I don't know if it would still count as self-defense to murder these unconscious guys even though they attempted to rob me, so I left them in the alley.

I don’t know if Rob knows how to put that guy's bone back, so I let Rob just keep it. Five people tried to steal from me, so I stole from one person. It’s a fair deal for them. Plus, Rob didn't seem to want any of their bones so it would be fucked up to kill them anyway.

Rob didn’t seem to get noticeably stronger after stealing that bone, so I continued with my plan of baiting people over to harass me. I decided to hide my face with a surgical mask and a random jacket I found in the street as a disguise.

Rob was picky and didn’t even take a bone from a single one of them, and the bone he took earlier, he shoved in his bag without a second thought.

I wanted to go home and relax, but I decided to bait one more baddie.

I act meek as I walk through the warehouse district when “surprisingly” someone approaches me will ill intent.

A shirtless bald man with bulging muscles forces himself in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. His body is covered in tattoos as his chest reads [The Butcher.]

This guy is already wielding a meat cleaver as his gruff voice speaks out.

“I thought you were a tall woman from afar, but you will do.”

He attacks straight away! I probably didn’t even need to act meek, and he would've tried to attack me. He doesn’t go for a killing blow but a slash that would horrifically maim my face.

CRACK

Flash Gordon takes the attack for me as my devastating right hook staggers the man back. I used [Cross-Counter] to get the upper hand on him. I take one step and [Donkey-Punch] him in the liver. The force of the blow shuts his body down. He falls to the ground, moaning in pain.

Critical Hit!

I’ve heard that quick strikes to the liver are one of the most effective means of taking someone down. Even if the butcher had an iron will, it means nothing if his body forces itself off.

I roll him on his back as he weakly tries to stop me. I snatch his blade away and kneel on his chest. He tries to mutter something, but I silence him with just one look.

He tries to get up, so I break his nose with a palm strike.

“Stay down, pervert.”

His tattoo and weapon remind me of my title [Butcher] and the evil-sounding class I didn’t advance to inside the snail fracture. I wonder if this guy has that class or if I am making connections where there aren’t any.

Ptui, Ptui…

This guy keeps spitting the blood out of his mouth to keep him from drowning. I activate the [Prey on the Weak] title and try to get this guy to answer my innocent question.

“How many people have you killed?”

He seems unaffected by fear but answers me anyway.

“Exactly 53 people. Most of my victims were women who were caught outside alone. The riots sure do allow me to work easier under chaos. To find fresh meat. The rest were people who tried to do me in, just like I try to do you.

“Was this city such a dangerous place?” I was asking myself that question, but he answered it for me.

“Hehe, you don’t know the worst of it, kid. When the city has to keep superpowered freaks from destroying everything from a casual attack, the little fish can swim right on in. There's a whole underground society of people that don’t want to live under rules. The ones above, those with strength, will force anyone with talent to ‘reclaim’ lost lands or join companies that exploit us for their own monetary gain. ”

“Tell me,” I grab his broken nose and twist it. He starts howling in pain. “Why are you telling me this.”

“LET GO. FUCK I’D TELL YOU ANYWAY.” He forces his words out of his mouth.

His voice doesn’t travel far as all the energy in his words was used to speak. I relent and remove my hand.

“Cough, cough.” He shows me his bloody teeth is a gross smile. “You are just like me, kid. I can feel it in my bones. You don't cringe at the sight of blood, and you were decisive in your attacks. You purposely incapacitated me most painfully while still torturing me. You have a knack for anatomy and killing. You and I are the same.”

“‘Felt it in your bones,’ you say?”

“Yes, yes. Let me go, and I can show you an entirely new world.”

Maybe his bones are unique. I gesture for Rob to come out of the shadows.

“Hey, what's going on? What is an undead doing here? Wait! WAIT! HELP ME, THERE’S A MADMAN OVER HERE-”

~

Rob kept the bone he liked the most in his hands. He put the rest of the bones in his bag without a care. The upper arm bone, the humerus, captures his attention. I go to grab it, but he recoils and puts it behind him.

Rob realized what he did and sheepishly offered me the bone.

“Alright, Rob. This might hurt if you weren’t already dead. Hold still.”

I dislocated his arm and stuck the humorous to the shoulder joint. I snap his old humerus off of his forearm and discard it. I line up the remaining part of his old limb and hold my breath.

