Elsewhere within the sealed alley, chaos had already erupted.
Agent Takeshi Armitage dashed through the haze of smoke and debris, his M.A.R.S. suit's servos whining softly beneath his coat as he swung his carbon-steel katana in a crescent arc. The blade cleaved through something that screamed like a dying man and a wet machine all at once—its pale flesh tearing apart into gelatinous ribbons that splattered against the brick wall.
"Core's not hit!" he shouted, his voice steady but edged with irritation.
Behind him, Agent Jeanette Sanchez raised her left hand, veins glowing ember-red as firelight coalesced around her arm. "Then step aside, Takeshi!" she barked. With a snap of her fingers, three orbs of molten fire burst forth, streaking past him and detonating in the smoke ahead with thunderous heat.
The street sizzled. The air filled with the stench of burnt meat and chemicals.
Out of the flames stumbled a twisted humanoid, its skin blistered and warped into pale pink masses. From its mouth and eye sockets spilled slick, white tentacles that squirmed like worms in agony. It didn't even flinch from the burns—its charred arms twisting grotesquely as it advanced.
Takeshi grimaced. "Tch… so that's our 'guest.'"
-
> [ Dominion's Marauder Codex: Flesh Angel - Thrall ]
> A parasitic organism created when the Flesh Angels—amoebic entities from the Hollow—implant their cores into human hosts, molding flesh into functional vessels.
> Destroying the body is ineffective. The core must be located and neutralized.
-
Jeanette snarled, heat pulsing from her palm as she prepared another barrage. "Then find its damn core before it eats us!"
"Working on it."
The M.A.R.S. system flared to life on Takeshi's HUD, enhancing his vision spectrum. Through the layers of pulsing heat and flesh, he caught a faint white signature beating in the monster's chest cavity.
"There!" He darted forward, augment servos amplifying his speed sevenfold. With a precise slash, he cut through the thrall's sternum—sparks and gore flying as his blade embedded into something crystalline. The monster convulsed, shrieking in an inhuman pitch before collapsing into a heap of dissolving tissue.
Jeanette exhaled, lowering her arm. "Disgusting. And this is just one breach?"
"Three more cubes reported," Takeshi replied, wiping the ichor off his sword with a practiced motion. "And that's not counting whatever slipped through before the blockade sealed us in."
Another wet sound echoed deeper within the alley. Both agents turned.
From the shadows, two more Flesh Angel Thralls emerged—one crawling on all fours, the other dragging half of a broken human torso like a puppet missing its strings. The air around them pulsed with faint violet waling, emanating from the still-floating black cube that shimmered just above the pavement.
Jeanette clenched her fist, flames igniting once more. "Guess we'll burn them all before they can multiply."
Takeshi smirked, his eyes narrowing beneath his visor. "And before that cube opens a second portal."
The two agents stood shoulder-to-shoulder amid the burning alley, steam rising from wet asphalt, violet light flickering across the walls like a heartbeat.
The floating black cube pulsed erratically above the center of the alleyway, its dark surface splitting open with glowing violet seams—threatening to rupture into another Breachpoint.
"Jeanette," Takeshi called out, eyes locked on the cube. "On my mark."
Jeanette grinned, flames flaring across her gloves. "About time, samurai man."
The two remaining Flesh Angel Thralls lunged from opposite sides, shrieking in chorus. Takeshi darted forward first, his M.A.R.S. suit amplifying his speed and strength beyond human limits. His katana gleamed silver as it slashed through the air, severing one Thrall's arms cleanly before twisting in a graceful follow-through that split its chest open.
Before the creature could regenerate, Jeanette's voice rang out: "Ignis Burst!!!"
A fiery explosion engulfed the mutilated corpse, incinerating it into ash and bone shards. The other Thrall charged through the flames, tendrils lashing wildly—only for Takeshi to vault off the wall, slicing downward to cut it in half mid-leap.
Both agents turned toward the floating cube. It pulsed faster—unstable, cracks spreading across its obsidian form.
"Now!" Takeshi barked.
Jeanette raised both arms, summoning a massive sphere of concentrated flame. Takeshi, drawing upon his M.A.R.S. system's kinetic amplifiers, sprinted forward with blinding speed. He leapt high, twisting midair as his sword glowed with the reflected inferno below.
Jeanette shouted: "INFERNO IMPACT!!!"
Jeanette hurled her inferno upward. Takeshi descended through the explosion like a falling comet.
