Axel Marble, now Level 3, felt the subtle but undeniable change in his body.
His enhanced DEX 12 made his grip on the rusted crowbar feel more secure, and the lingering aches in his muscles were simply gone, a testament to VIT 12. The anxiety was still there, a constant companion, but it was overlaid with a new, quiet confidence. He was no longer just a victim waiting to be found; he was a growing asset.
The meeting at the abandoned gas station had been tense, but Zaya and Kael had accepted him. Zaya, the quiet, tactical one with the shimmering ice powers, and Kael, the imposing shield with the volatile temper.
"Thirty minutes are up," Zaya announced, checking her wrist-mounted chronometer.
The last sliver of the sun had vanished, plunging Sector 7 into deep, oppressive shadow. "Visibility is minimal now. Perfect. The rail line is three hundred meters north. We move fast and silent."
Kael adjusted the thick, armored plates on his chest. The faint yellow aura, the precursor to his defensive shield, was already humming low around his arms. He looked at Axel with a challenging grunt. "You're on the flank, System-Born.
If anything twitches off to the side, you hit it. Hard. Don't use your punch unless you have to; it's too loud. Rely on your Scavenging stealth."
Axel nodded, gripping the crowbar—a makeshift weapon now backed by a Level 3, STR 17 punch. His system screen had updated:
> [CURRENT QUEST: ARRIVE AT THE ACADEMY!]
> Objective 1: Maintain Pace.
> Objective 2: Do not reveal the full extent of the Marble System.
>
The trio slipped out of the ruin and into the night. Zaya led, her petite form gliding through the shadows with the grace of a predator. Kael followed, his heavy boots strangely muted as he moved. Axel brought up the rear, relying heavily on his natural stealth and new Dexterity. He found himself anticipating obstacles, instinctively stepping around loose piles of debris that would have betrayed him a day ago.
They reached the Old Rail Line, a trench of cracked asphalt and rusted metal tracks that led down into a series of decaying tunnels. The air here was colder, heavier, smelling of oil and damp earth.
"The first two kilometers are open ground," Zaya whispered, her voice barely audible. "Xylos patrol the overpasses above. Stay low, stay between the tracks."
They began their descent. The going was rough, the ground uneven. Axel, however, felt remarkably agile. He moved in a low, tight crouch, his eyes constantly flicking between the backs of his two new companions and the shadowy walls of the trench.
After ten minutes of breathless movement, they reached the gaping maw of the first Rail Tunnel. It was a hole of absolute blackness, swallowing the weak light of the crescent moon.
"Tunnel One is the worst," Kael muttered, his breath misting in the cold air. "It's the longest, and the Xylos use it for storage sometimes."
As they stepped across the threshold, the blue system screen flashed a warning.
> [SENSORY WARNING: HOSTILE LIFE SIGNATURES DETECTED AHEAD.]
> [NEW SUB-OBJECTIVE: CLEAR HOSTILE THREAT (2)]
> Description: Two Xylos Grunts are patrolling the tunnel interior.
> Reward: 150 EXP.
>
Axel's blood ran cold, but he maintained his silence. He reached out and subtly tapped Zaya's shoulder twice—the resistance signal for "Hostiles Ahead."
Zaya immediately halted, pressing herself against the wet concrete wall. Kael did the same, his massive frame blending remarkably well into the darkness.
Zaya leaned back toward Axel. "How many? What kind?" she mouthed silently.
Axel pointed two fingers forward, then made a vague shape with his hand—not drones, but bipedal patrols. Grunts.
Zaya nodded, impressed by his instantaneous knowledge. She looked at Kael, whose eyes were already glowing faintly yellow.
She wants to use the element of surprise, Axel realized.
Zaya gave a swift, silent hand signal: I take the left, Kael takes the right. Attack on my mark.
Axel shook his head subtly, pointing at his chest, then pointing forward with his crowbar. He was faster now; he could flank one quickly. Zaya hesitated, assessing him. His earlier display of raw strength must have convinced her. She changed the signal: Axel takes the left flank, I take the right, Kael holds the center.
Axel felt a rush of adrenaline. He was Level 3, but this was his first actual combat mission.
He shifted his grip on the crowbar and activated Kinetic Punch. He didn't punch anything yet, but the simple activation gave him the instant, three-second +5 STR boost. He felt the raw power surge, a glorious, vibrating tension in his right arm.
He darted forward, keeping close to the left wall. His DEX 12 made him a ghost. The two Xylos Grunts were visible now, bulky silhouettes standing near a pile of metal drums, their plasma rifles hanging loosely.
They were chittering softly to each other.
Axel closed the distance on the leftmost Grunt in a terrifyingly fast burst. The three-second STR boost was already ticking down. Two seconds left.
He swung the crowbar in a wide, vicious arc, aiming not to kill, but to disable. The reinforced metal struck the Grunt's helmet with a sickening clang.
The Grunt hadn't even finished registering the attack before the kinetic force rocked its head violently. It stumbled, dropping its rifle with a loud clatter.
Now!
