The rain did not stop, but Moon did not feel cold anymore. The strange, red energy inside his chest kept him warm. He walked through the dark, wet streets of the Outer Slums. He was looking for one thing: The Gate.
The Gate was a glowing portal. It was the only door into the First Sanctuary.
After walking for a few minutes, he saw the bright blue light of the portal shining at the end of an alley. But there was a problem. Five big men stood in front of it. They wore dirty armor and had mean, ugly smiles. They were Scavengers—bullies who were too weak to survive inside the Sanctuary, so they stayed outside to rob new kids.
"Well, well," the biggest man said. He had a gray [F-Rank Brawler] icon floating above his head. He held a heavy club covered in spikes. "Look at this piece of trash. A Null? The system must be broken. Go back to the mud, little boy."
"Move," Moon said. His voice was quiet, but it was as cold as ice.
The big man laughed loudly. "You want to go in? The toll is 10 Life Points. But you are a Null. You have zero points! Give me your shoes and I might let you run away crying."
Before Moon could speak, the man swung his heavy spiked club right at Moon's head.
To a normal person, the club would be too fast to see. But to Moon, it looked like it was moving through thick honey. Because of the [Grim Reaper] talent, his stats had jumped by 500% from just one kill. He was faster and stronger than anyone here.
Moon easily ducked under the club. He remembered the new skill in his mind.
Savage Strike.
Moon pulled his fist back. He felt the heavy, explosive power rush into his knuckles. He punched the big man right in the chest.
CRACK!
The sound of breaking bones echoed loudly in the alley. The big man flew backward into the air like a broken toy. He crashed hard into the brick wall and slid down. He did not move.
[You have killed a Level 3 Human (F-Rank Brawler).]
[Grim Reaper Activated: Gained 5x Life Points. Stats Increased!]
[Classless Activated: Skill 'Heavy Punch' comprehended from the enemy and merged with 'Savage Strike'.]
[New Skill Created: 'Savage Blow' (Level 2) - Delivers a deadly strike that breaks basic armor.]
The other four men froze in place. Their eyes were wide with pure terror. A Null—a kid with no class—just defeated their boss in one single punch!
"M-Monster..." one of them whispered, dropping his sword on the wet ground.
Moon looked at his hands, which were now glowing with a very faint, scary red light. He looked up at the terrified men and smiled his dark, sharp smile.
"Does anyone else want my shoes?" Moon asked.
The men screamed. They turned around and ran away as fast as they could, disappearing into the dark rain.
Moon shook his head. He picked up the Life Points left behind by the bully and stepped into the glowing blue light of the Gate.
"First Sanctuary," Moon whispered as the light swallowed him whole. "Here I come."