00:09
The timer didn't care about the giant in front of him. It didn't care about the logic of physics or the fact that Adam was a nobody with zero combat experience.
00:05
Adam's breath hitched. The Focus was still active, and it was screaming at him. It wasn't just showing him the man; it was highlighting points of interest in red.
The man's centered weight. The slight tilt of his chin. The absolute lack of movement in his eyes.
"Move!" Adam lunged forward, not with a punch, but with a desperate attempt to shove past.
The man didn't move a muscle. Instead, he simply extended a palm, touching Adam's chest. It felt like running into a moving freight train. The impact sent Adam backward, his sneakers skidding, his lungs finally giving out as he collapsed onto the pavement.
00:01
Adam closed his eyes, bracing for the "Physical Synapse Reset" penalty. He waited for the agony. He waited for his mind to shatter.
00:00
[Mission 02: Break the Shell — Status: Interrupted]
[Detection: External Intervention by User ID: 0092 (Level 5)]
[Protocol: Safety Lock Engaged]
Adam gasped, his vision swimming. The red timer vanished, replaced by a cool, calm blue interface. He looked up. The giant was staring down at him, his expression unreadable behind the dark glasses.
"You're late," the man said. His voice was like grinding stones—heavy and ancient. "But I suppose for a Level 0, reaching this point at all is... acceptable."
Adam pushed himself up, his hands trembling. "Who... who are you? What is this?"
The man didn't answer. Instead, he flicked his wrist. A transparent blue screen materialized in the air between them—visible only to Adam.
[User Interaction Initiated]
[User ID 0092 offers: Information Exchange]
[Cost: All current Focus Points]
"Wait, no!" Adam shouted. "I worked for those points!"
"Points are currency, boy," the man replied coldly. "And in this world, currency is the only thing that keeps you from being deleted. You want to know why the System chose a failure like you? Or do you want to keep running until your heart explodes?"
Adam looked at the screen. He felt the Focus fading, the hyper-clarity slipping through his fingers like sand. If he gave them up, he'd go back to being the 'Old Adam'—the one who couldn't even fix a crack in the ceiling.
Buzz.
[New Sub-Mission: Survive the Interaction]
[Option A: Accept the Trade (Unlock: The Truth)]
[Option B: Refuse (Reward: +5 Strength / Penalty: Immediate Combat Initiation)]
Adam looked at the man's massive fist. Combat? He wouldn't last three seconds. But giving up the only thing that made him feel "awake" for the first time in years felt like a different kind of death.
"I won't give them to you," Adam hissed, his voice gaining a sudden, sharp edge.
The man's eyebrows twitched. A small, cruel smile played on his lips. "Incorrect choice. But a brave one."
The man stepped forward, his fist clenching.
[Option B Selected]
[Reward Granted: +5 Strength]
[Warning: Adrenaline Surge Imminent]
Suddenly, Adam felt it. It wasn't the cold clarity of Focus. It was heat.
A volcanic eruption of energy surged from his core into his limbs. His muscles expanded, his tracksuit tightening against his skin. The exhaustion from the run didn't just vanish—it turned into fuel.
The man swung a punch—a slow, deliberate hook meant to crush Adam's spirit.
To anyone else, it was a blur. To Adam, it was a challenge.
His hand moved. It was a blur of instinct and raw power.
CRACK.
Adam didn't just block the punch. He caught it.
The impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but he didn't move. He stood his ground.
The man's smile disappeared. For the first time, the glasses slipped, revealing eyes that were glowing with the same white light as the System.
"Level 0..." the man whispered, genuinely shocked. "How is your output this high?"
Adam's teeth were gritted so hard he thought they might shatter. "I don't know... but the System didn't choose me to be a stepping stone."
[Skill Unlocked: Counter-Burst (Rank F)]
[Mission Status: Combat Initiated. Time to Victory: Unknown]