Chapter 3: The Mysterious Guide

Chapter 3: The Mysterious Guide

The darkness faded, replaced by a new environment. I found myself in a massive control room with floating holograms and a panoramic view of a dystopian city below. Tall cybernetic towers loomed in the distance, their neon lights flickering like dying stars.

A deep voice echoed in the chamber.

"Welcome, Player Aryan Verma. You have survived the initiation trials. Now, let's see how well you can play the real game."

I turned sharply, gripping my energy blade. Before me stood a mysterious figure, clad in a sleek black trench coat with a metallic mask covering half his face. His glowing red cybernetic eye analyzed me, scanning my every move.

[New Character Encountered: ???]

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, still on high alert.

The figure smirked, his mechanical fingers tapping the hilt of a concealed weapon.

"You may call me Specter. And if you want to survive in this world, you better listen carefully."

I frowned. "And why should I trust you?"

Specter chuckled. "Because, kid, you're not the first one to be trapped in the System. But if you don't want to be deleted, you need me."

A holographic world map appeared in the air. Several red zones blinked ominously.

"This is the Cyber Death Zone—the game's core battlefield. There are five primary regions, each controlled by powerful bosses. If you want to escape, you'll need to defeat them all."

[New Quest Activated: Eliminate the Five Overlords]

My stomach twisted. This was turning into a nightmare.

"And let me guess… they won't just let me walk in and kill them?" I muttered.

Specter grinned. "Oh, they'll be hunting you down first. The moment you stepped into the Blood Arena, you became a ranked player. And that means—"

A loud alarm blared. A red warning flashed before my eyes.

🚨 [WARNING: ELITE HUNTERS DETECTED!] 🚨

Specter's smile vanished. "Damn it, they're already here. Get ready, kid. Your real fight starts now."

Before I could react, the ceiling shattered as three heavily armed warriors dropped in, their weapons glowing with deadly energy.

[New Enemies Identified: Elite Hunters]

Their leader, a tall cyborg with jet-black armor and a plasma spear, smirked at me.

"Target acquired. Player Aryan Verma—prepare for termination."

Specter pulled out his dual pistols and whispered, "Let's see if you're worth saving."

I gritted my teeth, raising my energy blade. There was no turning back now.

One of the Elite Hunters lunged forward, his laser katana cutting through the air at an alarming speed. I barely dodged, rolling to the side as Specter fired a series of rapid plasma shots, forcing the other two Hunters to take cover.

CLANG!

The leader's plasma spear crashed against my energy blade, sending sparks flying as we locked weapons. My arms trembled under the sheer force, but I pushed back, kicking him away before dashing forward with a counterattack.

"Not bad, kid," Specter muttered, dodging an incoming energy blast. "But you're gonna need more than raw instinct to survive!"

Another Hunter fired a magnetic pulse grenade, aiming for me. My eyes widened as time seemed to slow down. A choice appeared in my HUD:

🔹 Dodge left (80% success rate) 🔹 Block with energy shield (60% success rate) 🔹 Counterattack (40% success rate, high risk, high reward!)

Instinctively, I chose the counterattack. My legs moved before I could think—sliding under the explosion radius while swinging my energy blade in a wide arc.

Critical Hit!

My attack connected, slashing through the Hunter's mechanical joints. Sparks erupted as the enemy let out a distorted robotic screech before collapsing.

Specter let out a low whistle. "Huh, maybe you're not completely useless."

The leader of the Elite Hunters growled, his mechanical eye glowing dangerously. "Enough playing around. Initiating Overdrive Mode."

His armor shifted, black plates unfolding into a more aggressive battle form.

🚨 [WARNING: ENEMY POWER LEVEL INCREASING!] 🚨

Specter cursed. "Tch, looks like this fight just got serious. Think you can handle it, rookie?"

I wiped the sweat off my forehead, gripping my sword tighter. "No choice, right?"

The cybernetic warrior charged, moving at an impossible speed, his plasma spear aiming straight for my heart. I braced myself, adrenaline surging.

Game on.