Blood Sword (1)

The good thing about having two identities was the fact that it was relatively easy to switch. With only two persons on the rooftop, namely me and the witch Laylah who knew my identity, I did not need to isolate myself either.

I put on my gear from my bag: a rather average mask from the doomstick uniform. It was scary and resembled the medieval plague doctors masks. It was unnecessary edgy, but I was not the one who chose it. The suit was a regular combat suit as well, though it was made with the finest carbon fibers on the market, qualifying as D-grade piece of equipment, though it provided no stat bonus. The same went for my sword, as a D-grade cybernetic piece of equipment.

I instantly jumped from the rooftop, and reached the ground. Why use stairs when your body was strong enough to handle the impact.

[You lost 5 HP]

[Greem - HP: 255 / 260]

With 26 points in vitality, I had long since surpassed the standards of regular humans. My tendons, flesh and bones were all conditioned to handle exceptional stress. 

I instantly rushed towards the Yeong Highschool gate, and dismissed the notification.

[Optional D-rank mission - Murloc Gate

A gate has overflown 3 miles away from the Yeong Highschool. Murlocs are the main monsters, and number in the hundreds. Although the [Dawn Guild] will react promptly, there is a delay between the moment the murlocs are noticed, and the actual arrival of organized forces. Due to murloc's intellect, policemen will not be able to stop their advance. Your task is to reduce their numbers as much as possible, as any deaths will reduce the market of District 77, and, in turn, revenue of the business known as the Doomsmith Underground Organization.

Task - Kill 100 Murlocs (0 / 100)

Optional - Kill additional murlocs

Rewards - Proportional to the number of murlocs killed, Reputation, Reputation with Acteon, Doc Juan, Laylah, Crow, George,...]

The more people living in district 77, the more clients there were. Be it loans, protection fees, or even drugs and cybernetic pieces of equipment, the survival of regular civilians, as filthy as they were, was of paramount interest for revenue. The game was a dire representation of capitalism, and the importance of wealth, namely credits and real estate, was huge in the game, especially if you came from lower districts.

Be it in 2077 or 2310, the story remained the same. Wealth was but the one resource that allowed a common bronze citizen to reach the inner city and gain social status. Although you could not buy citizenship directly, there were plenty of sustainable way: buying your marriage into a stable, noble lifehood was one option.

This is what i did best.

*SPLASH*

I cut down a murloc with ease, my sword cutting through the neck of the humanoid and blueish monster as if it was butter.

[Name - Greem Southport | Age - 15 Years | Class: Lv. 28 Warrior [D-rank] (300 / 3200)

Health Points: 255 / 260

Attributes:

Strength - 30 (+3) [C] | Agility - 21 [D] | Vitality - 26 [D] | Mana - 32 (+3) [C] 

Talent: Martial Cybernetic Skeleton [B], Swordsmanship Affinity [C]

Passive Skills: Etherum Military Swordsmanship [D], Killing Intent [E]

Active Skills: Focus [E], Stealth [E]

Items: Cybernetic Enhanced Bones [C] (+2 Mana), Cybernetic Flesh [C] (+3 Strength)]

With 33 points of strength, my muscles were on par with regular C-rank warriors already. This was the power of compound training, elixirs and the system granting me free stat points whenever I leveled up. I had sacrificed my agility for the sake of higher strength, but it was only because agility was much more difficult to increase naturally. 

*SPLASH*

[You have killed an E-rank murloc. You have earned 15 EXP]

Cybernetic implants. I had already set my eyes on a couple of them. Most people would face secondary effects upon implanting cybernetic augments into their own body. Some would feel headaches, or even reject the implant altogether, leading to severe forms of insanity.

As a gamer, I was completely unaffected by those. It was as if I had a 100% compatibility with all cybernetic implants. I had the dream physique for a warrior, one that the higher ups of Etherum would hunt me down for, if it was ever known knowledge.

Murlocs were strange creatures. With the body of a fish, they could breathe both in the air and underwater, their respiratory system changing depending on their environment. They had blue skin, and defined muscles. Their scales provided them a natural armour against cutting attacks and thrusting attacks, though they provided little resistance to cybernetic weapons such as my sword

*SPLASH*

[You have killed an E-rank murloc. You have earned 15 EXP]