Chapter One: First Encounter
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My name is Zero, and I was about to learn a harsh lesson about the world beyond my sheltered existence.
The alley reeked of damp concrete and gasoline, a toxic cocktail that burned my nostrils. Neon signs from the nearby shops painted the puddles in electric blues and angry reds, making the wet ground look like an oil slick rainbow.
It was the kind of place you only saw in movies—where bad things happened, and good people had no business being. But here I was, squaring off with someone who could crush me with a single punch.
I could feel his grip on my shoulder, firm and heavy, as if he could already sense the weakness underneath my bravado. He leaned in close, so close that I could smell the metal and leather on him, like a soldier suited for war.
“Little kid lost?” He spoke deep and low. Like thunder rolls far away. Like storm clouds gathering.
His words dripped with scorn. But worse than the mockery—he seemed so sure. So sure I would fail. So sure I would break and run. So sure he'd already won.
I tried to meet his gaze, but his intimidating presence made my heart pound like a war drum. I was just a kid, a normal kid with a normal life, until that fateful day.
But I wasn’t alone. Not really.
[LEVEL 2 // TARGET LOCKED: “Unknown Enemy”]
A translucent display hovered just above the man's shoulder, glowing an ethereal cyan blue, invisible to everyone but me.
It flashed with stats I didn't understand, numbers that looked like they'd been plucked from some online game, dancing like fireflies in my vision. Power levels, defense points, threat assessments—all higher than mine.
But that wasn’t the worst of it.
[Threat Level: HIGH // Success Probability: 17%]
My mouth went dry as sun-bleached bone. The HUD—the Heads-Up Display that had been with me ever since that freak accident last year—never lied. Every time it analyzed an opponent, every stat, every percentage was spot-on, glowing with brutal honesty. And right now, it was telling me that I didn't have a prayer.
I adjusted my worn-out backpack, the straps digging into my shoulders. My raven-dark hair spilled like liquid shadow across my vision, each untamed strand dancing with a mind of its own.
I ran a hand through my messy hair, the strands sticking to my sweaty forehead.
I swept the hair back with one quick move. My eyes flashed beneath. They held a fierce light. Steel-bright and burning.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold his gaze. His eyes were the color of burnished copper, reflecting the neon lights like a predator in the dark.
“Let go,” I said, not sure where the confidence came from. Maybe it was the HUD whispering in my head, reminding me that every time I fought someone stronger, I got better. Stronger. Faster. But I’d never faced someone like him before.
The man grinned, showing a row of teeth that looked more suited to a shark than a human, pearl-white against his olive skin. “Make me.”
Without thinking, I swung my fist, aiming for his ribs. Fast, but sloppy. He caught it with ease, twisting my arm behind my back in one brutal motion.
Pain flared through my shoulder, hot as molten metal. I tried not to scream.
[DAMAGE RECEIVED // AGILITY +0.3]
There it was again. The numbers, pulsing like heartbeats in my vision. Even as he twisted my arm, the HUD ticked upward, registering every painful lesson in glowing numbers.
His grip tightened like a python's coil, and I felt the strain in my muscles, every part of me screaming to tap out, to give up. But the HUD had other plans.
[New Skill Learned: Grapple Resistance]
I didn't grasp the meaning. Not then. Not yet.
But deep inside—something moved.
Like earth before a quake. Like ice about to crack.
Raw power stirred. Wild and strong. Ready to break free.
Gritting my teeth, I focused, letting the HUD guide me. I shifted my weight, twisting my body in the way it suggested, my own muscles moving like gears in a machine.
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And somehow, impossibly, I broke free.
I stumbled back, my arm throbbing, but I was free. The man’s eyes widened, just a fraction, enough to show he hadn’t expected that.
“Lucky break,” he muttered, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s see if you can do it again.”
He lunged, faster than before, his fist barreling toward my face like a missile. The HUD kicked in, slowing everything down. Calculations, predictions, angles—they all flooded my vision, guiding me to dodge just in time. I ducked, feeling the air of his punch skim my ear.
