izana_king snippet

-Somewhere in the middle East-

As he adjusted the wires, his hands moved with practiced precision. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the terrorist standing behind him, gun trained squarely on his back. Being kidnapped by the Taliban wasn't exactly how he'd imagined this work would go.

He and his team had been taken hostage to force them into building rockets for the militants. Some of his colleagues had tried to resist big mistake. They'd been shot on the spot, their bodies left as grim reminders of the consequences of defiance. But he? He didn't care enough about his own life to die groveling at the feet of these fanatics. If he was going out, it would be on his terms.

As he worked on the rocket, his fingers subtly rerouted the wiring. Broken, improperly connected wires sparked with small bolts of electricity as he manipulated them. The terrorist barked orders, but he ignored them, focusing on the task at hand. With a final, deliberate connection, the rocket's systems flared to life.

Before anyone could react, the rocket shot sideways, slamming into the wall of the building. The explosion was instantaneous, a deafening roar that consumed everything in its path. He didn't even feel the terrorist's bullet if it had been fired at all. The flames engulfed him, his skin burning, but his mind was eerily calm.

As the fire consumed him, the only thing he could think of was the national anthem, playing faintly in his head like a final, defiant salute.

-later-

He wasn't surprised that there was nothing after death just the void. The fact that he still had consciousness, though, was intriguing. As an atheist and a man of science, he had never believed in a "sky daddy" or any form of afterlife. Yet here he was, aware, thinking, and existing in some form. It was alarming, to say the least.

As he pondered this, his vision suddenly cleared, and he found himself in a white room. The space was elegant, almost like a high-end office. Before he could fully process his surroundings, a voice broke the silence.

"Good to see you, Mr. John," the voice said, smooth and calm. He turned his head and saw a strikingly beautiful woman with blonde hair and piercing red eyes. She regarded him with a neutral expression, her gaze steady and unreadable.

"Sit down, please," she instructed. To his surprise, his body complied immediately, as if her words carried some unseen force. He sat, still trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Is this the afterlife?" he asked, though it came out more as a statement. He wasn't even sure if he'd spoken aloud or simply thought the words.

"Technically, yes," the woman replied. "Though your world doesn't have an afterlife, so all that awaited you was the void. This… is something else."

He tried to respond, to ask more questions, but found himself unable to speak. It was as if his voice had been locked away. The woman seemed to notice his frustration and continued without missing a beat.

"You've been chosen out of an infinite number of souls to be offered a second chance at life," she explained. "You'll be part of our group. Of course, you can always refuse and return to the void if that's what you prefer."

Finally, the suppression on his voice lifted, and he managed to speak. "Am I being forced into this? Ever since I got here, I haven't been able to say a damn thing, and now you're telling me I've been 'chosen'? What even is this group? What's it about?" His tone was laced with frustration.

The woman's eyes glowed a deeper shade of red as she regarded him coolly. "I placed you under a suppressive spell. Most people panic when they realize they're dead, and frankly, I don't have the patience to deal with it. The spell keeps them calm."

She leaned back slightly, her expression unchanging. "Normally, we'd go through the formalities let you choose your system, your new world, all of that. But suddenly, I don't feel like giving you the luxury of choice."

Before he could protest, she snapped her fingers. In an instant, he was teleported out of the room, his surroundings shifting abruptly. All he could do was curse her in his mind as he was swept away into the unknown.

-later-

Staring up at the city sign in front of me, I immediately knew I was screwed.

WELCOME TO BROCKTON BAY

The sign was riddled with nine bullet holes, though the fresh paint suggested it hadn't been there long. Wonderful. Gunshots echoed in the distance, a grim reminder of where I was. I checked my pockets and found my wallet complete with a driver's license and a couple hundred dollars. At least I wasn't completely broke.

A notification popped up in my vision, pulling me out of my thoughts.

[Technology System Fully Online]

[System Functions: Status, Skills, Quests, Inventory]

[Wish to open newbie gift box]

As he nodded, he started walking trying to be as unknowable as possible. Hard when you're wearing jeans and professional white shirt.