Blade and fire met upon the cube—
A blinding flash tore through the alley.
The explosion that followed was silent for a split second before a shockwave blasted outward, scattering ash, debris, and the burning remains of the Thralls.
As the light faded, the black cube was gone—its fragments disintegrating into harmless motes of violet dust.
Jeanette exhaled, wiping sweat and soot from her brow while activating her comms to alert her squamates. "One cube neutralized. No dimensional signature detected."
Takeshi sheathed his sword with a calm motion, his visor flickering back to normal. "Good work. That's one Breachpoint down."
She smirked. "Three more to go, right?"
"Yeah," Takeshi replied, glancing toward the sky where faint sirens echoed through the sealed blockade. "Let's get the others and finish this before the Hollow decides to send something bigger."
-
=====<<<[ @ @ @ ]>>>=====
-
The alley was narrow, damp, and reeking of rot — the kind of place where shadows felt alive.
Two Goblin Orkoids darted between overturned crates and cracked walls, their shrill screeches echoing like broken radios. Their filthy daggers glistened with a foul brown sheen, slashing at the air as they lunged.
Niero twisted his body sideways, narrowly avoiding a swipe aimed at his ribs. The goblin's blade grazed his hoodie sleeve, leaving a faint tear but no cut.
"Ugh—don't even touch me with that thing," he hissed, grimacing at the rancid smell that followed the blade's arc.
His modified stun baton crackled to life, blue electricity dancing across its reinforced shaft. In his other hand, his energy stun gun fired short, concentrated bursts of plasma that crackled against the brick walls, forcing the goblins to scatter.
"Vuldyr, track their movement pattern!"
> "Already on it!" the AI's perky voice echoed in his mind, and his HUD flashed to life — a grid overlay showing two erratic red dots moving at near-animal speeds. "They're circling like predatory rats—right flank incoming!"
Niero spun just as one of the goblins leapt from a broken window frame, knife raised high. The creature was fast — but Vuldyr was faster.
> "Now! Midair strike, angle thirty-five degrees!"
Niero moved on instinct. He pivoted on his heel and swung upward with his baton with full might, the electrified end striking the goblin square in the chest midair. The crackling discharge lit the alley in a blinding flash.
"GRAAAK—!"
The goblin convulsed violently, its tiny body jerking before slamming into the wall with a wet thud, smoke rising from its torso.
> "One down," Vuldyr confirmed, her tone sharpening into something almost proud.
Niero exhaled sharply, brushing a strand of his white forelock from his brow beneath the balaclava. "Good call, partner."
The alley went eerily quiet after the second goblin dropped, its body twitching before going limp.
Niero's HUD flickered with digital chimes — the System's calm voice overlaying Vuldyr's data feed.
-
> [+120 EXP Gained]
> [Level 9 → Progress: 67%]
-
He blinked, panting lightly beneath his mask. "Two-thirds? That's it? I bust my ass and I'm still not level ten?"
> Vuldyr giggled in his mind, teasingly: "Progress is progress, partner. You're just at least one goblin short of glory."
The last goblin stood across the alley, trembling — not from fear, but pure frustration. Its beady yellow eyes twitched, its mouth frothing. Then, like a toddler denied candy, it began stomping its feet and screeching incoherently.
Niero couldn't help but laugh, the tension breaking for a moment. "What's wrong, little one? Throwing a tantrum 'cause your friends got fried?"
He twirled his broken baton and smirked. "Maybe you need a nap, or—"
The goblin suddenly stopped.
Its tiny hand reached behind its back and pulled out something wrapped in filthy cloth. Niero squinted, curious—until the wrappings fell away.
A gun, as large as a magnum revolver, sleek and polished, gleamed under the flickering alley light.
The weapon was beautifully alien — engraved in golden sigils and laced with blue and white inlays, humming with energy that no human gunsmith could replicate.
"Vuldyr…" Niero's voice lowered.
> Her tone turned from playful to alarmed. "That… is not Dominion tech. Unknown origin. Electromagnetic-based discharge detected—"
Before she could finish, the goblin raised the weapon with both hands, trembling under its own strength. Then—
BLAAAAMMMM!
The alley exploded with sound.
The first shot missed Niero by inches, but the shockwave alone was enough to make his ears ring. He staggered backward, watching in disbelief as his stun baton shattered in his grip, the top half vaporized by the blast.
