Duel of systems

Arrested

"Hey... I'm just a rookie!" I exclaimed nervously, feeling my voice tremble in the presence of the man in front of me. He was imposing and menacing, but there was also something disturbing in his gaze. His words echoed in my head, adding to my discomfort.

"Look, you bastard, you're saved because the system would start bothering me if I did anything to you. But when we meet again, I'll make every instant agonizing and unbearable for you. In the same way that selfish bitch you do missions with will suffer," he threatened with contempt.

I didn't know how to answer him. I felt cornered, trapped in his dagger-sharp words. Fear paralyzed me, leaving me voiceless. However, the man didn't stop there.

"If I see you again on a mission, I will not fail... I will kill you," he whispered, filling the air with a macabre promise. His gaze was disturbing as he removed the gun from my body and slowly rose from the chair.

He was a strange man, but his words resonated in my mind. I had survived two killers so far, not sure if it was a product of luck.

As I watched him walk away, I could breathe in peace, but I needed to find Lucia. I wanted to ask her about the skills needed for the missions, but the shooting pain in my leg reminded me of the wound I needed to tend to.

Desperate, I strapped the leash on my leg. As I hobbled through the park, I watched with trepidation as some police officers quickly approached where I was. I didn't imagine they would stop me, but their presence was unmistakable as they made their way toward me.

"It's a search, stand still," one of them said.

With no options, I raised my hands in surrender. The policemen began to search my pants and, without contemplation, took my gun and balaclava from me. I knew the situation did not look good.

"Mmm, you'll have to come with us," another policeman sentenced, indicating that I had to follow them.

I couldn't say anything. I was near a dangerous neighborhood, with a gun and a ski mask. It was obvious that the policemen considered me a criminal. I remained silent, resigned to being arrested, as I had no way to defend myself.

[...]

Soon after, I found myself in a dungeon surrounded by intimidating-looking criminals. They all had menacing looks and wore tattoos and scars on their faces, adding to the sense of danger in the air.

Instinctively, I huddled in a corner, watching the corridor where the detainees were being held. As expected, my normal, unscarred appearance made me the center of attention, the new target of those criminals looking for someone to pick on.

A man of gigantic size and metallic teeth approached me, defiant and mocking. His presence commanded respect, but also aroused my annoyance.

"And you, why are you here, did you come to keep us company?" he sneered, his voice full of sarcasm and cruelty.

"I was held in a dangerous neighborhood with a gun," I replied, trying to remain calm and hide my fear.

The man let out a thunderous laugh, glaring at me. His words irritated me, but I knew that any show of hostility would result in blows and violence. I tried to control my emotions, covering my head with my hands to keep my composure. The crowd began to surround me, seeking to intimidate me.

Desperate to avoid any confrontation, I tried to isolate myself in a corner to protect myself from those sinister men. But then, something unexpected happened: my name echoed in the air unexpectedly.

"Leandro..... ", was heard amidst the hubbub.

I reacted immediately, approaching the fence to identify myself, but a prisoner tried to usurp my identity and escape. Without thinking, I grabbed the intruder by the shoulders and threw him into the other corner. I shouted firmly, "I am Leandro!".

"Congratulations on completing your first mission," he congratulated me in a professional tone of voice.

"I ran into Harold and a sniper," I told him, trying to convey the difficulty I had faced.

"That's normal, there are a lot of users who just want to kill others," he replied in a nonchalant manner. "The sniper who stalked you after the mission shouldn't worry you. Not everyone has the marksmanship to kill. Just pick a skill you're comfortable with and you're done."

"The problem is that I don't know which skill to choose and I'd like to get your recommendation," I confessed, seeking his expertise to guide my choice.

"That depends on each user. I chose intelligence and speed. That's what got me this far," he explained, seemingly indifferent to my dilemma.

"I see. Thank you for the information," I replied, feeling that our conversation was shorter and colder than I expected.

