The similar voice awakened something primal inside Ren. His eyes slowly turned completely black. Unknowingly, the glowing color from his body and hair receded, gathering inward toward his eyes and ears, as if his very essence was being drawn into himself.
His vision and hearing—already supernatural and unexplainable—seemed to break through another barrier. His pitch-black eyes held a faint twinkle that continued to grow, like a star being born, as though a universe was forming within them. His ears subtly curved at unnatural angles, catching whispers of fate that felt almost audible, yet vanished before they could be grasped.
However, Ren was not focused on that.
His vision pierced through the walls and restrictions of the Town Hall of City 05.
Inside the Town Hall stood a massive bed occupied by nearly five or six women. On top of the sixth woman, who lay naked, hovered a slim yet muscular man. He had large, curly hair bordering on an afro, a freckled face, and a bandana tied around his hair bearing a blue flame symbol.
What was strange—aside from the man's unnatural speed and excessive stamina—was the golden, lightning-like electricity flowing across his body as he moved.
The current made the woman howl, her eyes rolling back until only the whites showed, as if she were being electrocuted on electric chair after being sentenced to death.
When Ren focused on the man, a status bar appeared above his head:
After checking the bar, Ren shifted his gaze to the woman. Seeing an unfamiliar face, he calmed slightly. The blackness in his eyes slowly receded, and color began returning to his body and hair.
The scene shocked him, forcing realization. These people seemed like they had existed before the apocalypse and had been transported to this city. If this was City 05, then there should be four more cities as well.
Maybe Ophelia survived, he thought. Maybe she was transported to one of them.
But the actions of the city leader stirred another thought.
What if Ophelia is being forced to go through this in one of the cities?
Ren looked at the fifteenth pearl, which had nearly lost its shine, along with the five remaining pearls out of the original twenty Pearls of Passage.
"Seems enough."
He turned his attention to the Spins, planning to use 10,000 points at the fourth level.
Ren willed the roulette to spin. As if understanding his intent, it stopped on a pair of knuckle dusters made of a grayish-black, marble-like material, far sturdier than any object he had seen before, with glowing red, lava-like cracks running through them.
[Congratulations! You have won Volcanic Knuckle Dusters]
[Volcanic Knuckle Dusters: Forged from volcanic essence, cooled and compressed to preserve immense fiery heat capable of turning everything to ash. Fatal to beings up to Level 79.]
[Note: Let's get into a fistfight and show who's boss.]
Ren took the knuckle dusters and slid his fingers through each gap. They settled perfectly against his knuckles, as though they had found their rightful owner.
The moment both dusters were equipped, something resonated within him. His hair and body glowed red as energy surged outward, flowing into the weapons. What was once grayish black with red lines transformed—the majority turning molten red, with patches of cooled, darkened lava.
A new message appeared.
[Synergy with bloodline detected! Effect boosted.]
[Fatal to beings up to Level 80.]