[Chapter 5: Skills and Abilities]
In one fluid motion, Searanox pushed the window open. The old rubber seals protested with a dry, screeching groan after years of disuse, and a gust of stale city air rushed into the room. He leaned out, one hand stretched into the night, and focused entirely on the [Summon Air Drone] ability.
He could feel the knowledge now—the instinctual, hardcoded blueprint of the machine was etched into his mind—but the actual execution was a surreal, physical experience. A faint, shimmering teal light began to coalesce in the center of his outstretched palm. The air around his hand seemed to thicken and distort, swirling like a localized storm as a tiny piece of reality was rewritten to accommodate his will.
A faint, high-pitched whine, like a jet engine at a great distance, filled the room. The sound grew in intensity as the light solidified, taking on a hard, metallic sheen.
─ [-5 TP]
Before he could even process the energy drain, a small, spherical drone was hovering silently in the air just outside his window. It was about the size of a grapefruit, its polished steel surface reflecting the dim, sickly yellow glow of the streetlamps below. A single, glowing blue lens on its front swiveled with mechanical precision, first focusing on Searanox, then flickering toward Iris.
Searanox stared at the machine, his mind already forming the connection. "Go," he commanded, his voice cold. "Fly out. Find and kill an animal roughly your own size. Once that’s done, move up the chain. Kill something over thirty centimeters, then something half a meter, then a full meter."
He paused, the predatory instinct of the Dhampir coiling in his gut. "Finally... find a human. One who has no contact with me. Preferably as far away as possible. Kill them."
─ [+1 Active Drone]
The drone's blue lens blinked once in silent acknowledgment. Then, with a soft, almost imperceptible sound, it shot out of the window and disappeared into the urban jungle. Searanox watched it go, the tiny speck of light vanishing into the shadows of the alleyways.
He could still feel it. A faint, mental tether stretched between his consciousness and the machine, a tether that allowed him to perceive its location and status even as it moved blocks away. The drone flew over the rooftops, its advanced sensors scanning the heat signatures of the world below with dispassionate efficiency.
He didn't have to wait long. The drone spotted a stray cat huddled near a dumpster, its heat signature a bright, pulsating spot in the dark alley. The drone swooped down, its built-in laser weapon firing a silent, precise beam of concentrated energy. The cat collapsed without a sound, its life extinguished in a microsecond.
─ [+10 Exp]
The feeling hit Searanox instantly. It was a strange, alien surge of energy that was both unsettling and deeply exhilarating. He could feel the experience points flowing into him—a tangible, addictive reward for the kill.
"That was fast..." he murmured, pulling the window shut and locking it.
As he turned back toward the room, a bluish-green translucent window popped into his vision, pulsing with a celebratory light.
─ Congratulations! You are the 2nd Progenitor to have eliminated an enemy.
─ Reward: +3 All Stats and 25 Exp.
─ [+3 All Stats Applied]
─ [+25 Exp]
"Second..." Searanox frowned, the word echoing in his head. "Iris, tell me about this reward I just got. It says I was second."
Iris turned her attention away from the window. Her amber eyes analyzed him with a calm, assessing gaze that seemed to peel back his skin.
"Progenitor—" she started, then caught herself, "—Searanox. 'All Stats' refers to a permanent, fundamental increase to all of your base attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Agility, and Willpower. This is a significant and incredibly rare reward. It is typically reserved for those who achieve unique milestones or demonstrate exceptional prowess early in the integration process."
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She stepped closer, her movements fluid and silent. "As for being 'second,' it implies exactly what you suspect. There is at least one other Progenitor on this planet who has already begun their journey and achieved a kill before you did. You are currently in a race for dominance, whether you wish to be or not."
Her explanation was delivered with a tone that was both informative and oddly reassuring, despite the grim implications.
"That's what I expected," Searanox said, leaning against his desk. "I didn't think I'd be the only one with an itchy trigger finger. But come to think of it, my drone just killed a cat. It’s not very big. Does any animal give experience?"