The goblin itself was sent flying backward from the recoil, crashing through a stack of plastic beer crates with a pitiful squeal.
Niero dove behind a cracked concrete pillar just as another hunderous boom rattled the alley.
Chunks of plaster and dust rained over his head, his heart pounding like war drums in his ears.
"Holy shit," Niero muttered, staring at the smoking remains of his weapon. "That thing just—"
> "—blew up your baton, yes," Vuldyr interjected flatly. "Be careful! You are still in range of a small green idiot holding an alien hand-cannon."
"Okay, okay—note to self," he muttered between breaths. "Don't taunt the green midget with a goddamn hand cannon."
He flicked his wrist, summoning his [Inventory] interface — the translucent holographic hexagonal grid appeared before him, pixel-blue and faintly flickering.
Scrolling through it, he grimaced.
> [Inventory Contents:]
> + Low-Powered Stun Gun Battery (Depleted)
> + Expired Coffee Can (Smells Like Regret)
> + Damaged MAC.PD Riot Jacket (Smells Worse)
> + Half-Eaten Cookie Cream Pack (Mold Detected)
Niero groaned, running a gloved hand down his face. "Perfect. I'm fighting an armed goblin with trash loot."
> Vuldyr chuckled in his head, her tone equal parts teasing and impressed. "On the bright side, not everyone gets to battle a goblin with a gun. You should feel honored, partner."
"Yeah, I'll frame the bullet it kills me with," he muttered dryly, gripping his only remaining weapon — his modified stun gun, its indicator still blinking low power. "Remind me to actually build real weapons next time instead of collecting expired snacks."
> "Duly noted."
He leaned sideways, peeking around the pillar. The alley was still — too still.
The goblin was gone from where it had crashed, the shattered crates and spilled beer forming a sticky mess on the ground. But the faint, grating "gih-gih-gih" noises echoed somewhere deeper in the shadows of the maze-like alleyway.
"Great," Niero whispered. "Now it's knows stealth."
> Vuldyr's voice sharpened, losing her teasing lilt. "It seems its frame are too small to handle the recoil properly — estimated recovery time between shots: five seconds. But—"
"But it's seems somewhat smart enough to adapt to the situation," Niero finished, eyes narrowing. "It could try to camp me out."
> "Exactly. Don't underestimate a cornered creature. Especially one that smells like a sewer and holds alien artillery."
Niero adjusted his stance, scanning the dark corners of the alley while keeping his finger tight on the trigger. His pulse steadied, his breath evened.
"Five seconds, huh?" he whispered, a grin creeping beneath his mask. "Then I just gotta make my move between the booms."
He then asked, "Any other notes on Goblin Orkoids in the [Dominion's Marauder Codex]?"
> "According to the Codex," Vuldyr began in her clinical tone, "Goblins have an acute sense of smell and a ravenous appetite. They can consume nearly all organic matter—meat, corpses, refuse…"
That made Niero's eyes light up. "So they are literal trash-eaters, huh?" He smirked, pulling out the expired coffee can and half-eaten cookie cream pack from his [Inventory]. "Let's see how gourmet they really are."
He jammed the cookies into the coffee can, sealing it tight. "Vuldyr, track its motion with the [Mini-Map]."
> "Sure thing but keep it in mind: at your current level, the [Mini-Map] only detects terrain and nearby movement signatures, not biological readings. You can only detect them via its proximity motion detection."
"That's fine," Niero said, shaking the can gently as crumbs rattled inside. "We just need to bait it out."
From behind his crumbling cover, he gave the can a shake and lobbed it across the alley. The metal clattered, spilling the coffee-cookie sludge into a puddle of oily rainwater, where it mingled with the pool of decomposed trash-juice runoff from a tipped-over pile of trash bag. The stench hit instantly—acidic, sickly sweet, and *rancid*.
"Ugh, Perfect," he muttered dryly. "A five-star goblin buffet. I hope this works."
-
=====
-
For a moment, there was only silence—the drip of rain from rusted pipes, the faint hiss of water against the rooftop, and the distant hum of neon signs. Tension prickled the air as Niero and Vuldyr waited.
"…Maybe it's too smart for that," Niero whispered, shifting in his crouch. "Or maybe—"
Then came the sound.
The [Mini-Map] blinked—a red dot zig-zagging toward the bait, hesitating as if it was debating to go near the food source. A wet, guttural screech cut through the alley, sharp and frantic. Footsteps slapped the wet pavement, growing faster, louder, closer.
