The streets are unusually wide in this city. It seems the System has really changed the inherent design. Everything feels just a little bit too big for normal humans. As if a race of supermen came and rebuilt the doors and roads to their ideal specifications. Every couple of blocks, entrances to the metro appear.

I’m hoping we won’t have to enter those.

From the looks of it, the sewage system has fallen apart to the point that it links up with the subway. In other words, there are three different levels to this dungeon. First, street level is already bad enough. You could spend days wandering inside the city without reaching the other side. Second, if you’re brave or very stupid, you could go down into the underground level. But I bet there’s all manner of nasty things in the darkness. Last, you can enter the skyscrapers and apartments. Just looking at the Tiendas Tower in the distance, I’m already getting an ominous feeling. Like I said, the System has a sense of humor. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where the boss is hiding. Doubtless, many Hunters are racing towards the center of the city right now hoping to find it there.

“Hei…I hear something.” Suddenly my companion stops. The orange cat pokes its head out of her jacket and listens intently while flicking its feline ears. “Do you know what that is?”

I tilt my head. Now that you mention it, I do notice something. However, my hearing isn’t as sharp as Yin’s because of the level difference.

“Can you take us closer?” I say. We’ve avoided meeting anything for a few minutes, but as we get deeper, I except to start seeing bodies of both undead and Hunters. “I can’t hear it well.”

“Ahh, okay. This way!” Yin isn’t used to taking the lead on these things. However, she quickly grabs my hand and tugs me along in-between a side alley. After a few seconds, I begin to understand what she’s getting at.

*Dong!*

*Boom*

The noises must be coming from several blocks away. Now that we’re closer, I think I can identify them to some degree.

“Back. We’re going the other way! Back! BACK!” I hastily reverse and pull Yin with me. She throws a confused look after the sudden change.

“Hei?”

“System Skills. Someone’s using System Skills!” I hastily put the pedal to the metal and start jogging. We’ll go around whatever’s going on to our right.

“Aren’t those the abilities you were talking about before? The ones that let you do crazy things?” Yin catches on to what I’m saying and I’m grateful for her quick learning. “I thought you said no one would have any of those for a while?”

“I was wrong. I thought I might have seen some people using them the other night, but I didn’t think it was possible.” My explanation causes her to run faster. “This is bad, people who can use System Skills are on a whole other level from regular Hunters. We need to find some things for you to level up on now!”

“Is it really that bad?” Yin breaths heavily, her katana streaming out to her side. “Are they stronger than you?”

“Maybe.” I spit tersely. “System Skills let you open up a whole new way to fight. However, at the end of the day, just because you have a great sword doesn’t mean you can win every battle. True skill will outshine even System Skills. But it all depends on which one and who’s using it. If it’s someone talented who means harm, they’ll be very hard to stop without multiple regular Hunters working together.”

“So, what you’re saying is…in this place where no one trusts each other, someone with a System Skill…” Yin stumbles on something and I haul her back up. Turning back, I see what it was. Someone dropped their club. A good sign. We’re getting close to the frontlines.

“Someone with a System Skill will be like a demigod to these new Hunters. We need to avoid them at all costs!” Carefully, I slow down. The sounds of battle are coming from up ahead. But fortunately, I only hear weapons clacking, the growls of cold undead. None of the loud explosions and destructive power which accompany a System Skill user. To be honest, I’m quite confused.

Not only should it be unlikely for there to be someone with a System Skill at this point, but if they did have one, it should be a fairly weak one. However, whoever we heard back there was clearly way more powerful than a low-level Hunter has any right to be. Maybe the Hunters in the North were more powerful than the ones in the West? But we never knew because they all got wiped here? Ugh, would that even be a good thing? If that was true then our chances of surviving are even lower!

*Clank!*

“I’ll distract them! You guys attack when they go for me!” A familiar voice calls orders. Yin and I pop out of the side-alleyway to enter another main road.

