Gregory Complex
In the abandoned complex, amidst the echoing metallic walls and flickering neon lights, the Blue Whalers' auditions were in full swing_Second big gang of New Tylon. On fifty elevated platforms, old members clashed with new, their battles a symphony of clenched fists and quicksilver movements.
A hushed crowd of 160 eager newcomers, ready to prove their worthiness, their excitement barely contained, watched with wide eyes and racing hearts. Their gazes moved swiftly from one platform to another, absorbing the fierce battles taking place before them.
At the far end of the room, an imposing elder sat upon a high-backed chair, flanked on either side by two impeccably suited, burly gang members. His steely gaze surveyed the auditions with a mix of authority and calculation. A man of few words, his presence alone commanded respect, and his keen eyes missed no detail.
The battle raged on with an intensity that left the audience breathless. The sound of metal against metal filled the arena as the new recruits and the old members of the Blue Whalers clashed in violent combat.
On each of the fifty platforms, two fighters faced off against each other, the young recruits fought with a wild abandon, driven by a desperate need to prove themselves, while the older members countered with a cool and calculated precision.
A cloud of dust rose up from the arena floor, casting a hazy yellow glow over the scene. The crowd watched with bated breath as the fighters tumbled and clashed, the smell of sweat and blood permeating the air.
Occasionally, a fighter would hurl a weapon at his opponent, missing by mere inches, the weapon embedding itself in the wall behind them with a resounding thud.
The elder's attention was captivated by a young newcomer. This boy possessed an incredible amalgamation of raw power and precise finesse, standing apart from the others with a rare talent that ignited the elder's curiosity. With each defeat of an opponent, the boy's prowess grew more evident, drawing the attention of both the crowd and the elder himself.
As the final fight subsided, the elder motioned for the victorious young warrior to approach him. The boy, heart racing with a mix of nerves and pride, stepped forward. In the presence of the elder, he straightened his posture.
The boy stepped forward covered in blood, his muscles tense and adrenaline still pumping from the intense fight. The elder scrutinized him for a moment, his expression inscrutable.
Finally, the elder spoke. "What is your name, boy?"
The new member stood straighter, his pride evident in his voice. "My name is Xander, sir."
The elder nodded slowly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his thin lips. "Xander. A good name. You fought well, boy. Tell me... why do you want to join the Blue Whalers?"
Xander's eyes gleamed with fierce determination. "I want to be a part of something greater, sir. I want to fight for something that matters. I'm tired of living in a world where the strong prey on the weak. I want to make a difference."
The elder's gaze locked onto Xander's, his ancient eyes seeming to peer into the depths of the new member's soul. "You have spirit, boy. And you have strength. But tell me... do you have the will to survive?"
Xander's face hardened, as though the elder's question was a challenge. "I'll do whatever it takes, sir. I won't let anyone or anything stand in my way."
A slow nod, and a glint of respect in the elder's eyes. "Very well, Xander. You are one of us now. Rise, and take your place with the Blue Whalers."
***************
Emily stood in front of the mirror, she pulled off the towel and gasped. Her hair was perfect. It was jet black, just like she had always wanted. She smiled at her reflection, but then her smile faded.
[ You have been hurt ]
Something was wrong.
[ Emergency healing -5 energy ]
Emily reached up and touched her hair. It was warm. And it was tingling.
She looked back in the mirror and saw, to her horror, that her hair was turning white again. Right before her eyes.
Emily tried to stop it, but it was too late. Within seconds, her hair was back to its original color.
She had been so careful. She had used the best dye she could find. She had followed the instructions to the letter. But it hadn't been enough.
She quickly packed her hair into a bun and put on her hoodie and half mask. The mask covered her mouth, but it wouldn't hide her distinctive white hair.
Emily took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled.
It was time to go find Dire Fang.
**************
Emily was walking through the bustling Neo metropolis of New Tylon, four teenagers wearing mostly blue clothes were dragging a girl towards an alley in broad daylight. Emily recognized the girl's golden and cream uniform from Heaven Dune High. She wanted to look the other way—she had been attacked by students from Heaven Dune High herself, students of the Aerion football team—but her rational side made her follow them into the alley.
Walking slowly, Emily could see the girl on the floor, her mouth covered with tape and her hands tied behind her back. She could hear one of the boys saying, "You wouldn't let me date you at school, so now we're going to have some fun here." Xander lifted his bat above his head and used his full strength and weight to swing it down on the girl's head.
Suddenly, a hooded person appeared almost out of nowhere and grabbed the stick, before it could reach its intended victim.
"I can't just watch you torment the innocent young lady!" Emily yelled out.
'System, put both points into Strength!'
[2 stat Points have been allocated into Strength]
[Your base Strength is now at 7]
[ Rage activated ]
[All Stats Doubled]
[Current Strength: 14 ]
With Rage and the increase in strength, Emily pulled the stick out of Xander's hands. While Xander was still confused about the situation, Emily used both her hands and with a mighty swing, she connects with the boy's head, flinging his head back and causing him to fly through the air for a few meters until he hit the ground..
