The neutron blaster felt heavy in his hands, its weight still unfamiliar, as Bobby raced down the stairs. He paused at the bottom of the stairwell, straining his ears for any sign of the raider.
Silence.
A faint tingle at the base of his skull made Bobby duck. A split second later, a bullet whizzed past where his head had been, embedding itself into the wall with a dull thud.
"Fuck!" Bobby hissed, diving behind a fallen chunk of concrete. More bullets peppered his cover, sending chips of stone flying. He needed to move, to find a better position.
As he prepared to dash to yet another spot, a strange feeling washed over him. It was as if time slowed for a moment, and he could sense the raider's next move. Without questioning the impulse, Bobby rolled to his left.
Scrambling to his feet, Bobby glimpsed movement in his peripheral vision. He swung the neutron blaster around, squeezing off a quick shot. The energy bolt missed its mark but forced the raider back into cover.
Bobby's momentary advantage was short-lived. A searing pain erupted in his side as a bullet found its mark, slipping past his armour. He stumbled, gasping at the sudden agony. But even as he fell, he realised it could have been much worse. The shot had only grazed him, his luck holding out once again.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Bobby rolled behind a fallen support beam. Blood seeped from the wound, but it wasn't deep. He'd live, as long as he could end this fight quickly.
Knowing that recklessness might be his only way out of this mess. He pressed and held the trigger of his neutron blaster, feeling the weapon vibrate as it accumulated a massive charge.
With a deep breath, he sprang from behind the fallen support beam. Bobby zigzagged across the debris-strewn floor, his movements erratic and unpredictable. The raider, surprised by this sudden aggression, opened fire.
Bullets whizzed past Bobby's ears, missing him by mere inches. One grazed his shoulder, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins dulled the pain. He could feel the neutron blaster growing hot in his hands, the charge reaching its peak.
As he closed the distance, Bobby caught sight of the raider's wide-eyed expression. In that moment, he knew he had the upper hand. With a primal yell, Bobby unleashed the stored blast.
The neutron blaster kicked back as it discharged a massive surge of energy. The beam tore through the air, striking the raider's cover with devastating force. Concrete and metal exploded outward in a shower of debris.
The raider, caught in the blast radius, was lifted off his feet and hurled backward. His body slammed against the far wall with a sickening thud before crumpling to the ground.
Silence fell, broken only by the sound of settling debris and Bobby's heavy breathing. He stood there, the smoking neutron blaster still clutched in his trembling hands, as the reality of what he'd just done sank in.
"That was fucking cool," he whispered.
Checking his battle log, he looked up in surprise to where the raider lay unmoving. He had gained no exp points for the kill, which meant the raider was still alive. Gripping his blaster, Bobby stalked over to the fallen enemy, taking a wide approach in case the raider was playing possum.
As he drew closer, he noticed a slight movement from the seemingly unconscious figure. A tingling sensation made him pause, his instincts screaming danger.
In that split second of hesitation, the raider's hand shot out, revealing a small device. Bobby's eyes widened as he recognised the unmistakable shape of a grenade. Time seemed to slow as the raider's thumb moved towards the pin.
Without conscious thought, Bobby's body reacted. He moved to the side. As he did so, he felt an inexplicable surge of energy course through him. The world around him sharpened, every detail coming into crystal-clear focus.
The grenade arced through the air, its trajectory burning itself into Bobby's mind. In that moment, Bobby's heightened senses mapped out the grenade's trajectory with uncanny precision. He knew where it would land, as if its path were illuminated in his mind. Without hesitation, his hand shot out, fingers splayed, snatching the explosive device mid-flight. The cold metal surface pressed against his palm, a stark reminder of the danger he held. With a fluid motion born of instinct and desperation, he pivoted and hurled it back towards the raider. The grenade spun through the air, a deadly boomerang returning to its sender.
The explosion sent debris flying in all directions. Bobby covered his face with his forearm, expecting shrapnel to cut him to shreds. But to his surprise, he felt the heat wash over him, but very little else. Somehow, he remained unscathed. As the dust settled, he peered at the gruesome scene, his stomach churning at the sight before him.
The raider lay motionless, or what was left of him did. The force of the blast had torn him apart, leaving a nightmarish scene of destruction. Where once a man had stood, now lay a steaming, wet jigsaw puzzle of flesh and bone. The raider's lower half remained where he had fallen, a twisted mass of shredded fabric and mangled limbs. His torso, however, had been violently separated, thrown several meters away by the explosive force.
