of its way. We've already got enough to deal with."
Just then, a vendor passing by shook his head at the two of them, muttering something under his breath before walking on.
The vendor stopped in front of them, adjusting the basket on his shoulder before speaking with a weary shake of his head.
"You two have it all wrong. The only way to tell the difference between a regular rabbit and a BB16 is out in the wild. If someone offers you BB16 meat here, it's nothing but ordinary rabbit dressed up with a dangerous name. No one in their right mind would bring that kind of threat into a market."
Felix and Kayav exchanged baffled glances.
Felix frowned.
"Wait… so all this time we've been chasing something dangerous, and it's just a regular rabbit?"
The vendor gave a short, almost pitying laugh.
"Exactly. BB16 is nothing but a story in this place. In the market, it's just reputation for sale. You won't find the real thing unless you go where it lives."
Kayav let out a sigh, shoulders slumping.
"That's… disappointing."
Felix crossed his arms with a wry smile.
"So much for our big adventure."
Felix hesitated for a moment, then decided to check Jake's FB status. Pulling up the global ranking, he scrolled through the endless cascade of names and numbers, his eyes moving quickly across the glowing interface. But no matter how far he searched, Jake's data refused to appear.
There was no trace of his level, no record of his battles, no list of achievements. The usual markers of strength and progression had been wiped clean. In their place remained only a single, stark entry:
Age: 27.
Felix stared at the screen, his jaw tightening. That couldn't be right. The rankings were absolute—an unshakable record that defined every player within the system. To be stripped down to something so trivial, to nothing but age, was almost unthinkable.
He told himself it didn't necessarily mean anything. It could be a temporary glitch, a fault in the system. Or perhaps Jayar had found a way to cloak his information, to bury it from public view. And yet, none of those explanations settled the unease tightening in Felix's chest.
The silence stretched between them until Kayav finally broke it. His eyes narrowed, his tone carrying a quiet curiosity.
"Who even came up with the idea of improving the FB?"
The question caught Felix off guard. He almost chuckled, almost dismissed it with some quick remark. His lips curved into the hint of a smile—yet it died just as quickly. The color drained from his face, leaving him pale, his features drawn and rigid.
He looked away from Kayav, as if the weight of memory pressed too heavily on him. His voice, when it came, was low and unsteady, as though the very words resisted being spoken aloud.
"One clan…"
The words hung in the air like a shadow, unfinished but heavy with implication. Kayav felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard that tone before—the kind of tone people used when speaking of something better left unmentioned.
Felix's hands tightened into fists. He didn't elaborate, not yet. But Kayav could see it in his eyes: fear, buried deep, and the knowledge that the answer to his question was far more dangerous than he had imagined.