Chapter 128: not a Chapter again! I'm really sorry!

I'm still sick and it's a bit difficult to focus today, can't even move much. but I have to post something or go hungry next month. so please forgive me for this. this is the 3rd and 4th chapter of After Earth Online.

[[[[[∆]]]]]

Leo appeared in a flash of light on a sidewalk of a rather busy city, the weather was a bit cold as everyone seemed to be walking about with thick clothes, looking up at the sky he could see flakes of snow slowly drift to the ground as the very world around him seemed to ignore his very existence. this… was completely unexpected, he at least expected some sort of tutorial or something of the like, but he was here in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no direction.

[A random backstory has been generated for you]

[Leo Freewind was born from a forbidden romance between a Techronman delegate and a human maid. Unfortunately, his birth was nothing more than a stain on his father's reputation as the delegate already had mates and children of his own. The matter was even made worse when it was discovered that his maid mother was a witch, going against everything the Techronman race believes; as magic is considered a taboo for them.

Largely inheriting a significant portion of his mother's magical abilities, Leo Freewind has been thrown out of his father's household one cold winter night, with nothing to his name, and to a world that would be unforgiven in its assault of the young Hybrid, what will he do now?]

He had this urge to roll his eyes over what he just saw, but he couldn't help but feel how deeply ingrained and immersive this game was. Unlike other games there was no starting point, he wasn't exactly sure how other players fared, but from what he could see, everyone had to make do with what they have, and also try to find their own way.

In a way with such a terrible start, it was pointing him directly to a life of crime, because that should be the only way he would be able to survive on the streets after being kicked out. But he wasn't worried, if there was one thing he knew how to do, it would be surviving on the street. But before that he had to take a little look at his status page.

• SECRET IDENTITY: Leo Freewind// HERO/VILLAIN NAME: n/a

• RACE: Human/Techronman Hybrid// ALIGNMENT: Undetermined

• ABILITY: Magical(Warlock)// GRADE: F-// FAME/INFAMY: (0/0)

• PASSIVES: [Adaptive lvl 0] [Technopath lvl 0] [Arcane Sight lvl 0]

• ACTIVES: [Analyze lvl 0] [Shock lvl 0] [Black Bolt lvl 0]

• MONEY: 100 credits// HIDEOUT/LAIR: n/a

Leo blinked his eyes, and shuddered a bit from the cold as he started moving down the street pondering on what's going on, for one there was hardly any information about the game before its release, and now the status sheet did not seem to have any answers either. This game was basically a taste and see kind of experience. There were no levels, no HP bar, no MP bar, or a stamina bar. It was almost as if he was here with his own normal body trying to figure things out with a chance at getting stronger.

He had no idea how to increase his grade, or how the basic mechanics of the game worked, hell he even had no idea where he was. He looked up and around him, noticing the plethora of different races walking about, the hover cars, bikes and boards. The high-rise buildings in the distance that lit up the night sky with their glow, and the rows of buildings on both sides of the streets that served as stores for a plethora of things.

Leo blanched as he looked around, did they actually want him to rob one of the stores or something, he might be desperate and frantic, but he wasn't here to play the game without any sort of plans. He needed information, but before that he needed clothes. It was bloody freezing and all he had on was a white t-shirt with grey trousers and a brown boot. It was ugly and simple, and only did the basic job of making sure he wasn't naked.

He took a few steps down the street, ignoring the café's and the restaurants as his stomach took the opportunity to warn him of his hunger. He frowned again, it seems the system of the game was really putting the backstory into effect and using it to determine his current situation. He basically had an idea of what was going on, pushed into a hard situation, it would be up to him to either surpass his difficulties and come out stronger and pure of heart, forged by the flames of adversity. Or he gives in to the darkness and fall to the dark side.

His feet came to a stop at the side of a thrift store, he walked in looking at rows of goods and clothes arranged within it. Leo couldn't tell what this store was for, there were clothes, tools, junk food and even records and small electronics. It was weird if he had to be honest.

~zzzz!