The noise was the mark. Zaya erupted from the shadows, a flash of white light following her. Three sharp Ice Shards flew from her outstretched hand, slicing through the air with a faint whistle.
They struck the second Grunt simultaneously—one pierced its throat, and the other two impacted its main energy conduit on its chest. The Grunt went down in a spraying geyser of green, viscous fluid, its plasma rifle sputtering harmlessly against the wall.
Kael didn't move. He stood center, already forming a wide, luminous Stone Shield in front of their position, expecting return fire. But there was none.
The first Grunt was still stumbling, dazed by the blow. Axel, his adrenaline high, pressed the advantage. He let the crowbar drop, and with the last fraction of his STR boost, he launched his Kinetic Punch directly into the Grunt's exposed midsection.
CRUNCH!
The sound was brutal. The Xylos exoskeleton, normally chitinous and durable, shattered instantly under the focused kinetic impact. The creature spasmed, its six legs kicking uselessly, before collapsing into a dead heap.
> [HOSTILE THREAT CLEARED! SUB-OBJECTIVE COMPLETE!]
> [REWARD ACQUIRED: 150 EXP.]
> [LEVEL UP! AXEL MARBLE HAS REACHED LEVEL 4!]
> [STAT POINTS ACQUIRED: 5]
>
Axel stood panting, the smell of ozone and alien blood stinging his nostrils. He had done it. His first real fight, and a decisive victory.
Kael lowered his shield, the yellow aura dissolving. He stepped over the dead Grunt and kicked its broken rifle away. He looked at Axel, a slow, grudging respect entering his eyes.
"That was fast, Marble," Kael grunted. "You hit like a truck, and you move like a damned shadow. We didn't even need the shield."
Zaya approached, examining the wreckage. She pointed to the spot where the Grunt Axel punched lay. "You ruptured its core. That's efficient. You're Level 4 now, aren't you?" she stated, not asking.
Axel simply nodded, keeping his status screen minimized.
"Your System is a rapid leveler," Zaya noted, a hint of concern in her voice. "That's dangerous. You get strong fast, but you might miss key lessons. We continue. No more talk."
They quickly checked the Grunts' bodies, grabbing a few useful energy cells and discarding the massive, cumbersome plasma rifles.
Axel felt a rush of power from the Level 4 upgrade and the 5 Stat Points burning in his reserves. He needed to be smart about this. He now knew he could hit hard, and he knew stealth was critical.
He needed to keep his combat power high, but his overall survivability needed improvement.
He decided on a balanced approach:
* +2 STR (Strength): To keep his Kinetic Punch relevant as they faced higher-level threats. (New STR: 19)
* +2 VIT (Vitality): For better HP, health regeneration, and resistance to environmental factors like poison or cold. (New VIT: 14)
* +1 DEX (Dexterity): To ensure his stealth and dodging ability continued to improve. (New DEX: 13)
He allocated the points silently as they walked deeper into the chilling darkness of the tunnel.
> [STR +2. STRENGTH: 19 (+2 Bonus from Kinetic Punch)]
> [VIT +2. VITALITY: 14]
> [DEX +1. DEXTERITY: 13]
> [QUEST COMPLETE: A POINT OF POWER!]
> [REWARD: 100 EXP.]
> [LEVEL UP! AXEL MARBLE HAS REACHED LEVEL 5!]
> [STAT POINTS ACQUIRED: 5]
>
Axel blinked. Two Levels in minutes, fueled by the fight and the immediate allocation of points.
He was now Level 5. The Marble System was escalating his power at an alarming rate. He felt the new stats solidify, a feeling like stretching muscle fibers and hardening bone. He was becoming something truly formidable.
They continued their silent trek. The tunnel was long, winding, and completely black save for the tiny beams of their flashlights. Zaya and Kael began to realize they had a true asset in the quiet scavenger.
"We're halfway through Tunnel Two," Zaya whispered, checking a small navigation device. "It should open up to the river basin soon. That's the most dangerous part—open ground, but it's the only way to Sector Gamma."
Axel, now Level 5, kept his new 5 Stat Points unallocated, a reserve of power waiting for the next crisis. He knew they were entering the true test now.
They emerged from the darkness of the rail tunnels and onto the River Basin. The air immediately grew colder, and the ground was slick with mud and half-frozen ice. The Xylos hadn't fully polluted this water, making it a critical choke point for movement across the ruined cityscape.
Zaya pointed across the frozen expanse to a massive, derelict factory complex on the far bank. "That's the entry point to Sector Gamma. It's a four-kilometer run, exposed."
Kael stepped forward. "I'll draw the attention if we need it. My shield can buy you thirty seconds."
As if on cue, a thin, high-pitched whistle cut through the air—the alarm call of a Xylos Drone on high patrol. They had been spotted.
Zaya's eyes were frantic.
"Go! Move! Run!"
Axel didn't need the command. His DEX 13 kicked in, allowing him to take off across the treacherous, slippery ground with astonishing speed and balance. He was no longer just running; he was flowing over the broken terrain.
Behind them, Kael screamed and his massive Stone Shield bloomed into full, blinding existence, deflecting the first volley of plasma fire that came from the sky. The race had begun.