When the police chief collapsed to the ground there was so much silence that one could hear a pin drop. It was as if everyone else was shocked about what they had just seen. I didn't blame them one bit. It was normal for them to have expressions like that. If they hadn't been shocked then I would have already suspected that they were extraordinary already. And those who were extraordinary in this world were players. And if there are any players in this room apart from me and Stephen, they definitely belonged to the Wade family.Stephen wiped his foot clean with his palm before retrieving the gun from the police chief who was still lying sprawled on the ground. From where I was, I could see that he was bleeding from his mouth. Apart from that he didn't look to be harmed in every way. Stephen had definitely controlled his strength so as not to kill the man. One real kick from Stephen to that man's head would have fractured his skull and killed him.He swung the sword in the air a few ti
Stephen now had the sergeant in his front so the other two cops behind couldn't shoot him. If they did they would end up shooting the sergeant and killing him. So in order not to shoot the sergeant they didn't even attempt to shoot at Stephen although their guns were aimed at him.The police chief, seeing that Stephen now had his back to him, saw a very big chance. I knew he was going to attack Stephen secretly from his sinister expression. I would have lent a hand but I was now locked within the cell with no way of coming out. When Stephen had asked the cops to release me, none of them had done so. So I was still stuck in the cell, waiting for Stephen who was now fighting with the cops to release me.Many people would think I'm doing something stupid but I was not. Stephen had already installed cameras in this place and they were recording everything. Definitely, he was also doing a live streaming in order to prove that I was innocent of the allegations leveled against me. He wanted
After the gunshot rang out and the sergeant fell to the ground amidst a loud groan, the other two cops shot their guns immediately. Obviously, they couldn't wait to get rid of us immediately. To them, we had grown to be pests which can be discarded at any point in time. Little did they know that what they were thinking was totally implausible.For players like me and Stephen, our physical condition had become so much enhanced that dodging bullets had become as easy as drinking water. Our strength was no longer normal as we could easily lift an adult male with one hand and toss them far away. For people like us, the cops were the real disposable pests. They were very weak and didn't even hold a candle to us.When they shot the gun I'd already shoved the police chief sideways while falling in that direction myself. Stephen had already fallen to the ground, reacting way faster than I did. Since he was the closest to the cops who had shot at us just now, I'd thought that he would be hit.
Once the police chief was knocked out Stephen mouthed some words, "Destroy the cameras."I nodded slowly and then turned around, saying, "When are we leaving?""Now," he said and ran straight towards the door. I immediately followed him as I activated the Explosion skill. This is currently the best skill I have in destruction.I would have used the Shadow skill to silently remove the cameras but I didn't know where all the cameras were installed. Stephen would have told me but time was not on our side. We needed to get things done!Boom!There was a very big expression which sent flames billowing towards us like powerful waves capable of sweeping us through."Come on!" Stephen yelled as he continued running towards the door. He leaped into the air, thrust out his right foot, and kicked at the door with all his might.Bang!The door came off its hinges crashing to the ground. There was another long corridor with several cells filled with criminals."We need to get out of this place!" S
The Mercenary player held his large gun as he stared intently at Stephen, his body remaining in that position for a very long period of time. At this point of time I didn't hesitate any longer. My Resurrection skill immediately took effect and my body began solidifying rapidly in front of Stephen who seemed to be calculating how to attack the newcomer. Obviously, he had never come across the Mercenary player before and this was his first day.Unlike me, Stephen had no idea about this player who had the Commanding skill and Intangibility skill. Only I knew how hard it would be to deal with this man."Long time no see, Enigmatic player," the Mercenary player said with a grim voice. His eyes glared at us as if he was watching his prey."I thought we parted on good terms back then," I said to him, my fists clenching slowly. "Why are you attacking us now?"The Mercenary player tapped his metallic gun slowly, his muscles bulging under the weight. On closer realization I remembered that this
With those words, Stephen shot off the ground toward the Mercenary player, his right arm moving backward to swing his sword at the Mercenary player."The skill I displayed earlier is called the Confinement skill," the Mercenary player said casually as he blocked the sword with his bulky gun before throwing a powerful kick at Stephen's right leg. The latter was immediately sent down on one of his knees, his expression turning into a grimace.The man then kicked him in the torso, sending him flying into the air towards me. Stephen crashed to the ground with his back but bounced right up, pinning his sword to the ground."That skill allows me to lock a particular target or group of targets within another space," the man said. "In other words, no one is gonna find us until I kill you!"With those words, he charged at Stephen and fired the gun again. My eyes narrowed as I immediately leaped into the air to get Stephen from harm's way. But before I could get close, a large shield had alread
