Chapter 13 - First Blood
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Lucas Kun
Level 9
Class: None
Title: Forerunner
VIT - 16
POW - 8
AGI - 10
INT - 20
WIL - 11
Free Points: 0
Talent: Avid Reader.
Skill:
Knowledge - Lv 4
Combat Fundamentals - Lv 3
Matrix Simulation - Lv 1
Analysis - Lv 1
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Analysis
Rank: Uncommon
Active
Accelerates cognitive processing, allowing for the dissection of accumulated information with precision.
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Desert Falcon
Rank: Common
A handgun designed by Magnus Military Industries, featuring a gas-operated ejection and chambering system designed to accommodate high-power cartridges.
Special Effect(s):
Backfire - Due to its design, the weapon's significant recoil demands a minimum VIT or POW level to handle effectively.
Blasting - Each successful attack will deal additional damage when the target is within effective range.
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Kosch AL-200
Rank: Common
An assault rifle designed by AvaLite Machinery, renowned for its streamlined design and versatility. Its rapid-fire capability cements its reputation as one of the top assault rifles in the market.
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Equipped in a new tactical outfit chosen by Chloe, Lucas felt surprisingly fashionable. Two
Chloe and Samantha sported similarly designed tactical outfits and were each armed with two
Lucas took the liberty of adding a few accessories to their firearms, enhancing their overall effectiveness.
“Wow, I feel like a special forces agent,” Chloe giggled, marveling at her new look.
Samantha seemed equally impressed. Both girls stood in front of the full-length mirror inside the changing room, admiring their transformed appearances.
Meanwhile, Lucas was busy gathering essential supplies for their firearms such as bullets, gun oil, and a few firearm-related books. Glancing over at the girls as they admired themselves in the mirror, he shook his head with a small smile and muttered, “Girls.”
All of a sudden, Lucas sensed some commotion outside. He quickly gestured for the girls to take cover as he slowly approached the entrance.
Peering out cautiously, he saw four adult males surrounding the blue car they had driven through the town. Each of them was armed with a machete.
“Wow, boss! This car looks nice!” One of the men, a skinny one, chuckled as he ran his fingers over the car's surface.
Another man, muscular and broad-shouldered, laughed while patting the car, “Looks like a 2009 Hondo City.”
“That old?” an average-built man exclaimed in surprise
“Alright, that's enough. We're here to raid the gun store. And it seems like someone is already here,” the bearded man said, his tone serious.
The skinny man cackled, glancing at the others. “Probably just some kids from the nearby university. They're worthless, Boss.”
The boss gave a curt nod. “Just be careful.”
Slowly, the group of four approached the entrance.
Retreating, Lucas immediately gestured for the girls to come closer. “Four men, all armed.”
“Are we going to beat them?” Samantha asked with a smile, cracking her knuckles.
But before Lucas could respond, the door was suddenly thrown open, and a voice cut through the air, “See, boss! Told you it’s just a bunch of kids!” The skinny man smirked as he spoke.
“Let’s just get rid of them,” the muscular man said, cracking his neck.
The bearded man, clearly the leader, narrowed his eyes. “Kids. Where are you from?”
Seeing the intruders burst in, Chloe and Samantha instinctively placed their hands on their weapons, ready to draw them at a moment's notice.
Cackling maniacally, the skinny man sneered, “Well, well, there’s girls too! Hey, ditch that boy and come with us! We big men can make sure you’re safe if you can satisfy our little urge.”
“Duncan!” the boss snapped, glaring at the skinny man. “I apologize for my companion’s behavior.”
Duncan immediately fell silent, but his eyes continued to leer at the girls, a perverse grin spreading across his face. The others in the group simply smiled in agreement, clearly enjoying the scene.
Veins were starting to pop on Samantha’s forehead as she suppressed the urge to retaliate. Her fists clenched, and it was clear she was ready to give them a brutal lesson.
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“I understand,” Lucas said suddenly, his voice calm. “In a situation like this, I’m sure everyone’s feeling stressed and wants to relieve that pent-up frustration.”
The boss nodded, his tone softening. “Thank you for your understanding. So, where are yo-”
Before he could finish, Lucas interjected coldly, “So, I’ll give you a chance. If you break his kneecaps, I’ll let each of you go free.”
