The city didn't sleep.
It never did.
But that night… Damián saw it differently.
Not as someone trapped within it.
But as someone beginning to understand it.
The alley was behind him, but not entirely; the blood still dried on his clothes, the pain still present in his body—though more controlled, more… manageable—and every step he took through the damp streets was proof that the change had already begun, that what had happened hadn't been an isolated event, but the beginning of something much greater.
Something irreversible.
[User Status: STABLE]
[END (Endurance): 6 — Physical capacity and bodily resilience]
[Pain reduced: 32%]
Damián walked without a fixed destination, but he wasn't lost. His mind worked constantly, connecting pieces, recalling every word from the wounded man, every warning, every detail that now seemed to carry more weight.
Player.
Underworld.
Invitation.
None of that was random.
None of it was simple.
And the system…
Was not unique.
That thought made him stop for a second.
*…I'm not the only one,* he murmured internally.
And the system reacted.
[Implicit confirmation detected]
[Warning: Multiple system users exist]
[Classification: Players]
That made him exhale slowly.
Not surprise.
Confirmation.
So this wasn't an absolute advantage.
It was a competition.
And in a city like this…
That could only mean one thing.
Survival of the fittest.
He kept walking, but this time with more intent, his eyes catching details he had ignored before—movements in corners, people avoiding the light, quick, silent exchanges, almost invisible.
The city had always been dangerous.
But now he could see it.
He could feel it.
And that made him aware of something else.
Not everyone was normal.
A man leaning against a wall across the street looked at him for a second longer than necessary, his posture too relaxed for someone in that environment—but his gaze…
Was calculating.
Damián didn't stop.
But he didn't ignore him either.
[INS (Instinct): 2 — Perception, reaction, and situational awareness]
[Passive analysis activated]
The system didn't flag anything else.
But that didn't mean there was nothing.
Only that he couldn't see it yet.
*…I'm still not capable,* he thought.
And that frustrated him.
But it also motivated him.
He couldn't rely only on the system.
He had to grow.
Faster.
Stronger.
Smarter.
That's when it happened.
A new window appeared.
More defined.
Clearer.
Different from all the previous ones.
[CONTRACT AVAILABLE]
Damián stopped in his tracks.
His breathing slowed.
More controlled.
Because this…
This felt important.
[Type: Basic Contract]
[Description: Intervention in detected irregular activity]
[Location: 1.2 km]
[Reward: Energy / Resources / Information]
[Time limit: 01:00:00]
It wasn't like the previous mission.
It wasn't survival.
It was…
Work.
*…a contract,* he murmured.
And in that moment, he understood something else about the system.
It didn't just react.
It proposed.
Guided.
Pushed.
Toward something specific.
The Underworld.
[Warning: Rejecting contracts reduces progression]
That was enough.
Damián lifted his gaze toward the street ahead, the rain reflecting the city lights as if everything were covered by a layer of distortion, as if reality itself were slightly out of place.
*…of course,* he thought.
Nothing was free.
Nothing was optional.
*I accept.*
[Contract accepted]
[Marking route…]
A faint line appeared in his vision, guiding him through streets, corners, shortcuts he hadn't noticed before—as if the city itself were reconfiguring in front of him.
Damián started walking.
Then faster.
Not running.
But with purpose.
The pain was still there.
But it no longer stopped him.
Because now he had something stronger.
Direction.
As he moved forward, his mind kept analyzing.
If this was a basic contract…
Then there were more.
More dangerous contracts.
Greater rewards.
More risk.
And if he survived…
More power.
But also more enemies.
The memory of the wounded man returned to his mind.
Underworld player.
Unknown level.
That was the future.
And also the danger.
Damián turned a corner, following the route, until the city began to change subtly—the streets narrower, darker, quieter, as if he had crossed into a different layer of the same reality.
And then he felt it.
Presence.
Not one.
Several.
[Contract zone detected]
[Warning: Hostile activity]
Damián stopped just before fully stepping in, his body naturally tensing, his breathing stabilizing as his mind slipped back into that cold, calculating state.
The same state that had kept him alive.
But now…
With more tools.
With more knowledge.
With more control.
He leaned slightly forward, observing the scene ahead.
Three people.
Surrounding someone on the ground.
A robbery.
But not normal.
Too organized.
Too clean.
And one of them…
Moved differently.
Faster.
More precise.
Damián narrowed his eyes.
*…another player…*
The system didn't confirm it.
But it didn't deny it either.
And that was enough.
His pulse quickened slightly.
Not from fear.
But from anticipation.
Because now he understood.
This wasn't just a contract.
It was a test.
The first real one.
Damián took a step forward.
Then another.
Entering the zone.
Without hiding.
Without hesitation.
Because now he wasn't just reacting.
He was participating.
And the city…
Had already begun to respond.