>>>
You have successfully defeated (killed) your challenger.
You have been rewarded.
Reward: 500 exp.
You have been rewarded.
Reward: 2 green mana rocks.
The lumps of alien meat disintegrated like pixels and formed loot boxes.
>>>
Your challenger dropped loot boxes: 3 green loot boxes and one bronze loot box.
Do you wish to collect loot boxes?
"Accept loot boxes," Ivan said.
10 green mana rocks appeared on the ground before him. A switch-axe also appeared on the ground.
>>>
The player does not have an inventory; hence, they cannot store loot items.
Ivan facepalmed. He realised that he had to carry the items with him until he found a safe space to keep them. The switch axe on the ground bore a striking resemblance to the weapon wielded by the defeated alien.
Ivan looked into the distant sky when he heard a rumbling noise. He spotted two imposing enemy carrier crafts approaching.
A deep voice said to Ivan, "The river is almost dried up. The power you can syphon from it will not suffice to obliterate that carrier and the troopers aboard."
"What should I do?" Ivan enquired, fatigue weighing heavily on him. He was open to suggestions that would simplify the daunting task ahead.
Merlin_13's phantom appeared beside Ivan. The phantom instructed, "Use the mana rocks to form a small circle in the water."
Ivan did as instructed.
Merlin_13 said, "Lodge the Black Riot into the space the rocks formed. Then sit down and rest. Wait for a minute."
Ivan didn't dispute any of the instructions. He sat down on the dry corner of the street, fixating on the approaching enemy carrier craft. The depth of the water on the street was below 6 millimetres deep. Merlin_13 closed his eyes and folded his hands, adopting a meditation pose.
Sounds of reminiscing high-voltage electricity passing through cables emanated from the sword. Ivan stole a glance; he saw a green surge of light flow from every rock through the ground and into the black sword.
Merlin_13 explained, "Your power rank is low; that is why I'm the one doing this. In my phantom state, I have been depowered and heavily restricted, but my power rank is at the Awakened Transcendent power level. I'm using the power of the mana rocks to consolidate for the power of the river."
Ivan simply nodded. When the time came, Ivan stood up and grabbed the hilt of Black Riot and pulled it out of the ground.
Merlin_13 gave Ivan a hint: "Sword projection is not only defensive. You just have to have the will to act."
Double Sword Projection!
Two massive sword projections formed mid-air, each one above one of the two carrier crafts. The swords descended on the aircraft with devastating force. The effect wasn't like a sword cutting a solid object into two parts, but it was akin to the effects of one thousand sword slashes. The carriers were bizarrely slashed, resulting in cataclysmic explosions.
Ivan felt power leave his body. He looked at the water on the street; there was nothing. It was like water never drowned the street.
>>>
You have completed a mission.
Slay one thousand Unds.
You have been rewarded for completing the mission.
Reward: 1000 exp.
>>>
You have slain 404 Unds.
You have obtained 404 exp.
Merlin_13 clapped for Ivan.
Ivan turned his attention to the Phantom. "I thought you were dead."
Merlin_13 said, "Yes, I'm dead."
Ivan's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Then how are you here physically but yet look like a ghost?"
Merlin_13 chuckled. "I'm indeed a ghost, but I cheated the system. I cheated the system to give rise to more fighters. We need to be free from this game. Heck, we don't even know the complete reason for being in this game. We just know that we are in a game and we need to escape."
After the launch of the Torn Indigo game—designed to save humanity from destruction—every individual who awoke within it lost their identities in the real world. They no longer remembered who they were or what roles they played. All were equal, from commoners to world leaders; everyone had to navigate their new reality and strive toward their aspirations.
One thing everyone knew was that the Unds were the enemy and they had to be vanquished. Everyone also had the urgency to escape this game and return to the real world. They all thought being in the real world was better than being in the game reality.
Merlin_13 said, "People are starting to accept the current reality and are cosying up to living in it. If things continue on this trend, we will all forget that we came from another world. That is why I had to cheat and give opportunity to people who will need it."
Merlin_13's expression shifted as if struck by a profound realisation, and he stopped his speech.
Ivan asked the phantom, "What if your action was a mistake?'
Merlin_13 sighed and said, "I hope I didn't make a mistake. Our kind are very unpredictable; you just have to act and hope that everything turns out right."
Merlin_13 slowly depixelated and disintegrated. He spoke his final words to Ivan.
"Don't make me regret giving you an opportunity to fight."
Ivan turned his gaze away, finding the scene disheartening.
"I will be better than you," Ivan forced these words from his lips.
Ivan hung around the area for a while. As he loitered around, he hoped that there were no enemies lurking in the vicinity, and he hoped that no enemy would visit anytime soon. He was lacking the confidence, and importantly, he lacked the power to face stronger enemies.
An hour of loitering went by, and he grew tired of loitering. His thoughts assured him that everything was fine and he could go home.
Before he embarked on his journey home, he bought a kit bag and put the sword and the mana rocks in it. The switch-axe was too big to fit in the bag, so he had to carry it openly. The presence of the switch-axe attracted a lot of attention, and it made Ivan feel uneasy.
He boarded a cab back to section 2.5. He couldn't wait to get back to the comfort of his apartment.