The bullet went right through Mark's skull, pulling brain matter out as it exited.
As his eyes met General Zorn's one last time, he felt his life force draining away and the cold hands of death slowly engulfing him.
This can't be the way it ends, he thought.
He could no longer keep his eyes open, but even as he slowly lost consciousness, he prayed for someone, anyone, to save him.
Finally, his eyes closed, his breathing halted, and every vein in his body froze.
With his last breath, Mark uttered one last word.
Please.
Then, everything slowed.
A cold mechanical whisper clicked inside his skull.
In the wave of darkness, a purple screen appeared.
[Loading...]
[Advanced Replication, Integration, and Evolution System]
[Core Protocol: Copy and Evolve]
[Initializing...SUCCESSFUL]
[Welcome, new user.]
"What... what is this?" Mark's body was dead, but his mind remained active.
[IDENTIFICATION]
User: Marcus Thornwell
Core Trait: E-Tier Weatherborn
[USER STATS]
Health - 2/100
Strength - 35/100
Speed - 30/100
Stamina - 30/100
Skill - 40/100
Agility - 20/100
Toughness - 25/100
"Am I... dreaming?"
[WARNING: Life rapidly depleting. Urgent recovery required.]
[NOTIFICATION: Instant Revitalisation Available (x3)]
[User confirmation required to activate.]
[Activate Instant Heal? Y/N]
"Y... Yes."
[Instant Heal Activated]
The warm feeling of life engulfed Mark once again. The painful throbbing in his chest and skull disappeared. His numb heart began to beat again, and his breath returned.
[NOTIFICATION: Health - 100/100]
"What... are you?" Mark asked again.
[NOTIFICATION: Condition for Instant Revitalisation not met]
"What condition?"
[Condition: Defeat all enemies 0/1]
His eyes opened once again, Mark felt a deep sense of gratitude to whoever, or whatever, just saved his life.
But he quickly recalled the circumstances that led to his death and got up to fight.
The purple screen blinked once again.
[POWER INVENTORY]
Total Power Slots: 2
SLOT 1: Lightning Discharge, Level 1 (P-Type: Weatherborn)
SLOT 2: Empty
[Current Mission: Defeat all enemies 0/1]
The screen disappeared.
Mark was confused by the whole phenomenon, but this was not the time to find out what it was. He had a mission to complete, and the target was clear.
His clothes drained with blood, Mark got to his feet, leaning onto the wall to maintain his balance. Filled with a sense of duty, Mark called out loudly to his opponent.
"General Zorn!"
Zorn had reached the elevator, ready to push a button when he heard the loud voice call out to him.
"No! This... this can't be." He uttered, his teeth chattering.
Right before him, stood the very boy he had just shot twice, once in the head. His hands began to tremble with fright.
Mark's blue aura returned, brighter than ever. With a steady pace, he walked towards General Zorn, a flicker of lightning appearing on his hands.
"What the hell are you?!"
The fright was too much for the general to bear. Panicking, he quickly pulled out a radio from his belt and called for backup.
"Code Red! Code Red! All available agents head to sub-level two now!"
As his fingers shook, Zorn didn't realize when he dropped his gun. Almost immediately, he found it again, lying on the ground beside the elevator doors.
He dropped to the ground to pick it up. By the time Zorn got up to pull the trigger, it was already too late.
Mark was right in front of him, eyes glowing with a cold fury.
As the General lifted the gun, a spark of electricity from Mark struck him in his right hand, and he dropped it once again.
Face to face with the man he had just murdered, General Zorn resorted to verbal attacks
"Kill me or not, there's no way you're leaving this place alive!"
A casual grin appeared on Mark's face, which petrified the general even more.
"I'll find a way," Mark replied.
"There's none! None I tell you. But if you let me live, I'll help you get out. I won't let any of my agents come near you."
[WARNING: Multiple hostiles approaching.]
"Stalling for time, General?"
Zorn's fear intensified. "You have a chance to do what's right boy. I'm the only..."
Without wasting another second, Mark raised his right arm and fired a powerful blue bolt of lightning at General Zorn.
The general screamed with a loud yell until he fell limp on the floor.
As soon as he fell, the purple screen reappeared.
[CURRENT MISSION: Defeat all enemies 1/1]
[MISSION ACCOMPLISHED]
[REWARD: All Stats +5]
[USER STATS]
Health - 100/100
Strength - 40/100
Speed - 35/100
Stamina - 35/100
Skill - 45/100
Agility - 25/100
Toughness - 35/100
[New Rank: D-Tier]
[WARNING: Adrenaline overload. Heart Rate elevated. User collapse imminent]
Mark began to feel lightheaded. His aura faded, and his vision grew blurred and hazy.
With his back leaning on the wall beside the elevator, Mark collapsed to the floor, still conscious.
"I need... I need to get out of here." He murmured.
[Escape Route: Calculating...]
[NOTIFICATION: Escape Route not found.]
[WARNING: Multiple hostiles detected]
The sound of marching boots echoed through the hallway.
Two more agents arrived at the scene, dressed in military combat suits and armed with disruptors. With a single glance, they accessed the situation.
"The general is down." One of the agents yelled to his mic. "I repeat, the general is down. Engaging hostile powerborn now."
Both agents aimed their disruptors at Mark, ready to take him out. But before they could pull the trigger, something mysterious happened.
[WARNING: Unidentified phenomenon detected]
A few meters behind the agents, a glowing red spot appeared, suspended in space. The light it radiated was dim, but its luminance grew brighter with every passing second.
Soon, the dot expanded to the size of a tennis ball, and it began to emit a high-pitched humming noise, which grew louder as it radiated even more.
The agents turned around, observing the red ball of light with caution and a little wonder. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen in all his years.
"What... the hell... is that?!" The second agent exclaimed.
The mysterious red glow increased to the size of a football, and the humming sound it emitted grew even louder.
Soon, it began to pulse repeatedly with an energy wave that rippled in all directions, bouncing off the concrete walls and leaving minor cracks.
Mark gazed at the red orb with admiration. It had been years since he had witnessed any other form of power.
Despite his weakness, he tried to lift himself from the ground, but his limbs failed, and he fell once again.
Resigning himself to fate, he kept his face toward the ball of light, waiting for what would happen next.