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nAs Dante stood there, catching his breath and contemplating his newfound strength, something caught his eye in the distance. A glimmer of light reflected off the horizon, suggesting the presence of something unnatural amidst the desolate landscape.

nIntrigued, Dante decided to investigate further. He moved cautiously, using the remains of fallen structures as cover, all the while keeping his guard up for any potential threats. As he approached the source of the glimmer, the landscape began to change, and he realized he was entering what seemed like a controlled territory, a place different from the rest of the wasteland.

nThe remnants of civilization there were not as ruined as the surrounding areas. Crumbling buildings were replaced with intact structures, and signs of technology began to appear. Dante’s curiosity grew, and he couldn’t help but feel a mix of shock and caution.

nAfter all, he had seen many times on the forums that there were special locations equivalent to ‘game dungeons’ in the Apocalypse World, where one would be temporarily instanced from everyone else and be able to reap rewards after fighting gruesome foes.

nAs Dante stealthily made his way forward, he finally caught sight of the source of the glimmer: a massive research facility that loomed before him. Its metal walls were intact, and automated defense turrets dotted the perimeter. The facility seemed ancient yet somehow functional, which was just weird.

nDante’s heart pounded with both greed and a hint of rationality despite wanting to explore the secrets hidden within. He knew that this facility might hold answers to the questions he had about the Apocalypse World that other players refused to answer, a way to ascend beyond the A Rank.

nJust because no one had achieved it didn’t mean no one knew how. However, that knowledge was locked behind closed doors and very large paywalls by stronger students.

nHowever, the presence of this research facility also indicated danger. Such a place was likely to house formidable security measures and unknown experiments that could prove deadly. Clicker-like monsters patrolling the compound in packs confirmed Dante’s suspicions.

nHuh, wait, Clickers?!

nThese clicker-like creatures were reminiscent of the dreaded monsters from a famous survival horror game. They had a hunched posture, elongated limbs, and fungal growths covering their bodies. Their eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence, and they emitted eerie clicking sounds as they moved.

nDante cursed as he hid and observed the clicker-like monsters from a distance, studying their behavior and patterns. It was clear that they were under some form of control, as they seemed to patrol specific areas within the research facility and responded to certain signals.

nOh God, why?

nThe forums did state that these ‘dungeons’ were extremely tough and only teams with C-and above superpowers should enter, but this was ridiculous!

nStill, the potential loot within the facility made the risk worth it, but Dante nonetheless devised a plan. He knew that a direct assault would be foolish, so he decided to utilize his Quantum Entanglement and Absorption superpowers to infiltrate the compound discreetly.

nHe set a Quantum Marker on the spot by going and coming back.

nUsing his fully activated Bionics and Psionics, he clung to the walls and obstacles, staying hidden from the clicker-like monsters’ view. Whenever he encountered security systems or surveillance cameras, he quickly set a Quantum Marker before neutralizing them with his AI Chip.

nStrangely enough, the AI chip could not take over this entire facility as it was manned by a quantum computer at the very core of its establishment. It was what also controlled the clicker monsters, so Dante could not interfere with that.

nThe only thing the AI could do was prevent the quantum computer from detecting him with ease, turning him into a quantum blind spot.

nThankful for this, Dante moved through the facility with the stealth and grace of a shadow, making his way deeper into the research facility. Each step brought him closer to the entrance of the compound, where he might enter the actual institute itself.

nHowever, in the end, he was discovered because the clicker monsters had innate senses that were superior to any form of method he could use to cloak himself. He saw five of them rush at him even though one detected him, and more were coming.

nThe base didn’t even enter red alert because the child AI that likely handled security did not rate him as a significant threat. It felt that the clickers should be more than enough, which was true given their SDI.

nMonster Name: Deformed Zombie

nMonster Rank: D

nHP: 220

/220

nStrength: 34

nAgility: 60

nDexterity: 59

nIntelligence: 13

nConstitution: 18

nVitality: 20?

nHis first D Rank monster, and boy was it powerful. The Deformed Zombie, the clicker-clone, was an early stage D Rank monster with average attributes. Dante knew he would not have an easy time here, so he backed away and quickly approached the entrance.

nWith his powerful precision, he fully activated his Bionics and Psionics to fire his sniper and strike the charging zombies head-on. Many were fast enough to directly dodge the bullets, which made Dante feel alarmed.

nHe then reached a good location that would limit how many could reach him and flourished his halberd. When the first monster pounced at him in mid-air, he brought his halberd down and smashed it into the ground with ease.

nThose that came after the first one performed similar attacks, leaping off the walls to corner him or attacking from the air, but all they got for their cleverness was Dante’s halberd smack down on their heads or in their torsos, splitting them in half.

nThe moment he got a brief respite, he quickly absorbed them and sucked in over seven of them in one go.

nPlayer Name: Dante

nPlayer Race: Human

nHP: 661

/661

nStrength: 30.4 -> 78

nAgility: 26.6 -> 110.6

nDexterity: 30.5 -> 113.1

nIntelligence: 15.94 -> 34.14

nConstitution: 40.9 -> 66.1

nVitality: 41.5 -> 69.5

nMutation Index: 0% (Safe)

nRadiation Index: 0% (Safe)

nSuperpowers: Quantum Entanglement, Absorption.?

nWith just this, Dante could turn off his Bionics and Psionics completely and fight. While it would be easier to keep them on, there was a simple universal rule called the Conservation of Energy.

nEnergy did not come from nowhere; it could only be transformed. The Bionics and Psionics themselves produced their own functional energy to keep them working, so they could boost your SDI for as long as you wanted without needing to be recharged.

nHowever, your body burns its energy to maintain its operations. To put it simply, the higher your SDI, the higher your consumption.

nDante did not have this problem because his SDI was less than three digits, and even when he did raise it up, it was for short periods. Now, at his base, his SDI was in the three digits in some areas as well as creeping there in others.

nHe knew this logic, so he wanted to conserve the energy he had. This was his real body, not a virtual body, so the energy being burned was from him. Dante

nglanced down at the path where more Deformed Zombies were rushing over and leapt up, climbing over a nearby structure to disappear from their senses for now.

nHe noticed that this was an ancillary lab for other, less furnished researchers to work in. It was specialized but mostly for attendants and lower-ranked researchers. Dante looked left and right before pushing the window up and crawling into the building quickly.

nSince he didn’t have to fear cameras as the two quantum machines – one in his head and one in the core of the lab – canceled out each other’s tech, he directly disappeared and returned to his residence in the school.

nDante immediately used his AI chip to order energy bars that were meant for high-maintenance species. After all, the problem he was facing now was not something new, but something that was pretty much ancient to the Eternal Universe.

nThe simplest solution was the energy bar, a single candy-like bar that contained enough energy to power a relatively small city. It would be absorbed by the target in question, and then the energy would be released slowly by the bar over time, depending on the desire of the body.

nIt was similar to the scientific idea that humans could achieve infinite underwater breathing by ingesting an oxygen pill that released air in small amounts to the lungs.

nWhat stumped modern humans was not condensing oxygen into a pill, but ‘coding’ the pill to give instructions to the body on how to use it. The energy bars lacked this problem as they contained such biological instructions and gave the body a clear guideline on how to use it.

nDante soon received the one he ordered and chomped it down. He chose the chocolate flavor, and it tasted great!

nThe moment he swallowed, he felt the energy bar getting to work, and his slight hunger that was building up vanished, and he felt full. Immediately, Dante jumped back into the Apocalypse World to continue his journey.

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