04:00
The countdown was a relentless heartbeat.
Adam stood in his cramped kitchen, the cheap stainless steel knife felt cold and absurdly light in his hand. He wasn't a killer. He was a guy who avoided eye contact in the hallway. But the Focus he had left—that thin, razor-sharp clarity—was telling him that the sound behind the wall wasn't human.
Clink... clink... clink...
It was a mechanical rhythm, like a clock that had forgotten how to tell time and started eating its own parts.
Adam stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The carpet was stained, the wallpaper peeling—a familiar misery. But now, he saw a faint, pulsating blue trail on the floor, leading straight from his door to Apartment 4B.
[Skill Passive: Tracking (Rank G) - Activated]
[Signal Strength: High]
He reached Mrs. Gable's door. Usually, it smelled like cinnamon and old newspapers. Now, it smelled like burnt ozone and raw meat.
"Mrs. Gable?" he whispered, his voice cracking.
No answer. Only the sound of something heavy being dragged.
Adam didn't wait for the timer to hit zero. He knew the penalty for hesitation. He kicked the door.
With his [+5 Strength] still flickering in his muscles, the lock didn't just break—the wood splintered. The door swung open, hitting the wall with a bang that should have woken the whole building.
Silence followed.
The apartment was dark. The only light came from a flickering television screen in the corner, playing static. In the center of the living room, Mrs. Gable was sitting in her favorite armchair.
"Mrs. Gable? I heard a noise, I—"
Adam stopped. His breath hitched in his throat.
She wasn't moving. Her back was turned to him. But as he stepped closer, he saw it. From the base of her neck, a jagged metallic spine had erupted, glowing with a sickly yellow light. Her skin was pale, translucent, and stretched over something... rotating.
Clink.
A large, rusted iron gear was protruding from her shoulder blade, spinning slowly, agonizingly, tearing through her floral housecoat.
[Warning: Scavenger Drone Detected]
[Status: Level 2 - Bio-Mechanical Parasite]
The 'thing' that used to be Mrs. Gable turned its head. It wasn't a face anymore. Her jaw had been replaced by a series of interlocking steel plates. Her eyes were gone, replaced by glowing red sensors that hummed as they locked onto Adam.
[New Objective: Destroy the Core]
[Reward: +300 Credits / +1 Mystery Key]
"Adam..." the machine-voice grated, using her vocal cords like a broken violin. "Collection... starts... early..."
The Scavenger Drone lunged. It didn't move like a human; it moved like a spring-loaded trap. Its metallic limbs extended, claws scraping the floorboards.
Adam dived to the right, barely dodging a swipe that shattered the wooden coffee table into toothpicks.
[Adrenaline Surge: Active]
[Estimated Survival Rate: 12%]
"Twelve percent?" Adam roared, his heart hammering. "I didn't run two kilometers to die in a living room!"
He gripped the kitchen knife. He knew the blade wouldn't pierce the steel plates. He needed a opening. He needed a Counter-Burst.
The Drone hissed—a sound of steam and static—and charged again. It was faster this time. It pinned Adam against the wall, its cold, metallic weight crushing the air out of his lungs. The spinning gear on its shoulder was inches from his face, threatening to shred his skin.
[Incoming Damage: High]
[Counter-Burst Ready: 3... 2... 1...]
"Now!"
Adam didn't struggle. He let the Drone's momentum hit him. As the metallic claws dug into his shoulders, he felt the familiar hum of kinetic energy building in his chest.
BOOM.
The shockwave erupted from Adam's body. The Drone was blasted backward, its mechanical joints screeching in protest. But Adam didn't stop there. He didn't have the strength to kill it, but he had the Credits.
"System! Marketplace! Energy Seal! NOW!"
[Purchase Confirmed: Energy Seal (Rank 1) - 150 Credits]
[Remaining Balance: 50 Credits]
[Effect: Neutralizing Local Signals...]
A wave of black, ink-like energy washed over the room. The Drone froze. Its red sensors flickered, then dimmed. It looked around, confused. It could no longer 'see' Adam's system signal. To the parasite, he had just become a ghost.
Adam seized the moment. He saw the 'Core'—a pulsing blue orb embedded in the center of the spinning gear.
He didn't use the knife. He used his fist, channeled with the last bit of his strength reward.
"Go to hell."
CRUNCH.
The orb shattered. The blue light died. The mechanical limbs went limp, and the body of the Drone collapsed into a heap of scrap metal and silence.
[Mission Accomplished]
[Rating: A]
[Rewards Dispatched]
Adam stood over the remains, his hands shaking, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He had saved himself, but at a cost. Mrs. Gable was gone. His credits were nearly zero. And the "Collection" hadn't even truly begun.
He looked at his phone. A new message was waiting.
[You have 10 minutes to leave the building. The Hunters have traced the explosion.]