"Hah! What happened to all that arrogance, huh? Come on, get up if you can! Keep screaming!"
Gwen dusted off her gloves, panting lightly. Her bright eyes glared daggers at the downed creature.
Ryuuto stood beside her, lips curling into a faint grin as he stared at the lizardman sprawled motionless on the cracked floor. He jabbed a finger toward it and scoffed,
"Where's all that pride now? You were real tough when you were tearing through civilians, weren't you?"
Even knowing this monster was beyond reasoning—no longer human—Ryuuto couldn't help the hatred burning in his chest. He swore silently: Whoever made this thing... I'll find them.
The creature's nostrils flared. Provoked by their words, it twitched violently and lunged—fangs bared—straight for Ryuuto.
But before it could bite, Ryuuto's boot came crashing down.
BAM!
He stomped hard on its head, pressing it flat to the ground. The monster shrieked in pain, claws scraping uselessly against the tiles.
"Good job! Keep it down!" Gwen called, righteous fury still blazing in her tone.
Ryuuto didn't answer. His attention shifted inward as he spoke through the system link in his head.
Shion, this lizardman's strength feels sloppy. I'm guessing it was made recently?
[Mhm. You guessed right, Host.]
[This one's a defective batch. The real lizard serum isn't perfected yet—still unstable, with tons of flaws. Its power can't compare to a proper mutant, but it's not harmless either.]
If that's all, then this should be a simple cleanup job.
[Heh. Bad take, Host.]
...What's that supposed to mean?
[Think about it. One lizardman's whatever. But what if the real mastermind mass-produces them? What if half of New York ends up like this?]
Ryuuto's expression darkened. He could already imagine it—streets filled with reptilian creatures, chaos spreading like wildfire.
He hissed under his breath. "Tch. Then I'll just find whoever's behind this before that happens."
Gwen's sharp voice snapped him back. "Ryuuto, watch the tail!"
Before he could react, the lizardman roared and whipped its massive tail toward his head—like a living steel beam.
Ryuuto's eyes flashed cold. "You dare?"
In a blink, his hands formed a quick sign. A shimmer of chakra energy sparked, and a blade materialized in his grip—his beheading knife.
Swish!
He swung backhanded. The blade cut clean through the tail, spraying a mist of blood across the floor. The severed appendage thrashed violently before going still.
The lizardman's face twisted in agony. Ryuuto didn't give it the chance to recover.
"Earth Style—Rock Fist Technique!"
His fist hardened like stone. With a resounding crack, he brought it down on the creature's skull. Bone shattered; a burst of blood and brain matter followed. The monster went still—eyes wide open, body limp.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for completing the mission: Eliminate the mutant lizardman.]
[Reward: Five bottles of Life Potion. Additional bonus: Task clue unlocked.]
Task clue? Details. Now.
Ryuuto wiped the blood off his blade, his tone sharp.
[The next mission's already unlocked. The real "Lizard" has teamed up with another major villain. Their serum has evolved—it's far more dangerous now.]
Ryuuto's jaw tightened. "You've got to be kidding me. That's your idea of progress?"
[Quit whining, Host. Higher stakes mean better rewards. Play your cards right, and you'll get something huge out of this.]
"Yeah, yeah. You better be right."
He sighed, a wry smile creeping across his face. Still… no use running from it. If I'm going to be a hero in this messed-up world, then I'll walk straight through the fire.
"Ryuuto, what now?" Gwen asked softly, stepping closer.
He thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. "We'll call Charles. If anyone can study this thing's DNA, it's him."
Pulling out his phone, Ryuuto quickly dialed the number.
"Hey, Charles. It's Ryuuto."
A calm, warm voice answered, "Ryuuto? What's the matter?"
"I've got a corpse here—a mutated lizardman. Location's Midtown Mall. You'll want to check it fast."
A brief pause. Then: "Understood. I'll send a team immediately."
The call ended. Ryuuto pocketed his phone, taking one last look at the creature's body before turning toward Gwen.
"Let's head home. Susan and the others must be waiting—and honestly, I need a damn nap after today."
Gwen giggled, pulling off her mask. Her blonde hair spilled out, and she leaned against his chest, voice warm.
"Mm. I'll follow your lead."
Ryuuto smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. For a moment, the chaos outside didn't matter.
But deep down, he knew—this peace wouldn't last long.
...
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