I watched as the group began to leave and started thinking of my escape route—when I suddenly heard a noise behind me.

I barely had time to react before a meaty arm wrapped around my neck. Shit!

"Oi, guys! I got a low-ranked peeper over here!" The guy holding me shouted, tightening his grip. I struggled, trying to free myself from his grasp. No luck.

The storm clouds above us brewed, and rain began to fall from the sky.

The leader and the rest of the group approached, their faces twisted into mocking grins. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The leader sneered, taking a step closer. “Looks like we’ve got a grey Player sneakin’ around like a rat waiting to get some scraps.”

Grey Player…I remember Aubrey telling me about the term ‘grey mobs’. When the mob was too low-ranked compared to the Player, their name was displayed in a grey color which meant that I wouldn’t be getting any experience points from killing them. A grey Player was probably something similar to that. Fuck…

"How long you been watchin', huh? You friends with those losers we took out?" the leader asked.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my ears. "I—I just saw you guys, I swear. I'm not friends with them." I stammered, my voice strained from the lack of oxygen. "I've only been here in Nexus for a few days."

The leader chuckled, shaking his head. "You're a terrible liar, but I don't care. It's not like you're a threat."

The scarred woman stepped forward, eyeing me up and down. She caught sight of my epic-grade adaptive camouflage cloak, and her eyes lit up with greed.

"Nice cloak," she said, grabbing the material and yanking it off my back. I winced as the sudden rush of cold air hit my skin.

The burly guy with the mohawk cracked his knuckles, sizing me up. "Boss, how 'bout we have some fun with this one? I'll teach him a lesson."

The leader grinned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You know what? I like that idea. How about this, kid? You manage to survive for five minutes against my buddy here, and we'll let you go. Sound fair?"

I didn't have much of a choice. "Fine," I said through gritted teeth, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I'll do it."

The leader clapped his hands together. "Fantastic! What do you think, guys? Will our little friend here last five minutes?"

The scarred woman smirked. "Doubt it. He'll be begging for mercy in two."

The mohawked guy laughed, flexing his muscles. "I'll try not to break him too fast. Gotta give him a fighting chance."

The leader released me from the meathead's grip. "You got one minute to prepare yourself. Make it count."

I stumbled back, rubbing my throat and taking in deep breaths. The clock was ticking.

One of the other members, a tall guy with a sniper rifle slung over his shoulder, spoke up. "Hey, kid, you sure you wanna do this? You don't look like you stand a chance."

"Yeah, I'm sure," I said, my voice barely audible. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

The sniper shrugged. "Well, good luck. You're gonna need it."

"Hey," the leader barked an order at the sniper. "Go perch up somewhere and watch over 'em. If he tries to leave the area, brain him."

"You got it, boss." The sniper gave me one last look of pity before activating his Interface and jogging off into the distance.

The leader raised his hand and signaled the start of the countdown. "Let's see what you got, newbie."

I darted off, my adrenaline surging as I made my way into a nearby office building. This was going to be one hell of a fight.

----------------------------------------

I burst through the doors of the office building. The stale air inside was a far cry from the chaos outside. I needed a plan, and fast.

I scanned the room, taking in the abandoned cubicles and dusty desks. The Interface popped up, providing a detailed analysis of my opponent.

Name ??? Rank Acolyte III Status ???

I was only a Neophyte II so...six ranks higher than me. Don't know how much of a power gap that made, but I couldn't back down now.

The muffled sound of footsteps outside snapped me back to reality. Showtime.

I took cover behind a desk, gripping my SMG tightly. As the mohawked guy stepped into the room, I unloaded a hail of bullets in his direction. His eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly took cover behind a cubicle wall, chuckling to himself.

"Nice try, kid," he shouted, "but you're gonna have to do better than that!"

He returned fire, and I barely managed to duck behind the desk in time. Shards of broken glass and splinters of wood flew through the air as his bullets tore through the office.

My heart raced as I looked around for anything I could use to my advantage. I spotted a fire extinguisher on the wall and a wicked idea crossed my mind. I used my Shadow Manipulation ability to yank the extinguisher from its mount and sent it flying towards the mohawked guy's cover.