Leo shifted his head to the left, there was a digital watch there that for all intents and purposes seemed dead as it was clustered with a pile of other watches in a bowl. But he just felt… or rather heard the watch tell time. It was weird, but he it was probably his Technopath ability giving him access to the watch. He went over to the counter where a blue skinned obese man was leaning over, clicking the buttons of a remote as an old school plasma TV cycled through different channels. Leo swiftly picked up the watch and immediately struck a conversation with store clerk, making sure to keep the watch within his fist.

"Hi how much do you sell your clothes?"

"1 credit." The clerk answered with a bored voice.

"What about the tools and appliances?" he asked again

"1 credit for everything in the store, but goods worth of 10 credits and get another free, enjoy your shopping." Leo blanched with annoyance at the whole thing, it was obvious this guy really doesn't want to be here, or even if he did, he really didn't care about customer interaction.

[Analyze]

[Mogrin Morgo]

Honestly he expected more information to show up, but that was it. He shook his head and moved through the aisles, checking for clothes and maybe something good to spend the system allocated hundred credits on. He picked a pair of thick black trousers. They seemed like jeans. But were more like the cargo pants worn by the army. He got a long sleeved shirt to wear over his current t-shit, a pair of black booths with steel buckles and thigh length leather jacket with a hood. Along with some woolen gloves and a face-mask that looked like it would be at home on the face of a doctor, except this was black.

He easily slipped the stolen watch into the pocket of the jacket and then went to the counter with a smile that was a little too large for his face. He paid for everything he had bought, watching as his 100 credits became 95 credits. Then he walked out of the store, the watch in his pocket seemingly burning a hole through it.

[You have carried out a criminal act (Shoplifting), you have gained one infamy point.]

[Gain enough fame or Infamy to activate system generated quests. The kind of quests you receive would be dependent on your amount of fame or infamy. More infamy would generate villain aligned quest, and fame would generate heroic aligned quest. There are no anti-hero quests, but heroic acts can be carried out in villainous quests, and villainous acts can be carried out in heroic quests.]

[Quest: The night is young and you're almost out of cash, steal from someone to ensure your survival. // Reward: 20 credits + amount/loot stolen. +2 infamy.]

And just like that he got his first quest, he shook his head as he placed the digital watch on his wrist, somehow finding the buzz from it very soothing and familiar. He smiled as he walked away from the bustling streets towards the darker areas of town, he had already stolen from Mogrin, but it seems what you do before the quest doesn't count, he had to look for another prey. Or so he thought until he went past an alley and saw…

[[[[[∆]]]]]

Leo had wondered how he would be able to differentiate players from the rest of the NPC's, but now it seems the game actually took care of that, as there was an obvious rhomboid crystal attached to the head of every player. In the alley he almost passed, he witnessed a player and two NPC's attempting to mug another. And from the lecherous looks on their faces it seemed that there were going to be doing more than mugging. He wasn't really here to be hypocritical, but he had a short fuse when it came to men being violent against a woman, especially after the harrowing experience his sister had gone through, so he didn't think much, he just charged in.

[Black Bolt]

The usage of skills was instinctual; it was very much in the same manner you gave commands to a computer through programing. You either thought about the skill or called it out. A bluish red spell circle showed up in front of his outstretched palm, it was about the size of a coffee mug with rather dull colors and intricate arcane scripts. It took two seconds to generate a mass of blackish energy that seemed to sizzle and spark like flames and electricity. The thugs were preoccupied with the NPC they were about to Mug, so he shot the spell at them, hoping it would cross the five-meter distance and cause enough damage.

Or so he thought as the skill fizzled out after moving for just two and a half meters, the outcome was so shocking that Leo came to a stop. The players and his new group of friends looked up for a second, before a predatory grin covered their faces. With the way the player's eyes seemed to shift downwards as if looking at something else, Leo suspected he had just gotten a quest that had to deal with him, he couldn't help but mutter out loud.

"Fuck!"

"Well, well, well; what do we have here boys? It's a wannabe hero! Let's fuck him up really good, an audience to the show wouldn't be too bad."

