In the cold, narrow alleyway, the tension in the air was heavy. Daburra stood between the two men, his dull eyes glancing at the both of them. He looked at the younger man in front of him and licked his lips.
"I'm going to enjoy killing both of you," Daburra hissed. "But I think I'll torture you first, before killing you. Tell me what's your name is?"
The young man didn't look intimidated. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression calm. "Naoa," he replied simply.
Daburra closed his eyes for a split second, a confident smirk on his face. "Naoa. I'll remember that when I'm eating your... "
Before Daburra could finish his sentence, the gap between them was closed down. In the blink of an eye, Naoa was in front of him. He slammed his palm into Daburra's face with enough force to shatter concrete, pinning the monster's head against the frozen ground.
Daburra's eyes snapped open in shock. How? I couldn't even sense his movement! As Daburra swung a clawed hand toward Naoa's neck in a desperate cutting motion, Naoa flipped backward, landing on his two feet. Daburra stood up, his head bent at an unnatural angle, his neck clearly broken. He looked at Naoa with his vision bent sideways, then reached up and snapped his own neck back into place with a loud pop.
"I knew that wouldn't do any damage," Naoa said, his smile never fading.
Daburra's body began to ripple and tear. He let out a low growl as his human skin turned a deep, blood-red. His legs snapped and reshaped into powerful, grasshopper-like limbs, designed for explosive speed. His lips peeled back, revealing rows of jagged teeth with no skin to hide them. His fingers elongated into razor-sharp claws.
Yanda, watching from behind, drew his katana. The steel hissed as it left the scabbard. "He's getting serious," Yanda muttered,"Time for us to do the same."
Daburra moved first. He launched his arm toward Naoa, the limb stretching out like a whip. A cloud of dust exploded, obscuring Naoa's view. But through the dust cloud, a single line of blue light flashed.
The blue light sliced through the air, severing Daburra's extended arm. The monster frowned, looking at severed arm before turning his gaze back to the clearing dust. Naoa stood there, holding a glowing blue bow made of pure energy.
Yanda didn't give Daburra time to think. He attacked from behind, he struck with his katana. Daburra lunged to the side, his claw grazing Yanda's cheek, but Yanda spun away. The force of Daburra's missed strike hit the building behind them splitting it in half, the top floors sliding off with a thunderous roar. Screams echoed as the structure collapsed, killing the people inside.
Yanda clicked his tongue, looking at the devastation. "Naoa! Let's keep the damage minimal. Create the barrier!"
Naoa nodded. He tapped the ground with his foot, and an invisible dome materialized into existence, trapping the three of them inside. To the people on the street, the alley now looked empty and quiet. Inside, however, it was a death match.
Daburra's body was a living weapon. He transfigured his other arm into a jagged blade and clashed with Yanda's katana. Spark flew in the darkness. Naoa jumped in, delivering a flurry of punches. The air hummed as Naoa's bow materialized. He opened fire at point blank range. Daburra created a shield with his ear blocking the attack. Yanda bit his lip, then sliced his own palm across the edge of his blade. He dropped his blood on his blade.
"Ignite," Yanda whispered.
Dark crimson flames engulfed the katana. He swung, carving a deep, burning line across Daburra's chest. Daburra countered, thrusting a bone-spike from his chest toward Yanda's heart. Yanda shed his tuxedo jacket in the nick of time, the spike tearing through the fabric as he rolled away.
Yanda lunged again, but Daburra was faster. He dodged the flaming blade and struck Yanda's shoulder with a glowing, heated claw. Yanda retreated, his left arm hanging limp, blood soaking through his white shirt.
Daburra stood back, his red skin reshaping. "I'm impressed," the monster said, with a deep gravel. "You made me work. But I'm bored now. Let's finish this another time."
Before Yanda or Naoa could move, Daburra's body turned liquid. He slipped through a tiny crack in the pavement, vanishing into the earth.
"He got away!" Naoa exclaimed, lowering his bow. "I see why he's so hard to track."
Yanda picked up his ruined suit jacket, his face pale from the pain in his shoulder. "Let's go back and report. Bras won't be happy."
A dark, swirling cloud swallowed the two men, and the alley returned to a haunting silence.
The next morning, Lin was standing in the shower, the warm water hitting his sore muscles. He sighed in relief, remembering how close he had come to the timer hitting zero last night. He had finished his last sit-up with only seconds to spare.
What if Yada had seen me paralyzed? he thought. He stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair, when the familiar buzz echoed in his head. The System screen appeared, hovering in front of him.
[NEW TASK UNLOCKED: XP ACCUMULATION]
Lin squinted at the text. The System began to explain the concept. It told him that "XP" or Experience Points would improve his endurance, his speed, and his overall strength. Lin scrolled down to the "How to gain XP" section.
[OBJECTIVE 1]: Hunt and kill Monsters, Demons, or Spirits.
"What?!" Lin screamed, dropping his towel. "Monsters?!" A memory of the red dress lady flashed in his mind. "How am I supposed to fight monsters like her? I'll die in five seconds!"
He frantically looked for another way. His eyes landed on a smaller tile at the bottom of the screen.
[OBJECTIVE 2: FAST-TRACK XP]
Date 50 girls.
Lin stared at the screen, his jaw hanging open. He thought about his history of rejections, the letter to Xu Lie, and the fact that he doesn't know how to talk to girls.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Lin whispered. "I'd rather fight the monsters."