Chapter 8 - First Karma Quest

I had known these people for all of 12 minutes. I didn't feel particularly betrayed by the two, and I wasn't so close to Damion that I would mourn him for more than a day. Honestly, feeling anything for me was rare. I often spent days in and out in a blank, apathetic state.

Yet, looking at the woman's twisted grin, and the blood pooling around the corners of Damion's mouth, their shamelessness irked me.

Damion's hands glow a faint golden color, before fizzing out.

"Can't have you healing, can we?" Patricia sneers, yanking her blades out. They're tinted blue, and a blue-colored liquid splatters and mixes with Damion's blood as she swipes them away. "Did I mention I was a Poisoning Rogue? I forgot? Ohhh, I'm sooo sorry!"

I crack my neck out, stepping towards the Brawler, and he takes one look at me and laughs. "Oh, what, did us killing someone make you angwy? You didn't even know him. Unless you're a pathetic hero complex type."

"No, I just think you guys need an ass beating, that's all. Entitled little bitches."

He grits his teeth, raising his fist as a few spirals of wind form around it.

— — — — —

Patricia was more than content to simply let the new addition get pummeled to death, but as the Priest's life finally passed, a message she had ignored glows red, and another section is added to the bottom of it. 'Oh my gawd, what??' she thinks as she looks at it in irritation.

[ WARNING! You have attacked another user. Other users may now attack you with no penalty for 24 hours. ]

[ Penalty: -15 to SPE and STL for 24 hours. ]

[ WARNING. You have intentionally killed another user. Other users may now attack you with no penalty indefinitely. ]

[ Penalty: Total EXP and Proficiency reset, 1 Stat Grade loss to all Stats, Illusioned Status applied for 24 hours. ]

Even now, her world already seemed to be twisting and distorting, growing out of focus and colors mixing. "Aldie! It gives you a penalty, there's no rewards!"

Both Kieran and Alden had also received their own message before she spoke, causing them to hesitate.

[ A Poisoner Rogue near you is now considered an "enemy." You will not receive a penalty for engaging in combat with the Rogue. ]

"Shit," Alden mutters under his breath, looking at the young girl. She was a fun time here and there, but she was starting to prove herself to be just as useless now as she was before the world ended. "In any case, you'll probably rat us out, so I'll just have to take the penalty to keep you quiet, and hope for the best."

Kieran seems almost completely uninterested, peering at a new Quest that had popped up for him. "You know, if you guys weren't so damn stupid, you'd have realized you could just ask the system what would happen if you attacked another human."

"Fuck you!" Alden yells, throwing out a Wind Punch, granting him much more range than the unarmed boy had, but he easily sidesteps it, moving almost twice as fast as he had been while they were hunting. "What—"

To him, it looked as if Kieran had simply melted into his shadow and disappeared, but even with her eyesight turned into a bad trip, Patricia still saw it all.

Her Stealth was weakened, but she could still tell that it was about equal with the boy's. "A-Aldie, behind you!"

— — — — —

It was a feeling I almost couldn't put into words. It was like it was pure instinct, but I consciously could tell that I just KNEW. I knew where his blind spots were, and how to use it to slip behind him. To his untrained eye, I would simply fade away. Of course, from her angle, and with her own Stealth level, she would easily be able to spot me, but I was hoping to use that. And sure enough, she called to let him know right where I was. I had bought all the time I needed. Plus…

[ Elemental Brawler has attacked you. You may now retaliate with no consequences. ]

'Getting caught off guard worked out, too,' I note, feeling the light sting of a cut on my upper arm. His attack was strong enough to get past the Durability buff, but at least it hadn't been a full hit.

As he whirls around, I grab the kitchen knife that has finally materialized, holding out my left hand. "Absorb."

[ Absorbed 4 STR from Brawler. ]

Good enough.

As he faces me, rearing his arm back again, I stab the kitchen knife from my Inventory forward with new Strength. Thankfully I am accurate, hitting right into his neck. There's the slightest pause as his high defense and the knife fight against each other, his skin alone holding out.

[ Kitchen Knife Durability: F+ ]

The blade suddenly shatters, pieces flying past my face — and several embedding through his throat. The new jagged end sinks true as well, filling his esophagus with his blood, which pours from between clenched teeth. "Bastard…"

I jump back as he lashes out with one last weak punch before tumbling to the ground. I look coldly down at him for a moment. 'Before he dies…'

Now remembering a capability that I had forgot to use earlier, I hold out my hand again. "Absorb."