[Eye of a engineer - Thinker]

The power causes the user to gain flawless vision, allowing them to spot tiny details at great distances. In addition, the user gains the ability to selectively see through most obstacles. Overuse of this ability will cause Thinker headaches, and temporarily disable all aspects of this power.

[Specialisation: Drones]

You are a drone tinker, able to craft all kinds of remote-controlled, unmanned drones. You can program them with a simplistic VI to run without needing your direct command.

[Specialisation: Androids]

You have gained the technological knowledge of Cyberlife and are able to produce all kinds of androids, from domestic assistants to soldiers.

[Box of materials - Rank F]

A box of basic materials good enough materials to have you started.

This felt like something straight out of one of those Chinese web novels I used to read. Shaking off the thought, I focused on my immediate problem I needed a place to work. Right now, I was effectively homeless.

It was midday, judging by the sun's position. Time to head into the city, find a computer, and get something to eat. Despite Brockton Bay's notorious reputation and the occasional gunfire, sticking to the main roads kept me mostly undisturbed. The only person who tried to stop me was a homeless beggar hoping for an easy mark. I ignored him my limited funds weren't up for grabs.

It didn't take long to find a public library with computers. After finishing a questionable breakfast burrito and downing a cheap coffee, I settled in for a long session of research.

First things first: what day was it? Where was I in the timeline? My knowledge of Worm was spotty at best, but I needed to figure out if canon had already started.

Scouring Parahumans Online (PHO), I pieced together the current state of the world. The biggest recent event was the Simurgh's attack on Canberra just over a month ago. Today was March 3, 2011.

The gangs of Brockton Bay were more or less as I remembered, though each seemed to have more members than I recalled. The Azn Bad Boys (ABB) had a new cape who sounded suspiciously like the crazy blonde girl from mha, along with a Case 53 Mover who resembled the teleportation villain from the same series, and apparently they've been sightings of blue flames in their territory, which he considered was not a good signed.

On the bright side, there was no sign of Skitter yet. Lung hadn't been captured, which meant canon hadn't fully kicked off. I had some time to prepare.

Now, the pressing question where to build my lair? Brockton Bay had plenty of abandoned real estate, but it also had a massive gang problem. A helpful PHO user had created a map tracking gang territories, and it painted a grim picture.

The Empire 88 controlled the most territory, dominating the commercial district and over half of downtown. They'd also pushed into the docks, but the ABB was holding them off. The ABB, in turn, had carved out two large territories on opposite sides of the city. According to the map, they'd recently stolen some Empire territory after a new cape of there poisoned several high-ranking Empire members.

The Merchants and the PRT were tied for third place. The PRT controlled the more affluent areas like the Boardwalk and parts of downtown, while the Merchants occupied the city's rundown districts. It was absurd that the PRT, the supposed law enforcement, held as much territory as a bunch of drug-addled idiots.

After hours of research, I finally decided on a location for my lair. The Merchants were the weakest and most incompetent of the gangs. Setting up in their territory gave me the best chance of going unnoticed. I picked an abandoned building deep in Merchant territory, near the waterfront and far from the ABB and PRT. It wasn't ideal, but it was a start.

Now, it was time to get to work.

-later-

Reaching the warehouse district, I noticed the crowds thinning out except for one warehouse that seemed unusually active. Peering through the walls with my enhanced vision, I spotted a large group of Merchants inside. It looked like an underground drug lab. Curiosity got the better of me, and I tried to see through the ground, but a sharp, throbbing pain shot through my head. Thinker headaches. Great.

I'd been using my power for hours, scanning walls, clothes, and everything in between. I'd clearly overdone it. Wincing, I took one last look through the warehouse walls before the headache forced me to stop. Inside, Merchants were loading boxes into a truck while a blonde woman in a welding mask barked orders. Her tiny jean shorts and stained tank top didn't exactly scream "Cape," but I recognized her instantly Squealer.

Skidmark's girlfriend, the Merchants' Tinker, and, according to PHO rumors, a full-blown junkie. The needle marks on her arms and the sheer volume of drugs stuffed into her pockets confirmed those rumors. My perfect vision made it all too clear.

