Chapter 3 – Entering the Battlefield_The Technomancer

The city was in chaos.

 Screams filled the air as panicked civilians shoved past one another, desperate to escape. Car alarms blared, and the distant echo of gunfire rang through the streets. The virus had spread faster than anyone had anticipated. What had started as scattered incidents had now exploded into a full-scale outbreak. The heart of the city was drowning in confusion, fear, and death.

 Damian rode through the disaster, his exoskeleton-clad frame an eerie contrast to the fleeing masses. While others fought to get away, he moved deliberately toward the carnage, weaving through the gridlocked traffic on his bicycle. Eyes turned toward him, some in confusion, others in disbelief. He ignored their stares. He had no time to explain, and even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.

 The first wave had begun.

 He reached the outskirts of the main commercial district, where the outbreak was at its worst. Corpses littered the streets, many still twitching, their bodies jerking unnaturally as the infection took full control. People who had once been alive and breathing were now reduced to nothing but husks—mindless, rabid creatures driven by hunger and instinct.

 The military had been deployed, but it was already clear they were losing control. Gunfire cracked in the distance, followed by screams of soldiers being overwhelmed. The police, too, were fighting desperately, forming barricades and attempting to contain the infected. But for every zombie they put down, more took its place. The panic spread faster than the virus itself.

 Damian activated Identify, his vision overlaying information across his sight. Infected (Stage One) – Mindless, slow, deteriorating. Weak points: head, spine.

 He scanned a few more, noting minor variations. Some were faster than others, some were decayed beyond repair. But none of them were a true threat. Not yet.

 His grip tightened on his Bowie knives. His mission was clear. 1,000 heads.

 The system had given him a task, and he intended to complete it.

 As another wave of gunfire rang out, Damian stepped forward, his blades gleaming under the neon city lights.

 It was time to begin the slaughter.

 The AI Takes Over – Precision Combat

 The moment Damian lunged forward, his AI-assisted combat system activated. His mind sharpened, his instincts honed by the Blade Skill he had purchased. But it wasn’t just his own skill guiding him—his exoskeleton and system-integrated AI took over, calculating optimal movements, angles, and strikes.

 His body moved with unnatural precision, every action dictated by efficiency. His first target—a stumbling infected in ragged business attire—didn’t even register his presence before his blade sliced clean through its neck. The counter appeared in his vision: [1/1000].

 The AI-assisted targeting system rapidly processed information, marking weak points on multiple enemies. Trajectory calculations, speed adjustments, and muscle coordination all synchronized seamlessly. Damian barely had to think—his body simply executed with brutal perfection.

 A second zombie lunged, but before it could even fully extend its arms, Damian’s left-hand knife buried itself into its skull, twisting violently before he kicked the corpse aside. [2/1000]

 Three more rushed toward him. His Identify Skill marked them—one slightly faster than the others, its infection more advanced. His AI predicted its movement, adjusting his positioning preemptively.

 The exoskeleton responded instantly. Boosted servos allowed him to pivot, evading the lunge of the first zombie before he drove his knife up through its jaw. A sickening crunch followed as bone split apart. [3/1000]

 Without hesitation, he used the momentum of his turn to slice horizontally, decapitating the second in one fluid motion. [4/1000]

 The third zombie came within arm’s reach—but the AI had already calculated its position. A system-guided sidestep placed him perfectly behind it, where he drove his knife into the base of its skull. [5/1000]

 The combat was effortless. Efficient. Calculated. Deadly.

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 Damian’s cold smirk widened as more infected flooded the street. *His mission had just begun.

 City Descends Into Chaos

 The outbreak spread like wildfire, and within minutes, the entire street had turned into a bloodbath. Civilians who had hesitated too long were tackled to the ground, their screams drowned out by the sickening sounds of flesh being torn apart. Gunfire rattled from all directions, but it was clear—the city was falling.

 Damian moved swiftly, slicing through infected without hesitation. His kill counter steadily climbed. [10/1000]... [25/1000]... [50/1000]. Each precise cut severed heads cleanly, blood splattering across his exoskeleton, though the suit’s auto-cleanse function prevented buildup.

 Suddenly, his Identify Skill triggered an alert.

 [Infected Detected: Stage Two – Evolved Variant]

 His gaze snapped to the source. Unlike the sluggish, deteriorating zombies he had been cutting down with ease, this one moved differently. Its muscles twitched unnaturally, its eyes darting toward Damian with a predatory focus. It was faster. More aware.

