This Is Not the Life That I Imagined

Quinn reclined in his chair, eyes fixed on the array of monitors that adorned the room. the gentle hum of machinery filled the air, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of controlled chaos.

Suddenly, a jarring red flash erupted on one of the screens, accompanied by blaring warnings.

(WARNING!! WARNING!!

 Subject of study: John Howard. code name: Ordinary-Sleuth, is in danger.)

Quinn sat straight as his fingers danced over the keyboard, swiftly bringing up vital statistics.

(His heart rate is plummeting.

 Body temperature, far from ideal.

 Wounds vulnerable to infection.

 Passed out from the side effects of his talent.)

"Huh, let's shock him awake. He still needs to kill another monster before proceeding to the next stage. Can't let you die easily, buddy," Quinn mumbled as he pressed a key.

The screen kept flashing red for a while, then it returned back to normal.

(Subject of study: John Howard. Vital signs stabilized.

 Withdrawing the warning alert.)

Gasping and twitching, John slowly pried open his eyes. He felt the chill wetness through his whole body and the pervasive weakness that gripped him. Attempting to rise, his hand met the slippery ground, impeding any progress.

A bright flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky, followed by the distant roar of thunder, while John was consumed by the relentless struggle to stand.

After what seems forever, John finally on his feet—drenched and caked in mud—moved forward with careful steps, taking one step at a time. The sound of his boots splashing through puddles was muffled by the rain, thunder, and lightning.

Gasping for air, he steadied himself against a tree. "I... will... ne-never... fight... without assessing... the rest... of the surroundings first," John stutter in fear and concern.

After ten minutes of adjusting himself to his diminished stats, he walked back to retrieve his only ally—the sword—from where it lay on the ground.

Using his sword as crutch, John slowly walked away from the fight's location seeking a place to rest until the side effects ceased. 

He discovered a big rock under a colossal tree with a big leaves. 'It is dryer than anywhere else, I rest here for now.' 

John closed his eyes as soon as he took refuge under the tree, hoping for respite from all he had been through.

The scene of the fight still playing in his head forcing him to reflect on his recklessness and haste. 'I almost died there,' he winced as the wind howled, whipping cold rain against his face, but the memory of his close call hit harder.

 'My vision was obscured by the rain, but I fought the monster as soon as I saw it. I needed to survey the surroundings, assess whether it was a lone threat or not. This time, I got lucky. I'm not sure about the next… so let's ensure there's no next time. '

John continued his contemplation, 'the mission went over my head. Due to the time limit, I felt the need to finish as quickly as possible, and my killing of three Wild-Furys made me let my guard down in this unfamiliar environment. I'm still new to the whole fighting monsters thing.

I never trained in any martial arts, boxing or anything of that kind. The way I use the sword is like a butcher—No, it's even worse. The only thing that let me survive is my double focus talent, as it helps me control my body easier and see the attacks more clearly.'

The minutes passed as John continued his reflection. At last, the side effect ended returning his stats to normal. (Strength 6 -->9. Agility 3--> 6. Flexibility 2 -->5. Vitality 7 -->10. Intelligence 6-->9).

Feeling his strength back, John sigh in relief. "Finally, it felt horrible feeling so vulnerable. I need to use effect one of insanity check and add the attributes to vitality to stop any infection to my wounds until the next fight. I can't apply any antibiotics in this rain."

(vitality 10 --> 15).

He opened the backpack to retrieve the tablet, wanting to know how much time is left for the mission. several notifications greeted him as soon as he turned on the tablet.

(You got 6 points for killing three Wild-Furys.)

(A high-energy shock was sent to your heart to reset it to normal rhythm. one point is used as compensation.)

(Time remaining: 1 hours 59 minutes).

"Nothing is free, hah?... let's continue the mission" muttered to himself as he put the tablet back, and hoisted the backpack to his back as he stood up. Sheathing his sword, he started moving under the downpour. With the activation of his talent—Double Focus Effect 1—he began the hunt.

Minutes ticked away before he heard the growl of the Wild-Fury." Every single time I hear that sound, it gives me the creeps." John mumbled while advancing to the direction of the sound.

As the silhouette of the monster came onto John vision, he quickly hid behind a tree as he whispered "I will not make the same mistake twice. Let's check the surrounding first."

He made a full cycle around Wild-Fury as he hid in the bushes and behind the trees, after a few minutes of surveying the place, he made sure this is only one monster in the vicinity.

