Ray Moss, Level 6 (600/800 EXP), stood by the bandits' truck, its faded camouflage glinting faintly in the dawn light. His body ached from the depot raid—wounds from pistol grazes and the orc's warhammer swing still stung (HP: 80/110), though Minor Mend had dulled the pain. Mana was depleted (0/110), slowly recovering. The depot's rusted tanks and artillery loomed around him, a silent testament to his victory over eight bandits. His HUD flickered, confirming his new level.
[Level: 6. EXP: 600/800]
[Stats: Strength 6/100, Endurance 6/100, Speed 6/100, Agility 6/100, HP 80/110, Mana 0/110.]
[Magic (Level 6): Fire (Flames: 10 mana), Water (Drip: 10 mana), Lightning (Spark: 10 mana), Ice (Frost Touch: 10 mana), Earth (Pebble Toss: 10 mana), Wind (Gust: 10 mana), Universal Healing (Minor Mend: 10 mana), Universal Spatial (Short Blink: 10 mana, high spatial users detect).]
[Skills: Hacking (Level 2, 1/4 uses toward Level 3), Engineering (Level 2, 1/3 uses), Swordplay (Level 5, 1/6 uses toward Level 6), Markmanship (Level 3, 1/5 uses toward Level 4), Forging (Level 1, 0/3 uses), Stealth (Level 4, 0/5 uses toward Level 5), Alchemy (Level 3, 0/4 uses toward Level 4).]
[Inventory (Dimension Pocket): Rat pelts (x30), rat blood (x30), boar tusk, boar hide, impundulu core, sonic essence, pipe (basic weapon), portable alchemy set, canisters (x4), meshes (x4), shuriken, bow, spears, pistols, daggers, tonfa, crossbow, core-forged warhammer (troll core, 0.2 attack boost), orc tusk, dark elf mutagen (Shadow Proficiency, Stealth Agility), lizardman mutagen (Bone Proficiency, Scaly Resilience), orc mutagen (Enhancement Magic, Enhanced Muscle Density), truck keys, currencies (300 daalers, lumen 200, durin 300), supplies (tools, food, tech parts from Grunthar's and other stores).]
The impundulu core held bio-energy for forging, the sonic essence perfect for a debuff potion. His goblin-core short sword (0.05 attack boost when wielded) outshone the bandits' static guns. The depot was his secret hideout, the truck his transportation, but Ray's mind turned to the mutagens. The dark elf mutagen called to him—Shadow Proficiency and Stealth Agility would enhance his sneaky tactics, perfect for a mercenary. He was ready; the system activation would be painful, but one per day was the limit.
Ray entered the warehouse through a side door, the interior dark and musty. He found an unoccupied bedroom, one of ten with a simple cot and locker. Sitting on the cot, he focused on the dark elf mutagen in his HUD. Activate.
A surge of pain tore through him, like shadows clawing at his nerves. His senses sharpened, his body lightening as muscles and nerves rewired for agility, his vision adapting to low light. He gasped, sweat dripping, the world spinning. The Yomi Protocol flashed warnings: System Activation: Dark Elf Mutagen. Shadow Proficiency Unlocked. Stealth Agility Perk Added. Pain Threshold Exceeded.
Ray blacked out, collapsing onto the cot.
The next morning, Ray woke with a start, his body tingling from the transformation. His movements felt smoother, his senses sharper—like he could blend into the shadows. He checked his HUD.
[Level: 6. EXP: 600/800]
[Stats: Strength 6/100, Endurance 6/100, Speed 6/100, Agility 8/100 (Enhanced by Dark Elf Mutagen), HP 110/110 (Full Recovery Overnight), Mana 110/110.]
[Magic (Level 6): Fire (Flames: 10 mana), Water (Drip: 10 mana), Lightning (Spark: 10 mana), Ice (Frost Touch: 10 mana), Earth (Pebble Toss: 10 mana), Wind (Gust: 10 mana), Universal Healing (Minor Mend: 10 mana), Universal Spatial (Short Blink: 10 mana, high spatial users detect), Shadow (Dark Elf Mutagen: Shadow Cloak, 10 mana).]
[Skills: Hacking (Level 2, 1/4 uses toward Level 3), Engineering (Level 2, 1/3 uses), Swordplay (Level 5, 1/6 uses toward Level 6), Markmanship (Level 3, 1/5 uses toward Level 4), Forging (Level 1, 0/3 uses), Stealth (Level 4, 0/5 uses toward Level 5), Alchemy (Level 3, 0/4 uses toward Level 4).]
