1 Blurry Neon-lit Streets

The clouds traced countless miles, cleaved through enormous mountains, finally making their way to the desolate Valorent city. They stood united, shrouding the entire sky in a gloomy aura.

The rain fell, embracing the earth, and they sang together the glory of mortals; their courage; hardships, and immortal will.

Those enormous corporate arcologies came alive as they replaced their solar cells with water-absorbing skins, and caressed the rain.

The harvested water streamed through an intricate drainage system in the same way as the circulating blood in the human body.

Reaching the building's heart, it was turned into freshwater by gigantic filters. The freshwater then circulated back to the ecosystem of the arcologies.

The same process was being repeated in every single corner of the Valorent City, and not a drop of water was compromised.

Under the shadow of the blurry streets, many hustlers were running to their schedule, sheltered by the elemental umbrella. The high tech water shield was a convenient stick which freezed the hovering particles in the air, forming a natural barrier around the host.

The neon lights around the Modern Bay shone as sun and every single droplet as its prism. Beneath the radiant seven shades, a thin black shadow was flashing past with an unhurried momentum.

The overlapped dark cloak around his body was smudged with countless scars, and its fabric clearly baptized by the sharp edges of time.

Even then, he didn't appear to be unpleasant or lacking. There was something about him that stood out from the rest. The way he walked without making a noise, trying to merge with the black of his cloak. Eyes that held nothing but criticism and caution. Body language shrieking of its non-existence.

The boy avoided people as much as possible, seemingly becoming invisible in the crowd.

No one noticed him, and the few ones who did had different responses. Some took their gaze back the moment it fell. While few who had eyes that didn't believe what they saw, found that there was something profound about him.

In the end, they also failed to analyze the oddity, and rushed past him.

"Warning to the dear citizens of Valorent City. Any vehicle under the S-class category is prohibited to fly above the city premise as a rainstorm is under way. Please evacuate your vehicles to the Public Parking Zone."

"Warning…"

Before the warning could sound again, the drone carrying the message was swept by a speeding german car, crashing across the arcade.

What followed were the loud sirens chiming from the police cars and Law Enforcement Drones chasing after the offender.

Witnessing this scene, the crowd below didn't even have a frown on their faces as if it was just another normal day.

The black-cloaked boy looked around the sheltered streets, a long curly haired african man pocketing some cash in a woman's T-shirt while whispering something.

An office man wrapped up in an expensive italian coat running with a hologram and a flattering expression.

Some unknown couples on a virtual date walking hand in hand with their virtual consoles set in some romantic venue.

Everyone was hustling in an intricate dance of commerce and desire.

The prey-like gaze shifted towards an opaque glass of a cafe called La Belle Vie, as blurry neon fell around his figure, and his thin body appeared robust for a fleeting second.

A face that had lost all the teenage fat came into view, perfectly molding into a sculpted face. His wet white hair shone like a crown under neon while those pairs of dark blue overshadowed every lights around the vicinity, announcing its supremacy.

Walking for an hour, he saw neon replacing the sunlight, peace taking over the chaotic minds.

There were more people occupying the streets, but they had less worries of tomorrow. These were the hours in the darkness, peaceful and inducing.

Losing his guard to the mood, he unknowingly reached at a shabby and impoverished bar.

Accompanied by a slight hesitation, he entered the bar to be greeted by the light music.

"Oh, that chick is damn hot."

He heard someone say, as he shouldered his way through the crowd around the territory of the bartender.

"Normally you won't find that sort of high quality stuff around here." It was an asian voice and an asian joke. The Chamana was a bar of professional procrastinators; you could drink there for weeks but never hear two words making sense.

Ben was tending bar, his arms jerking monotonously as he filled a glass with chilled vodka.

"Hey, you smell so sweaty and..." The dreamy voice drifted in his ears along with the hot air, and continued, "And virgin."

He trembled, his body spinning on his axis, and a snow white cleavage came into his view. The mischievous grin lit on her angular face just added more to her devilish charm, and those revealing clothes were enough to attract the attention of the whole bar.

"Excuse me, you are being rude, lady, vanish okay?" calmly withdrawing his gaze, the boy looked straight into her eyes.

"Your words are so harsh, little man. So young and so cold. How about letting me warm you up?" she winked playfully, and quickly wore the skin of a young lady in love. The transition was instantaneous, and utterly effective.

Unrestrained laughter and suppressed gulps echoed throughout the Bar. They always eyed the opportunity to fill in their jars again, and as always, Chamana did not disappoint them.

However, the young man didn't appear embarrassed at all, scanned the lady with an unbridled gaze, and lazily moved his slightly dry lips.

"I might be too cold for you."

"Booo, Booo"

Splinter and tinker of jars hitting the table thrummed along with sarcastic remarks, but none of it managed to create a wrinkle on his face.

The woman made a soft spitting sound and left the bar, silently remarking, "Jesus, you are no fun."

"What kind of trashy bar are you running here? Man can't even have a drink in peace." The boy smiled at Ben, and found a place in the bar.

He shrugged while shaking the wine with his good hands.

"Well, first, you are no man, kid, and second, I let them work here for entertainment value."

"Do you pay them?" he asked, and took one of the prepared drinks in the tray.

"A percentage, yes."

"Consider signing me in then, I will earn a penny or two fooling around young ladies."

"I am afraid you won't make a good toy."

"What? Are you doubting my charm, or my love for pennies?"