Closing my eyes, I moved away before the Merchants on guard took notice. My head was pounding, and even attempting to use my power again sent jolts of pain through my skull. Taking the hint, I relied on my regular senses for the time being.

The drug den was closer to my chosen lair than I'd hoped just a few streets away. But I could work with that. Eventually, I'd take the fight to the Merchants, and knowing the location of one of their drug labs would come in handy. For now, though, I needed to focus on getting set up.

I reached the run-down warehouse I'd scouted earlier. It wasn't much, but the sturdy stone wall surrounding it made it a decent choice. Using my power one last time despite the pain, I scanned the interior to make sure it wasn't another Merchant hideout. The only signs of life were a few homeless people sleeping on the ground floor. I could deal with them.

Thankfully, someone had already done part of the job for me. One of the gates was broken, making it easy to slip inside. As I stepped into the warehouse, a notification popped up in my vision.

[Run-down Warehouse] claimed

Upgrades available

It's not much, but it's a start.

It wasn't much, but it was a start. I mentally swore to either improve this dump or find a better lair as soon as possible.

Making my way through the warehouse, I finally came across the homeless squatters. They were huddled together, looking rough but harmless. I didn't want to kill them that would draw too much attention so I decided to handle this diplomatically.

"Hello, folks," I said loudly, making them freeze and turn toward me. "Who here wants some money? All you have to do is agree to leave this place and not come back."

One of them, a scruffy man with a worn-out jacket, cautiously approached. "You… you serious? How much?"

"How much will it take to get you to leave?" I asked, keeping my tone calm but firm. I needed a starting point for negotiations.

"Ten bucks!" he blurted out quickly, his eyes darting to my wallet.

I sighed and pulled out my wallet. "I'll give each of you twenty if you agree to leave and keep this to yourselves." I handed out four twenties, one to each of them. Their eyes lit up, and they scrambled to their feet.

I wasn't about to squabble over pocket change. This district was crawling with homeless people, and communities like this talked even if the community was made up of vagrants, junkies, and beggars. I needed to delay the Merchants finding out about my presence for as long as possible.

As they hurried out, I turned my attention to the warehouse. It was mine now. Time to get to work.

[Skills That were transmigrated from users, last life]

[Hacking - Adept]

The skill to bypass computer security, accessing files and functions that you shouldn't have permission to use.

[Forgery - Apprentice]

The skill to create false documents, IDs and even artwork or items.

[Engineer - Expert]

You're an expert engineer having an expert knowledge on engineering you gain engineer related skills, 50% faster.

[Cyber engineer - Expert]

You're an expert on cyber engineering, having an expert knowledge on cyber engineering you gain cyber engineer related skills, 50% much faster.

Perfect. I pulled the beginner supplies box from my inventory and got to work. This dump wasn't going to upgrade itself.

-later-

I couldn't help but smile as I watched my drones buzz around, tirelessly working to transform the dilapidated warehouse into a proper base. The sound of tools clinking and machinery humming filled the air, a symphony of progress. It wasn't much yet, but it was a start.

A notification popped up in my vision, pulling me out of my thoughts.

[Feat Achieved: Turn a Piece of Shit Place into a Decent Base]

[Reward: Building System Unlocked]

I clicked on the new option, and a menu appeared, offering various upgrades for my base. Without hesitation, I selected the option to build some beds and create a private room for myself. I also chose to expand the size of the warehouse, giving me more space to work with. The system worked quickly, and within moments, the changes began to take shape.

As the drones continued their work, I turned my attention to the ones I'd already built.

[Building Drones - Rank F]

Drones specialized in construction and repair. Not suited for combat.

They were efficient at building and fixing things, but they wouldn't be much help in a fight. If I wanted to survive in this city, I'd need to gather more materials to build stronger, more versatile drones. For now, though, these would do.

Satisfied with the progress, I made my way to the room my drones had constructed. The system had provided a perfectly good bed, and after a long day, it looked incredibly inviting. I lay down, letting out a sigh of relief as my body sank into the mattress.