### Chapter 1: The Zero
**Setting:**
- **Aethelburg City**, where 18-year-olds undergo the **Awakening Ceremony** in the Crystal Spire.
- Society worships strength. The powerless are called **"Zeros"** – discarded, despised.
-
The Ceremony Hall hummed with crackling energy. Kael stood in line, fists clenched. All around him, teens ignited with power:
- *A girl's skin turned to living diamond.*
- *A boy summoned twin wolves from shadow.*
- Cheers erupted. Names flashed on the **Soul-Screen**: **"B-Rank Terraformer"**, **"A-Rank Shadowmancer"**.
Then came Kael's turn.
He placed his palm on the **Godstone**. Silence.
The stone stayed **gray – dead**.
The screen flickered:
> **KAEL VANCE: POWER — NONE**
> **RANK: ZERO**
Laughter ripped through the hall. Someone threw rotten fruit. It splattered against Kael's tunic.
*"Waste of space,"* sneered the Awakening Priest. *"Get out."*
Rain slashed Kael's face as he stumbled into the **Gutter District**. He collapsed behind a stinking dumpster, blood mixing with mud on his knuckles. *"Why…?"*
**SUDDENLY** –
A jagged **CRACK** tore the sky. Not thunder. Something… *shattering*.
A streak of crimson lightning **impaled Kael's chest**. No pain. Just cold.
> **[ ! ] FOREIGN ENTITY DETECTED**
> **WAR GOD FRAGMENT – ONLINE**
> **INITIALIZING SYSTEM…**
Kael gasped. Bronze text floated before his eyes:
> **WELCOME, USER. I AM 'WAR' – COMBAT OPERATIONS SYSTEM.**
> **STATUS: DAMAGED (POWER: 0.001%)**
> **OBJECTIVE: RESTORE THIS UNIT. ASCEND. AVENGE.**
*"What are you?"* Kael rasped.
> **DIRECTIVE 1: SURVIVE THE NIGHT.**
> **CURRENT THREAT: 3x GUTTER THUGS (APPROACHING)**
> **SUGGESTED ACTION: FLEE → SUCCESS RATE: 2%**
> **ALTERNATIVE: FIGHT → SUCCESS RATE: 0.7%**
> **…CALCULATING…**
> **PROTOCOL 'LAST STAND' ENGAGED.**
Kael scrambled up as three tattooed men rounded the corner. Knives gleamed.
*"Lookie here – a fresh Zero!"*
> **TUTORIAL QUEST ISSUED:**
> **« KILL OR BE KILLED »**
> **• REWARD:** 10 War Points | Unlock [STATS]
> **• FAILURE:** Death
War's voice was glacial iron in Kael's skull:
> **ANALYZING ENEMIES…**
> **THUG 1 (LEFT): FAVORS RIGHT LEG. WEAK LEFT KNEE.**
> **THUG 2 (CENTER): SLOW BLINK REFLEX. STAB VULNERABLE.**
> **THUG 3 (RIGHT): PREDICTABLE LUNGE PATTERN.**
> **RECOMMENDATION: USE DUMPSTER. BREAK #1'S KNEE. STEEL PIPE AT 2 O'CLOCK.**
Kael's fear crystalized into fury. *"Show me."*
He grabbed the pipe.
> **COMBAT MODE: ACTIVE.**
> **LET'S BEGIN, USER.**
Magnificent choices. Sarcasm + brutal survival + system quirks incoming. Let's forge Chapter 1's climax:
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### **SCENE CONTINUED**
Kael's fingers closed around the cold steel pipe.
> War's voice sliced through his panic like a rusty scalpel:
> **"HEART RATE: 180 BPM. SWEAT GLANDS: ACTIVATED. ADVISORY: STOP VIBRATING. YOU RESEMBLE A TERRIER FACING A LION."**
The lead thug lunged. Knife aimed at Kael's gut.
> **"DODGE LEFT. 83% CHANCE HE STABS AIR AND STUMBLES. 17% CHANCE HE ACCIDENTALLY GUTS YOU. ROLLING VIRTUAL DICE… CONGRATULATIONS, USER. TODAY IS AN 83% DAY."**
Kael lurched sideways. The blade whistled past.
*"Now what?!"* he screamed internally.
