Ten minutes passed, then the open space went quiet.
Three heaps of dirt sat on the floor. In between them, Tom stayed, catching his breath while grinning. He took down the first two bugs without much trouble.
Thanks to sharper knives, flipping wasn't needed at all. One got pierced straight through the face part. The knife slipped into the hard cover as if it were soft cheese.
He pulled the core out of the second bug to strengthen his tunic. Because of that, his burlap top turned just as sturdy as a bulletproof jacket.
He took the core from the third bug to increase his power.
[ Strength: 3 -> 6 ]
He seemed tougher now. Not just in his head - his body changed too.
Clenching his hand brought a heavy, solid sensation. Like stone packed tight inside.
"This is broken," Tom laughed.
"This system is completely broken. If I keep doing this, I'm going to be a tank in a week."
He went through the bodies. From one, he got some coins, alongside a 'Beetle Mandible,' according to the system, used for making stuff.
"I can sell this," Tom said, pocketing the item. "I can actually make money."
Tom finally stopped seeing himself as someone life kept kicking down. Instead, power seemed close—right within reach. On that pile of junk, he stood at the top, not chased, but chasing.
Yet the match gave no time to enjoy the moment.
A scream tore into the silence.
It wasn't the squeal of a mouse. Not the rustle of an insect either.
This time, it was a rough roar, thumping right inside Tom's ribs.
He froze.
A shape showed up on the car-wreck mound, outlined by the violet evening glow.
It was a wolf. Yet, nothing here felt right. Like every creature out there, this one twisted reality.
It consisted of wires along with flat pieces of metal. Blue LED lights served as its eyes, sweeping around just like beams from a lighthouse. From its nose, steam escaped with a sharp sound.
[ Steel Wolf - Level 5 ]
Tom's smile vanished.
Level 5.
That was a big jump from Level 3.
And wolves didn't waddle like beetles. Wolves hunted.
The blue eyes stared at Tom.
As the wolf dipped its head, metal paws gripped the wreckage, ready to spring, Tom checked his daggers. These seemed solid. Yet, would they work against a machine wolf?
"Maybe not," Tom said.
He checked his Mental Integrity.
32%.
He was getting tired. His brain felt fuzzy, like he had stayed up for three days straight.
"Run or fight?" Tom asked himself.
The wolf answered for him.
It let out a metallic bark and charged down the hill, moving like a silver bullet.
"Fight it is," Tom said, bracing himself.
He crouched low.
"Come on, Lassie," Tom gritted his teeth. "Come and give me your agility."
The wolf wasn't merely running - it vanished into motion. In a flash, gone from the ridge.
Then suddenly there, standing close. Not walking - already arrived.
It lunged.
Tom lifted his knives to parry.
CLANG!
The impact threw him backward. He skidded across the dirt, his feet digging trenches. The wolf was heavy.
-15 HP
"Ow!" Tom yelled. "That hit hard!"
The wolf kept going - its teeth clashing, aiming for Tom's neck.
But Tom jammed his left dagger into its maw before it could tear in.
Metal scraped violently when the beast gnashed down on the Beetle-Bone blade.
"You're in trouble now," Tom yelled.
He swung the knife in his right hand, targeting the neck, since that's where the wires showed. Aiming low meant a better chance.
Slash.
He sliced the wire, oil burst out.
When the wolf cried, it leaped away.
Tom didn't wait. He charged.
He wasn't as fast as the wolf - still, he was heavy.
His extra bulk helped him slam into the machine.
The two twisted through dust, tangled arms and flashing steel. The wolf raked at his chest - his toughened shirt stayed intact, yet the force left his ribs aching.
-8 HP
Tom hit the wolf's eye with his knife. Light broke from the bulb. Kicking wildly, the animal tossed Tom aside.
They got to their feet, breathing hard.
Tom had cuts that bled. The robot wolf oozed dark fluid, flashes zipping from its side.
"You're strong", Tom muttered while clearing blood off his mouth.
"...but I don't give up that easily"
The wolf howled, then jumped into its last move.
Tom didn't block.
He dropped to his knees and slid forward, underneath the wolf. As he slid, he thrust both daggers upward into the wolf's soft underbelly.
SHUNK.
The wolf crashed into the ground behind him. It tried to stand, but its internal engine was destroyed. It twitched and died.
[ You have slain Steel Wolf (Level 5) ]
[ Exp +50 ]
[ LEVEL UP! You are now Level 2. ]
Tom dropped to the floor. He felt completely drained. His body wasn't doing well. A sharp pain throbbed in his skull. Yet he stayed breathing.
He moved slowly toward the wolf, checked out its smooth, fluid-powered limbs.
"Agility," Tom whispered.
"I need to be faster. If I was faster, you wouldn't have hit me."
He put his hand onto the wolf.
"Extract Agility," he commanded.
[ EXTRACTION INITIATED... ]
[ WARNING: MENTAL INTEGRITY LOW ]
[ WARNING: TARGET COMPLEXITY HIGH ]
Tom didn't pay attention to the red words. Yet he craved fast results. So he strained his thoughts, trying to catch what it really meant.
ZZZZT!
This didn't feel cozy. Instead, it hit like a frozen needle slamming into his head.
"AHHH!" Tom screamed.
The world became blank. But inside his head, the words flipped out.
[ MENTAL LOAD CRITICAL ]
[ INTEGRITY: 15%... 10%... ]
[ SYSTEM SAFETY TRIGGERED ]
[ EXTRACTION FAILED ]
[ Reason: Mental Integrity Too Low ]
The energy blast smacked into him hard. Back he flew from the impact. Blood began dripping from his nostrils.
He wanted to get up, yet his legs didn't respond.
Everything twisted around him. That violet-colored sky melted into dark.
"Too greedy," Tom thought as his eyes rolled back. "I was... too greedy."
He fell face-first into the mud.
The last thing he saw was a pair of shiny, expensive boots walking toward him. And then, darkness.