Morality In Shambles

Yes, the first and middle part of this chapter was the same as before. But I changed the whole plot arc, so don't worry, you're not gonna read the same chapter.

I also plan to upload 2 chapters today, so I hope you'll forgive me for uploading the almost same chapter.

***

What separates good from evil, huh? Is it about who you are, your friends, family, or maybe just yourself?

Trying to figure it out is like untangling headphone wires—you think you got it, but then, nope.

Most times, the answers are wrapped up in what society says. We're labeled good or bad based on these unwritten rules and what everyone else thinks.

Rules, norms, religion—like the referees of human behavior, telling us what's a goal and what's a foul.

But what if, one day, the world flips on its head, and all these rules crumble? Are they even worth a darn anymore?

Gets tricky, right? For me, the answer's a flat-out no. In this apocalypse, it's a free-for-all, and no one cares.

So, In the middle of the night, I'm tearing through a building's wreckage. Black robe flapping, mask making every breath feel like a workout.

Monsters growl, and another player's footsteps echo. The one I'm chasing leaves a bloody trail, desperate to escape. I can't help but wonder why she keeps running.

Sometimes, adrenaline could delay the inevitable, but it seemed different in this case.

Getting tired of the chase, I summon my revolver and mutter, "Inferno Blast."

Luck bails on me, the bullet smashing into the wall as she changes direction. Ugh, what a waste of MP! I sigh but keep running.

Surprisingly, she stops in a hallway, clutching her dagger and trembling. Can't tell if she's gearing up to fight or looking for something else.

"Why did you do this to me?" she asks, voice shaking, blood dripping. "We're survivors! Supposed to watch each other's backs!"

This was the first conversation I had with my prey, it was awkward because I didn't know what to say, but her perspective was really naive.

"Do I need a reason? It's the apocalypse; I can do whatever I want," I reply, throwing out a cold justification.

Fueled by anger, she charged at me, an easy target in her rage. I fired my revolver, hitting her with a normal attack until she stopped moving.

Letting out a sigh, I acknowledged the end of another hunt. Since she was weak, I only earned a measly 750 killing points, the lowest in the last three days.

{I don't want to devour her}

Tiamat chimed in. I shrugged; she probably didn't has any valuable skills anyway so it didn't matter.

{She is just too pathetic}

I nodded, reflecting on my first day in this apocalypse. Wasn't I equally pathetic back then?

I glanced at the woman, guilt seeping in. Yet, my brain was quick with the rationalization: she'd probably died in the next game, and hey, that's better than becoming monster chow.

I've noticed not all players rock the same skills. Sure, we might be on the same level, but not everyone's a pro at using their skills. Some even got stuck with the crappiest ones.

How do I know?

Tiamat devoured about ten of them before she got annoyed and didn't want anymore, and most of their skills were useless to my Ranger class, so I ended up not taking them. Just a few, if any.

There were even some people who only had R skills. How bad your luck could be if you couldn't even have an SR skill one?

In the end, I just took three skills that really interest me:

--------------------------------------

[Skill: Teleportation SSR]

[Level: 1]

[MP Cost: 100]

[Skill Cooldown: 3 hours]

[Description: Allowing the user to transcend spatial boundaries and relocate to any destination of their choosing, regardless of distance.]

[Requirement: The teleportation is bound by the places the user has previously visited. ]

--------------------------------------

[Skill: Visual Manipulation SR]

[Level: 1]

[MP Cost: 50]

[Skill Duration: 25 seconds]

[Skill Cooldown: 15 minutes]

[Description: Grants the user the ability to manipulate the sight of the enemy, inducing blindness or altering their visual perception.]

[Requirement: The user must maintain eye contact with the enemy for at least 5 seconds.]

---------------------------------------

[Skill: Sensory Nullification SSR]

[Level: 1]

[MP Cost: 75]

[Skill Duration: 5 minutes]

[Skill Cooldown: 1 hour]

[Description: Bestows the user with the power to nullify all seven senses of the enemy, rendering them vulnerable and easily defeated.]

[Requrement: The user must maintain continuous physical contact with the enemy throughout the skill's duration. Failure to do so results in the skill's failure.]

-------------------------------------

All these skills had their charm, useful in their own way, but they weren't exactly special.

However, I couldn't level up these skills because they couldn't be integrated into the system; they only existed in Tiamat's system.

"But you can level them up to the maximum level, right, Tiamat?" I inquired.

{Yep, but you got a three-hour window each day, so make 'em count.}

If that's the case, I'll level them up when I need it. I was kinda itching to see what maxing out a skill could do. Most of my skills and weapons were already at level 10, thanks to my grinding.

So far, the only noticeable changes were longer skill duration and quicker cooldowns. For weapons, it pumped up the buff percentage and damage.

All of this upgrading was quite expensive in terms of skill points. I needed a game plan—prioritize some skills, let the rest simmer with time.

While I was deep in thought, footsteps tiptoed into my ears. I honed my senses, scanning the scene, and there he was, a Warrior class player was lurking nearby, holding a grudge in those eyes.

Damn, I was not in the mood for another fight! But oh well, this person seemed eager to kill me, so I just needed to entertain him then.

However, to my surprise, he approached the woman I had killed, kneeling beside her. Gently, he closed her still-opened eyes, tears streaming down his face.

Ah, it became clear. He knew the woman, explaining the anguish in his eyes. The player before me, middle-aged with graying black hair and matching eyes, exuded a certain handsomeness.

"I don't get why you killed someone innocent like her," he said, locking eyes with me. Getting back on his feet, he added, "If I can disarm you within five minutes, promise me you'll stop this killing spree."

I squinted, thinking, what the heck was this guy up to?Why was he suddenly said this? Why didn't we just try to kill each other?

"Sure. But what if you fail?" I inquired.

"Do whatever you want to me," he declared, oozing confidence.

Well, not a bad deal, I guess?

***

Oh yeah, the cover is made by my friend Mystar! I hope you like it. The cover itself is our MC, Seth.