If he had to be honest, he was seriously regretting letting his emotions get the best of him, he really had no idea what he was doing as there really wasn't much information about the game, so he had no idea what the penalty for dying was. Either way he squared his shoulders and brought his hands, fist clenched in a boxing stance… he looked threatening enough that the thugs took him a little bit seriously, but honestly…. Leo has never really been in a fight in all 21 years of his life, and frankly speaking, this would be a first.

The first thug rushed forwards, throwing a well telegraphed right hook to Leo's face, he ducked backwards and threw his hands forwards, his right palm opens as his skill [Black Bolt] came into existence and smashed into the chest of the first Thug, throwing him backwards and laying him flat on his back as he clutched his chest in pain. But that was a small victory as Leo felt a fist smash into the side of his face forcing him to spin from the momentum before he felt a kick on his back that sent him sprawling forwards, his face clipping the side of a trash-can and being busted open.

He felt pain, though not as much as it should have been in real life, but pain none the less, and it was almost hard for him to focus as he felt a foot slam into his stomach. The impact was hard enough that he was raised off the ground and his back was smashed into the trash can behind him. He looked up to see a foot coming to smash down on his face and quickly shifted his head to the side; as there was a dull bang besides his head.

He surged forwards, driving his shoulders into the midriff of the second thug and carried him all the way to the other side of the street, smashing his back into dumpster behind him. The thug arched his back in pain, but Leo didn't stop there as he proceeded to take a massive chomp off the thug's side, eliciting a high pitched scream as the Thug panicked and tried to push Leo away from him.

The mask on Leo's face was bloodied as he pulled back and slammed his forehead into the bridge of the thug's nose, ignoring the crunch and the cry of pain as he reeled back and pointed his hands at point blank range at the chest of the thug. [Black Bolt] there was a little concussive force behind the spell itself, similar to what someone would feel if they were pushed really hard. The thug was blasted over the edge and into the dumpster as Leo felt a pair of hands encircle him and voice whispering into his head.

"It's okay tough guy just go to sleep, go to sleep…"

[You have been subjected to Telepathic suggestions. You would lose consciousness in five seconds if you do not come up with a countermeasure.]

[Shock]

Countermeasures? He had one prepared and ready to go as he released the unnatural amount of electricity within his hybrid body, shocking the player behind him to a stupor as the smell of singed flesh and released bladder filled the alley. The player's body seemed to freeze as he fell backwards, completely paralyzed by the skill. None the less they were all neutralized as Leo moved his black face mask to one side and spat out saliva mixed with blood, both his and that of the thug who's side he took a bit out off.

"Are you okay?" the female who was being mugged asked, she was dressed in corporate clothes so she was probably a white collar worker or something on her way home from work. Leo nodded his head to her as he hunched over trying to catch his breath, feeling a bit weak from using his abilities.

"Should I call an ambulance for you? You don't seem to be in great shape." She said to him as she moved closer, he shook his head as he got up to his feet with one hand on his midriff.

"I'm fine, but you should go get some help, or the police. These guys seem to be out of it, so get the authorities to take care of them. go on, I'll keep an eye on them so they wouldn't escape." She nodded her head and ran to the entrance of the alley going to look for help or at least an officer or two on patrol. Leo on the other hand gathered all three culprits in one corner, ignoring the groans of pain from the first thug he had attacked.

[Loot Enemy(ies)]

[200 credits gained, 1 switchblade, 5 grams of Leviathan]

The leviathan was actually a bluish green pill, each placed in tiny paper bags. Leo did not need anyone to tell him that those were drugs, and in a street where there are drugs, there are sure to be dealers, those who would want to buy them, and those who made money from it. He quickly pocketed the drugs a plan gradually forming in his mind as he grabbed the neck of the thug still conscious and asked.

"Tell me where you got the Leviathan, or you're going to end up worse than your friend here." He threatened with a piercing glare, thankfully the Thug did not resist and gave Leo the answers he needed. There were a bunch of notifications to pay attention to, but Leo Ignored them for now, looks like the cops were here.