[Evasion Success // AGILITY +0.1]
Every move he made, every counter I somehow managed, the HUD rewarded me. It was like leveling up in real-time, each new skill, each new stat boost a lifeline in the middle of this nightmare. But I could feel myself slowing, my energy draining. This wasn’t a game. This was real, and if I made one mistake, I wouldn’t just lose points—I’d lose everything.
He came at me again, this time a knee aimed for my ribs. I blocked it, barely, feeling the shockwave ripple through my arm. But the HUD buzzed with more notifications, more progress.
[BLOCK SUCCESSFUL // DEFENSE +0.2]
I knew I couldn’t keep this up. He was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. All the HUD boosts in the world wouldn’t save me forever. I needed to end this, fast.
As he came in close for another swing, something in my HUD flashed red—a weakness point, just below his ribs.
It was risky. If I missed, I was done for. But if I landed this…
I planted my foot, pivoted, and drove my fist into his side with everything I had. There was a brief moment where time seemed to freeze, and then I felt the impact. He staggered, his expression twisting from smug confidence to pain and shock.
I couldn’t believe it. I’d landed a real hit.
[CRITICAL HIT // STRENGTH +1 // SUCCESS PROBABILITY UPDATED: 37%]
His hand went to his side, eyes narrowed. “Not bad, kid. But you’ve got a lot to learn.”
He straightened, shaking off the pain like it was nothing, and suddenly I felt the odds tilt back against me.
But something inside me refused to give up. Every time he hit me, every time I dodged, every time I made a move—even if it was imperfect—the HUD gave me more.
More skills. More stats. More power.
I could feel it growing, building, like a furnace inside me waiting to explode.
For a second, I caught a glimpse of myself reflected in his glasses. I didn’t look like a kid anymore. I looked like something else—someone ready to fight back.
The man rolled his shoulders back. His stance changed. He wasn't playing anymore.
[WARNING: Enemy Power Surge Detected]
My HUD flashed bright red. Numbers scrolled past my eyes so fast I could barely read them.
"Time to end this," he said.
He moved like lightning. One second he was ten feet away. The next, his fist filled my vision.
CRACK!
Pain exploded in my jaw. I stumbled back, tasting blood.
[CRITICAL DAMAGE // ENDURANCE +0.5]
I spat red onto the concrete. My head was spinning, but the HUD kept working. It showed me things I hadn't seen before:
- His left knee was weak
- His right side was open after each punch
- His breathing was getting heavier
[New Skill Unlocked: Combat Analysis]
"Stay down," he warned.
But I couldn't. Not now. The HUD was teaching me, changing me. Each hit made me stronger.
I pushed myself up. My legs shook, but I stood tall.
"Your choice," he growled.
He charged again. This time, I was ready.
I saw his punch coming in slow motion. The HUD mapped out his movement like a glowing trail in the air.
Duck. Weave. Counter.
BAM! My fist danced with his ribs in a peppy hello.
WHACK! A quick visit to his knee joined the party.
POW! My knuckles bounced off his jaw like the grand finale.
[COMBO x3 // SPEED +0.8]
Sweet as a triple scoop ice cream cone. Smooth as jazz. My moves flowed like a perfectly choreographed dance number, and boy, did I stick the landing!
"Perfect Combo!"
He staggered back. For the first time, I saw surprise in his eyes.
"What are you?" he asked.
I didn't answer. I couldn't explain the HUD, or how it was changing me. How each fight made me more than human.
[Level Up! // All Stats +1]
Energy surged through my body. My hands glowed with a faint blue light that only I could see.
The man saw something in my eyes that made him pause. He stepped back, hands raised.
"We're done here," he said.
[Mission Complete // Experience Gained: 500]
He turned and walked away, limping slightly. I watched him go, my heart pounding.
The HUD flashed one last message:
[Tutorial Complete // Real Training Begins Now]
I leaned against the wall, catching my breath. The cuts and bruises hurt, but I felt stronger. Different.
This was just my first real fight. The HUD was preparing me for something bigger.
Much bigger.
As I walked home in the dark, new messages kept appearing:
[New Quest Available]
[Unknown Threats Detected in City]
[More Training Required]
I smiled, despite the pain. Whatever was coming, I'd be ready.
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