"Oh, crap. It worked," Niero muttered, eyes widening.
Instinct took over. He rolled behind a dented trash bin just as the goblin burst from the shadows, peeking out from the side. The red dot raced toward the sludge, closing in by the second.
There it was—the last Goblin Orkoid, eyes glowing yellow, teeth bared and drooling, clutching an oversized magnum. But instead of aiming, it lunged straight into the coffee-cookie pile, shoving handfuls into its mouth and smearing the sludge over its face like a starved animal.
Niero gagged, his face twisting in disgust. "Oh god, that's so much worse than I imagined."
> Vuldyr's dry voice cut through, "I recommend suppressing your gag reflex, partner."
The goblin didn't just eat—it wallowed, smearing the slop across its chest and face as if bathing in victory. Niero stared, horrified and fascinated in equal measure.
"Okay," he muttered, tightening his grip on the energy stun gun. "Enjoy your last meal, freak."
Niero exhaled through his teeth, steadying his breath as he leveled his energy stun gun over the rim of the trash bin. The weapon hummed softly—its internal capacitor lighting up with a faint blue glow.
He thumbed the switch on the side of the weapon—[Overcharge Mode: Active] flickered across his visor. The gun's charge indicator climbed rapidly, the hum building into a low whine. yet shaking. Every volt of stored energy was about to be unleashed in one single, lethal bolt.
But then—clang!
His elbow nudged the loose metal lid of the trash bin. The sudden noise echoed like thunder in the narrow alleyway.
Niero froze.
The goblin froze.
"Ah, shit."
The creature whipped its head around, eyes bulging, and with a screech of fury pulled the trigger on its absurdly large magnum.
BLAAAAMMMM!!!!
The bullet tore past him, slamming into the pillar he'd been hiding behind, the impact scattering sparks and concrete dust.
"Okay, that was close!" Niero hissed, throwing himself into a combat roll as another thunderousBLAM! followed. The second round obliterated the trash bin he'd used as cover.
He didn't have time to think. Niero sprang to his feet and sprinted straight toward the goblin. His body moved on instinct—zigzagging left and right in tight bursts like a boxer weaving through punches. Another BLAM! screamed past his ear. Then another. Each recoil from the gun sent the goblin skidding back, its aim faltering.
> Vuldyr's voice rang in his ear. "Niero, close the distance—its recoil recovery is five seconds!"
"Already on it!" he shouted back, sparks flying as the fourth bullet grazed the wall beside him.
By the time the goblin fumbled to steady its oversized weapon, Niero was already upon it—eyes narrowed, his overcharged stun gun glowing like a miniature storm in his hand, every muscle tensed for the killing strike.
As soon as Niero closed the distance, his boots skidded hard against the wet asphalt, spraying up dirty rainwater as he lunged forward.
With a snarl, Niero seized the goblin's thin, sinewy wrist—the one clutching the oversized revolver—and twisted hard. Bones popped. The creature howled.
He growled, twisting hard—forcing the weapon's barrel away as the creature shrieked and thrashed.
With his right arm, Niero jammed his overcharged stun gun straight into the goblin's foul, slime-coated mouth, the blue light of the weapon reflecting off the creature's yellow eyes.
"Eat shit—" Niero snarled through gritted teeth, his thumb hovering over the trigger, "—and DIIIEEEEEE!!!"
He pulled the trigger.
The stun gun unleashed a violent surge of energy, bursting out with a blinding flash and a deafening CRACK! The goblin convulsed violently, its whole body ballooning with unstable current before the weapon overloaded and detonated in a blinding explosion of blue lightning and foul smoke.
The blast sent both Niero and the goblin hurtling backward, crashing through piles of trash, plastic crates, and scattered debris. The shockwave rippled through the narrow alley, knocking over bins and scattering papers like snow.
When the ringing in his ears finally subsided, Niero found himself lying on his back amid smoking garbage bags, his hoodie half-burned right sleeve, his burned right hand, and his stun gun completely disintegrated. A wisp of ozone filled the air—along with the unmistakable stench of roasted goblin.
Vuldyr's voice buzzed in his ear, static-laced but alive.
"...Holy Shit!"
Niero's body jolted upright the instant his senses returned. The ringing in his ears faded, replaced by the crackle of dying electricity and the faint hiss of smoldering trash. He stumbled to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his right hand—charred, trembling, and smoking from the blast.