The extinguisher collided with the wall, exploding in a cloud of white powder. The mohawked guy cursed and stumbled back, momentarily blinded.

I took the opportunity to sprint to another desk, trying to put some distance between us. I heard him growl in frustration as he tried to wipe the powder from his eyes.

"C'mon, kid, stop playin' around! Face me like a man!" he taunted, his voice echoing through the room.

I had to admit, the guy was relentless. But I wasn't going down without a fight. I fired another volley of bullets in his direction, forcing him to take cover again.

As we traded shots, I maneuvered my way through the office, trying to keep him guessing. Every time he thought he had me pinned, I used my Shadow Manipulation to create a diversion and slip away. It felt like a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The mohawked guy started to get sloppy, his frustration mounting with every missed shot. I could hear him growling and cursing under his breath as he struggled to keep up with me.

I thought I had the upper hand, but my arrogance got the better of me. As I sprinted towards a new hiding spot, the mohawked guy managed to clip my shoulder with a well-placed bullet.

You've taken 41 Kinetic damage

Health 194⇩ /235

I cried out in pain, stumbling behind a water cooler for cover. My vision blurred as blood seeped from the wound. I gritted my teeth and tried to focus, knowing I couldn't let this injury slow me down.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The mohawked guy's laughter echoed through the office. "That's more like it! Now we're havin' some fun!"

I clenched my fist, my anger boiling over. This guy had no idea what he was in for. I took a deep breath and tapped into my Umbrakinesis powers. It was time to turn the tables.

I peeked out from behind the water cooler, searching for my target. The mohawked guy had momentarily stopped shooting, probably trying to figure out where I'd gone. It was now or never.

I focused on the shadows in the room, willing them to bend to my will. Tendrils of darkness shot out from beneath him and wrapped around his legs, tripping him up. He fell to the ground with a crash, cursing as he struggled against the shadows.

"What the hell is this?!" he shouted, his voice a mix of surprise and rage.

I used the opportunity to launch myself forward and landed a few feet away from him, my SMG locked and loaded.

"Surprise," I spat, before squeezing the trigger.

Bullets rained down on him, but he rolled out of the way just in time.

I chased after him, the two of us locked in a deadly dance through the office. As we moved, I wove my Umbrakinesis into the fight, sending shadows to trip him up and block his shots.

He gritted his teeth, his face contorted in anger. "You're a damn freak, you know that?!"

I smirked. "Takes one to know one."

He shot at me with his pistol and a bullet whizzed past my head as I dove for cover.

“You little shit!” he shouted.

I emerged from my cover, my hands crackling with shadow energy. I focused my power into a concentrated blast and launched it straight at the mohawked guy.

Mana 209⇩ /230

Attack Hit. You deal 32 Umbral Damage.

The Shadow Blast struck him square in the chest, sending him crashing through a flimsy cubicle wall. He hit the ground with a thud, momentarily stunned by the impact.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted, his voice a mix of confusion and anger. "You got some freaky Psionic power, kid?"

I didn't bother responding. Instead, I darted to another hiding spot, keeping him guessing. I knew that my powers were my trump card in this fight, and I had to use them wisely.

As the mohawked guy got back on his feet, I unleashed another Shadow Blast, this time aiming for the ceiling above him. The impact sent debris raining down, forcing him to dive for cover.

He roared in frustration, his patience wearing thin. "You're really startin' to piss me off, kid!"

I smirked to myself, pleased with my progress. But I couldn't let my guard down – not for a second. I continued to weave my way through the office, using my Umbrakinesis to keep the mohawked guy on his toes.

He tried to counter my tactics with his boxing skills, but I was always one step ahead. I launched shadow spikes at his feet, forcing him to dance around the room like a marionette. I used my Shadow Wall to deflect his punches, absorbing their force and sending him reeling back.

As we continued our firefight, I could tell my shadow powers were throwing him off. He was getting more and more desperate with every missed shot, his composure slipping away.

"You're a real pain in the ass, kid," he growled, cracking his knuckles. "But I gotta admit, this has been fun."