[ Absorbed 2 INT from Brawler. ]

I turn to face the girl and Priest, horror plastered on the former's face. 'Shit, he's dead. Does that mean I fail the quest?'

I stroll closer to the woman, who starts to shakily stumble to her feet.

I look to the dead body as she tries to get her feet under her, looking like a classic victim in a horror movie. 'Sorry, man. Wish I coulda helped more.'

Fwooop!

[ Time remaining to Absorb Stats: 4:24, 4:23… ]

'What??'

He was clearly dead, but I could still Absorb his Stats?

It was confusing, but the system was pointing it out to me, and it meant that I hadn't failed yet.

[ Absorbed 3 INT from Cleric. ]

[ Absorbed 2 INT from Cleric. ]

[ Greed Stat Leveled Up. ]

"Greed?… Anyway, I hope you don't mind me taking these Stats. It's not like you need them anymore, right? And as for you…"

I shoot a dark look at the Rogue, who finally has her feet under her and is running away weakly. "And you won't be needing any of your Stats soon, either."

It doesn't take me long to catch up; she's a lot slower than before, and I was faster than her in the first place. 'Absorb.'

[ Absorbed 3 SPE from Rogue. ]

[ Absorbed 4 STL from Rogue. ]

Now within arm's reach of her, I stretch out my hand to grab her collar, yanking her back just as a giant rabbit leaps by directly in front of her, nearly flattening her — wait, no, that was a human?!

"Sorry, I'm late for a birthdayyy!" The man yells over his shoulder, kicking up dust clouds from how hard he's stomping and jumping. He's not very fast, but it seemed like his pure strength was insane, at the very least, and allowed him to leap like a deranged jackrabbit. 'Aw man, I wish I coulda pulled off an Absorb before he got away.'

Turning my attention back to the matter at hand, I look down at the bawling girl as a new message pops up.

[ First Karma Quest complete! ]

[ 3/3 User Stats Absorbed. ]

[ Rewards: 5 Karma Points (KP), 5% EXP, 100 Shards. ]

[ Collected from deceased users: 3 MP Pills, 2 HP Pills, 318 Shards. ]

"Cool," I say nonchalantly, holding the Rogue in place by her hair. "Hey, have you gotten a Karma Quest yet?"

"A w-what?"

"Karma Quest," I say, losing a bit of patience. I tighten my grip, and she's all but a blubbering mess in my hand. "No! No, I haven't! I'm sorry! And Aldie made me do it to that guy! I didn't want him to kill me too! I just turned 18, please don't kill me!"

I stare coldly into her pleading eyes for a second longer before I let her go with a sigh. "No wonder Alden was interested in you, then. I forgot to grab my sword. But listen here."

I crouch down, glaring down on the girl splayed on the ground. "Don't come to the Safe Zone. If I see you there, I'll tell everyone around us what you did, and let them all decide what to do with you. After all, anyone can attack you with no consequence."

She nods vigorously. "I-I-I'll stay around here! I promise!"

"Good. Focus on finishing the Quest yourself. See you around, maybe."

"I will! Yes sir!" Patricia says sternly, but the second I turn away I can hear her break down, crying in relief. I sigh, walking back to where I can see Damion and Alden — and more importantly, my sword — in the distance.

"This world is screwed," I mutter, re-pulling my loose bun tight so that my hair wouldn't fall loose.

"My objective remains the same, though. Survive."

I pull open the completed Quest, reading it over. It had shown up right after Alden and Patricia had attacked me and Damion.

[ First Gluttony Karma Quest is being administered! ]

[ User(s) close to you have shown their true nature. Use your Gluttony to feed upon each True Nature. ]

[ 3/3 Users Absorbed ]

"… All three of them must have meant that he was being true to himself the whole time, huh?" I say quietly, looking at Damion's corpse. With a sigh, I lean down and close his eyes for him. 'Should I be this unbothered by watching someone die? Shit, I killed someone.'

Even then, I felt no regret for killing him. The system had even allowed it. What was important was to survive at any cost.

'I should get going,' I think quietly, saying a final goodbye before finally turning to finish the First Quest.