Actually, Lancer had always been curious about this "system" that appeared out of nowhere. There'd been no beginner's gift pack, no beginner's quest, not even a user manual. Until now, he'd thought the system's only purpose was to digitize his skills and attributes, giving him a clearer understanding of his own abilities. Today, however, he realized he'd been wrong.
[Beginner Mission]:
FIRST BATTLE
[Mission Objective]:
REPEL OR KILL YOUR ATTACKER
[Mission Rewards]:
SKILL PROFICIENCY +50% (REPEL)
RANDOM SKILL x1 (KILL)
The sudden voice echoing in his head made Lancer freeze momentarily. Previously, whether checking equipment or his own attributes, he'd always relied on his phone. Yet this unexpected voice appeared directly in his mind, exactly like when he'd first entered this world. Aside from the strange thought that "the system wasn't silent, it simply never had a reason to speak before," his first instinct was clear—danger.
Without hesitation, he pressed his fingerprint against the suitcase lock. With a sharp click, the crimson spear concealed inside returned instantly to its full length in his grasp, and he immediately thrust it backwards.
Shrrk—!
With a strange tearing sound, Lancer turned, instantly confirming his attacker's identity.
Red Kakugan, Rinkaku Kagune writhing from his waist like tentacles—without doubt, his attacker was a Ghoul.
[Dash]
Just as he'd practiced in the training camp: feet pressed hard against the ground, body leaned forward, all his strength concentrated at the tip of the spear—
Puchi—!
The Ghoul, who'd intended to ambush Lancer but ended up ambushed himself, had his Rinkaku pierced instantly by the Quinque. But this was far from over.
"Haa—!"
With a low shout, the muscles of Lancer's arms visibly swelled. The Ghoul, impaled through the abdomen by the spear, was violently hurled into the air.
[Triple Thrust]
Lancer's original plan had clearly been to finish off his enemy in midair with a Charged Strike while the Ghoul had nowhere to brace himself. Yet the injured Ghoul made a move impossible for ordinary humans—two Rinkaku tendrils plunged into the nearby wall, not entirely halting his fall but causing Lancer's spear, aimed straight at his heart, to shift off-target.
Three grisly wounds appeared instead on the Ghoul's right shoulder, lung, and upper arm. Yet Lancer made no further move, silently leveling his spear again in an attacking stance.
Perhaps even Lancer himself didn't realize that, in the past, let alone seeing a blood-drenched existence like the Ghoul before him, he wouldn't even have dared to watch a chicken being slaughtered. Yet now he stared directly into the enemy's eyes, emotionless as if devoid of feeling—
No! It wasn't that he'd lost feeling; rather, his entire spirit had completely entered into battle. Right now, nothing existed for him beyond combat.
Lancer's icy stare brought fear into the Ghoul's heart. Initially, the Ghoul had spotted a young "Dove" wandering carelessly into his feeding ground, believing the rookie would be easy prey—but instead, he'd encountered a tough opponent.
Run!
Once that thought arose in his mind, it could no longer be suppressed.
The Rinkaku at his waist lashed out to distract Lancer, while the Ghoul himself swiftly turned to flee.
Yet even in flight, he maintained his cunning. The Rinkaku didn't strike at Lancer but embedded into the wall, allowing him to rapidly climb upwards.
"You think you can run?"
Indeed, Lancer had no skills for attacking airborne enemies—but that didn't mean he had no options at all.
Stepping forward with his right foot, he bent his body slightly and threw the spear like a meteor hurtling upward.
Puchi—!
With a heavy impact, the crimson spear nailed firmly into the wall, pinning the fleeing Ghoul in place. The kagune that had previously glowed eerily now hung limply by his sides.
Even a Ghoul, with all its abnormal vitality, couldn't survive being skewered through the heart.
Yet just as Lancer was about to relax, he realized something unsettling. The Ghoul nailed to the wall had definitely become a corpse, yet the quest hadn't marked as completed.
Wait—could it mean there was another Ghoul present?
His expression briefly betrayed nervousness but quickly smoothed over. Regardless, since this new enemy hadn't ambushed him while he fought the first Ghoul, it probably meant they weren't confident they could kill him outright. Thus, the most important thing now was to remain calm—he absolutely couldn't show weakness until retrieving his weapon.
Tap— Tap—
Lancer's footsteps through the dim alley remained perfectly steady, neither hurried nor heavy, further disturbing the hidden Ghoul.
This hunting ground didn't belong exclusively to the Ghoul he'd killed—nor to the one hiding now. Rather, it was jointly controlled by multiple weaker Ghouls; powerful Ghouls could control territory alone, while weaker ones had no choice but to cooperate. Looking at his dead partner's corpse, the hidden Ghoul hesitated.
They'd known each other nearly a year, getting along reasonably well, yet that young Investigator of unknown depth had killed his similarly strong partner within mere seconds. Even unarmed, the Ghoul didn't dare attack rashly—if Lancer had another hidden trump card, he'd likely end up exactly like his partner.
Should he gamble on killing the Dove here, or play it safe and retreat?
Remembering his previous miserable days, constantly fleeing the Doves, the Ghoul gritted his teeth. To hell with it! Without this territory, he'd likely starve to death; attacking random humans would inevitably put him on the CCG's wanted list. Better to finish off this Dove. If done cleanly, perhaps he could continue living here unnoticed.
Almost simultaneously with his decision, his eyes turned crimson, and his kagune enveloped his right fist.
At nearly the same instant, a deep sense of foreboding surged in Lancer's mind.
BOOM!!
Fragments of stone flew as Lancer desperately lunged forward. Without even a glance back, he sprang to his feet, sprinting towards the wall where his Quinque was lodged.
Seeing Lancer's panicked response, the Ghoul's expression twisted into a wild grin of excitement—he'd bet correctly!
On the rooftop, Amon Koutarou grasped his suitcase tightly. Clearly, from his perspective, Lancer, now weaponless and facing the highly defensive koukaku kagune, stood no chance. But just as he moved, Mado Kureo calmly stretched out his arm to stop him.
"Wait, Amon!"
"Mado-san!!"
The normally obedient Amon rarely raised his voice, yet Mado shook his head firmly.
"Amon! As an Investigator, you must never let emotion cloud your judgment. Watch Lancer's movements carefully. Perhaps he didn't anticipate a second Ghoul when he threw his Quinque earlier—but notice how he reacted when attacked; he dodged beforehand. Without doubt, after losing his weapon, he'd already sensed another attacker. Though he's fleeing now, his movements aren't aimless…"
Following Mado's gaze, Amon found what Mado had seen—but his worried expression remained unchanged.