We stand before hellish looking creatures, despite that... We had the biggest grins on our faces. "LET'S GET TO HUNTING!" I yell as I rush forward first.
Usato fallows along as I sprint as fast as I can towards the beasts with a random pole I found in the storage closet of the building.
I block a monster's first lunge just barely and twist around to stab it in the eye.
It lets out a guy wrenching screech, but I keep stabbing until it completely stops moving and move on to the other ones.
We eventually finish them all off, albeit with some scrapes and minor injuries.
"You all good, Usato?" I ask him as a plop down on the ground
"Yeah, that was pretty rough on my gamer knees though..." He says with a chuckle plopping down next to me.
"My panel has a new notification apparently?" I say as I click the notification prompt.
"What does it say?" He leans closer.
"I got a new title?" I click equip on the title "First blood."
I tilt my head as I click on the title
'Not yet accessable' flashes on the screen.
"UGH!" I throw my hands up in exasperation
Usato falls back "Wow. That was the most anticlimactic thing I've seen." He says as he stands and helps me up.
"In any case we should head back to the main area, time limit's almost up." I say as I stretch "We might find some useful people their, considering they even lasted this long."
"Let's head out then." He says and grabs his 'weapon' and starts walking with me.
***
When we arrive back at the main area, the intersection to see a load of about one-hundred people. The first person to catch my eye is...
"Rin Takanaka!?"
She slowly walks over, an angry look on her face. "I don't go by that name anymore."
"Then what do I call you...?" I ask while glancing at Usato who is suddenly interested in the ground.
"Don't address me at all, we're not even close enough to even be talking." She says while poking a finger at my chest.
"Damn, just as cold as ever..." I say while stepping back. "Just don't think I'm the same kinda guy you can push around. We're not in highschool, this is real life." I look at her with more confidence in my eyes than I've ever had in my eyes before. "I won't tolerate any disrespect. I will be the ruler of this new world."
She scoffs and flips her hair as she turns around "Don't think you can talk to me just any way you want now. I'll be aiming to be the ruler of this world as well. And if I have to step on the ridiculously ugly face of yours as I do so, I will."
I turn to Usato. "Am I really that ugly?!" I grab his shoulders. "I knew I wasn't a ten out of ten, but am I ugly?!"
He averts his gaze. "Well, you're "good-looking..."
"Don't lie to me! Give it to me straight!" I say as I tighten my grip.
"Well, uh... You're not really much to look at..." He says reluctantly.
"But I could still pick up a girlfriend eventually right?! Right?!"
He remains silent while placing a hand on my shoulder with a condescending look on his face.
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"
Suddenly a loud timer goes of and everyone's panels start flashing. The being now descends again, opening up another crack in the sky, wearing a snazzy suit. "Wow, look at how many insects are gone now..." He says with mock sadness. "Who killed the first monster?"
The being fully comes down, yet hovers slightly above the ground.
I step forward amoung the crowd as I hear murmers as whispers behind me. "It was me. I got some 'title' called 'First Blood'."
He claps and calls out to me "excellent. Come here, please."
I reluctantly step forward.
"Did you equip the title?" He asks as I start walking.
I reply "Yes, I did, sir..."
He chuckles slightly "please call me by my name. Call me 'Zin' for now."
I stop just before him. "Well, what are you planning to do-?"
He flicks my forehead causing me to fly all the way back to the crowd. "You came too close. My bad." He chuckles condescendingly. "I gave you an ability, I don't know which one though. It was supposed to be 'C-grade' but if it's anything higher it'll entertain them regardless." He quickly retracts back into to crack and it closes up. "Thank me later."
I clutch my head, my head is filled with excruciating pain, I would rather be dead right now. "AUGHHHHH!!!"
Usato comes over to aide me. Nobody else in the crowd helps.
***
After about three minutes I stand back up, feeling better. "What the hell did he even do to me...?"
Usato helps me. "He said something about giving you an 'ability'?"
"Thanks for you help." I release him. "I think we have other problems to deal with right now..."
Everyone's panels glow with a new objective. ['decent into the station': difficulty-D]
[Clear Condition: defeat all the monsters in the train station.]
[Reward: fifty coins per participant]
[Time limit: -]
"WOAH FIFTY COINS!?" Usato starts running around. "We're gonna be rich, man!"
"It's only fifty coins... Let's just go with the other's, they look like they're planning something." I say as I start walking over to where the group is.
"Let's gather weapons and just get this over with." I hear someone suggest.
"No, only the strongest should go!" I hear some man say.
Suddenly an authoritive voice cuts everyone off. "I have a plan! If you're all willing to listen... We will complete thisto together."
Rin suddenly steps into the middle of the crowd and everyone shuts up and backs away to give her space.
"We won't be going in all together, taking it all on from one side. We'll split into groups, this station has about ten different entrances. The area of this station is about 1.61 kilometers. That's one and a half miles. And guessing from the size of the monsters we fought earlier, we'll have to deal with over one thousand monsters in this station. If we were to take it on all at once from one entrance..." "All the monsters would either hoddle up and jump us, or some would go out and into other entrances to trap us in. We would be doomed that way. We'll be pairing.
Twenty people will stay back and guard the ten entrances. Everyone else gets into pairs of seven or eight. We'll need twenty people to stay back."
Rin suddenly points at me and Usato
"You two!"
We look up "huh? Us?"
"Yes you two, idiot. We'll be a trio and take on the third entrance. Trust me, 'Machine gun' and 'Deliverer of Death'. I have an odd feeling about the third entrance."
I glance at Usato and back at Rin.
We both say in unison "Fine."
I sigh "Don't end up killing us with this stupid plan of yours though."
***
The next day, we stand before the third entrance.
"Everything all sorted out"? I ask Rin.
"I'm leading this charge, do you think I'd half-ass it?"
I sigh and pull a sword out of the air using my new ability. "Just asking."
Usato's mouth drops "WOAH, DUDE! Is that your new ability? When'd you learn to use it!?" He stares at the sword.
"I'll explain later. What weapon do you prefer?"
Usato practically bounces on his toes. "AN AXE!"
I create an axe for him. "Please be responsible... Even though that's me asking a lot from you."
Usato nods and checks out his axe. While Rin pretends not to be interested.
"Rin."
She looks up "Hm?"
"What weapon do you want."
She looks genuinely shocked as she replies "Uhm, a spear..."
I create one and toss it to her. "Don't think this makes us any closer or anything, it's just that I don't feel like watching you die right now. You have a lot of potential."
She catches it and mumbles a 'thank you'.
"Get excited. This is the time to gain strength and grow to the level of that 'Zin' guy."
We start our descent into the station, a look of determination on our faces.