He moved cautiously as he shifted his attributes to strength. (strength 9 -->14, vitality 15 --> 10). Silently, his movements masked by the heavy rain, he silently positioned himself behind the creature. With a swift, decisive movement, he lifted his sword and, channeling all his strength, unleashing a fierce, ruthless swing, beheading the monster in one clean strike.

It didn't even have the chance to turn around or fight back, it died instantly.

John stood there motionless, staring at the carcass on the ground. It took him a while to realize that the monster was truly dead.

Bursting out laughing, John couldn't conceal his joyfulness. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... I can't believe it!! I sneaked up on the monster and it worked!! Hahaahhahahahahahaha".

His body bent from laughing as his suppressed emotions of fear, apprehension, and unease finally found an outlet. After a whole minute of continuous laughter, he finally took hold of himself by taking a deep breath.

"It worked!! It really worked!! I'm finally done with this mission. "John murmured in elation. He shifted his attribute to vitality as he moved in the muddy ground away from the monster.

Retrieving the tablet from the backpack, John sigh of relief at the message.

(You got 2 Points for killing Wild-Fury.

Mission is complete.

Navigating to a nearby safehouse …)

"Finally." John used his talent double focus to its limits, to avoid any monster in the journey. Eventually the tablet navigated him to a big looking tree.

The tablet vibrated as he reached it.

(Place the tablet against the tree).

"Open sesame." John chuckled, waiting for the tablet do its magic. The middle of the tree parted, revealing a staircase downward.

"Can't you make it an elevator? Why is always stairs?"

 As he went down, he noticed that the water from the rain didn't get near the stairs, as some kind of invisible barrier at work.

"How does this work?!" mumbled in puzzlement as he reached the door at the end of the staircase.

The tablet vibrated again, (Opening the door…)

 Beeb!

the door opened with a tick, revealing to John a room identical to the last safe house with bed , basic bathroom and a portal device.

(You have 12 hours in the safe house …)

"Yeah. Yeah. I know or the consequences will be watermelon, whatever." John scoffed in annoyance.

John opened the shop icon on the tablet, navigating to the "Daily Wear" section. There were many options but he selected these

(Shop: you have 12 points

 -- Jacket: 2 points.

 -- Boots: 2 points.

 -- pant: 2 points. durable yet flexible, providing the mobility needed for swift movements during combat.

 -- moisture-wicking, quick-dry shirt: 2 points.)

After selection, he went to essential and bought antibiotics pills with one point, then he confirmed the purchase.

As the portal hummed to life in order to deliver the items, He went to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and washed his wounds carefully. When he went out of the shower the items were already there. John applied antibiotics ointment, took antibiotics pill and bandaged every wound he had.

Changing into the fresh attire, John felt an immediate sense of relief. "Now this is better. I will leave my talent insanity check on vitality when I'm sleeping so my wounds heal faster to be ready for anything when I wake up" John decided as he settled in bed.

Quinn sipped his coffee when a knock sounded at the door. It creaked open slightly.

"Mentor Quinn, I'm here. What do you need me to do?"

"Ah, Simon, perfect timing," Quinn replied with a smile. "Come take a look at these new recruits. Which division do you think suits them best?"

Simon studied the screens for a moment before asking, "The fire-controlling guy—what's his name again?"

"That's Toby Lyons. Code name: Fervent-Enkindler," Quinn answered.

"I don't mean to be rude, sir, but your naming sense is..." Simon trailed off, hesitant.

Quinn turned to him, still smiling but with a sharp look in his eyes. "Feel free to be rude. I'm free to respond to it."

Simon swallowed hard, then nodded. "Your naming is… fantastic as always, sir. Back to the recruits. Fervent-Enkindler is definitely combat material. As for Maxwell Ballard—he can harden any part of his body—he could go into combat or the investigation unit. What's his code name by the way?"

Quinn grinned. "Solid-Warden."

Simon took a deep breath before continuing. "Right… doesn't matter. The last one must be John Howard. Code name: Ordinary-Sleuth. His talent is unique; he'd be a valuable asset to any unit. Since he has an engineering background, the technology unit might be a good fit for him."

Quinn leaned back in his chair. "He can fit anywhere, sure. But I'm putting him in the investigation unit. With his talent for double focus and the right training, he'll make a fine sleuth."

Simon nodded. "Whatever you say, sir. So, why am I here again?"

Quinn chuckled. "To watch a show, of course. I like to drink tea while I watch. Want a cup?"

"Yes, I'd love one," Simon replied, eager.

"Great," Quinn said with a smirk. "Then go make us two cups, and bring me one."

Simon blinked, momentarily stunned, before nodding. "Right... I'll get on that."