“Hah?! What are y- ARHH!” The skinny man didn’t even get to finish his sentence before a sharp, searing pain drilled through his thigh.
Lucas, his eyes locked onto the skinny man, pulled out his
“The heck?!” The gunshot echoed through the air, catching everyone off guard. Despite the shock, the other men quickly unsheathed their machetes.
Chloe and Samantha, unfazed, had already drawn their guns, aiming steadily at the men.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” the leader bellowed at Lucas, fury flashing in his eyes as he gripped his machete tighter.
With the gun still in his hand, Lucas stared back coldly. “Your friend insulted mine. I’m simply returning the favor. Now, are you going to consider my request?”
Staring at the ruthless young man before him, the bearded leader realized his “friend” had just dug them all into a deep hole. If things went south, they were all in serious trouble.
But before he could act, the muscular man let out a roar and charged straight at Samantha. “DIE!”
Glaring coldly at the incoming man, Samantha smirked, effortlessly sidestepping his attack. In a swift motion, she delivered a punch to his gut, followed by an uppercut to his jaw.
In the blink of an eye, the muscular man was sent crashing into one of the racks, unconscious.
“Ivan!” the average-sized man yelped, rushing to help his fallen comrade. But a bullet slammed into the floor just in front of him, freezing him in his tracks.
Lucas's gaze never wavered as he locked eyes with the bearded man. “I dislike unnecessary killing,” he began coldly, “but meeting you, Josh Rubarth, Ivan Hovicks, Chase Grayson, and Duncan Chrisley, wasn’t something I expected. Especially you, Duncan. Allegedly, you’ve got quite a history with sexual crimes, among other things.”
Hearing the young man’s words, Josh Rubarth’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Their gang had fled the capital city to this quiet, outskirt town to lie low. However, everything changed when the Nexus system turned their world upside down.
At first, the situation didn’t seem so dire. If anything, it was an opportunity. They had grown stronger by hunting those green-skinned midgets, using their newfound power to dominate the area around them before expanding outward.
But now, their luck had taken a sharp turn. It felt as if they’d kicked a steel wall instead of another pushover.
Chloe’s eyes widened in shock. “Lucas, don’t tell me… Is he that Duncan?”
Lucas gave a firm nod. “Yes, that Duncan. The serial murderer.”
Rage surged through Chloe as the weight of his crimes hit her. Her hands tightened around her gun, and she raised it, aiming directly at Duncan. Her finger hovered over the trigger, trembling with fury. She could feel the devil on her shoulder, whispering temptations in her ear.
She glanced at Lucas, her eyes silently pleading for direction. “What should I do?” her expression seemed to ask.
Seeing Chloe’s hesitation, Lucas gave a cold, emotionless nod. “They don’t deserve to live. They’re nothing but scum, even in this world.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Please, boy! I mean, sir!” Josh suddenly yelled, panic in his voice. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drew his machete and swung it down, hacking into Duncan’s leg.
A blood-curdling scream tore through the room as Duncan writhed in agony. “ARRGGHHH!”
Grayson, the average-built man, froze in shock. “Boss! What are you doing?!” But his voice faltered when Josh turned to glare at him, his bloodshot eyes filled with desperation and rage.
“K-kid! I mean, s-sir! I did what you asked! Can you let us go now?” His voice trembled under the weight of Lucas’s cold, unflinching gaze.
Lucas tilted his head slightly, his tone devoid of emotion. “Hmm, your friend insulted my companions, tried to assault them, and has a history of deeply hurting people, one of whom is someone I care about. And let’s not forget, I asked you to break his kneecap, not hack it off.”
He took a step forward, his gun still trained on the group. “One debt has been paid with a bullet to the thigh. But there are still three more debts left. Tell me, Mr. Josh Rubarth, how do you plan to pay?”
Lying on the ground with a punctured thigh, Duncan screamed, “I’ll shred you all and feed you to the dogs! You moth-ARRGGGHH!”
Duncan squirmed in agony again as another smoking hole appeared in his other thigh. This time, Chloe was the one holding the gun. “You better shut up,” she growled, glaring at him.
Hearing her voice, Duncan shuddered in fear and immediately clamped his mouth shut, though he couldn’t stop moaning from the searing pain.