[Inventory (Dimension Pocket): Rat pelts (x30), rat blood (x30), boar hide, impundulu core, sonic essence, portable alchemy set, canisters (x4), meshes (x4), shuriken, bow, crossbow, lizardman mutagen (Bone Proficiency, Scaly Resilience), orc mutagen (Enhancement Magic, Enhanced Muscle Density), truck keys, currencies (300 daalers, lumen 200, durin 300), metal ingots, copper wiring, rubber grips, silicone components, bio-energy scraps, bone fragments, basic alloys, steel tips, troll core, low-tier goblin cores.]
The Shadow Cloak spell allowed brief invisibility in dim light, costing 10 Mana. The Stealth Agility perk boosted his Agility to 8, making his movements fluid. Ray tested it, slipping through the bedroom's shadows with ease (Stealth: 1/5 uses toward Level 5). He took a shower in one of the warehouse's three bathrooms, the hot water from the core generator a luxury in the wasteland.
Ray approached the main warehouse door, a heavy metal slab with a digital security panel—scavenged pre-portal tech. The panel glowed, locked. He interfaced with it, bypassing the encryption (Hacking: 1/4 uses toward Level 3). The door hissed open, revealing a dimly lit interior. Self-powered lights flickered on, powered by a core generator—rare tech, likely from a mythical monster's core, providing endless power. Hot water pipes lined the walls, supporting a functional plumbing system. The main room was a big living area with scuffed furniture, a kitchen low on supplies but stocked with utensils, three bathrooms with cracked ceramic tiles, and ten bedrooms with cots and lockers. An alchemy lab and workshop stood equipped with cauldrons, vials, forging anvils, and a recycler—a rare, expensive device that disassembled items into base resources (e.g., a wire yielding rubber, copper, silicone). No supplies filled the shelves, but the setup was a goldmine.
[Yomi Protocol: Jackpot, fleshbag. Self-powered hideout with a recycler? Those bandits had taste. Shadow Cloak's gonna make you a ghost, but don't get cocky—portal scars outside could invite trouble. What's next, a nap?]
Ray headed to the workshop, placing the guns, daggers, core-forged warhammer, pipe, tonfa, boar tusk, and spears into the recycler. It whirred, producing metal ingots, copper wiring, rubber grips, silicone components, bio-energy scraps, bone fragments (from the boar tusk), basic alloys (from the pipe, tonfa, spears, guns, daggers), steel tips (from the spears), a troll core (from the warhammer), and low-tier goblin cores (from the guns, daggers, spears, pipe, tonfa, each containing minor bio-energy). The materials piled up, ready for forging or alchemy, with the cores offering potential for crafting new core-forged gear.
He inspected the truck, impressed by its core-powered engine and battery—self-sustaining and efficient, perfect for mercenary work. Ray loaded the stolen supplies—tools, food, tech parts from the raided shops—into the truck and drove to Zyra, passing the demon scanner. In the forge district, he distributed the goods to the shops that had been hit by the bandits, including Grunthar's forge and other merchants' stalls. Each shopkeeper received their stolen tools, food, or tech parts, their gratitude palpable. "You took down eight bandits alone?" Grunthar boomed, slapping Ray's back. "Here's your 200 daalers, plus 100 in tips from all of us for the heroics!" The chamber of commerce buzzed, whispers of Ray's feat spreading through Zyra and catching the attention of the White Claw guild.
Back home, the air was tense. Lila and Torin waited, faces pale. "Ray, we called the authorities," Torin said, voice shaking. "You went outside Zyra's wards—we were worried sick!"
Lila hugged him tightly. "You could have died out there!"
Ray sighed, guilt twisting. "I had to, Mom. For the guild dream. But I'm moving out—it's time. I've got a safe place now, self-powered. I'll visit, but this is my path."
His parents protested, but Ray was firm. He packed, his Dimension Pocket holding his gear. As he left, a figure stepped from the shadows—a mercenary with core-forged armor, a glowing sword at his side.
"You the kid who took the bandit job?" the man asked, eyeing Ray's sword.
Ray nodded, tense.
"Name's Kael from White Claw. The chamber's buzzing about you. This is a recommendation letter—join us. We need talent like yours." He handed Ray a sealed letter.
Ray took it, heart racing. Back at the depot, he sat in the living room, the letter in hand. Guild life was within reach. 24 hours had passed since the dark elf mutagen—the orc mutagen was next, Enhancement Magic and Enhanced Muscle Density for strength. He activated it, pain surging as his muscles densified, body undergoing rough changes. The Yomi Protocol flashed: System Activation: Orc Mutagen. Enhancement Magic Unlocked. Enhanced Muscle Density Perk Added. Pain Threshold Exceeded.
Ray blacked out, collapsing onto the couch.
[Yomi Protocol: Orc power, fleshbag? That muscle boost'll make you a tank, but fainting again? Get a grip. Hope you wake before a portal scar spits a troll at you. Got a hideout, a truck, and a ticket to White Claw. EXP: 600/800. Don't screw it up, or you'll be punished like your old self.]