But when his eyes fell on the alley ahead, all that pain vanished into pure elation.
There it was—what remained of the final goblin: a headless, blackened corpse, still twitching beside the golden-white revolver it had once wielded like a god. The stench of burnt flesh and ozone mixed with the metallic tang of rain, but to Niero, it smelled like victory.
"Ha—haHA! YEAH!" he shouted, punching the air with his good hand. "Go fuck yourselves back into the Hollow, you green little shits!"
He leapt in place like a lunatic, half-laughing, half-coughing, every muscle in his body trembling from adrenaline.
Five years—five long, dry years—since he last got a real fight, and now? He'd finally won. Against actual Hollow creatures, no less.
Even as blood trickled down his wrist and his right hand burned with raw agony, Niero grinned ear to ear beneath his balaclava.
The pain didn't matter.
For the first time in years, he felt alive.
> Vuldyr's voice flickered in his ear, both exasperated and amused.
"You're injured, idiot! YOU COULD HAVE DIED!!" she sighed. "But… congratulations. First Hollow contact successfully terminated."
"Damn right," Niero laughed breathlessly, looking at the smoking weapon lying a few meters away. "And maybe… my first loot drop."
The alley's flickering streetlights steadied, and for a brief, surreal moment, time itself seemed to slow.
A familiar chime echoed in Niero's head—bright, clean, and triumphant.
-
> [ STARGOD SYSTEM: LEVEL UP!!! ]
> Level 9 → Level 10
> + Stat Points: +1
> + Instant Recovery Granted
-
A warm surge of light burst through his body, wrapping around every aching muscle and torn nerve. The burns on his right hand fizzed with faint, blue static before completely heals it back to normal. His fatigue melted away in seconds, replaced by that rush of strength he hadn't felt for awhile.
"Finally…" he muttered, staring at his trembling hand in disbelief. "Level 10… after all this damn time."
Before he could say another word, the air in front of him shimmered—like static peeling open a hidden layer of reality. From the fractured light, a figure stepped forth, translucent at first before solidifying into form.
It was Vuldyr.
Her mechanical halo hovered behind her head like a spinning glowing ring with mechanical elements, emitting soft pulses of gold-like yellow light. Her short hair was unevenly cut—one side neat, the other jagged, with digital streaks flickering faintly like data streams. The form-fitting bodysuit she wore was patterned with faint, glowing gridlines that mapped across her elegant yet combat-ready frame.
She crossed her arms and tilted her head, watching him with a small, amused smile.
"You look ridiculous celebrating in an alley full of burnt goblin and trash," she teased, but there was warmth in her tone. "Still… congratulations, Niero. You finally hit Level 10."
Niero laughed, scratching his neck sheepishly. "Took me half a decade and three shit-covered goblins, but I'll take it."
Vuldyr shook her head, soft digital particles scattering from her hair like faint sparks.
And for a fleeting moment—amid the flickering neon and the stench of burnt monsters—Niero felt something that had long since faded from his world of anomalies and struggle:
hope.
As Niero finally caught his breath, the haze of burnt ozone and goblin grime began to clear. The familiar *ping* of the System's materialization chime echoed in his head again, and several glowing icons shimmered into view above the ground.
-
> [Loot Identified]
> + [Omnia Sand] ×42
> + [Lootcube (Rank-E)] ×1
-
Blue, shimmering dust drifted in the air like glitters suspended in static. Niero crouched beside the remains of one of the goblins and scooped a handful of the luminous sand into a small containment vial. The grains pulsed faintly — not like normal particles, but like tiny, living circuits, rearranging themselves into geometric lattices.
> Obtained: [Omnia Sand] ×42
> Vuldyr's voice chimed through his neural link, analytical and excited.
"Omnia Sand," she confirmed, materializing a holographic display beside him. "Programmable matter harvested from the Hollow dimension. High-value stuff — the Dominion uses it as premium currency, energy and resource, and molecular fabrication medium. To put it simply…" she smirked, folding her arms, "you just picked up a handful of literal miracles."
Niero let out a low whistle, rolling one cube-grain between his fingers.
"So this glowing alien sand is worth more than our cafe-home, huh? Guess I'm finally rich… in interdimensional dirt."
