Chapter 4: Skill and Monster.

After an unknown amount of time, a distant rumble awakened Ryan's consciousness.

"Urgh~" he groaned, moving his neck.

Still groggy, Ryan tried to get up but fell back, feeling pain throughout his body. Trying to focus his vision, he felt a liquid trickling down his forehead. Wiping his face, he cleaned the liquid and, looking at his hand, realized it was blood.

"Urgh, Aiden!" he called out with a groan. But there was no response.

Looking around, he saw that the garage was a mess. The lights were off, several tools were scattered, and it seemed he had hit some cabinets during the impact.

Ryan then looked around and noticed his crutch near the exoskeleton. He held onto the edge of the table and stood up, gritting his teeth trying to ignore the leg pain. Leaning on the table, he walked over to the crutch.

However, the crutch was on the other side. Unable to use his leg properly, he stretched his hand to reach for the crutch. It was a bit far, and as he stretched his fingers trying to reach it, he felt dizzy and ended up falling to the ground.

"Damn!" On the ground, he cursed and slammed his hand in anger. However, when he slapped the palm of his hand on the ground, a slight electric arc jumped, striking the nearby equipment but mainly the exoskeleton a few inches from him. At the moment the energy touched the exoskeleton, Ryan momentarily felt the strange sensation as if he were connected to the exoskeleton.

"What the?!" Ryan exclaimed, surprised to see the electricity coming out of his palm. But mainly, by the feeling he felt. "Am I... dreaming? Did I lose that much blood?"

Ryan tried to process what was happening, feeling his heart race with confusion and fear. He looked again at the exoskeleton, waiting for some answer or sign that it was real. Slowly, he tried to stretch his hand again, almost expecting to see more electrical sparks. Surprisingly, a new electric arc jumped from his hand towards the exoskeleton, briefly lighting the dark environment with a bluish light.

"This isn't possible," he murmured to himself, now fully convinced that something extraordinary was happening. Despite the pain and dizziness, a spark of curiosity prompted him to stand up. Using the table for support, Ryan slowly made his way back to the exoskeleton. Each step was torment, but he finally reached the exoskeleton platform.

Getting closer, he touched the exoskeleton with one hand, and this time, a steady flow of small sparks danced between his fingers and the metal. The moment Ryan placed his hand on the exoskeleton, the feeling of connection came again, this time not vague, but like a real link.

As he touched the structure of the exoskeleton, his eyes lightly illuminated with a surprising electric blue glow. But the real turmoil was occurring inside his mind.

Ryan felt as if a projection of the exoskeleton formed in his mind. As if he could see every piece, every screw, and cables integrating the exoskeleton.

Feeling the knowledge flow into him as if it were downloading directly into his brain, Ryan was awestruck with sudden clarity. It was as if he could feel and understand the inner workings of the exoskeleton, perceiving its potentialities and limitations with a clarity he had never experienced before.

Almost instinctively, Ryan began to delve deeper into this sensation. Spreading the energy throughout the exoskeleton.

"This... this is incredible," Ryan whispered to himself, a mix of awe and disbelief in his voice.

Deepening his connection further, Ryan focused his mind on the exoskeleton's legs, trying to make them move. To his surprise, the robotic legs responded to his mental command, articulating smoothly. "I can control it," Ryan exclaimed, a smile of excitement taking over his face.

With renewed enthusiasm, he continued to explore this new ability. Ryan concentrated on performing more complex movements: making the robotic legs step, squat, and even simulate running in place. Each successful action bolstered his confidence and joy, offering him a glimpse of possibilities that until then he could only imagine.

The initial pain and confusion were now replaced by a sense of empowerment. Controlling the legs of the exoskeleton as naturally as if they were his own, Ryan began to realize the potential of using this technology for something much greater than just walking.

"Maybe it's possible..." he murmured, with an idea forming in his mind after feeling as if the exoskeleton was an extension of his own consciousness. Taking his hand off the exoskeleton, he tried to control it and still managed.

Then, he took a deep breath and used his mind to make the cables holding the exoskeleton release. The exoskeleton, now loose, moved slowly out of the platform, stopping in front of Ryan's body.

Then, Ryan turned his back, distancing himself a bit from the table and trying not to lose his balance. The exoskeleton then opened its locks and positioned itself behind Ryan. Slowly, with almost careful mechanical precision, the exoskeleton aligned with the lower part of his body.

Then, the fastening belts extended, wrapping around Ryan's body smoothly and efficiently. Each belt adjusted firmly but without causing discomfort, ensuring that the exoskeleton remained stable and secure. Finally, the main lock closed at his hip.

With the exoskeleton now firmly attached, Ryan tried to take a step. Initially hesitant, he concentrated, commanding the exoskeleton with his mind. To his astonishment and joy, the robotic leg responded smoothly, moving forward with a fluidity he hadn't felt in his own leg for years. Excited, Ryan continued, each step increasing his confidence.

