Test of will

'Nothing comes easy; I always knew that. But this... might just kill me, or worse, cause the death of someone else. I know I'm no golden boy superhero. I'm selfish, strong-headed, and have many more traits that people would find unappealing, but that's what makes me human. This system will not only test me but also test my will. There is no risk without reward. Mark Nolan was an example of this, and despite his superhuman physique, he still got messed up regularly.' Looking around, I see no one on the dark street.

[Promotion test: A liquor store is being held up at gunpoint near you by two individuals. Do you wish to accept?] This is the fifth promotion message today. I declined all previous ones as they seemed like suicide missions, but this one might just be doable.

"Accept." The direction is automatically known to me, and I start heading there as quickly as possible.

'No pipe this time and there are two of them. First, I need to scope them out, then make a plan.' Reaching the store, I can visibly see one guy standing guard with a gun while his friend is taking money from the cash register.

'There should be a back door; it's worth a try since they have the front covered.' Sneaking to the back as quickly as I can, I find a back door slightly open and one man standing there panicking while on the phone. Walking closer, I hear the teen talk.

"Yes, I fucking called the cops. It's the first thing I did, but they're gonna hurt Dad! What the fuck should I do? Just stand here? Fuck that! Of course, I know what a gun does to a body..."

Walking up to him, he panics as I try to defuse the situation. "Kid, I can help you deal with those robbers if you help me distract them."

The boy looks me up and down.

"Are you an off-duty cop? Military dude?" the kid asks, obviously suspicious of me.

"None of that, but I do throw a mean punch... Listen, there isn't much time, kid. We've already wasted enough talking. Make your choice. In or out?" I open the door and look at him.

"The plan, dude? Fight them? They've got guns..." the kid says nervously.

"And there are three of us. You distract them and surrender, make it seem like you don't know they're there and keep their attention on you. I'll handle the rest."

"Alright! Sounds like a plan." We walk in, and I go ahead of the kid, hiding behind the aisle shelves, waiting for the kid to play his part.

"Yo, Dad! I got the stuff from storage! Where do you want it?" The kid walks in normally, pretending not to notice the robbers.

"Shit! I thought you said there's no one back there!" the leader of the robbers shouts at the one standing guard. Arthur notices that she sounds like a female, while the one standing guard is a brawny male.

"I'll deal with it. Keep taking the cash." The male robber heads to the back of the store and starts shouting, "On the floor, cunt, or your head gets some lead!"

Arthur seizes the moment, grabbing a sturdy-looking bottle of liquor and sprinting to the counter, catching the female robber off guard. With a swift motion, he smacks her across the face with the bottle, shattering it. The other guy notices as the owner rushes to his son's aid.

"No, come back here!" Arthur picks up the gun the female had and cocks it, then takes cover behind the old man.

"Malisa! What happened!?" the guy cocks his gun and smacks the kid across the face, causing him to drop to the ground.

"Daniel! You piece of shit!" The old man starts shouting at the robber while the robber frantically points his gun at him, demanding to know what happened to the girl.

The situation spirals into chaos, and Arthur finally reaches the old man only to witness...

Boom Boom

Two shots ring out, dropping the old man as the kid screams. Arthur takes aim and shoots the robber in the torso.

Boom

The echoes of the gunfire reverberate through the store. Arthur's ears ring, but he remains focused as he swiftly takes down the threat.

"Dad! Wncwowcnowcnwwcwfiwwofmfmejrnueun!" Arthur can hardly hear his own thoughts over the chaos, his mind reeling from the sudden violence.

"I just killed a man." Looking at the gun in his hand, Arthur's emotions swirl, a mix of adrenaline, guilt, and disbelief as his gut clenches.

[Host has met satisfactory conditions on his objective, saved at least 1 human.] [Evo 2/2] [Conditions to evolve are met. Congratulations and please find a safe place to go through the evolution process.]

Snapping out of his daze, Arthur rushes from the scene, the weight of his actions heavy on his shoulders.

"Damn." The situation just went from bad to worse. Chaos ensued, and there's nothing he could've done to stop it. So, he decides to bolt for it, running as if on autopilot until he reached his worn-down apartment.

"Cops were nearby; nothing more to be done here." By the time he reached his apartment, the first light of dawn was breaking on the horizon, maybe this was himself coping with how poorly he handled the situation or maybe things like this were bound to happen.

Opening the door, he sets the gun down on the countertop and collapses onto his bed.

"I hope this is painful." He doesn't relish the thought of suffering, but he feels he deserves it for using the old man as bait.

[Commencing process.]

"Kahhhhh." The sensation courses through his body, intense and overwhelming. Arthur grits his teeth against the pain, every nerve ablaze as his bones creak.

Sweat pours down his face as he steps into the cold shower, seeking relief from the searing heat.

The pain is unbearable, but Arthur endures it, knowing that this evolution is the price he must pay for his actions and maybe next time he will be fast enough or strong enough to either dodge the bullet or take it.