Iris tilted her head, a gesture that looked hauntingly lupine on her beautiful face. "Based on my administrative knowledge, yes. However, the experience gained is directly proportional to the challenge and the 'soul-weight' of the target. Mundane animals offer minimal returns. The System’s purpose is to forge strength through adversity; therefore, it incentivizes facing more formidable threats. You will find far greater rewards in hunting the mutated fauna that will soon emerge than in clearing the city of its strays."
`Status.` Searanox thought.
Immediately, the bluish-green window appeared, displaying his updated information in a clean, digital format.
[Status]
─ Name: Searanox
─ Class: Dronemancer
─ Level: 1
─ Exp: 35/100
─ Strength: 7 (+3) [+0%] → 10
─ Dexterity: 5 (+3) [+0%] → 8
─ Constitution: 7 (+3) [+0%] → 10
─ Intelligence: 7 (+3) [+0%] → 10
─ Agility: 6 (+3) [+0%] → 9
─ Willpower: 8 (+3) [+0%] → 11
Searanox nodded, a grim understanding dawning on him. He felt... different. His thoughts were sharper, his body felt heavier yet more responsive. The System wasn't just a game; it was a crucible. It was designed to turn them into weapons by rewarding the very thing most civilized societies forbid: killing.
He looked at Iris. She was more than just a bodyguard; she was a walking database of the very laws that now governed their existence.
"Iris, what are your stats?"
As he asked, a second window manifested beside his own.
[Status: Iris]
─ Name: Iris
─ Class: Eldritch Knight
─ Level: 1
─ Strength: 8
─ Dexterity: 6
─ Constitution: 9
─ Intelligence: 5
─ Agility: 7
─ Willpower: 5
"I see," Searanox noted. "Without the bonus, we both started with a total of 40 points. Tell me about your class and your skills."
Iris stepped forward, the silver-white strands in her mane catching the light. "My class is Eldritch Knight, Searanox. It is a fusion of martial prowess and arcane power. I am designed to be your primary frontline combatant—capable of dealing significant damage while withstanding heavy punishment that would kill a standard human."
Her voice remained calm, a stark contrast to her predatory appearance.
"I have access to three core skills: Arcane Strike, Mystic Ward, and Blade Step."
To demonstrate, she raised her left hand. A shimmering, ethereal blade of dark turquoise energy materialized around her sharp claws, extending them into jagged, glowing weapons that hummed with power. "Arcane Strike allows me to imbue my physical attacks with raw mana, bypassing many forms of physical armor."
She then raised her right hand, and a faint, translucent blue barrier snapped into existence around her forearm, crackling with static. "Mystic Ward creates a localized protective field that can absorb a fixed amount of damage before dissipating."
Finally, she took a sudden, blurring step forward. Her body seemed to flicker, disappearing from the corner and reappearing instantly in the center of the room, leaving a faint trail of fading arcane particles behind her. "Blade Step allows me to teleport short distances. It is my primary method for closing the gap with ranged enemies."
Searanox reached out and, with a sudden impulse of playfulness to break the tension, gave her a quick 'boop' on her furry snout.
"And how much of your mana did you just waste on that little light show?" he asked, his eyes flicking to the side as his HUD updated. His drone had found another target—a large raccoon this time.
─ [+10 Exp]
The tingle of experience was becoming familiar now, a pleasant hum in the back of his mind. Iris blinked at him, her amber eyes meeting his. A flicker of something unreadable—perhaps surprise, or a hint of burgeoning personality—passed through her gaze.
"I have used 15 Mana, Searanox," she said, her voice a little softer, less mechanical. "And... I will not call you Progenitor if it is your wish."
He looked at his own resource bar.
─ [-3 TP]
"Mmmm..." Searanox hummed, calculating the drain. `At this rate, I won't be able to keep that drone active for even ten minutes before I’m tapped out.`
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a small green notification ticked upward.
─ [+1 TP]
`What a relief.` He thought. The constant drain on his Tech-Points was a concern, but seeing the regeneration kick in meant he wasn't completely helpless. He just needed to be smart. He needed to manage his "fleet" carefully if he was going to survive the week.
"Iris," he said, looking at the door. "We need gear. We have a week before the world goes to shit, and I’m not going into the apocalypse in my boxers."