"Ah... I was going to talk to you about financial support. I can't give you that much money without justifying my expenses. You'll have to work. My accountant is already starting to bug me about your expenses. It's too much," he mentioned with a tone of annoyance.

"I understand. I'll look for a job, don't worry," I replied, accepting that I would have to earn my keep.

"I'll give you a job at my company. I'll expect you at a software company on Monday. I'll send you the address to your mail, with permission," he said and got up from the chair.

"Uh... Lucia, I'll go to the station and introduce myself, I want to avoid problems with the law."

"I see, in a little while I'll send someone to get you out of there."

I felt a little nervous, but grateful for the job opportunity. My financial situation would improve, and I would not be indebted to her. For now, it seemed I was just another employee.

I decided to get up from the chair and leave the place. I walked slowly, feeling some discomfort with each step due to the pain that persisted in my leg. Although I was in better condition than Lucia, the wound kept reminding me of my vulnerability. I had to face my situation and resolve it as soon as possible. If the police caught me, the outlook would be much worse.

[...]

I presented myself at the police station as an ordinary person, but the policemen did not treat me kindly. They beat my body as they took me to a cell full of strange individuals. I lay down in a corner and sat on the floor, trying to find some rest. I just wanted to sleep, although the pain was still with me.

After a few hours they let me out, as someone had paid the bail and as I left I saw Lucia on the avenue. I walked over to her to talk to her.

"Why was she going to all this trouble for me?" I tried to remain calm as I made my way towards her.

"From now on, call me Chief," she interrupted me with authority.

The policeman opened the cell door, allowing me to leave that dark and threatening place. I felt a glimmer of freedom as I followed the policeman, but I soon learned that it would not all be good news.

"You had a domestic violence complaint in Florida, so you must go there to settle it. You can't leave the country," the policeman announced, revealing a new obstacle in my path.

I immediately understood that I would have to face another dungeon and wait for a lawyer to resolve my situation. The bad news kept piling up, but I consoled myself with the fact that at least I had regained my momentary freedom. I grabbed my belongings, except for the weapons that had been confiscated, and prepared to leave for Florida as quickly as possible.

Although I felt weak and feverish, I forced myself to walk. My goal was to get to the hospital to treat my wound and somehow inject myself with something that would allow me to face the challenges ahead.

I walked through the corridors of the police station as the office activities continued around me. The clock indicated that it would soon be ten o'clock at night, and a sense of urgency came over me.

[...]

The next day, I managed to treat my leg and walk more calmly. I decided to call Lucia to discuss the skills needed for the missions. She texted me back and we agreed to meet at a restaurant. My mind was filled with expectations, but I soon realized that the chosen place was too luxurious for my modest appearance. I felt humiliated to look so out of place in that environment.

Suddenly, the girl appeared, wearing a dazzling red dress. Her bodyguards escorted her to the only table that would receive attention that day. My nervousness increased, I felt this resembled a date, although I tried to remain serious.

"Uh... Boss," I corrected.

"Since you asked for my help, I'll give you a position in a company. I can't give you money without justifying my expenses. Tomorrow I'll expect you at the A... corporation," she announced, unveiling my future job occupations.

It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I was relieved.

But just then I ran into my ex-wife. I tried to ignore her, but she started badgering me with hurtful words.

"I see you got out, but this is not over. You'll have to pay me back for everything you did to me," she vociferated with a smirk.

Beside him stood a strange old lawyer, apparently reveling in my apparent defeat. I tried to continue on my way to the highway to return to the hotel where I was resting, I wanted to get away from his presence as quickly as possible.

As I walked I decided to look at my stats because I wanted to test that in that place.

My stats had changed.

Muscle mass 30

Strength 23

Stamina 20

Intelligence 75

Weapon skill 8

Position: 1531

Player data

Completed missions 1

Killed users 0

I hadn't improved much and was hesitant to talk to Lucia, talking to her about this had me a bit embarrassed, I was just a newbie and had nothing to show her for now, even my stats were very basic.