Charlotte Avenue

A dozen men and two women are trying to coordinate their attacks on a small group of three undead. Unlike in the forest, these are not Fresh Undead, but a higher grade, Daemonic Undead. They appear similar to their weaker counterparts, but are sturdier, tougher, and rot more slowly. Additionally, their eyes glow in the dark, this fiendish red color which has been known to mesmerize those with weak minds. From my prior memories, they can take on any level, but in a starting area such as this I don’t think they’d be above Lvl. 11. Of course, that would be true if this wasn’t a Secret Dungeon. Honestly, even I’m not sure how hard the System intends to push these new Hunters because of that.

“Look, they’re hurt!” Yin shouts. She’s right. Two men, one a scruffy homeless looking kind of fellow and another, a thicker medium build construction worker are lying on the ground, groaning. Their comrades press against the Daemonic Undead, the front-liners are using trash can lids and rubber tub tops as crude riot shields.

It’s a clever plan.

While the three zombies attempt to get through the barriers, the other men strike out over the top and sides with various clubs and knives. Unfortunately, even if the basic plan is sound, the execution is a bit lacking. The people attacking the Daemonic Undead are hopelessly bad dealing a killing blow. Though even zombies will take damage from being stabbed in the guts and legs repeatedly, their combat power will take a long time to deplete like that.

“We have to help them!”

“I agree…although,” Something worries me. Looking at the man holding a trash can lid at the very front, I recognize his face. It’s the guy who was talking about the Hunter Counter, outside the city. What was his name, Mr. Sung right? “Their comrades have been bitten. Both of them.”

“Oh no!” Yin turns pale when she spots the bites. One has been bitten on the arm, another on the leg. It’s a terrible situation. “There has to be something we can do!”

“They’re going to die in a minute or two. Look, it’s already spreading.” I point out the purplish corruption snaking out from their bite wounds. Soon it will travel through their veins and reach their heart and brain. “I’m fine with helping them, but only if we get ALL the experience. I don’t want you joining their party.”

“Damnit, how can you think of things like that at this time?” Yin is furious, seeing my reluctance as selfish cowardice. Maybe it is. But it’s in her best interest to survive. “Come on, Hei! Get your cleaver out and let’s go!”

“No.” I sigh, though my hand enters my coat pocket just in case. “I told you, you can’t save everyone. And you’re going to need every bit of experience you can get. But I’ll admit, I respect that you want to do things your own way. As such, if you want to ignore my plans, then you’ll have to do it yourself. I’ll be watching over here.” Planting my feet on the ground, I ignore Yin’s angry looks. She stomps her feet but eventually sees that I really won’t intervene.

“Fine! Watch all you want then! I’ll do it myself!” The gorgeous girl flourishes her katana menacingly and charges in to help the floundering newbies. Shaking my head, I stay tense in the back, observing the situation carefully. No matter how badly I want to teach Yin a lesson, if it looks like she can’t deal with the situation, I’ll obviously intervene. Unfortunately, the damn girl knows me too well. So, she’s feeling confident and stretching her wings. I just hope she doesn’t fly too close to the sun and get burned.

“Miss! It’s you!” Some of Mr. Sungs compatriots call out greetings as Yin joins the fray. As a Lvl. 9 Hunter, compared to these Lvl. 1’s, it’s a completely different story. Her first act is to charge around the front-liners. The snarling Daemonic Undead don’t have the intelligence to keep an eye on their surroundings. Swiftly, she goes for the one closest to her side and lops its head off with a single blow of her replica katana. “Holy! She’s strong!”

“Ugh…” I groan as Yin has the audacity to flash a smug smile back at me before dancing onwards to the next one. Mr. Sung himself calls out encouragement her while wrestling back the last zombie until she can finish. Feeling a little miffed, I roll my eyes as the men begin to cheer. With no one to talk to I can only complain to myself, “You know I taught her that move!”