As he spoke, his hands began to drip with a corrosive green liquid. I watched in awe as the acid sizzled on the floor, leaving behind small pits of melted concrete.

"Surprise, kid," he spat. "I've got a few tricks of my own."

I felt a chill run down my spine. This was bad. Really bad. But I couldn't let fear take over. I had to keep fighting.

I retreated further into the office, using my Shadow Wall ability to create a barrier between us. The mohawked guy smirked, flicking a glob of acid in my direction. It collided with the wall of darkness, hissing and sizzling as it ate through my temporary shield.

I was forced to dive out of the way, rolling across the floor and narrowly avoiding another splash of acid. I could feel the fumes stinging my eyes as I scrambled for cover.

My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to catch my breath. This guy was relentless. I had to find a way to turn the tables again.

I glanced around the room, searching for any advantage I could find. My eyes landed on a large metal filing cabinet, and an idea began to form.

Taking a deep breath, I focused my energy and used my Shadow Launch ability to propel the cabinet through the air, sending it hurtling towards the mohawked guy like a missile.

His eyes widened in shock as the cabinet flew towards him. He barely managed to dodge out of the way, the heavy metal crashing into the wall behind him.

"Damn it, kid!" he shouted, his voice raw with fury. "You're really startin' to piss me off!"

He launched another barrage of acid, forcing me to stay on the move. I used every trick in my arsenal, weaving through the office and dodging his corrosive attacks.

But I could feel my mana reserves dwindling, and my shoulder throbbed with pain. I knew I couldn't keep this up forever.

As I ducked behind a desk, desperately trying to catch my breath, I glanced at my Interface. Five minutes had passed. I'd survived the fight, at least according to the deal. I called out to the mohawked guy, "Hey! It's been five minutes! We had a deal, remember?"

The acid-slinging brute paused for a moment, his face contorted in anger. Then he suddenly smirked. "You're right, kid. A deal's a deal."

I let out a shaky breath, relief washing over me. Maybe I'd get out of this alive after all.

But my relief was short-lived. The mohawked guy lunged at me, catching me off guard. He tackled me to the ground, pinning me beneath his weight. I struggled, but it was no use; he was too strong.

"I lied," he snarled in my face, his breath hot and foul. He began to pummel me, his fists landing blow after blow on my already battered body. I tried to defend myself, but it was useless. The world around me swam in and out of focus, a cacophony of pain and disorientation.

You've taken 12 Kinetic damage and 7 acid damage You've taken 13 Kinetic damage and 7 acid damage You've taken 12 Kinetic damage and 7 acid damage You've taken 12 Kinetic damage and 7 acid damage You've taken 13 Kinetic damage and 7 acid damage You've taken 12 Kinetic damage and 7 acid damage You've taken 13 Kinetic damage and 7 acid damage

Health 58⇩ /235

When he finally stopped, I was barely conscious, a broken and battered mess. He dragged me out of the office building by my collar, his grip like a vice around my neck.

The rest of the group was waiting outside, their laughter ringing in my ears as they mocked and jeered at me. I couldn't even summon the energy to feel ashamed. I was too numb, too broken.

"Did you really think we'd let you go?" the leader sneered, a cruel smile on his face. "Thought you could actually take on one of us when you’re just a low-ranked Neophyte? Pathetic."

The scarred woman wore my cloak like a trophy. The others reveled in my defeat, their laughter echoing through the desolate streets.

As they prepared to finish me off, a sudden silence fell over the group. I couldn't see what had caught their attention, but the look of shock and fear on their faces told me that they might not kill me after all.

I didn’t hear any bestial roar, so it wasn’t a Riftspawn. I didn’t hear any mechanical noises, so it wasn’t a SCAV. All I heard was steady footsteps getting closer and closer.

I turned to look.

It was Aubrey, clutching the severed head of their sniper. The air around her hummed and crackled as lightning arced around her body.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a little situation here," Aubrey called out, her distorted voice cold and steady. “A bunch of greys picking on a newbie.”

[https://i.ibb.co/fCzh6Cg/Aubrey-Arrives.png]