> "Don't get too excited," Vuldyr replied with a teasing grin. "You'll still need proper fabrication rigs to utilize it. But for your [System], it means upgrades — leveling EXP, power upgrades, fabrication, new schematics, maybe even repair protocols for your busted gear."
His attention shifted to the last item glowing beside the smoldering goblin corpse — a crystal cube, palm-sized, faintly green with pulsing light beating inside like a slow heartbeat.
> Obtained: [Lootcube (Rank-E)] x1
"Now that's something familiar," Niero said, crouching closer. "Lootcube — low-tier encryption relic. You usually need a Dominion or Guild matter decryptor for these."
> Vuldyr chuckled, her holographic halo flickering mischievously. "Usually, yes. But lucky for you, I'm far better than any government decryptor. Give me five seconds and I'll pry this little box open."
"Smug as always," Niero grinned, tucking the cube into his hand. "But I'm not complaining."
He looked at the faint blue glow reflecting off his gloves — the glow of real progress. His first Breachpoint, his first Hollow kills, and his first real loot in five long years. For once, the System's chime didn't sound like a reminder of failure.
"Alright, Vuldyr," Niero said, holding up the faintly glowing green cube between his fingers. "Let's see if your decryption skills are as good as your attitude."
> Vuldyr gave a proud hum, her holographic form flickering beside him as complex glyphs began spiraling around the Lootcube. "Decryption protocol—initiated. Stand back, my beloved idiot."
The cube spun faster and faster, pulsing in rhythm with her halo's light until, with a digital chime, it burst into a soft flare of emerald energy. The light reassembled into a tangible object, landing with a clatter at Niero's feet.
-
> [ Decrypted: Lootcube (Rank-E) ]
> [ Goblin's Dagger ]
> Rarity: Rank E (Uncommon)
> A sharp, jagged, and serrated blade with a faint green shimmer like it was coated in oil. Crude in craftsmanship but surprisingly effective against living foes.
> Stats: Attack: +12, Durability: 35/35, Weight: Light
> Passive Ability: Toxic Strike (Low Tier) - Attacks have a chance to inflict Poison on hit. Poisoned targets take periodic damage over time and suffer reduced healing effectiveness until the effect wears off.
-
Niero crouched and picked it up. The blade was jagged and wickedly uneven, reeking faintly of metallic rot, yet when he tested its weight, it felt disturbingly well-balanced. A subtle shimmer of venom coated the edge like oil over glass.
"Damn," he muttered with a grin. "Not exactly Dominion-grade steel, but I'll take it. Beats punching these green freaks with a fried baton."
> Vuldyr smirked, hovering upside-down beside him. "Congratulations. You're now the proud owner of a diseased butter knife."
"Don't be jealous, partner," Niero shot back, twirling the blade. "A win's a win. Besides—" he flipped it into a reverse grip, eyes glinting beneath his balaclava, "—it's my first real weapon drop in years. I'm calling it an upgrade."
The System chimed softly, syncing the new weapon's data into his loadout.
> [Weapon Registered to Arsenal Slot 1: Goblin's Dagger]
Niero slid the blade into his belt holster, still smiling. "Not bad for a Level Ten scrub, huh?"
> Vuldyr rolled her eyes, but the pride in her voice couldn't hide it.
"Not bad at all, Niero. Just don't stab yourself testing it this time."
Niero then picked up the revolver with a mix of awe and disgust, eyeing the way the Goblin had wielded such a fine weapon. "Of all things… this gun ended up in their hands?" he muttered, flipping the barrel with one finger. The metallic sheen reflected the alleyway's dim light, somehow elegant despite its previous owner.
> Vuldyr hovered beside him, her halo flickering as she ran a molecular scan. "Not just any weapon, Niero. This is an [ ElectroMagnum ]. Break-action revolver, electromagnetic barrel—basically a railgun in handgun form. Current ammo… only two rounds left. Extremely rare. Standard Earth supply? Practically nonexistent."
-
> Item Acquired: [ ElectroMagnum ]
> Rarity: Rank E (Uncommon)
> A compact break-action 6-round magnum revolver with an electromagnetic barrel, firing projectiles at extreme velocity. Essentially a handheld railgun.
> Stats: Attack: 45, Range: Medium (15 meters), Durability: 60/100
-
Niero raised an eyebrow, weighing the weapon in his hands. "Two rounds? Yeah, that's useless unless I want to wander into the Hollow for ammo."
