Jack the Ripper
I stood at the entrance to the middle hallway, flanked by Jake and thirty other guys. We were all armed and ready for whatever awaited us. My gun was held firmly in my grasp, my senses sharp, prepared for the inevitable clash.
We advanced cautiously into the middle hallway, moving slowly towards the left corridor. The tension was palpable, each step echoing through the eerie silence.
Suddenly, an uneasy feeling washed over me. Instinctively, I ducked just as a swift gust of wind whooshed past where my head had been moments before.
When I looked around, my heart sank. Six of our men, standing in the line behind me, had their heads severed cleanly from their shoulders.
My eyes followed the trail of carnage to the figure behind them—a man with a bloodstained dagger in his hand.
"Woah, you dodged that?" he said with a twisted grin. "Pretty impressive."
I was stunned. How the hell was he so fast?
I managed to stammer, "Did you kill everyone and put all your karma into agility?"
It was the only explanation that made sense. I raised my gun, aiming at him, but it was too late. The guy had already vanished.
I spun around, only to find him right in front of me, his dagger clashing against my gun with a metallic clang.
"You're pretty strong! Unlike the others!" he shouted with a deranged grin, his eyes gleaming with madness.
Jake, seizing the opportunity, lunged at him with a knife. But before the blade could make contact, the guy disappeared again, reappearing several feet behind us in an instant.
"You're Jack, aren't you? Jack from Class 2-8?" Jake demanded.
Jack's grin widened. "Yes, that's me! Jack the Ripper, at your service!" he cackled, his voice dripping with manic excitement. "I've killed everyone in the left corridor to build up my power! You really think you can take me down with your measly weapons?"
Jake continued to taunt Jack, trying to distract him. "How are you so fast? Did you really put all your karma into Agility? That's insane!"
As Jake kept Jack occupied, I quickly assessed the situation. If Jack had killed everyone on the other side, he must have accumulated at least 1,000 karma. Given that he had put all of it into agility, he was likely moving at speeds beyond ordinary human capability. The only way I could match him was to boost my own agility.
I accessed the store's interface in a hurry.
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Store Window
Buy 1,000 Karma worth of Stat Points?
Yes / No
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I clicked Yes.
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System Window
You have purchased 70 Stat Points.
Allocate all Stat Points to agility?
Yes / No
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I selected Yes.
As soon as the purchase was confirmed, I felt an intense surge of energy coursing through me. My body adjusted to the increased agility, my reflexes sharpening and my endurance skyrocketing. I
My vision sharpened, and my mind raced with calculations. With the agility stat points applied, I should now have 78 agility. This level of agilitywas crucial if I was to keep up with Jack's incredible speed.
The battle was about to get even more intense, but I was prepared. I adjusted my stance and readied my gun, feeling the power of my enhanced agility thrumming through me.
"Fall back!" I shouted to Jake and the others, trying to cut through the cacophony of battle. "Get to cover and regroup! I'll handle this!"
Jake hesitated, his face a mix of concern and disbelief. "But—"
"No 'buts'!" I cut him off. "I can handle this. Just get out of here!"
Reluctantly, Jake and the remaining allies retreated, their movements hurried and frantic. The corridor was now eerily quiet, the tension almost palpable. Jack's maniacal laughter echoed through the hallway as he watched our retreat, a smirk spreading across his face.
"Oh? You think you can take me on alone?" Jack's voice was taunting, filled with an unsettling mixture of amusement and challenge. "How brave! Or maybe just foolish. Either way, I'll enjoy this."
Without waiting for a response, Jack vanished in a blur of motion, his form flickering and reappearing in front of me.
I could barely track his movements, his speed creating a disorienting effect. His dagger gleamed menacingly as he slashed towards me.
He was still faster than me. But now, I could keep up.
I braced myself, relying on my own enhanced speed. The impact of Jack's blade against my defenses was jarring, but my improved agility allowed me to deflect the attack.
I fired a quick shot, but Jack was already gone, reappearing a few feet away.
"Impressive," Jack said, his voice carrying a note of surprise. "You're faster than I expected. But let's see how long you can keep this up!"
He vanished again, his form dissolving into the shadows. I could feel my muscles straining as I tried to keep pace. My speed, enhanced by the Karma investment, was being pushed to its limits.
Jack's attacks were relentless, each strike coming from a different direction. I spun around, barely managing to block another attack with the barrel of my gun.
"How are you keeping up?" Jack's voice echoed around me, filled with genuine astonishment.
With a burst of speed, Jack reappeared directly in front of me. His blade slashed towards my chest, but I managed to dodge just in time. The edge of the dagger grazed my side, the sharp pain a reminder of how close I was to being overwhelmed.
"You're fast," I said through gritted teeth, "but you're not the only one who has a high valality."
Jack's eyes widened in shock. "You're really keeping up with me? HOW?!"
The clash of our speeds created a surreal and almost blinding display. Every move was a blur of motion, with Jack and I weaving through the corridor like streaks of lightning.
I fired another series of shots, each bullet flying straight and true. Jack dodged with uncanny reflexes, his movements a fluid dance of speed and precision.
Jack's expression shifted from one of confidence to frustration. "This isn't supposed to happen! I'm the fastest! No one should be able to keep up with me! I KILLED EVERYONE FOR MY SPEED SO HOW!!!"
As Jack vanished again, I took a deep breath and recalculated my approach. I needed to outmaneuver him, not just keep up. I relied on my enhanced speed to anticipate his next move, my senses heightened and my reflexes sharper than ever.
Jack reappeared behind me, his blade slicing through the air. I spun around, narrowly blocking the attack with the side of my gun.
Jack's attacks were relentless, but I was determined to find an opening. I fired a series of shots in rapid succession, forcing Jack to dodge and weave. His speed was incredible, but he was starting to show signs of frustration. His movements were slightly more erratic, his attacks less precise.
"You're wearing yourself out," I said, focusing on maintaining my own speed and accuracy. "Your stamina isn't limitless."
Jack's eyes narrowed with a mix of anger and disbelief.
With a final burst of speed, Jack vanished and reappeared directly in front of me. His dagger flashed towards my chest, but I managed to block the strike with a precise shot.
Jack staggered back, his expression a mix of shock and frustration.
With one last surge of speed, I fired a decisive shot. Jack's form blurred as he tried to dodge, but the bullet found its mark. He staggered, his blade dropping to the floor as he fell back.
The corridor fell silent, the only sound the echo of Jack's defeated cries. I stood there, breathless and exhausted, but victorious. The clash of our speeds had been a whirlwind of motion and precision, a testament to the limits we were both willing to push.
As Jack lay on the ground, his form fading into unconsciousness, I knew the battle was over. My enhanced speed had matched his, but it was determination and strategy that had secured my victory.