I wanted to clench my fists when I realized that my right hand had suddenly lost its strength. When I looked at it I realized that it had become shriveled as if there was no blood in it. I couldn't help but narrow my eyes, knowing fully well that this was the curse the Mercenary player had touched me with."My Cursed skill isn't something a random Healing skill can immediately remove," the Mercenary player said. "You'd have to take two days before you can eventually heal from that."As he made that statement he clenched his fists, "And I don't think you have that much time!"He shot towards me like a spear, aiming for my head with a very powerful punch. Once hit by his fist, I knew that my head would immediately shatter."After killing you I'll make sure to sever off your head immediately!" the man said as he soared through the air towards me. "That's one of the methods that can be used to effectively kill you!"That's one of the methods that can be used to effectively kill me? I coul
Seeing that Golden Buddha had escaped I couldn't help but collapse to the ground in exhaustion. I hadn't expected the seemingly young man from the virtual reality to be the ex-soldier. I had been fooled by my own teammate and would have been even killed at this point.I looked up in the direction where he had escaped and touched my right arm with my left hand. My arm seemed to have become numb and there was this pulsing sensation. I couldn't help but grimace as I stared at Stephen who had banished the door and was staring at me."You seem to know that guy," Stephen said as he scrutinized me with his cold eyes. "The way he looked at you after he saw you take that strange sword...""Retribution," I corrected him. "It's a demigod weapon with its consciousness. It wouldn't be like it if you kept calling it a strange sword."Stephen didn't appear surprised that I had a demigod weapon. His face was as expressionless as ever as he sized me up. He then said in a flat tone, "I have a demigod w
The last ten months with Paulina have been incredible, way beyond what I ever imagined. Every day feels like a new adventure, and even our quiet times are filled with happiness.Still, I can’t help but worry about the Enigmatic System being gone and whether I played a part in that. It was the reason I got to where I am now, and I feel a real connection to it. It’s tough knowing I couldn’t help it, but can a system really be more than just a bunch of codes?I’m not the only one feeling this way; the whole team is mourning the loss since their systems shut down around the same time. No matter how cutting-edge our tech is, it just can’t match the unique intelligence of the system.As I sat in the living room, I opened up to Paulina, who was snuggled up next to me, really listening."I can’t shake this feeling, Paulina," I confessed. "I know it sounds odd, but it feels like I’ve lost a piece of myself. You get it; you were part of it too."She gave my arm a comforting squeeze. "I totally
After we got ready, we strolled hand in hand, with Paulina playfully urging me to spill the beans, but I just couldn’t do it. It was a surprise, and I wanted to keep it that way. We left the VIP room, and a staff member gave me a knowing look before leading us down a hidden hallway. Paulina’s eyes were wide with curiosity as we moved away from the usual crowd. At the end of the corridor, we passed through a sleek, unmarked door that opened up to a private elevator.Paulina squeezed my hand, her eyebrows shooting up in excitement. “Jason, what’s happening? This feels like something out of a movie!”I just smiled and stayed quiet, relishing the suspense that was making her even more curious. As the elevator doors closed, I could feel her gaze on me, searching for hints I wasn’t ready to give away.When the doors finally opened, we stepped out onto the rooftop, and there it was—a stunning black helicopter waiting for us, its blades shimmering in the sunlight, with the pilot already on st
As Paulina rested peacefully on the bed, her sleeping face looked even more beautiful than I always knew. In the luxurious VIP suite, surrounded by plush decor and soft lighting, I felt a strange blend of tranquility and anxiety. I wandered over to the mirrored table where the ring I had bought on credit from that Enigmatic System sparkled softly in the glow. Holding it up, I couldn’t help but admire its detailed craftsmanship. The ring was so shiny and seemed transparent, capable of absorbing light. The several beautiful and unfamiliar stones around it made it more beautiful. My eyes sparkled with admiration, but the silence from the Enigmatic System was palpable and a bit unsettling. Not a single word or sound all day, which felt odd. Was it giving me space because I was with Paulina and it understood my plight? Or had my time with it somehow made it feel... more human? That thought left me feeling both intrigued and cautious.I shook off those thoughts; there were more urgent iss