> "Not entirely," Vuldyr said, a hint of smugness in her voice. "I can catalogue its ammo into our [Astra Codex]. With your Omnia Sand, you could fabricate new bullets… theoretically infinite supply, if you want."
Niero smirked, a faint laugh escaping under his balaclava. "Nah, maybe not now. I just got my hands on a small stash of Omnia Sand. Why waste it on bullets when I can save it for… more fun stuff?"
> Vuldyr tilted her head, her expression half-annoyed, half-amused. "Typical. So you'd rather stare at a gorgeous alien revolver and do nothing? Classic Niero."
He shrugged, sheathing the ElectroMagnum on his belt next to the newly acquired Goblin's Dagger. "It's enough that I know it's mine now. If I ever need ammo, I've got options. Until then… it's my little trophy from the Hollow."
> Vuldyr rolled her eyes, but her digital halo pulsed brighter. "Fine. Trophy it is. But don't cry when you meet something that actually knows how to use it against you."
Niero chuckled under his mask. "Then I'll just make it my problem instead of the Hollow's."
Vuldyr floated close behind as Niero inspected the corpses of the slain goblins, her holographic form flickering faintly in the rising static of the anomaly. Her mechanical halo pulsed once—data streams cascading across her irises.
> "Before we leave," she said calmly, "you'll want to harvest their cores."
Niero turned to her, brow furrowing beneath his mask. "Harvest what now?"
> Vuldyr crossed her arms, gesturing toward the still forms. "Inside them—[Hollow Gems]. According to the [Dominion's Marauder Codex], organisms that linger in the Hollow for long periods develop crystalline growths within them. Think of them like clams forming pearls... or kidney stones in humans. The anomalous exotic matter crystallizes accumulates inside their bodies, becoming… valuable. Extremely valuable."
"Valuable how?" Niero asked, kneeling beside a goblin's corpse, though his tone carried more reluctance than curiosity.
> "Energy source, resource fabrication, currency, even catalysts for cultivation. The guilds pay handsomely for them. And for you—" she smiled faintly "—they're compatible with your [System]. They can be recycled into Omnia Sand or used to accelerate your leveling progress. Efficient… and profitable."
Niero groaned, staring at the green-skinned carcasses. "You're telling me I have to cut them open?"
> "Unless you plan to leave literal treasure lying in a puddle of goblin guts, yes."
He sighed, scanning the area until his eyes landed on a rusted shelf half-collapsed against the wall. There, a crumpled pack of wet rubber gloves clung to the metal like an afterthought. "Guess that's better than using my hands." He tore them open, slipped the gloves on, and grimaced at the clammy texture.
"Ugh… this better be worth it."
The Goblin's Dagger glinted under the flickering lights as he began cutting into the corpses. The stench hit almost immediately—something rancid, chemical, and alien all at once. Niero gagged hard, nearly dropping the blade.
"God—why do they smell like rotting sewage!?"
> Vuldyr only chuckled, recording the scene. "Welcome to the life of a Marauder, scavenger."
After a few agonizing minutes of rummaging through viscera, Niero finally struck something hard—crystalline. He pulled it free, revealing a thumb-sized gem glowing faintly with an inner, pulsing green light. Then another. And another.
By the time he was done, he had three thumb-sized [Hollow Gems (Rank-E)] and four smaller, dimmer [Hollow Gems (Rank-F)], laid neatly on a scrap of cloth torn from one of the goblin's capes. Despite their origin, they shimmered beautifully, each radiating faint distortions of Hollow energy.
> Vuldyr's eyes scanned the collection, data glyphs spiraling in her pupils. "Not bad. Seven in total. For a low-tier incursion, that's impressive. What do you plan to do with them?"
Niero wiped the dagger clean and shrugged. "Keep them in [Inventory] for now. I'm not sure what to do with shiny monster organs just yet."
> "Smart," Vuldyr said, her tone approving. "But don't underestimate their potential. Those little things could change your entire growth curve."
Niero stored the gems with a flick of his wrist, their light vanishing into digital particles. He exhaled in relief. "Then I'll hang on to them… until I figure out how to use them without having to gut anything again."
> Vuldyr smirked. "You'll get used to it. Most Marauders does."
He glared at her, voice muffled under his mask. "Not helping."
While Niero still diggin htrough the disgusting guts of the recently killed Goblins, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder — Vuldyr trying to catch his attention.
> "Don't forget the cube."
Vuldyr warned, pointing at the cracked black object lying on the ground where the Goblin Orkoids had been summoned.