The other gang members stared at her in disbelief. Emily stood tall, her eyes blazing with defiance.
Looking on the floor, there was a single tooth that had fallen out.
'That's a start!'" I will Cleanse the world by making all gang members pay."
The bat snapped after connecting with Xander's face and Emily still held one half of it in her hand, her head slightly facing down so the others wouldn't be able to see her face clearly.
"What the hell? I thought the new guy had some strength, but it turns out his muscles are all hot air. Oi, aren't you embarrassed getting taken out by such a scrawny kid? " One of the blue whalers gang members turned around to make fun of Xander, not having grasped the seriousness of the situation yet.
However, the same could not be said about Damion. Unlike the other three, he had watched Xander fight, so he had seen his strength. His body didn't just look the part, and there weren't many that could make someone fall easily like that. What's more, that 'scrawny kid' had managed to make the bat snap with one attack.
"What are you guys doing? He might just be the new kid, but since when do we allow anyone to just hurt one of our members? Stop gawking and bring him in!. Damion shouted.
Blood was dripping from Xander's mouth, and he was possibly in a worse state, but Emily had no sympathy for him, not after what she had seen him do. Making use of Rage's duration she lifted Xander above her head with her right hand an threw him towards the blue whalers gang members, crashing into two of them.
The third one, as the only one unaffected, turned around to check on his teammates, disbelieving what he had seen. This turned out to be a big mistake, as by the time he turned back to Emily, the other was already in the midst of a punch, aimed straight at the gang member's face.
You guys are just as bad!" Emily shouted.
She could only imagine what the blue whalers and white swan gang members must have been doing in this area for so long. All the chaos and trouble they had caused. The truth was, Emily wasn't the only one who wanted them gone, yet nobody ever did anything because they were afraid of those behind the gangs.
[New quest received]
[Defeat the Blue whalers New recruits]
[Quest reward: 50 Exp per defeated person]
[Your opponent has been knocked out]
[50 Exp gained]
[Exp 4050/6250]
Receiving this message, it made Emily realise something, that Xander still had some room for a beating. Walking over, the two that were trapped under this heavy body, soon pushed him off, and got up from the ground.
"Don't just stand there, Bowden, give us a hand!" One of the members complained. Since they still had the number advantage he was confident they could win.
"No real names, you idiot!" Damion shouted at him, slapping him from behind, while he waited and watched Emily.
The three of them stayed back, and with Damion taking a step back, so did the other two. That's when he noticed that their attacker wasn't looking at them. Instead she only seemed to have eyes for Xander who was on the floor.
After being hit by the bat, Xander's head was spinning slightly. He wasn't knocked out yet and he could hear the chaos around him, though he was unable to react to it. He tried to stand back up, but his legs felt like jelly.
Recovering a little, he soon felt someone above him, and the next second he experienced a slap against his face.
"Oh no, you don't just get out of the situation by losing consciousness. You still have plenty of teeth left in your mouth." Emily said.
Xander was still struggling to open his eyes, yet before he could, his head was slammed into the concrete ground once more. It was soon lifted from the ground again. His forehead had been cut, and blood was dripping down from the top now covering his vision even more.
It was then that Damion was sure that his hunch was right.
"Let's just get out of here boys, that person isn't here for us."
They left Xander behind, including the other member, they were more concerned about what would happen if they tried approaching the person in front of them again.
'That person…is another beast, let the two of them deal with each other.' Damion thought as he left.
Holding up Xander, Emily could tell he was still conscious. It seemed to have been the right call to cancel Rage, instead of using her full strength.
Tell me, how does it feel? Not so great when you're on the receiving end, now is it? You still like to hurt people? I don't get how you can enjoy this so much!" Emily shouted at him, before getting ready to whack his head against the concrete ground once more.
Xander, in his desperate situation, used his hands to cover his head hitting the ground, but the impact was still strong.
Who….are you?!" Xander blurted out, his mouth filled with blood, while his entire body still hurt from being used as a projectile. He hadn't even realised yet that the side of his face had swollen up from getting hit with the bat.
Emily, still wasn't done yet, and she wouldn't be until the system gave her the exp for knocking Xander out. Grabbing his head once more, she was ready to slam it in the ground again, but it was then that she felt someone grab her wrist.
"Stop! If you keep doing that, you'll end up killing him." A male voice cautioned her.
Looking up, at what could possibly have the strength to hold Emily. She could see a man in a Sleek black suit, and a trimmed black beard, while also carrying a red umbrella that covered most of his head.
"I've been watching you. You managed to knock out a gang member all by yourself and you even managed to lift up this kid over your head despite the size difference, are you sure you are human?" The man asked, as he reached down his pocket to grab what looked like a baton.
"You know, there have already been a couple of killings in this area and it seems the wounds inflicted aren't done by normal humans but supernaturals... vile creatures." The man pressed the button and the baton lit up. White sparks started to buzz around the weapon.