Bobby's eyes traced the grisly trail of blood and viscera that marked the path of the raider's upper body. He found it slumped against a far wall, barely recognisable as human. The man's face was a ruined mask, features obliterated by the blast. One arm was missing, while the other hung by a few strands of sinew, fingers still twitching in a grotesque parody of life.
This is too much damage for one grenade. He thought, before remembering it was likely to have been system enhanced.
Bits of bone and unidentifiable organic matter scattered like confetti, painting the ground around the raider in a horrific abstract of crimson and darker hues. The smell of burnt flesh and explosives hung heavy in the air, making Bobby gag.
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Breathing heavily, Bobby leaned against a nearby wall, the adrenaline slowly ebbing from his system. He marvelled at what had just transpired, the impossible feats he had performed. It was as if the universe itself had bent to his will, granting him the perfect combination of luck and skill to survive. But then it had shown the harsh and bloody reality of what awaited the loser in the ever present race of life that was the new regime under the system.
Bobby didn't feel like going through the man's pockets and looting him for his valuables. The thought of rifling through a dead man's belongings turned his stomach. He stared at the lifeless body, a wave of guilt washing over him. Bobby swallowed hard, trying to push down the bile rising in his throat.
As the adrenaline faded, Bobby noticed the pain in his side where the bullet had grazed him. He pressed a hand against the wound, wincing at the sharp sting. It wasn't deep, but it needed attention.
Rem, Bobby said, I don't think I like this new world.
Bobby sighed, his gaze still fixed on the lifeless body before him. How am I supposed to just... accept all this? I mean, it feels different killing humans.
A flicker of anger sparked in Bobby's chest. Harden my resolve? I just killed two men, Rem. How much harder do I need to be?
Rem replied, his words measured.
Bobby closed his eyes, letting Rem's words sink in. When he opened them again, his jaw was set with determination. "I don't want to lose myself in all this, Rem." he said out loud. The words felt better coming from his mouth then being echoed silently in his mind, where he trusted Rem to hear. "But I… I suppose you're right. I can't just wait for things to get better. They won't, will they?"
"Yeah, ok. Well, I think I've had enough of testing out these skills. Maybe I should head back and get patched up."
Bobby nodded, realising the dwarf had a point. He took a deep breath, centring himself, and focused on his internal interface. With a thought, he called up his status screen, the translucent display materialising before his eyes.
As the familiar blue glow of the screen washed over him, Bobby felt a moment of disconnect. It was surreal, standing amidst the carnage of battle while reviewing his stats like some video game character. Yet this was his reality now, a bizarre fusion of life-and-death struggle and RPG mechanics.
Status Screen Name Robert "Bobby" Jones Race Human Age 29 Level 6 Class Undefined Title None Exp 2226/2326 Skill points left 0 Effects Lucky Seven - open for more details. Poisoned - Total Health Reduced
A toxic poison is corroding your health. Total health is steadily declining. Antidotes or healing skills are needed to counteract the poison. Burned - Your hands are still burnt from the hot pipe. Beware of infection. Total health reduced. Mana Burn - mana is painful to use, close to burnout. Mana regen extremely slow. Health 90/150 Health Regen Slow Stamina 66/125 Stamina Regen Moderate Mana 10/25 Mana Regen Slow Attributes Strength 8 Perception 5 Constitution 7 Intelligence 6 Agility 8 Willpower 9 Charisma 4 Luck 6*
"I know."
"I know."
"Fuck sake, Rem."
Bobby trudged away from the unlooted body of the raider, his jaw clenched tight. The thought of looting dead man left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he had no desire to return to the first raider he'd taken down, either. His mood darkened with each step, a simmering anger building in his chest. He scanned the area, hoping to spot one oversized rat he could unleash his frustration on before heading back to Mic.
As the minutes ticked by with no sign of vermin, Bobby's shoulders slumped in resignation. He made his way back to where he'd left his hover bike, the sleek machine a stark contrast to the desolate surroundings. With practiced ease, he clamped his weapon to his back, the system technology holding it to his back. The weapon gave a satisfying click as the mag-clamped locked on.
Bobby swung his leg over the seat, the familiar hum of the engine vibrating through him as he fired it up. He cast one last glance at the scene of carnage behind him, then gunned the throttle. The hover bike surged forward, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris as Bobby sped away, leaving the grim reminders of survival in this harsh new world behind him.