"Off you go. Remember. Learn as much as you can about this world and bring back anything supernatural." The scientist shouted.
"Yes, sir!" All the Primers shouted back. Except for Carter. He was still as indifferent as ever.
The scientist glanced at Carter and scoffed before going away.
"Heh." Alan, the muscular Primer from before, smiled. "You don't even give Dr. Locke any respect. You're so dead."
Carter didn't respond.
The portal in front of them lit up.
Nina Chekhova went first and disappeared inside the blue energy. She was the only kidnapped Primer that had the chance to become an Awaken. All the Primers respected her and even the scientists treated her with grace.
If she truly became an Awaken, she would no longer be a slave for the Cyber Runner.
The other Primers quickly followed. Including Carter.
"See you inside, rat!" Alan said.
Carter smiled for the first time and replied, "See you inside, Alan."
Alan widened his eyes for a little bit. Their bodies were consumed by the portal and disappeared.
For some reason, Carter's user name in the Prime System was blank. He never figured out why and didn't even bother to question it.
A ball of lightning materialized in the secluded alley. Carter appeared once again. Naked and no tools on his body.
That was a side effect from jumping worlds. Only biological matter would survive the trip.
Carter quickly hid behind a dumpster. He looked around and found no one was here. A lucky start to be honest.
[Terrorstate World detected]
[Eldritch Knight acquired]
'Another skin? It seems like I can get a free skin whenever I reach a new world. But that isn't what important right now.'
Carter looked down at his arm. The Cyber Core was still there.
But the connection with the Cyber Runner Server was cut. Carter was no longer supervised by the Cyber Runner World. It stopped pulsating blue already.
He immediately switched his skin.
[SYSTEM GHOST EQUIPPED]
His body transformed. The small hunching back of the clone straightened up. The many scars left behind because of countless operations disappeared. He grew taller and his muscles became more defined. Not as big as Alan but still very noticeable.
Clothes materialized. A traditional suit with white shirt and black pants, no tie. Then a worn brown trench coat wrapped around him.
He had successfully become an entirely different person.
But there was more to this skin.
Carter rolled his sleeves up and looked at his arm again. The Cyber Core wasn't there any more. He had truly switched bodies.
"I am free…" Carter's voice was also different from the clone. A neutral, easy to forget masculine voice.
'I wonder what I look like?'
Carter noticed a puddle inside the alley. He approached it. The yellow light from the street lamp shined upon the puddle and revealed Carter's face.
Or rather the lack of it. He had no eyes, no nose, and no mouth. He only had a pair of ears and a head full of hair.
"So this is what it means that no one can recognize me…" Carter mumbled. He could still speak for some reason and his voice traveled as normal.
An Awaken was a supernatural being. This System Ghost skin was no ordinary human. That would explain the face Carter had.
'The Ghost Clothes could transform at will… I wonder…'
Carter remembered what he used to be. The clothes that he would normally wear to the red carpet. A sleek black suit. At that moment, he could feel the power of the Disguise Skill as well.
Disguise wasn't just makeup. It was also a transformation. Carter called upon its power and pictured his face. The true face of Carter Hayes. Not the face of the clone nor the faceless head of the Ghost.
His face distorted and changed into his true face. His body had also shrunk, back to his actual height and form. The clothes also transformed. He now wore a clean black suit.
'System Ghost… Hahahahaha! So this is what it means! I am an actual Ghost! No one can find me!'
Cyber Runner's Primer would be summoned back to their world after 60 days. The Cyber Core would pull them back automatically once the clock ran out.
But Carter was no longer under the influence of the Core. He was now truly free. He, however, couldn't return to the Prime World at the moment. But with the Prime System and the Infinite Skin System, that would be easy.
'The Skin System gave me a new skin when I arrived here. Let's see what it is. Show me Eldritch Knight.'
[Eldritch Knight]
[Rank]: Champion
[Star Level]: 1
[Ability]: Formidable (Awaken); Will of Steel (Champion)
- Formidable (Awaken): You are the strongest in your level.
- Will of Steel (Champion): Your mind is harder to be influenced in any way.
[Skill]: Level 4 Swordsmanship (Champion); Level 7 Hand-to-hand Combat (Awaken); Level 1 Demonology (Awaken).
[Item]: Anti-Demonic Robe; The Prisoner; Holy Fire Bracer.
- Anti-Demonic Robe: A white robe that naturally repels demonic forces.
- The Prisoner: A sword contains a powerful Terror inside. An Eldritch Knight might use it to summon the Eldritch Armor. Eldritch Armor should not be used for more than 99 seconds.
- Holy Fire Bracer: A bracer made from a supernatural material. It can repel Demonic Force and create Holy Fire.
'A Terror inside a sword? Doesn't that mean this skin belongs to this world? Or maybe it was someone from this world?'
There were too many questions with no answers. Carter didn't put too much thought into it because he knew he had no way of finding out the truth. The only way was becoming stronger. Once he's strong enough, all secrets shall be revealed.
Carter didn't equip the Eldritch Knight skin yet. Instead, he continued to use the System Ghost skin. He used its power to transform into an ordinary man with a trench coat and a fedora.
Carter quickly got away from the alley.
The other six Primers, including Alan, had landed somewhere else in this world.
The System Ghost walked on the street. The scenery of this world was not much different from his own world. It had the same vibe and structural design. For a moment, he thought he was back in his world.
But soon, he found the difference. There was no one on the street at all. Not even one. The yellow street lamps were still on and the traffic lights still operated.
"The electronics are running. It meant that there are still people maintaining this world. But where are they?"
Not so far from Carter, he saw a girl in a white dress. She crouched in a corner with her face buried in her arms.
She cried. A sinister deathly cry.