Lucian stared at the floating prompt in silence.
[Do you wish to proceed?]
He didn't hesitate for long.
The system had already shown its patterns. And like any other game, higher risk always meant higher rewards.
And if this was truly a hidden quest inside a Red Zone…then the reward might be worth far more than the system was telling him.
His finger moved.
[YES]
The moment the option was selected, the interface trembled.
A low vibration passed through the ground beneath Lucian's feet.
The system responded instantly.
[Hidden Quest Accepted]
[Objective: Exterminate all Mid-Level Monsters in the Red Zone]
[Reward: B-Tier Item]
[Zone Lock Activated]
The final message appeared.
[Warning: Mid-Level Monsters Incoming]
The entire Red Zone changed.
A deep, distant roar echoed somewhere close.
Lucian slowly lifted his head. Something was coming. Several streets over, the sound of its steps sent a shiver down his spine.
Not the frantic sprinting of low-level zombies.
This was slower. Heavier.
Each step echoed like a hammer striking concrete.
Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then the first one appeared.
It stepped out from the corner of a collapsed building.
The creature stood nearly ten meters tall.
Its body was layered with layers of rotting muscle, its gray skin stretched tight over bulging veins that pulsed faintly with dark energy.
One of its arms had mutated into something massive and distorted,.. a thick mass of bone and hardened flesh shaped like a crude hammer.
Its head hung crookedly to the side.
But its eyes were different from the zombies.
They weren't hollow. They were focused.
A notification appeared infront on Lucian.
[Mid-Level Mutant]
[Level: 28]
[Type: Brute]
This monster had a description. Lucian steadied himself. He knew this wasn't going to be easy.
The creature let out a deep growl. It's breathing was heavy. It's mouth stretched like an opened cabinet and in it, were teeth layered like a shark.
Before Lucian could react another stepped into view from behind. Another two appeared several blocks behind Lucian. Then Another appeared.
In the end, a total of five mutated brutes towered him.
Lucian remained still.
For a moment, the monsters simply stared at him. Thick Saliva ran down their jaws as they locked eyes.
Then the first brute rushed.
The ground cracked beneath its feet as it charged moving like a living battering ram. The others followed instantly.
Lucian didn't move...not yet atleast.
Once the creatures was within range, Lucian activated his Domination Zone.
The invisible pressure exploded outward once again.
But this time the monsters did not collapse.
Its body jerked violently as the crushing force slammed into it. The pavement beneath its feet cracked, its legs bending under the weight.
But it didn't fall.
The creature roared and forced its body forward one step.
Lucian's eyes sharpened slightly at the sight of it.
One brute raised its massive arm and swung.
Lucian finally moved.
His eyes tracked the movement with cold precision. The monster's swing was wide,powerful, but predictable.
He stepped forward at the last possible moment, slipping neatly into the creature's blind spot.
His sword flashed.
Lucian drew a clean arc through the air, the blade aimed directly for the monster's thick neck.
Clank!!
The sound rang out like metal striking stone.
The blade shattered on impact. Fragments of steel spun through the air.
Lucian's eyes widened for the first time.
Before Lucian could recover, another massive shadow loomed beside him.
A second brute swung.
Lucian barely managed to raise what remained of his weapon to block.
BOOM!!
The impact detonated through his arms. The force sent him flying several meters through the air before his body slammed violently into the wall of a nearby building.
Concrete cracked on impact. The wall dented inward.
Lucian collapsed to the ground as blood burst from his mouth, splattering across the pavement.
For a moment, the world spun.
And the five towering monsters slowly began to close in.
Lucian stood up and steadied himself. He glanced at what remained of his sword.
The blade was nothing more than jagged piece of metal now.
Without hesitation, he tossed it aside.
He wiped off the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. His chest still ached from the impact and his hand still trembled slightly from the force of the blow.
Lucian smiled.
Up untill now the system had felt predictable. Easy fights, Low level monsters and easy mechanics.
But now, this felt different.
This made his blood race.
Lucian exhaled slowly, the faintest hint of excitement flickering in his eyes.
"Finnaly"he whispered.
"I was getting bored"