The city's emergency response teams had arrived, but the reality was grim. Civilians screamed and ran, hovercrafts tried to intercept the emerging creatures, and news drones streamed live footage of chaos unfolding across Philinopia's skyline.
Rin's heart pounded, but it wasn't fear it was calculation. He had seen the Life System in action, and now he would observe the real battlefield.
From the edge of a partially collapsed sky-bridge, Rin peered down. Three squads were engaging a group of crawling monsters near the outskirts. Energy blasts streaked through the air, but the creatures moved unnaturally fast, dodging bullets and plasma bolts.
The squads faltered. One unit tried to flank a crawler, only to have it leap onto their hover platform, sending it spiraling into the street below. Civilians screamed. The squad leader barked commands, but panic reigned.
Rin activated his Life System:
[Threat Analysis – Active]
Lines of light highlighted weak points on the creatures. One crawler's leg joint flashed red. Another's abdomen shimmered faintly. He could predict their movement.
A vine spitter a larger, more agile monster with tendrils laced in glowing fibers slithered from the cave mouth. Its attack pattern was erratic, sweeping and snapping unpredictably.
Rin ducked instinctively, rolling behind a low wall as a tendril smashed where he had been seconds ago. The system pinged:
[Weak Point Detected – Tendril Base]
His mind raced. The monsters weren't mindless they were fast, adaptive, and lethal. He couldn't fight head-on.
Instead, he observed.
From his vantage point, Rin noted a pile of fallen debris nearby metal girders, broken rails, and discarded construction scaffolding. He could create a makeshift trap.
A squad yelled below, "Hold your line! Don't let them through!"
But they didn't see the vines skimming across walls, crushing drones mid-flight. They didn't see the crawling monsters weaving between their ranks.
Rin picked up a long metal pipe and hurled it at the closest crawler. It struck the red-highlighted joint. The crawler stumbled, giving him a perfect view of its weak underside. He moved again, ducking as a vine swiped past.
[Skill Unlocked – Evasion (Active)]
He rolled behind a larger concrete block, narrowly avoiding the creature's leap. The system's guidance felt almost sentient, adjusting in real-time.
Nearby, a young woman scout likely the same faction recruit from yesterday noticed him. Her eyes widened. "Hey! You're… not afraid?"
Rin only shook his head. "No. I'm… observing."
The Life System pulsed in agreement. Observing was survival. Planning was survival. The humans below relied on force; he relied on calculation.
The crawler regrouped and advanced. Rin hurled another pipe, hitting its leg joint again. The creature collapsed, immobilized. The vine spitter lunged toward a drone, miscalculating its strike. Rin acted quickly kicked a loose metal beam, striking the tendril base. Sparks flew; the monster shrieked and retreated into the cave.
The squads were scattered. Civilians fled. And Rin? He remained hidden, calm, and focused.
[Skill Unlocked – Observation Enhanced: Weak Point Prioritization]
The system whispered faintly, acknowledging his growth. It wasn't just a guide—it was a teacher, a weapon, and perhaps, a warning.
The scout approached him, cautious. "Who… are you? How did you"
Rin cut her off. "Watch. Learn. Don't rely on numbers alone. Watch the monsters. See their weakness. Predict."
Her eyes widened at his confidence, and Rin felt a flicker of satisfaction. Humanity was weak now, yes but with knowledge and observation, some could survive.
And he intended to survive.
The caves were expanding. The monsters wouldn't stop. And the Life System had only just begun to reveal its secrets.
Rin clenched his fists, ready. The skirmish was over, but the war had only begun.