 The creature let out an inhuman screech before charging at full speed.

 Damian reacted instantly. The AI-assisted targeting locked on, calculating an optimal counter. He stepped to the side, blade raised—only for the infected to twist mid-air, avoiding his strike entirely.

 A grin crept onto Damian’s face. Finally, something interesting.

 He tightened his grip on his knives, adjusting his stance. This wasn’t going to be another mindless slaughter.

 This was a fight.

 The First Evolved Battle

 The mutated infected lunged at him again, its movements faster and more erratic than the others. The AI instantly recalculated his response, but even with system assistance, Damian had to move on instinct. He ducked low, narrowly avoiding a clawed swipe that would have torn into his neck.

 With a flick of his wrist, he slashed upward, aiming for its throat. The creature twisted mid-motion, dodging with unnatural reflexes, the blade only grazing its shoulder. It reacted instantly, grabbing onto his arm, its grip unnervingly strong.

 Warnings flashed in Damian’s vision—[Increased Muscle Density Detected]. The monster wasn’t just faster; it was stronger too.

 The exoskeleton’s servos whirred as Damian pulled back, breaking free from its grasp. The creature snarled, lunging again. This time, Damian didn’t evade. Instead, he stepped forward inside its reach, jamming his knee into its stomach, sending it staggering back.

 Taking advantage of the opening, Damian activated his Blade Skill, his movements accelerating in response. With a single, seamless motion, he brought both knives down onto its shoulders, burying them deep into flesh and muscle. The creature screeched in pain, but it wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t die unless he took its head.

 With a burst of exoskeletal strength, Damian ripped the blades outward, tearing through tendons and muscle before spinning around and delivering a decapitating blow.

 The head hit the pavement with a dull thud. A new notification flashed.

 [Evolved Kill Bonus: 5 Points Earned]

 Damian exhaled, his smirk widening. [51/1000].

 It was just the beginning.

 Kill Counter Rises – The Hunt Begins

 Damian pushed forward, carving through the chaos like a living storm of death. The AI-assisted combat system continued optimizing his movements, making him faster, deadlier, and more efficient with each strike.

 The kill counter ticked up rapidly. [75/1000]... [120/1000]... [200/1000].

 The battlefield evolved as more Stage Two infected appeared. Some had hardened skin, making simple slashes ineffective. Others could leap great distances, closing gaps far quicker than the normal infected. Damian adjusted accordingly, targeting their weak points, using his exoskeleton’s mobility to outmaneuver them.

 Gunfire rang out nearby—survivors were still fighting. Some civilians had armed themselves and were struggling to fend off the horde. Damian noted their presence but felt nothing. He wasn’t here to save them.

 A police officer, backed into a corner, fired desperately at an approaching Stage Two infected, his bullets barely slowing it down. His gun clicked empty. The officer’s eyes widened in terror as the creature lunged at him—

 A blade flashed.

 Damian moved past, not sparing the officer a glance as the zombie’s head rolled to the ground. [237/1000].

 The officer gasped for breath, staring at Damian’s armored frame. “Who… what the hell are you?”

 Damian didn’t answer. He had more heads to collect.

 With another push forward, he disappeared into the massacre, blades slicing through the living and the dead alike. The hunt had only just begun.

 Eyes in the Shadows

 Unbeknownst to Damian, a pair of eyes had been watching him from the shadows. Hidden inside a filthy dumpster, two teenage girls held their breath, their bodies trembling from exhaustion, hunger, and fear. Only their wide, awe-filled eyes peeked out from the narrow opening, locked onto the armored figure cutting through zombies like they were nothing.

 They had seen everything. The impossible speed, the ruthless efficiency, the sheer dominance Damian exuded as he moved. The world had turned into a nightmare, but in him, they saw something else—a way to survive.

 They had already lost everything. Their parents had fought to protect them, sacrificing themselves just days ago. Their final words echoed in their minds: “Survive. No matter what.” And now, as they watched Damian, they understood exactly what survival looked like.

 “He’s… not normal,” the younger twin whispered, barely audible over the chaos.

 The older twin nodded. “He’s powerful. If we stay alone, we’ll die. But if we follow him…”

 They exchanged a glance, silent agreement passing between them. This man was different. He wasn’t like the desperate survivors or the weak-willed fools who had already perished. He was a predator in a world of prey. And in this new world, they had no intention of being weak.

 All they had to do now was find a way to get close to him.

AliNovel

Chapter 3 – Entering the Battlefield