Rob starts to reassemble with the new part, and a system prompt appears before my eyes.

[Rob’s Undead Fortitude has evolved following specific criteria that have been met!]

[Undead Fortitude F > Undead Chimerism C

The user does not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. The user is classified as undead and is subjected to their weaknesses and limitations.

The user may replace parts to gain unique effects. (1/5)

-Humerus of a Human Butcher (+15 Might)]

Holy shit, it was the other trait that changed the skill. I rub Rob’s head as I think of all the possibilities chimerism can do for Rob. After we get him an extensive repertoire of bones, he could mix and match for any situation. Rob doesn’t seem to get what's happening, but he appears happy anyway.

~

A tag team of enforcers came by to ask questions about the lightning strike, but since no one answered the door, they left a note. I leave the note there so they cannot claim I read it. I go meet up with Duchess and Khan.

Khan’s swarm has slowly been growing back to full strength as Duchess has filled the entirety of my hallways with her body. I’d complain to her, but she is having difficulties adjusting to her new body. I don’t rub it in and just hang out with her until the daytime arrives.

~

Class is technically canceled due to the riots. I wonder when everything will die down. I contemplate continuing training, but for what? I have my whole life ahead of me at this point. Even if I don’t graduate this year, that's another year of sponsoring that the school will pay for. So what else do I have to do…

I can try earning the million dollars I mentally promised my foster parents. Wait, is it a million CCs now? Wouldn’t that get confusing in hospitals where CCs are a unit of measurement there? I wonder what the sages on the internet have to say about this.

[Willbegforhealz: @Everyone. The goddess has blessed us with a new idol of worship. Bless the gods, for we now can conjure a woman at any time!]

[Xx_StoicArcher_xX: ??? are you high? What do you mean by “conjure a woman.” are you talking about the little robot holding my money?]

[CIciSimp37: The silvery pigtails are the cherry on top of the majesty; that is Cici. The poster above is just blind to true beauty.]

[Xx_StoicArcher_xX: Seek medical attention.]

[50_yearold_wizard: Speaking of CC, how are you guys accommodating to the change in money systems. My city was on the verge of rioting, but the local government banded with the churches, and nothing happened.]

[Willbegforhealz: My city doesn’t even have a church to Merita, chaos is still happening. I’m currently stuck at home. Can anyone wire me some cash?]

[CIciSimp37: Cash, yes. CCs, no. Anyways I wanted to bring up a topic. What does CC actually stand for? Cici seems like a cute nickname rather than what the original name is. My wife (a doctor) doesn’t like the moniker since the name is the same as one cubic volume of liquid. It gets confusing at work.]

[Xx_StoicArcher_xX: I refuse to believe that you have a wife.]

[CIciSimp37: Cope.]

[50_yearold_wizard: Maybe “Cash Credit” or “CyberCash” or anything similar. Everyone at the office has been calling them credits since that seems more appropriate than calling our money an acronym.]

[Willbegforhealz: Where do you work oldtimer?]

[50_yearold_wizard: Welfare office in Goldcrest.]

[SweatyApple: Click this link for a 100% free subscription to the non-human internet! Tired of only speaking to those that are in the Prime Territories! Then you are in luck. This link saved my love life, and now I am married to an elven princess. CLICK HERE.]

[Willbegforhealz: BEGONE BOT.]

[Xx_StoicArcher_xX: BEGONE BOT.]

[CIciSimp37:: BEGONE BOT.]

[50_yearold_wizard: BEGONE BOT.]

~

I get off of Rankable and start thinking about Charlie. I wonder if he is okay… I can’t do anything about the Greenbacks since they are so influential, but I hope he isn’t getting scammed.

*Ding*

I check my text messages and see that the dean wants to meet with me about something. I text back that I will need a medium to a small moving truck for my beasts and close my phone. I wait for my ride while surfing the web.

I found a picture of myself in a blog. I read the post, and it seems to be a web news article about the tournament. I read the opening line and pause to think.

[Ellis Vincent and his awe-inspiring beasts show the rest of the filthy inhabitants of this world that this generation of superhumans can stand up to anything they throw at us!]

Wow, this guy got my name wrong. And doesn’t that sentence have racist undertones? I start reading some previous articles from this blog, and it seems that they are a human supremacist. I just close my laptop and wait patiently for the truck.

At least my first fan is passionate.