"It's working... I'm walking!" he said aloud, a mix of incredulity and triumph in his voice. He paused for a moment, allowing himself to absorb the reality of what was happening. Ryan had become not just a user but a true extension of that technology.

Ryan began to walk through the garage, each step more confident than the last. He explored the feeling of each movement, adjusting his mind to coordinate the actions of the exoskeleton with greater precision. With each step, he felt as if he were breaking the chains that had kept him prisoner of his own condition.

While Ryan was enjoying the feeling of freedom provided by the exoskeleton, a distant explosion tore through the air, abruptly interrupting his euphoria. Surprised, he looked at the window and saw traces of smoke rising not far away.

Recognizing that he was still unaware of the situation outside the workshop, Ryan decided to leave. Approaching the workshop gate, he encountered a problem: without electric power, the door would not open. However, inspired by his newfound ability, he placed his hand on the control panel and, focusing his mind, a small electric current flowed from his body to the mechanism. With a low hum, the gate began to open slowly.

Exiting the workshop, Ryan finally had a clear view of the external scenario, and what he saw left him in shock. Smoke was rising from several points, cars were overturned in the streets, and, more alarmingly, he spotted a distant building that seemed to have been hit by something.

Seeing the damaged building, Ryan quickly thought it might have been a plane, considering the electric pulse would have hit any aircraft in the sky squarely. His heart sank at the thought of the air disaster and its consequences.

His workshop was in one of the farthest parts of the city center, so he was a bit away from where the chaos seemed greater.

Looking down the street, he saw many bloodstains on the road. Some came from the cars, but strangely he saw no one inside. He only saw a strange tear in the body of one of the cars, as if it had been hit by an excavator.

Ryan then saw a staggering figure emerging from a dark alley a few meters away. Curious and concerned, he called out to her as he cautiously advanced in her direction. "Hello!"

Hearing Ryan's voice, the figure stiffened abruptly. At that moment, Ryan halted his walk, noticing the bloodstains grotesquely covering the person's clothes.

"Are you okay?" he called again, his voice tinged with hesitation. Without response, the figure slowly turned around, revealing an appearance that made Ryan's blood run cold. It was a woman, but her features were grotesquely distorted; her sclerae injected with red and her jaw grotesquely divided, displaying a row of sharp, bloodied teeth.

With a terrifying roar, the creature lunged fiercely at Ryan. "What the fuck?!" he cursed, instinctively jumping back in an effort to dodge the sudden attack. He managed to avoid the first attack, but, disoriented, he ended up colliding with the side of a parked car.

The monster-woman, driven by wild fury, jumped at him again. Ryan raised his arms in a defensive reflex, blocking her. But the creature exhibited surprising strength, its jaws opening and closing frantically in an attempt to bite his face.

"Arghhh~ Let go, you wretch!" Ryan screamed, adrenaline shooting through his body. Using the strength of the exoskeleton in his legs, he raised one and delivered a powerful kick to the creature's abdomen. The impact of the blow was so strong that he heard the sound of her ribs breaking, and the woman was thrown back, flying several meters before crashing noisily against a car, where she lay motionless.

Ryan, his heart pounding uncontrollably, did not dare to stay to check the state of the creature. He ran back inside the workshop and with swift movements, he reached for the control panel and, with a small flow of energy from his hand, the heavy workshop door began to close with a metallic groan.

Once the large metal door closed, Ryan leaned against it, his heavy breathing echoing in the tense silence of the workshop. As he tried to calm his racing heart, he processed what had just happened.

Catching his breath, Ryan tried to organize his thoughts. "What the hell was that?!" he wondered. If that had ever been a human, it certainly wasn't anymore. Recalling recent news, he remembered reports of sightings of abnormally sized animals and strange behaviors among people in various countries.

Thinking about the changes in his own body, Ryan quickly concluded that he was not the only one to have undergone mutations caused by the meteor shower. Remembering the monster he had fought, he felt relief at having gained a useful ability instead of turning into a monster. This realization made his heart race, especially remembering that his sister was miles away, amidst the chaos.

"I have to get out of here. I need to get to Elena," he thought, his mind frantically working to formulate a plan. But with Los Angeles so far away and the presence of possibly worse monsters than the one he had faced, the chances of reaching his sister in his current state seemed minimal.

Looking up, he spotted the vehicle Mike had left to be repaired. "That's it!" His eyes lit up. That car was his best chance of getting to his sister. Previously, it would have been unlikely to repair the car without the right parts, but now, with his new power, he could do much more than just fix it.

Taking a deep breath, Ryan filled with determination. "I'm getting out of here. And nothing is going to stop me from getting to Los Angeles," he growled.