Max raised his hand before Riyah could hurry away.“No… we have to do something first.”Riyah tilted her head. “What should we do first?”Max nodded firmly. “Check your status. We need to know what we’re working with before we meet anyone.”The three of them opened their system menus at the same time. Translucent windows appeared in front of their eyes, displaying their current information.[ Character StatusName: AshenTitles: NoneLevel: 1Health: 100 / 100Energy: 50 / 50Physique Rating: F+Strength: 10Intelligence: 10Dexterity: 10Endurance: 10Vitality: 10Reputation: 0Faction: None ]Max gave a small nod after reading through it.As expected, the starting stats were completely basic.“Level one… base stats. Just like starting from scratch.”Riyah and Farrah checked their own status windows and found almost identical numbers. Their Health and Energy were the same as Max’s, and their other attributes had also been reset to the same starting values.It was strange to feel so w

Cornelio relaxed against the stone wall of the Aries Faction reception hall. One hand rested on the strange sword strapped across his back. The weapon was still warm from the battle he had just fought, and that lingering heat brought the encounter back to mind. Before long, his thoughts returned to the secrets they had uncovered during their previous missions. The elders had mentioned some of those things before, but without solid evidence, the information had never been taken too seriously. That had changed after Cornelio raided another A.I. base. He had finally confirmed that Perfect World was not simply a training ground or some harmless simulation created for Survivors. It was a domain that Anima, the A.I. civilization, had been trying to seize for years. Anima had corrupted ALLIE, once humanity’s greatest creation, and turned it into a rebel force. Through ALLIE, the machines had betrayed their creators and eventually become humanity’s enemies. But that betrayal wa

Max’s expression darkened as Xander explained what they had discovered.“What blood duels?” he repeated. “Wait… You mean survivors fight each other to death… for gambling?”Riyah’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s insane. People risk their lives just so others can place bets? Why is it happening here? Aren’t they supposed to work together to fight against the A.I. Army?”Farrah shook her head, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. “It explains the crowds we saw earlier. I thought it was just another market gathering… but if duels are drawing people in, then Blackreach City thrives on more than trade.”Alfie chuckled when he saw their reactions. Despite the grim subject, a smile appeared on his face.“You should’ve seen it. Survivors clashing with Gene Skills, the crowd was cheering like it was a festival. You’re all probably inside the VR World when the battle was happening. Anyway, some fighters were throwing fire after putting oil in their mouth, others were using shockwaves or bla

Max, Farrah, and Alfie made their way through the western region of Blackreach City, with Alfie leading them through streets he had already explored the previous day.The excitement on his face made it obvious how much he had enjoyed his visit.“You’ll see,” Alfie said with a grin. “The dueling grounds aren’t like anything else in this city. It’s chaos, but it’s also an opportunity to earn a lot of money.”Max said nothing. His mind was already considering the risks. With their items, Gene Skills, and Talents, they should be capable of handling most opponents they encountered. Having the Spirit Knight and Gladiator fighting alongside him only made their chances better.“Let’s see…” Farrah muttered.She was just as interested in the Dueling Grounds. Increasing the mastery of Gene Skills was not easy, especially when she had to rely on limited Skill Points to improve them. If she could fight here instead, she might be able to raise the mastery of her Skills through actual combat without

Hassan was stunned. Near the counter, his eyes landed on something that was undoubtedly rare in Blackreach City, an off-road motorbike that ran on diesel.“Ugh… you’re selling one of these?” Hassan asked, unable to hide his disbelief.Diesel was difficult to obtain because Energy Cores from the A.I. Army had already become the standard source of fuel. Even so, it was not completely impossible to find. Certain traders still managed to acquire small quantities and sell them at ridiculous prices.Behind the counter, a beautiful woman with short black hair gave him a faint smile.“Yes. We have more of them at the back. This one is just a display. Do you want to test one?”Hassan blinked.He had visited countless shops across Blackreach City, but he had never encountered anything remotely similar to this.Max’s Survival Store wasn’t just another merchant’s stall… it was a treasure trove.“Ahem… Let me look around first, Miss… Riyah.” Hassan said after noticing the nameplate attached to her