Reever could not honestly say that this was a battle he had been looking forward to. After exchanging blows with Elite ranked players, normal rookies felt dull to him. Their movements were slower, their reactions predictable, and their confidence often rested on numbers rather than skill.
He tilted his head slightly, the green smoke stained armor reflecting faint light from the broken facility around them.
"Are you sure you want to forfeit your rank up match like this?" he asked, letting out a short laugh.
This was not an ordinary match. Dying here meant failing the rank up attempt and possibly dropping a minor rank. Even though he could easily end them, he still gave them a choice. He was not desperate for cheap victories.
One of the attackers clenched his fists.
"Don't get cocky, you…" the rough voiced man started, his anger leaking through his tone.
The other one spoke before he could finish. His voice was calm, almost soothing, as if he was trying to talk sense into both Reever and his partner.
"It's two against one," he said while summoning his weapon. "And we are all rookies. What exactly do you think you can do?"
The weapon materialized in his hand. It was a spear, but clearly not a simple one. The shaft was reinforced, and the spearhead shifted and reshaped itself before Reever's eyes, transforming into a compact muzzle. A hybrid weapon, capable of both melee and ranged attacks.
Reever laughed again.
"Come at me then."
He corked his sniper weapon and moved.
The two assaulters fired almost immediately, bullets cutting through the air toward him. Reever did not bother dodging. The rounds struck his armor and bounced off harmlessly, clattering against the cracked floor.
The reaction from the two men was instant. Their confidence wavered.
Reever kept running forward, his steps steady and relaxed.
"Should I end it early," he thought, "or stretch this out a bit and let them panic."
He activated his camouflage skill.
His figure vanished mid stride.
"Damn it. Where did he go?" the rough voiced man shouted, spinning around as he tried to track Reever's movement.
"You think he ran?" he asked, his voice shaking now.
The calm voiced man shook his head.
"No. You saw what happened to our bullets. That armor is not normal. Rare rank at least, maybe higher. It has a skill. He turned invisible to reposition, not to escape."
He tightened his grip on the spear.
"Stay alert. If I pierce him even once, the spear will override his defense and incapacitate him."
He never got the chance to finish the sentence.
A sudden force slammed into his back. His balance broke instantly, and he crashed face first onto the floor. Before he could react, the weight of his spear vanished from his hands.
Reever reappeared a few steps away, twirling the stolen weapon once before letting it drop.
"This guy is playing with us," the rough voiced man muttered, fear now fully present.
He had only joined the match to support his older brother. He was not prepared for this kind of opponent. Seeing his brother disarmed so easily shattered whatever courage he had left.
Reever did not give him time to recover.
He moved again, silent and precise. Another sudden shove, another loss of balance. The rough voiced man fell hard, his weapon skidding across the floor before Reever picked it up.
"A bit of chaos and fear," Reever thought. "This kind of match suits me."
He stood in front of them now, both weapons discarded at his feet, his sniper raised calmly.
"Bye," he said lightly. "You were decent opponents. I enjoyed the match."
He did not wait for a response.
BAM.
The first shot pierced cleanly through armor and flesh.
BAM.
The second followed almost instantly.
Both bodies collapsed onto the ground, lifeless, blood pooling beneath them. A moment later, white light engulfed them, and their forms dissolved as the system removed them from the match.
Reever lowered his weapon and exhaled slowly.
"No point lingering."
He turned and sprinted away, activating his camouflage once more. Time was valuable, and standing still only increased the chances of being targeted.
As he moved through the broken corridors of the facility, he encountered several players attempting to intercept him. Some were cautious, others aggressive. None lasted long. One clean shot was enough to end each confrontation.
Minutes later, he reached the mission handout center.
He slowed his steps and pushed the door open carefully.
The large room inside was quiet. Doctor Harun was seated comfortably on a sofa, holding a small tablet and playing what looked like a video game. His posture was relaxed, almost lazy, as if nothing outside the room mattered.
"Doctor Harun," Reever said respectfully. "I collected the first power core. The bags provided are too small, so I thought it would be better to bring them here before continuing."
The doctor did not look up.
"Put it in the trash can," he said, pointing vaguely to the side while keeping his eyes on the screen.
Reever paused for a brief moment, then did as instructed. He walked over and emptied the bag.
Inside the trash can was only one other power core.
"So they really are hard to find," he thought.
Without saying another word, he turned and headed back toward the exit. He had no desire to remain in the same room as Doctor Harun any longer than necessary. The man felt too real, too human, even for an NPC.
"Not my problem," Reever thought as he stepped out. "I'm here to survive and complete the mission."
The door closed behind him.
He checked his compass, chose a direction, and resumed his run toward the next target.