The restaurant buzzed with energy as we arrived. Soft ambient lights wrapped around us, and the rich aroma of gourmet dishes filled the air. As we walked in, I could feel the gaze of other diners on us, and I welcomed it. This was my moment—a chance to reveal the man I had become.“Welcome back, Mr. Lewis!” The hostess greeted me with a warm smile. “Your usual table?”“Yes, please,” I replied, glancing at Paulina. She looked radiant in her elegant dress, her beauty captivating. I felt a surge of pride to be with someone as remarkable as her.er.We were guided to a cozy corner table adorned with fresh flowers and flickering candles. As we settled in, I couldn’t help but admire Paulina. “You look stunning tonight,” I said, reaching across the table to take her hand.“Thank you, Jason. You look charming too,” she replied, her smile lighting up the dim room. “I love this new confidence in you—it’s inspiring.”“Confidence comes with knowing my true worth,” I replied, feeling a surge of emp
The tension in the boutique thickened as I faced every John and the woman employee. My coronary heart raced, no longer out of worry but from the boiling anger that surged through me. Here I grow to be a modified guy who has risen from the depths of despair, and those two have been the reason for dragging me back down. "Listen right here," I commenced out, my voice steady but laced with authority. "You haven't any idea who you're talking to. I may have been the underdog, however I’m no longer that character. I will no longer stand idly with the useful resource of while you belittle me or my female friend."John laughed, a mocking sound that echoed through the boutique. “Oh, what are you going to do? Throw a tantrum? You do not scare me, you little peasant. You have to be thankful that a person like her even seems your way.”Paulina had subsequently discovered the commotion. She strode over, her expression moving from interest to venture. “What’s going on right here?” she demanded, eyes
After picking the case up I tucked it away in my pocket and it to the sitting room. I saw Paulina in the sitting room pacing about. Obviously, she was a bit nervous about the date she was going to have with me. At this moment she didn't look like the bold and confident woman I used to know."Sorry for keeping you waiting," I said with an apologetic smile. "I had to do something.""I know," Paulina flashed a smile at me. She actually understood I could suddenly become busy at times because I was a player."So let's go shopping," I said as I grabbed her right hand and led her out of the sitting room. We got into my expensive Mercedes Benz and drove away.I decided to stop at a five-star boutique and get some new clothes and jewelries which we were going to wear tonight for our date. I'd already set up everything except for the clothes.As expected the boutique premise was already filled with so many flashy cars. Many wealthy people usually came to buy their wears from this boutique. It
After some moments of silence, the Enigmatic System finally spoke. His voice was no longer sad and it had resumed the usual emotionlessness.[I HAVE A RING WHICH MATCHES YOUR DESCRIPTION BUT IT IS REALLY COSTLY]"Costly?" I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows. "How costly?"[IT IS 5,000 POINTS]"Huh?" I was surprised after hearing that. The Enigmatic System usually made use of coins but now it had switched to points. What was really happening?I had only come across the term, 'points', from Stephen Wale. Back then I'd asked him why he wasn't wealthy and he had told me that his system uses points instead of coins. I'd come across other players and they were not as wealthy as I was. This was because their systems made use of points which could not be converted to real money like the virtual coins the Enigmatic System made use of.[WELL, THERE IS THIS NEW POLICY THAT BANS SYSTEMS FROM USING COINS. WE CAN ALL ONLY USE POINTS FROM NOW ON]"So that's another reason you were punished by that
After asking the Enigmatic System about the ring it suddenly fell silent for some moments. I didn't know why it didn't respond to me as usual and it bothered me. I even began thinking that something bad had really happened to the Enigmatic System. Maybe the Creator System which had the consciousness of the systems' creator had decided to place a restriction on the Enigmatic System for behaving more and more like a human instead of the system it was expected to be.I'd watched a cyberpunk movie and there was this artificial intelligence which evolved beyond how it was created. It started becoming more and more like a human being, alarming the creators. In order to prevent the artificial intelligence from gaining sentience and toppling the authority of humans, they decided to destroy it. The artificial intelligence fought a good battle but it could not outmatch humans. With regrets, it parted with the woman it loved as it was shut down by the scientists who created it. They later had th
After the lunch, Stephen announced that he was leaving. He had so many things to catch up on and there was no more time. Nudging his glasses he turned around to leave."Take care, Steve," Paulina said, causing him to turn back slightly. There was a complicated emotion in Stephen's eyes, something I had never seen before."Sure," he nodded and turned to look at me. I could tell that he was asking me not to mention what he had told me earlier to Paulina.I nodded slowly as I said, "Take care, Stephen. You can come up with several contingency plans during your free time.""Believe me," Stephen wasn't smiling. "I already have a contingency plan for every scenario.""Do not slack off in your training," I said."I will come often to spar with you," Stephen said. "Get stronger than me so that you can push me beyond my limit."I smiled as I secretly clenched my fists tightly, "Don't worry. I'll become so strong that you'd be crushed by my gaze."And that was the truth. I wasn't just bluffing