Witnessing all this, Grayson bolted toward the exit in a blind panic. But Samantha was quicker. She darted behind him, grabbing his head and slamming it forcefully into the ground. “Lucas, let’s kill these scumbags,” Samantha said, her voice unnervingly calm, though anger simmered just beneath the surface.
Lucas could tell Chloe and Samantha were both furious, so much so that they had cast aside society's rules on murder. And he understood why.
His gaze drifted toward Chloe, who stood silently, her expression cold and resolute. “Chloe,” he called softly, giving her a nod of approval.
Without hesitation, Chloe’s eyes hardened. She drew her gun, cocking it with a sharp click, and leveled it at Duncan. Duncan’s eyes widened at the sight of the barrel, and he hastily shook his head in desperation.
Josh’s body trembled with fury as he realized the youngsters before him were dead set on killing them.
“Do you think I’ll go down without a fi- ARGH!” His defiant yell turned into a howl of pain as a bullet from Lucas struck his leg, forcing him onto his knees.
As Josh looked up, he saw the barrel of Lucas's gun pressing against his forehead. His body trembled as every cell screamed at him to run. But he knew any sudden movement would mean his death, and he wasn’t ready for that.
“L-l-look, let's talk like a civilized person, yeah?” Josh stammered, his voice shaking as he stared at the gun.
Snickering, Lucas tilted his chin toward Chloe. “Does she look civilized to you?”
Chloe's eyes burned with rage as she pressed the hot barrel of her gun against Duncan's sweat-slick cheek. Sensing Josh’s gaze, she glared at him, making him shiver.
All of a sudden, Grayson roared as veins bulged across his skinny frame. He shoved Samantha away with surprising strength.
In an instant, Josh drew his sword, slashing at Lucas’s gun. Though the pain in his leg burned fiercely, he gritted his teeth and fought through it. “Ughh!” Josh groaned before he could do anything else.
Lucas’s second
“Who gave you the guts to fight me?!” Samantha snapped as she darted toward Grayson, locking his neck in a tight hold. “Hah?! You bastards hurt my sister!”
Her arms tightened around Grayson’s neck as her eyes reddened with fury. Grayson clawed at her arms, gasping for air, but his movements grew weaker until his arms finally fell limp.
Meanwhile, Chloe had already stuffed her pistol’s barrel into Duncan's mouth. He whimpered, tears streaking down his face as he struggled to breathe.
“Duncan Chrisley,” Chloe's tone was flat but the rage underneath was evident.. “I’ll ask you this, so you better cooperate.”
Duncan frantically nodded, the barrel still jammed into his mouth.
“Do you remember a man you once murdered? Around forty years old? In New Joroh? During one of your bank heists, when you fired a shot at an innocent bystander?” Chloe pressed the gun deeper into his mouth as she glared at the cowering man.
Duncan choked, but in desperation to save his life, he shook his head furiously in denial.
Chloe nodded coldly. “I see. You don’t remember. Let me remind you. September 25th, 2023. A group of four robbed the Junebank in New Joroh. Fifteen injured and one dead. One of the robbers opened the bank’s gate and fired, supposedly as a warning shot. But instead of aiming at the sky, they shot a bystander.”
Duncan’s eyes widened in fear as if a memory had resurfaced.
“Looks like you do remember,” Chloe sneered. “The one who died was Connor Helens. My father. He died without knowing why. He died healthy, without any reason, and as a father of three children.”
Her voice grew colder. “Duncan Chrisley, I am the eldest of the three children.”
Before Duncan could respond, Chloe pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through his esophagus and pierced his lung.
Duncan clawed at his chest, desperate for air, but his efforts were futile. Slowly, agonizingly, life ebbed from his body as he suffocated.
Lucas and Samantha had been silent witnesses to everything.
As the deed was done, Chloe fell to her knees, her pistol clattering to the ground. Tears streamed down her face in torrents, her shoulders shaking as grief consumed her.
Seeing Chloe’s fragile state, Lucas felt a pang of anguish twist his heart. Without hesitation, he approached her and wrapped her in a gentle hug, offering his shoulder as a haven for her grief.
Samantha, unable to hold back her own emotions, let a few tears slip as well. She understood all too well the weight Chloe carried, especially the pain tied to the memory of her late father.