"Neither."

"Then?"

"Worried your coldness might steal every whore's heart."

"It seems you have learned how to be artiste, my friend." The boy calmly sipped through the glass, and licked his dry lips. "Might I be presumptuous and ask if the humor comes from these hired ladies."

Ben's attention seemed to be grasped by the folly of a notorious vodka glass. He patiently wiped out the table as he spoke, "It comes from the wind serving this bar. The scent of different cocktails drifting along with a myriad of conversations keeps adding to my inventory. You will find news from each corner of Valorent City here. And that too served hot and fresh. While humor prevails from hundreds of accents. Known and unknown."

He suddenly stopped his hands appearing to just have left the trance. Those dark blue eyes abruptly turned a shade darker. There was something special about his eyes that one couldn't comprehend on the first try. They were alive yet lifeless.

"Haha, not that a kid like you will understand."

A deep silence shrouded the Chamana for the boy, and only the deep voice was singled out for him. He quietly returned the gaze, patiently waiting for something.

"Okay. Mr. Ander. Follow me to the private rooms for a little change of mood and song."

Hearing that, the boy named Ander finally relaxed his unconsciously clenched hands behind the dark cloak, sighed silently, and followed behind him like a shadow.

On the dark corners of the Chamana bar, the scope which had their eyes pinned on Ander's neck withdrew silently.

"Sorry we have to go through this every time. You know precaution always prevails. Those motherfuckers can imitate you to the level of minute skin pores. Even their mothers might find it hard to recognize them."

Ander followed Ben's petite back, wondering if he might have had gender reassignment surgery.

He had heard many kids say that it was quite convenient and cheap nowadays.

The floral T-shirt on Ben's back made countless silhouettes under the hazy lamps, hanging by the narrow lobby.

"You do act cool, kid. Admire your mental fortitude. Knowing that if you were missing in a single expression, the brains of yours might have been lacking in oxygen by those locked guns. Each one was loaded with coagulation bullets which are capable of blocking your blood supply in seconds.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't have been standing here if not for this pitiful skill of mine. Those slum alleys back at home might have already become my burial ground."

"Kid, to survive in a forest, you must become an animal. The wilder you are, the longer you live."

It appeared as if his words had some deeper implications. Deeper than Ander could imagine. However, the distance to their destination didn't give him enough time to comprehend.

"Here. That's where we will part. Hope we meet again in the future. Good luck." Ben gestured towards the closed door, and turned to leave.

With a slight creak, the door was pushed open. The hushing voices were shut down the exact same moment, as if someone had tapped on the off-switch.

The lifeless door exposed him to a few pairs of eyes scanning him like a prey. Unconsciously, Ander's precise and shadowy body language was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, it was replaced by the soft and timid behavior of a normal school boy around his age.

The room was fairly modern. The walls were attached with a beautiful layer of Eliane Marble. They gave off a dreamy shine which was a beautiful mend of different colors.

They possessed natural thermoregulation and immunity to every season while standing at the aesthetic standards of modern humanity. The solid pack of stats came with a high price, manifesting around hundreds of solar coins per kilogram.

Four people had conquered the room, each contrasting the other. Countless gadgets were littered around the table which stood in their middle. They invited a flash of greed from Ander's eyes.

"Who the hell allowed you in? Shoo-off to the rat hole you crawled out from before I pin you down."

A lazy man seemingly absorbed in the fabrics of Sofa tried to shout in a fierce way, but his frail voice failed him. Dark spectacles barred his eyes, and he looked lost in his own thoughts.

The senses trained throughout the span of countless years in the dark alleys of the Valorent City, prompted Ander to believe that there were more than three pairs of eyes studying him.

Most held curiosity, a trace of alertness, and others: naked contempt. Ander was very familiar with that sort of gaze. It awakened something inside of him. Something he had been working hard to suppress. The raw wildness that had invaded him to the core. The recklessness that had saved him and in some cases, troubled him, left its shackles. "I only like getting pinned by women, not by some creepy man with weird specs and a spine bent to an unknown angle."

He spat out with a provocative smile on his face.

The response took everyone in the room by surprise. It only lasted for a second followed by suppressed chuckles, and hurried breathing from the lazy-appearing man.

"What did you say? You dare talk to me like that, bastard?!" bellowed the Man. The yelling proved to be strenuous for him, as if he had used a ration meant to be stocked for months.

"Now that I recall my words, they were indeed a little harsh. It was a mistake on my part." With a slight pause, Ander continued, "They were meant for a man, not for a frail woman like you."

Ding!

[Scanning host]

[Scan complete]

[Host found]

[Establishing connection to host]

[System Awakening…]

[Awakened]

[Analyzing environment]

Hearing the crisp sounds, Ander looked around in confusion, and completely forgot about his position.

[The system has felt your anger]

Suddenly, a weird neon screen magically appeared before his eyes, showing some text.

[System Level: 1]

[Race: Human]

[HP: 10/10]

[Strength: 10]

[Agility: 10]

[Stamina: 10]

[Magic Talent:?]

[Element Affinity: ?]

[Magic Experience: 0/500]

[Magic Points: 0]

<You have received a Quest from the System>

[Quest: Kill your teammate Sigel]

[Reward: +5 to all attributes, 200 Magic Experience, 1 Magic Point, and System acknowledgement]

[Time Limit: Till the end of Mission]

'What is this evil thing?!'