"That thing's responsible for the Breachpoint, right?" Niero asked, eyeing the cube. "The summoning-type that spat out those little shit-flingers. Doesn't seem active anymore, though."
> Vuldyr's tone was cautious. "According to my analysis, that cube indeed caused the Breachpoint. As of now, it's inert — no anomalous energy or activity detected. However, it's better to be safe than sorry. Destroying it would be the safest option."
Niero frowned, wondering if he should smash it with his [Goblin's Dagger] or blast it using his [ElectroMagnum].
But then, an idea sparked.
"Vuldyr, would it be safe to store the cube in my [Inventory]? Maybe I could deconstruct it within the [System] for extra loot?"
> Vuldyr placed a finger on her chin, thinking. "Hmm… only one way to find out."
Niero raised his hand toward the black cube. From a short distance, the object trembled, lifted off the ground, and vanished into a small, hexagonal portal.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
-
> [ Item Acquired: Unknown Black Cube ]
> Rarity: ???
>An ominous cube made from an unidentified obsidian-like crystalline matter, used for opening a breach through space from a specific dimension. It still hums faintly with traces of exhausted anomalous energy.
-
Niero checked the cube's details in his [Inventory], sighing in relief. "Good… no weird Breachpoint or Goblins suddenly popping out of my guts. or something I'll take that as a win."
> "That makes it your fourth loot drop," Vuldyr said, smirking. "Congrats, Niero."
"Hell yeah," he grinned, feeling oddly proud of himself.
-
=====
-
Niero was still rummaging through the gutted goblins, occasionally glancing at the faintly glowing Hollow Gems, when a sharp noise broke through the static hum of the anomaly.
A voice—female, panicked, pleading.
Both he and Vuldyr froze.
"Did you hear that?" Niero whispered.
> Vuldyr's digital halo flickered once as she processed incoming sound waves. "You're not the only one. Human vocal patterns—distress. Approximately thirty meters northeast."
Then came another sound—thuds. Heavy. Repetitive. Something large was moving with her. Even the [Mini-Map] display two red dots near them behind the wall.
Niero wiped his gloves on a scrap of cloth, quietly drawing his dagger. "Stay close."
He sprinted toward the source, keeping low until he reached the corner of a fractured concrete wall. Pressing his back to it, he dared a glance around the edge—
—and immediately froze.
The woman was kneeling on the ground, body trembling, her face and arms covered in alien scripture etched like scars glowing faintly under the Hollow's residual light. Niero recognized it from the Dominion's hacked communication network—
[Church of the Abyss]—a doomsday cult obsessed with worshipping the Hollow as a divine realm.
"Please… I am a child of the divine," she sobbed, voice shaking. "The Hollow has chosen me! I—"
Her words cut off in a crunching sound that echoed through the empty chamber of the maze-like alleyway. A massive stone club came down off-view from the darkness, crushing her skull into the ground like a meteor. Blood and bone splattered outward with blood, guts, and bone shrapnel like a grotesque splash of red paint.
Niero recoiled, his back slamming against the wall. His pulse spiked.
"What the hell was that?" he hissed under his breath.
> Vuldyr's tone shifted, cold and measured. "Threat level spike detected. Breachpoint not yet cleared."
Slowly, Niero turned his head back toward the corridor—and his stomach twisted.
Emerging from the shadow was a towering brute that shadowed menacingly from the bright skies, nearly nine feet tall, muscles rippling beneath green skin marred by scars and battle tattoos. Thick tusks jutted from its lower jaw, and its yellow eyes burned with primal hostility. A necklace of crude beads and bones hung over its chest, while a mantle of stitched animal pelts draped its shoulders.
An Orc, though not like the ones from myth. This was a Hollow-touched variant—an Orkoid, the evolved apex predator alien species that sometimes spawned from corrupted dimensions.
The creature exhaled through its tusks, snorting steam and dust as it raised the bloodied club in its hand.
Its eyes met Niero's.
For a single breath, neither moved.
Then Vuldyr's voice cut through the silence like a warning siren.
> "Target locked. Designation: Orkoid Warrior. Estimated rank—D-minus or higher. Niero, MOVE!!!"
Niero's heart dropped. "You've got to be fucking kidding me…"
The Orkoid roared—
—and charged.
-
=====<<<[ Ch05: Party Crasher, Part 2 - END ]>>>=====