> **"STEP FORWARD. SWING PIPE DOWNWARD AT 37-DEGREE ANGLE. TARGET: KNEE CAP OF 'LIMPY' ON YOUR RIGHT."**
> **"…AND DO TRY NOT TO CLOSE YOUR EYES. IT REDUCES ACCURACY BY 62%."**
**CRUNCH.**
A howl erupted as Thug #1 collapsed, kneecap shattered.
> **"ADEQUATE. NOW DUCK."**
Thug #2's wild swing grazed Kael's scalp. Blood trickled into his eye.
> **"BLOOD LOSS: NEGLIGIBLE. DRAMATIC POTENTIAL: HIGH. PROCEED TO THROW DIRT IN THUG #2'S EYES. YES, ACTUALLY. PRIMITIVE. EFFECTIVE."**
Kael scooped mud. Thug #2 screamed, clawing at his eyes.
> **"WARNING: THUG #3 CHARGING. WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION SUGGESTS TACKLE ATTEMPT. PROPOSAL: BRACE AGAINST DUMPSTER. USE HIS MOMENTUM TO—"**
Kael braced—but Thug #3 shifted last second. A fist slammed into Kael's ribs. Bones groaned. He crumpled, gasping. The pipe clattered away.
Thug #3 stood over him, grinning. *"Zeros die quiet."* The knife rose.
> **"CALCULATED SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 0.3%. INITIATING CONTINGENCY PROTOCOL…"**
> **"…ERROR. DAMAGED CORE FRAGMENT DETECTED. ACTIVATING FALLEN GOD MODE (GLITCHED)."**
Suddenly, Kael's vision **flashed crimson**. Time slowed. The thug's knife descended like dripping honey.
> **"TEMPORARY SYSTEM OVERRIDE: USER MANUAL CONTROL SUSPENDED."**
> **"DEPLOYING QUIRK: [WRATH-SIPHON]."**
Kael's hand shot up—**not by his will**. His palm slapped the thug's chest.
**VWOORP!**
A vortex of red light erupted from Kael's fingers. The thug's rage-filled snarl twisted into agony as **raw fury visibly drained** from him—flowing into Kael. Strength surged through Kael's veins like molten iron.
> **"QUIRK ACTIVATED. TEMPORARY STAT BUFF: +300% STRENGTH (DURATION: 8 SECONDS). SUGGESTED ACTION: PUNCH."**
Kael roared. His fist, moving faster than thought, **caved in** Thug #3's sternum. The man flew backward, lifeless before he hit the mud.
Silence. Rain hissed. The two remaining thugs stared in horror.
> **"BUFF DEPLETED. USER BIOMETRICS CRITICAL. ADRENALINE CRASH IMMINENT."**
Kael swayed. Darkness nibbled his vision. He staggered toward the steel pipe—now faintly **glowing crimson**. His bloody fingers gripped it.
> **"TUTORIAL QUEST COMPLETE."**
> **REWARD CLAIMED:**
> **+10 WAR POINTS**
> **UNLOCKED: [STAT SHEET]**
> **UNLOCKED: QUIRK [WRATH-SIPHON] (DORMANT)**
> **WARNING: QUIRK USAGE DRAINS USER'S SANITY. PROLONGED EXPOSURE MAY RESULT IN: BERSERK RAGE, HALLUCINATIONS, PERSONALITY ERASURE.**
Bronze text seared Kael's mind:
| **KAEL VANCE** | **WAR SYSTEM v0.001** |
|----------------------------|-----------------------|
| **STR:** 8 ➔ 11 (Temp: 32) | **WAR POINTS:** 10 |
| **AGI:** 7 | **QUIRKS:** 1 |
| **END:** 6 ➔ 4 (Injured) | **AFFINITY:** None |
| **SANITY:** 88/100 | **OBJECTIVE:** SURVIVE|
> War's voice returned, dripping with synthetic disdain:
> **"CONGRATULATIONS. YOU DID NOT DIE. TECHNICALLY A SUCCESS."**
> **"NOW PLEASE LOCATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE BEFORE YOU EXPIRE ON THIS PICTURESQUE GARBAGE HEAP. PRIORITIES, USER."**
Kael collapsed against the dumpster, pipe clutched like a lifeline—its glow pulsing with the heartbeat of a dead god. Somewhere in the city's spires, lightning flashed again.
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